, 1865-01-24

retire or all be sacrificed. The abattis and
ditch formed slight protection, but the rals.
ing Of a head or the slightest exposure Mas
snTe to bring shot from the unerring flues
Of sharpsAooters, who were seen standing On
| the ramparts with piles Of loaded r1ies, Gh-
| ing them up and handing them back to be 70,
loaded Their whole advance could oo notlcsa ~
from the fort, and 1t was eFldent tnat 'ua
greater portion Of the garrison haa 1usheH ~ ~
that side 10 resist them. we hopsa pa.t and nf
| The fort more easy Of access to the soialels
| 10 ret through Tie abattts under the heasy
| fire Tas next to impossible, ana t1ey "eIa
seen to retreat in order, leaving the dead anu
soma of tho wounded on tne Houu, .4a W.
.yI9 .y3,aSt1r wounded llmpcd or craWled along on
ill., beach ont Of range, and one gatlant iei-
| ~ ~ sem 10 fall dead whilst struggling
s1onr after the main body had got ont Of
ranee. with a wounded officer On his back
$50 p. mat this moment tnrca Amer1can
flags erected our anxious vision on the rear
wills Of Fisher, showing that the assault by
General Terry on that gtde had been at least
partially successful. We could hear the rat
Tic Of artillery on the Test side Of the fort,
and the cannonading Of our troops by the
the men Was invisible from the ocean, and
the first evidence ne had Of the character Of
The struggle going on there Was the app:lr-
auce off, our flags' over the ramparta. with
the blue flag Of General Terry. 1t was glo.
rious and inspiring sight, though it was evi-
dent that We only held one portion Of the
fort, and that q severe struggle was in pro-
g1ess insidt. Rebel reinforccmcnts from the
Mound and water batteries. to the number Of
GOO or 700 could be observed rushing down to
Fort Fisher, and climbing over the rauparts.
whilst the Mound and water batteries poured
shell into one side Of the fort, and the Iron
sides and the monitors rained their pouderoua
shells in on the other side.
5p. m.-For the last hour and half there
has been every evidence Of tremendous
struggle progressing In Fort Fisher, during
which our flags entirely disappeared from the
o:335 p. m.-onr ears were greeted few
moments ago By loud and enthusiastic cheer
ing from Fort Fisher. For few moments
We we're in doubt as to whether they Vcrs
rebel cheers or loyal rejoicinss, though we
imagined they were too hearty and fTee In
come from rebel throats. Our doubts were
soon removed By the appearance On tue apex
o. the ramparts Of the fort Of one Of Gen.
ierry's signal officers, with his flaming
tcr's flagship. In few minutes liyhts flick
cred ell over the fort, and the cheers were
repeated with heartiness that left no donbt
on our minds that 1t had changed owners,
1op m.-The Admiral commenced to throw
up rockets from the flagship, which was in
SANITY understood as evidence of the glo-
rious news that bad been communicated to
responded " the burning Of Roman candles,
tashlng OF Costar's signals. and throwing ur
of1ochete. A regular Fourth of JULY scene
On the Ocean. The hearty cheers of tie sail
ors on the ships were responded to bY thu
soldiers in the captured fort.
II p. m.-All is now silent on land and sea,
Ite signal officers arc communicating On tho
beach.
MONDAY, Jan. 1G-We retired, last night,
overjoyed With the glad tidings Of the success
Of our gallant soldiers.
At the break Of day, this morning, We were
gfatifed with the sight Of Federal troops,
white and colored, stTo12ing on the ramparts
Of Fort Fisher, examining the guns Of the
Tater.batteties, aud even examining the mys-
teric5 Of the mound, evidently examining the
new possession, with "nonc to molest or
make them afraid" Up and down the beach
the inevitable Yankee con:d be seen, and all
WIS peace and quletness, where the storm OF
var MAS 60 lately raging.
AWFUL EXPLOSION.
Whilst looking At Fort Fisher under the
federal f1ag and rejoicing over its downfall, a
tremendous explosion took place in its very
center, something louder than 15-inch gun.
A volume of smoke and sand rose fifty feet in
the ar, enveloping and hiding from view the
whale Of the immense work for four or five
minsfee. II vas at once apparent that tho
magazine had exploded. aud that 1t must
have been accompanied With great loss Of
life.
We foon after learned that the destruction
Of life was not less than 200, including many
sailors ft"m the leet, Who had rot yet re.
the carelessncss Of some Of the co1ored
! troops. Various rumors are afloat as to this
terrible catastrophe, some attributtng it to
the work Of ! torpedo; but on inquiry I
! learn that It vas undoubtedly. the work Of
ca:elessnefs. The loss :;,, Of LIFE b5 the explo-
Der wounded. The magazine that exploded
; WAS IN the ycry csntre Of the parade, and it
has scoopcd out earth to a great depth for
f, fifty feet arornd, and adding to the dcsola-
! tion that rc'gns in this post monument Of
2. engineering ability. Quite number Of sailors
+: frtln the feet, and some Of the officers also,
/: suffered from the explosion. They had gone
: ashore to examine the work, and fell victims
| to their excusable curiosity.
The Paymastcrs Of the Gettysburg md tho
.: Ticond. roga, and IN Ensign from the
| Gcttysburgh, arc reported among The victims