Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-16

nsnnry ascms. Eag
1870 Hinds, Of Lafayette. has beer, APP
pointed oasrsermastcr Of the ID artilIcrv reci
mens. aud via enter at once upon the dutie. Of
the position. f 49,
Joe DAnxiser. OF Lafayette. is The Suite.
oil the I'd artillery regiment at Indianapolis. He
j. already at his post. and his shansy is the pop
ular resort Of the regiment
VS." Is a fine apprenticeship to all sorts Of
trades "A soldier IN Col cowdin's regiment
wrote home: Il never knew was so capable.
thought selling groceries was the extent of nv
cai'zb'lity: but IL seems can build houses. dig
trenches. ohiciate in the hospital; and to morrow
WIN q dry goods clerk. | commence building the
chimney Of a new hospital"
Tux MIssfssirrr Exrtprrtox ~ ow that the
treat Exposition of the Department of the Vest
y prepared 20 move. and las aiready advanced
Instance OF eight miles beyond its former lines at
1aSy, To point of rendezvous at the mouth OF
Mayneid creek, or Fort Jefferson in the river be
low. II will prove interesting TO our readers to
De placed ~ the Possession Of she following par
usuiars relative 70 the feet:
ne military part Of expedition is under the
general command N MAJOR Gen. Halleck, whose
E. grand army from st. Leuis. joined BY the col
umns OF Gems. Grant. NcCielland, Wallace and
saaish. from Cairo and Paducah-betseen 80, 900
40 vpoo mess-forms the land forces OF the
expesiition.
The naval part Of the expedition Is under the
commsqd Of Com. Foose. who has superintended
the consQucfion and armament of the gunboats
Com foote Is an open hearted. affable sailor and
gentleman, and Is known in the navy as one of
its most efficient ofbcer8 He distinguished him
self IN China By the bofnt,srlipg and preaching
Of the Chinese fort, the fort being, in all respects
asuperior work OF masonry The feat called
forth the praise Of all foreign naval officers on
the coast
The following is a list of the naval officers
now IN command Of The "Flotilla of the Western
waters
Flag ofiicer-A Il Foote
Capta,ns-Steimbei, W. d. Porter, A. II.
keity. Dove, Mack, Pennock, winsIow. Roger
Perry.
Lisuienants--PheIps. shirk, Wilson. Paulding.
Bishop.
Midshpman-Lord. Master Mate-Buter
description OF the flag ship OF the expedi-
ton will give pretty accurate ide, of the con
struction and arrangement of the remaining gun
boats, being in general enthusiastically made
The flag ship Benton was built outside OF the
COM rr-sionsl appropriation. having been built by
the order If Major General Fremont The con
tractor, Mr.. Fades, given almost "a carte
blanche relatiyeo her construction, and the result
y that he has produced one of the finest and
MIST formidable specimens of naval architecture
afoat The Benton formerly the United
States snagboat Tom Benton, subsequently
Submarine No. Z. owned by Messrs Eades
a Nelson, and finally was sold for $40 :
600. by. the wrecking Company. to the United
States, for the purpose Of being metamorphosed
into gunboat. The work Was done by Messrs
Moore 4 Dagget,. of the Sc. Louis Dry Dock
Company. under the superintendent Of con
tractor Fades The Benton is Sc feet long on
deck, and IS feet wide ut the beam Her hold is
90 feet deep, and with armament and crew draws
about ) feet. She has double hull, with the
wheels working in recess near the stern.
Her hull is four-inch plank and timbers
y by 10 inches. The hull is doubled by 5 fore
and at. bulkheads aud l3 cross bulkheads, making
in all 40 water tight compartments. The deck
frame beams 10 inches square. The main
deck is planked with AZ inch plank The for
ward defense runs down to the ? feet water line,
and is of "a inch timber, all sheathed with 90
inch iron plating. The entire boat is sealed with
3 and inch oak plank. caulked and made per
fectly tight Classmates extend around the whole
boat, and made OF IL inch timber. At the
kunckle the main deck the timber is from 3 TO
feet in thickness. solid. The Benton is pierced
for and will carry Is heavy guns, all of which are
HOW aboard. The guns are from 81 Founders to
AZ Founders caliber, some rifed and some smooth
bore, and there are two ginch Dahlgren guns
The principal part of the armament is disposed il
the forward part of the boat, there being guns
only in the stern. The machinery boilers. &c.
are all under the deck. The cylinders are 81
inches in diameter, with feet stroke. There
are boilers. 81 feet long and 40 inches in diane
ter with 81 feet bucket The wheel house il
protected by timber from to S inches in thick
mss, and will be sheathed with heavy ron Tn,
rilot house is protected by II inch oak timber
placed at angle of about 80 degrees with the
upper deck. is concal in shape and of very in
genious construction IL will also he protected b.
n sheathing of heavy iron. There are two maya
zines. each side. just forward of the wheels
They are each capable of carrying 100 rounds o
ammunition for every gun, and afford ample room
for the necessary evolution within them Th
magazines can be flooded with water in moment
from the main deck, and furnished and ar
ranged in true naval STYLE The other boats ar
similar, except that they very little smaller
carrying but ID guns each. The names of tn
gunboats are n follows:
Flag ship Benton. Is guns; Essex. 10; 81
Louis. Is; Carondeet, Is; Mound City. 10; Cairo
ID. PittSDurg, 10; Cincinnati. ID; Louisville, IL
Conestoga. 10: Lexington. Is: Tyler, Is
The mortar-boats, Sc in number. are built o
heavy timbcrs-the sides of boiler-lron loop
holed for musketry. so arranged that the
can he used "a bridges, and will each carry one O
the heaviest mortars used in warfare. Sinai
tug boats will be used to tow the mortar boat
into position.
There il also pontoon- train built by Nh
johnson. of New York city. 1t is of sutta per
cha, composed of inflated floats. and may be pa
IN use. taken up. and transported in the smalles
possible time and with but little labor.
The expedition consists of fleet of III gun
boats, i floating batteries and y river steamers
There are 400 pieces of cannon of th
heaviest caber. mounted on them.
The magnitude of the preparations msy be in
ferTed. &C. some extent, when il Is known that tn
salaries of officers reach the amount of S60 .0o
month. that 500 600 bushels of coal have bee
contracted Tor and delivered at Cairo; that cloth
Ing to the amount OF $40. 900 has been contract
81 for and l. its thither that o00 900 trn
of powder have been sent To- Cairo and othe
war material beyond all computation.
The grade of officers, the gunners pilots, an
all other classes necessary 20 man the boats. ar
arranged precisely in the Navy OF the Unite
States. The number OF required on eac
boat cannot be given without Attending niorma
ton 10 the enemy
-(iEN. BUKNsIpEs' EXPEDITION The mos
important expedition which has yet sailed for tn
South left Fortress Monroe on SATURDAY. las
The secret Of its destination has been well key
from the rebels. it l. beliey Ell. well from Ill
North. Ii Is supposed TO he not farther sout
than North Carolina. but within that dstanc
there i such wealth Of eligible places *
fb..