Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-02
Further Exchange Of Prisoners.
THE WILMINGTON EXPEDITION.

The Norfolk New Regime on the 2gth ult.
, whose editor accompanied the expedition
against Fort Fisher, attributes the failure OF
the attack to a lack VI cooperation and the
premature explosion OF the torpedo IL time
when, IS he says, .sthe naval fleet was ii or 20
miles away, and the army fleet riding out the
STERN In Beaufort harOor. 1t further says Ad-
rairal Porter did NOT commence the lombard
r1ent till twelve hours after the explosion
speaking Of General Weitzell's reconnaissance
afrer Admiral Porter had expressed TO Gen
Butler the opinion that there was no rebels
within five miles OF the fort 1t states:
"He (Weitzel) found the contrary TO be the
case, and that there was a good deal TO do be-
sides throwing troops into what was supposed
10 be an empty fort. He discovered, fr9m the
Z prisoners he had taken, that there were eight
hundred men in the work; that instead OF
thirty-six guns, there were nearer sixty: that
the men inside were snuglv lying III their
classmates, and patiently watching the fast de-
scenaing missiles Of the fleet. He learned, too,
that on Tuesday OF last week Hoke's division
had set out from Richmond, and that one bri-
gade of il was then encamped within mile Of
the garrison. tortifying this story of the pris-
oners, came an attack behind him, upon the
troops which were landing. The BROOKLYN
defended the disembarking warriors IN a man
ner worthy Of all praise; still it was necessary
for the soldiers TO do something for themselves.
They pushed into the woods, and the ''bush-
whackers ~ or whatever they were, for q time
disappeared. Things looked a little stormy
just then. Our men were in the situation OF
soldiers striving to take Fortress Monroe, with
the sea behind Them, and six thousand men OF
all arms on their flank, with a regiment OF
South Carolina cavalry at M Masonboro'.
General Butler moved do wn in the direction
Of the fort, and consulted with Wetzei. That
gallant officer. though The prize was tempting
and if he had succeeded in capturing the fort
his glory would re large-at once decided that
the woIk could rot, in view OF surrounding
circumstances. be carried by assault. Colsnel
Comstock, l believe. concurred in this. rhe
wind had, by this time changed, and, after
short consultation, 1t 9as decided to re.emb6rk
the troops.
The writer says there was general want OF
cooperation between the land and naval forces,
and uncertainty Of Information, ana concludes
with the following description OF Fort Fisher,
which he states was uniDjured by the bonn
baTdment:
Fort Fisher, from all / saw and heard, is a
square bastiened field work, with fronts OF
about two hundred and fifty yards Ia length,
and with strong relief, ditch, and giacis on
running from the counterscarp of the north
front TO the waters edge. The only front of
which i had accurate observation and report
Is the north front, and on this there is an ele-
waited bastion next to the sea, and along the
curtain fanks and faces were counted seven.
teen guns, with a traverse rising apparently
six feet above the parapet bet Teen each pair
of guns.
These traverses are so large that they are
belle yed 10 be bomb-proofs. The point is sit
uated on the point OF land between the sea and
Cape Fear riyel, where the point has q width
of about $40 yards, and about 100 yards from.
the ocean beach, the ground Immediately
around Tie WORK being We'll seen. A rebel
pioneer states that the work is entered by G.
bridge about 30 feet long, over ditch from 8
TO 10 feet in depth. tits belle we'd, from tfhs re-
ports of naval officers and wbe.. 50 ~ thst on
the sea frcnt ali OF the gIns are casematei j
believe the wo-k to be fully garrisoDsd as
they had three regimeEts of Kirlands brigade
Hoke's division, IN reserve, abo We Sugar Loaf
HILL.
The proper method of defense of this work.
subjected as 1t has been to q heavy she'll fire,
would be to put all the nien into the bomb
proofs, excepting Few as lookouts and sea-
tnels, and keep them there until the very
moment Of assault This method seems to
have been the one adopted, Is the fire on our
skirmishers, as long as the naval fire contin-
ued, was very slight. The moment that ceased,
the musketry fire became very heavy, and was
accompanied by grape, canister and shell.
~ The rebel Legislature OF Virginia has
voted 2i0 q day to ITS members and &i5,0O0 q
wear to the Governor Of the State. The LIE.
SisIature adjourned from December q to Jan.
uary 4th.
a9-Frank Pitman, chap of various aliases
W no came the confidence game over the WASH
In gton printers about q year ago, has been up
the Hudson river victimiZing the Newburgh.
ers.
nyTbree men have been arrested In Balti.
N ore for frsudnlently obtaining fare tickets of
the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore
Railroad, and disposing Of them for less spm
han the regular price.