The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-03-15
nOM THE COAST.

The Late Naval victovy-Hs Effect upon fhe
Peopie-Operatsoas y the Enemy on ne
Coast, Sc, &c.
(srRuAL ooRnssPosDEsoa OF TEE DisPAfoh.J
'eAvANHAH. Ca, March II. leS2
The victory achieved BY the Virginia on the
waters Of Hampton Roads, has electrified this
comm unity and the whole South. II came At
most favorable moment. and has accom-
pliahed mach towards tnsplriting ~ In the
struggle We are now engaged 10: We have
been in state Of nervous anxiety 10 hear all
the details Of tho eriilisnt achievement, and
the more full they are the more complete
seems to have been the disaster to the Federal
feet Il will tend in . great measure to rsas.
slrs ~ all in the eniciency OF the Department.
which has accomplished this much~towards
the creation Of navy, and given to IL future
history the frsntispiecs Of q glorious and bril-.
liant victory.
In my last / mentioned the abandonment
of Fsrnandina, and the loss Of twenty. SIX
guns In battery there. The AFFAIR rejects %
riously upon either the oflcer In command or
on Gen. Trapier, who has the repu tation OF
being skillfal ofllcsr. If the island was too
exposed to attacks Of the nsst, it should have
been timely evacuated and all mill tary stores
removed, or otherwise defended to tho last
So sudden was the attack that the soldiers
occupying the cars, before starting, were
shelled from tn ships, and two Of the num-
Der killed. The remainder beat q hasty re-
treat, not waiting for the cars. The Yankees
obtain little Of any value, and hold coun.
try which cannot support battalion of men
| for six weeks without constant communica.
| ton with the depot at Port Royal. They
have assembled to Brunswick, and, b. last
| reports, were lying on the town, but had not
entered. The batteries there had been dis
| mantl.d some weeks since. The progress
which they have made on the coasts Of aser.
gia and Florida, though 1t may sound gravsly
| in the ears of many not acquainted with the
nature Of the same, gives no unsasiness
| whatever, and it may indicate a conclusion
| on the part of the Federal commander that
| Savannah cannot be assailed with any hope
Of success St. Johns liver is apparently the
next object Of their attack Four steamers,
/ by last accoun T., were of the bar, which is
exceedingly d:flcnlt, and nable to q heavy
| cross sea, rendering lis passa:e one Of peril
| exesp. for ligAt vessels and experienced III
| lots. Public ramor often precedeS the al >
| vance o: Yankee flotilla only because ws
| take for granted that they are as well &C.
! quainted us we are with The defences OF any
coint Some days since the " reli able gem
| tleman'' had given up Jacksonville to the
mercies OF the Yankees, previously destroy
| ing some Government work progressing
| there, simply from the general knowledge OF
| the accessibility OF the place. am glad tc
| be able to contradict any such rumor that
may have reached you but shall not be
\, icod tn l00 IT of ia
ton by its inhabltants.
The invaders seem to have come to q
! general agreement among themselves TO
l abandon the piratlcal and cruel coercive
| policy which they have SO long pursueo, and
| TO have adopted milder one, more agreed
| BILE to the usages OF war and consonant with
| the dictates OF humanity. This change, l
believe, has not been brought about from any
| su De, Tor sentiment Of humanity, but orlgt-
nates from the same motive which induced
Abraham to release from Fort Warren the
political offenders against Lis reigE-the con-
victiOn which he has forced himself to ex-
press II not to feei, that the rSbelliCu is on
The Wane. He HIS, without doubt, learnt to
be diplomatic, and has substituted ore reason
for another to dlsg wise MS change OF opinion
| ~ to the formidable nature Of The rebellion.
At Roanoke and at Nashville they offered
to tho citizens who1emained in their midst
| every offer Of protection, and at FernandIna
and elsewhere they have lately held out tho
| same Inducements to those remaining quiet
| in their habitatioLs. They have secured Ave
thousand negroes OF the planters Of Beau
fort stripped them Of their remnant of prop
erty keeping them exiles from their homes,
ana yet offer protection to floridiaDs, and, to
show their ruth, IRON the negroes who fly to
| their saeitsr. The bait Will not take. As In
North Carolina and Tennessee, our people
have learned wisdom from experience, and
place little reliance upon Yankee, worse than
Punic, faith. The disrega ard OF naltonai ooli
cations cannot exist In unison with individ-
ual truth, we know from a life. leng trial
disclosed the corruption which has crept into
every Individual nature, and grown 70 be a
part AND parcel Of the Yankee mind. We
would be worse than madmsn now to trust
to the came stale and idle promises which
have been given to the wind by Yankee
breath, and which SoutAaners have learned,
or should have learned, to value at their
true merit. In Carolina they found but one
man who remained at his invaded hearth
stone, and he would fain have escaped had
the falling OF weak nature anu weaker mind
permitted. So In Georgia and Florida, we
give credit TO their worthless protes .ations,
and staud ever ready with the stron right
arm 10 deal q deadly Olow for our native soil
or fall, our blood enriching the land from
which q new crop OF heroes shall spring.
one Federal oficer was killed on Saturday
last Oft Skidaway, and tho inference is that
he was one in high station. from the interest
man lies ted by all the vessels In the roads. 1t
appears, picket saw the boat receiving Its
crew alon gaide Federal steamer and NOTIFIED
an officer Ut the fact; the lookout was in bay
tree, oieats having been nailed on to render
ascent more easy, and secure foo ting for
small Number OF men. Chosen shots were
picked cut and awaited the approach OF the
boat, which came up within three hundred
yards-the oflosr In the stern sheets steering
and at the came time warily examining the
shore with glass. Suddenly the boat turned
round, and at the moment the rowing was
stopped, apparently to demand a reason for
the sudden change OF course As the Cmcer
raised his glass and pointed to the tree In
which he had discovered the picket, the un-
errinR rife sent the swift messenger. The ON.
cor was seen 10 fall across the g1nwale. and.
in as little time a. take to write this, the
crew dragged him into the boat and rsturRe ed
to the ships The vessels gathered about the
one to which the boat proceeded. The Sound
was alive with the hustle for half an hour,
when their usual places were resumed. It is
not probable the Yankees will approach Skid.
away 70 incauti0uay the next time, though
they may not encounter the quick eye of that
excellent picket
| Sometimes we come across some really ad-
venturous and dashing young fellows, who
| seek the bubble reputation at ths lannon's
moath ;" nay, encounter worse perils than
open danger in the field of battle, and whose
motive 10 higher and nobler than the evan.
sscsnt and desting honor which the breath OF
been blockaded by the Yankee batteries COM
munication had not been entirely Suspended
until few days past. Cur mail carriers, or
rathsr couliers, have been chased In several
blockade. while returning in plain view OF
| the fort, two wor by young men were cap.
| tured, one Of whom Is the son of J. H Bar
| tells, proprietor OF the Pulaski House. Many
have succeeded, however. in going and re-
turning. One of these successful ventures
having been accomplished under such diff
Guilty and danger, and with such frames and
resoiltQn, az to entttle the performer to all
the hu}4r that can attach to gallant sct.-
With a light canoe he proceeded from Caus-
tens Bluff, through the creeks and channels
lying between that position and Fort Pulaski,
q distance of ten miles. After padding q
portion Of the way, he boldly took his canoe