"The dam across the James at this point was also partially destroyed. "I have had no opposition. Everybody is bewildered by our movements. I have had no news of any kind since I left. "The latest Richmond paper was of the 4th, but contained nothing. "I omitted to mention that the bridges on the railroad from Swoop's Depot, on the other side of Staunton, to Charlottesville, were utterly destroyed; also all bridges for a distance of ten miles on the Gordonsville Railroad. "The weather has been very bad indeed, raining hard every day, with the exception of four days, since we started. My wagons have, from the state of the roads, detained me. "Up to the present time we have captured fourteen pieces of artillery-eleven at Waynesboro and three at Charlottesville. "The party that I sent back from Waynesboro started with six pieces, but they were obliged to destroy two of the six for want of animals. The remaining eight pieces were thoroughly destroyed. "We have captured, up to the present time, twelve canal-boats laden with supplies, ammunition, rations, medical stores, &c. "I cannot speak in too high terms of Generals Merritt, Custer, and Devin, and the officers and men of their commands. They have waded through mud and water during this continuous rain, and are all in fine spirits and health. "Commodore Hollins, of the rebel navy, was shot near Gordonsville, while attempting to make his escape from our advance in that direction. "Very respectfully, your obedient servant, FORT FISHER. "P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General Commanding." [The universal interest excited by the capture of the "impregnable" Fort Fisher prompts us to place on record, for future history, the following letter and sketch of the work, by General Comstock, the chief engineer of the expeditionary army.— ED.] HEAD-QUARTERS UNITED STATES FORCES, SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of engineer operations in connection with the capture of Fort Fisher, together with a sketch of that work, and another of the country in its vicinity. Fort Fisher is situated on the peninsula between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, about a mile and a half northeast of Federal Point. For five miles north of Federal Point, this peninsula is sandy and low, not rising more than fifteen feet above high tide, the interior abounding in fresh-water swamps, often wooded and almost impassable, while much of the dry land, till one gets within half a mile of Fort Fisher, is covered with wood, or low undergrowth, except a strip about three hundred yards wide along the sea-shore. The landing of the troops composing the expedition was effected on the sea-beach, about five miles north of Fort Fisher, on January 12, and Paine's Division was at once pushed across the Cape Fear River, with instructions to take up a line to be held against any attack from the direction of Wilmington. This line, on the morning of January 13, was already defensible, and was further strengthened during the day; while, on the 14th, a second line was laid out, and begun under charge of Lieutenant J. H. Price in rear of its left. Pioneer companies were organized in Ames's and Paine's Divisions, and as during the 14th the fire of the rebel gunboat Chickamauga killed and wounded a number of our men, Lieutenant O. Kuffe, with his company of the 15th Regiment New York Volunteer Engineers, was directed to build a battery for two 30-pounder Parrotts on the bank of the river, to keep her off. On the afternoon of January 14th, a reconnoissance was pushed, under the direction of the Major-General Commanding, to within five hundred yards of Fort Fisher, a small advanced work being taken possession of. This was at once turned into a defensive line to be held against any attempt from Fort Fisher. The reconnoissance showed that the palisading in front of the work had been seriously injured by the navy fire; only nine guns could be seen on the land-front where sixteen had been counted on Christmas Day; the steady, though not rapid fire of the navy, prevented the enemy from using either artillery or musketry on the reconnoitering party; it seemed probable that troops could be got within two hundred yards of the work without serious loss, and it was a matter of great doubt whether the necessary ammunition could be supplied by the open beach if regular approaches were determined on. It was decided to assault, and the assault was made on the 15th, at half-past three P. M., after three hours of heavy navy fire, by three deployed brigades following one another at intervals of about three hundred yards, and each making its final rush for the west end of the land-face, from a rough rifle-pit, about three hundred yards from the work. At the point attacked, the palisading was less injured than elsewhere, it being partially hidden, and it was necessary to use axes to cut, and timbers to batter it down, in order that the troops might pass readily through it. Powder-sacks for blowing these palisades down had been prepared, but were not used. After seven hours' fighting, gaining traverse by traverse, the work was won. Fort Fisher consists of two fronts-the first, or land-front, running across the peninsula at this point, seven hundred yards wide, is four hundred and eighty yards in length, while the second, or sea-front, runs from the right of the first parallel to the beach to the Mound Battery-a distance of thirteen hundred yards. The landfront is intended to resist any attack from the north; the sea-front to prevent any of our naval vessels from running through New Inlet, or landing troops on Federal Point. 1. Land-Front. This front consists of a half bastion on the left, or Cape Fear River side, connected by a curtain with a bastion on the ocean side. The parapet is twenty-five feet thick, averages twenty feet in height, with traverses rising ten feet above it and running back on their tops, which were from eight to twelve feet in thickness, to a distance of from thirty to forty feet from the interior crest. The traverses on the left half bastion were about twenty-five feet in length on the top. The earth for this heavy parapet, and the enormous traverses at their inner ends, more than thirty feet in height, was obtained partly from a shallow exterior ditch, but mainly from the interior of the work. Between each pair of traverses there was one or two guns. The traverses on the right of this front were only partially completed. A palisade, which is loopholed and has a banquette, runs in front of this face at a distance of about fifty feet in front of the foot of the exterior slope from the Cape Fear River to the ocean, with a position for a gun between the left of the front and the river, and another between the right of the front and the ocean. Through the middle traverse on the curtain was a bomb-proof postern, whose exterior opening was covered by a small redan for two field-pieces, to give flank fire along the curtain. The traverses were generally bomb-proofed for men or magazines. The slopes of the work appear to have been revetted with marsh sod, VOL. III.-25 or covered with grass, and to have had an inclination of forty-five degrees, or a little less. On those slopes most exposed to navy fire the revetement or grassing has been entirely destroyed, and the inclination reduced to thirty degrees. The ends of traverses as they rise above the parapet are very ragged. Still, all damage done to the earthwork can be readily repaired, its strength being about the same as before the bombardment. The damage done by the navy fire was, first to the palisades, which were so injured as in most places to be little obstacle to assaulting troops; second, to guns and carriages. There were originally on the front twentyone guns and three mortars. Of these, three-fourths were rendered unserviceable by injuries to either gun or carriage. The gun in the right bastion, the field-pieces in front of the postern, and one or two mortars, were used against the assaulting troops. There was a formidable system of torpedoes, two hundred yards in advance of this front, the torpedoes being about eighty feet apart, and each containing about one hundred pounds of powder. They were connected with the fort by three sets of wires; fortunately the sets leading directly to those over which the army and navy columns moved had been cut by shells, and no torpedo was exploded. 2. Sea-Front. This front consists of a series of batteries, mounting in all twentyfour guns, the different batteries being connected by a strong infantry parapet, so as to form a continuous line. The same system of heavy traverses for the protection of the guns, is used as on the land-front, and these traverses are also generally bomb-proofed. Captain N. Adams, 4th New Hampshire Volunteers, and First Lieutenant J. H. Price, 4th United States Colored Troops, commanding pioneer companies of Ames's and Paine's Divisions, and First Lieutenant K. S. O. Kuffe, commanding company of 15th New York Volunteer Engineers, have, with their commands, been of great service in the construction of batteries and defensive works. First Lieutenant A. H. Knowlton, 4th New Hampshire Volunteers, has rendered valuable assistance in making sketches of Fort Fisher; as also private Schultze, 15th New York Volunteer Engineers. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major A. TERRY, A. A. G. C. B. COMSTOCK. Lieut.-Col. and Brev. Brig.-Gen., Chief Engineer. It may be added that in thirty bomb-proofs and magazines and their passages, there were fourteen thousand five hundred feet of floor space, not including the main magazine, which was exploded, and whose demensions are unknown. OBITUARY. BRIGADIER-GENERAL T. E. G. RANSOM. BY A COMPANION-IN-ARMS. "In war was never lion raged more fierce: In peace was never gentle lamb more mild."-SHAKSPEARE. C. B. C. AMONG the most prominent actors of the West, in what has been so well called "this fearfully glorious present,"- -one of the most brilliant young captains in our army, and one who certainly had no superior of his years in the volunteer service, stood THOMAS EDWARD GREENFIELD RANSOM, who possessed, to a greater degree than ordinarily falls to the lot of man, the respect and love of all who knew him. Lieutenant-General Grant once said of him "he is my best fighting man." The fields and fortresses of eight States, in which he led the invincible legions of Illinois, who with "Nerves of steel and hearts of oak," |