The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-02
- ann. !. ormi1 ahle Z. 4 IA ian r.nr..

| Seupru W W. Csa V"c SAAC ~ W0S NVNcle0 ~
the Isle d'Aix garrisonsd by two thousand
men, and batteries mounting thirty Ions
thir,y-six FOUNDERS and several mortarr. On
the other side, at the distance Of three miles,
lay the lsie of Oleron, fortified by several
works. mounted with guns Of the heaviest cali
brr, whose shot nearly reached across the
channel. Shoals abounded in all direcnohs'
and the French, besides being drawn up close
to the shore, were protected by Il strong ooo'"'
forming two sides Of a triangle, with the apex
| towards the British feet, the distance between
| the extre,nities of the base being nearly a
| mile This formidable obstacle says Lord
DrxposALp "was composed Of large spars.
| bound by chains, and moored along its whole
double line with heavy anchors at appropri-
ATE intervals forming the most stupendous
| structure of the kind on record" In case of
| need the French could slip their cables and
| run up the river Charenta
COcHRANE found all sorts of obs tacles OBJ
posed 10 h,s enterprise. The fleet was in an
nproar. He was regarded by all the officers
AS an interloper. The Admiral, too cowardIy
10 undertake the job himself did not wish
any one else to have the glory. He played the
dog in the manger to the very utmost. He
would not consent to let the attack be made
on the night fixed upon by CocHRANE, and the
next day the French, suspecting something I'M
common was on foot, removed to more secure
position. Besides, no soundngs had been
t,ken. At last, on the night of the ilth April,
he agreed to let the attack he made. COCH-
RANE got has Internal machines ready, one Of
them being made fast To the Imperieuse, and
the other left loose. This last he was to eX
plode first, and then come back for the other
Accompanied by 4 lieutenant and four sea-
men, he went on board of the explosion YES
sell In the darkness of 4 pitch dark night,
they drifted 10 the position of the French
fleet, and COCHRANE setting fire 10 the fuse
with his own hand, got on board boat with
his companions, and pulled away for life in
the teeth of n wind which blew almost gale.
The fuse had been calculated for fifteen min
u,es II exploded in seven. The adven-
turers were feartully near and their boat
was near being swamped, but fortunately
they escaped. The explosion was terrific
1t raised the whole into 4 single
wave, which carried every one of the
French ships ashore and left them there,
besides utterly tearing up the distractions
from their very foundations, and leaving the
passage tree. Then was the time for the fleet
TO enter aud attack the enemy. But the fleet
In dies pair, CoCHRANE, having made repeated
signals, when daylight came on, sailed in and
attacked three line of- ba ttle-ships which had
been gotten afioat with the rising of the tide,
in his own frigate. One other ship-of war
subsequently asss ted him. He captured one
shlp-of-the line, and two others were fired by
their crews Two more having run up the
river, were abandoned and set on fire.
liant exploit than that OF NELSON 1T Aboukir,
or even that at Copenhagen. But CoCHRANh
WIS no Evor.te, and SO far from being re-
warded, he was, a few years after, expelled
from Parliament, ana cashiered for an al
legged attempt to swindle, although there was
scarcely any proof to sustain The charge, and
H. himself always maintained that il was alb
soluiely false. We would here caution thu
reader against ontounding him with Admiral
Sir ALEXANDER CocHRANE, who commanded
on the coast of America during the war of 1912,
and was his uncle.
In the course of his remarks upon this work,
the writer, who says he Is naval officer OF
high rank, takes occasion to discourse as fol-
lows upon Il subject which is of much interes,
to he people of this country: 1--WE say that
on the authority of Lord COCHRANE COR rather
Lord DUNDoSALDl himself, because he has the
courage to avow, though he avows it too
broadly and too often, the hope OF prize money
is grand incentive to the sailor. The men
who talk about the inviolabili:y of the private
property of -belligeren is are simply idiots.
We know perfectly well what are the sinews
of war, and war is so terrible curse that
when once declared every means must b.
taken 10 cut the sinews of the antagonist, else
the curse would be unnecessarily, and, in some
cases, indefinitely prolonged. There is but one
sound rule in naval warfare, and that is to do
us much mischief as you can and though al
first sight it may be considered Satanic, we are
satisfied that in the long run will be found to
pe eminently Christian. Better clear oil scores
at once than prolong professional warfare
We do not hesitate TO express our opinion that
a very strong may be made out i'll favor
even OF pryateering, ami, IN tn. sctnt Of a War,
,rs satisfied that no Congress resolutions irorld
be adhered to for single month. There must be
Il ciausnni, as we'll AS an apertuUi Uars: and III
the first case, when it is of the utmost i'm por-
lance to cripple the trade of an enemy, prira-
ssrS IRE quite ihety 10 be HStfnl rtsntar res
SITS Of acar.''
Our readers will recolect that we expressed |
opinions identical with those here italicised |
several months ago. As soon as nations 90 to |
war they will be sure To overthrow all regu.
lations made in peace, which they do not find |
it convenient to retain What is the difference
in point of morality between capturing mer- |
chant ships with men of war, and capturing |
the same class of ships with privateers!
nha nh.