Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-02-03
CORRESPONDENCE.
Orr NNIrMINGToN, Jan. 18th, g;

people at the North interested in the pro-
gress of the present rebellion. they OF
Hancock County Were alone unmindful OF
the importance Of that collection of vessels
denominated in naval parlance, the North
Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and more
particularly that portion of it at this time
engaged in the reduction of Fort Fisher
and neighboring batteries at the entrance
of Cape Fear river, preparatory to the ac-
QUESTION of that point of greater import
ance-the city of Wilmington.
Presuming then on their interest in
that. as well rs much other valuable infor-
nation contained in your paper, will try
to give them an idea of the strength and
Importance of the rebel stronghold and OF
the flee al present engaged in its reduction
Were | competent | might give You an
animated description of the feet when it
left Beaufort on the 10th of Dec. last
how it encountered 50 much heavy weather
during the succeeding wcck-prcsented its
beautiful appearance when in orler of
batt!c-took its position on the 9th of
Dec, near Fort Fisher, and furiously BON
barded that work for three successive days,
resulting in no material benefit, OH account
OF TIE lack o. n sufficient number of troops
to follow up the attack. so successfully be
gun by the Nayy-b1t rs your readers are
already well acquainted with the main
facts of the case. from the numerous pub
lished descriptions Of able correspondents
| will coniinc myself to the present, see
ond attack, (eycn now as | write, in pro-
sress.)
The order Of battle of the feet was not
materially changed from that of the first
attack. Although do not know exactly
what it was, but presume from the pres
ence at the scene of action of the same
ships, that the same plan was essentially
followed.
We left Beaufort on the morning of the
18th INST, arriving in the midst of the
fleet at 6 O'Clock the same evening. The
next day We remained at anchor the whole
day, Witnessing in silence the bombardnent
of the fort by the larger ships.
On the morning Of the 18th inst. We
sent TOO boat loads Of men and marines.
each boat in charge of an officer. as part
OF the assaaltlng party. AT 10 1t. M, VIC
were ordered into action ccasng fire at
dark The brooklyn, Colorado, and the
other Irlgates kept up a successive fire un-
til about O'clock in the evening. which
Int up the whole armament at each fash.
Al III Q clock, having retired to INV room,
| heard cheer, and on going on deck
| found 1t proceeded from one of the ships,
and quite soon a rocket wended its way to-
wards the sky. and Just then signal from
the flag ship Malvern, told Us that the fort
was captured We cEccrcd, sent I'D rock
cts, and burnt red, white and blue signals.
in homer Of the event, while other vessels
apP!aaded IN vari0us WAYS. At the sug-
seston Of one of our officers. we collected
on the hurricane deck, and sang .RallF
round the Flag III the clear evening air
We thpil retired to the Ward Room and
drank to "sweethaar:s and wives" and
/ the successful! termination Of TIE lombard
mpuf.
On the ld:h, several light drausht YES
Scls began the ascent Of the liver, at the
saline lac sending out boats to graphic for
torpcdues.
NaaY officers visited thcf0Yt and relate
the sight there presented, as horrible in thr
eXtrelhc. The ltad lay III heaps ON the
outside as well as inside of tie fort, and N
MI positions, such It's i'll the act of dis
charging naskets, knocked oat of their
hands ~ the piece of she'll causing their
des.h. Some Wrrc knocked backward,
leaving them to die with their heels uhpcr.
most, while Others had the tons of their
heads blown OF. scattering their brains
upon the ground. Announcements were
strewn about The fort III confused heaps,
Among the great guns found in fort, was
a Tine 100 FOUNDER " hitworth gun. mount
cd on mahogany carriage, probably a
present TO the rebels from their English
friends, and marked '.Sir w. G.. Armstrong
& Co., Newcastle the-Tyne, $50 pd'r.
weight l5,737 lbs
Among the curoSitics was a gun or ra,h-
or series of guns combined in one, capable
oil throwing something over la0 bullets at
each discharge. This gun was mounted
on wheels and drawn by two horses which
lay dead ncar by. This gun is vulgarlv
called pepper box
Fort Caswell which commands the
southern entrance, is the cid tort built hy
the United states. aud this stronghold does
not mount so many guns as Fisher. About
| six miles up the river and on the opposite
side from Fisher, stands Fort St. Philip,
which according to good authority, is not
strong but will make some resistance.
The monitors and lrgatcs will return to
Beaufort or Hampton Roads us their work
is finished; tie rest will be left to vessels
of lighter draught.
Thus the last port of entry for supplies
from England through blockade ruiuers,
is surely closed, and the $50 or 200 vessels
now building on the Clyde for that pur-
pose, will have to seek other employment
On the morning of the 18th, visited
the forts and will try and give You gen
eral plan of their situations. They are
built On long sand-spit, formed by the
river which makes into the land at an an
gle Of 80 degrees, with the main coast and
well wooded at a distance of two miles
from the extreme point, where a battery
OF two guns was placed and which were
immediately taken at the landing of the
troops, at distance Of l-2 of a mile, the
fort was begun by building mounds of.4OI
or 30 feet III height, about 30 in number
and having gun mounted between them.
Over these our troops charged in the even
ing until they charged upon the main fart