The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-20

SAVANNAH. GA, Feb. ls, 1862.
laval myself Of the quiet OF the Sabbath
afternoon, TO write you An account of our
present position and prospects, and the &C.
tons OF the past week. Ihad Delayed writing,
hoping to have some very valuable Informs.
ton to convey to your readere, and also as
general expectation prevailed that the long.
looked for movement Of the Yanl ees would
be made ON Friday last, when the Almanac
declared that the highest tides would occur.
have seen Friday pass without augh. Of spe.
ciai interest; and though the Federal marau.
ders are still near our river. they have done
little 20 harass us, and the advance appears
as far from taking place as one month ago.
can give TO you, however this assurance,
in the language OF the immortal bard of
avon, "Out Of this nestls, danger, we have
plueked the flower safety" would not ex.
press too much confidence, nor do wish to
underrate the great work that has been done
by General Lee, in rendering the defences Of
the river worthy Of the great cause, and the
anxiety which our foes manifest for the cap
ture Of the city, but wish to make plain
that from the threatened attack of three
weeks ago, greater attention has been drawn
to thu river, and can assure you that we
can hold our own, and bring to bear upon tn
enemy as many gnss as It is in reason posi-
BILE for hi n 20 introduce to the river by gun.
boats. Thanks u the energy and capacity
Of Gen Lee. this work has been pushed ahead
vigorously since he assumed the command.
Gen Liwton has been relieved OF the de-
fence of This post, and has been ordered to e. =
| tablisa his headquarters at Skidaway, where
he now is.
No :ai4 Is innate can be m ade Of the Difficult
ts Of erecting batteries on this river without
| ii fall knowledge Of the nature Of the neigh
boring banks and soil. Skrted as it Is for
miles Ga ei her hand by low banks and by
marshes generally, the erection Of q battery
| cap ,bie OF sustaining the weight Of metal
| Leces sdry for its armament, becomes a work
| 0ino ordinary labor and energy, and but few
| men could have been found who could carry
| out the undertaking go well as the laborious
| nd energetic MIR. Chivers, who has it
| in hand. Several have been completed and
| guns mounted, and when the enemy does
| come he Will find such not work ready for
| him / hope will cause him to abandon
| he attempt. They now have access to the
| river, no. only with their light bargss and
flats, which they have built and armed, but
With their ligh er gunboats; so constantly do
| they prowl about the river 1T might that the
| Geographic communication with Fort Pu
| iask: has been cut of repeatedly, and though
rs often repai, ed, is now finally interrupted
The attempt was made to repair again on
Thursday, but the boat being seen was pur-
sued and fred upon by boats crew, who had
to give up the chase. Again, the Ida, small
steamer plying between the city and the
'ort, was kept down on Friday; on her
return she found the Yankee barges awaiting
her and perforce she had to wait, arriving
here to-day by n circuitous route, known to
the captain aud pilot. She was Il red upon.
but All the shots fell short. She reports the
Yankees as having erected q battery at Ven us
Point, ard as having changed tho guns since
Friday from lighter pieces to colum biads -
Indeed, Commodore Tatnsll's flagship came
near being captured yesterday. Going down,
unaware of the existence OF q battery, she
was fired upon, ana the shells burst about her
in every direction. He has since rem arked
that, had they withheld their fire TIL he had
appros ched nearer, they would have captured
his vessel and Ill aboard.
1t is unfortunate that we are power less to
remedy thi state OF things; at least, l believe
no effort has been made to prevent their COM
ng into our river, save the trifiing ockade
and obstruction Of Wallis cut, long since re-
moved
It's not impossible to prevent their en-
trance, notwiths tan"ing our authorities seem
TO think so and act upon that idea. One good
floating battery rendered bomb proof, mot a
difficult problem to solve,) covered with rail-
road iron, would effectuaily stop their preda-
tory incursions in our waters, and conf1ne
them to Mud River and vicinity. You have
remarked, time and again, in your valuable
pa per, the utter f lily and uselessness Of OK
pending IN oney and sacrificing the lives Of
gallant soldiers In defending sand batteries,
which have been proved, by sad experience,
incapable OF withstanding the assault Of
respectable gunboat; while engineering skill
and perseverance might e,suy produce a
bomb pro If protee ton to our men, and an
i'm preguabie defence g,inst the enemy.
The batteries on skidaway are every day
expecting an attack. When it does come you
will hear OF as sudden a backing out as at
Port Royal and other points. But the Island
is of little Importance, and should have been
abandoned ere this, as has been done at
JekyPs and ST.. Simops's Islands, by order
The impression is general here, that re On.
listments will be quite numerous. The Irish
asper Greens have already re.enlis, ed after
only few days return from q long period OF
duty ut Fort Pulaski.
In Charleston an Irish battalion is being
raised, and at Columbus another has been
started-that in Charleston, with fair pros.
pect OF success, numb several companies.
The Celtic portion of our citizens is am ong
the best stun wherewi tn to make soldiers
With al ever-re ready and generous forgetful-
pess of self in the hour Of danger: with strong
and robust frames, made to battle with the
hard edges of rough adversely, and with q
truly inherent love of their glorious island,
where they are formed into battalions pecu.
liar In its organization to them, they will
become the strongest bulwarks of q good
cause. / trust the good effort made in the
South will extend itself, and find supporters
everywhere
l heard with great regret that your advan !.
turous correspondent, "B ohemian," than
whom knew no more pleasant and accom-
plishsd writer and acquaintance, qualities
me to add, no more whole souled and gener-
Gus gentleman has fallen, along with so
many others worthy a better fate, into the
hands Of the enemy. Will miss his letters
in the Dispatch, which have always repaid
the cat efal reading I gave them. / trust he
vill be able to induce q proper respect for
non com ba Tan is in the heart of Mr. Am bross
Burnside, and return once M re to delight
your readers.
The Fingall, which has abandoned tho idea
Of running the blockade, was to day taken
down to Fort Jackson, made store ship and
the quarters Of the gallant Commodore.
The crew left yesterday for Norfolk, on
their way, via Fortress Monroe, to England.
We I'M ua xxzh al