, 1865-02-27
THE CAPTURE OF FORT
ANDERSON.
TIE EECONNOISSANCE OF. THE
FLEET.
The Attack Of the Fleet,
OPERATIONS OF the. ARMY,
A Bogus Monitor Did the
Work,

A Bogus Monitor Did the
Work.
{From the Correspondent OF the N. 7. He.a,d,1
MOVEMENTS PRELIMINARY TO TIE Ap
VANCE.
On Thursday uight Cox's division Of the
Twenty-thid Corps was transferred from
Federal Point to snithville. The moyemcn,
Was en undertaking Of no fnconslderahle
vision, which it would be uianilestIy improper
~ state. their entire cquipagc, land trans.
portalon, ammunition, commissary stores
aud impediments in general, had to be for
warded. The ferTiage was 4 distance Of eight
miles. The facilities Of cmbarkation consist
I'd of single small dock, at which hut one
vessel could lay at time, The army vessels
adapted to the service consisted of four small
steaner5-~the Eliza Hancox, C. ". Thomas,
Christopher and Howa:d. Admiral Porter
very politely placed three lighters OF bis
fleet at the disposition Of the army for the
movement. With these facilities the whole
task was accomplished before daylight. Brig
the department, giving it his personal super.
intendence until its full accomplishment.
TIE MARCH TO THE REAR OF FoRT ANDERSON.
| At daylight on Friday morning the divis'
| ion moved from 6mIthv lie, and ut p. m.
| we're in the rear Of Fort Anderson. The
| match Was made through au unexplored coun'
! try, over ind difCercnt roads, With many swamps
Of the march and Of the subsequent opera.
| tions Of this branch Of the expedition will
be given you By the correspondent who &C
! companled the movement.
The RECONNAISSANCE OF THE FLEET.
Soon after noon on Friday, Admiral Porter
moved up force Of gunboata and engaged the
1oit with considerable earnestness at close
Commander Stone. led off In this attack, TAX
Ing up q position about three-fourths Of q
mile from the fort, and retaining 1t until the
close Of the action. Her heavy flfteen-inch
guns were worked from this position with
unerring certainty and great effect upon the
the fost replied to hex vigorously, but finding
that lis heaviest metal produced no effect up
on the iron monster, It desisted from The
waste Of ammunition. Here was developed
the exceeding Utility ofthis class of vessels
No other boat known to maritime architect
urc could possibly hare laid at nhchor IN such
position, under the very guns of q heavy
fort and Jet not O person WAS injured on
board the presuminE Monitor, although she
Was hit over md over again In every part Of
her, nor was the vessel damasscd IN theslsght-
est degree.
Unoer ceyer of the fire Of the monitor, the
wooden gunboat Pequot moved up into close
Others followed, and soon heavy fire was
showered upon The fort compelling the rebel
gunnc1s 10 seek the shelter Of their bomb
proofs.
THE PEQuoT STRUCK
During the action and before the rebels had
retired IRON their guns, Whitworth bolt
struck stanchion On the Pequot, scattering
splinters in every direction, severely wound
ing five men, Of whom two have since died.
The OBJECT Of this attack was merely to
draw opt the enemy and divert their atten.
| tlon from the movement of our lind forces.
| At dark Gen. Co1's troops were within a
! couple Of miles Of the fort, had established 9
| communication with the river abreast Of the
feet, and had exposed their position by light
eating with the dead wood and thick under
brush Of the dense pine forest In which they
{ were operating, stnt up yast clouds Of black
J. smoke, covering the whole country aa with =
| night.
! confacraticn, as Eiewd from the cast bank o1
/; the river, was surprisingly sublime. Great
sheets Of uvid flame darted skyward, and be-
iug reflected from the dark clouds above,
! formed grand and Jet terrible spectacle.
t MOVEMENT OF GENERAL AAEs' DIVISION.
! During the evening orders were received
for the movement Of Ames' division OTTER.
| ry's force to smithvile, to cooperate with
! Cox. This movement WIS commenced at
/ midnight, the troops at that hour being in
our extreme front before Hoke. By sunrise
this morning they were In Smithvi1le, pre-,
t pared to cooperate however they might be
J directed.
GENERAL cox's ADVANCE RESUMED.
At daylight this morning scattered dis.
/ charges Of musketsy on the west bank OF the
river indicated that General Co1'a skirmish.
e1s had already engaged those Of the enemy.
AS daylight advanced the firing became more
] earnest, and soon 1t became apparent that our
! works. BY eight O'Clock, from Indications
based ursn the firing, the rebels had retired
! into their outer works envelopfng the fort.
| TEE ATTACK or 1u8 FzxH.
The Admiral, On The sound from Ahore,
moved his feet into action. As on the pre-
; vious day, the monitor Montauk took the
lead, and this time went up within third oi
Of mile Of the fort. The Mackinaw, double
! ender, Commander Beaumont, followed, 60.
Ing much nearer than any wooden boat had
/ before Tcntured. She anchored, bow and
stern, less than mile from the rebel work.
and was quickly made the Target Of their con.
centrated fire. The Maratanza, Lieutenant
Commanding Young, followed soon alter, and
took up position nbreast of the MackInaw,
and shared with her the compliments sent
from the fort, which NOW fell thick aud fast
atout The two. But the fire of these vessels
| and ofithose further astcrn. was so we'll d.
recied; and the rebel runs which bore npcn
them 10 much exposed, that the rebel gard
son fired but wildly, and although striking
| Ill abont them. and even passing oVer and
falling nstern, strange to say none Of the gun.
boats were hit.
The Lenape, Lieutenant Commander Barns,
! followed the Maratanza into close action.
| and soon after TIE Sassacps. Pontusuek. Hu'
| ron. Peouot and Chippewa became engaged,
causipp euch AZ, infeft1al din with their b1rst.
ine ahells an in and Ind % shout he fort. end throwing
! up such dense volumes OF sand with every
| discharge, that the rebels werf again driven Ia
cover.
During the early part Of the action, and
btiore the fort had ceased to respond, The
ame ng the feet, first Visiting one vessel and
then another, eyen going as far up rs the
Monitor, personally directing the fire OF each,
and experimenting all their movements and
ps sitions. -..---...
/ TEE roRr s11EscED.
md frnm that lime tI5i darlness c,oseJ the
action The navy had # ali its own rsov lat.
fer;n~ dawn fIe3r hnre fIaverses' and n.
tsmni;nr n ~ tnncr orsE their Cnns bethe- W. n
nnT cnns ,r.-.. d;snnnnta5 = -,nf dagn;ta11
I9 Inon 9 3bn1.oh q IL niaI1oaa ttat s,noa ara
! hut fhN En11fhcFD fHrR 0f the fott VIVA sally
/ J;sf@mreff hr fha eaSera 0hai1inn ~ %rh,nh Z
i WIS exnoscd' 'N'e5 ~ "AAA~A ~
The enormous sheIls of the Monitor wera
! thrown with unet1ing precision at SO short q
! rnpEc, every one exploding with effect. Not
shot Was Wasttd from this vessel. Although
! shc fires but slowly. she accompllshes inf
nlte1y more in attacking such wotk than all
Ine lthl e1 tne ueet coInplneu. WIN ner " as
/ pclcct stIt1 VI Huiusteuee "ueauee tne
D.: ions of sand arc sho1,c'ed mt ~ ths 1 pa11 Fl