The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-21

AACAN" SoAA H. III ~ AAAS@-N
possibly. give vent to u feelings. We
do place the responsibility for our fail
ure. but if we Once commenced we
might give too wide a Vent Our port
ought not to have fallen. There is a
responsjbility-that responsibility will
hereafter appear.
So far as we can see. the enemy cam
not get to the town. We ay-'so far
as we can see.' for We place no re-
lance upon what We cannot Judge for
ourselves. On Sunday night. awfully
tired. We slept quietly. thinking that
all was right. depending upon an Of
fetal dispatch. We found the thing
totally different.
1t is not our part to give advice to
our citizens. There are so man that.
under circumstances. cannot leave.
while there are so many that, under any
circumstances. must leave. that no
single rule could apply to all. Every
mans conscience must be his own
judge. We need hardly say what we
will dc, or try to 10. Our course. we
presume, is anticipated. We are Con-
f~ederates. If We lose, why We lose.
But we See no reason why we. more
than Mobile. should be taken. God ONLY
knows why our outer defences were
taken; We do not: we have los many
good and true friends: We may lose
nan more. We fear that they were
sacrificed. Such is the impression we
have derived from all we have heard
and otherwise learned.
There is no doubt but that there is
a strong excitement against General
Bragg. There can be no doubt either.
hat General Bragg has attached to
him the prestige of bad luck. Unfor-
tunately he always has that prestige.
Permanent bad luck means permanent
bad m9nQp garment somewhere. A man
with this prestige ought not to have
been sent here.
Som people never earn anything
and never foreet anything; as. for in
stance, the Bourbons n other high
old conservatives in this state, who.
for once, did seem to cooperate with
the Richmond clirues In maligning
General Whiting. and demanding ome
body else. They appear to have got
their desires gratifed. General Whit
ing is wounded and a prisoner. Is
Governor Vance perfectly satisfied?
He, we know, was one of the agents
in overriding. sunerseding and trying
to ruin General Whiting. All right.
we suppose. in a party point of view.
"wednesday. Jan. IS, 1869
So far as we are able to learn there
mas been no movement Of Importance
among Ine 1dllheV lIoopS SlIlSC ~
capture of Fort Fisher. On yesterday
it was stated, upon what appeared to be
good authority, that only two of the
gunboats had as yet made their ap-
pearance in the river, opposite o
Fisher, the rest Of the fleet still lying
off.
We have endeavored to obtain some
particulars in regard to the fight, but
matters are in so confused a state that
no two reports agree, and unless we
can get the truth we prefer publishing
nothing. AL reports concur. however
in stating hat Genera Whiting and
Colonel Lamb fought CALAMITY, lead
ing the troops to repel each assault
and never gave up, but were oVerpoW-
! cred or shot down. others also fought
| brayelv and we'll, and are deserving OF
all praise.
We understand that when the enemy
had gained the parapets of the For
and planted their flag. General Whitins
| two or three times tore the flag dowr
| and only desisted when he was shot
down and unable to rise.
A communication has been received
from the commander of the Fedora
| forces, General Terry, stating that
General Writings wounds were of a
serious nature, but not mortal. we
| trust that he may soon ecoVer.
| Colonel Lamb, we belleVe, received {
| serious wound in his thigh. from {
minnie ball.
Forts Holmes and Caswell were
| evacuated by our troops on Monday
| as was expected. the capture of Fishe1
rendering the holding Of these points
| as useless to us. A tremendous eXplos'
ion was heard and felt in town abou'
1:3O o'clock on Tuesday mornin~ sup
posed to have been produced by tn
| blowing UP of the magazines of thf
| above Forts.