Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-09-01
From the A.i@rtic Monthly.
THE CAPTURE OF FORT
FISHER.
FIRST EXPEDITION.

The grand naval attack which had becn
preceded by the attempted explosion Of
| the powder boat was made on the follow
| ing day.
Admiral Porter says: eat daylight on
the oath the fleet got under way and stood
in, in line Of battle. At IL 30 a. N. the
signal was made to engage the forts, the
Ironsides leading. and the Monadnock,
Canonicus, and Mahopac following. The
Ironsides took her position in the most
beautiful and eeamanlike manner, got her
spring out, aud opened deliberate fire on
the fort, which was firing at her With all
its guns. which did not seem numerous III
the northea-t face, though we counted
what appeared to be seventeen guns but
four or five Of these were fired from that
direction, and they were silenced almost
as soon as the Ironsides opened her terri
fic battery. The Minnesota then took her
position in handsome style, and her guns,
after getting the range, were fired with
rapidIty, while the MOhican, Colorado,
and the large vessels marked on the plan.
got to their stations. all firing to cover
| themselves while anchOring. By the last
of the large vessels anchored and got their
batteries into play, but one or two guns
| of the enemy were fired, this fen d'enfer
driving them all to their bomb proofs. -.
tde battle became general ;. such a tor
rent of missiles were falling i2tG and
bursting over it the fGICl that it was i'm
possible for any human being to stand
it. But when they all got into place and
commenced work in earnest, the shower
of she'll Zone hundred and fifteen per min
ute) was irresistible. ..... Our men were
at work at the guns five hours, and glad to
get little rest" (See pages 123, 124,
and 125, Report of the Committee on the
Conduct of the War; The fire Of the navy
on this attack was as rapid as on any of
the following days. The navy must have
fired away about half of its ammunition on
this day, because, at the end of the bonn
bardment on the 25Gh, Captain Breese told
General Weitzel that the navy had not
sufficient ammunition to continue In case
the army would elect to remain on shore.
Admiral Porter says in his report OF the
bombardment of the 25th December, " As
the ammunition gave out the vet sells retir-
ed from action" And in a letter to Gen
eral Butler dated the Goth of December,
1864 : 4 have ordered the largest vessels
to proceed off Beaufort and til up with
ammunition, to be ready for another at
tack" It is apparent that the ammuui-
ton used on the Oath of December con-
tributed little to the obJectS Of the eX-
pedtition. The War and n Wy Depart
ments had determined that q combined
attack Of the two branches of the service
| The Secretary of the navy thought THAT il
was not wise TO even attempt the capture
of the fort without CO operating force OF
the army. IT does not appear from whence
| Admiral Porter had received instructions
to make the purely naval attack on the
Oath. Suppose Gen. Butler had retnrned
| to Fortress Monroe without making GIL
effort in the direction Of the object Of the
expedition, would it not have been tho
| dntv of Admiral Porter to postpone his
attack until he had the necessary cO-Opera-
ting array forco near the scene Of opera
tions and ready to land What would
| the country have said If Gen. Butler, Whlio
| lyiEg off Fort Fisher waiting for the navy,
during the first days of beautiful weather
termined TO take advantage OF it and
attack ?~ The navy had no moro
right to. attack without the army, than
the army would have had to attack without
the navy. Still, the Admiral says that he
determined to attack. 1t is very true that
he states in his letter to Secretary Wells,
dated January Il, 1865, lin converse
ton with General Grant l expressly told
him that wanted nothing to do with
General Butler Notwithstanding this
| admission, it would be o very serious
charge to make against the Admiral that
he did not wish General Butler present
when he made his attempt TO take the
stronghold. General Butler, on the Other
hand, seemed to have taken great precau-
ton that the entente COrCtt0ls Shou be
maintained between the army and navy
Admiral Porter, although the junior Off
J Ger, sent his feet captain to confer with
General Butler instead Of going himself,
while the General twice called upon the
Admiral at Fortress Monroe on business
, connected with the expedition. How
ever, after the navy was once ready to
commence, there seemed to be de Ire
= t. push ali 9ad, regardless Of the army
:. The commanding officer OF the navy
+ seemed to say, 'FHere L am off Fort Fish.
er. all prepared to attack, and determined
= to go on l am going to take this fort my
7 self if the army wants to participate IL
g the glory that will attend the achievement
- it must hurry up, or it will ba TOO late, /
d the fort succumbs to the fire of my navy
t [ will send handful Il my marines ashore
- and receive its surrendrr." The Cthcer
e and men on board the Baltic, which yes
q sci had remained at sea, crowded he
- decks III wonderment, gazing at the terrific
:, fire on the fort, and asking themselVe
= what advantages was to be gained by 1t
t while the troops which had been deemed
+ necessary to take the fOrlifcatiOn were 81
It many miles away. During the bomb ard
r ment the fors replied at long Intervals II
n a sullen and determined manner. Their
. was no perceplDle cuanSe I'D CAe appear
y ance of the fort, for it proved, on it's cap
ture that the heavy shots had struck II
: its sides and buried themselves IL th
i sand, which had fallen back to it's plac
# and reflled the breach s made by the pro
o iectiles. On Saturday morning, the 24t
- of December, General Butler was first IL
% formed at Beaufort. II. c., that the pow
ls der boat had been exploded on the pre-
= vious night at about quarter before tw
l. o'clock. After ordering MS Transports
t. follow him, he started for and arrived O
d New Inlet between four and five z. H., /
2 time to see the end of the first day s-bom
IS bardment. \ staff officer was seat o
board to confer with Admiral Porter, bu
he returned word that he was too muc
fatigued to give them audience, but woul
receive General Weitzel and Col Com
a stock early in tho morning. At half .pa
~ ~ six O'Clock, Sunday morning. Gener'
IIo Weitzel repaired on board the Malvern
. with instructions from General Better I
n urge the Admiral to run bY~the fOrC int