XAYY, U. S., OPERATIONS OF. 



567 



plosion took place, and the shock was nothing like so 

 severe as was expected. It shook the vessel some, 

 aud broke one or two glasses, but nothing more. 



To those watching the explosion from the 

 fleet at several miles distance from the shore, it 

 seemed scarcely louder than the discharge of a 

 battery of light artillery; but at Xewbern it 

 was distinctly heard, and was supposed to be 

 an earthquake. Xot the slightest damage, so 

 far as could be ascertained, was inflicted upon 

 the fort, whose immensely thick walls of sand 

 could probably have withstood the explosion of 

 a dozen or more powder-ships. 



Although the explosion had proved a failure 

 and the transports were not yet in sight, Admi- 

 ral Porter determined to proceed at once with 

 the attack, hoping to damage the fort to such a 

 degree that the troops, upon their arrival, would 

 find comparatively little difficulty in carrying it 

 by storm. Accordingly, at daylight of the 2-tth, 

 the fleet stood in, in "line of battle, toward the 

 shore, and shortly before noon took up the po- 

 sitions previously assigned to them by the Ad- 

 miral. The first line comprised the iron-clads, 

 Ironsides, Monadnock, Canonicus, and Maho- 

 pac, which were anchored in line, about a length 

 apart, at a distance of three-quarters of a mile 

 from the fort, each having in its rear, within 

 -apporting distance, a gunboat to serve as 

 a tender. A quarter of a mile behind the iron- 

 clads was a line of heavy frigates, comprising 

 the Minnesota, Colorado, TVabash, and vessels of 

 similar calibre ; and behind these another line, 

 each vessel of which was anchored intermediate 

 between those of the first line. Another divi- 

 sion, consisting chiefly of gunboats, took posi- 

 tion to the south and southeast of the forts, and 

 to the left of the frigates, and still another was 

 posted to the northward and eastward of the 

 iron-clads, for th purpose of enfilading the 

 works. The attacking squadron numbered 

 thirty-three vessels of all kinds, mounting up- 

 ward of four hundred guns, and was supported 

 by a reserve of seventeen small gunboats with 

 about one hundred guns. 



Shortly before one o'clock the Ironsides 

 opened upon the fort, followed by the monitors, 

 and within half an hour afterwards the Minne- 

 sota, holding the left of the second line, suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining the range. The rebels kept 

 up an active fire while the squadron was get- 

 ting into position, but the terrific broadsides of 

 the Ironsides almost immediately silenced all 

 their guns on the northeast face of the fort ; 

 and by the time the last of the large vessels an- 

 chored and got its batteries into play, but one 

 or two guns were discharged from any part of 

 the fort, the incessant and tremendous fire of 

 the fleet, surpassing any thing previously known 

 in naval warfare, having driven the gunners 

 within the shelter of their bomb-proofs. "In 

 one hour and fifteen minutes after the first shot 

 was fired," says Admiral Porter, " not a shot 

 came from the fort. Two magazines had been 

 blown up by our shells, and the fort set on fire 

 in several places, and such a torrent of missiles 



were falling into and bursting over it, that it 

 was impossible for any human being to stand it. 

 Finding that the batteries were silenced com- 

 pletely, I directed the ships to keep up a mod- 

 erate fire, hi hopes of attracting the attention 

 of the transports and bringing them in." In the 

 latter part of the afternoon Gen. Butler arrived 

 with a portion of his transports, and the fleet 

 was signalled to retire for the night for safe 

 anchorage. During the four or five hours that 

 the engagement lasted, only one vessel, the gun- 

 boat Yantic, left the line to report damages, 

 although several others were struck once or 

 twice. The most serious disasters to the fleet 

 were caused by the bursting of some of its own 

 guns. Accidents of this kind occurred on the 

 Ticonderoga, Yantic, Juniata, Mackinaw, Qua- 

 ker City, and Susquehanna, resulting in the kill- 

 ing and wounding of between forty and fifty 

 officers and men. The pieces which exploded 

 were 100-pounder Parrott guns, and the effect 

 was to cause a great distrust in this species of 

 ordnance, as unfit for service, and, to use the 

 language of Admiral Porter, "calculated to 

 kill more of our own men than those of the 

 enemy." 



On the 25th the remaining transports arrived, 

 aud, in accordance with plans matured between 

 the naval and military commanders on the pre- 

 vious evening, another attack upon the fort by 

 the fleet was determined on, in cooperation 

 with an assault by the troops upon the land 

 face. Under cover of a detachment of gunboats, 

 the disembarkation of the troops commenced, 

 shortly after noon, on the beach about three 

 miles above the fort. A portion of Curtis'* 

 brigade of Ames's division landed first, and 

 pushed forward to reconnoitre the immediate 

 approaches to the fort, the fleet meanwhile 

 keeping up a slow and deliberate fire of just 

 sufficient force to occupy the enemy's attention 

 and prevent them from opening upon the 

 troops. The reconnoitring column, accompa- 

 nied by Gen. Weitzel in person, approached so 

 near to Fort Fisher that several men in the 

 skirmish line were wounded by fragments of 

 shells from the fleet. From a point eight hun- 

 dred yards distant Gen. "Weitzel made a survey 

 of the work, and the results of his personal ob- 

 servation, together with information previous- 

 ly received from trustworthy sources, induced 

 him to report to Gen. Butler, upon his return 

 to the transport fleet, that, under the circum- 

 stances, it would be " butchery to order an as- 

 sault." This opinion coincided with that al- 

 ready formed by Gen. Butler, and orders were 

 at once given to reembark the troops, all of 

 whom, however, were not taken oft* until the 

 next evening. During the advance of the re- 

 connoitring column toward the fort, the garri- 

 sons of the Flag Pond. and Half Moon batteries, 

 numbering nearly three hundred officers and 

 men, were captured. 



The following correspondence subsequently 

 passed between Gen. Butler and Admiral 

 Porter : 



