The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-01-27
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Portland Daily Press.
OFFICIAL FROM ADMIRAL PORTER
Rebel Forts Destroyed.
BLOCKADE RUNNERS TRAPPED

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.
r. The Navy Department to day, received the
! following report from Admiral Porter:
y y NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON,
Flagship Malvern, off Smithville. N. G.
January 20.
| Dear Slr:-In my last informed you tnat
Fort Caswell had been blown up and evacua-
ted in consequence of the fall of Fort Fisher.
l sent Lieut.. w. B, Cushing, armed in the
Monticello to western bar to ascertain what
had taken place, and to take advantage of the
occasion. Lieut.. Gushing did not obtain all
the aid he required, for what reason / have rot
yet learned, but with his usual energy pushed
on in his boats, and found that Fort Caswell
had been blown up, Bald Head fort DESTROYED,
Fort Shaw also, and Fort Campbell, to west.
ward o: Fort Caswell, had been evacuated
All these forts mounted nine and ten inch
guns and Armstrong, $50 Founders. Lieut..
Gushing then pushed into Smithville, after
hosting the Union flag over Fort Gas WE'LL
He says: /" The next thing saw was a flag
waving over Smithvillc, which the rebels had
left in great hurry after they saw our
floats approaching, leaving everything in
beautiful order, and the fort uninjured, and
TWO nine inch guns only were spiked in the
fort at Deep Water Point.p = &c
Porter says: SIN the meantime l had sue.
ceeded in getting one gunboat, the Tacony,
over the rip and interior bar, and sent her up
to disable the guns at that place, about three
miles on the west side of the river above Fort
Fisher. Thus in twenty-fLur hours after the
fall OF Fort Fisher, all the formidable chain oil
forts ia this river at its entrance have fallen
into our hands. They are garrisoned now
with sailors. / can scarcely give description
OF these works. They are certainly the mos.
ormidable and best built earthworks / ever
saw, and do credit to the engineer who plan
ned them. One would suppose that the whole
Southern Confederacy had been throwing up
mud and sand, and Gen. Whitney certainly
had an abiding faith in the durability of th,
Coniederacy, as he shows his opinion by hi
works, which have been four years building
and were taken in as many days. Fort Gas
well Is of the same shape as before it feel into
the rebels hands, except thatithe rebels have
covered its walls with earth on the outside
and made them almost impervious to shot and
shell. 1t is in many respects stronger than
Fort Fisher, and harder to take by assault
Still it could be taken, and the rebels knew it.
Three or four gunboats in the river would
have soon started them out.
have had great deal of difficulty in get,
ting the gunboats over the bar, and only sue
ceeded this morning in getting the last one
over. The rebels left plenty OF good stores
aad provisions, and our men are now subsist
ing on them. 's.sos eat
send you list of the forts fallen into our
hands since Fort Fisher fell, with the number
and calher OF their guns. We have found
here in each fort an Armstrong marked in full
on the tunnels. As the British government
claims the exclusive right to use these guns.
it would be interesting to know how they
came into forts held by rebels. li'' ="
find that immense quantities of provisions,
stores and clothing have come through this
int
ton the amount, but it is enough to supply
over 10000 men. 1t is all English and they
have received their last cargo. No more will
ever come this way. We picked up telegram
from Lee to his subordinate here, saving II
Forts Fisher and Caswell were not held he
would have to evacuate Richmond. He says
most truly and should not be at allsurprised,
( If he left at any moment We have plenty OF
force to hold this place against the Southern
the narrow strip Of land where our
troops are heavily entrenched. There are
vessels in the river and outside and we only
hope they will attempt to retakei it. one
thousand men in Fort Fisher with the guns OF
the squadron, would hold this place long
time. We find this place better to catch
blockade runners than outside. had block
ade runners lights Lit last night and was oblig
ing enough to answer their signals; whether
right or wrong we know not. Two of them.
the Stag and Charlotte, from Bermuda, loaded
with some blankets, shoes, &C., came in and
quietly anchored near the Malvern and were
taken possession Of The Stag belongs to the
rebel government. A number more are ex-
pected, and we will, hope, catch portion Of
them. entrusted this duty to Lieut.. Cush-
ing. who performed It with usual good luck
and intelligence. These two are very fast
vessels and valuable prizes. They threw q
portion Of their papers overheard Immediately
on finding they were trapped. The number
Of guns taken altogether is 16S, The Char
lotte brings five English passengers, one an
English officer. They all came over as they
expressed it, on clark" The Stag received
three shots in her as she ran by our blockaders
outside. A-i4 .aioss aAs niaea sW sa
81 (Signed) sss1o aalss ID. PORTER, ~.
Rear Admiral.