Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-17
The Santa Rosa Afair.

The success and brilliancy of the night at
tack on Santa Rosa fully justifies the opin.
ion, which has long prevailed at Pensacola
aud elsewhere. that an eScalaGe made by Inc
gallant troops under Gen. Bragg, would long
ago have relieved our people of the annoy
ance and insults produced by the occupation
of Fort Pickens. Several enterprises OF this
character have been arranged by our several
commanders. would have been executed, and
would have been successful, but for the coun-
ter orders of the Government, which did
not desire to see the lives of our brave SOL
diers sacrificed in SO unproduciiVe an under
taking For long time it was believed that
the occupancy of Fort Pickens and the de-
tention of large fleet to guard the harbor,
and command the approach by the island,
was no serious Inconvenience to u, aud a
great trouble, expense and embarrassment to
the enemy.
But for this interference on the part of po-
litical and civil officials Major Chase would
have occupied the fort in the commencement
of the war Subsequently Coils. Lomax ana
FOrney had prepared to assault and capture
it, and were prevented therefrOm by superisT
authority. Gen. Bragg, on assuming com
Inand. had arranged an admirable escalade.
10 be led by the gallant aud skillfpi Forney.
This design was frustrated by some means
not known to us. There has never been
doubt that it would have been a brilliant
success The inactivity TO which Gen. Bragg
and his fine army have been condemned has
been excessively distasteful to our officers
and men. Many designations and transfers
have been the effects of this inactivity and
consequent discomfort. Under these circum-
stances the night attack on Wednesday must
have greatly revived the spirits of and in
fact infused new life into our ennuyed SOL
diers.
We shall await with much interest and
anxiety the full details of what, in addition
to the other evidence transmitted from Mo-
bile, we have the assurance of General Bragg
prudent officer telegraphed to his wife in
this city, was complete success and BRILL
ant affair.
The escaiade, it appears, was led by Col.
J. Patton Anderson, as gallant a gentleman,
as true and devoted patriot as ever lived.
a son of old Kentucky, he has sustained the
name which has been SO sullied by another
son of that State. As soon as the war broke
out Col. Anderson, who was member OF the
Confederate Congress from Florida, resigned
his seat and raised battalion in Florida and
Joined the army at Pensacola Attached to the
brigade commanded by our Colonel GLADDEN.,
Col. Anderson has been an attentive and eff1-
Gent officer in diScipling his men, and per-
forming all the duties Of a faithful commander.
When We last saw him, he was in the advance
of Beauregard's army at Munson's Hill, hav-
ing Obtained short furlough for the benefit
of his health; but hearing that thsre would
probably be some operations near Pensacola,
he hurried back in time to lead the escalade
against Santa Rosa.
1t viii be seen that in addition to the Geor-
gia, Alabama and Florida troops engaged in
this affair, there were three companies of the
lst Louisiana State trOOps-the regulars re-
ferred TO in the dispatch. The presence of
these companies of Col. GIadden's regiment.
in this affair, gives il additional interest with
our people, and heightens the curiosity which
we hope to relieve in our telegraph of to-day
as to those of our boys who were engaged.
| 1t will be sometime before we can learn the
amount of damage inflicted upon the enemy
| by she assault. The destruction of their costly
camps and the buildings which it has taken
so mach time and labor to construct, are Sc
ri0us infections, but their killed and wounded
must have been still more serious. We infer
| this from two facts: first, the detention of the
| truce party sent over under Lieut.. Slaughter,
which has been done, no doubt, to conceal
the extent of their damage; and secondly, the
| capture of Major VOgdes, who was evidently
| the commander OF the enemy. Major V. is an
old officer of the regular army. who, in that
| army, ranked Beanregard and Bragg, who
| succeeded SiemIner in command of Fort
! Pickens, and was succeeded by Col. Harvey
Brown, the present commander at the fort or
as be signs himself, Commander of the Depart
ment OF Florida. Yogdes is considered one
OF the ablest aud most scientific artilleryists
la the old army. and served many years as
Professor at West Point. Brown, who, as a
martinez Of the strietest sort has no confidence
in volunteer troops, assigned him the COM
mand of the entrenched camp outside of Fort
Piekens, occupied by Billy Wilson's Zouaves.
1t must have been vigorous and successful
assault which resulted in his capture, as Ma
jOr Vogdes is prudent and cautious officer,
who would not unnecessarily expose himself.
He is the officer of the highest rank in the
old army who has yet been captured by our
troops in battle. A genial, amiable and plea
SAINT gentleman, We can congratulate him
upon his transfer, without disbonor to him.
self. from the coarse and vulgar association
with New York Roughs to the society of gen
Ilemen, for which no one has keener relish
and higher capacity for enjoyment.-Nerc
Orleans Dclta