The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-06-20

WESTERN FLOATING BATTERIEs.-lt
begins TO look us if SONG craft, stronger
than ordinary wooden soap-bubbles, are
to be sent down the Mississippi. A Bos-
ton paper states that Matthew d. Field,
of Massachusetts,, one of the noted Stock
bridge family, has been sent to Cairo, ILL.,,
by the Government, to superintend, as
Civil Engineer, the construction Of five
large floating batteries, each capable OF
CARRYING five hundred men, and destined
to accompany an expedition down the
Mississippi River. Mr.. Field was former
ly one OF the engineers of the Atlantic
Ocean Cable.
Swift gunboats will be needed for the
laudi.e of troops above batteries, In order
to take them in the rear; but, when it
comes to a regular bombardment from the
water, it seems madness TO anchor any
fixture that can be sunk, before rlted
cannon and columbiads, for the purpose OF
silencinS them.
With ordinary tugs TO tow them around
and Jump into the action when an attempt
is made to board them, floating batteries
that are simply RATS, aud therefore cannot
be sunk, could anchor with perfect com
posure before any land-battery for few
hours.
Such crafts are like obtuse individuals,
who are incapable Of taking the broadest
hint that their room is preferable to their
company; like people who do not know
when they are iDsulted and like certain
troops we read of, who won victory
simply because they Gid not know, when
according to all ordinary military ideas,
they had met with a defeat. The enemy
might even plow channel through a por-
ton of the raft battery, and the two parts
would, hydra-like, simply constitute two
floating batterics.-Iihiladelphia Bulletin
NURSES FOR THE ARMY.-A most ex-
ccllent regulation, if well-conducted, as
| we believe it will be, is indicated in the
following news from Washington:
| The Secretary Of War has addressed 9
| letter to rgeon-Gencral Wood, Of The
army, in which be says that during The
present war, the forces being made vi
| chiefly OF volunteers, the public sentiment
and the humanity OF the age requires that
| the services OF women, as nurses, should
| be made available In the general hospitals
where, except in a very humble depart
ment, they have heretofore been excluded
As many carefully-selected women are IL
training IN various cities Of the loy;
! States, it is the order and wish Of th,
Department that women should be substi
tuted for men, in the general hospitals
whenever it can be effected, and that sucf
women as have received previous training
for the purpose, be accepted as nurses, ex
ccpt when they can no longer be had, anC
it is ordered that none be received excep
those who have presented their application
to lady, appointed by the Department tt
preside over the volunteer nurses, anC
who shall have some authority to accep
nurses, recurring their age TO be above
thirty, with certificates OF character anC
capacity. Miss Dix has been appointed
Superintendent OF the women nurses, witi
the exclusive charge Of accepting such a
she may deem proper for the service. Th'
transportation, subsistence and wages o
such nurses as may be accepted by her
are to be paid from such moneys as woulc
be expended in the wages and support o
men nurses, or are derived from the usua
source OF hospital service.