The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-01-27
The Capture of Fort Fisher Seer etary
Stanton's Dispatch to President Lin

FORTRESS MONROE, Jan. l7-l0 p. M.
To the Prrsiaent. 80.
The rebel flag Of Fort Fisher was deliv.
cred to mo on board the steamer Spalding.
Oft shat place, yesterday morning. Jan. I6.
lSignedJ Maj. Geo. TERRY.
q, An acknowledgement. and thanks for ,bs,
gallant achievement. we're given in your
name, to Admiral Porter and Gen. Tcrry.
from whom the following particulars we're
received,
Tho troops arrived off Fort Fisher on
Thursday night. On Friday they wero all
landed. under cover of heavy fire from
the squadron. A reconn distance was made
by General Terry on Saturday. A strong
defensive line against any of the enemy's
forces coming from Wilmington, was estab-
lished and held BY 4,00O' men, chiefly col.
ored troops. and an assault was determined
on. The assault was made on Sunday af-
ternOOD, at three O'Clock.
The sea front of the fort had been greatly
damaged and broken by continuous and
terrible fire Of the fleet for three days, and
Tho front was assaulted at the hour men.
toned by column Of seamen. I, 500 strong
uuder command of Captain Breeze. They
reached the fort, but after short conflict
were checked and driven back in disorder.
and were afterwards placed 90 the defensive
line, taking tho place of a brigade that was
| brought up TO reinforce the assaulting col.
umn Of the troops.
Although the assault on tho sea front
Jailed, itperformcd very useful part iu d.
vertipg tho attention of the enemy, and
weakening their resistance to the attack Of
| the troops on the other side. .-.-..
| The assault on the other and most diff
| cult side of the fort was made by column
Of 1000 troops. Of the old 10Th corps. led
| BY Curtis, under tho immediate super yision
of General Terry. The enemys force in
| the fort was over 200. .'.
The conflict lasted eeven hours. The
works were SO constructed that every trav-
erse afforded the enemy new defensive
| works, from ~hence they had to be driven.
There were seven in number, and tho fe BIT
was carried on from traverse to traverse for
seven hours, BY a skiIifuIIy directed fire.
thrown into traverses. One after another
was occupied by :he epemy. Admiral Por-
ter contributed to sheyuccess of the ussall
ing column by sigoais between himself and
General Terry at brief intervals.
This fire was 90 vol managed % to dam
age tho enemy without injury to our own
troops. About 10 O'Clock ut night the en-.
emy were entirely driven from the fort, end
forced down towards Federal Point, fol.
lowed bysa brigade Of our troops; and
about l2 O'Clock at night General Whiting
surrendered himself and bis command 10
GeOeral Terry ncoDditiobaiIv as prisoners
OF war. numbering over 1000. The re-
mainder OF his force had been killed and
wounded. Our loss was MOI accurately as
.coriained on Monday after noon, but was es.
timnted at between seven and eight hun
dred in killed aud wounded, besides the
naval loss. which was slight. not exceeding
one hundred killed and wounded. Not o
ship nor transport was lost
Colonel Curtis was severely bat not NOR
tally wounded. s.'|
Colonel Bell died Of bis wounds on Mon
day morning. .ert'
Colonel j. W. Moore and Lieutenant
Colonel Lyman were killed.
Colonel HeDpvpacker and Lieutenant
Coap were both badly wounded.
A complete list of the killed and wounded
will be forwarded as soon as it can be pre-.
pared.
General Leroy reported to Surgeon Gen
erai Barnes that be had an ample provision
of nurses and hospital supplies for the
wounded
The wounded will be sent North to their
respective States as faEt as they can DO
placed on transports, Of which there was
ample supply.
On .t"nday morning. between 6 aud II
o'clock, the magazine of Fort Fisher ex-
ploded, killing and wounding about three
hundred persons.
After the capture Of the fort, all the
troops we're Withdrawn except ono brigade
left in charge of the works.
How the explosion occurred was not
known. but General Terry believed il was
occasioncd by accident or ueglectS
General Hokes division. reported at I've
thousand, was at Wilmington. A portion
of |: was thrown into the fort not long be-
fore the assault, and while it was gsiDg on |
demonstration was made by Hoke against
our defensive line. but it was found 100
strong.
About eleven o'clock Monday morning,
heavy cloud of smoke was observed over
Fort Smith, on the south side of New Inlet.
The naval officer commanding that station
reported that the enemy had fired the bar.
racks aud evacuated that work.
Perfect harmony and concert of action
existed between the land and naval forces
and their respective commanders, Admiral
Porter and General Terry. They We'd 10
their comnendaton each of the otber.-
Each seemed more anxious to do justice TO
the other than to claim anything for him
self, and they united in the highest COM
of the affairs and the forces en-
gagged.
The armament of the fort was SEVENTH
two guns, some of them of largo cslibre and
rifed. and one Armstrong gun. The troops
in the fort had provisions for sixteen DAYS.
Their loss in killed and Younded was be-
tw cen 400 and 500. GeDeral Willing had
three wounds in the thigh. Colonel Lamb
also. who had gone into the fort with rein
forcemeD,s and to relieve Genera; Wbr,inp
on Sunday. is wounded.