The New York herald., 1865-01-04
WHINING ON
Rebel Accounts Of the
Il X Operations.
the Terrible Storm Through Which
Porterss Fleet Kept Its Posi-
.S ton on Wilmington.
The Rebels Anxious to Know Where tho
lss Flset Has Conc. s
taNfa saS .& a lila
HtFs#.N# fT
Four BlOckaders Rum Into VIII
h, 4 mingtOn,
+ ~ - -
gcorsspondsaes q y. RieAnond Dipsssh, pse sel

" Ccrsspondsnes Of che RcAnond Dispssch, Dec. SOL
-.--- uAxxuo rKD wuMx0roN pRyrNDRRs 10 ARMR
sunday night rumors Of an impending attack upon
Altsis sxcemsnt The alarm bell was rung and the ci.
ens called % ars but no one could tell from what point
shs Danger was appehended At last the reports began
tocoms n, and we learned neet OF sixty sail had left
FORTRESS Monroe for the avowed purpose Of making an
ok upon tho forts and the defences at the mouth of
force Of twenty thousand men, under Butler had landed
somewhere in the Roanoke or Neuse river and was pre-
pairing % march upon this city by land The best infor
nation from scouts and also from Richmond seemed TO
eonfarm these reporta StE $780,
Monday morning, at early hour the feet came or
Fort Fsher-New Inlet-and In short time thirty
sols OF all casses, in sight Among them the Wa
bash and Colorado were recognized Throughout the
day great activity noticeable the square rigged
sells being busy In lowering their topsa yards housing
spars and clearing away for action; and it expected
they would engage the forts a. high tide The day
by however, without any their part beyond
she preparations mentioned nor was anything farther
heard from the land force higher up the coast
STORM THROUGH WHICH roRTER LIVED.
During the night a gale arose outside, blowing on
Shore ard this morning it terrific Such storm has not
been felt here for years Nothing favorable
could have occurred and seemed II the special hand
Of IN overruling Providence was in II. When
went out the wind blew fearfuy. Houses swayed to
and o loosened shingles sailed through the air and the
binding dust few in dense Clouds filing mouth eyes and
e ess ' bent and GosSsd While te leaves ew IN
drifts and the dead limbs fell to the ground. Many
n me tows wefe IN tne river sne slgns
marine pictures Of Turner the sketches in the habors
OF 0stend and Bouogne by the French artists of the
Same school The waves high and drifted rapidly in
The ferry boats were nearly swamped and all the vessels
an the harbor had to be securely fastened TO- the
a gale at sea The smaller steamers cam , had to
81 up steam in case they brooke loose from
ths' d. xasss 'S .Sp s s ing .a.Bo sP A1
pad 70 be bound, head and stern, 70 the shore.
From six e eight the wind increased Eight, nine,
zen Il continued TO blow fearfuly, threatening to
unroof the houses and uproot the trees In addi-
fon 70 the dust and small particles Of sand that struck
0ocusnt cotton whirng in fantastic circles like pallen
q thistle down upon summer brccze Large crowds
tho singular sghts while the dandies twirled their mus
sacss n store doors, keeping an eye out for neatly turn
S 81 1'w ns % r. sex & aarsa rec the the
wind, but, making no progress for half hour finally
plunged into the river Abevy Of school grs tried 70
fore the wind TO place Of safety Eleven O'Clock the
barometer sinks; twelve and the grows heavy while
even IL mdwsnser was hoard low musseinS thundsr
like the roA Of distant artillery.
OF COURSE WITH such gale within the precincts Of
town with forests around and background OF hills upon
IN unbrcken stretch Of must have been more
ably felt Within the ground swell II almost i'm
possible for vessel 70 lay and one BY one the Yankees
ran out 70 under easy sspm with everything tau
Of them remain In sight this evening What could have
occurred TO favorable than thiss For days and
s1sr and hsrOor almost as placid ss lake Now At the
very moment tho enemy IL preparing 70 attack us, .
fearful arises and scattcrs their armada Knocking
up such sea Il II impossible for troops TO land TO
work the guns against wortA This delay gives
esms @ bring sp troops and eompssts ne prega,
Interpolation Of Providcncc--as much 50 as when
shc waters Of the Red Sea receded miles and
M miles 20 permit the passage of tho Jewish host and
era with this material aid from on high, if proper
Preparations for defence are not made the place deserves
DzyzHcEs or wnnMoroH
And about its defence. In previous letter have
they seemed 10 bs admirably situated and strong enough
20 resist any assault made upon them from tho I'm
ceedngly dcut even when there is no opposition or
obstruction; and II can DO easily inferred then that
|isa score or two Of guns bearing upon the narrow
shore, enemy would find "a hard road to travel"
As for the attack by sea- all Is ready the guns
remarked an old tar, 1--WE are just waiting to
send few Of them to the devil" (Davy's
done from the sea alone, and that while the feet
engages the fort will b. merely to up the ope-
ssons Of force previously landed at wrightsvllle Ma
dence and SO have the people here All he wants is
men, and thoseought To be sent at once hurried on with
tho greatest possible speed for without thom the town
certainly falls Already hear troops the road
God grant they may arrive in time
IMPORTANCE OF WILMINGTON
In my opinion the loss Of Wilmington would be the
greatest loss the confcderacy has sustained since the fall
Of New Orleans do not care TO give my reasons al
Tended above all other towns only those who have
fully; but should the town fall into the hands of tho
enemy the soldiers of armies would feel Its oss and
would then know why IL should have been protected .,
All day long the storm has ragged furiously Wind
southwest and blowing heavily -
Tho Repulse at Fort Fisher Unexpected
to the Rebels.
From the Richmond Dispatch, Dec 8ol
Flgfh kaf MAZDA fxnx.
con announcing that the federal feet carrying the army
sf Butler had drawn on from the mouth of the Cape
Fear rvcr and disappeared An ocal despatch to the
same effect received the War once yesterday
Nothing v said-nohing perhaps 10 known-of the
q s,rso'Sn &c ION TAKEN s cy snem the general s,s%s
upon Charleston. Although doubtless, Sherman win
require all the aid no obtain when he undertakes the
attack upon Charleston, yet think II quite likely
che Porter-Buter armada has gone In search OF some
quiet port, wherein TO reft and repair damages; for
s was %s Roughly Ss Wind. S S
waves then, by the heroic little garrison OF Fort Fisher;
end then again By the still angry winds and waves We
have yet 70 lcarn how much IL damaged by the ee
We know how 4 Jared as the hands of he garrison Of
Fort Fisher but the repusc Of this grandest Of land and
pav.l expeditions speedy and complete that on
its rs announcement we could not altogether credit IT,
Se bsacn on and Discontinued BY garrison Of few hun
dred men, sgood part Of whom were militia that
were inclined TO doubt whether any serious attack had
been made; whether the whole demonstration were not
reconnaissance feint preliminary 70 the grand
mcnt against the real objective point But with all the
facts before u.s. are convinced only that Whining
son was the object against which the expedition
sent out but awakened 10 the tremendous character
o. inc assaults which sustained and repeed by the
tnin garrison OF fortR The whole powerful feet
having shecd tho devoted fort for fourteen hours knock
ing every house in about the heads Of the garrison, Ave
brgldes, numbering from ten twelve thousand men,
asAauoa furiously and repeatedly the land side Mt
might Inc enemys calculation that the orttude of
our troops poing shaken by the awful bombarmcnt they
world cer TITLE resistance The infantry attack but 10
this they were rlshaly undcceivcd Our men stood
prnvely 10 their guns and cut IN their agtaan,s in
every renewed attack as to cause them retreat pro-
cipteiy 70 tuer thii@ me country n debt Of
gratitude 70 General iegg who planned the defence Of
Wilmington, ami 10 the troops, TO whose unnincbne
sourrage u to-day owes It's eafcty IN
Supposed Fertilization OF the yourse
Nation mt Butlcr's Failure.
i M Tirlr Cant nor