The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-01-13
Our Failure at Wilmington.
GEN. BUTLER THE CAUSE.
Details Of Attack on Fort Fisher.


The great armada-the greatest ever
eouipped and sent forth from an American
port.whose grand mission was the cap
ture of the rebel port of Wilmington, has
failed most completely in the attempt to
perform the work assigned to it. -
The expedition was double one, com
bining the forces both of the navy and ar
my. The naval forces were commanded
by Admiral Porter, as brave and compe-
tent an officer as ever trOd quarter deck;
the land forces were under Ma. General
BENJAMIN F. Butler-the Salem lawyer.
The rebel works, to which the attention
of the fleet and land forces was directed,
extended little over six miles along the
coast northward from New Inlet, on the
poin. of land between Cape Fear River and
the sea. Here they have constructed the
following defensive works: AT the ex-
tremity of Federal Point is. the Mound or
battery Lamb, fifty-eight feet high, hav-
ing the shape of the frustrum of cone,
and mounting two 2OO-pounder rifed gums.
A mile and three quarters northward'i is
Fort Fisher, rh6mboid shaped and very
strongly constructed earthwork. It
mounts thirty-six guns. Large traverses,
followed for bomb proofs, alternate be-
tween the barbette guns Between these
two principal Notifications are range Of
water-batteries, connected by rihe-pits,
and many Of them casemated. A mile
above Fort Fisher is small earthwork
named the Flag Hill Point battery. One
and three-quarter miles still further north,
and over six miles from the Mound, is
another battery, called the Half Moon.
The general plan agreed upon between
the naval and military commanders was
that the former should silence the forts by
bombardment, while the land forces de-
barked on the beach above, should assault
and carry the rebel works by an attack on
the rear, under cgVef of the guns of the
fleet. I Admiral Psrter's part of the plan
was carried out with marked success, not
outstanding the absurd .fasco which sig.
'nalized its besinning-the attempt to.
"paralize" the garrison by exploding a
ship load of powder at the distance of
mile or two from the rebel fort. An &C.
count of this silly performance will be
found in another part of this paper. Short
ly before noon on Saturday, December
Oath, the bombardment of Fort Fisher be-
gan. The enemy replied rather briskly
for brief period. The heavy guns upon
the Mound battery Kept quiet till after
two O'Clock, when, at long intervals, they
threw she'll toward our frigates, none of
which reached their destination. The enc
my's shot fell short and their fire was soon
seemingly almost silenced. AT two
O'Clock dense volume of smoke issued
from the fort, showing that the bar
racks were on fire. The fire continued for
nearly an hour, the flames frequently
bursting out afresh.
The cannonade at three O'Clock was
most terrific, our vessels firing a hundred
shots minute, and completely silencing
all the rebel works. A few minutes after
three O'Clock the flag floating over Fort
Fisher was shot down, and it was not re.
placed during the remainder of the day.
About an hour later the flag of the Mound
Battery was shot away, but it was soon
replaced by smaller flag upon the parapet.
During the whole Of Saturday only one
serious casualty resulted from the fire of
the enemy. A shot from Fort Fisher
pierced the boiler of the Mackinaw, and
two men were scalded seriously, and six
slightly, by the escape of the steam. The
most deplorable casualties of the fight were
caused by the bursting of the 100-pounder
Parrott guns on board the Quaker City,
Yantic, Juniata,. Susquehannah, Ticon-
deroga and Mackinaw.
THE COMMANDMENT ON SUNDAY.
Tho - 80
O'Clock on Christmas-day, and ten or
twelve gunboats were ranged along the
shore above the fort, abreast of Flag Pond
Hill and Half Moon batteries, and shelled
the woods for the purpose of covering the
landing of the troops. The garrison at
the Half Moon, after brief Smelling, es-
cape'l into the woods, while that of Flag
Porl Hill hoisted a white flag, and sur
rendered to the boats of the Britannia, as
on Saturday, so on Sunday, the fire upon
Fort Fisher from the fleet speedily silepced
the guns of the former, and compelled its
garrison to Sc K shelte. in their bomb
proofs. .eg
Grin. BUTLEe's OPERATIONS. rH't
The land forces took but slight partici
patton in the attack. On Saturday after
noon, when the fleet had performed its
part OF the work, it was found that Gen.
Butler was not ready to land his command.
The operations of that day were. there
fore, confined wholly to the fleet. while
the troops looked impatiently on from the
transports, restlessly anxious to take part
in the work. On Sunday, the fleet having
again quickly silenced the fort and bat.
teries, and the vessels detailed for that
purpose having thoroughly shelled the
shore above, the troops began to disem-
bark at two o'clock above the Flag Hill
Point battery. At three O'Clock Admiral
Porter, noticing the slowness with which
the troops were being landed, signalized to
Gen. Buffers flagship, asking him to try
to get all the troops ashore before sun
down. Then, sometime after, the Admit
rails flagship steamed up frem the feet be-
low, and coming alongside the Ben De-
ford, why don't you hurry up the troops,
they are waiting for you was shouted?s
from the Malvern sSWo 80 1anJ;on as