The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-05

aH3Us o4l2 bhStmk - 1pt0 tHIQ0R0 Inc shin
eide. Passing An the ram andseyored 10 &.
feot breach In tho stern, but failed. The
ptanks In the ships side were stove In about
two feet below the winter line, mahtne hole
nrst alarm the crew promptly and coolIy
repaired TO their quarters, and a. the rs m
paused abreast OF the shin the an Dire mort
battery was discharged al her, with what
the darkness A red light was shown an a
siSnai OF danger, aud the squadron was un-
ger Way IN very few minutes, having slip
DORM its sosihvess Poss .rdiie I>corered tser re-
re1s, Which they did at about 30, A. NJ. At
tnis time three large are RATS, stretching
sernss the river, were rapidly nearing us,
While several larger steamers and a bark
riYged propeller were seen astern of them
The squadron proceeded down the river In
the following order: First, the Preble; sec
ono. CO. Nincennes; third, the Richmond,
fourth, the Water Witch, with the prizs
schooner Frolic In tow. When abreast of the
pilot settlement the pilot informed me thai
ne ala not consider 1t safe to venture to turn
tnis snip IN the river. bat that he believed he
eouIo pass over the bar accordingly at.
tempted to pass over the bar with the snuad
ron, ont IN the passage the vincenpes and
Richmond grounded, while the PrebIe went
over ciear- This occurred about s o'clock.
ano the enemy, who were now down the river
with The fre steamers, commenced f,rins AZ
us, while we returned the fire from our MORT
battery and rifiad gun on the pooU-our sho,
however, falling short Of the enemy, while
their smell burst on all sides of u.s. and seve-
RAJ passed directly over the ship
AT nai-pasi nine Commander Handy. OF
tne 'ihcehnes, mistaking my signal to the
snlpe OUTSIDE the bar to get under way, for i
eighai Tor MIN to abandon his ship came on
board the Richmond with all his officers and
a large number Of the crew, the remainder
having gone on board the Water Witch Car
t , Hendy. before Daring his shjp, had p,aotd
steafe0 stou ,71tcL 70 tho magazine. Having waited
a reasonable time for an explosion directed
commander Handy to return to his ship with
ms crew, TO start his water, and if necessary
at his own request, to throw overheard his
small guns for the purpose of tightening his
sup, ana ~ carry out his Hedge with n cable
TO heave of by at ten A. NJ. the euamy
ceased nring and withdrew up the river
During the engagement d shell en- tered n,,r
quarter port, and one of the boa q Was stow
by another she'll.
nave this morning succeeded In getting
tnis SUI over the bar. The MECH elan and
Sontl Carolina are using all exertions IN get
the tincennes OF. The Nightingale is hard
ana fast ashore to the end of the bar haya
succseuea III reducing the leak of this ship so
,m'.t our sinaii engines keep the ship free -
lhls Is only temporary, aud the shin viii
nave 10 go 10 some place and have three blanks
put IN have received rife guns and placed
the thirty two FOUNDER or the forecastIe
ana ana me Twelve FOUNDER on the poop. Could
1 have possibly managed this shipin any OH
or way taan keeping her head up and down
the river. L would have stopped at pic,
IoWnsto give battle; but this was found TOO
hazardous, owing to her extreme length -
The attempt was made, but bro tcside could
not be brought to bear without running the
SNIP ashore. then concluded, as advised. to
start for the bar, and trust to the chance of
nnotng water enough to cross.
In narrating the affair of the river omit
Tea 10 state that the ram sunk one of oar
large cutters, and Il shot from the enemy stove
the gig.
MIA SaI
afoat, and at anchor outside on mystarboaTd
quarter. Assistant Surgeon Robinson from
the incomes, is ordered to TEMPORARY dUtv
OF board this ship. Assistant Surgeon How
ell, condemned by survey, will return in the
Mcclellan. The master of the Nigh encaie
viii deliver fifty tons OF coal to the NJ Clel-
Ian. This. together with what 1 will take
out, viii, trust, Tighten her so that we can
haul her off. N~
Very respectfully,
" JOHN PopE, Captain.
To Flag Officer Hin. 4. lMcKean.
WHAT Is THOUGHT AT TIE NORTH ABOUT THE
FAILURE OF THE FEDERAL FLEET
Great dissatisfaction is expressed at the
North about the failure OF the Federal Fleet
in the recent expedition below New Orleans.
The Washington correspondent tells what i.
thought of it in that city. He writes:
The official dispatch has not told all the
facts From other in te,ligence received here
the affair appears to be most discreditabe to
the officer in command a panic appears to
have seized those in authority, and the OH.
cer commanding one of the ships abandoned
her, and ordered slow match to b. ap,Iied
TO the magazine. The ship was saved from
destruction only by junior officer refusing
to carry out the order, and taking the respoI.-
sibility.
One OF the officers ha. been ordered home
to take his trial by court martial. There is
Io excuse for the failure 10 capture the whole
of the rebel fact. The Secretary of the
Navy, and Assistant Secretary Fox, hsve
taken the matter mp warmly, and will order
4 court OF inquiry into the whole affair
The Herald adds, edito-ialIy:
It was owing ;e the fright and imhaciIity
OF our naval officers that the rebel EotiiIa
was not captured or destroyed. Let the
whole matter be thoroughly suited We are
placed In possession CT some facts from the
Official dispatch of Captain Pope. Bat there
are other facts still behind, which will come
out in the investigate which will no doubt
he ordered by the Secretary Of the Navy, who,
with his Assistant Secretary + OK, is dievotiug
himself with great energy 10 the service OF
the country, not only in the Departments
generally hut in the getting up of the greet
naval expedition, and in the dispiacing of all
inefficient men from command. We bope
they will follow up their energetic course as
10 the Mississippi squadron in al similar
cases, and thus weed ont i'm becility, and
put on board our ships men OF energy and
courage.
PBSSSTLPAHfA MILITARY AFFAIRS.
tslesra phic dispatch, dated Harrisburg,
Pa Oct. 81, says:
commission has been appointed by the
Governor, to sttend to the interests Of the
Pennsylvania volunteers around washington
and in Kentucky, and arrange for allotment
rolls for renting q portion of their ray 10
their families.
It appears from official data that Pennsyl-
vania has &c, 900 men in the field, and thirty
additional regiments organizing, portion Of
which are ready to move. All will be in SER
vice within a month, making a grand army
of over leo, 900 men, besides having material
for fifty additional regiments if needed.