[Inclosure No. 9.] FORT MONROE, December 10, 1864—noon. Lieutenant-General GRANT: Has been blowing a gale ever since we arrived; is clearing up a little. We are all ready waiting for the navy. Any news from Warren or Sherman? B. F. BUTLER, [Inclosure No. 10.] Major-General. Lieutenant-General GRANT: FORT MONROE, December 11, 1864. Gale still continues; clouds just breaking away; all ready and waiting. One of Mulford's steamers justin. Charleston Mercury of December 6 says: "Sherman was reported yesterday at Station No. 6 on the Georgia road, about sixty miles from Savannah, making for that city." No other news; have telegraphed this to Secretary of War. BENJ. F. BUTLER, [Inclosure No. 11.] Major-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Major-General BUTLER, Fortress Monroe: Richmond papers of the 10th show that on the 7th Sherman was east of the Ogeechee, and within twenty-five miles of Savannah, having marched eighteen the day before. If you do not get off immediately you will lose the chance of surprise and weak garrison. U. S. GRANT, [Inclosure No. 12. ] HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Major-General BUTLER, Fortress Monroe, Va. : What is the prospect for getting your expedition started? It is a great pity we were not ten or twelve days earlier. I am confident it would then have been successful. Have you heard from Palmer? The Richmond papers give no account of any Federals on the Roanoke or Weldon road south of Weldon. U. S. GRANT, [Inclosure No. 13.] ON BOARD BEN DE FORD, Fort Monroe, December 14, 1864-10.35 a. m. Lieutenant-General GRANT: Admiral Porter started yesterday. Transport fleet are at Cape Henry. I am just starting. The weather for the last six days has been such that it would be useless to be on the coast. Expedition left Plymouth Wednesday last. You will remember that you have cut communication between Weldon and Petersburg. Everything is off in the best time possible. ADDENDA. B. F. BUTLER, Major-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Lieut. Col. C. B. COMSTOCK, Aide-de-Camp: COLONEL: You will forward by Captain Robinett, aide-de-camp, the statements of Lieut. George W. Ross, and the other officers and men made to you (and which you read to the lieutenant-general), concerning the condition of Fort Fisher during the attack on it, on the 25th day of December, 1864. In the event you have not these statements with you, or that they are where they cannot be got at, you will please procure the statements anew and send them, together with any similar information you may be able to obtain. Captain Robinett will return as soon as you deliver to him such dispatches on this subject as you may have to forward. By command: JNO. A. RAWLINS, Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff. General J. A. RAWLINS, HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, Chief of Staff : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of January 15, 1865, directing the return of the statements of certain officers and soldiers in reference to Fort Fisher. The papers are returned herewith by Captain Robinett. Very respectfully, C. B. COMSTOCK, Lieutenant-Colonel and Aide-de-Camp, Bvt. Brigadier-General. Second Lieut. George Simpson, One hundred and forty-second New York Volunteers, acting aide-de-camp, on the staff of Brevet BrigadierGeneral Curtis, says: Was on the skirmish line in front of Fort Fisher. Fort Fisher has a bastioned front on the seashore; a straight curtain extends nearly down to the river from the northeast bastion of the works. Captured a mule within fifteen or twenty paces of the work. Left of the curtain from the northwest bastion of the work nearly to Cape Fear River was a line of works, with abatis in front except across the road; don't know how far the abatis extended. There was a ditch on the land front of the work. The ditch I think was about twelve feet wide and about six or seven feet deep. Did not notice a glacis. The scarf and counterscarf were not very steep. They had a slope of about 45 degrees. Don't know whether the ditch was revetted. The relief of the work was from six to eight feet high. The profile of the work is such that I think I could run over it. From the end of the land curtain to the river was about ten or twelve rods. I thought there was a marsh in this interval, but not covering the whole interval. I saw the rebels working two guns on the sea front. I think I could take troops into the work through the interval between the work and Cape Fear River. First Lieut. George W. Ross, aide-de-camp on the staff of Brevet Brigadier-General Curtis, says: Was on the skirmish line. Mr. Simpson's statement covers everything I can say excepting that I differ with him in the height of the parapet. I think it was higher than he states. I think it ten feet at least. I think the curtain extends across the road; that the road enters the work by a sally-port. The curtain does not extend all the way to Cape Fear River. I think that troops could march into the work through this interval. I saw Fort Wagner; I would rather assault Fort Fisher from what I saw. I think that the One hundred and forty-second New York Volunteers could have marched in and taken the work. From all that I saw the rebels seemed to be very much demoralized. There were no rebels on guard up to the time that General Curtis and his staff moved with the flag off the fort; from that time out a slight fire was continued. I saw no abatis on the Cape Fear side of the road. I was sanguine that the work could be taken. First. Lieut. W. H. Walling, One hundred and forty-second New York Volunteers, says: Was on the skirmish line; took the flag of Fort Fisher from the angle nearest Cape Fear River. The work returns from this angle, but I do not know that it is entirely inclosed. I saw no rebels. The fire of the navy cut the flag-staff; it fell on the parapet. In front of the ditch on the land side was a stockade seven or eight feet in height extending to the marshy banks of Cape Fear River, excepting across the Wilmington road. I went through an opening in this stockade, made by the naval fire, to get the flag. The relief of the parapet was about fifteen feet in height. The traverses seemed to be about from five to seven feet higher. There was a little standing water in the ditch. The ditch was from fifteen to twenty feet wide. The scarf and counterscarf were not revetted and were not very steep. There was no berme. I don't think the garrison was demoralized. There were two field guns bearing up the Wilmington road, in rear of the stockade. When the navy ceased firing the parapet was lined with troops. John W. White, sergeant, Company G, One hundred and forty-second New York Volunteers, says: A Was on the skirmish line within a few yards of the ditch near Cape Fear River. I think the work could have been taken by going along the road. I do not think the work was inclosed from what I saw. stockade extended from the road up to the marsh. The stockade was injured in several places by the naval fire so that a body of men could go through. James Spring, private, Company G, One hundred and forty-second New York Volunteers, says: Was within a rod and a half of the work and started to get the flag, when I was ordered back. The ditch was considerably filled up by the fire of the navy. A column of troops could get over the ditch by trying hard. A body of troops could not be marched in the work between the Cape Fear River and the stockade; to secure this the stockade makes a return. The relief of the work is about seventeen feet high. Henry Blair, private, Company F, One hundred and forty-second New York Volunteers, says: I acted as sharpshooter in front of the skirmish line; was within fifteen yards of the sally-port of the work; looked in and saw a bombproof with men in it. I fired into the bomb-proof, then took cover alongside of the corduroy road, and took further observations. I saw two more bomb-proofs with men in them. I think the ditch was about fifteen feet wide and not deep. I think the parapet was fifteen feet high. I think that a column of troops could have gone into the works by the sally-port. I saw no obstacle to prevent it. The stockade runs to Cape Fear River. I think the stockade was about five or six feet high. I saw no damage made by the naval fire. There was no sentinel that I could see on the work. [Indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, City Point, Va., February 2, 1865. Respectfully forwarded to the Secretary of War with the request that these papers be filed with Major-General Butler's report of the expedition against Fort Fisher, N. C., as statements appended to said report by me. I should have appended them when I forwarded the report, but Lieutenant-Colonel Comstock, aide-de-camp, to whom they were made, was absent on the second expedition against the fort and had them with him. These statements of the officers and men named were reduced to writing immediately after the return of unsuccessful expedition against Fort Fisher, and were handed to Colonel Comstock about the 2d day of January, 1865. General Butler, before ordering the re-embarkation and return of the expedition he assumed to command, might have had within information, and it was his duty, before giving such orders, to have known the results of the reconnaissance, which could have been most satisfactorily learned from those most in advance. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. LOWELL, MASS., February 22, 1865. Major-General WHITING, Provisional Army, C. S.: SIR: I requested a short time ago Lieutenant Davenport, a young gentleman serving upon my staff, to call upon you and obtain some particulars concerning the condition of Fort Fisher and its surroundings at the time of the demonstration of the Federal forces under my command against it from the 16th to the 27th of December last. From its subsequent capture, and other new dispositions of the forces on both sides, I venture to conjecture that you would have no difficulty in furnishing me with the information I desired. I had not heard before of the severity of your wound and the critical condition of your health, or I would not have troubled you at that time upon this subject, although of some importance and interest to myself. I learn, however, from Lieutenant Davenport, that you are intending soon to make your official report to your Government, and therefore I trust I am not intrusive or annoying in desiring your answers, as specially as your memory and data will allow, to the questions herewith appended, which I have put in direct form, partly to save you trouble, and still more specially in order to bring out the exact facts, which at some time may be needed for the purposes of justice. This is also in accordance with your wish 62 R R-VOL XLII, PT I expressed to Lieutenant Davenport, that any questions which I desired to have you answer might be placed upon paper in some specific form. Will you please state, therefore First. What was the number of the garrison of Fort Fisher on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of December last, designating the regiments or battalions? Second. What portion, if any, of the regular garrison of the fort had been sent south? Third. What reserves or co-operating [force] were there, if any, and how near to the fort were they? Fourth. What, if any, force was at Wilmington at that time? Fifth. Please give the day of the week or month when you first became aware of the presence of the Federal fleet either of transports, or of naval vessels, and what vessels did you observe first. Sixth. At what time did any re-enforcements either from the Army of Northern Virginia or elsewhere reach Wilmington or its neighborhood? Seventh. How near did the powder-boat which exploded come to the fort? Eighth. Were you in the fort at that time? Ninth. Was the powder-boat observed, and, if so, what, if any, was the effect of the explosion? Tenth. At the time of the explosion of the powder-boat how many men were there in the fort? Eleventh. What was the effect of the naval fire of the first day upon the fort? Twelfth. How many and what guns did it dismount or disable? Thirteenth. Please state whether or not, and, if so, how much of the damage done to the fort by the fire of the navy was repaired during the night. Fourteenth. By reason of the cessation of bombardment at night were you not able to rest and recruit your garrison? Fifteenth. At the time of the landing where was the supporting force, if any, to the fort? Sixteenth. Were there any re-enforcements brought into the fort between the time of the explosion of the powder-boat and our landing? If so, please state what and when. Seventeenth. At the time our skirmish line was deployed before the fort what was the condition of the guns and defenses upon the land side as to efficiency for defensive purposes? Eighteenth. In view of the condition of the fort and its garrison, would it have been possible with either 3,000 or 6,000 men to have taken the work by assault? (NOTE.-In answering this question please give as many of the details for the reasons you may give as possible.) Nineteenth. Please state whether with a force holding the beach, from the nature of the ground and from the configuration of the channel of Cape Fear River, it would have been possible for the Confederates to have re-enforced or provisioned the fort to any extent. Twentieth. How did the strength of the garrison at the time of the first attack compare with the strength of the garrison at the time of the second attack? Twenty-first. In view of the condition of the weather immediately following the demonstration of the 25th of December, and in view of the force that might have concentrated upon the peninsula, as well above as below the place of landing, would it in your judgment have been |