The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1865-01-26
Victory Again /!

1t was generally believed by the unini-
tiated that Buffers .fdSco before Whining
ton would put an end to active operations
in that quarter, at least for the winter
Although there was no warrant for such
conclusion, this was the almost universal
belief. So that, on Wednesday last, when
the telegraph flashed the intelligence
throughout the land that Fort Fisher, the
key to Wilmington, had fallen into our
hands, it was received with shouts of re-
joicing not unmixed with surprise. The
secret of this movement, which was plan
ned by Lieut. Gen. Grant Immediately
subsequent to Buffers refusal to "move
against the enemy's works." was well
kept Indeed, little or nothing was pub
licly known of the expedition until the
feet composing it Lad actually appeared
off Wilmington harbor, when rebel news
papers brought US the first intelligence.
Fort Fisher was carried by assault on
Sunday afternoon, 18th inst, by the forces
under the command of Brevet Major Gen
eral Terry, after 6erce bombardment for
three hours, by Admiral Porter's fleet
The defence was fierce and stubborn, and it
was only at the end Of several hours hard
fighting that the conflict ceased with the
capture Of the rebel works, including the
garrison of two thousand five hundred men
and officers, and seventy-fve guns. We
print on to-day's outside full particulars of
the gallant and successful struggle.
The New York Tribune gays of the
capture of Fort Fisher: ''The history of
this war does not afford parallel to the
successful assault on Fort Fisher-and of
course no other war does, for in no war
till the Crimean had the present system of
earthwork defenses been tested, and in the
Crimea there is no instance of a successful
assault upon any work till it had been
regularly approached By elaborate and
protracted siege operations. Now for the
first time is a really formidable earthwork
carried by direct assault, and in mill
tary view. therefore, the stornling of Fort
Fisher is probably entitled to be reckoned
the most brilliant, as it surely is the most
remarkable, victory of the war. Fort
Fisher was the strongest fort in the South
With its extensive system of outworks,
constructed at leisure by the best engineer
ing talent Of the Confederacy, relied on
for the sure defense Of the sole remaining
port into which blockade runners regularly
attempted to enter, immeasurably impor-
tapt to the external support of the Rebel
lion, it was deemed, and within a fortnight
has been proclaimed by the General who
commands ali the rebel forces, absolutely
impregnable. The carrying by storm
of such a work is au epoch in military
history. AS the Monitor Merrimac fight
was to naval warfare, as the preaching of
Pulaski by light guns at eighteen hundred
yards was to casemated forts on land, so
may the storming Of Fort Fisher be to the
newly-vaunted earthwork defenscs"
We may now consider the capture of the
remaining defences of Wilmington a fore
gone conclusion. The forts to the south
of Fort Fisher are cut of, and must sur
render upon demand, while those above
cannot hope to resist upon the approach of
our feet aud army. The port of Whining
ton is efectually sealed, even if our feet
or armies should not advance a step, and
the great entrepot of the Confederacy is
gone past redemption. Bragg may resis.
the capture Of Wilmington itself, but his
efforts to save II will be futile, and only
subject the city to unnecessary lombard
ment.
Hon. T.. p BkAIR returned f:om lis