Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-14


Working with what diligence we could, ic was
impos sihle to get the troops again on beard be-
fore The sea ran so high as TO render further re.
mharkation, or even the sending Of supplies
ashore. impossible. lay by the shore until IL
O'Clock the next day, Monday, the 26tn), when.
having made all proper disposition for
getting the troops on board, l gave orders
TO the transport fleet. as fast as they were
ready, to SAIL for Fortress Monroe. in obedi-
ence to my instructions from the Lieutenant
General
] learned from deserteIs and prisoners cap
tured that the supposition upon which the
Lieutenant General directed the expedition,
that Wilmington had been denuded OF troops
to oppose Gen. Sherman, was correct That at
the line when the army arrived off Wilm,ng-
ton, there were less than 400 men in the garri-
son at Fort Fisher and less than a thousand
within 20 miles. But the delay of three days
Of good weather, the 18th, 18th and 18TH, wait
Ing for the arrival of the navy, and the fur
ther delay from the terrible storm of the 2lst,
s2d and I'D, gave time for troops to be brought
from Richmond, three divisions of which were
either there or on the road.
The Instructions of the Lieutenant General
to me did not contemplate siege. L had
neither siege trains or supplies for such q con-
tingency. The exigency Of possible delay for
which the foresight OF the commander of the
armies had provided had arisen, to Wit: the
large reinforcement of the garrison. This, to-
gether with the fact that the navy had exhaust
ed their supply of ammunition in the bonn bard.
ment, left me with no alteTnati ye bnt to return
with my troops TO the Army of the James. The
loss cf the opportunity of Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, the 10th, 18th and 18th, was the
immediate cause of the failure of the expsdi-
tion. 1t is not my province even to suggest
blame to the navy for their delay OF four days
at Beaufort. know none of the reasons which
do or do Eot Justify 1t. tits presumed they are
sufficient. l am happy to bring to the attention
of the Lieutenant General the excellent be-
havior OF the troops, both officers and men,
which was all that could be- desired.
Following the report OF General Butler ar
those OF MAJOR General Weitzel and Brigadier
General Ames, commanding the division
landed.
General WeitZel says: "As soon as the land
ing was made directed General Curtls to push
his command down the beach as far as he could
go. He pushed his skirmish line TO within q
few yards Of Fort Fisher, causing on his way
the urIender of the garrison OF Flag Pond Hill
battery. The flag of this battery, and the gar
rison were taken possession of by the navy i'm
medatelysafter the white flag was raised, and
before our men, moving at double qnick could
nying the 14sd New York volunteers to within
about eight hundred yards OF Fort Fisher, q
point from which / had a good view of the
work From what 1 saw there, and before
that time, and from what I had heard from
what considered reliable sources, believed
the work to be square Fashioned work II
has high relief, wide and deep ditch,
excepting on the sea front, q glacls; has case
mates and bonb-proois sufficiently large to
hold it's garrison. / counted seventeen guns in
position, bearing up the beach, and between
thick and SO high above the parapet, that l
have no doubt they were all bomb. proof. A
stockade ran from the northeast angle of the
counterscarp of the work to the waters edge,
on the seaside. I saw plainly that the work
had not been materially injured by the heavy
and very accurate shell. fire OF the nayv and
having a distinct and Vivid recollection Of the
bombardment OF Fort Jackson, OF Vicksburg
of Charleston, ard of Fort Wagner, in all of
which instances an enormous and well-direct-
ed shell-fire had done but little damage, and
having q distinct recollection Of the unsuc.
cessful attempts on Fort W agnpr, both Of which
were made under four times favorable cir.
cumstaEces as these under which we were
placed. l returned, as directed, to the Major
General Commanding. found him on the
suntoat Chamberiain, within easy range and
good view OF the work, and frankly reported
TO him that II would be butchery to order an
assault on that work under the circumstances
After examining it himself carefully, he came
to be re. embarked
General Ames gives it as his opinion that
had the attack been made upon The fortit would
have failed
the following:
IEndorSement.1
HEADQUARTERS ARMIES or THE UNITED
STATES, CITY POINT, VA, Ian. :, l-85-Ra-
spectfuily forwarded. To avoid publicity of
the time of sailing and destination of the expe.
dition of Fort Fisher, my orders TO General
Butler TO prepare ii were given verbally, and
the instructions to the commanding officers of
Df n
mitted to me. append to the report a copy of
General Buffers Instructions to General Welt
eel, together with copies OF my written de-
spatches and instructions to General Butler
IT lating to the expedition.
1t will be perceived that il was never con.
tempIated that General Butler should accom-
pany the expedition, but that Major General
q. Weitzel was specially named as comman-
der of it. My hopes OF success rested entirely
on our ability to capture Fort Fisher. and /
haa even hope of getting Wilmington batore
IN
us. ] knew that the enemy had taken nearly
the entire garrison Of Wilmington and it's de-
to ascribe the delay which has cost us so dear
ly 10 an experiment. l refer to the explosion
OF Ennpowder in the open air.
M y dispatches to General Butler will show
his report to be In error where he states that he
returned after having effected landing In
obedience 10 my instructions. On the contrary,
these instructions contemplated no withdraw.
al or no failure alter landing was made.
I. >. GRANT, Lieutenant HenL
[Confidential
HEADQUARTEBs DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA
AND NORTH CAROLINA. Army of the James, in
the Field, Dec. q, lS6i.-Haj0r General &, Wet.
s,t, fomma"ding 95h Corps General The
Major General commanding has entrusted Won
with the command of the expedition about TO
embark fer the North CaeolIna coast II win
consist OF about six thousand five hundred in.
faniry Two batteries of artillery, and fifty cav.
airy. The effective men of Gen Ames' dlvis-
Ion OF the 2ith corps, and Gen. Paine's division
OF fhe 18th corps, will furnish the infantry
force. Gen Paine is under your orders Gen,
Ames wiz De ordered TO report to you in per-
son Immediately. You will confer with these
officers and arrange details. Instruct theSh to
select their best men, making yonr total force
about six thousand five hundred men The
chief OF artillery in conference with yoa will
designate the artillery to be taken.
The horses of the batteries, except one horse
for each officer and chief of piece Will be left.
Take one set of wheel harness. Fifty men Of
Mass achusetts cavalry Will bs ordered TO re-
port to you
Forty ambulanees, two horse, with neces-
sary medical stores, have been selected for the
expedition, which will be distributed on at
least two boats. Take sixty rounds of ammu.
milton on the men, one hundred rounds In boxes
to be distributed through the fleet. II your di.
vision trains do not furnish the necessary
amount, the 5alan CO required will be furnished |
by chief Of ordnance at the point of embark.
ation. Three hundred rounds of artillery am.
N pnition per gum will be taken So much OF |
1t as is not ntained in Timber boxes and cais
sons, Will be loaded in boxes at point of EN-. |
barkation.
Let each regiment draw and take with it ON |
transport five days 'rations-tnree days cooked |
meat; twenty days additional will be taken in
at Fortress Monroe, distributing il throap IN the