Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-21

hot pC iSAi1ptNf ~ ''NiNi ~ -'s't''
ton them. -
Various rumors were afioat with regard 10 this
terrible catastrophe some att'ihut9g u 20 the work
of torpedo hut inquring learn that IT was I'M
doubleday the result of carclessness, or rather The
lack of knowledge of the presence oil powder
The loss Of life by the explosion learn is ABOUT
two hundred, besides quite number wounded =
The magazine that exploded was in the very centre
Of the parade and il has scoOped ont theearth TO a
great depth for fifty feet around, and added to the
desolatioR that reigns in this vast monume Mt OF en-
gineering ability, sQuite number of sailoys from
the feet and some officers also suffered fon this
explosion. They haRgone ashore 10 examine the
work. aIk fell victims TO their eXcusable curiosity.
The PaymasterS Of the Gettysburg and the Ticon-
deroga and an Ensign from the Getty sbnrg, are re-
ported among the victims.
ADMIRAL PoRTERs OFFICIAL REPORT
WASHINGTON, JAM 'ls.--The following has been
received at the Navy Department this morning;.'
= L. S. FLAGSHIP MiLyERN,
OFF FoRT FIsHks., Jan. Is 1864. J
SRI have the honorto inform yoy that We have
possession OF Fort FISHER and the fall OF the sur
rounding works will soon follow, -. a
As informed,you in my last, We had commenced
operations with the iroA vessels, which bombarded
while we landed the troops. On the l4th ordered
all the vessels carrying ll-inch guns Ito bohbard
With the IroRsdes, the Brooklyn taking the Lead
By sunset the tpli Basrednced 10 alspnlP. Every
gun was Silenccd by being injured OF covered WIN
earth, so that they could not work.
On the 10th General Terry and myself arranged
for the assault aud ordered 400 sailors and ma
rines to participate At daylight, the iron vessels
tho BROOKLYN aud eleyen-inch gunboats, cOmmenCxd
gathering the work, while the troops made a lcdg-
ment within one hundredan fftyayards Of the sert.
At 10 o'clock all the vessels steamed in and took
their stations, opening heavy FIRE, which was kept
mp until.3 =. NJ, when the signal was made to as
sault the soldiers taking he lang sds and ti,e ss,
their fire TO the other works. The Rebels met us
with a courage worthy Of better cause, and fought
desperately About thi,lT Of the sall9rs and 9icefs
succeeded IN getting To s tap ot the P9rapet Anlas
a nmTderouS fre of grape and canister and nhsket,
~ They had planted the Tag there but were Xwept
away in moment. Others tried to get up the bteep
pan coupe. The marines could have cleared the
parapet by keeping up steady fire, but they failed
to do so, and the sailors were repulsed. Many a
gallant fellow fell trying to emulate their brothers in
arms who were lighting 10 obtain an entrance on the
northeast Sngip, a. - siEears on oqE chat,
The enemy mistook seamen's attack for;the main
body oftrOops, and offered most vigorous resistance
there, but / witnessed it all aVd think the marines
could have made the assault successful.
In the meantime our gallant seidiers.had gained
foothold the north west corner ofthe fort, tight
ing like lions and contesting every inch Of ground:
The lronsides and Monitors kept throwing their
.hs,,. iIto the Sfraverses not occupied by our
men, Gat occupied 0y ,he Rcbfi9: y this way
from three O'clock in heaftethoon lntflten O'Clock
IA night when thejoyfel tidnss were sgnacd to the
feet. We stopped Qtr fi1e apd gave them three Of
the heariiest cheers ever heard.
y Il hos been the most terrific struggle ever saw,
With yeFy mach bard labor.
The troops .haye covered themselves with gery
and Gen. Ferry Is my beau ideqt.of soldier and q
General Our operations have been ufost harmo-
Nous, and think the General will do the navy the
credit 10 say thar THIS time at least wesubstantialy
injured the fort as defensive work
81 II, k,a L. &, thap
we had on the last occasion, when the enemy had
oniy leo 3epN the works. This time the works were
fully manned ana cgntansd about.s00 men at the
time Of the assaJ5t =
itisa matter ofgreat regret 10 me 10 see my gallant
officers and men so 4cutup but unwilling to
let the troops undertake the capture OF fireworks
without the navy's sharing with them the petl all
were anxious to undergo, and We should the
hoper OF mcelqg oAI tI1thaIs H. grn,s IL tbs yorkS'
had the sailors been properly Supported. have
lost about 200 men III. Killed and wounded, md
amongst them some gallant officers,
] regret 10 apnopnce lhe deash OF Lieutenant y
W Preston and Lienlenant K. II. Porter. They
were both captured together in the attack on Fort
2pHlteF, and died together in enaeavofins tp pAl
down the nag that mas 80 long haunted IN our iaees
Lieutenant Il VI. Lanlsln was severely Wounded
He was lately associated with Lieutenant Pfeaaaia
his perilous adventure with the powder boat Ileut
George NJ. Bache and a pGmber OF others were
YpgEded thu former not dangerously.
The ASSAULT nnigI4ok hiafe lew hours ago, and
am unSble to inform you of our casualties. They
are quite severe from the assault, bnt we had no
casualties from the enemys cannon.
knowing tie lmlGrtRHce Of the Department re-
ceying news from Fort Fisher, hey9 written these
few hurried lines. No one can conceige what the
army aud uafy have gone through to, achieve this
victory which should have been ours on Chr istmas
day without the 5oSs of a Gozen men.
This has been day of terrific struggle, and8ot
81 nf tho Of no a. re
all WON Qut nearly ana yon must excuse tbs 9fte
aud unsatisfactory account. viii Nrlie fully by
the Santiago Do Cuba which goes North to-Slorrow
10 carry the wounded.
There snOt spot Of earth about the fort that has
not been torn mp BY our shells. ] do not know yet
the number Of killed and woundedby our fire hut
l5inch she'll alone pierced bomb-proof killing
sixteen ana woGudilg severely twenty five others
Bteidcs the men in Fort Fisher there Eere sbont
SOON the upper forts and relief of abont ! 500
pen brought down by steamers this morning. So
far, believe 20 lmva any eaHtnged the garrison Of
Fort Fisher. I,don't suppose there was work
subjected to such terrific bombardment, or where
the appemanceof fort gas more altesef.
Iprcsume we are in possession OF all the forts,
as Fort Fisher commands them all. 1t is so late
that cen lsaIn nothing more until morning,
am sir, very respectfully, yoqF o6etient ssrFapti
(Signed) D. d, PoRFEF,
Rear Admiral.
THg LATEST FROM FORT FISHER
The following despatch is ppblished,;
BALrIMoBr, Tuesday; Jan: IL:
The Amgican has the following from is speliai
correspondent with the Wilmington expedition; who
has Just arrived NJ Fortress Monroe:
n FORTslss MONROE, Tuesday, jan, 1850 y NJ
After three days aad nghtsof bombardment, Fort
Fisher isoilrs, with all the contiguous works com
handing New Inlet. The'assalllt was lfade BY the
army andth naval brigade at 3 o'clock on Sunday
afternoon. One corner OF the fort was securcdiI
haf an hour nj ave had n hand to hand fipht with
the garrison, which lasted until o'clock at night
II was very stubborn and bloody resistance, and
the Portland the approaches werei strewp With dad
The garrison had been heavily Feintoyced The
number OF prisoners taken was over 2,O0O The
Guiding Mound and Seeks Island batteries, surren-
dered.
The rebo loss in the assault was 800 dead, beside
the wounded. Our loss army and navy Is about
900 killed and wounded. Feet-iieut Preston and