East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-01-18
The Failure OF the Great Wilmington
Expedition.

NoRrH ATLANTIC SQUADRON,
u. s. FLAG-SnIP MALVERN, AT SEA,
Orr New INLET, December 26.
SIn-I was in hopes that i should
have been able to present to the ma
ton Fort Fisher and its surrounding
works as Christmas offering; but, l
am sorry to say, it has not been taken
yet, 1 attacked it on tho 24th instant.
Previous to making the attack, a
torpedo on large scale, with an
amount of powder on board supposed
to be sufficient to explode the powder
magazine of the fort, was prepared
with great care, and placed under the
command of Commander A. G. Rhind.
So much has been said and written
about the terrible effects Of gunpow-
der, in an explosion that happened
lately in England, that great results
were expected from this novel mode
of making war.
EXPLOSION OF THE POWDER BOAT.
On the ODD directed Commander
Rhind to proceed and explode the
vessel right under the walls of Fort
Fisher. Mr.. Bradford, Of the coast
survey, having gone in at night and
ascertained that we could place q
vessel Of seven feet draft right on the
edge Of the beach, Lieut. r. IL. Sam
son, commanding the Gettysburg, vol
unteered to go in the Wilderness, Act
ing Master Henry Arsy in command,
and tow the Louisiana into position
At 1920 p. M. the powder vessel
started in toward the bar and was
towed by tho Wilderness until the
embrasures Of Fort Fisher were plain
ly in sight. The Wilderness then cast
off and the Louisiana proceeded un-
der steam until within two hundred
yards Of the beach and about Eve hun
dred from the fort, Commander
Rhind anehorca her securely there
and coo.iy went to work to make all
his arrangements to blow her up.
This no was enabled to do, owing
to blockade-runner going in right
ahead of him, the forts making the
blockade-runner signals, which they
also did to the Louisiana. The gal
liant party, after cody making all their
arrangements for the explosion, left
the vessel, the last thing they did be-
ing to set her on fire under the cabin,
and then, taking 10 their boats, trey
made their escape off to the Wilder
ness, lying close by. Tho Wilderness
then put off shore with good speed, to
avoid the iil-effects that might happen
from the explosion. At forty-five
minutes past one Of the morning of
the oath, the explosion took place. and
the shock ,ods nothing like so severe as was
expected: shook the vessels some and
broke one or two glasses, but nothing
moro.
THE ENGAGEMENT ON SATURDAY.
AT daylight on the oath, the feet
got under way and stood in line OF
battle. At 1880 o'clock A. NJ, the
signal was made TO engage the forts,
the Ironsides leading, and the Monad-
mock, Canonicus, and Mahopac follow
ing. The Ironsides took her position
in the most beautiful and seamanlike
manner, and opened deliberate fire
on the fort, which was firing at her
with all its guns, which did not seem
numerous in the northeast face, though
entoen guns. But four or five of these
were fired from that direction, and they
r,cere Sileneed almost as soon as tho Iron
sides opened her terrific battery.
The Minnesota then took her posi-
ton in handsome style, and her guns,
after getting the range, were fired
with rapidity while the Mohican, the
Colorado, and the large vessels got to
their stations all firing to cover them
selves while anchoring. BY the time
the last of the large vessels anchored
and got the batteries into play, but
one of two guns of the enemy were
fred, this fen GeJer Grirng them all to
the bomb-froofs.
In one hour and fifteen minutes
after the first shot was fred not shot
came from the fort. Two magazines
had been blown up by our shells, and
the fort set on fire in several places,
and such a torrent of missiles were
falling into and bursting over it that
it was impossible for anything human
to stand it. Finding that the batteries
were silenced completely, directed
the ships to keep up moderate fire,
in the hope of attracting the attention
of the transports and bringing them
in. AT sunset Gen. Butler came in
his flagship, with few transports, the
rest not having arrived from Beaufort
Being too late to do anything more, 1
signalled to the fleet TO retire for the
night to a safe anchorage, which they
did without being molested by the en-
envy.
OPERATIONS on SUNDAY.
On the 10Th all the transports had
arrived, and Gen. Butler sent Gen.
Weitzel to see me and arrange tho
programme for the day. 1t was de-
cided that We should attack the forts
again, while the army landed and as
saulted them, if possible, under our
heavy fire. i sent seventeen gunboats,
under the command Of Captain 0. s.
Gleason, to cover their troops and as
sist with their boats in landing the
soldiers. Finding the smaller vessels
kept too far from the beach, which
was quite bold, sent in the Brooklyn
to set them an example, which that
vessel did, relying as every commander
should, on the information gave him
in relation to the soundings. To this
number were added all the small YES
sells that were covering the coast along.
And / finally sent some eight or nine
vessels that were acting under Com
mander Guest, in endeavoring to find
way across the bar. This gave one
hundred small boats to land the troops
with, besides those the army were al
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