The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-03-24

TAe Gh9ece OF the defeuee Of Jamee rivar
aanet b seo oissa and TO earnestly pssssed
spon he attention Of the Confederate s,shori.
siss and the people Of tAis city. In IL v,ry
bsEinning Of the confess indeed, bsSoes ~
hmoos rawnss alarm, We called attention n
sAs imperative necessity Of powerful so,t,6.
sAsiops upon this river, never dou bin. ,AaA
the approach Of The enemy to RicAn>nd
would be BY the Peninsula, supported Av :
powerful heet Al that time vs h.d ro.
learned that ships could prove saeos,af.l /,
n attack upon shore batteries. We believed
what tAs whole experience Of naval wsrfar.
AAA ssssihed, with scarcely - exception, that
guns ashors were moro thap Q match for puM
aaoaa The history Of shs prsssus war has
sos proved that Nea fAnsey, bet II has sx
Aibissd most morsifyine sue ssssion Of disss-
ter. arising from badly sonstruotsd and badly
leeassd fortaasasions. I'm every encounter but
ons bsswssn the Confederate and the Federal
Assta ThAt exception was glorious one; It
was Drs9g's defence Of Pensacola, and in
driving Of with ease the most powerful man
efwsr In the Federal navy, he showed what
sosld Be done by land batteries, II built and
placed in proper mannar.
But II, at the b ginning Of the war, We
might invoke tas We long invoked in vain) the
attention Of our people TO the thorough forti
Aoaton Of james river, how much more
% now with the lights of the present contest
Wherever the Yankee gnnbosts have pene-
sAssd, our fortifcations, with tho exception
Of Donelson, have been silenced, an excep-
xon which proves what powerful guns and
good gunnery can effect Tho ordinary earth
works. without bomb proof shelters, are no
protection whsssvsr against vessels under
or run by them without difficulty. Moreover,
The enemy are now building their gunboats
with iron plates, which vii! make them invul.
nszable 70 the missiles Of ordinary guns. The
sucesss Of the Virginia, we confidently BE-
ksvs, is all that has thus far prevented the at
tempt Of Q Yankee fleet to ascend James
river, and has given us time to make ready
for the period when they will, in spite Of the
Virginia, bs able to make such an attempt
What these defsnces should be, We cannot pre-.
tend 70 designate. but must leave 1t to the
naval and military chiefs and engineers
whose business it is to give 1t their attention.
We would Hike to be informed whether the
torss upon james river are bomb-proof; pro-
vidsd with guns Of the ealibrs which proved
% efficient at Fort Donelson, and manned by
sk,llful and experienced gunners whether
means have been prepared Of sinking at va
nous points Of the channels heavy vessels
loaded with stone, commanded by batteries ON
the shore which in their turn are protected
BY batteries farther in their rear. In addition
to these, iron plated vessels or rafts should be
speedily built, 10 aid in the river Defence
There h a vast quantity of old iron among
housekeepers in the city and country, which
would be ehserfully contributed to such q
purpose. We call the attention Of the city au.
lhorities to this fact. We ask the special At
tsntion Of our military and civil authorities to
ahs following extracts from an article in
Blackwood's Magasine, December, 1859, on
the attack of the batteries OF the Peiho, BY
the British. They show what can be effected
against gunheass when not allowed 70 run by
and enalaAe batteries:
Apart from these fortincations three hsrs.
fiers had been constructed where the chan
10 detain vessels i'm mediatelv pnder the srs
at the works.
The harriers wsre thrse In numhsr Tha
6rst extended Acf0ss tho channel, at IN el
bow whsre the curvature Of the mud ban h
And direction of tide rlscsd vessels ascend
inx the straam stern on. or I'm d rakin~ M.
sation to the face Of the grand battery. il
ooasistsd Of q row Of iron stakes. nine inches
precervs An uprisht positfon. The ton ol
eacA sta r. vas Dointad. ~ we'll al n eharr
spur, which stnok out from its sidss, and a
dsa. This barrier was SO yards distant
l0S ano sVya1os1Eom sno Oa'teFies On sne
Afnk
1es sscono oaFiIeT wa. P.sceo 4O y.Iu. ~
Ae0vs toe iron PIle., ana !mmeo!a 'e1
ebresst the centre Of the fortine ations. y
consisted OF one eisnt.insh hemp ana two
Saaa en3,. H.."s~ ~ eses aon saI ~
~ Sovs a. an ~ norSiS,s s.1a ana .rn
n . ~ assn S,~o" ~, ~. ccr.;.,ir
Sy tnuE .oes, 80 spHa S~1e'S
~" ,h;sS - .s.r H1 .0 st., "a 81 txo m ...svs
r.fsS of rossh timber. isahSd and cross
"a sa,ntr.h,x ~ 81 "nrsH r.~ ~ shova one
sa.so. .sa ~ "a U.y ~ %H0 S...sr = I "n"n,nr
Icy. Ghs.s - wo,s ~ rncs. iron :tahss. - niaced
9 70 impede any gunboat da:hins tnrouEn 2
Overcome Iae lneenei'y Q. taS 1oH ssla1t - y.
9s.t 1s ~ voais MA aDiv i siio1 d the % pss.sxs o. q
tSis point 70 b sSscssd 1t sop Of high wa,sr
at the time the iroa piles were covered with
vassr. and tnsir Poeiuoa Dea19 an 1annSva .a.1 ~
coming impaisd upon them.
Al tWo p. m. the Admiral, wnose nsg va.
1yane on board the floVeI, Mensna1S1 - - -
U Spcc:em % remove me .ssr .ron ~ .sss .s .
p000o8e t0rO04A t0O 0rSt o&IFl0xs NJ w.