The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-24
The Nurfolk Cost.
MONDAY, JULY "A, 1866.
AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON
THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
GENERAL BUTLER JUSTIFIED IN NOT AS
SAULTINot FORT FISHER.

L
! In the. Senate of the United States,
January II, 1865, on motion of Mr.. Will
son:
| Resolved, That the Committee ON the
| Conduct of the War be directed to in
quire into the causes of the failure of the
| late expedition against Wilmington,
| North Carolina, and to report the facts
| to the Senate.
The Joint Committee on The Conduct
of the War, inJune 1865, submitted the
| following report
| As early as 1862 the Navy Department
| appears to have been aware of the i'm
portance of closing up the Cape Fear Ri
yer, i'll order to prevent the introduc-
ton of supplies for the rebellion by
means of blockade running. The mill
tary authorities of the Government,
however, did not feel themselves in a
| condition to furnish the necessary land
force for that purpose until the close of
| the Summer of 1864. At that time Gen.
Grant expressed his readiness to furnish
| the requisite number of troops, and gave
| it as his opinion that he could do so by
the first of October.
Vice Admiral Farragut was selected
| by the Navy Department to take charge
of the naval force, but was unable to as
sumo that duty on account of i'll health.
Rear Admiral Porter was then transfer
| red from the command of the Mississippi
| Squadron to the command of the North
| Atlantic BlOckading Squadron, and as
signed to the duty of preparing and
taking charge of the naval force to ope-
rate against the defences of the Cape
Fear river and the town OF Wilmington.
Major General Gilmore was designa-
ted by the War Department. to take COM
mand of the land forces to accompany
the expedition. General Grant objected
to this selection, and selected Major
General Weitzel for that purpose. Sub
sequently General Butler announced his
, intention to accompany the expedition
with General WeitZel, the scene of the
operations being within his department
and the troops being from his command
Although until General Butler express
ed his intention it may not have been
expected that he would accompany the
expedition, no objection was made by
General Grant to his doing so, notwith-
standing he had ample time and power
to have ordered otherwise. 4
Preparations for the expedition We're
carried on with the expectation at first
that it would start by The middle of De-
tober. The original Intention appears to
have been to collect the fleet at Port
Royal, in order to lead the rebels to re-
gard the expedition as one against Char
lesion. But for some reason, which does
not fully appear, that intention was
changed, and the fleet was collected at
Hampton Roads Owing to the infor-
nation obtained by the rebels of the des-
tihation of the expedition, Gen. Grant
determined to delay it until more ia
vorable opportunity presented ITSELF
| Upon hearing that a portion of the rebel
garrison at Wilmington had been sent to
| increase the forces opposed to General
| Sherman in his march across the State
of Georgia, General Grant gave orders
| for the prompt sailing of the expedition.
A powerful fleet was assembled-the
most powerful everknown, atleast upon
this continent-under command of Adj
miral Porter The land force consisted
of $500 infantry, two batteries of artille-
ry, and a few cavalry. On the 18th and
14th of December the expedition started,
Gen. Butler, with the army transports,
proceeded to place 25 miles of New
Inlet. Admiral Porter, with his fleet,
proceeded to Beaufort to complete taking
on his ammunition and supplies, inclu-
ding some powder for a vessel proposed
to be exploded before Fort Fisher, and
.,
which for safety were lowed light
from Fortress Monroe to Beaufort.
While the fleet was at Beaufort taking
on supplies, Gen. Butler, with his trans
ports, was lying off Masonborough Inlet,
during three days of very fine weather,
having reached there during the night
of the 18th of December. By the time
Admiral Porter and his fleet reached the
place of rendezvous, there We're signs of
approaching bad weather, and on the
10th Gen. Butler, with his transports,
proceeded to Beaufort for shelter, and
also to renew his supplies of coal, water
and provisions, which had become neces-
sary. Beaufort was 20 miles distant
from Fort Fisher.
On Friday, the 23d of December, Adj
miral Porter gave orders that the powder
vessel be sent in as near Fort Fisher as
possible, and exploded that night at /
O'Clock Information of what he pro-
posed to do was sent to Gen. Butler, but
did not reach him until Saturday MORN
ing, when he Immediately started for
Fort Fisher, ordering the transports to
follow as rapidly as possible. The pow
der boat was exploded a little before 2
O'Clock on Saturday morning, and the
navy commenced their bombardment
about noon of that day. Admiral Porter
states that he deferred commencing the
bombardment until that time, in the
hope that Gen. Butler would arrive; but |
fin ding he hadnotcome by IL, he opened
upon the fort, and continued firing until
sunset.
Afterth arrival of Gen. Butler, Gen. |
Weitzel and Col. NOW GEM Comstock,
of Gen. Grants staff, were sent to confer |
with the Admiral in relation to opera
tions the next day. At CD a. m. Satur-
day, Gen. Weitzel and Col. Comstock |
arranged with Admiral Porter concern
ing the landing of the troops. Some
2, 900 or 1900 men were landed, and Gen.
Weitzel was ordered to reconnoitre the
fort, ascertain as nearly as possible its
condition, and report as to the practical
bility of assauliing it. Having done so,
he reported that it was not advisable
to attack. His testimony upon that
point is as follows:
Aer that experience in assaulting military works.
with the Information had obtained from reading and
study-for before this was was instructor at the
Military Academy for three years under Professor Mahau
on these subjects-renlember1ng well the remark
of the Lieutenant Gen. commanding that it was his in.
tention should command that expedition, because an
other officer selected by the War Department had once
shown tmidy and In face of the fact that had been
Amounted Major General only twenty DAYS before and
needed confirmation; notwithstanding ali that went
back to Gen. Butler and told him considered would be