The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-10
THE WAR PREPARATIONS

THE WAR PREPARATION
The telegraph announces that the Illinois
sailed from New York yesterday morning at
O'Clock. Her des tination is believed to be
Fort Sumter. The New York papers of
Monday furnish the following items concern
ing the preparations there:
THE CARGO OF THE ILLINOIS.
On the port side of the Illinois and astern
of the wheel house a lighter was moored. She
was heavily laden with provisions, which
were hoisted over the vessels side and depo-
sited in the hold. On the same side of the
steamship and forward of the wheel hou se,an-
other lighter, with the letters "U. s." on her
stern, denoting her Governmental character,
was anchored. Her cargo was cannon, gun
carriages, cartouche boxes, tent poles, tent
canvas and camp eq quipments, all Of which
were hoisted into the Illinois and deposited in
the steerage hold. A large magazine and sew
eral foraging carts were taken In in the after
noon.
The above seemed to be the only outfit
which the vessel was taking ON board. If any
ammunition, powder, ball or shell was on
board, 1t must have been conveyed there in
the secrecy of the previous night. AT least no
signs of these articles were to be found in the
vicinity Of the steamer yesterday. No extra
arrangements appeared to have been made for
troops, as there was an absence OF bedding and
sleeping accomm odations, beyond the ordinary
ones OF ths ship, and the entire Quilt consist
GU Va aIiuS and PROVISIONS. he SttTHllSe Is,
then, that the Illinois is bound on the mission
OF reinforcing with additional supplies some
OF the Southern forts now in possession of the
Government tforces-undonbtedly Fort Pick
ems.
THE TROOPS SENT on
There is considerable difficulty, in conse-
quence Of the cloud of mystery in which these
movements have been purposely involved, in
forming an estimate of the number of troops
shipped the Atlantic on Saturday The
only company of which we have ANY certain
ty is Company A. Second regiment, United
States Flying Artillery, commanded by Cap
tain Barry, and which numbered sixty men.
The other companies were Company &, Cap
tain Allen Company H, Captain Brooks, and
Company NJ, Major Hunt, all of the Second
artillery. There are also some companies of
the Third regiment. A company of Sappers
and Miners, under the command of Lieuten-
ant Balch, from West Point, also embarked
The total number of these troops has been
modera tely estima ted at five hundred men,
Then there were number of soldiers of the
line from Fort Hamilton, which cannot be es-
timated at less than three hundred men. The
artillery horses were seventy eight in num-
Der. In addition to the above troops, the
Powhatan, on Saturday evening, took on board
\ company of artillery from Governors
Island, and another from Fort Hamilton.
On saturday, when the roll was called at
Fort Hamilton, nearly one hundred men mere
missing, and were supposed to have deserted.
A few, however, rather the worse for liquor,
v
accompany the troops, resigned almost at the
last moment.
THE EXPEcTED STEAMERS.
There is general impression, in many cir
eles, that the steamers CoatZacoalcos, Gen.
Rusk, and Champion, are ordered to come by
way of Florida, communicate with the au-
thorities of the Home Squadron, Fort Taylor
and Fort Jefferson, and il soldiers be required,
TO land them peaceably, practicable; forcibly,
ii necessary. The landing of men in the enor-
launches "a is
imagined.
THE LAUNCHES.
frigates " first launch " is a vessel almost
as large as a small schooner SHE is coppered
and copper fastened, and could stand a shot
better than any of the chartered Steamers
The second and third launches arasof proper
tionate size. The strength of til boats is
very great. Several of them acco11Dany the
expedition besides those beloD gng to the Pow
hatan. A brass cannon and forty men can be
well accommodated, and do terrible execution
in a d" first launch." Those that go with the
fleet receive some extra touches a the hands
OF the constructor in the Brooklyn Navy
Yard.
RECRUITING.
On Thursday last, however, instructions
We're received, ordering the shipping of all
men who applied, until further notice is given
by the authorities. 1t is said that Gen. Scott
will try and stop this, as men prefer to enter
the Navy as landsmen 10 enlisting us soldiers
At all events, all Friday and Saturday the
Hudson streets, was seriously affected by the
Cherry street establishment. There is some
talk-but no orders about Il bounty being
given. Recruits arrived on Saturday from
the neighboring offices, and went over to the
island.
PREPARATIONS AT PENSACOLA
A letter to the New Orleans Delta, dated
Warrington Navy Yard, Florida, the I'd inst,
says:
''The works first commenced are in a highly
finished state, and new batteries have been
commenced within the past three days.
should think Lieut.. Slemmer would begin to
consider the erection of SO many in such close
proximity to each other as hardly tending to
strengthen his tenure OF office as monarch of
the island OF Santa Rosa. There are thirteen
companies at present here from Alabama
numbering, on an average, about ninety men
each, TWO companies from Georgia, one of
them numbering l10 men, and the Zouayes
representing Louisiana. Florida can hardly
be said to be represented here as there is
not a company from that State in the field
The men and women Of Alabama seem to be
lmbued with the true spirit of bravery they
have fully twelve hundred men here, repre-
senting all classes in the State. Doctors edi :
tors, ex-Congressmen, State Senators law
yers, planters, merchants, and meC eChanics oc-
cupy the ranks, many OF them being full pri-
Yates. Working at the erection of sand bat
teries, eX-Congressman Pugh can shovel sand
and make excavations like son of Erin hur-
Senator Bulloch, despite his bulky condition
works with will, and several professional
men OF undoubted talent work as laboriously
Il New \ ork hod carrier. This is the secret
OF the South's power. With such noble and
chivalrous spirit pervading all classes, the
devil or Abe Lincoln cannot crush them
While our population We're fleeing from the
apparently near approach of war, whole fam
lilies having deserted their houses and sought
refuge in shanties in the woods, over twenty
ladies from Alabama came down here with
their children ana servants to join their hus-
bands, who were soldering away down in
this part of Florida, which they all say natu-
rally and geographically belongs to Alabama
They are about right. The actions of these
gallant ladies in Joining their husbands at the
theatre OF war needs no comments. 1t speaks
i'll thunder tones Of their spirit and patriot
ism.
In the Navy Yard they have been casting
ten and eight-inch balls for the past three
weeks. j assure yOu they are species of ball
nowise digestible and q New Highlander would
find no similarity between them and his favor
ite and savory Goldfish balls.
They received also by the steamer Kate
Dale, from the Mount Vernon Arsenal, a large
quantity of shell here there is very large
supply of all sorts of she'll, but i suppose il
there is any need OF their being used il will be
in this vicinity.
Washington Dispatches.
The Washington dispatches, which, in the
total absence OF any official announcement OF
the intentions of the Administration, are the
only vehicles OF intelligence, give various ru-
mors and surmises concerning the warlike
preparati tions at New York, and their purpose
The following are from the Herald:
Strange as it may appear, it cannot be con-
E~ls In,