The armies in the field, in the spring of 1864, numbered nearly six hun dred thousand men ;* and so great were the losses during the year, that at its close, notwithstanding nine hundred thousand men had been called for, the numbers remained about the same. The military supplies produced during the year included one thousand seven hundred and fifty pieces of ordnance, two thousand three hundred and sixty-one artillery carriages and caissons, eight hundred and two thousand five hundred and twenty-five small-arms, seven hundred and ninety-four thousand and fifty-five sets of accoutrements and harness, one million six hundred and seventy-four thousand two hundred and forty-four projectiles for cannon, twelve million seven hundred and forty thousand one hundred and forty-six pounds of bullets and lead, eight million four hundred and nine thousand four hundred pounds of gunpowder, one hundred and sixty-nine millions four hundred and ninety thousand and twenty-nine cartridges for small-arms. These were complete articles, in addition to large quantities of the same kind of supplies partially made up at the arsenals. The ordnance supplies furnished to the military service during the year included one thousand one hundred and forty-one pieces of ordnance, one thousand eight hundred and ninetysix artillery carriages and caissons, four hundred and fifty-five thousand nine hundred and ten small arms, five hundred and two thousand and forty-four sets of accoutrements and harness, one million nine hundred and thirteen thousand seven hundred and fifty-three projectiles for cannon, seven million six hundred and twenty-four thousand six hundred and eighty-five pounds of bullets and lead, four hundred and sixty-four thousand five hundred and forty-nine pounds of artillery ammunition, one hundred and twenty-five thousand and sixty-seven sets of horse equipments, one hundred and twelve million eighty-seven thousand five hundred and fifty-three cartridges for small-arms, seven million five hundred and forty-four thousand and forty-four pounds of gunpowder. These supplies were in addition to large quantities of parts provided for repairs in the field. The forces of the rebels at the commencement of 1864 did not much exceed three hundred and fifty thousand men, of whom they lost during the year probably two hundred thousand. In the same period they were enabled, by strenuous exertions, to recruit one hundred thousand men. Of these probably one hundred thousand were with Lee at Richmond, and the others detached under Hood, Beauregard, and other generals. Under these circumstances, the necessity of arming the negroes or employing them as soldiers was apparent, and the head of the rebel government recommended that course with the advice of General Lee, but the measure was not promptly acted upon, and never had any practical result. The year 1864, therefore, for the rebels, approached its close without any apparent means of raising more men to offset the new levies called for by President Lincoln to invigorate the movements of Thomas, Sherman, and Grant. The troops that had returned from the Fort Fisher expedition were re-enforced at Fortress Monroe, and, as the Government was by no means satisfied with the first attempt, almost immediately prepared for a renewal of the movement. General Butler was, early in January, relieved from the command of the Army of the James, and General Terry succeeded to the command of the expeditionary force, numbering somewhat over eight thousand men, and comprising Ames's Second Division of the Twenty-fourth Corps, and Hawley's Second Brigade (now under Abbott) of Terry's First Division, and Paine's Division of the Twenty-fifth (colored) Corps, with Myrick's and Lee's Batteries. These went on board transports, and on the night of the 5th and the morn ing of the 6th of January, left Fortress Monroe to co-operate with Admiral Porter's fleet, then off Beaufort. After some detentions, oc casioned by the weather, the fleet, on the 13th, moved upon Fort Fisher in five divisions, Admiral Porter opened the bombardment by sending the iron-clad column, with the New Ironsides at its head, directly upon Fort Fisher. At half-past seven A. M., the forts opened on them as they approached, but they quietly took up their old positions within one thousand yards of Fort Fisher, and began to fire about half-past eight. The landing of the troops commenced at nine o'clock, from all the transports, some of the men eagerly jumping into the water, waist deep. In about an hour, enough troops were landed to push out a skirmish line, and all the force designed for the attack was ashore before three P. M., when they took possession of Half Moon Battery. Before four, the troops started down the beach towards Fort Fisher, with skirmishers out. At dusk, they had paused, out of range of Fort Fisher. Under cover of the darkness, however, they moved on again, and, at ten P. M., their camp-fires showed the long bivouac line across the sand-spit, about two miles from the fort. Their right flank seemed to be well covered by a sort of lagoon, running between it and the woods beyond. The enemy's two gunboats, the Tallahassee and the Chickamauga, shelled our lines from Cape Fear River. During the eight hours' action, the iron-clads showered shells upon the devoted fort at the rate of four per minute. The whole number of shells thrown by iron-clads and wooden vessels was computed at four per second. During the night, the enemy was re-enforced and the place strengthened. The 14th was occupied by the Union troops in building breastworks between the Cape Fear River and the sea, and the 15th was fixed for the assault. As a force of the enemy, about five thousand strong, under Hoke, was threatening to relieve the place from Wilmington, Abbott's Brigade was placed in the intrenchments facing that direction. Ames's Division was drawn up to assault the west end of the fort, the most difficult and arduous point. A column of fourteen hundred sailors and marines, under Captain Breese, was detailed from the fleet to assault the sea front, which had been so terribly demolished by the bombardment that it was thought a lodgment might more easily be effected there. At daybreak, the iron vessels, the Brooklyn, and the eleven-inch gunboats commenced a terrible fire, under cover of which, Ames moved his men up to within one hundred and fifty yards of the fort. At ten, all the rest of the fleet joined in the tremendous cannonade, which was kept up, almost without intermission, until three P. M., when the ships changed their fire from the path of the assaulting columns to other works. At half-past three P. M., the signal for the assault was made. The gallant column from the fleetdashed at the sea front with desperate energy, and gained the parapet. But after a short conflict and heavy loss it was checked and driven back in disorder. When re-formed, it was sent to the defensive or Wilmington line, to take the place of Abbott's Brigade, which had joined Ames. The attack on the sea front, though a failure, diverted a part of the enemy's attention, and made the attack of the main storming column by so much the easier. Promptly at the word of command, our gallant column of between three thousand and four thousand men, principally of the old Tenth Corps, rushed upon the works. The enemy's force in the fort was over two thousand two hundred strong. Colonel Curtis led the attack, and, after a splendid assault, effected a lodgment on the west end of the land front. Pennypacker instantly followed with his brigade, and then Bell with his. Every one of these leaders fell wounded, the former severely, the second dangerously, and Bell mortally. At five o'clock, after the most desperate fighting, foot by foot, and with the severest loss, we got possession of about half the land front. Then Abbott came up from the defensive line, the marines taking his place. Once more the attack went on. At ten o'clock, after six and a half hours of splendid fighting, the last trenches were cleared of the enemy, and Fort Fisher was ours. General Whitney and Colonel Lamb, the commanders of the fort, with their officers and men-over eighteen hundred in all-surrendered unconditionally about twelve at night. All the works south of Fort Fisher fell also into our hands. The enemy's loss was, first, Fort Fisher and all its chain of outworks, with all their contents-seventy-two guns, some of large calibre and rifled, and one Armstrong gun-and the camp and garrison equipage and stores, including sixteen days' rations; second, the loss of Cape Fear River and its facilities for running the blockade; third, a garrison of two thousand two hundred men, of whom four hundred were killed and wounded, and eighteen hundred captured. General Whitney and Colonel Lamb were wounded On our side, not a ship nor a transport was lost, and but little damage was done to the fleet. Our loss in officers and men was very largesomething over one thousand in all, of which about nine hundred fell upon the army, and two hundred on the fleet. Among these were Colonels Bell and Moore, and Lieutenant-Colonel Lyman, killed, and Colonels Curtis, Pennypacker, and Lieutenant-Colonel Coan, badly wounded. In the fleet, Lieutenants Preston and Porter were killed, and Lieutenants Lamson, Bache, and others wounded. By some mismanagement the magazine blew up, killing about three hundred of the garrison. The official numerical reports of casualties sustained by our forces in the fight are appended : CHAPTER LXXIII. Capture of Remaining Defences on Cape Fear River.-Schofield Ordered from Tennessee.-Fort Anderson Taken.--Occupation of Wilmington.-Movement or. Kinston.Goldsboro.-Gillmore before Charleston.-Evacuation of the City by Hardee.--Flag Restored to Fort Sumter.-Sheridan in the Valley.-His Raid.-Great Destruction of Rebel Property.-Joins Meade. THE holding of the ports on the Cape Fear River was regarded by General Lee as of vital consequence to his position at Richmond; nevertheless, on the fall of Fort Fisher it became apparent that the other places could not be defended. On the 16th of January, the enemy blew up Forts Caswell and Campbell, and abandoned them and the works on Smith's Island, also those at Smithville and Reeves's Point, which were occupied by the navy. The whole number of guns captured exceeded one hundred and fifty. A large number of small-arms also fell into our hands, besides quantities of ordnance and commissary stores. On the 18th, General Paine reconnoitred in force towards Wilmington, and found the enemy about two miles distant. After a slight skirmish he fell back to his intrenchments. On the 19th, one of our dispatch boats was severely handled by the guns of Fort St. Philip, on the south bank of the river, and forced to return. The same day, General Paine made another reconnoissance, found the enemy as before, two miles distant, had another severe skirmish, and retired. The forts which fell into the hands of the navy, up to January 21, and subsequently to the fall of Fisher, were officially reported as follows: Reeves's Point-Two ten-inch guns. Above Smithville-Two ten-inch guns. Fort Caswell-Ten ten-inch guns, two nine-inch, one Armstrong, and four thirty-twos (rifled), two thirty-twos (smooth), three eightinch, one Parrott (twenty-pounder), three rifled field-pieces, three guns (bored)-twenty-nine guns. Forts Campbell and Shaw-Six ten-inch, six thirty-twos (smooth), one thirty-two (rifled), one eight-inch, six field-pieces, two mortars -twenty-two guns. Smith's Island-Three ten-inch, six thirty-twos (smooth), two thirtytwos (rifled), four field-pieces, two mortars-seventeen guns. Reported at the other end of Smith's Island, six guns. Total captured, eighty-three guns. Wilmington, to which the enemy had gradually fallen back, as the force accummulated in their front, was defended by General Bragg. While these events were occurring, General Schofield, who, with the Twenty-third Army Corps, was on his way to Eastport, Missis sippi, received orders to proceed with his troops to North Carolina. At that time the Department of North Carolina was created, and |