The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-01-17

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n v.
| by Major General
Alfred Fl. Terry and numbered 5000
men. Terry's orders were sealed and
were to be opened when he was out at
sea. His destination was not known to
any one in the army or navy, except
those who had to know it. Terry him
self was ignorant OF it until he broke
the seals of his instructions out at sea.
In these instructions he was told to COM
municate freely with Admiral D. D.
Porter and seek to have entire harmony
between the army and navy in the ex-
pedition. .s
Porter had a total of 48 vessels, which
be formed in three lines, with reserve.
During the night they anchored off Fort
Fisher, and on the morning Of the 18th
the new lronsides ran up to within l, 600
yards. Some Of the ironclads reached as
near as 700 yards and got into position
under heavy fire. The landing of Ter
ry's men was covered by several vessels
not engaged in the bombardmant. The
troops went ashore on the sea beach
about five miles above the fort and be-
tween it and the intrenched camps of
Bragg's army Of Wilmington. By 2
O'Clock p. m. the troops and stores were
safely landed, and General Paine's COL
ored division pushed forward to Cape
NJ uo 10 sid - fI1o
sula Here line Of defenses was begun
in order to repel any advance Of the
Confederates from Wilmington. 1t was
seen that the fire from the navy was do
ing much damage, and an assault was
determined upon for the forenoon Of tt !
18th. Terry was to send in three brA-
gades, in oolumns Of q brigade front, to
storm the land side, while 2, 900 sailors
and marines should assail the works on
the seaside.
The Confederate garrison Of the fort
numbered l, 500 men. General Whiting
had entered the fort from Wilmington
on the 18th, after the Union armada
and troops appeared, and had told the
commandant, Colonel Lamb, that he and
his command were to be left to their
fate, for General Bragg was looking for
a position to which to retreat.
The preparations for assault were dis
covered in the fort, and an attempt was
made to confuse the columns by firing
grape, but the storms Of shot that swept
the works from navy guns cut down the
Confederates' cannoneers at an appall-
3r,rp 70 hot +Lo
danger could only be averted by hand
to hand struggles on the walls. At 8
O'Clock promptly the signal was given
by the noise of more than 80 steam
whistles Of the Union fleet, and the land
column sprang forward to the charge.
General Curtis brigade had the lead
and pushed forward to the northwest
bastion, near the river. The Confeder-
ates were seen to man the parapets the
moment the naval fire ceased, which
was done to allow the Union troops to
move up. Colonel Lamb judged by the
soul stirring whistles that the hour had
COME and he desired to receive the as
sailants on his torpedoes as soon as they
reached the walls. Leaving instructions
front, he went to the angle Of the works
where the naval column had been sight
ed, fearing that that was the vital point.
The sailors had landed successfully and
halted beyond rifle range under cover Of
the sand hills that formed the surface of
the beach. The men were in one long
line and made formidable show, de-
oeiving the enemy into the belief that
this was the main assault and dividing
his garrison. At the signal the sailors
moved down the beach, sheltered by
line Of sand hills, and then turned
squarely upon the fort. But the batter
les farther down the Confederate line
could sweep the stretch Of beach, which
at that point was nearly half mile
wide, and the muskets in the fort did
terrible execution. Three cannon in the
fort poured canister into the assailants,
and both General Whiting and Colonel
Lamb stood on the parapet cheering the
men at their work.
The sailors were unaccustomed to land
maneuvers and very soon showed the se-
robustness Of this defect. Their officers,
among them the gallant Lieutenant w.
B. Cushing, rallied and led them as
we'll as possible, but the forward col
umns halted under the walls Of the fort,
lying down to escape the fire from above,
and the rear columns on closing up did
the same. The delay thus caused was
fatal. The Confederates were cheered by
the sight Of a sort Of panic that had
seized these novices in war and turned
away to receive the land column, which
was announced to be close at hand by
the sharp musketry and the booming Of
grape shotted guns on the north front.