734 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



General Weitzel has since officially informed me that 

 he never received the foregoing instructions, nor was 

 he aware of their existence until he read General 

 Butler's published official report of the Fort Fisher 

 failure, with my endorsement and papers accom- 

 panying it. I had no idea of General Butler's ac- 

 companving the expediton until the evening before 

 it got oft from Bermuda Hundred, and then did not 

 dream but that General Weitzel had received all the 

 instructions, and would be in command. I rather 

 formed the idea that General Butler was actuated by 

 a desire to witness the effect of the explosion of th'e 

 powder-boat. The expedition was detained several 

 days at Hampton Roads, awaiting the loading of the 

 powder-boat. 



The importance of getting the Wilmington expe- 

 dition off without any delay, with or without the 

 powder-boat, had been urged upon General Butler, 

 and he advised to so notify Admiral Porter. 



The expedition finally got off on the 13th of De- 

 cember, and arrived at the place of rendezvous, off 

 New Inlet, near Fort Fisher, on the evening of the 

 15th. Admiral Porter arrived on the evening of the 

 18th, having put in at Beaufort to get ammunition 

 for the monitors. The sea becoming rough, making 

 it difficult to land troops, and the supply of water 

 and coal being about exhausted, the transport fleet 

 put back to Beaufort to replenish ; this, with the 

 state of the weather, delayed the return to the place 

 of rendezvous until the 24th. The powder-boat was 

 exploded on the morning of the 24th, before the re- 

 turn of General Butler from Beaufort ; but it would 

 seem, from the notice taken of it in the Southern 

 newspapers, that the enemy were never enlightened 

 as to the object of the explosion until they were in- 

 formed by the Northern press 



On the 25th a landing was effected without opposi- 

 tion, and a reconnoissance, under Brevet Brigadier- 

 General Curtis, pushed up toward the fort. But be- 

 fore receiving a full report of the result of this re- 

 connoissance, General Butler, in direct violation of 

 the instructions given, ordered the reembarkation of 

 the troops and the return of the expedition. The 

 reembarkation was accomplished by the morning of 

 the 27th. 



On the return of the expedition, officers and men 

 among them Brevet Major-General (then Brevet 

 Brigadier-General) M. R. Curtis, First Lieutenant G. 



W- Ross, regiment Vermont Volunteers, First 



Lieutenant George W. Walling, and Second Lieu- 

 tenant George Simpson, One Hundred and Forty- 

 second New York Volunteers voluntarily reported 

 to me that when recalled they were nearly into the 

 fort, and, in their opinion, it could have been taken 

 without much loss. 



Soon after the return of the expedition, I received 

 a despatch from the Secretary of the Navy, and a 

 letter from Admiral Porter, informing me that the 

 fleet was still off Fort Fisher, and expressing the 

 conviction that, under a proper leader, the place 

 could be taken. The natural supposition with me 

 was, that when the troops abandoned the expedition 

 the navy would do so also. Finding it had not, how- 

 ever, I answered on the 30th of December, advising 

 Admiral Porter to hold on, and that I would send a 

 force and make another attempt to take the place. 

 This time I selected Brevet Major-General (now 

 Major-General) A. H. Terry to command the expedi- 

 tion. The troops composing it consisted of the same 

 that composed the former, with the addition of a 

 small brigade, numbering about 1,500, and a small 

 siege train. The latter it was never found necessary 

 to land. I communicated direct to the commander 

 of the expedition the following instructions: 



CITY POINT, VA., January 8, 1S65. 



GEITER*!, : The expedition intrusted to your command 

 has been fitted out to renew the attempt to capture Fort 

 Usher, N. C., and Wilmington ultimatPly, If the fort falls. 

 You will then pr.Kv.-d with as little delay as possible to the 

 naval fleet lying off Cape Fear Kiver, and report the arrival 



of yourself and command to Admiral D. D. Porter, com- 

 manding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. 



It is exceedingly desirable that the most complete under- 

 standing should exist between yourself and the naval com- 

 mander. I suggest, therefore, that you consult with Admiral 

 Porter freely, and get from him the part to be performed by 

 each branch of the public service, so that there may be unity 

 of action. It would be well to have the whole programme 

 laid down in writing. I have served with Admirar Porter, 

 and know that you can rely on his judgment and his nerve 

 to undertake what he proposes. I would, therefore, defer to 

 him as much as is consistent with your own responsibilities. 

 The first object to be attained is to get a firm position on the 

 spit of land on which Fort Fisher is built, from which you 

 can operate against that fort You want to look to the prac- 

 ticability of receiving your supplies, and to defending your- 

 self against superior forces sent against yon by any of the 

 avenues left open to the enemy. If such a position can be 

 obtained, the siege of Fort Fisher will not be abandoned until 

 its reduction is accomplished, or another plan of campaign 

 is ordered from these headquarters. 



My own views are that, if you effect a landing, the navy 

 ought to run a portion of their fleet into Cape Fear River, 

 while the balance of it operates on the outside. Land forces 

 cannot invest Fort Fisher, or cut it off from supplies or re- 

 enforcements, while the river is in the possession of the 

 enemy. 



A siege train will be loaded on vessels and sent to Fort 

 Monroe, in readiness to bo sent to you if required. All other 

 supplies can be drawn from Beaufort as you need them. 



Keep the fleet of vessels with you until your position is 

 assured. When you find they can be spared, order them 

 back, or such of them as you can spare, to Fort Monroe, to 

 report for orders. 



In case of failure to effect a landing, bring your command 

 back to Beaufort, and report to these headquarters for further 

 instructions. You will not debark at Beaufort until so 

 directed. 



General Sheridan has been ordered to send a division of 

 troops to Baltimore, and place them on sea-going vessels. 

 These troops will be brought to Fort Monroe and kept there 

 on the vessels until you are heard from. Should you require 

 them, they will be sent to you. 



" TT. 8. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. 



" Brevet Major-General A, H. TKBRV." 



Lieutenant-Colonel C. B. Comstock, aide-de-camp 

 (now brevet brigadier-general), who accompanied the 

 former expedition, was assigned in orders as chief 

 engineer to this. 



It will be seen that these instructions did not differ 

 materially from those given for the first expedition ; 

 and that in neither instance was there an order to 

 assault Fort Fisher. This was a matter left entirely 

 to the discretion of the commanding officer. 



The expedition sailed from Fort Monroe on the 

 morning of the 6th, arriving on the rendezvous, off 

 Beaufort, on the 8th, where, owing to the difficulties 

 of the weather, it lay until the morning of the 12th, 

 when it got under way and reached its destination 

 that evening. Under cover of the fleet the disem- 

 barkation of the troops commenced on the morning 

 of the 13th, and by 3 o'clock p. M. was completed 

 without loss. On the 14th a reconnoissance was 

 pushed to within five hundred yards of Fort Fisher, 

 and a small advance work taken possession of and 

 turned into a defensive line against any attempt 

 that might be made from the fort. This reconnois- 

 sance disclosed the fact that the front of the work had 

 been seriously injured by the navy fire. In the after- 

 noon of the 15th the fort was assaulted, and after 

 most desperate fighting was captured, with its entire 

 garrison and armament. Thus was secured, by the 

 combined efforts of the navy and army, one of the 

 most important successes of the war. Our loss was : 

 killed, one hundred and ten ; wounded, five hundred 

 and thirty-six. On the 16th and 17th the enemy 

 abandoned and blew up Fort Caswell and the work's 

 on Smith's Island, which were immediately occupied 

 by us. This gave us entire control of the mouth of 

 the Cape Fear River. 



At my request, Mnjor-Gcneral B. F. Butler was 

 relieved, and Major-General E. 0. C. Ord assigned 

 to the command of the Department of Virginia and 

 North Carolina. 



The defence of the line of the Tennessee no longer 



