Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-26
LATEST WAR NEWS.
CAPTURE OF FORT FISHER-0FFI
CIAL DESPATCH FROM STANTON.

CIAL DESPATCH FROM STANTON.
FoRrREss MONROE, Tuesday, Jan. ITO m.
TO the President:
The Rebel flag OF Fort Fisher was deliv-
cred to me on board the steamer Spaulding
off that place yesterday morning, Jan. l6,
by Major-Gen Terry
An acknowledgement and thanks for
their gallant achievement was given in
your name to admiral Porter and Gen
Terry, from whom the following particulars
were obtained.
The troops arrived off Fort Fisher Thurs
day night. Friday they were all landed
under cover of a heavy fire from the squa-
dron, and reconnaissance was made by Gen
Terry on Saturday
A strong defensive line against any of
the enemy's force coming from Wilmington
was established on Saturday, and held bv
4, 600 men, chiefly colored troops, and an
assault was determined on. The assault
was made Oh Sunday afternoon, at 81 o.
clock
The sea-front Of the fort had been great
ly damaged and broken by continuous
and terrible fire of the fleet for three days.
and the fort was assaulted at the hour
mentioned by column of seamen and
marines eighteen hundred strong, under the
command of Capt Breese.
They reached the parapet, but after a
short conflict this column was checked,
driven back in disorder, and was afterward
placed on the defensive line, taking the
place Of brigade that was brought up to
reinforce the assaulting column of troops
Although the assault on the seafront failed.
it performed very useful part in diverting
the attention Of the enemy weakening their
resistance to the attack by the troops on
the other side
The assault on the other and most diff
cult side of the fort was made by column
of three-thousand troops of the old Tenth
Corps, led by Col Curtis under the imne-
diatc supervision of Gen. Terry The enc
my's force in the fort was over two thous-
and two hundred The conflict lasted for
seven hours.
The works were 50 constructed that
every traverse afforded the enemy new
defensive position from whence they had to
be driven They were seven in number,
and the fight was carried Oh from traverse
to traverse for seven hours by a skilfully
directed fire thrown into the trenches
One after another they were occupied by
the enemy.
Admiral Porter contributed to the sue
cess of the assaulting column by signals
between himself and Gen Terry at brief
intervals. His fire was SO well managed
as to damage the enemy without injury to
our own troops.
At about ten o'clock at night the enemy
were entirely driven from the fort, forced
down towards Federal Point followed by a
brigade of our troops, and about twelve
o'clock at night, Gen. Whiting surrendered
himself and his command to Gen. Terry
Internationally, as prisoners of war, mum.
/ herring over eighteen hundred, the remain.
der of his force being killed and woun
ded ...
Our loss was not accurately ascertained
on Monday afternoon, but was estimated
at between seven hundred and eight hun
! dred in killed and wounded, besides the
naval loss, which was slight, not exceeding
/ one hundred killed and wounded. Not a
/ ship nor a transport was lost
/ Col. Curtis was severely but not mortaly
wounded, Col Bell died of his wounds
/ Monday morning Col. S w. Moore anC
Lieut.-Col. Lyman were killed Col. Pen
nypacker was badly wounded also Lieut..
! Col. Coan. A complete list of the kileC
| and wounded will be forwarded as soon as
it can be prepared.
/ General Leroy reported to Surgeon-Gcn
eral Barnes that he had ample provision o
! surgeons, nurses and hospital supplies fol-
the wounded They will be sent North tt
/ their respective States as fast as they cal
be placed on transports, Of which there was
ample supply.
On Monday morning, between six anC
seven O'Clock, the magazine of Fort Fisher
! exploded, killing and woundin@ two or three
hundred persons
/ After the capture of the fort all the troops
were withdrawn, except one brigade left il
charge of the works.
/ How the explosion occurred was not
, known, but General Terry believed it was
occasioncd by accident or neglect.
/ General Hoke's division, reported as five
thousand strong, was at Wilmington. 4
portion of it was thrown into the fort not
. long before the assault, and while that was
going on demonstration was made by
General Hoke against our defensive line
tut it was found too strong for anything
more than skirmsh attack
About II o'clock on Monday morning a
heavy cloud Of smoke was observed over
Fort Smith, on the south side of New Inlet
The naval officer commanding that station
reported that the enemy had fired their
barracks and evacuated that fort
You will be pleased to know that perfect
harmony and concert of action existed be-
tween the land and naval forces and their
respective commanders. Admiral Porter
and Gen. Terry We'd in their commendation
| each of the other. Each seemed more
| anxious to do justice to the other than to
claim anything for himself and they united
in the highest commcndation of the naval
and military officers and the forces en-.
gagged.
To this harmony of feeling and the con
fident spirit inspired, may perhaps be attri-
buted in some degree the success Of our
attack, within nearly equal numbers,
against resolute enemy in work unsur-
passed, if ever equalled, in strength, and
which Gen, Reaaregard few days before
pronounced impregnabe The armament
! of the fort was seventy-two guns, some OF
large caliber and rifed, and one Armstrong
gun. The troops in the fort had rations for
| sixteen days Their loss in killed and
wounded was between four hundred and five
hundred
Gen. Whiting had three wounds in the