Letter From Admiral Potter

Nurth Atrfeuftic Squadiun, } United Statws Flngshi Malven), Ofl SmiibTilW, N C, Jan. 30, (J65, ) Tu my lust, 1 tiiformed you tbat BW Cuswell had been blown up and evacu atcd, in uonsuquence of the fall of' Fort Kii-her. 1 scut Licut, Cuáhing uround tlio wekten) bur in tho Moutioello, lo ssccrtaiu wlnit liad laiiiMi place, and to obt-i'ut uid frons the officers ol Ü)o New Vork niid V.oksbui-}. Licut. Gushii.g did iiot ohtain tlie uid he required, tor wl;at reneon I havo not le.u-ned, but willi liiti usual energ he jsushed m and foimd Foi t Caswi'll liad betn blown ). liuú Head Fort was di-atroyi-d. F. rt 81aw iitid Fort Campbell, to tliö west of Caswell, eie abandoncd. All these fort a inounted 9 and 10 inch guus, aud Armstroi:g 150 pouuders. Jyietit Oabhing ihea pushcd iulo Smithville, afier hoisting tlio fiag of the Union over Ciiswell. The next tliing 1 f-av was ihe fliig waving over iiiilhville, wbich the rtbols had left n a hur i y, after ttiey s:iw our boats approaohiug, K-uviiig everyihinp in the beau ilul fort uiiii.jured ; two 9-inch guns only were epiked. .Dep water lüiviuyr occurred in tlio meautiuie, lie sucoteded 'iti getting one boat, tlie ïacony, over the iuleiior bar, aua seul lier to Rcevew' Poiut to disiible the guna st that pluce, about three miles on the wost aide cf the river ftbove Furt FUber Tliua in tvven'y four bours after the fall of r or; r isiier, aud lts outworks, f 11 tlie fcimidable cliain of f'orls iu the rivtr l its en tranco, built to keep out every tliiDg, have tallen int o our hands. Thev are gamsoned for the preseut wilh s'iilor. 1 eau scarcely give a deseription of thefe wuiks. Tliey ure certainly thü moHt foimidablo und best built earlhworka I ever saw, and give credit f o the engineer who plunued ihcm. Fort Canwell is ot the saiue Khape as before it feil into rebel hands, exct'pt that the rebels have covered iis walls with earth on the outaide, and made tbem almist iiupervious to shot tind shelI. It is iu uiatiy repecta strouger thuu Fort Fistier and harder to take by assault, still it could be taken, and the rebels knew it.' ïhree or four guuboats outside would soon liave startcd them"out. I have had greiit difRcul'y in getting tho last oue tbruugh The rebels let't pleniy of good stores and piovisions, and our men are submuting on iliem. I gend you a list of' fnrta that. have fallón since Fort Fisher, with the nunibí aud calibro cf tfieir guiis. Wê have found here in euoh fort au Armstioug gun with the broad anow on it, and the name, Sir Wm. Arrnstrong, marked in full. As the British Goverumeut claims the exclusive right to use these guus, it would be iuteresting to knovv how tbey cauio into the forts held by Southern rebels. I find lliat great quautities of j.rovisious, s'otes, uud cloibing bave come tiiroagb this port. I am almost afraid to meniiim the Itmount, bat it is euougl) to sup.ly 60,000 meu. It is all lingüsij, and thcy huve r'eceived tbei( l.ist cargo. We piekcd up a telegrain from Gen. I!. E. Lee to liis .-ubordiimte heve, sajïiig that. if Forts Fisher aiidjCaswell were iiot held, he would have to evacúate lliehnioiid. Ho siys mort trui y, and I sli"!j:d uot be at all surprised if he lef; il al aav lüoiTteiit. We h;ive pleivv ut' foroe to hoid ibis j!ao Bgainat the whole Cotrfuderaey.. I have 23U güas bearing Ou the itarrort strip of land here our ■ troops are beavily iutrencbed. Tliere uíü v.sbcls in the rivcr aul uatsiiie of' it. Ten thouBMiid meu in Fort Fisher, witb tiiu puna of Uie squudroa, would lmiu iliis placo u long Unie. We fiud llús a botter placo to catch btüokado runners Üiau outsule. I had t iio bl'ickado runnor's liglits sot laa' !iifbt, and was oliliging enough to answur their -guals, wbfcther itght or wrong. Two, thu Stag aud Cbarlotto, froin Bermuda, luaded witb anns, blüiiket?, ftioea, etc, eto , camo o and iiuclioied netir tlie Maivero, and were taken posde-sion of. Tb o Stug was curnmaudt;'.! by Richard W. Guile, Licutonant ui tli rebc-! uavy, aad bolones to (du rebel goTerumeut. A iiuinbcr mnru are exp.ctod, and we will, I bopo, cütcb a portioü (.f iheiii. I entrusted tbis duij to Lieutctutnt Cusbi.n, wbo peiforrned it witb his n.-u;il gootí luok and iulelligeioe, These two are very fust and vuluablo prizes. Tbey tbrew a portion o!' ibeir papen ovavb'ard on findii.g ibey wui'o trnpped. Tbe ünarlotto biings five Eiiglisli pasgengers, ono ;in Knglisli arntty offioer. Thcy atl oame over, ;is ttey expressed it, ''on a lurk," uud were niaking thcingelves quite jolly iti tlie cabin over tbcir cbiiiiijiagn.', loli'.iitutiHg themst'hes nu tbuir nata arrival. The Stag reueivec! tbreo shots ia lier üs she raa by tbe blockaders on;side. Very respecliullr, iour obedipnt srvant,