Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-03-10
CORRESPONDENCE.
U. s. STEAMER "PAwrUxEr."
Wilmington, N. C. Feb. %, '65.

Ihavc been waiting for something Of
moro than ordinary interest to transpirs
before writing you. and as that desidera'
tum has been attained. I will try to re.
count the items of interest which have
occurred since my last letter was written
With other light-draught vessels We nd.
vanced up this river to about three mile,
above Fort Fisher and as many below Fort
Anderson enormously called in my las,
letter "St. Philip"-and then we anchor.
ed, wondering from day. to day. why We
did not advance further up the river and
attack Anderson, and speculations at last
csasing, We were little surprised on Fri
day afternoon. the 18th inst, BY On order
from Admiral Porter, to 60 up and draw
the fire Of the enemies guns. which We
Immediately proceeded to Dc with the rect
Of the vessels, taking a station at . dis
lance of 2aoO yards. we blazed away at
the fort with our ll-inch Dahlgrcn gun
which we have substituted for one Of our
lOO-pounder PARROTS since the capture Of
Fisher, and Inch guns, withdrawing at
dark to obtain ammunition. On Saturday
We again commenced the attack and con-
tnuing It until dark. when We steamed
down nearly 10 Fisher, to obtain large
supply of ammunition for renewal Of the
attack at sunrise the next morning. and
working hard until half past 3 a. NJ, of
Sunday the 10Th, before finishing. At Z
1-2 a. m, we we're underweigh up river to
renew the attack. and were surprised that
1t had not been begun before by the ~cs-
sells which were anchored there during the
night, when 10 on coming little nearer
we made out the "stars and stripes" way
ing over the fort, and the blue uniforms Of
our own troops in and around tho fort
At 10 a. m, went ashore and visited
tho fort, and found it to be quadrangular
in form, with sea face composed Of
traver.es, four in number and mounting as
many guns-rifled 32-pounders-"riaed'
from the U. s. arsenals). Beneath the
small parapess Sssming the traverses were
bomb proofs used as magazines. At the
right Of the fort, looking towards the river,
and connected with it, WAS an extension
formed by additional travcrscs, six in num-
Der and containing each gun Of the same
cahbre mentioned above. In the rear was
an extensive line of earth works, rife. pits,
small parapets, &C., as . preventive
against assault. A fine road led out from
the rear mile in length until it reached a
small sheet Of water, when it turned a,
nearly right angle and ran along the
rivcr-bank some distance back through a
we'll. wooded grove and leading to quite O
settlement aud terminating presume al
Wilmington. We strolled Along this
/ road. admirins it very much, until saw
mill in fair order was reached, and near
by small salt establishment, grist mill
in good order with quite an amount of On
thrashed rice straw in its upper story, and
farm house Of good appearance. but
with nobody to receive us when We called
This was about mile and half from the
fort and half . mile further were gu,
pickcts.
f. We learned from an army officer tina,
the enemy evacuated the fort between
three and five o'clock q. m.; and that oyl
forces Immediately took possession Of the
fort capturing two officers and thirty pri-
Yates. from whom they learssd that the
fort was garrisoncd by force Of 22OO
men composed Of North Carolina troops,
who arc the old men and boys not fit fol
more fatiguing duty.
Our own force is part Of Gen. Scho.
fields 23d Corps. lately from the west and
cooperating there With Sherman. whom
they left whom At Atlanta, and belong in
Ohio, Illinois and lndiana-solid and stall.
worth looking men they were too.
The gunboats Immediately began to ad
vance, and on the 10Th were within lC
| tuACc VI w bOu.
On tho Goth, kept on slowly toward.
Wilmington. As il feeling the way, until q
small battery on the east bank fred on u,
and checked our advance. On the same
evening the rebels sent down large mum,
Der Of torpedoes. many Of which wer,
picked up by our picket boats, in doing
which one Of the boats in attempting t.
take one'on board exploded the percussion
fuze attached. which killed two men
wounded few and stove the boat in pieces
On the afternoon of the 2lst We shelled
the battery alluded to. receiving but few
replies: o.
On the 22d Admiral Porter quietly go
underweish and steamed up river, aui
without any orders the feet did the same
but slowly, as if expecting . she'll from tn,
battery. but none came, and 20 kept OF
until at P. m, the flag ship malvern
reached the city. and by S p. m. the fec
were at anchor before the city while GU,
troops. which had been advancing durins
the day, marched in and the flag hoatci
over the city.
The remains Of what were government
buildings were smoking, a. We came IN
but as general thing think the city
looks as it used to before the war.
Truly yours, G..