Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-01-16

,eno-.e5 .iIeuced, aud the transports s sgSt
csppsyveIv land their troops. Finding tns s
tb os't reconnoitering party landing co .ha.
boId the sbore. Butler determlneu t SyE. ".
isnd force 10 attempt the assault ou Isns
h.;s-.5s nnsbed TO within few nunI ny y
Ids ~ Fort Fisher, capturing tne ~.
Noon battery and its men. TINS skiE HntJs
line adyancsci to within seventy 'nse tSo
nj the fort. the garrison being kept III ~ ~
bomb. proofs by the naval hre' mnen sas
Sre of the navy ceased, the pafapes No,
fnIly manned, and personal eNemi ts 80.
Nv Gen- Butler within few nnnorsu isss
~ Fort Fisher. showed it to be wen PR
tected from assault by an e1ssnstse &c.,
ade. bsstions fifteen feet hign' anu l.Ai 49,
feat wide vet ditch, that no maIeEtsi 10
zoe had been done to the fort oy W s no
Seventeen heavy guns oore " w ssI,eIl
The flag which had been cut ~ s.,.st and
was captured on the edge OF tne aa s :, , .
an orderly killed about MIRO I u s =
from the fort. the EePoEs1NNs
entered Is mistake. ,..;,;o, had
.ntnreS ala men and ten commissioners
ossosrs III the North Carolina RESERVES.
RntIsr learned from these thattwo prlge !,es
- goIa's division were within two miles
sf the rear of his forces. Their skirmlsnssL l
we're actually engaged, and the te lniGI,t
| of Hokeis division had arrived tne nis s.s
nreyious at Wilmington and were On ..5s
RE,arseT inns forming q force OUTSIDE ot sAo
works superior TO Buffers. "a che
itiinsz & ) <uaathef beeaU ..e
snrY rolling in SO that landing became uii.
fcult. AT this time Weitzel reporter ~
Butler that, to assault the work' IN a u.S
Judgment and that OF experienced oulSets
of Ills command was impossible, WIN any
nrosuect of success. This opinion colnO.
dad with Buffers. AS much as ne [esfe
ted the necessity of abandoning the ;.
tempt, yet he considered the ousy Pta'L
Such strong work as Fort fls .ls nae
not been taken by assault duElng sle ,han
sands in the assaults on Fort huuSou "DN
Wagner. Butler says:
mi therefore ordered that no assauls
should be made, and the troops TO re'em ::
bark. Whilst the preparations to re-en-
bsrk were making, the firing of the navy
ceased. The guns of the fort were fully
manned and a sharp fire of musketry, grape
and canister swept the plain over which
the column must have advanced.
mIt was found impossible to get the
troons all aboard before the sea ran SO
high as to render further embarkatlon. OF
even the sendiag Of supplies ashore, i'm
On the 26,h, having made all proper
dispositions for getting the troops on oosro,
Gen. Butler gave orders TO the transport
feet, as fast as ready, to sail for Fort Mon
In obedience to orders from the Lieuten.
ant General, General Butler states that ne
learned from deserters and prisoners that
the supposition, when the expedition was
planned, that Wilmington was denuded OF
troops to oppose Sherman, was correct ana
go at the time OF the arrival ofthe army on
Wilmington, there being less than 400 men
in Fort Fisher, and less than ,O0O within
twenty miles, but the delay of three days
waiting the arrival of the navy, and fur
Their delay by the storm of the 21st, 22d
and 28d, gave time for achievements TO
arrive from Richmond.
The instructions of the Lieutenant Cen
eral did not contemplate siege. he had
neither siege trains nor supplies for such
contingencies. Gen. Butler here says the
exigency of possible delay, for which the
foresight of the commander of the armies
had provided, had arisen, to wit: the large
reinforcement of the garrison, with the fact
of ammunition in the bombardment, left
me with no alternative but to return with
my army to the Jsmes.
The loss of Friday, Saturday aud Sun
day, the 10th, 18th and 18th, was the i'm
mediate cause of the failure of the expedi'
ton. 1t is not my province even to sug-
gest blame to the navy for their delay o.
four days at Beaufort. l know none o.
the reasons which do or do not justify it.
II is to be presumed they are saficient.-
General Butler then refers to the excellent
behavior of the troops and the assistance
afforded him by certain naval officers.
REPORT OF GENERAL WHITFIELD.
The report Of General Weitzel states
that after getting full survey of For
Fisher, he frankly informed General But
Ter that it would be butchery to order ar
assault on that work under the circum
stances.
Gen. Curtis and Gen. Ames' reports are
appended, confirming all the above essen
tai points, and copies of Gen. Grant,
telegrems and orders to Butler conclude thu
document.
aHN. GRANTS COMMENTS.
Gen. Grant, in his Endorsement of But
ler's reports says it was never contempla
ted that Gen. Butler should accompany thu
expedition, Gen. Weitzel being specially
named as commander.
Gen. Grant thinks the delay in the moving
OF the expedition can be charged to the
waiting for the gunpowder boat to be pre-
pared.
Gen. Grant says Butler is in error il
stating thatthe decentralization was by his
instructions, as the instructions never con.
templated a withdrawal after landing
had been effected. Gen. Grant says in his
orders that the first object of the expedi-
ton was to close the port of Wilmington
and If successful, to capture the city itself
DIED.