Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-19
GEN. BUTLER'S REPORT.

In accordance with the suggestion Of
Gen. Grant, the War Department permits
the publication Of Gen. Buffers report on
the Wilmington Expedition,
1t will be remembered that the naval pre-
parations for this expedition were IN pro-
gress for at least two months, and 1t IS to
be presumed that when Gen. Grant ordered
the land force to rendezvous at Fortress
Monroe, with ten days coal and water, it
was with the understanding that the naval
force was ready to proceed. On the 9th OF
December, then, Gen. Butler reported to
Admiral Porter that all was in readiness on
his part. The Admiral, however, was not
ready, and Gen. Butler was compelled to
wait through Saturday the 10th, Sunday
llth, and Monday the 18th Here the first
three days were wasted before the navy
force was ready to move OH the 18th, and
even then it would be compelled to put into
Beaufort for ammunition for the monitors,
probably because those vessels could not
carry it any greater distance than from that
place to New Inlet. This, of course, in
volved still further delay, and Gen. Butler,
that he might give the naval force a start
of thirty-siX hours, steamed up the James
to deceive the Rebels as to his probable
destination, and on the 14th Wednesday,
put to sea But even then he had not given
Admiral Portor time enough. On the even
inc of the 18th he arrived at New Inlet,
near Fort Fisher, where he waited three
days longer, in fine weather and with a
smooth sea, the 10th, 18th, and 18th, be-
fore the feet appeared. Thus nine days
had elapsed since, by order of Gen. Grant
he had reported that the land forces were i'll
readiness to proceed-nine precious days
lost because the naval authorities hadfailcd
to complete their preparations at the ap-
pointed time. This ineXcusable delay and
| dlatoriness, of course, involved still fur
! ther postponement The coal and water,
provided for ten days-ample had the whole
expedition started at the appointed time
! were now exhausted, and the transports, by
! Admiral Porter's advice, put into Beaufort
| to recruit The weather, moreover, had
/ changed For three days it blew gale
/ and it was not till the 24th that the troops
could be again brought to the place Of rem
! devious for the combined attack. That
| they would be there 1t that time Admiral
| Porter was duly informed the day before,
| but he, for whom everybody else had wal
! ted so long, could wait for nobody, and he
prematurely, though harmlcssly, blew into
! the air half a million worth of gunpowder
/ before which the walls Of Fort Fisher were
to have fallen. He was confident, how
ever, that he had slenced its guns, but he
nevertheless declined to take his ships above
the fort to protect the landing of the troops
and prevent reenfOrCements being sent tC
the enemy, lest he should encounter torpe
| does But the attack was commenced
only to prove that the fort was uniniured
that it was fully Manned that two brigades
! of HOkc's divisiOn-whoSe strength was
well known to Gen Butler-wcrc within
two miles of our rear, that the rest of tha
| division was on the march from Whining
/ ton, and that thus, outside the Fort, there
was a larger force opposed to Gen. Butler
| than his own To proceed III the attack
according to his Judgment and that of his
officers, would only be a useless sacrifice OF
his men, and Gen. Butler therefore ordered
his forces to be re embarked
Such in brief is the whole story. When
the army first arrived off Wilmington, there
were, as deserters and prisoners declared
and as Gen Grant knew when he ordered
the expedition to start, less than 400 mcl
in Fort Fisher, and less than 1000 within
twenty miles Had the expedition started
according to the plan laid out, and not beer
delayed three days at Fortress Monroe, Oh
had the feet been present when the lanC
forces first reached New Inlet and three
days more not been lost, Fort Fisher woulC
have been an easy capture. That delay
gave the enemy time to re-enforcc it, and
Gen Butler simply acted the part of hu
name and prudent commander in then with
drawing from hopeless contest. Such We
believe will be the Judgment of the coun
try If it be correct, the question is still
an open one--Why was Gen. Butler re
moved Tribune.