Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-01-14
Gen. Butler and Admiral Porter.

There is quite a serious disagreement be-
twden Admiral PORTER and Gen. BUTLER, re-
speeding the recent attack upon Fort Fisher,
the key to Wilmington. 1t involves the
question of the responsibility of the failure.
The points of disagreement are given in
correspondence between the two officers,
which Admiral PORTER appends to his report
of the Wilmington expedition.
In letter to Admiral PORTER, Gen. BUTLER
reports that on landing his troops and making
a thorough reconnaissance OF Fort Fisher,
"both Gen. WEIrZEL and myself were fully of
the opinion that the place could not be car
ried by assault, as it was left substantially un-
injured as defensive work, by the navy fire.
We found II guns protected by traverses-2
only of which were dismounted, bearing upon
the beach, and covering strip of land, the
only practicable route, not wide enough for a
thousand men in line of battle" Further on
Gen b. says:
Gen. Weitzel advanced his skirmish line
within fifty yards of the fort, while the gar
rison was kept in their boom proofs by the
fire of the navy, and so closely that three or
four men of the picket line ventured upon
the parapet and through the sally port of the
works, capturing a horse which they brought
off. killing the orderly who was the bearer of
dispatch from the Chief of Artillery of Gen.
Whiting to bring a light battery within the
fort, and also brought away from the parapet
the flag of the fort. This was done while
the shells of the navy were falling about the
heads of the daring men who entered the
works, and it was evident as soon as the fire
of the navy ceased, because of the darkness,
that the fort was fully manned again, and
opened with grape and canister upon our
picket line.
Believing that nothing but regular siege
would reduce the Fort, and in view of the
threatening weather making it .impossible.to
to land more troops, Gen. BUTLER ordered
his foree-about 8, 200 strong-to re-embark.
Admiral PORTER in reply to this note init
mates an opinion that the fort might have
been carried by a bold and vigorous dash.
He says:
eve have not commenced firing rapidly
vet. and could keep any rebels inside from
showing their heads until an assaulting col
umn was within twenty yards of the works. l
wish some more of your gallant fellows had
followed the officer who took the flag from the
parapet and the brave fellow who brought the
horse out of the fort. / think they would
have found it an easier conquest than is sup
posed. do not, however, pretend to place
my opinion in opposition to General Weitzel,
whom | know to be an accomplished soldier
and engineer, and whose opinion has great
weight with me- / will look out that the
troops are off in safety"
There is sufficient difference of opinion ex-
pressed in this correspondence to create
quite controversy respecting the response
bility of the failure. That portion of the
press hostile to Gen. BUTLER naturally adopt
the view indicated by Admiral PORTER, while
Others warmly defend the Generals conduct,
recounting the disastrous results which our
armies have too often met in direct assaults
upon fortified points. They believe Generals
BUTLER and WEIrzEL had better opportunities
to judge of the propriety of an assault after
actual personal inspection of the works, than
Admiral PORTER, with only a distant view
from his gunboat.