Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-04-07

Account Of Vessels Running
the Blockade.
THE CITY sURROUNDED WITH
1NTRENCHMENTS.
ss,spor Sasst st ate ~ sats By q Con.
tr0b0Mo.

l,,sp or sasss Stasemss ssts By a Con-
trObOMd.
From the Special Cores Of the N. Y. Tribune
PoRr RoYAL, March %.
News from Charleston was brought
this morning by the United States gun
boat FIambeau, Lieutenant Command
ing Upshur, one Of the squadron block
aiding that port. am Indebted to her
commanding officer for the following in
tercstiug details, obtained by him from
a party Of five negroes who escaped
from the city in the night, and in a
small boat reached the Florida, Commo-
dore Goldsborougb, yesterday morning
at sunrise.
The English iron steamer Commerce,
nineteen Gays from Liverpool, arrived
at Charleston, March 10, having been
run in by RattIesnake Shoal, and so
through Mathis Channel, to the harbor.
The Commerce brought . cargo OF
woolens, shoes, arme and ammunition,
and is now loading in Charleston with
cotton, and expecting 10 run the block.
ade and return to England.
The Cahawba arrived three weeks
since, and is now loading with cotton,
hoping to do the same thing. The ship
Macknaw is also in port, loading with
cotton and bound for An English port.
One brig and two or three schoonere,
DIES. nation unknown, are taking in the
same cargo. On the 22d instant the
steamer Caroline ran in, about l o'clock
at night, from Nassau, with an assorted
cargo. The piiot-boat Chase arrived Oh
the same day, from the same place,
loaded with .alt. The Cecil and the
Ella Marley are daily expected, also
from Nassau; the Ella being the old
Isabel, and having run in and out with.
in two months, escaping the squadron
when she last entered by help Of a fog,
but getting shot in her stern from the
Mohican.
THE BLOCKADE.
1t need rot be supposed, however,
that the blockade of Charleston, is en-
tireIv ineffective. The number of YES
sells that have succeeded 10 getting in
is an evidence Of the great difficulties in
the way of making it reriect. The Flo
rida, James Adger, Sump,er, Flambeau,
and Onward are the present blockading
squadron-the Fiambcau being here
only for needed repairs, and to return
in . day or two. No vessels OF any
draught enter the main ship channel,
where the first stone feet was effectually
sunk and is still an effectual barricade.
But the skill and ingenuity Of the
Charleston pilots are very great. When.
ever vessel is running out, small boats
precede her with lights along Maffit's
Channel; while for vessels from the
outside signals are arranged, or they
have pilots on board whose knowledge,
aided by darkness and fog, enables them
to bsfflc the vigilance of the blockadiug
squadron. Nor is any blockade often
perhaps ncver--so effectual that no YES
sci eludes it.
QUALIFICATIONS OF TIE CITY.
Two lines of intrenchments entirely
surround the city Of Charleston, the
nearest at a distance Of two miles and
half, the outer five miles from the
city. Extensive Notifications have been
erected on Ashley River, three miles dis
tant, and strong works also on Cooper
River, four miles from Mouat Pleasant.
James Island, considered to command
an important approach to the city, is
strongly fortified and numerously garri-
soncd. 1t has long been known that the
river from Stone to Charleston is OBJ
structed by piles. Every effort has been
and continues to be made to strengthen
the detcnces on all sides and in the har.
Dor. The famous floating battery built
and used for the attack on Fort Sumter
now lies muored lear Fort johnson,
which is only an open earthwolk, for its
support aud protection.
! IRoN-CLAD oUN-BOATs.
There are but two armed steamers in
Charleston harbor-thc Lady Davis
and tug. The former came down to
Port Royal at the time of the lombard
men,, and, being obliged to return by
the Inside passage, was ii htened by the
renova! OF all her passengers, stores,
coa|, and, finally, even the machinery.
in order to get her over shoal in one
of the inlets. Strenuous efforts are ma
king TO build an iron-claI gun boat, and
every means is resorted to in order to
raise mouey. Concerts and ,hcatricals
are made to contribute, and exhibitions
of negro mnstrelsy, in which the per-
| formers have no need Of cha.coa to ap-
pear in character, have been given for
| the same object. Even slaves arc soic,-
ted for offerings. The vesse. was COM
menced, one OF the negroes thinks, three
or four days since, and is expected to be
ready within a month.
When tue iron steamer Commerce ar
rived, as above stated, on the 10th, it
was proposed TO purchase and plate
her, but she was found TO be too light,
and an offer was then made for her boil.
ers aud machinery, which her agents re-
fused; end, as she is an English steamer
the rebels were obliged for once to foreso
the pleasure of stealing her-in other
cases their habitual pleasure and profit.
In some Charleston papers found at
Jacksonville, Fla, saw appeals to pa.
triotic citizens to contribute toward the
building OF gun-boats, though nothing
was there said about iron-platiug-a
change of plan no doubt due TO the
Monitor Merrimac fight. Concerning
ttis latter, the Charleston papers admit.
ted that twelve men were killed on
board the Merrimac that her smoke