The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-01-24
THE TALL OF FORT FISHER.


After a bombardment of three days, the enemy
assaulted Fort Fisher by land on Sunday night,
the 18th inst, and captured It, Ihe enemy "e'
with several severe repulses before he succeeoeo
in gaining possession of the Fort.
We give the news below relating to this affair as
we gather it from our. Wilmington and other ex-
changes:
The Wilmington Carolnan of Monday says !:
"Fort Fisher fell last. night, after obstinate
resistance Gen w hitting and staff with about
900 Troops are now in the hands OF the enemy
The conflict within the Fort was severe one, ana
lasted for two hours, hand to hand VITA the cue
nv We have no heart to enter into details, hof
r. comment on this disastrous esent We mag
tell our readers however, that the gallant w hitting
did his duty but had to succune to sheer force
of numbers; having been assaulted On his sea-
land and rear faces, by the soldiers, sailors, ana
marines of the eneny.'
The Caroinan, of subsequent date, tur1ner
remarks:
General Bragg gave rhe most positive orders TO
attack the enemy the moment he landed on the
beach, but when the fact of his landing was ascer7
| tanned, he immediately ordered an attack on ~
enemy's entertainments, with all the forces at ts
disposal The officer in command, who was or
dered to make this attack, after carefully rsson-
ncitereing the position, declined. From the mar
acter of that officer, and the distinguished sevlces
| he has heretofore performed for North Car6na In
the field, feel assured that his dcclinat n vas
the result of honest convictions of the hoessness
of the attempt. We know that officer pfsonally'.
having served with him in the field, al feel per-
tectly satisfied that it would have beenie tor any
other man to attempt what he would define. But
the attack declined, and now is Gnera Bragg
| to be held responsible for this? w think, can
didly, he ought not. Neither oufnt the officer
who declined to sacrifice his mep against strong
earthen works, defended by fore nearly double
the number of bis own, be held rsponsible for the
| fall Of Fort Fisher"
| 1Gen r f Hoke is the Office alluded to above.
| Since the fall of Fort Fishf there seems to be
lull in the war element, All quiet relgns along
the lines The fierce part Q the combat Is yet to
| come EIated with their success thus far, the
Yankees will soon, doubles, put forth another eff
fort to beat back our TROOPS With the reinforce
ments continually arriving, and the position our
lines have assumed, we trust his next effort will
| be futile one. Let not tH fall Of Fisher reduce
us to lethargy but rather nake US more jealous in
contendips, inch by inch ; eur enemy's further ap
preach The war rowil brought to our very
doors Let us see to it hat with every advance
on his part, blood shall mrk his footsteps.
Both armies are fortifing in their respective
positions, and hot work gay at any time be looked
The Wilmincton9 J ouoal of Wednesday says:
| $50 far as we are ahit learn there has been 20
move nIcnt of iniportabc among the Yankee troops
since the capture Of Frt Fisher. On yesterday
it was stated, upon Wat appeared to be good au-
thority that only III Of the gunboats had yet
made their appearaif in the river, opposite Fort
Fisher, the rest Of tE fleet still lying off.
We have endeavfed to obtain some particulars
IN regard 10 the h4, but matters are 10 SO con-
| fused state that 1.-TWO reports agree and sunless
we can get the trui we prefer publishing nothing.
All reports ooncu, however, In stating that Gen.
Whiting and Coleel Lamb fought gallantly, lead
iug the troops toPpel each assault, and gave
! up. but were ovepow cred or shot dow
| We understand that when the enemy had gained
| the parapets ofle Eort and planted their flag,
| General w hitin two or three times tore the flag
| down and onIydesisted when he was shot down
and unable o4fo.
A communication has been received fror, the
commander of the Federal forces, Gen. Terry,
stating that Ga Writings wounds were of Sc
rous nature, nt not. mortal. We trust that he
may soon reeTer.
! Col La,H we believe received serious wound
| in his thigh from minnie ball
/ Forts Homes and Caswell were evacuated by
our troopss6 Monday, expected, the cap
turc Of Fher rendering the holding of these
] points as {Eeless to US. A tremendous explosion
| was neaN ana lGlI III tOUu aUOut U Cloch ou
| Tuesday fnoruing, supposed to have been pro-
duced b he blowing up of the magazines at the
above Hts"
| THEj MUTATION BELow.-Up to late hour
last night quiet reigned along the lines, the ene-
my nlakDs no demonstration of any kind. His
J gunbh in the river, but unable to advance,
! for gqd and sufficient causes. Fort Anderson is
still hour hands. The enemv's Monitors draw
about seventeen feet, and cannot carry water
enough with them to come up.
| Nd to speak Of any other defensive agency at
tholdsposal Of military authorities for obsruc
ting lis advancing on the Town by the river, we
may mention that our field artillery is fully ade-
! quap to the task Of destroying efectuay, bis
! lighter draft gun boats Vii. ('arolinian, 1871.
| The Petersburg Express says:
| The fall of Fort Fisher will seriously interfere
nth supplies of various kinds which have hereto.
Fore reached at Wilmington, but it does not
Efpat an end to running the blockade There are
ffher ports of entry on the southern coast, and
hey will be made available, despite all the Yankee
navy to prevent Nor does the loss of Fort Fisher
necessarily involve the fall of Wilmington. The
Cape Fear river is lined with batteries on either
shore, and its bed is bristng with torpedoes.
These will offer most formidable barrier TO Por-
ter's feet. The laud approaches also strongly
fortified and the distance to be travelled from the
mouth Of the Cape Fear to the town is some twen-
ty miles But should Wilmington TALL, we still
have line of railroad far removed from the coast
and in good condition Over this supplies can be
brought In quantities sufficient for all practical
n H. lot will