The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-02
SIX MONTHS In VIRGINIA.
Continued from First Page.

eral. For i've hours the bonn bardment
continued with terrible fierceness. After
half an hours bombardment the fire
from the fort slackened and as evening
approached the feet drew off for the night
excepting the ironsides and the monitors
which remained in their positions for a
renewal of the combat on the following
day.
Christmas morning. dawned bright and
beautiful, but there was no Christmas
chimes for us to herald 1.-THE anniversary
of our Savior's birth, but instead the
rapid broadsides from the Brooklyn and
several gunboats employed in Smelling the
woods and demolishing several sand bat
teries north of the fort, preparatory to
the landing of the troops.
An occasional shot from Fort Fisher
served to assure us that the rebellion
was still defiant in that quarter. Prepa-
rations for landing the troops were in
progress and all the small boats of the
fleet were put in requisition.
When the troops landed and occupied
without opposition Half Moon battery
skirmishers were Immediately advanced
along the beach in. the direction of the
fort, which at this time seemed complete
ly enveloped in smoke caused by the in
cessant bursting of shells, and the burn
ing of barracks within its walls. For
several hours the horrid din was main
tainedwith unflagging interest. A con-
tinued roll of thunder, accompanied by
tornado through dense forest. AT
the vicinity of the fort and the firing
from the fleet slackened. The flagstaff of
the fort had been shot away and our
troops approached near enough to secure
the rebel flag, but for reasons which no
doubt Gen. Butler deemed sufficient an
order was, issued for the withdrawal
and decentralization of the troops; when
the Ben Delford with Gen. Butler, whom
Gen. Grant seemed to style "the self
constituted commander of the expedit-
ion. . steamed away for Hampton Roads,
much to the disgust of the navy at least,
to say nothing of the disappointment of
nearly every officer and man of the expe-
dition, who had felt the utmost conf
dence in the success of the attack.
The feet eventually followed after tho
dep rtil 6 steam Ben Delord, which had
already reached Hampton Roads in safe
ty.
About 300 prisoners, on their way from
to reinforce Fort Fisher,
mostly state troops raised for the emer-
gency, surrendered to our land forces,
with no resistance and were sent to Fort
ress Monroe for safe keeping and ex-
change.
Just three weeks from the date of this
failure the same forces substantially I'M
der another commander captured Fort
Fisher with it's garrison and armament
and thus opened the way for the speedy
capture of Wilmington and the down
fall of the boosted ''Confedearcy'
Soon after the Fort Fisher failure Gen.
Butler was relieved of the command of
the department and retired from active
service Whatever may be thought of
Gen. Buffers capacity as military lead
er 1T cannot be denied that he had no SUI
perior as an executive officer and mills
tary governor.
After the fall of Wilmington and the
success of Sherman in the accomplish
ment of his brilliant expedition prepara-
lions were made for the final campaign
in and around Richmond and after
short, sharp and overwhelming onset the
possession of Richmond was gained,
the surrender of Lee with his army sue
cessfully achieved while jeff Davis wan
led a fugitive until his final capture
by the federal forces on his track. Davis
was transported to Fortress Monroe,
thence to Carroll Hall.
The news of the fall of Richmond was
received with the most jubilant demon.
stration of Joy by the thousands Of freed
men gathered at Hampton Roads from al
parts-of the South. This was changed y
sadness few days later when news came
Of the brutal murder of President Lin
coin.
The grief among the negroes was in
tense.
After graphically descibing the feelings
over the assassination of Lincoln and
paying an eloquent tribute to his memo
ry the speaker Passed OF 20 vivid desc rip
ton of the scenes in and about Richmond
of Libby prison and Castle Thunder, and
then to Belle Isle. which," said Major
Rowell, "is not, however, as it's name
suggests. elsie Of Beauty ito our sold
iers who were murdered by inches on
that fair spot. An area of two or three
acres was trenched on four sides and
within this enclosure were confined at
times thousands of our suffering soldiers
where they were subjected to hardships
and cruelties scarcely less horrible than
those of Andersonville and Salisbury.
In conversation with rebel on the isl
and he admitted, though unwillingly,
that the condition at times of our prison
ers there was fully as bad as represented
by the northern press. He had known of
the prisoners rushing into the swift wat
ers of the river with the prospects of al
most certain death before them rather
than endure the anguish of hunger