The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-05-05

/ ~ ~ ~ o. EUGFONl,
Flag Oficer Commanding.
Frsm DurnsiAsss Asny.
To Hon. Gideon Welles, Sec. Of Navy:
On the 18th ult. the army forces und|sr
Gen. Reno debarked at Cobb's Point, N.
G., Tor the purpose OF destroying The locks
Of the Dismal swamp Canal. Having re-
tired witbsut accomplishing ~ object,
Commander Rowan determined tocestroy
the canal with the naval forces under his
command. The following is the report of
the successful accomplishment Of the
work:
q. g. Steamer Com. Perry,
of Elizabeth City, N.c.,Apr. 26.
0IR:s fa Obedience 10 Your orders, l
left this placs on the 2sd sinstant in the
lockwood, With the Whitewood and the
Putnam in company, each with an officer
and , detachment Of men on board, the
Lockwood towing the wrsokiag schooner
Emma Slade, with the apparatus forblow-
ing up the banks to block up the Abe
marie and Chesapeake Canal It the North
River. We were joined BY the Shawser.
having in tow . schooner which had been
| sent the day before TO Roanoke Ialand to
be filled with sand. On the afternoon Of
the 23d,. 500 men we're. laaded on each
bank, while canuck with . heavy IL
FOUNDER was sent up the canals. With
this force VIC moved up TIVE miles, exam
lining the banks to find the best place for
operations. x
concluded to plscc the distractions
near the mouth that the nen,s while ii
work, might b under the cover Of the
guns of the steamers and the enemy pre-
vented from moving il. The schooner
was sunk just inside OF the canal and with
brush, stumps, rails, trunks of trees, and
earth the passage Was obstsdaied from the
schooner about fifty yards above. We
we're occupied from noon till sunset Of
the 23d land from 7:30 q. m. Of the cath
till half an hour after sunset. Earth was
thrown in By hand as far as we could, but
We had no whcelbarrows to CARRY it to
the middle. d
Prof. Mailefort. of the New York Sub
marine Engineering Co., and his assist
sn.s, were OF the greatest assistance to
me; indeed, | was merely governed by
his advice, as he is more familiar with
this sort of work than am. He is of
the opinion that it win require two or
three months labor with . dredging ma
chine to remove what we have placed in
day and 4 haiti. He says it will be easi-
er and cheaper to cut new outlet than
to remove the distractions. The rebels,
! think. have no thought Of using the ca
nal, as they themselves have been OBJ
strncting it above and below the bridge.
The Rebels - Make m ATTACK On
| Com. Feete.
ST. Cairo, May 2.
River 10 stationary and eight inches
higher than WAS ever before known.
The news from Pittsbnrg Is of the high
est importance, but its transmission over
the wires is prohibited. n
The bombardment Of IT. Pillow i con-
tinued by mortar boats at shorter inter-
vals 1t was generally believed that !
simultaneous attack would g made BY
the Aeet bsfors the close Of ths vsek.
Deeerters saJ that the, entire rahei gun
beat aeet under command OF Holhns had
arrived II Fl, Pillow. md wuuN make an
attack ON Com. Foots % soon g prepa.
nations were complete.
Memphis papers of the Goth nltimo say
that meeting held tho night previous
had concluded Asburn the city in ease Of
the approach Of the Federal feet. Tho
fall Of Nsw Orleans il referred 70, bat no
particulars are given An editorial mr.
gently calls on the people to reinforce
Price IT Fort Pillow as the only hope of
salvation Of the city.
Gov. Yates left here tonight for Pitts
burg, with steamer ChAmpion, fitted up
to aeesmnodaAe 400 wounded Illinois sol
diers. She also takes up lasge guam
tity Of sanitary storss for distribution
among Illinois soldiers.
y fs ii Meaningless. Nay 2,
|, According to : recent order from the
War Department whom the caro- Of sick
4 + md wounded soAliers u assumed by III
i State from which thsy coma, Tia snbsist.
ence department will commute their 70.