The New York herald., 1862-03-19
THE OPERATIONS OF THE GuNBoATs.

HEwBERN, March 10, 1862.
10 return TO the Of the gunboats Of the
expedition and the attacks on the rebel batteries we
will leave the point where the troops landed and follow
The Delaware Commodore Rowan's nagship) which
took the advance followed by the southneld Hetzol
Brtnka, Stars and Stripes louisiana, Undwrter CON-
modore Perry Picket, videtts and few others whose
is impossible for me to call to mind at the
D esent moment The reason Of Commodore Rowan
being In command that soon as the news
esachsd the feet Of the attack by tho Merrmac on
vessels at Fortress Commodore Goldsborough was
- uneasy that he Immediately returned to Old Point
leaving the direction Of the naval movements in the
hands Of the next ofhcer in rank. Commodore Rowan
consequently took charge and he is deserving Of the
highest praise for the splendid which every
thing relating to the gunboats was conducted.
Immediately below the city Of Newbern the repels
had placed almost impossible barrier the passage
Of vessels, hoping thereby 10 prevent the feet from
coming to the city. II situated about six miles
below Newbern, and consisted OF number Of sunken
vsssels placed in such position and locked firmly
together a. TO make 1t appear . matter Of the
utmost impossibity 70 do anything with them,
Or 70 make an attempt 10 pass them, but Commodore
Rowan not 10 be deferred by anything that could bs
accomplished by human means only and he made up his
mind 70 pass the obsructions and pass them be dd In
lhs centre Of the river is shoa which required no
guarding s light depth boing its best protscton but
the right and ls sides there Is deep channel and
these the rebels closed up or at least tried 70 do BY
the following msans,0n the right haDd side, approach
ing Nowbsrn, was sunk in direct line, twenty four
sss, Of different size and rig There two bries,
three barks and nineteen schooners ranging from fifty
two hundred TONS Al mentioned before, these were
locked into another, stem and stem, and with their
long masts pointing In every conceivable direction
effective blockade Is could be got up for the
occasion. Their running and standing rigging in
almost every perfect and the themselves ap
peared to be Of much better class than Is customary
such purposes but probably they did stop
70 consider such tres but laid their hands the nrst
they could get put end the drsaded approach OF
the "Yankee holdeso On the left hand side there
no vessels sunk, but much moro deadly and effective
means was adopted to stop The vessels could
and avoid but the others were intended take
wares and sink destroy feet such Of should
attempt 10 pass them. number of thick, heavy spars
we're sunk in the channel and pointed down the stream
she tops strongly coated with iron, shapened
70 into the bows sides Of vessel coming towards
shem and content with these for defensc against
vessels approaching the city, they had species OF tor.
pedo constructed to blow up vssses slight descrp
ton Of which will be interesting showing does the
desperate that the rebels made prevent us from
taking the city Of Newbern and s really astonishing
bow they were beaten easily, and they with every
in their power both natural and ARTIFICIAL TO do
fend themselves against the small force brought Aganst
them.
The Internal machines or orpedos, constructed
out Of three heavy pieces Of timber placed in the
position shown above, At the bottom Of which
placed box filed with stone, old iron, &C., - 70
sink IL n its place. and after being sunk, was inclined
forward at angle Of about degrees by means
Of ropes and weights. This, formidable a. II was in
itself, was capped by acyndcr Of about ten inches in
diameter, made Of iron, into which fitted shell heavily
loadedthe shell resting springs arranged that
pressure upon the cylinder by any portion Of vessel
would discharge percussion cap explode the she'll and
carry death and destruction TO the craft unfortunate
70 come into collision with it, Their labor entirely
thrown away, as OF our vessels went near them,
and certainly none touched them Several Of these
pcdocs found in shpyard after the possession Of
Newbern by the Union forces
Before the feet OF gunboats reached two
batteries were encountered and matter Of course were
slenced The rst known 90 For, Dixie, and mounted