American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-01-25

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fire during the war; that if the Admiral
would put his ships in the river the ar
my could supply him across the beach as
we had proposed to do Farragut at Fort
St. Philip; that at least the blockade of
Wilmington would be effectual even if
we did not capture the fort.
To that the Admiral replied that he
should probably lose boat by torpcdoes
if he attempted to run by. lie was re-
minded that the army might lose five
hundred men by the assault, and that his
boat would not weigh in the balance, even
in a money point of view, for moment
with the lives of these men. The Admi-
raj declined going by, and the expedition
was deprived of that essential element of
success.
At II o'clock noon of the 25th Sun
day, Capt Glesson, commanding the COW
ering division of the feet, reported the
batteries silenced and his vessels in po-
stion to cover our landing. The trans
port feet following, my flagship stood
in within 800 yards of the beach, and at
once commenced debarking. The land
ing was successfully effected. Finding
that the reconnoitering party just landed
could hold the shore, determined to
land force with which an assault might
be attempted Brevet Brig. Gen. Curtis,
who deserves well for his gallantry and
conduct Immediately pushed up his
brigade to within few hundred yards of
Fort Fisher, capturing the HalfMoon
battery and its men, who were taken off
by the boats of the navy. The skirmish
line advanced to within sevonty-fve yards
of the fort, protected by the glacis which
had been thrown up in such form as to
give cover, the garrison being completely
kept in their boom-proois by the fire Of
the navy, which was very rapid and con
t;uuous. their she'll bursting over the
work withyery considerable accuracy
/ At this time we lost ten men wounded on
the shimish line by the shells from the
feet Quitting my flagship | went on
board the Chamberlain and run in with
in few hundred yards of the fort, so
that it was plainly visible 1t appeared
to be a square, Fashioned work of very
high relief, say fifteen feet, surrounded
by a wet ditch some fifteen feet wide.
1t was protected from being enveloped
by an assaulting force by a stockade,
which extended from the fort to the sea
on the one side, and from the marshes of
the Cape Fear River to the salient on the
other.
No material damage to the fort, as a
defensive work, had been done. Seven
teen heavy guns bore up the beach pro-
tected from the fire of the navy by trav-
erses eight or ten feet high, which were
undoubtedly bomb-proofs. 1t was easy
to maintain this position; but the shells
of the navy, which kept the enemy in
their bomb-proofs, would keep my troops
oua When ,hese ceased falling the par
apet was fully manned.
Lieut. Walling of the l42d New York
pressed up to the edge of the ditch and
captured flag which had been cut down
by a shell from the navy.
1t is a mistake, as was reported to me,
that any soldier entered the fort. An
orderly was killed about third of mile
from the fort and his horse taken:
In the meantime the remaindeI oi
Ames's Division took 2lS men and ten
commissioned officers of the North Caro-
lima Reserves and other prisoners. From
them | learned that Kirkland's and Hap
goods brigades of Hokess Division hac
left the front of the Army of the james
near Richmond, and were within tive
miles of the rear of my. forces, and theii
skirmishers were then actually engaged
and that the remainder of Hokes's Divis
ion had come the night before to vii
mington. and were then on the march
| also learned that these troops left Rich
mond, on Tuesday, the 20th. KNOWN;
the strength of Hokes's Division | foun,
force opposed to me outside the work
larger than my own. In the meantlm
the weather assumed threatening as
pect The surf began to roll in so tina
the landing became difficult.
At this time Gen. Weitzel reported t
me that to assault the works in his jude
= ment. and in that of the experienced off
GERS of his command, who hada skirmis
line, with any prospect of success, wa
impossible. This opinion conceded wit
my own, and much as regretted the nc
q cessity of abandoning the attempt, ye
: the duty was plain. Not SO strong
o work as Fort Fisher had been taken b
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