The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-11-09

ExPeditiOn-Bo,nka rdmcnt or Hen fort.
In the absence of any direct tidings from
| our great naval expedition, we are limited to
the information received yesterday at Fortress
Monroe, through flag Of truce from the
cnemy's camp at Norfolk. Thus it appears thai
our feet, having, perhaps, on Monday evening
last entered the inland waters Of Port Royal and
Beaufort, was on Tuesday morning actively en-
gagged in shelling the rebel batteries; that one
of our gunboats had been disabled, and that
another was aground; but any further news on
the subject our rebel informant from Norfolk
felt himself restrained from communicating
from sense of honor.
From this circumstance we feel confident
that our next Information from Beaufort will be
that the rebel batteries were silenced that a
considerable batch Of rebel prisoners have
fallen into our hands, and that the defensive
works of the enemy, occupied by our land
forces are undergoing the necessary repairs
and extensions in order to make them proof
against any probable assault of the enemy.
We think that if the rebels at Norfolk had
been in possession Of the news of the repulse
of our squadron they could not have denied
themselves the pleasure of Haunting their
victory in the face of Fortress Monroe. Doubt
less, then, the intelligence which they refused
to communicate was Of different character
from that which they so obligingly furnished.
1t took two days to reduce the rebel forts
at Hatteras Inlet; but then they were effec
lively shelled out, and there was no escape
for them, because they were open at the
top 1t is not likely that the rebels
at Beaufort have been able since April last to
construct anything more elaborate than similar
| extempore works Of logs and earth, open at the
| top; nor do we think it likely that they have
escaped a similar Smelling out. But in add-
ton to the numerous guns and the heavy meta,
of our ships ofwar and gunboats, we must not
forget our land forces of at least fifteen thou
sand men, and that they were probably com
petent of themselves to carry by storm every
rebel battery along every one of those inlets of
Beaufort and Port Royal.
| Under this belief, we can entertain no doubt
of the overthrow Of the rebels there, and o.
/ sc
mediate islands by our naval and land
| forces Starting from this point, accordingly,
we have here the actual commencement of
the war against this rebellion, and in the heart
of the enemy's country. A great and decisive
battle on the banks Of the Potomac ceases now
to be necessity on the part of our govern
ment. Having made an important Judgment in
South Carolina, we can permit the great rebel
army around Manassas to remain there all win
ter. Washington, meantime, being at length so
amply fortified that it may be safely defended
by fifty thousand men against any possible at
tack, We can spare q hundred thousand from
the Potomac for more enlarged and decisive in
land operations in South Carolina and Georgia.
Thus, the larger the force retained by the rebels
at Manassas the more readily shall we reach the
very vitals of this rebellon-the seaports and
cotton depots of the cotton States.
| On the other hand, let the rebels be weaken
ed at Manassas to any extent by the loss of
| regiments and brigades detailed to South Caro-
| lima and Georgia, and they will be pounced
upon by Mcclellan, routed from Bull run, fol-
lowed up to Richmond, and driven out of vir-
| ginia. And wha. then? Why, then, North
secession, and so this whole formidable but
fragile rebellion will speedily tumble into
the dust Take away The pillars which sustain
ii on either side aud the entire fabric must fall
The whole issue is therefore involved in this
simple question: Can the rehels maintain their
army in front OF Washington, and their block
AIDE of the Potomac, and maintain them
serves, at the same tilne. III the eNllfNS -0NtQ
against our navy and our land forces there,
increased to hundred or even to fifty thousand
| men? We believe that they cannot any Longer
| maintain themselves at either extremity without
being cut off at the other, and that on the right
hand or the left if not on both sides, in a grand
combined movement, they will soon be sub
| dued.
We await further information from our great
squadron. We are indebted to the rebels for
! the news Of its safe arrival at its destination ;
but from their refusal to communicate anything
but the incidental casualties to our ships from
the opening bombardment, we expect that our
own messenger will bring the glad tidings Of a
glorious Union victory.
|