Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-06


hat Work did, when theru were bnt very
limited number ofshlps and men ct cOmmsnd,
rendered It necessary to employ not only al 2t |
the naval force. but vessels from the COM
msrcial marine. Many vessels Esre pur-
chased and chartered and orders issued to
Immediately put into commission all the
national vessels that were lying dismantled
at the Navy Yards. The force thus gathered
was put into tWO squsdrOns, enc Of which,
denominAted the Atlantic blockading squad
ron, had fos lts field Of operations tie whole
coast from the sssteTmOst line Of Virginia
70 Oape Florida, and was under command Of
Commodore stringham. The other, Or Gulf
operated trom Cape Florida west
ward 70 the Rio Grande and was eonnsnd-
ed By Commodore NeFyins. The blockade
was rendered as e6sctive as the peculiar ra.
ture Of our frontier would admit, Much of
the coast Is very shallow, and also he's a
double coast, outer and inner, rendering it
very difficult for our large war vessels to
operate hYoFably.
It early became necessary to establish a
aotilla upon The Potomac, which it wss ex-
tremely difficult 70 do, as it was almost in
possible la prevent the rebels from erecting
batteries upon the banks 50 long ss they
held possession Of them. The hOtlla &C
oompllshed, however, all it could have been
expected 70 DO, and gave security 70 com-
msrcs until tne close of October, when the
batteries rendered navigation diAcult In
the discharge Of this duty the srst com.
mandsr Of the hotilla lost his life.
Il was found necessary to divide the At
lautic squadron into two, which was done,
Capt GoidsbOrOugh being appointed Flsg
officer Of the noEthern division, end Capt
Dupont Of the southern, Conn st-iHghsm
having previously rendered his resignation
of his command. Capt. Mexican suocseisd
Flag officer Meryine in the Gulf II Septem-
Der. In order to more eBsctuaIly blockade
the ports and inlets upon the coast, vessels
have been sent out laden with s.one to be
sunk ir the channels. This has been done
at many miner inlsts, and more recently a
feet has been sent to thus close the en-
frances to Charleston and Savannah, which
will prove the most economical and satisfac-
tory method of interdicting commerce st
these ports.
Since the institadon Of the blockade, enc
hundred and ffty-thres vessels haVs been
captured while attempting to eyAde the block
ade.
Early in theysar the subject Of ths seizure
of some Of the Southern ports ives consider
ed, and board was convened consisting Of
Captains Dupont and Davis of ths Hsvy,
Major Barnard Of the Army, and Prof. Bache
of the Coast Survey, to whom thorough in
vestgation of Southern coasts and hsrbOrs
was committed. Acting upon these cOnsid.
erations, two expeditions we're ftted ont, to
Hatteras and Port Royal. Both these were
eminently successful In the latts-, Flag
0Hicer Dupont had discretion ss t. what
point should be secured, within certain limits
The Secretary pays high cOmplinentto Com
Dupont for the "consummsts naval strategic
skill and the most admirable gunnegy'' which
was displayed upon that occasion. Since
that time, Tybee island. at the msuth of sa.
vsnnah river, has been also occupied.
All of the rebel privsteers have been cap.
tursd, wrecked, beaebed or sunk, with the
exception Of the Sumter, which Is still al
large, and which has been received and her
wants supplied, against the remonstrance Of
our cOnsuls, at ports of other nstions where
her character was well known.
Upon the Mason and slideI capture the
Secretary uses the following emphatic Au-
guage:
The prompt and decisive action OF Captain
Wilkes on this occasion merited end received
the emphatic approval Of the Department,
and If a too generous forbearance was ex-
hibited by him in not capturing the vessel
which had these rebel enemies on board, it
may, in view Of the special circumstances,
and Of its patriotic motives, Be excused; but il
must by no means be permitted to constitute
8 precedent hereafter for the treatment Of any
case Of similar infraction of neutral obliga-
tiOns BY any foreign vessels engaged in com
merce or the carrying trade.
On the 4th of March last, the horne squad
ron consisted of twelve vessels, Of which only
the Pawnee, Crusader, Mohawk sad Supply
were in Northern ports and avaiisble fo- ser
vice. The Sabine, st. Louis, Brooklyn and
Wysndotte were at Pensacola, the Maeedo-
nian at Vera Cruz, and the Cumberland, Po-
cahontas and Powhattan were returning from
that station. The Richmond, Sus1uehanns
and IrcquoiS have returned from the Nediter-
rsnean, the Constellation, PorEmouth, Mo-
bican, Mystic, Sumter, San JaciDto and Re
lease, romIths coast of Africa, and the Con-
gress and Seminole from the coast Of B,azil.
The John Adams, Hartford and Dscotah
have not arrived from the East Indies, while
the Saratoga will remain upon the cast Of
Africa, the Pulaski up the coast Of Brazil
and the Saginaw at the East Indies. When
the vessels now bHilding and purchased, O
every class, are srmsd and equipped and
ready for serYiee, the Navy VIII consist o.
thefollowing:
OLD NAVY.
Numb eF Of Vessels lG'nsl Tom
. 5niIs- OF be4 1909
Frigates $50 1910
il Slocps.. $50 18,O3l
Brigs.. I2 50!
Store ships 81.