The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-18
T..cai d. fences.


pIe ia well a. the authorities. The apatny
into which the community was io'ied ny the
BATHS Of Manassas 10 beginning TO be broken
I, viii be reeo,lected that, at the eofaoe"'o
msnt of the war there was very iafse OF
s.r;za,;oa O. men not subject to military
d,,x lnoun IA the Home Giard. which was
co.nns,stiyely we'll drilled and dise'pi'ned,eu5
~,bs-,, afterwards, IN consequence OF the gen
..o,I indifference, was disbandea In forming.
Therefore. the new force recommended byN.s
Gov.rnor fer home Defence, we shall ~.
have the advantage Of enrolling ap,af 49,,
of the city, but of securing a.ara. 6.
most of whom are already ip .d.c;n,;na Ga
miliar with military drill s.nev Of ;,s toh,,
far as the numbers ap..rn,a Richmond and
Ing population are rIenr;,o Which ara snb
'he a"'u'"'"s " sthe city, can turn ont quite
s'an''"'i! 1y. But this is not ali tina, is
respe''A'ss he defence of Richmond. The
I this city has been the one object
posssHAe souls of the enemy from the be-
hesMg OF the war. lie looks upon this as
- head aud hear of the rebellion and believes
sArniy that a blow struck here would be fatal.
fusion. II is enough that sueh Is his convic
tons, and that the capture Of Richmond
would uIq uesiiouaoly DO an immense disas
ter one that would cripple cur own energies
sud damage our caaSe almost irreparabiy III
Europe. The people, then, OF this city. who are
Jeajy 10 a man t. lay down their hyss III the
pubic defence, and the whole naJion, W hici.
has such vast interests conce ntfated at THE
poiut. have right to demand iha, every ave
nue. of approach 10 the capital be eiicieatiy
guarded. and lot left, Ike uatGeras aud PoIi
koyai, and koanoAo Island TO lie protection
III u few nllseia6io eaTtnwoihs, Without proper
bomb proof dei-uees, or nieans o! aIresilns
hosL.i. heot. There aro du,ies OF the Govern
eminent TO the people Us well as o. tue peo-
pie to the Gov e.nMeat, and, bo.a 1st be up
TO the marx, Or defeat, disastor, anu ruin are
inevitable. The war has thus far eho WI Us
where our strength hes aud where our weak
ness. The enemy has been able to accom-
plish 10 great results Oh land bus, with tie
exception OF Pensacola, he has not talsed in
reaching us at every point accessible TO YES
seis which he has attempted. We, therefore,
call attention once more ~ the water avenues
approaching Kichnond, AID should like to
kuow whether they have all been placed IN
sueh u sta~e Of defence as the -eXigenoy de-
mands; whether there is Z sufficient number
Of powerful toits or eaJh, provided with
bonsb. proof shelters, and armed with the
right kild Of guns! II such Is the case, then
the Government, which has had tie most am
pie time Tor such preparation, and been warned
by the ineifcienoy Of the miserable works
ut Hatteras and Port Royal, in competition
with the euemy's powerful gunboats, has
right to demand corresponding ehorts on the
part OF Those whose intereets arc thus pro-
tected. a system Of home defence should
alec embrace lines of Notifications around
the capital, commanding ell the approaches to
1t, whether by land or water, and located not
only 10y engineering skill, bu. by engineers
familiar from long residence with the whole
character OF the country. No time should
be iost il making the present fertilization RS
strong as those which surround Wash
ingtop, and in constructing others which
shall eom5ine all the improvements in
this kind Of defence. NOW is the
time; NOW, when tie state Of the
weather has given us temporary respite
now is the time, not only TO cali out the whole
male force of our cities, butt above all, to
construct Notifications fer the ei.y defence
The whole white and black population Of the
capital snd its environs ought to be employed
unon this work without moments delay.
---~--
The Pike IL tbs Weap eff the B'avs.
The country is engaged in the task Of de-
tending itself asains. a ulost gigantic inva-
sion. The enemy have deliberately gathered
vast armies on our borders. and Row they are
being hurled against Us. The storm hes mus
tered Its rage, and now the thundarboit is be-
ing discharged at us. Yet, not more than a
third, certainly not more than half the mill
tAry population Of the Confederate States Ia
nnder arms. The apology for this neglect,
this wasting away the interval between the
battle Of Manassas and the present hour, is
that the Government cannot command arms to
plsoe in the hands of the reserve. Of Enfield
Muske.s, or even Of firearms of any descrip-
ton, this may be- true; bnt why rot call out
our whole military population, and after put.
hing them la camps of instruction, to arm them
with the "bowie- knife pike"-a terrible
weapon In the hands of resolute men. An
an1alsory force thus composed ard attached
% each one of our armies would always be
decisive Of hard fought battle. Certain it
L. that our country would be in a condition
more formidable to the invader, if the reserve
of sar military population were thus armed
and Thus disciplined than scattered, as ~ pres
ent. through the towns and rural districts.
We invoke the attention Of our public au
thorities to the necessity Of adopting some
principle, that "the bayouet is tho weapon of
the brave" and that every closely contested
fight must be determined by it, why will not
pike, barbed with q bowie knife, do to &c
fend the affairs Of freedom and the homes Of
inpocencs and lCve3
Fifty Thousand mon, armed with the 'bowie-
hnife pike" and disciplined 10 the maneuvres
Of an army, wesld, in addition to the troops
demanded by tie President, be decisive of this
war Every man might not have the courage
10 rely upon this primitive weapon, but vol
nnteers could be obtained TO enroll themselves
m this, a. . corps of honor. A determination
thus to place our whole military population in
the field, and make the land bristle with pixies,
II not with bayonets, would give confidence
70 many doubling and anxious heart
The invention Of gunpowder, to be employ
I'd in the open field is not, after all, an inven
ton 80 decisive Of the result OF battles. The
veteran lsgions Of Cesar, rushing to hand.to
hand conflict, with the short Roman sword,
would be ~ formidable now on the battle.
hs'd 40 they were when they overcame all op.
posing forces