New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-18
From Our Special Correspondent
FORTRIss MONROE,
OLD PoIsT CoNfoRT, June Is, /,

OLD POINT COMFORT, June To- 1911, y
Gen. Pierce enters his protect against the charge
brought against him of incompetence, and maintains
that he acted strictly in obedience t. ordert The de-
fense too late for he is good as executed a.
ready II may be that lie is right and everybody elae
wrong. do not understand that he is charged with
cowardice but thorough incompetence and total lack
Of skill Tie testimony IL overwhelming by his broth
er officers. IL lie is wise he will not undertake 10 con-
test the verdict which accors 10 him the character Of
gentleman but dtnies that he possesses the frst
sentl Of General. take it that the Gaze is closed.
The rebels are strengthening themselves on Sewas
Point and is thought that they may be extending
their batteries round on the front facing the fortress
and shipping. For some time past, q small steamer
has been in the habit of coming down from Norfolk
every morning, with provisions probably, when che
would run her round the corner either TO take u
peep at what was going on, or in the toucb-me-fyou
dare spirit Yesterday morning the Cumberland fired
two ehots at her. which had the effect to make her
more ccumspec for that 10 the last that has been
of her. Although nothing lie known positively Of the
numbers operations Of the rebels the Point il 10
conjectured from the fnct that smoke is TO rie
night and morning, that extensive camp has been
established there extending both fronts and that it
will be found that masked batteries in Of
construction at different localities, for the purpose Of
annoying the shipping, and acting a menace the
fortress itself. To disodge them earlier than Gen.
Butler has contemplated may become necessary. That
they are expecting such movement liz evident from
their extensive defensive operations. As preliminary
step battery is being erected on the Rip Rape, and
rihed 2i-pounder has been mounted, which Mr. Sawyer
the inventor OF the projecIile which bears his name
will experiment with. The distance the Roads
from the Point to the fortress is stated at four miles,
FROM the Rip Raps trGe over three. Mr. Sawyer
believes that he can make it hot for the rebels in the
battery even ut that distance. He claims range Of
more than four miles for his shot, which is represented
TO be fearfuly destructive The range Of the rebel
guns is probably considerably less our steamers in
going 10 and from Newport News, pass within less
than three miles of the rebel battery and ispresumed
that they would fire them if they could reach 30 far
The strength Of the rebel forces in that locality is not
certainly known but ii not doubted that the concen-
tration of the large force here has had the effect to
cause to be collected in Norfolk and vicinity large
force-probaby not less than 1900 men. To subsst
them il the question that troubles Mr. Jefferson Davis
most They do not make any Preensc of paying item,
excepting in shin-asters The provisions OF the coun
try running short and every week that this thing
continues is worth battle gained
At Pig Point mouth Of the NaDsemond River, they
are hard at work on. the battery which the Harriet
Lane fired into, which, by the the way, gallant,
though altogether useless exploit. Further down they
are constructing another battery, and their evident
intention TO guard the eptrancs Of that river, and the