The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-01-26
THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST.

Burnside expedition But up the time Of the writing
On Sunday reported there hundred sail
Of the enemy inside OF Hatteas and twenty large
inc 20 o
binsd attack on Newbern and Roanoke Island.
Roanoke Island ID ct the mouth Of Albemarle Sound,
and is the boundary line between that and Pamico
sound which the eneys ships enter upon crossing the
bar at Hattsras. Pamlico Sound is shallow body Of
oss and ron sight thirty miles Ssosd separated
from the Atlantic by low sandy islands scarcely mile
Tr %
junction Of Trent fver with 1.-THE front being sort Of
estuary Of Pamico Sound Iii not without protection
washington IL on the Tar river at s entrance into
Panlico river At the head Of navigation for going
can reach il, ths water not being suficenty deep
On the north Pamlico oonAects with Albemarle Sound
Which . sixty miles from east 70 west and from four to
and Chowan rivers and communicates with the Chesa-
peake Bay By tho Dismal Swamp canal.
On Edmton Bay, which ssas up from the Albemarls
Sound. n is sixty SIX miles from Norfolk
~ ls
unite above Winton, N. and flowing south southeast
1t enters Albsnarie Sound bys wide estuary little
small sail vessels q Nurffeesborough the Meherfn
branch, about seventy .nvs miles from the ocean.
Elizabsth City, N. c., h on the PasquotAnk river i,
twenty milss from ~ entrance into Alpemars sound
forty niss g. e. ". q Nesfolk. Wssls drawing seven
vim s1 via s Dismal
canal. 1900 q E-fT
The resAsr percevss the extent Of watsr communica
sion the enemy will command should he get possession OF
the two sounds, with boats OF light draft Roanoke
Island commands the entrance TO Albemare Sound There
able to say but We imagine it will have to abandon the
place should the enemy make administration upon IL
with his large naval force General Wise has been ap
pointed 70 command that place. and all north Of and
soutk Of Norfolk He has been only recently appointed
and has not y loft this city General Branch, OF North
Carolina, commands the district next below Abemarle
Sound, incuding Pamco. He has been sad taking
tho most gant for the defence Of the
Much apprehension exists in the towns reached by
the sounds. We have a brief despatch from Murfrees
borough which states that the militia of the county
(Hertford) had been called out in consequence of the
appearance Of the Burnside expedition the coast II
states tat the notorious II. Foster guiding fhe
feet
The occupation of Roanoke Island by the enemy will
much interrupt the transportation Of supplies TO
Norfolk But there be danger Of attack ueon
/ Norfolk from that direction, we imagine.
Is TO be hoped that II the famous Burnside, who
like all expedonary Yankees reported to be irresi
tbe before he sets SAIL really intends to beat up the
quarters Of the North State that he will have courage
and pluck 10 leave his ships and give soldiers far
snake Moaning would be moro agreeable With such
aa Of frontier and navy would be silly
pec hope that no landing could be effected by
ecrable invaders But when they do land all that ask
In that they may penetrate into the country and let
/ what stuff they made Of. An invading army
should do less than this and to do less betrays eter
II diers.
Speculation purpose of Burnside will no doubt
Il soon be enued by the TACT OF MS prOceell
The part tho coast OF North Carolina menaced by the
enemy includes about half OF its front The sounds
which Il ssupposed he proposes TO conduct his opera
tons separated from the by spit OF sand,
pierced by few'very narrow nles. These sounds
bodered by swamps here and there points Of land
. little elevated The arabic land contiguous TO tho
rivers emptyngnto the sounds Is fertile and produces
heavy crops of Indian but the intervening country
chiefly pine barrcns valuable only for the
pentine yielded SO abundantly by the pine forests
The situated upon the rivers and at their
into nhe sounds avery moderate in size,
and plain and aldashionsd. The largest OF them Is New
born, situated the Nsuse river forty miles from
the southern extremity Of Pamlico Sound It has popu
Iation Of only some A,000 50 that may be presumed
dhat there great deal Of damage be done II
<f these towns taken. They Newbcrn Washing
Edenton, Ehzabeth City MurSreesborough and Win
principally engaged in the turpentne and lumber
Il sade. There could hardly be any design simply
against these towns, the enemy could gain
Il httle by seizing them II look to the in
serior we nnd salient point nearer than Weldon or
other locality far from the Sound the Will
nington and weldon Railroad By seizing the railroad
our with the South by that way may be
interrupted But the march 10 that road, sixty
sassnty miles, Is Of difficulty, incurrng the danger
ef Aeng cut on and not therefore to be undertaken light
lyor without some great end In view which can
A hardly possible.
r. then there s no Smportant field OF operations in
the Gounds themselves or In the westward interior
cannot what the great Burnside Expedition can be
unless IL be threaten Norfolk In the That
10 move the chessboard that may present pleasing
expectations to Northern neghbors but the
ton Of II Is very di1erent matter from the planning
u woe found that u is easier to take Norfolk In the
rear paper by the dismal Swamp, at THIS
SCARE other dismal routes cf swamp marsh mud and
forest ff only for the marches OF amphbia ny the
canal ooourse they cannot come TO Norfolk Any other
line OF msrch n not obstructed by natural difficulties at
ii this season, Is easily defensble.
III But once more suppose Burnside will soon lof US
III know what he means to do