ASSAULT OF THE FORT. most gallant manner and attacked the northeast bastion; but, exposed to a murderous fire, they were unable to get up the parapet. After a severe struggle and a heavy loss of valuable officers and men, it became apparent that nothing could be effected at that point and they were withdrawn. When Curtis moved forward, Ames directed Pennypacker to move up to the rear of the sharpshooters, and brought Bell up to Pennypacker's last position, and as soon as Curtis got a foothold on the parapet sent Pennypacker in to his support. He advanced, overlapping Curtis' right and drove the enemy from the heavy palisading, which extended from the west end of the land face to the river, capturing a considerable number of their prisoners; then pushing forward to their left, the two brigades together drove the enemy from about one quarter of the land-face. Ames then brought up Bell's brigade, and moved it between the work and the river. On this side there was no regular parapet, but there was abundance of cover afforded to the enemy by cavities from which sand had been taken for the parapet, the ruins of barracks and storehouses, the large magazine, and by traverses, behind which they stubbornly resisted our advance. Hand to hand fighting of the most desperate character ensued, the huge traverses of the land-face being used successively by the enemy as breast works, over the tops of which the contending parties fired in each other's faces. Nine of these were carried one after the other by our men. When Bell's brigade was ordered into action, I foresaw that more troops would probably be needed, and sent an order for Abbott's brigade to move down from the north line, at the same time requesting Captain Breese to replace them with his sailors and marines. I also directed General Paine to send me one of the strongest regiments of his own division. These troops arrived at dusk and re 523 ported to General Ames. At 6 o'clock Abbott's brigade went into the fort; the regiment from Paine's division-the Twenty-seventh United States colored troops, Brevet Brigadier-General A. M. Blackman commanding -was brought up to the rear of the work, where it remained under fire for some time, and was then withdrawn. Until 6 o'clock the fire of the navy continued upon that portion of the work not occupied by us; after that time it was directed on the beach, to prevent the coming up of reinforcements, which it was thought might possibly be thrown over from the right bank of the river to Battery Buchanan. The fighting for the traverses continued till nearly 9 o'clock, two more of them being carried; then a portion of Abbott's brigade drove the enemy from their last remaining strongholds, and the occupation of the work was completed. The same brigade, with General Blackman's regiment, were immediately pushed pushed down the Point to Battery Buchanan, whither many of the garrison had fled. On reaching the Battery all of the enemy who had not been previously captured were made prisoners. Among them were Major-General Whiting and Colonel Lamb, the commandant of the fort. At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon Hoke advanced against our line, apparently with the design of attacking it; but if such was his intention he abandoned it after a skirmish with our pickets. During the day Brevet BrigadierGeneral H. L. Abbott, Chief of Artillery, was busily engaged in landing artillery and ammunition, so that if the assault failed siege operations might at once be commenced. "I have no words to do justice to the behavior of both officers and men on this occasion; all that men could do, they did. Better soldiers never fought. Of General Ames I have already spoken in a letter recommending his promotion. He commanded all the were I to omit to speak in terms of the highest admiration of the part borne by the navy in our operations. In all ranks, from Admiral Porter to his seamen, there was the utmost desire not only to do their proper work, but to facilitate in every possible manner the operations of the land forces. To him and to the untiring efforts of his officers and men are we indebted that our men, stores, tools, and ammunition were safely and expeditiously landed, and that our wounded and prisoners were embarked for transportation to the North ; to the great accuracy and power of their fire it is owing that we had not to confront a formidable artillery in the as troops engaged, and was constantly under fire. His great coolness, good judgment and skill were never more conspicuous than on the assault. Brigadier-General Curtis and Colonels Pennypacker, Bell, and Abbott-the brigade commanders-led them with the utmost gallantry. Curtis was wounded after fighting in the front rank, rifle in hand; Pennypacker, while carrying the standard of one of his regiments, the first man in a charge over a traverse. Bell was mortally wounded near the palisades. Brigadier - General Paine deserves high praise for the zeal and energy displayed by him in constructing our defensive line, a work absolutely essential to our success. Brevet sault, and that we were able with but Brigadier-General Blackman deserves mention for the prompt manner he brought his regiment up to the work, and afterward followed up the retreating enemy. To Brevet Brigadier-Gencral C. B. Comstock, Aid-de-Camp on the staff of the Lieutenant-General, I am under the deepest obligations. At every step of our progress I received from him the most valuable assistance. For the final success of our part of the operations the country is more indebted to him than to me. Colonel George S. Dodge, Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the James, accompanied me as Chief Quartermaster of the forces under my command. His able and energetic performance of his multifarious duties was all that could be wished for, and reflected the highest honor upon him. Surgeon Norman S. Barnes, United States Volunteers, Medical Director, and Surgeon A. J. D. Buzzell, Third New Hampshire Volunteers, Medical Inspector of the expedition, discharged their laborious duties on the field and in the hospital in a manner most creditable to their ability and humanity. I desire to express my high appreciation of the services of these officers. "I should signally fail to do my duty little loss to push forward the men, preparatory to it, to a point nearly as favorable for it as the one they would have occupied had siege operations been undertaken and the work systematically approached. The assault of the sailors and marines, although it failed, undoubtedly contributed somewhat to our success, and certainly nothing could surpass the perfect skill with which the fleet was handled by its commander. Every request which I made to Admiral Porter was most cheerfully complied with, and the utmost harmony has existed between us from the outset to the present time." The capture of Fort Fisher was followed the next day by the blowing up by the enemy of Forts Caswell and Campbell on the Old Inlet, and the abandonment of these and the works on Smith's Island and those at Smithville and Reeves' Point. These places were occupied by the navy. The whole number of guns captured in the defences, as reported by Admiral Porter on the 20th, was 168. General Terry reported the number of prisoners 112 commissioned officers, and 1,971 enlisted men. In his dispatch enumerating the different forts taken,* Admiral Porter *This is the list of the forts with their armaments taken ' ARMSTRONG GUNS. adds: We have found in each an Armstrong gun, with the broad arrow' on it and the name Sir William Armstrong' marked in full on the trunnels. As the British Government claims the exclusive right to use these guns, it would be interesting to know how they came into forts held by the Southern rebels. I find that immense quantities of provisions, stores, and clothing have come through this port into rebeldom. I am almost afraid to mention the amount, but it is enough to supply over 60,000 men. It is all English, and they have received the last cargo; no more will ever come this way. We picked up a telegram from General Lee to his subordinate here, saying that if Forts Fisher and Caswell were not held he would have to evacuate Richmond. He says most truly, and I should not be at all surprised if he left possession of after the fall of Fort Fisher-a sufficient explanation of the protection given for so long a time to the blockade -runners: Reeves' Point, 2 ten inch guns; above Smithville, 2 ten-inch guns; Smithville, 4 ten-inch guns; Fort Caswell, 10 ten-inch guns, 2 nine-inch, 1 Armstrong, and 4 thirty two's (rifled), 2 thirty-two's (smooth), 3 eight 525 it at any moment. We find this a better place to catch blockade-runners than outside. I had the blockade-runners' lights lit last night, and was obliging enough to answer their signals, whether right or wrong we don't know. Two of them, the Stag and Charlotte, from Bermuda, loaded with arms, blankets, shoes. etc., etc., came in and quietly anchored near the Malvern, and were taken possession of. The Stag was commanded by Richard H. Gayle, a lieutenant in the rebel navy, and belongs to the rebel Government. It is all En- Government. A number more are expected, and we will, I hope, catch a portion of them. portion of them. I intrusted this duty to Lieutenant Cushing, who performed it with his usual good luck and intelligence. These two are very fast vessels, and valuable prizes. They threw a portion of their papers overboard immediately on finding they were trapped. The Charlotte brings five English passengers, one of them an English army officer. They all came over, as they expressed it, expressed it, 'on a lark,' and were making themselves quite 'jolly' in the cabin over their champagne, felicitating themselves on their safe arrival. The Stag received three shots in her as she ran by our blockaders outside." inch, 1 Parrott twenty-pounder, 3 rifled field pieces, 3 guns buried-29 guns. Forts Campbell and Shaw, 6 ten-inch, 6 thirty two's (smooth), 1 thirty-two (rifled), 1 eight-inch, 6 field pieces, 2 mortars-22 guns. Smith's Island, 3 teninch, 6 thirty-two's (smooth), 2 thirty-two's (rifled), 4 fieldpieces, 2 mortars, and 17 guns. Reported at the other end of Smith's Island, 6 guns. Total captured, 83 guns. CHAPTER CX. GENERAL SHERMAN'S CAMPAIGN-SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, TO GOLDSBORO, N. C.-FALL OF CHARLESTON AND WILMINGTON, FEBRUARY-MARCH, 1865. GENERAL SHERMAN did not remain long inactive at Savannah after his brilliant conquest of that city. It was the policy of General Grant to pursue the rebellion to its last extremity without affording its desperate leaders any opportunity to recover from their successive defeats. The proper improvement of time was now fully recognized as the Thus great means of breaking up the military there was less occasion for movement be freely discussed in various quarters. In reply to a citizen of Georgia in the interior, whose name is not given, who had opened a correspondence on the subject, General Sherman wrote from Savannah on the 8th of January :"Dear Sir-Yours of the 3d inst. is received, and in answer to your inqui in that quarter where General Grant's army was rendering the best service in inexorably holding the forces of Lee the last strength of the rebellion-in an iron grasp, compelling inaction on the part of the rebel leader, while every day his skillful combinations, as Sherman overran the Carolinas, has-ries I beg to state I am merely a militened the inevitable fate of Richmond, and with the fall of its capital secured the ruin of the confederacy. The city of Savannah, after its occupation by General Sherman, was very quiet and orderly. His army, under excellent discipline, was a safeguard to the inhabitants. Secretary Stanton of the War Department, who visited the place in January, on his return to Washington reported, "the peace and order prevailing at Savannah since its occupation by General Sherman could not be surpassed. Few male inhabitants are to be seen on the streets. Ladies and children evince a sense of security. No instance of disorder, or personal iniury, or insults has occurred. Laboring men and mechanics, white and black, are seeking employment. The troops are cheerful and respectful toward every one, and seem to feel themselves much at home and on good behavior as if in their native towns." It was, in fact, the constant effort of General Sherman, in pursuance of the wise policy of the Government, to facilitate in every way by the exercise of a sound authority, the return of the State to its loyalty. The general good behavior of his army on its march was admitted, and tales of its cruelties which had been invented and circulated "to fire the Southern heart" were retracted by a portion of the rebel press. The State, pillaged by native marauders, evidently longed for repose, though it was still governed by the evil influences of the rebellion or the remaining power and authority of the rebel leaders. The question, however, of a return to the Union began to tary commander, and act only in that capacity; nor can I give any assurances or pledges affecting civil matters in the future. They will be adjusted by Congress when Georgia is again represented there as of old. Georgia is not out of the Union, and therefore the talk of reconstruction' appears to me inappropriate. Some of the people have been and still are in a state of revolt; and as long as they remain armed and organized, the United States must pursue them with armies, and deal with them according to military law. But as soon as they break up their armed organizations and return to their homes, I take it they will be dealt with by the civil courts. Some of the rebels in Georgia, in my judgment, deserve death, because they have committed murder and other crimes, which are punished with death by all civilized governments on earth. I think this was the course indicated by General Washington in reference to the Whiskey Insurrection, and a like principle seemed to be recognized at the time of the Burr Conspiracy. As to the Union of the States under our Government, we have the high authority of General Washington, who bade us be jealous and careful of it, and the still more emphatic words of General Jackson, The Federal Union, it must and shall be preserved.' Certainly Georgians cannot question the authority of such men, and should not suspect our motives, who are simply fulfilling their commands. Wherever necessary, force has been used to carry out that end; and you may rest assured that the Union will be preserved, cost GENERAL SHERMAN ON "RESTORATION." 527 the people of Georgia to act for themselves, and return, in time, to their duty to the Government of their fathers." To give protection to the inhabitants disposed to loyalty and aid in this return to the Union, General Sherman on the 14th of January issued the following order relating to the bands of guerrillas who devastated the State: "It being represented that the confederate army and armed bands of robbers, acting professedly under the authority of the confederate government, are harassing the people of Georgia and endeavoring to intimidate them in the efforts they are making to secure to themselves provisions, clothing, security to life and property, and the restoration of law and good government in the State, it is hereby ordered and made public: 1. That the farmers of Georgia may bring into Savannah, Fernandina or Jacksonville, Florida, marketing, such as beef, pork, mutton, vegetables of any kind, fish, etc., as well as cotton in small quantities, and sell the same in open market, except the cotton, which must be sold by or through the Treas what it may. And if you are sensible men you will conform to this order of things or else migrate to some other country. There is no other alternative open to the people of Georgia. My opinion is that no negotiations are necessary, nor commissioners, nor conventions, nor any thing of.the kind. Whenever the people of Georgia quit rebelling against their Government and elect members of Congress and Senators, and these go and take their seats, then the State of Georgia will have resumed her functions in the Union. These are merely my opinions, but in confirmation of them, as I think, the people of Georgia may well consider the following words referring to the people of the rebellious States, which I quote from the recent annual message of President Lincoln to Congress at its present session: 'They can at any moment have peace simply by laying down their arms and submitting to the national authority under the Constitution. After so much, the Government would not, if it could, maintain war against them. The loyal people would not sustain or allow it. If questions should remain, we would adjust them by the peaceful means of leg-ury agents, and may invest the proceeds islation, conference, courts and votes. Operating only in constitutional and lawful channels, some certain and other possible questions are and would be beyond the Executive power to adjust, as, for instance, the admission of members into Congress and whatever might require the appropriation of money. The President then alludes to the general pardon and amnesty offered for more than a year past, upon specified and more liberal terms, to all except certain designated classes, even these being "still within contemplation of special clemency,' and adds: 'It is still so open to all, but the time may come when public duty shall demand that it be closed, and that in lieu more vigorous measures than heretofore shall be adopted.' It seems to me that it is time for in family stores, such as bacon and flour, in any reasonable quantities, groceries, shoes and clothing, and articles not contraband of war, and carry the same back to their families. No tradestore will be attempted in the interior, or stocks of goods sold for them, but families may club together for mutual assistance and protection in coming and going. 2. The people are encouraged to meet together in peaceful assemblages, to discuss measures looking to their safety and good government, and the restoration of State and National authority, and will be protected by the National army while so doing; and all peaceable inhabitants who satisfy the commanding officers that they are earnestly laboring to that end, must not only be left undisturbed in property |