The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-11-21

the defence oil the approach by water to the nav,,
force " Let 1t he recollected that the naval G,ca
consisted OF one frgate and a few gun boats. Will
the forts Norfolk and Nelson were we'll parrison"s
as the guardians of the port of Norfolk from Tho
approach Of an enemy's vessel. Then, again. To-,
1t be repeated, honor to the navy should not lead
to injustice to the army.
Before closing this communication, il NAV No,
De irrelevant 10 say, that, in all likelihood. tho
defeat OF the British forces at Craney island would
have been more signal and more glorious to tho
American arms. had holder and less cau,ious
commander been on the island. Far from a de.
sign to detract from the fame of Col. Beatty in the
victory at Craney isand-nlmost 10th TO make
me assertion-yet conscientious justice prompts to
the expression of opinion, that he was an officer
oVer.cau'lous, especially in his command at era.
ney island
Proof.-When the British party on the land
sac were nying to reach their ships the ca plain
o' me United H'ates army. who had gone down
as s'a1eu To The defence of the island proposed 10
Col. Beatty to take the command of his de,acb
Inent, and go in pursuit of this routed force. Col
Beatty at first consented, and the officer formed
his detachment, which, with volunteers on the is
land, exceeded hundred in number and lust ,s
he was In the act of commencing his march far
the main land, to pursue the enemy. Col Beat,r
countermanded the permission, and assigned 10 tho
captain his reason to be, that the enemy's shins
would see the movement. and be induced to renew
their attack upon the island, seeing it's force thus
diminished; but he promised at the same time
that at night fall the captain might 90 in search
OF the enemy on the main land That eyenino
Gen. Taylor sent Gen. Armistead II. Mason. then
colonel, with his regiment, to reinforce the ia
land. lhe arrangement then made to 90 in pur
suit OF the enemy, was, that the force for the en-
terprlse should consist of $50 men, to he under the
command of Col. Mason, and this officer of the
Onited states army; but. before it marched, Col
beatty again decided that 1t could not go, repeat
ing his fears that there might be a renewal of at
tack on the island during the night: and that be
could not consent to have its strength reduced
mus the brave Beatty was, in the opinion of the
writer, over cautious. He arrested an enterpriss
which might have been successful in injury to the
enemy, and in glory 10 our arms
RICH'D POLLARD.
Captain of the u. S. A. at the defence of Ora
ney island.
November 10, 1916
MIR. TEMPLETON THE VOCALIST.
The Boston Mail, in an article upwards of
column long, treats Templeton. the vocalist. with
much severity. His dress and personal appearance
are crltlclsed and Condemned, as his lecture or
me article, take the following specimen
p" He read US. from heap of manuscript, a
parcel of we'll known ill-selected and unnterest-
ing extracts from Lockhart's Life ofScott, which
were familiar TO every intelligent person in the
house, which explained nothing. worked out no
sentiment involved no new ideas. and amounted,
IN fine, to less than nothing at ALL One half OF
the anecdotes, which he related made nobody
laugh, and the rest were scarcely equal to Joe
Miller His recitations of Walter Scott's poems
were shocking-worse than third rate actors
lie mouths his words cur mouths bone'-
both IN singing and reading and even with the
aid ct the book of words which was sold at the
door, one could scarcely tell what he was singing.
Orator, essaylst. or story teller, he is none He
does not even extract and garbe with skill.''