Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-08-29

riron Tor plating herrs,des; aud EVERY stick
Of lumber had to, be procured fromthe forests
Of Louisaua, there .bsinE, no .alip, timber CT
navy yard At that point, TIE wood T6Tk 81
this extraordinary. Vessel was finished, the
mi, shinary nearly completed. orr rIopcllN7
was IN and thv ,otheT,rcaIJ 10 &c, Placei iii
their: proper poBitloi7. Her complexion would
have been affected in iour five " eek if Fort
jackson had not fallen, nm event as unloollsd
for hy The Department as it, Waa una1 psctsa
trhy lie Government aud country, ~. Genera!
Lowell had given: repeated assurances that our
| delenrss below New Orleans, were amply sui
ticlent 10 resist any attack that the, cneplJ
could ma ke,, This vessel, which would have
beer the pride Of the uation, with Tho. assis-
lance Of the Arkansas and Louisiana such
was her peculiar CONSTRUCTION, magnitude. and
appointments-wo oGld have been able, under
the direction Of Skillful Commander, to clear
tine waters nof the Mississippi OF. the ensira
Ysnkss deet-t This was Lne great object c"a
ten,plated by the Department in ksSing lheul
construCtsi., ,-:.. y......,.f ...', ,,.,.r:..rt
If the anemJ had 6ssny kept. lack. 4 Ic77
weeks, longer by the, other srm. Of the mill.
tarJ SERVICE as, was .cSpc:tca acdE cciint::i
upon with confidence by all. tho nEral arm
of the ConiedeTacy would have been felt ii
that quarter, at less, ,-Eitk; pflds, aa.l sstIs-
faction to thu Whole country But the fates
Of war bad :iecreed it differently and fha git',
rious' s''anticipatohs of the Secretary of tile
I Ta9v;so usfly'fohuded, blasted just ca the
eve of:theif, brilliant, realization. Many oi
| Hib friends in"Fichinond know with. what
poignant grief he received the SAD ann6unce-
1 ment of the unexpected rnlsfortune. i'''N p.
In addition ro"the foregoing, preparatinns
Ewere being InIae under rhe direction'antt su-
1 per vision Of the distinguished Commander
| Aaury; i0r the construction III one hundred
| 'gmboats in the waters oT Virginia, South
! Carolina and North Carolina. a Consider 4
! bic number OF these we're commenced i'll the
York, Rappahannock and Painunkey rivers,
'aId large number Of men were engaged in
cutting and preparing timber for them. Those
in process 81 Construction, with q 'rast ,quar-
tity Of timber Just collected from the for
ests Of tue. surrounding country, were de-
stroye likewise. in the, evacuation of the
Peninsula ana Nerfolk BY ine Confederate
armies ...'.....s ...... - .
+ In addition TO iii this, The caun,ry will '.ue
| eurpriset to learn thsr the department hap
now tfnjer.T way ten largs -iFon ,glnboats. .,
Il "
:pernired 10 make, public nor 10 speak Of
'Etheir dimensions. 49,, - .-a...,,- =. - o. :
! : fou have doubtless perceived, Mcssr7 EAis
tors, from tile foregoing, asrrative OF facts de-
FIXED from the records uf che startiiieGt; and
1:Ichalenge the denial of solitary statement,
ipr nyos7 srtisit1tion, tli1. thc -rCccss Of tLs
plans ard ptSslacal operations ol. the Nay
! Departmentc ~ vi. unavoidahly deper1denrnPnr
| ,p>., -, I.
and the falling hsch; Of our troops from various
poin,s OF the Country, Where naval works weEi
. progressing for months anterior TO the bst,li
al, ,Drury's Bluff: necessarily involved The ds-
4 feat TO T. very great eEtcnt, Of the operations
of the Navy Department.. But fo1 these 5iic-
,eessive military disasters; " hict left our sca
teoksts and riYerz entirely, ,5zpos sd,T here ship
! building .was rapidly progressing; ths Country
would have had, in the short sP5Iu Of twelve
or tiftseD-Donths froIn the origin OF our t7r"-
ernment !aGse ani- formidable fleets to,cul-
/ tend successfully with ore Of the first nava
/ powers of the world. Our little navy has LacD
crushed by attamptiDgt TO accomplish too uiuch
It has been:o.erpowered by c1cnunLering ever
whelmiuG numbers 80 .''n"' - s.. 4: ::
When T take ;Tpsl ipl cGnsidsratlon, tie slinosi
innumerabla difficulties enceuntered BY the
Secretary of the Navy in the prosecution. Of
his dutics-aueh Is 'thS Fcsr:ity cfship timber,
! ,Es7ing 81. pr0cyre 1t It irop ,fhe atumPs. ths
4 difficulty oS ebtsiIuiE ship carpenters As va
were nota: ship building peopis;S the abseilEe q
Navy IsTd5 aud. tools. the impossibility oi
procuring engines, boilers, and iron plating.
the Wal, ,Departlent, being. the, most impor-
TAFT s71a Of the service; having the 'prncadenta
at the lev Fcundfi75 ii tho couitry--I AN
i1iesd,su7prised that he hsa- Accomplished 80
iT.Mchhn The face of fsuich unheard ofd!iicr!tie-.
] Slrs: knoTing, as T do, that tie, seETjses Vi
the Duet: unobtrusive and laE1siuua heodsol
Ibis department have been approved and CEN:
! plimented, in the main. by 5lich naval oi;Iau'
ks"Forrest, Buchanan, K0usssau lyu III; Nj.
! nGT, .Sinciairo and Brock who have a!l'hrlo
Bureau hppoihtmeatg inder him during the
psst eighteen, Inentha, and bear in mind
the high ppsicial be. held il the Senate af. tie
! United Statos as Chairman OF the Naval Com
mitt.e for many years, to which he was re:
psatediy called by the, ALMOST unanimous
voice of that body, and the faithful and Ia
4 bofious manner in which he has. discharge
the duties OF his present position under the
t most try ing and embarrassing difficulties that
I ever beset the path -of--c Fu5l:c tunctionary,
! I,feel proud Of him ASA: citizen Of ny S:ats
'shd shall not beiinueliced III my estimate oi
>. his worth BY cha. foolish .rsmarhs of mtcrn-
psrate editors nor the vapid yituperations oi
[itnerant land garrslou5 politicians lin thtir
second'cEildh90d). tlsini1g.to represent con-
stituences in Congress- God preserve the
country from the selfish and H.sliZnsit AID
! heartless purposes-of such men. " =, -:
= -. .-' A FioGlr,s,i
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