The New York Herald Newspaper, December 29, 1864, Page 1

THE NEW YORK HERALD. WHOLE NO. 10,350. Important Operations of the, Military and Naval Fleet Of New Inlet. The Pewder Ship Exploded Within Three Hundred Yards of Fort Fisher. Terrible Bembardment en Saturday, Sunday and Menday. GllenCE OF THE REBEL FIRE. THE FLAG OF THE FORT CAPTURED. BE-EMBARKATION OF OUR TROOPS. REBEL ACCOUNTS. Despatch from General Bragg to Jeff. Davis, on ee, ae Beeretary Stanton to Major General Diz. Was Derarrunwr, : Wamarworon, Dee. 38 10:00: M.} ‘Majer General Dix, New York:— The follewing, from the Richmond papers of Mb-aay, bas deen received by the Department:— . ‘Wasmmcray, Dec. 37 P. . ° Bo He Eromimrcr the Presideet of the Confederate ‘Brates:— ‘The chemy ‘bes re‘embarted undér the Gover of bis @oot. His movement is not developed. 1 Raye visited Bort Fisher, and founa the damage slight, exeept of the were disabled, The marks remaining indicate that the / Domberdment was very heavy. Major General Whiting, ‘Wommahatig the “dotenosa as the mouth of the river; @olone) Land; commanding the fort, and the officers and ‘men comprising the garrison deserve special commends. Wen Tor the galantry, efficiency and fortitude displayed Ghder very trying circumstances. ‘ BRAXTON BRAGG, EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. The Press Despatches, Wasuinaron, Dec, 28, 1864, “IB would seem to be a mistake, as reported this morn. fag, that the naval and military fleet has returned from ‘Worth Caroline to Fortress Monroe. ‘The Navy Department bas no sucd intelligence, but That one’ vessel Only yesterday retarned to che Jatter Race, bringing despatches from Admiral Porter, ‘The messenger bas not ye! reached Washington. Tt fs ascertained from an authentic source, however— @ate of Fortress, Mouroe, yesterday—shat the powder @bip was exploded withia three hundred yards of Forts Pisher about two o'clock on Saturday merning, the 24h fat. s Aflerwards Admiral Porter attacked the fort and ad- Jacent de‘eoces, aud renewed the bombardment on G@ristmas Day, ’ “On each occasion wé Grove the rebels from their gang Wthe shelter of 4be bombproofs, 20 a to effectually ence tuetr fire. ‘Th 8 very few minutes afier the frigates and heavy ips 708 fato position. ° A detechment of troops landed op Sunday afternoon, the @ id." the pxiémisners pushed up gallantly to the for ‘oder gover of our fire, Some of the more daring actually @mtored the works and brought off the fag. “Whe bombirdaioas of the fort comtioued on Mon. ay. a . Santiago de Cubs captured s company of North Gixelion soldiers in the out works and brought them off. Barrmone, Deo. 28, 1864. ‘The press correspondent telograpbs the following from Portrees Monroe :— 4 Fortatss Monnon, Deo, 27, 1864. “Thayo Jos arrived here on the Santiago de Cubs from of Wimingtos, {Mhe. attack, o@ Fort Fisher commenced at noon of Sat. @fGay, tho “Mth, continued all day, was resumed on Sanday, and kept up with great vigor all day, The fort fw mich damaged, All the barracks and storehouses > gferé Dufed, and the garrison driven to the bombprools, od sourcaly venturing to reply. <& email portion of our troops landed on Sunday aftor- | oon, akirmished with great gallantry, pushed up to the fort ‘and Actually entered tho work aud Killed a robe! bearer of despatches who was entering, \Adeutenant. Wallen, of the Une Handred and Forty- second Now York regiment, captured the rebel flag from fo outer bastion, Our troops also eaptared a whole patialion of the ewemy, who wero outside of their works, ut oar forces wore withdrawn from the shore, ‘When the Santiago de Cuba left the bombardment was pontinuing. On Sunday tho gajlora from the Santiago captored Pona ill battery, with sixty-fve men, and brought the whole porty off to the ships. The torpede boat was euccessfully exploded on Gator. ay morning at ten o’olock, but wih what result te not koown, ‘The weather has been most sevore at Newbern and WILMINGTON.| TH x” PARK {TLANTIO OCZAN BOALE OF MILES NEW YORK, THURSDAY, DECEMBER. 29, 1864. ATTACK ON FORT FISH THE PORTER-BUTLER EXPEDITION | ynportant Operations Off Wilmington, WN. O.—-The Rebel Forts and Defences. OR HOUSE CREEL. ILMINGTON | GRIST MILL t) MILL POND, 2 P MILL POND ¢\FoRT ‘FRENCH XS IRON CLADWITH T IRON ASONBOR LIGHT. BOUS WATER BATT iS] \ =, aan \ 7 \ ANDEBHALL} Ni \| | patel a (Al yo ER. PRICE FOUR CENTS. Febel works, The damsge done by the explosion is not yet known, The rebels alluded to the explosion as that of @ gunboat which bad bees beached and was biown up ta consequence, The bombardment of Fort Vieher was began about oRe O'clock P, M. on the 24th, the fleet keeping up an average fire of thirty shots per minute until night. Usder cover ot this fire Gen. Bustier landed a portion of his forces tweasa ® balt miles above Fort Fisher, and though attacked by the enemy held bis ground during the ensuing night, Atten A, M.on the 26th, (Sunday), the bombardment ‘Was resumed, Late in the evening, during a heavy raim and wind, the portion of the Twenty-fourth corpe whieh bad been landed made an assauiton Fort Fisher, and are reported by the rebels to bave been repulsed, ‘Phe feel ing at Richmond and Wilmington was that the lasding ich had been effected was & very serious matter, aad | would cost double the effort to disledge Butler that showed © prevented: bis landing. Our Expeditionary Correspondence, Bravrort, N. ©, Neo. 21, 1866. Early on Sunday morning the flagship Malvern fired the signal gun for all bands to up anchor and be ready for a ‘Start, and in less than one hour the Admiral’s bive flag was nearly out of sigat, and some thirty-clght vessels following in the rear, all bound for Wilmington. ‘The four tronclads, Mabopac, Monadnock, Canonicum and Now Ironsides arrived here from Hampton Roads only on Thursday, escorted by the flagehip, Admiral Porter, it is said, expressed some anxiety for the satety of the Monitors coming round Cape Hatteras, but all came around safely. None of the Monitors or other ves- sels remained any longer tban was absolutely necessary for taking in a little coal aud afew sbip’s stores. Tho Adwmiral’s orders were peremptory for every vessel to be ready at six o’clock onthe morning of the 18th fora Start, and the order was carried out to the letter aud minute. Everybody anticipated, from the activity and promp- titude, that Wilmington would be attacked on Monday morning, the 19th instant, according to arrangements #0 ‘well planned by the commanders of both the soa and land forces; bat we were doomed to disappointment. The ‘sea off Now Inlet, whon we reached there, was too rough to allow the transports to laud their trgops. Allday Monday and Tuesday the gale continued furiously, fore- ing about @ dozen of tho transports to leave and again pat into this harbor for safety. We arrived off bere last night. ‘As 8000 as the storm abates the attack will doubtess be made None of the attackiog squadron left with the transports; but all remained during the gale, anchored some twelve miles off Wilmington. General Butler's fiag- ship Hes off here, baving arrived yesterday wih the General on board. 18 is blowing @ perfect gale, and bas been ever since nine o’olock this moraing. Nothing could be done to-day fm landing troops. To-morrow the traneports will get theip suppiies and stert back for Wimingten, aad be there in time to make the grand onslaught, which ie now pet for Saturday, December 24, should the weather then prove favorable. ‘IHR EXPEDITIONARY PORCR, , The whole force employed im the expedition numbers aixty-three vessels, including fret clase frigstes, such 20 the Wabash, Minnesots and others; steamers, iros-eiads, gunboats, transports, powder and ordoasce storen, We. , the whele Deiog nearly ove half of the entire North at- jantic squadron. Bome,of the iron-clade Bave alvendy done mobile service. “ er) ‘The following 1 a list and argapizatios of the fees; Stoautor Malvern, 8 quoe—Davio D, Ponsee, Admiral: DAVISON. dom Commodore H. Kr sBateber, commanding. Mossasoit. Gettysburg THIRD DIVISION. Schock, commanding. Commodore James i, ans. Susquebanna...... Tristam Shandy Quaker City... Gov. Buck’ Victoria Duvbarton., De Molay. Chas, Thomas, Wey borsott. Porritt Idabo, Looisa Moore. Goveral Sedgwiek, kastern State, Hace. Albany. Empire City. United states. Admirai Dupont. Matuida, If the Mabopac comes out of this ight with as many marke and braises im proportion to.the uumber of ehote she fires as sbe did at Dutch Gap, she will look like a Bowery boy the morning after election, The Mahopac tp her third attempt to piant afew fifteon-inch shot ana shell into Hewlett’ revel battery, fired six ahot and got struck eight times by rebel shots, breaking and bending deck plates, bolts, boitheads, shattering her deck ander. neath, going twice through ber musket screen, making large indentavions ja the @urret and pilot house, The other three Monitors and the two Jand batteries that wore engaged jn the attack escaped without being Bit TUR PLAN OF ATTACK, It te thonght that we shall be able to begin the attack | on the 24th as now proposed, It was orlainally proposed to commence operations upo’ the fortifications at New Inlot by exploding the powder boat Louisiaga on tha Deach immediately ander Furt Fisher, to be followed up by ® rapid bombardment from the entire fleet, The Louiniana was ospecially peepared for (he purpose, and was loaded with three hurdred tons of gunpowder. She was to steam rapidly in ebore avd beach directly in fromt of Fort Fisher. ‘Tho crew, afler she bad benched aad the fase bad been fired, were to take their small boat and stand out for the feet, the fuse being #0 timed an to per- ‘mit sufficient time for the officers and crew charged with ‘this perilous undertaking to get beyond the seach of the effects of the awful explosiog which would have ensued bad the plan been carried outsuccessfully, 16 is velloved that tbe explosion of such & mammoth torpedo would ave produced such @ concussion as to greatly damage the fort and utterly paralyze the garrison, Tho udayoldable delay which bas provented the attacy has changed also the plang. It is believed that the rebole have learned, from the several premsture publications which have boon injudiciousiy mado, of this partof the plan, and are 60 provided with hot shot for the prema ture explosion of the powder boat, that (be attempt will de abandoned as dangerous. Tt ls tow a question, howover, fonsmuch as the fort ie an cafthwork, whovher the concussion resuiting from sob an voneard of explosion would have had any seriout effect upon ramparts #0 constructed, No doubs if they were ot masoury the effect might be counted upon with moro certainty. This much of the origival plan of the attack bas, it is reported, been abandoned ja consequenee, Tam led to 1, however, that if is found that the boat can be exploded without positive danger, that it may yet be done, 14 will of course be done at night, and will bo the siyual for the bombardment at daylight next short time thereafter, discovering there was some tmla- | sie omitted the paragraph altogether jn ite second | police regulations of Beaufort harbor aro of the most | our correspendenta, Ib ppoara from tho data thus fur | morning. Roanoke Ieland. The oldest inhabitant never experienced rob severe storms, Wann 5 ho Hoentng Star, in ite fire caving Veg sock sscansl bmn aout ee “ane Wan seat 10 wuppreTs | suited, Airiogent nature, TH would seam Imposalbto for outaiders | mished \hat the attack was mindo on the ith fostant, a8 | Tho general plan now Js to jand (he troops ander cover fhe return of the Porter and Butler forces to Fortress | was aot feccived in time fecatety jhe teregraie toet in, oF that iroachery oF ooaspiracy could have any | intouted, and had, up fo a lato our of +e 26ih, been | of tho heavy Gro of the fleet, which is to stonm rapidity Monroe, stating 4hat tho War Dopartmont bad recoived | jy had alread : for that purpos, 8 | THE SKWS AT BEAUFORT AND RICHMOND, | snow of succone, unsuccessful, On Friday, Deceraver 22, the galo whicd | forward to certain points designated om the chart fur gotalligenco of that fact. Tne authority thus | But as soon as a P J mt ont we THR ATTAOR ON FORT Frenen. had been blowing fof teverat days previously audsided, | yighod io each commander. “EAll Moon” battery—« given ntamped the“ pobtention with appara ons Pe jhe Star's ane ‘Tho news of the capturo of Ravannah haa boon most ‘The aceounte from the rebel papers to Decotmber 26 | and preparations were at once made for theatiack, At j tmnall ater bati@ry, about (hree miles north of Fort MPOID, hd it was accordingly Lelographed North, i f Remon! of the | joyfully received at Beautort, Give the principal facta regarding the attack on Fort | two A, M. on the morning of the 24'h, the powdor boat ena ) a . The | The Rear Admiral’ Orders, just isrved, concerning the | Fiaber, of ¥ Dich as yet we have received a0 details from | Layieinta wae exploded om the beaob gloge under the CONTINUED ON KIGHTH PAGA