New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-01-26

afforded the ,sncsny a new defensive position. ftsm
whence they ha. to be driven. They were seven ID
Iamber aud the night was carried from traverse "a
traverse for seven hours.
x Porter's assau ting column Of sailors and marines
much larger than the whole column that Gen. Batss
sent 10 the assault. 1t acked "a Secretary Stanton
says, "the least difficult a de" Of the fort; yet It wa
as Secretary Stanton says later short conflict
checked and driven back In .sorder." And yet tdsv
were perfectly brave men. So ere the 5000 heroes a
Curtss Pennypaoker's and BellA brigades. who oouh
not unaided. get in the other side; although a
Secretary Stanton says, the sailors and marines per-
formed the very useful part Of dverng the attention
OF the enemy and weakening the resistance 10 their
attack" And were Buffers brave, and so were
their leaders; but the bravest can't do impossible
things; and it was totally impossible thing for But
ler's 200 men to take that fort
XII Had 1t not been for the cooperation OF the feet
in its fire. 1t is reasonably certain that the assault By
Terry would have dsastrousy failed Secretary Stan.
ton has in these few words described the amazing
strength Of the fort: "work unsurpassed. If ever
equaed in strength, and which Gen. Beauregard few
days before pronounced imprsgnable."
The Baltimore american pictures 1t thus:
Fort Fisher is the largest and most formidable
earthwork of the 1t embraces not less than fifteen
Of land and its erection has been work Of great
labor its height being not less than thirty feet Your
readers may form some idea OF its dimensions when
you that 1t is at least six times the size OF Fort
Federal HILL while 1t has dozen or more smaller bat
teries extending along the coast south OF 1t TO tho
Mound distance Of nearly mile. This mound. which
has two classmates In It, with heavy guns Is said ~ Do
fifty feet high. Instead Of being cartlwork with
embrasures the fort consists Of series VI moundka
bomb proofs seventeen OF which half face the sea ap
proach to the work. between each OF which gun 10
mounted. 1t is situated that these guns command
not only the sea- but be used well 10 resist land
approach along the beach. Each OF these hiliocks.
which are about thirty feet high is nbproof into
which the men who work the guns can escape az
will"
XII If the disposition to cooperate with Butler had
existed in the feet 1t could not have peisisteniy CO.
operated with his assault If he had peisisteny made
one-for, when Butler was about to TO the attack
Capt. Breeze of the navy Admiral PorterS Chef Of
STAFF, informed Gen. Wetzel and Col Comstock that
tho fleet had but one hours supply OF ammuntion ieft
KILL Bearing in mind the formidable strength OF tho
rorbearing in mind that Terrs attack had tie benens
Of all the experience derived from the failure OF Buffers
bearing in mind the want Of cooperation between the
feet and Buffers army-bearing in mind the immense
difference in the numbers used In the different assaults
especially bearing in mind that tie fire OF the iees
swept the way clean for the advance OF Ters soldiers
flom traverse TO trayerse-there is not o candid man
in America who will not say that Gen Baters with
drawa from his assault on Fort Fisher WIS an act OF
solderly duty as honorable to him as under dherens
circumstances. was Gen. Terrys persistence In tns
second assault an act OF solu,v.., u"'''
him and honorable to the brave men lie commanded.