Daily union appeal. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-186?, 1862-08-17
IMPORTANT FROM FRONT ROYAL.
a Change Comes DER the Spirit OF Our

A Change Comes DER the Spirit OF Our
Dreaaa.
Correspondence of the n. Y, Herald
HILTON HEAD, s. O., Aug. Z. 1861 Sud
denly the tone of affairs has changed, Instead
of anticipating 3 life of ease and indolence the
summer through, both the land and Laval
forces at Front Royal ara in momentary ex.
pectatlon OF gay and festive exchange OF
compliments with the new rebel ram, The
note of alarm hss been sounded. Unless some
Monitor comes to our succor, the fair weather
yachts now reposing on the PLACID bosom of
rort Royal Bay have before them AL excellent
opportunity OF learning what il is to be blown
out OF the water and looking at ali repoEts
as true, the holiday soldiers who few days
since bade hearty God speed to their con,rsdea
sailing for Newport News, are this night won
dering what Will become of their families if
we perchance 60 into captivity. There q
something OF the nature of q joke in the re.
tection that We may but short time lons,r
occupy the handsome seaside cottages We have
builti that perhaps not another week viii in
tervene before we will be compelled to reiu-
qulsh our bathing house, our poslofhce, and our
new hoteli that officers whose wives are here
are Wishing they were never married, aud
those who have written their wives 10 come,
are hoping their letters have been miscarried.
Completion OF the FIngaI.
Seriously, we are in danger The rebels
have completed their ram. 1t has been man-
ned and armed, and is now ready Tor ses.
With an enterprise, perseverance, and deter.
mination which is yet to be met by CORE.
spending activity on the part OF our govern
u1ent, but with resources insignificant IN COM
parison with our own, they have again sue
ceeded IN constructing an engine of war whose
advent will tnd us powerfess OF resistance.
Preparations for Raising the Blockade.
For several days we have noticed growing
boldness on the rebel side. We have seen
them defantly coming down the Savannah
river, replacing the buoys, taking seundings.
and making most careful and minute obserya
tons. Through the strong glasses OF the signal
station at Fort Pulaski, We have watched tha
crews of the blockaded ships az they bent their
sails at the city wharves and have noticed the
unusual activity with which aatboats were
multiplied ana lighters have increased. Word
has come to as, TOO, of the condition Of the
naval monster, and the fact that it was TO be-
used against US At an early day. has not been
unknown.
Something about the Monster
The new rebel vessel has been constructed
from the British steamer Fingal, which, you
will recollecL ran into Savannah carly in the
spring with cargo of Enfield rifles, Blake
iy cannon, gray uniform cloth, and salt. The
Flngal was then a new anu stasnch craft lust
out Of the shipyard at Glasgow, and il was un-,
derstood at the lime that she had-becn p4r-
chased by parties in Savannah, ultimately To
become portion Of the Confederate navy.
The Secesslonists at ence commenced the yoTk
OF transforming her into an impregnable iron
slad-their object at that time being, appar-
entity, the preservation Of Pulaski and long
before the fall Of that stronghold, an exact
picture of her, rooted like tho Merrin,so. was
prepared by the commander of the socp OF
war; Dale, and forwarded by Gen. Hunter 70
the authorities at Washington.
Her Armament.
The armament of the Fingal is as follows:
Two one hundred-pound rlfed guns,
-Four fifty pound rlfsd guns,
Six ten-inoh columbiads,
Two twsnty-four-pounders, for grape and
canister-in all, fourteen heavy pieces.
In shape she 10 similar to the Merrimao
differing from the latter, however, IN her drsft
of water, which Ia much less than her m .fa,ed
predecessor. She is heavily armorod, ana her
portfolios are protected by heavy wrought
iron lids, so arranged Us to CLOSE at the reooll
ot every gun. She has q massive beak ut
either end, and is, moreover, provided with
scadlng apparatus, with which to repel any
attempt to board her. Her commander ia j.
Pembroke Jones, formerly Of tho United
States Navy.
Her Debut.
Day before yesterday she frat came under
the IRE of Pulaski. She was feeling her way.
apparently unmindful of the shot from our
heaviest guns. OF course the Intelligence
was not long in reaching Hilton Hoed. From
that monaont suoh preparations as we have
been able to make for proper reception have
been in progress. The heaviest of our tran.-
port steamers have been placed undcr the or
ders of Admiral Dupont. Gunboats have
been stationed at each approach, and new siv.
nal lines have placed tnem In instant COM
munication with headquarters. We shall
know when the ram passes Pulaski what di.
recJlon shs taken and what her evldent pur.
pose is, long before We SEQ her.
Preparations ON tho Part OF the R.n.1
Land Forces.
Meanwhile the rebels are conoentrating at
blu1ton, a. haTdeesviIle, and ut Gsahams.
vile. 1t is apparently their plan-frst TO
destroy our Heel, and tnen to move the F,naaI
around TO Ssabrook, and there cover thu land.
ing Of their forces.
AduaIraI Duponps Position.
How the Admiral proposes to meet the Fin.
gal, II is not proper for me to reveal It 10
sufficient for me to state that lie believes at
once IN the impregnahie nature of the orast,
and in the reckless daring OF her comrsander.
"Hoenoi' IA 'ne efent OF ner aoVcnb ns Will
remain on board the ruddsrleSs, helpless old
Vermont, which at present is his dagship, or
betake himself to some one of the steamers ia
port, / do not know. His past record i.
bright one, and it ID not likely to be dimmed
by anything 70 come yet know he thinks
that unless some other means than those now
at mis- disposal are supplied, there ia dire disas-
ter in store Tor nlt..
Oar Troops at Worn.
The prospect OF an encounter with the land
forces which may operate against US at Sea-
brook and other points on the western portion
of the island, gives Us no uneasness. Our for
tifications, always strong, lave been materially
strengthened within the past three days, and
large fatigue parties are constantly toiiin9 at
them. TIE supply of forage at the fort was
exhausted some days since, and, ss a conss-
ousnce, the heavy labor of hauling ordinance