Worcester daily spy., 1861-11-02
Thc NnvnI ExnedItinn.

w mere has the naval expedition gone
Every one asks this question, and almost ey-
cry one tries to answer it but, while the va
rious answers exhaust tile possibilities OF
guessing, nobody knows anything about it,
The secret las been vel! kept. Some of the
newsmungers have announced that we shall
know to-day where the expedition will strike
the southern coast; but the newsmoEgers are
sometimes worked by the government, as con-
veuent hand organs which to play tunes
for the amusement of the public, while preoc-
cupied by something else. Therefore nothing
can be made certain by their announcements.
This naval expedition has The favor of ad-
mirabe weather. A storm swept along the
coast just before it sailed. Since that passed
the weather has been calm and beautiful.
Tie fleet has reached its destination sa ely,
without doubt, unless the voyage is longer
on round Florida to New Orleans or Mobile,
but we notice that some OF the coolest and
most sagacious observers OF what goes on,
incline strongly to the belief that the first
landing will be made at near Port Royal,
South Carolina. Therefore the following de-
pttOH VI L oit my al NOp4VO NUN tlG ilt
adelphia Norlh American, will be read with
unusual INTEREST,"
"Porl Royal is one Of tie most important
points of the Atlantic coast 1t is the best .
channel Or slips through the bars in the
whole range of ports below Norfolk. lC was
the original point OF settlement of South Caro-.
lima, in l67O and its great superiority as an
entrance and harbor has always been acknowl-
edged. Why it became subordinate 10
Charleston aud Savannah does not clearly ap
pear, unless it was for the reason that ii was
not central tu South Carolina and was too
near the only good harbor Of Georgia for con
yenience. The channel has now three and a
hall iathOms, at a minimum, or more than
twenty feet on all the difficult points from the
ouler bar to the town of Beaufort. The har-
Dor is capacious enough to float the whole
block ding fleet, and as the bar will admit all
but the very largest of our vessels, and proba-
bly, every one now in commission there, this
point has probably been chosen as the general
rendezvous for that coast. Ii might well be
SO chosen, at least
Beaufort is an old town. with less tlan
thousand inhabitants, and far less important
in trade now than its namesake of North Car
olna, but it is within easy distance of both
Charleston and Savannah, and but ten miles
from the railroad which connects those cities.
There is no strong position near it capable of
rebel occupation or defence, and as il is but 20
or 25lniles to Savannah, and so or 60 miles to
Charleston, the movement OF our forces to
either point will be easy when other prepara-
ti0ns are ready Tor the reduction of those
places. The advantage of this as place of
rendezvous, both tor the fleet and for soldiers
intended TO operate against the rebels i'll that
quarter, are such that it may be reasonably
concluded the government has attended to the
matter, and has secured 4 hold there before
this fine. The entrance to this harbor is not
five miles IRON the position o. bOckading vcs-
sells on the outer bar of Savannah 1t would
take lnrge number of troops TO make both
SaYannih and Beaufort safe against a power
full feet, which could change in twelve hours
from one to the other, and take its leisure ID
knock their defehceS about their ears. A solid
lodgnent at Beaufort will be standing men
ace to both Charleston and Savannah, and a
point from which each of those cities may be
easily reached in the rear"
The supp" silion That the feet has gone to
this place may be very lar from the truth We
shall not hear from it for some days The
first news we get will probably come
by way OF New Orleans and Louisville
1t will give us the rebel version of
whatever takes place, and we ought by this
time 10 understand the value of southern
story telling in this matter of reporting bat
Ties. Ii man like Gen. Evans could be so
unscrupulous as 10 say that he fought twelve
thousand federal troops at Balls Bluff what
may not he said by some other chiyalrous
hero of Palmetlodom, or by some Hoins
painting to write dispatches If the expedi-
ton has gone to Port Royal, it has already ar.
rived there, and the fight for a landing and for
possession OF the place has already been made.
reached its place OF destination.