New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-01-07
FROM VIRGINIA.
The Expedition Against Wilmington
WHY 10 Failed.

Corre,popdence OF The y. y. Tribune.
NORFOLK. Jan. 2, 1865.
The leading facts of the Wilmington eXpedi-
ton are these:
!. The collection and equipment Of the ships of was
for the expedition consumed more than two tediour
months.
. When il was announced 0S ready. the transports
with troops started from Hampton Roads with the IN
derstandng that they would be accompanied or closely
followed by the vessels.
The transports and troops arrived of Whining
ton and were there for three days Of splendid weather
the sea as smooth n mlpoud. aud the enemy known
10 be there surprised and In small force; BAT ne 'P' o.
rOr cGfse not.
Heavy weather set in; the ships Of war appeared,
but The transports had by that time nearly exhausted
their coal and water. and many were compelled TO seek
Beaufort hsrhor which they left again for Wilmington
as quickly as the weather permitted.
But without awaiting the retCrn Of The troops and
transports from Beaufort Admiral Porter, contrary to
The understood plan OF operations exploded the gun
powder or torpedo boat and bombardcd the fort for
several hours. In the plan OF operations II Lad been
understood that the gunpovdor boat should be exploded
al such time and in such manner that the troops could
Immediately land and take advantage of the deinoral
izsti0n which it was expected the explosion would
create among the enemy.
when the troops subsequently landed, Gen. Weitsel
chan whom army possesses no soldier Drawer more
skf OF experienced in assauitiAg and defending
fortified places being ordered by Gen Euter 10 recon
noter pushed his reconnaissance close TO the fort and
ascertained that il unDjured and that an assault
ing party woud meet a more bloody and fatal repulSe
than our troops dd at Fort Wagner. He therefore ad
ysed their withdrawal to which Gen. Butler assened.
- to aFt1
diacjll, Of assault as Fort Wagner was.
The military authorities expected, that Admiral
Porter would run the gauntlet, With some Of his war
vessels by Fort Fisher and up Cape Fear River and,
in concert with the troops that would be then covered
by the runboats, OF the fort from Wilmington and
shut up the river making the expedition another
Mobile affair"
Hls on III, ground Ad,aiyal PortSr 'egaesisd bwt
unused 10 do tile Farraer or any Of bali dozen Of
fcers In Porter's own feet would have done it,
G. Tie assertion that any OF our entered the fort
is mistake created by false started among the
soldiers ct the close Of the reconnaissance The true
statement of the incidents that gave to the
is this:
Ftrsf-A shot from the ships q; war cat ,hc Rebel
flagstaff and il toppled and outside the fort.
gallant officer Of the 1921 New York. in Weitzels skirm
.h Inc ran into the outer ditch Of the For, and brought
Of the flag
SeOad-Ihe dispatch bearo7 who was said TO be
killed in the Fort. aud his horse. brought out by
one Of our men. was kiIledxno inside the Fort, but
one.thirl Of mile from il.
Tlird-The shot said to be fred 10y one Of our men
into boIrb-proof full OF Rebels fired inside
the fort but by sharpshooer in Weitzeis skirInish
line who fired through sally port in his front into
open bombproof at tie opposite side Of ihe fort ia
which he thought he saw some Rebels Whether be
hit sny OF them is not Known but lis known that not
one OF ouI got inside the fort any fits deenses
.. While the transports were waiting the arrival OF
The vessels during the first three daJs the Rebels
sent down heavy reenfOrcements 20 Sugar Loaf camp
10 he vicinity OF the fort; and these rcUnorcements
we're ready 10 assist tie fort in cnSo Of sssant
Gen Buffers entire force but ak thousand five
hundred men.