The New York herald., 1862-08-01
What the Railway Merrimac" Did
In the Late Battles.
REBEL IDEAS OF OUR SOLID" MEN
ktreet Commissioner Smith in Command Of
the South Carolina Department,
&c., kc., Ia.
The Railway 'sMerrimac"-The Part she
Took tn the Recent Battles.


IRE railroad near the York river depot. Many tho
sDscalaNns as TO the specific purpose for Which il
<s8ned and not few tho predictions that 1t would
prove afaiure Some persons, indeed, conceived 90
An opinion its usefulness to predict that IL would
" taken prisoner" on It's nrst trip Uacheckod BY
smnous predictions, the work went and battery
WAS completed. Lest our enemies should borrow the
dea we refrain from giving mlnnts description Of ;he
work Il u ironclad battery, seven sots
II whesk, and carrying Ia 60 rifle gun. The whole
uashine vas propelled by an ordinary locomotive.
su.enant james Barry Of the Norfolk United Artillery
crew consisted OF Sergeant Daniel Knowles and thirteen
men, ali members Of the same artillery corps. Mr.. N s
Walker, one Of the engineers oi the York River Railroad
volunteered ~ run the engine which 20 push the
battery into action. Owing the breaags Of the
amoeIs supporting tho gus the rs. trip Of the battery
70 bring back tho city repairs. These
Effected and on Saturday evening 1t again got under way
and bore down towards the Yankee army ut Fair Oak.
u was halted that night ut last intrenchment. |"
sw cen nve and six miles from Richmond. sunday mo.
ia the engine attached he battery got up stean uu
lieutenant Barry prepare action and awaited orders
The were in exubet spirits and anxious for the
frsy. AZ ten O'Clock a. having reCeiyed orders from
General hagruder, Icutcnt Barry proceeded down the
road mile, when his further advance was obstructed
~ the Yankee ortfcations which crossed the track
About two hours consumed IN reopenmg the track
when the battery advanced steadily down the road.
About twelve O'clock the battery being about seven
NILES from Richmond, Lieutenant Barry came in sight
several Thousand Yankees moving at double quick
down the road in front Of him, the direction of Sa.
vags's lie about open into flying mass when
- was stopped by General Magrudor, who suggested
that they troops il pursuit Of the enemy
Just the troops disappeared round the curve OF
the enemy batteries stationed m the wods in front OF
Dovage's house, opened upon forces, who in
she woods TO the left OF tho ailroad ard about
niles from Richmond.
issipp Lieutenant Barry ordered TO engage
thls battery, which he did with such effect that the
:ssond shell from his gun sienced H. He then Cob.
tAe spot from which the Yankee battery had retreatsd
A. four O'Clock he was ordered to proceed down the rail
Soad abreas OF skmishers and to fire into thing
and entered Savagcs field he saw, halt mile advance
u him. party or Yankees engaged in setting A. . to
Gam the acS Hl.ing fred two shots into this
. whte Nay raised II, and General Cobb coming
sp al the moment ordered nm not fire into again
- he had information the traiu was loaded with sick
Immediately afterwards g. al Magfuder rode up and
seeing the enemy drawn up line OF battle tho Held
suartsr Of mile and open into his ranks On the
Bursting OF the second shell the enemy fed in confusion
- ting Yer Of the woods TO the right Of the battery and
ss.5A TINS pont poured and the engine perfect
AsN Of ride bullets Kemrsr battery now opening on the
enemy from position in the rear Of the battery, Lieu
tsnat Barry was obliged 10 withdraw IN the direction
battery drew the whole fire Of the enemy fortunately
Ahough the narrow escapes were innumersbo, not
I. ms men was sirack Mime ball passed within an
hch oil the engineers head and struck The railroad
nmbankment.
As.tns battery drew back to Fair oaks, the Third
sauth Caroina supported BY other regiments, dashed
asross the railroad and charging the woods in whch
tbs enemy had taken shelter from the rifle shells OF
lsiusspan. Barry drove them n ;hs direction Of Bot
General Magruder at the time that the loss Of the enemy
h this sngas smsnt was between eight hundred aud
thousand In killed aud wounded. How important part
vss played by the railroad battery in thB engagement
nay be opjsctursd by the statement Of prisoner who
vas captured on the occasion he islorned Lieutenant
Barry the shell thrown into the ranks
~ field just 'front.' of Savage's house killed and
ssandsd Aurdrsd men and thirty horses Il is be
heved also, done great execution In tho woods
aud contributed BY the terror inspired BY its immense
ssIes 70 the easy rout Of the entire division Of the
snemy.
sl CO tha. battle the enemy having ef. the track Of
ehe railroad the battery has no service II has
formed handsomely ali IL has undertaken, and must
he enemy after the light ~ Cold Harbor rctreatod
vArds the White House the Pamunksy, instead Of 10
wards James river IN protecting our advance and annoy
ing the enemy. and destroy his trans would have
boeA Of incxlcuabls value 10 Our cause As is its
ros Of usefulness may mol have formulated. We have
Ao,ss of s play ms conspicuous part either - Drsry's
Blun or Mestovsr.
Drafting tho "s0lid" Men or the North.
IRON the Richmond Dispatch, July 26.l
The opinion was formerly expressed by many In the
South that had not yet encountered the most fOrmda
exhausted thor "rifrlK n-hsir Dutch, Irish city
svwd,ss-they wouldI come down. upon With their
"ssid msn" ana crush 10 the consistency oi Jelly
We onfess that always entertained doubts Of be
u,tn VI this proposition We sremembsred that Washing
.s had grsvous time in.sturng up these "sod mem
IN Tie days of the Revolution. They were 'solid"
that moral or physical lover sesmsd capable Of
ng them. We have the original Of an old Revou.
.osr' complains mos. bitterly thai, neither for lows
money could ne induce any one IN Massachusetts to
snss the The truth rs, there Is good deal OF
esmmon and humbug about the "soc men," Al the best
What 10 meant by the tsrm NJ, wo suppose men OF pro
Derty, mon who solid IN wsrldly gools and chat
bes and eflep associate physical soidity with ths
asms terms; that k. rotund corporation and cheeks
swelling with atness, and tnoss customary insignia of
soAdiy gold headed cane, gold watch chain aud seals,
and a substantial ar, Of whom part OF ths
gloss beongs, and who looks upon all men owning
H Hopsrsy interopsrs the dsmesuos the Creator
asd who considers plague pssiencc, war by which
thsv ma be o. 1 q
srrssskg hafers and vagauis and ccnsgning them to
psss where they can rcpsst .. their LEISURE Of thor
A. " .sold msA" meaning any thing "sod" 10 moras
virtue, vAlor patriotism, Of course u doos
Kvessts, Dickinson, Gushing Co-codid anything be-
uess 'soldn In outward aspect And yet each OF them
- prsved shell. aud shell full OF corruption
ed death. Aad no better specimens can anywhere be
fYunA Of the '.sold su' of the North They are just
a sorrupt and depravsd the unsod men aud thous
ssd times hypocriical. The only difference be.
tween and tbs "rintaG w that tho latter "wear
shsp hears upon their Sleeves and. contrary to tho
general mprsssion they are more reliable Ter lighting
Isrposes The philosophy Of this 10 PLAIN enough The
.rIfsnn they are called are accustomed 10 hard
AMI ksosks from their cradle; they feel that
,his world world for tbsn and that, In giving nup,
tuey to lose But nne houses, productive
e -ns-beautul gardsns-as pr. Johnson sad 10 Car
rick aihse the things that make dcathbed terri-
BE-; these are the things that snervao men make them
cling " lie the greatest Of advantages, rcnier the
sohd mem the formidable Of all combatants who
can be called the dsd and cause them 10 skodad o
CAada and Europe Tor fear Of being drafted into the
suiir,a
The only manner In which the "sod menn Of the
North formidable Is w their capital They have
spcnt much money IN carrying this war that they
will make another desperate throw W save that which
has already gone. They will not themselves, under
aay circumstances but, either by draft
Ie they viii raise the three hundred thousand additional
trsups required 10y Lincoln There Will be rsll
sdtng of tho whole North and VI all mankind for more
.y,n rar' make up the three hundred thousand. As
for themselves, three hundred thousand "sod mem OF
the Nerth would vanish like the most unsubstanal sha
l,ys before "Stonewa Jackson and thirty thousand
.lpfate
srus Let her uot wait another hour for the accumula
s.u az more 'r raT let not the enemy be permitted
a aeyauye another foot. An instant movement upon the
ysnk.es aud the solid men Of the North aud thsr solid
so,ptry viii vanish ike the baseloss fabric of vision
Transfer Of the Renegade Phiiadelphfan n.
tIron, the Charleston Mercury, July IL
uv,a currently rumorcd IN military circles on Thurs
Sayand have reason 10 believe 10 De correct-tha
Naor General femborton, now ~ commana o. Tue depart
.,a, ~ so IN CA ona and Georgia has been transferred
70 sn mprsut post where he win soon be face 10 facs
vim the enemy and that MAJOR General Gustavus W
saph Sas been assigned 70 succeed bin in The commaps
N,hs aspzrtsAsnt