Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-01-20
WASHNCToN. Jan. l., I
1910, 4. NJ. I


To Ma. Gen Dir:
The following Official dispatches have Just
been received at this Department
HnD'QRs [. ). FoRcEs oS FEDERAL PoINT. J
n c.. Jan. Is, via FORTRESS Monroe,
January l., 1865. }
To Brig. Gcn J. A. RacliHS
General-I have the honor to report that
Fort Fisher was carried by assault this p. VI
and evening, by Gen. Amos' division Of the
% brigade OF the LIST division of the 9th
Army Corps.
calamity aided by battalion OF marines
and seamen from the navy. The assault was
preceded by heavy bombardmcnt from the
federal ileeand an attack was made at 3 30
Z NJ. WIN the lst Brigade Courts ot
Amc-' iivision) Effected Judgment on the
IamVct; but full possession of the works was
not obtained till 10 =. NJ
The behavior of both officers and men was
most admirable.
The works south of Fort Fisher are now
occupied by our troops. We have not
less than 1000 prisoners including
Gen. Whiting and Col Lamb the command
ers of the Fort
regret to say that our loss Is severe, cs-
pocially IN officers
am not vet able 70 form any estimate of
the number of casualties
ALFRED II. TERRY.
Brcv. Ma. Gen. Commanding
FORT FISHER, Jan, 10 \. ".
After d careful reconnaissance on the Iith.
it was decided % risk an assault on Fort
Fisher. Paync's division With Col. Abbott
brigade. t. hold our lire already strong
across the peninsula. and facing Whining
ton, against llekc, while Amcs division
should assault the west end. After thIcc
hours of heavy firing, the assault WAS made
at p N. on the 18th.
Curtis brigade led, and as soon as It ar
rived on the west end of the land front, 1t
was followed by Pcnny's, Barker r, and the
latter by Bells After desperate fighting,
gaining foot bv foot. and severe loss, at : j.
NJ, We had possession of about hall the
land front.
Abbott's brigade was then taken from our
line facing Wilmington. and put into Fort
Fisher, and on pushing 1t forward NJ 10
O'Clock it took the rect Of the work with lit
tie resistance.
The garrison fell back To the extreme Of
the Peninsula, where they were followed and
captured Among others ten Whiting and
Col. Lamb both wounded
! think we have quite 1000 prisoners.
hope our loss may not exceed 800 but IL Is
impossible 20 Judge in the night. Among
tine wounded arr the commanders OF the
three leading hri-ides. zen. Curtis being
wounded not severely, but Co.'s. Penny.
Barker and Bel dangerously
The land front wac formidable Unc-tue
parapet in places II or i feet high-but the
men went al 1t nohly under severe musketry
FIRE. The marines ard sailors went up gal
lantly. but the musketry fire 1T the east end
of the land front was 50 severe that they did
not succeed in entering the works.
The navy FIRE on the works, Judging from
the holes. must have been terrific. Many Of
the guns were injured. How many there
were on the point, cannot say perhaps 50
or 30. c. d. CoNsTocK,
1t. Col, y pc.
and Chief Engineer
Another despatch estimates the number Of
prisoners CAPTURED at 1900 and the number
of guns at -.
Gen. Grant tclographs 70 tits Department
that in honor of this great triumph achieved
low the united valor of the Army and Navy
he has ordered a salute Of 100 guns to he
fired by each of the armies operating l7inst
Richmond.
c. \. DANA.
Asst. Sec. of War.