The weekly union record., 1865-01-21
News of the Week.

commanded the expedition, and is dated Head
quarters Federal Point, North Carolina, Jan
18th: Il have the honor TO report that Fort
Fisher was carried BY assaul; on this afteruoou
and evening by General Ames' division and
the second brigade, first division OF the Twenty
fourth Army Corps, calamity aided By bat
talon of marines and sesmen from the Nayy
The assault was preceded By heavy lombard
meut from the feet. They first effected a
lOdgeuen; upon the parapet. Full possession
of the works vas not obtained until ten O'Clock
at night. The behavior Of the officers and men
was most admirable. All the works south Of
Fisher are DOW occopied by our troops We
have not less than Twelve hundred prisoners,
including General Whitney and Colonel Lamb,
commandant Of the Fort. regret to say our
loss was severe, especially in officers. l AN
not yet able TO form an estimate of the number
Of casualties The following is the report Of
C. B. Comstock, Chief Engineer: After a
careful reconnaissance, on the l4ih, it was
decided to risk an assault 90 Fort Fisher
Barnes division, with Colouel Abbott's brig
ade, held our line. already strong, well across
the peninsula and facing Wilmington, while
Ames' division should assault On the west end.
After three hours heavy naval firing, the
assault va. made at 3 o'clock on the afternoon
of the 18th. Curtis brigade led, and, as soon
as it was on the west end of the land front, it
was followed by Pennibacker's and Bells
brigades. After desperate fighting, gaining
foot by foot, and with severe loss, at o'clock
We had possession of about half the land front
AbbOtts brigade was then taken from our line
facing Wilmington and put on to Fort Fisher,
and on pushing it forward, at 10 o'clock it took
the rest OF the works with but little resistance.
the garrison falling back to ihe extreme end
OF the peninsula, where they were captured.
hope our loss will not exceed FIVE hundred, but
it is impossible to form correct estimate in
the night. Among the wounded are the CON-
manders of the leading brigades-Gen Curtis,
slightly; Colonies Pennibacker and Bell, dan
gerously. The land front was a formidable
parapet, in places being fifteen feet high, but
the men went over it nobly under a severe
musketry FIRE. The marines and sailors marched
up gallantly, but the musketry FIRE from the
east front end was so severe that they did not
succeed in entering the works The navy
firing during the bombavdment, judging from
the holes in the works, must have been terrific.
Many guns were injured"
The Tribune's Washington special says it is
well known fact that the taking of Fort
Fisher does not stop blockade running into
Cape Fear river. Skies Island commands the
other entrance. The Advertiser, in an article
on the defences at Wilmington, says: Fort
Fisher has - guns Caswell, 81 johnson,
10; ST. Phillip, 9 and other works estimated
at 30. We may consider the capture of all
these works now as foregone conclusion
Those south of Fisher are cut of and must
surrender on demand, while those above cannot
hope to make a successful resistance against
the approach of our feet and army. Cores
pondeuce from Fort Fisher states that the
taoops under General Terry numbered about
10000. The pirates Tallahassee and Chica-
nauga were in the fight, and were driven up
the river. Oar gunboats went up the river on
Monday morning. A magazine in the fort
exploded by accident on Monday morning,
killing and wounding 500 of our men.
The rebel Senator Foote, who, in attempting
to escape to the North, was captured aud taken
back To- Richmond, seems to have met with
cemency, and has probably been released.
Mrs. Foote has been al Washington practicing
the womanly art of intrigue for the benefit of
the wayward sisters Her developments" are
as startling as those of refugees generally.
A dispatch says Buffers testimony before
the Committee on the Conduct of the War
lifts the vail which has closely covered many
of the disasters and blunders in front of Peters
burg. His testimony produced a profound
impression, and summons were issued fdr Grant
and other high officials
The Louisiana Legislature has elected Gov.
Hahn I. 5. Senator for the term Of six years
after the fourth Of March, when Smiths term
expires
Rear Admiral S. T. Lee informs the Navy
Department that resolution will soon be in-
troduced in the Alabama Legislature recon-
mending a return of the State to the Union.
1t is said that special messenger from the
authorities of Savannah left, on the 9th, With
dispatches 10 Gov. Brown relative to a return
of Georgia to the Union.
Frances 7. Blair has returned from his
peace mission 10 Richmond, which is now
said to have been made solely to recover the
pieces of papers and documents taken from his
residence by the rebels, while on their raid
around Washington. last Summer. The Dem
ocratlc politician" who preceded Blair hasn't
been heard from, but be is probably after some
of JEFF 5 old clothes Lieut.. Gov. Jacobs of