The Shasta courier., 1865-01-21

employed in filling ships with ammunition
aud coal. The difficulties we have encoun.
tered no one can conceive. All our work had
to be done with the larger vessels anchored
on the coast. exposed syou may almost say
| at seal to violent gales that blow here almost
incessantly. In these gales the enemy de
pended to break up our preparations. We
will soon have gone through the worst of it.
| have held on through gales heavy enough
to drive everything to sea, and have sustained
no damage whatever. After the troops ar
rived the gale was very heavy. As soon as
| it was over got under way on the 18th, and
| forming the vessels in their lines, with
transports in company, started for Fort
Fisher. On the morning of the 18th the feet
took its station in three lines close to the
beach. Boats were sent at once to take off
the troops, and these were landed, with about
twelve days rations, at about P. N. This
time pursued different plan in attacking
the rebel works. l sent in the New Iron
sides, commanded by Radford, leading the
monitors Saugus, Canonicus, Monadnoc and
Mahepec. At 7:30 the forts opened on them
as they approached, but they quietly took up
their old positions within 1000 yards of Fort
Fisher. When ready they opened their bat
teries. In this way tempted the enemy to
what guns they had, and seeing where we
would be able to dismount them by our fire.
Quite spirited engagement went on between
the forts and Ironsides and monitors. 1t was
soon apparent that the iron vessels had the
| best of it, The traverses began to disappear
| and the southern angle of Fisher commenced
| looking very much dilapidated. The guns
were silenced one after another. Only one
| heavy gun in the southern angle kept up its
firing. The fire of this gun was not at all
accurate, as it inflicted no damage on the
iron vessels. They were hit several times.
By my letting the enemy know we had some
shells left on the wooden ships, and did not
intend to take any unfair advantage of him
by using iron vessels alone, | ordered line
No. l, on the plan led by Captain Alden, of
the Brooklyn. and line No. 2, led by Com.
Thatcher, of the Colorado, to attack the Bat.
/ teries. This was done in the handsomest
manner. Not mistake was made EXCEPT
| firing too rapidly and making too much
| smoke. The heavy fire of the large vessels
| shut up the enemy's guns at once. After
1 firing till after dark the wooden vessels
| dropped out to their anchorage. The Iron
sides and monitors maintained their posi-
tions through the night, firing shell occasion
| ally. They are now lying within 1000 yards
of the fort. The monitors are within 700
| yards Of the fort. 1t does not fire gun l
see no reason to doubt our success. The
forts will be used up soon. We have a
| respectable force landed on a strip of land
which our naval guns completely command,
and place for defense which would enable
us to hold on against very large army.
Signed PORTER
Washington, 11th.-The Richmond Wing
of this morning contains the following:
| The unwelcome news of the fall of Fort
Fisher, commanding the entrance to Cape
Fear river, was made known this A. NJ, and
occasioned sensation of profound regret.
The capture of the fort is equal to the closing
of the harbor of Wilmington by the enemy s
fleet. 1t is situated about eighteen miles
below the city, but was the main defense of
the entrance to the river. l5s fall will pre-
vent in future the arrival and departure of
| blockade runners. How far this reverse may
| prsve injurious to our Gauss remains to be
seen. At present we regard it as rather an
unfortunate than a disastrous event
Headquarters, 16th.-To SEDDoN Bragg
reports that enemy bombarded Fort Fisher
furiously all day yesterday. At o'clock
P. NJ. their infantry advanced to the assault.
while heavy demonstration at that hour
was being made against their rear by our
troops. At half past 6, p. NJ. Whiting repor-
ted their attack had failed and the garrison
was being strengthened with fresh troops.
At about 10 o'clock P. NJ. the fort was cap.
tured with most of the garrison. No further
particulars are at this time known
(Signed,) LEE.
No dispatches have been received from
General Terry since that of Sunday annuen.
cling the result of the assault.
(Signed,) DANA,
Asst. Sec War.
New York, 17th.-The Commercial saws
editorially chat Grant and Sherman were
both moving simultaneously with the attack
on Fisher, and predicts more news of a fa-
vorable character during the week Letters
from the armies before Richmond contain
no news.
The Tribune's London letter says steam
ers were recently launched on the Clyde for
blockade running between Wilmington and
Nassau, and others were being built.
A Beaufort, S. c., letter gives an account
of the landing of the Il tn corps of Sherman's s
army. 1t brought all its transportation and
stores, and was evidently preparing for a
movement The men were quite ragged, but
were to be reclothed Immediately.
The Augusta Chronicle says Mobile is
StTOHSly lOTtlucu, SOo,OoO,oOO nave Uteu ca
pended to make it impregnable.
New York. 17th.-The Commercial special
says many Congressman regard the finance
bill with apprehension, fearing to entrust the
Secretary of Treasury with power to initiate
| the currency at his discretion.
Washington, l7th.-The army bill repor.
ted from the Committee of Ways and Means
| appropriates S5ll, ,2S0, 900. The appropria.
tion made last year for the army amounted
to $500, 100000.
New York. 1Sth.-Rear Admiral S. P. Lee
informs the Navy Department that a resolu-
ton will soon be introduced in the Alabama
Legislature recommending a return of the
State to the Union.
Buffers testimony before the Committee
on the Conduct of the War lifts the veil which
has closely covered many of the disasters and
blunders in front of Petersburg. His testi.
| mony produced a profound impression, and
summonses were issued for Grant and other
high officials.
Mammoth Quartz Mining Company,