The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-16
ARMY AND NAVY.

/ board of oflicers-to consist of Col. johnson,
irst cavalry Lieut.. Col buchanan fourth infantry;
Lieut. Col. SeptOe ninth infantry; Capt. Dyer ord
nance department; Lieut. Wilcox seventh infantry
is ordered to convene at Fort Monroe, Virginia,
for the purpose of making experiments with small
arms. Lieut.. Maynader, tenth infantry, will act as
Judge advocate of the court
BY direction of the President of the United
States. court of inquiry is ordered to assemble at
West Point, New York, on the 18th inst, to inves-
tigate matter of complaint preferred by Lieut..
James st. 4. Morton, engineer department, against
Professor Dennis H. Mahan of the United States
Military Academy. The court will consist of the
following officers: Col. Robert +. Lee second cav
airy; Major Robert Anderson, first artillery; Cap
tain Randolph b. Marcy, fifth infantry. Captain
Samuel Jones, first artillery, will act Judge advO-
cate and recorder.
The steamer Memphis of the Paraguay squadron
was under sailing orders for Tuesday but was de-
tanned by fog. She has received several packages
of llale's new fire rocket. This celebrated rocket
will, it is said eiiectually dsconcert and route any
body of soldiers, particularly dragoons, among
whose ranks it may be thrown, and as late advices
from Paraguay give a color to the rumor that the
expedition is likely to have some land fighting to
do the Secretary of the Navy has considered it ad-
visabe to furnish our sailors and marines with
some means OF defence. The Paraguay expedition
has given a notoriety to three recent inven-
tions, whose patentees will doubtless reap some pc
cuniary benefit from having their discoveries
brought thus prominently before the public. The
first OF these is the very novel anchor which went
out in the Fulton, and which was mnutcly de
scribed by our correspondent on board that vessel.
Its great attraction consists in the fact that by
throwing it overheard in even the toughest weather
the ships would be torcibly held fast The next is
Messrs. kroehl Husted's submarine blasting ap-
paratus, which underwent thorough alfl scrutni
zng examination at the Brooklyn Navy Yard a few
evenings since, previously to its being put on board
the Memphis, and which is designed to operate on
the sunken vessels and river snags that report says
Lopez has placed i'll the rivers the borders OF
Paraguay. The result of the trial referred to
in every respect satisfactory. The novelty attached
to the expedition is the rocket to which have
just alluded, and of which good supply goes ont
to Bucnos Ayres.
Lieutenant John Scheamerhorn, who ordered
from Boston to join the chartered steamer America,
commander of her marine guard, has been de
tachcd for the Memphis, owing to the illness of
Lieutenant Cohen who ordered for that ship.
There are lying at the wharves of the Ports
mouth navy yard two trigates-the Constitution
and Santee, and sloop-ofwar Portsmouth, all of
which could be sent to sea in four weeks. They
have each been put in thorough state of repair,
and everything required for their use has been fit
ted ready for putting board. In one of the ship
houses still stands the ne-ofbattle-shp Alabama,
built in 1921. There is little probability that she
will be launched for the purpose of sea service
This trgate built in 1855, and is said to be the
finest and most formidable vessel in our navy. Her
form is easy and much admired, and the great
evinced in her construction is constantly seen and
appreciated by nautical visitors. The steam sloop-
of-war authorized to be built at the last session of
Congress- is nearly completed and ready for launch
ing; the work on the hull is almost suspended,
account OF the construction of the engine being
behind the other work. This sloop is much admired
for her strength and beauty of model. She will be
launched in two weeks after portion of the engine
is received at the yard.