Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-01-10
A. B. NETrLEroN,
Lieut.. COL, End Ohio Cavalry.
The Expedition Against Wilmington
Why 1t Failed.
CorEesP oadenoe. of the New York TrlLune.


NORFOLK. Jan. ., 1865.
The leading facts of the Wilmington ex.
pedttiOn are these:
l. The collection and equipment of the
ships of war for the expedition consumed
more than two tedious months.
2. When it was announced as ready the
transports started from Hampton Roads
with the understanding that they would be
accompanied or closely followed by the
war vessels.
3. The transports and troops arrived off
Wilmington aud were, there for three days
of splendid weather, the sea as smooth as
millgpond, and the enemy known to be
surprised and In small force; but, the ships
of lgGr cGme-nOt. l5i EaE
4. Heavy weather set in; the ships of war
appeared, but the transports had by that
time nearly exhausted their coal and water,
and many were compelled to seek Beaufort
harbor, which they left again for Whining
ton as quickly as the weather permitted. :.
8, But without awaiting the return of
the troops and transports from Beaufort,
Admiral Porter, contrary to the understood
plan of operations, exploded the gunpoW-
der or torpedo boat, and bonn barded the
| fort for several hours. In the plan of Ope.
rations it had been understood that the
| at
time, and in. such manner, that the troops
could immediately land, and take adva1-
tage of the Decentralization which it was
expected the explosion would create among
the enemy.
When the troops subsequently, landed,
Gen. Weitzel, (thau whom our army pos
sesses no soldier braver, more skillfuI or
more experienced in assaulting and defend
ing fortified places, being ordered by Gen.
Butler to reconnOiter, pushed his recon-
noisssuce close to the fort, and asCertaiued
that 1t was uniDjured, and that an assault
ing party would meet more bloody and
fatal repulse than our troops did at Fort
Wagner. He therefore advised their with
drawal, to which Gen. Butler assented.-
Fort Fisher is more than twice as large,
and twice as difficult of assault as Fort
Wagner was.
The military authorities expected that
admiral Porter would run the gauntlet,
with some of his war vessels, by Fort
Fisher, and up Cape Fear River, and, in
concert with the troops that would be
then covered by the gunboats, cut off the
fort from Wilmington, and shut up the
river, "making the expedition another Mo-
bile affair.""
When on the ground, Il dmirqI Porter .Uas
requested, but refused to do this. Farragut,
or any Of half dozen officers in Porter's
own feet, would have done it. 81
8. The assertion that any of our men
entered the fort, is mistake, created by
a false rumor started among the soldiers
at the close of the reconnaissance. The
true statement of the incidents that gave
rise to the rumor is this:
FTrsL-A shot from the ships of war cut
the rebel flagstaff, aud it toppled over and
outside the fort. A gallant officer of the
142d New York, in WeitzePs skirmish line,
ran into the outer ditch of the fort and
brought off the flag.
Second-The dispatch bearer, who was
said to be killed in the Fort, and his horse,
brought out by one Of our men, was killed,
not inside the Fort, but one-third Of q mile
from it:
TAird-The shot said to be fred by one
of our men into bomb proof full Of Rebels,
was fred, not inside the fort, but by g
sharpshooter in Weitzel's skirmish line,
who fred through sally port in his front
into an open bomb proof at the opposite
side of the fort, in which he thought be
saw some Rebels Whether he hit any of
them is not known; but it is known that
not one of our men got inside the fort or
any of its defehces.
8. While the transports were waiting the
arrival of the war vessels during the frat
three days, the Rebels sent down heavy
e.enforcements TO Sugar Loaf camp, in
the vicinity OF the fort; and these re in
tforcements were ready to assist the fort in
| case of an assault. Gen. Buffers entire
force was but six thousand I've hundred
men.
T79R INTPTIIGEy0ER sTEAN J0P 0PP10T