The Washington herald., 1914-12-27


fected. II the enemy continued to hold
Fort Fisher. the troops should intrench
themselves."
Tho cooperation Of the navy having
been sought and obtained. Gen. Grant
assigned Gen. Godfrey Weitzel. who
commanded corps in the army OF the
James, under Gen. Butler. To command
the expedition and lead an attack on the
fort with $500 troops.
Grants orders for the expedition were
issued through Gen. Butler, as the fort
by that General. Gen Butler had taken
lively interest IN the expedition, but
Gen. Grant did not expect nor wish him
70 accompany It.
He had no faith In Gen. Butler as a
military commander; yet when the ex-
pedition came down the Janles from Cen
Buffers base at Bermuda Hundred. and
Gen. Butler stopping at City Point, an
nounced to Gen. Grant that he was
going with It, the Federal general-in-
chief offered no protest.
Exploded with Troops Absent.
From the start Gen. Butler and Ad-
miral Porter did not work together. They
had clashed earlier in the war and had
! lively antipathy for each other. With
Gen. Buffers transports and Admiral
Porter's ships at Hampton Roads, ready
| to sail, the two commanders failed to
agree on a place Of rendezvous near the
point OF attack.
zen. Butler announced that he would
assemble his feet on Masonboro Inlet,
about eighteen miles north Of Fort Fish
| er. Admiral Porter planned to 20 to
Beaufort about seventy miles south OF
the fort to coal his fleet. and then as
semble them twenty-five miles on Fort
! Fisher.
Thus. on December Il, the two fleets
sailed, with no appointed rendezvous.
| Arriving on Masonboro Inlet next day,
\ Gen. Buffers transports found the sea
smooth. They lay idle three days In fine
| weather, waiting for the naval ships. On
December IS Admiral Porter notified Gen.
Butler that he was ready to explode the
powder vessel. The weather had changed.
A storm threatened, and the sea was too
rough for the landing OF troops. Gen.
| Butler requested a postponement. and
took his fleet 10 Beaufort for coal and
water.
Admiral Porter's fleet rode out the
storm In the open sea. When on De-
cember 3 the weather moderated he sent
word to Gen. Butler that he would ex-
plode the powder boat that night
The force under Gen. Butler-consist-
ing OF Gen. AdeIbert Armes' and Gen.
Charles J. Paine's divisions-was not at
hand to effect a landing in conjunction
with the explosion. Thus an important
feature OF the plan miscarried.
In the darkness OF midnight voIun-
teer crew under Commander A. c. Rhind
and Lieut. S. w. Preston took the pow
der vessel to the beach and anchored
her just outside the surf line on Fort
Fisher. The original plan had been to
ground her on the beach, in order that
the earth might be shaken by the ex-
plosion. Admiral Porter did not think
this practicable. fearing the vessel
might 'bilge" and wet the powder.
Therefore he ordered her anchored.
| When the powder vessel had swung To
her chain the clocks were started and a
fire was started in the cabin. Then the
brave sailors dropped into boat and
rowed away to a waiting gunboat. which
steamed rapidly seaward. The explosion
was timed to take place in an hour and
| a half. unless the fire CAUSED II earlier.
l Fearing that the explosion might ex-
plode the boilers OF his vessel Admiral
/ Porter had ordered the feet to steam at
least twelve miles offshore. An the Fed
/ eraI vessels were thus a long way of
when, at 1:45, a flash in the haze land
ward and a dull report showed that the
powder vessel and exploded.
In the fort the detonation was not suf-
fciently heavy to wake sleeping men, al
though at Wilmington 1t was distinctly
heard. From the character Of the report
it was apparent that all the powder did
not explode.
| Nearly eighteen hours later Gen. But
ler's transports began to arrive. Admiral
Porter's feet had then been engaged
since noon in shelliRg the fort.
| Next day CChristmas), under cover OF a
squadron Of gunboats. Cen Ames' di-
vision began landing.
Before dark between 200 and 100 men
were landed. They spread out up and
down the sandy neck, capturing a small
earthwOrk, whose defenders threw down
their arms, and taking other prisoners
! to the total number of 800.