Capture Of Fort Fisher

Washington, Jan. 17. To Maj. Gen. Dix; The following official dispatches hare just beea reoeivad Rt thia Dopartment; ÏÏICADQUARTER8 U. S. FoKCES, On Federal Point, N. C, Jan. 15t.h, via I''ortrpsa Alonree, Jan. 17tli. ) To Brig. Gen. J. A. Rawlini : Gbnehal - I have ihé honor to report that Fort Fisher was carried by assault this p. m. and evoning Ly General Ames' Diviáion aud the 2d brigade of the lst división of the 2-tth army corpa, gallantly aidod by a battalion of marinos aod seamen from the Navy. Tho aasault was preceded by a heavy bom'oardment from the fleet, aud was made at 3:30 p. u., when tho first brigado (Curtía,) of Ames' División, effected a lodgment upon tho parapet, bnt full possession of the work was not obtained till 10 p m. The behavior of bot!) offioer3 and men was most admirable. All the works south cf Fort Fiöhor are now ocoupied by our troops. We have not less than 1,200 prisoners, iuoluding General Wliiting and Colen! I Laiiib, the commandant of Ibe Fort. I regret to say that our losa is ssvere eg pocially ia. officers. I am notyetable to form any estimate of the uuniber of oas ualties. (Signed) ALFRED Iï. TEERT, Brevet Msj Gen. Commaiiding Expedition. Fort Fisher, Jan. 1G- 2 a. m. After a careful reconnoissauco on tha 14th, it was deoidcd to risk an assault on Fort Fisher. Paiue'a División, with Col. Abbott's Brigsde, wero to hold our liüe, already strong, across tbo peuinaula od facing Wilmingion againat Hoke, wbile Ames' División should assault on the west end. After threo. bours heavy navy firing the assault was made at 3 p. m. on tbo 15th, Curtís' Brigade led, and ae oon aa it was on tha west end' of tha land front, it was follovved by Pennibaoker's, and tbo lattar by Rell's. Aftor desperate fightiug, gainiug foot by foot, and sevére logg, at 5 p. m. w bad pos sesión of about half tho land front. - Abbott's Brigado was then taken from our line faoiog Wilmicgton, and put iuto Fort Fisber, and. on pushing t forward at 10 p. m. it took tho rest of tho work with li tile resis'ance, the garrison falliug back to tlie extreme of the pemnsula, where they were followed and captured ! - arnong othera Gen. Whiting and Col. Lamb, botli wöimded. I think wa havo fjuite 1,000 prisoners. I hope.our own losa niay not exceed 500, but it is impo3iible to judgo in tho night. Among the wounded are tb coramanderg of the hree leading brigaaesGen. Ourtisbeing wouaded, not severely, but Cols. Penni acker and Bel!, dangerously. The land 'ront was a formidable one, tho parapet n plaoes 14 or 15 feet high, but the men went at it nobíj under a severe muekotry ire. The marines and aailora went up gallantly, but tbe mubketry fire from tha oast end of the lünd front was so severe hat they (lid nofe suocecd in entering tlia work. Tho navy fire on the work, judgag from the holes, must have been terrifio. Many of the guDg were injured. 3ow many thero were on the point I oannot eav - perhaps 30 or 40. (Signad) C. B. COMSTOCK, Lieut. Col. A. D. C. and Chief Engineer. Another dispatoh eatiraates.lhe number of prisoDers captured at 2,500, and the nuruber of guus at 72. General Grant elegraphs to this Department thafc in lonor of this great triumph, aehieved by ha united valor of the army and navy, in has ordered a salute of 100 guD8 to ae fired by oach of the arinies opcrating agaiust Riohmond. (.Signed) C. A. DANA, Aast. Seo'y of War. Baltimore, Jan. 18. The fo!lowDg is taken froin the oorraspondenc oí the American, dated oif Fort Finhsr, January 16 : The fight lasted eight hours, being a desperate haud to hand strirgsjle. Esoh of the seveüteon raounds and embrasuras were taken in succession after the most fierco eiicouotera, in whioh beoatombs of dead and wounded were adder! to thoso that already lined tbe fort. SufRce it to eay by vvay of preíace toa detailod aocount, that notwitbstanding the fort had been strengthened and reinforced to trebla the garrison vvhich Gen. Butler decided could not be taken, it is now in our possessioo, with eeventy-four cannon, 2,000 living prisoners, and 700 dead, and that our gunboutti havu to-day sailed up the Capo Pear Kiver, driving before them tbe pirates Chbkamauga and Tallahassee, effectually closiug it to blookade running, and stopping tho only cbaunel tho rebels had left for muüitions ot war.