Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-17
PROM GRANTS ARMY.

A letter from Grants army of Jan, llth says
The heavy rains which have fallen for the past week
have swollen the james River 10 several feet above
usual height and the low grounds along the caBks OF The
river ale hooded making travel in the vicinity anything
The rse fuof floating debris great deal Of which
come from sboye tie canal.
learled evening that these high tides had caused
Oil opening in the bukhead OF the canu aud that stream
of ater now flows through some eight or ten feet wide
and several deeptpe elements thus combining to aceomp-
lish what engineering skill had failed TO do.
The pontoon bridges at kens Landing and Deep Bot
tom were both torn from their mooring yesterday and
travelwas thus interrupted most OF the day but toward
evening they. were replaced and travel resumed
Butler also complains that the fire from the feet did more
damage to the Yankees than was Inflicted upon the gar.
rison Of the fort and implies that Porers guns wsis pe
eross to assist in tha attack, He says
No material damage TO the fort as defensive WORK
had been done SeYon.een guns bore up beach pro.
tected from the fire OF the navy by tayerss eight or ten
feet high which were undoubtedly bomb proofs Ii was
ca to maintain the position but the shells Of the navy
which kept the enemy IN their bombproofs would keen
my troops out When these ceased falling the parape
waa iuly manned
Finally out of a'nerciful regard for the lives of his
men and guided in his action by wetzels Judgment the
humane Butler ordered the decentralization of the troops
Upon this point hisreport holds the following language
At this time General wei7s reported to me, that to as
sault the works in his Judgment and in that pt the expe
rienced officers Of his command who held kirmsh line
with any prospect OF success impossible This Opi
ion conceded with my aud much as regretted the
necessity of abandoning the attempt yet the dut was
plain Not SO strong work Fort Fisher had been Ia
ken by assault during this war and had to guide my ex.
perence Fort Hudson With its slaughtered thousands in
the repnlsed assault aud the double assault OF Fort Wag
ner where thousands sacrificed in attempt to take
work less strong than Fort Fisher after il had con-
tnued aud fully re aud in neither of the in
stances have mentioned had the assaug force in its
rear, had anarmy OF the enemy lager than itself
therefore ordered that no assault should be made and
that the troops should e.embark. While experimenting
the preparation OF this the firing of the navy ceased In
ssuty the guns Of the fort wereuy manned aud sharp
re OF nusketry grape and can.e swept the place over
which the column must have advanced and the skrnish
line was returRins Working with what diligence We
could il was Impossible ~ get the troops aboard before
the sea ran so high render further embaikaton or
even the sending supplies ashore impossible lay by the
shore until IL o'clock the next day Qonday the 96tl
when having made all proper dispositions Tor getting the
troops on board gave orders to the transport fleet fast
as they were ready TO sa Tor Fort Monroe IN obedience
to my instructions from the Lieutenant General.
learned from deertes and prisoners captured that thu
supposon OH which the Lieutenant General directed the
EXPEDITION that Wilmington had been denuIedof troops
TO orose General Sherman correct that al the time
when tile army arrived Oft WILMINGTON there was ess than
400 men in the garrison Of Fort Fisher and less than 1000
within twenty Iple but tho delay Of three days good
weatherthe 10Th 18th aud lsthwaitng tor the arrival
OF the navy and the further delay from the terrible storm
of the 2t 2od and 3d. gave time for troops he brought
IRON Richmond THREE divisions OF which either there
or on the road.