Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-08-25

be able to present the fort to you as q
Christmas present"
AS soon as darkness closed in en- the
9Th day of December, 1864, General
Ames, with the picked men of his division
moved out from their position on the New
Market Road, followed by General Paine's
division of colored troops and Captain r.
Il. Lees Battery of Independent Artillery.
Through rain-storm this column pressed
on across the pontoon bridge at Deep Bot
tom, aud reached the signal tower on the
Appomattox before day break. Here camp
tires were lighted. The probable object OF
this was to lead the enemy to believe that
we we've moving troops to the left on the
Weldon Railroad. Early Thursday morning
;he line of march was again taken up for
Eermuda Hundreds, where the troops were
embarked on transports. On account of
the draught Of these transports, many of
Them were obliged to anchor in the river
6oring The night and it was Saturday be-
fore all the vessels had arrived in Ramp-
ton Roads The following composed the
army branch of the expedition MAJOR
General Benjamin T. Butler and staff,
Lieutenant Colonel G. 3. Comstock. of
General Grants staff, Mejor-GeneTal God
frey Weizel and staff (although General
Butler accom- panied the expedition as
Commanding General, still General Wet
troops, % Division Of 24th Army Corps
under the command CT Brigadier General
Adelbort Aulos, 81 Division of Goth Army
t,orY1s under the command Of Brigadier-
General Charles j. Paine, and Captain L.
T. Lee Battery OF Independent Artillery.
These troops, taken together, amounted to
about SIX thousand five hundred men
Generals Batter and Weitzel and Iieuten-
mt Colonel ComstOck made their head
. 4 u 1 4 =
t,al AmCs on the Baltic, and General
Paine o. tae Livingston. The naval force
consisted Of thlrty-s9Ven vessels, tive OF
which Tero iron clad, aud a reserved force
OF nineteen vessels.
Ga Saturday, the 10Th of ID. amber,
General Butler telegraphed TO General
Grant that he was at Forces Monroe,
ready T. sail and waiting for the navy
Ge1erai Grant replied TO this
III you do not got off Immediately you
VIII lose the chance of surprising a weak
garrison" The idea Of the Lieutenant
(ianora, aae nled to be that the success of
,h3 expedition depended on the celebrity of
lis moVeIatn ats ID order to make surprise.
In this he was 20 be disappointed, for de-
las after delay occurred.
On the Il IA of December Admiral Pur-
ter wrote General Butler that ''the rest of
the fleet would leave here in three hours
and proceed to the rendezvous, twenty
five miles east of Cape Fear River" On
account Of the delay the expedition had
hecome comm On talk at Fortress Monroe
and Norfolk.
General Butler being assured at last that
that the navy was in readiness to sail, and
that several vessels had in fact already
suiied, and knowing that portion Of the
country between the Potomac and the
Esppahnrcck Rivers was infested with
spies and scouts, III order to deceive tie
enemy ordered his whole fleet to get
ready and proceed up the Potomac a. far
as Matthias Point No doubt many q
courier fed to announce the presence of
the armada, and then the strategcai Oh
iect was accompiis hed. As soon as it was
dark the bows were turned down the river,
and the morning of the 18th of December
fJuud the fleet lying of CherrystOne Point.
The navy had already sailed, and must
have had some twenty four hours START
!, lmiral Porter has since claimed that he
did not sail first. II is very probable the
Admiral thought that, when the army
sailed up the bay they had gone directly
to sea.
About four o'clock in the afternoon of
the 18th tbs Major General commanding
arrived on the Ben Deford and directed
the fleet &c Immediately weigh anchor and
sail for The point OF it's destination. This
wO8 sight loug to be remembered. Few
army officers had ever seen such a magni-
hcent display. The decks of the vessels
were crowded to witness this small army
adoat Many an anxious inquiry was
made as to its destination, for, up to
this time, no one appeared to know, al
though Wilmington seemed to be the point
selected by the staff and other of;c 9rs who
had coed opportunities of forming ajudg
ment. After giving these orders, General
Butler sailed On i advance of the trans
lJrt fleet. Soon after starting, General
AmCs, Wishing fer further Instructors IN
relation 10 the sailing ard rende zvouzing OF
the fleet now temporarily under his COM
mand, despa cAed staff officer in the
Winaus, North River tug boat, to COM
intricate with General Butter upon this
subIec THIS officer overlook the Ben
Defcrl twenty-five miles south of Cape
Lookout, in the aft arnoon Of the ne 1t day.
He then stood off to meet the fleet aud
wss taken on board the Baltic about four
o'clock. The transport fleet was collected
late in the night of the 18th, twenty-five
miles due east of MasonbOro Inlet. Here
the army awaited the coming OF the havy.
which did not arrive until the afternoon
IF the 18th.
During the whole OF the 10th we were
drifting at sen. The ocean was smooth,
and we were experiencing the finest posi-
bic weather. General Butler stood in to.
ward the blockading fleet, the transport
H5et remaining at Masonboro' Inlet. The
seq was SO calm that he lowered his gig
and took @ row for pleasure. This wealth.
er continued up to the night of the 18th OF
December. During thess days OF delay
every soldier who could procure hook and
line turned fisherman for the nonce.-
Blacklist were canght In large numbers.
On the 18th Of December General Ames
started in the Winans to report to General
Butler, who was found with the blockading
fleet off Federal Point. Here, together
with General Weitzel and Colonel Com
stock, on this little vessel, he reconnol-
tired Fort Fisher under fire. The informa-
ton gained was of an important charac-
ter.
On the afternoon of the 18Th Rear Ad-
mlral Porter with his navy arrived off New
Inlet He determined to commence OPP
erations Immediately. AT this time
the mysterious torpedo made its
first appearance. There had been
many 1umors afoat regarding it. Now it