Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-01-27
News of the Week

news OF the Week
The cavalry expedition Of 500 men. con-
sistiDg of detachments of the 9Th Illinois
under command Of Col. Clendenin and 18th
and 10th \. Y under Col Gansevoort, which
started from Prospect Hill. has returned.
having secuted through Fairfax and Loudon
counties as far up as Warrenton. They
found no large bodies Of rebels in arms. but
brought in 50 horses and ii prisoners. Dur
! ing Friday Col Clendenin with his COM
mand dashed into Leesburg and captured a
mail carrier with letters from men - i'9Sser 5
division of rebel cavalry Wv stationed IN
the Shenandoah % rarties IN LOudon COun-
| ty In fhie expedition the Union troops did
nos lose a single man.
The following is taken from the Richmond
! Dispatches Of the 18th. The fall of Fort
| Fisher, we presume, closed the port Of Viii
| mlngtOn. Ii commands the main entrance
| 10 Cape Fear river, and will. we fear. enable
| the enemy to blockade the river completely,
\ giving them as 1t does, a secure Judgment on
the left bank. Fort Caswell and several
other works still guard the southern chan
mel of the river. Fort Fisher is 80 miles
south of Wilmington. Some regard the
fall of Fort Fisher as disaster. while others
are disposed to consider it "A blessing in dis
I gulse. The latter, who are a numerous and
\ sensible class, contend that Wilmington. az
a sea port, has from the beginning done US
more harm than good. They saw that the goods
imported through it have been worth little
to US, while millions Of dollars worth Of our
cotton has there found its way into the
hands OF the enemy. Ii Is proper to add
that the force which, according to Lees dis
patch, was making heavy demonstration
| against their rear may retake the Fort"
at Wa reported yesterday that John {.
| Breckenridge was made Secretary of War
There are reasons for believing It. Brecken-
ridge was expected to arrive IN this city last
night
\ writ of habcas corpus has been issued
by the rebel Judge of East Virginia, for the
release OF Senator FoOte.
FORTRESS MoNRoE. Jan. Ito 7. VI
To the President
The rebel flag on Fort Fisher was delivered
to me on board the steamer Spalting, OF that
| place yesterday morning, Jan. &c, by Major
Gen. Terry. An Acknowledgment and thanks
for their gallant achievements vs., given in
your name to Admiral Potter and Gen Terry
from whom the following particular, were
obtained
The troop- arrived OF Fort Fisher Thurs
day night. Friday they were al landed uu-
| der cover Of heavy fire from the sluadrous
A reconnaissance was made By ten. Terry Ju
Saturday \ strong defensive line agains,
any of the encmy's forces coming from VIII
mington was established Saturday, and held
by 600 men, chi,tly c,ior,i troops, and an
assault was determined upon. Che assault
was made Sunday afternoon a. iall r4st
The sea front of the fort had been greatly
damaged and broken by a continuous and
terrible fire Ut the Heet tol three davs. and
the front WIS assaulted az the hour mentioned
by column OF seamcn ant marines. 500
strong, unde- c.muiaud Of Capt Breeze--
They reached t-slaiaIct, bu, after a short
conflict this column was checked and driven
back N disorder, and Va, afterwards placed
on the defensive, line. taking the place of the
brigade that VAS brought up 90 reinforce the
assaGluuS column ID tloIps. Although the
assault on the avi ir.nt failed II performed a
very use.pi pait iu dIEertIug the attention OF
the enemy and weakening their resistance 70
attack by troops on the other side
The assault on the outer and most difficult
SIDE Of the fort was made by column of
5000 troops fine old 10Th corps, led by Cur
rs, under the Immediate supervision OF Gen.
Terry. The cnemy's force IN the fort WAS
1900. The conflict lasted seven hours The
works were 80 constructed that every tray
erse afforded the enemy new defensive posi-
ton from whence they had 10 be driven.
There We're seven in number, and the flint
was carried on from traverse TO traverse for
seven hours by skIllfully directed fire thrown
into the traverses. One after another they
were evacuated by the eremy. Admiral Porter
contributed 10 the success Of the assaulting
column by signals between himself and ten.
Terry at brief intervals. This fire was SD
well managed az o. damage the enemy with I
out injury to our own troops. At about lO I
O'Clock at night the enemy were entirely +.
driven from the fort. forced down toward. /.
Federal Point, followed by brigade of our
troops, and about II O'Clock at night Gen.
Whiting surrendered himself and his com 4
mand to Gen. Terry Internationally as pris-
oners OF war, numbering over 500. the .
remainder Of his force being killed and .
wounded.
Our loss not accurately ascertained Mon
day afternoon; but estimated 10 be between
200 and 500 in killed and wounded besides
naval loss, which was slight. not exceeding
100 killed and wounded Not a shin on
was lost. Curtis IL severely but
not mOrtally wounded. Col Bell died ON
Monday morning. Col W. j. Moore and
Lieut.. Col. Lyman were killed. Col. Perry
Breaker is badly wounded; also Lieut. Col.
COan.
On Monday morning, between and :
clock, the magazine of Fort Fisher exploded.
Killing and wounding 200 or 800 persons.
After the capture OF the fort all the tr.ops
we're withdrawn except one brigade left in
'hargc of the works. How the explosion oc-
urred is not known, but Terry believes that
was occasiOned by accident OF neglect. 4
Hoke : division reported at 5000. Wa, ai
y ilmIngton. \ portion of it was thrown
nto the fort not long before the assault, and
While that was gong ON Dc mOnstra tions We're
lade by HOke against our defensive line
ut 1t was found too strong iur ANYTHING }
lore than a skirnshIng attack. .
About 10 o clock M5nGIy morning a heavy
loud Of smoke WIS observed over Fort smith u
D the south side Of New Inlet. The naval
'hcer commanding that station r,rurt-d thar
ley had fred their barracks aud evacuated B.
lat fort. il
You will be pleased TO know that perfect
lrmony ana concert Of action existed be-
yeen the land and naval forces, and their =;
spectiye commanders, Admiral Porter and "
en-. Terry, wed zee ...ir commentators ot p'
On other. Zach seemed more anxious 10 do M
stice to the other than TO claim anything for ..
mself, and they united IA tue highest com.
OF the naval and military officers
q forces engaged To this harmony of feel
3 and the confident spirit inspired may "
rhaps De attributed in some degree the ct
Cess OF our attack with nearly equal num- of
rs against resolute enemy IN works uu-
rpassed If ever equaied IA strength, and NJ
iich Beauregsrd few days before pro- ne
unced impregnable. The armament Of Is
: tort wss Z. guns, some vi large calibre .
4 riied, and one armstrong gun. The "e
ops IN tue iOrt had rdtiOns for 10 DAYS. NO
cir loss in killed and wounded i b,,,vcan