Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-03-27


We will no. Say how many guns on the North Caro-
ina eaboad are, were protect from the ptrpeudc-
Mar fire OF Shells alrh ugh we might easily dosp The
summing up wou not akelnng. How many were bot
aud are not, would be # rent thing, and full state
ment could only be made by person who had b coGI-
pete inventory Of all he guns on our coast From
first to last. sbeed out" is The monotonOus and heart
sckening story of deences Since this melancholy
refrain was first soundgd-since these two words "she!
ed out" became the burthen of our tales OF defeat,
there has been abundant time to have protected yea, to
have substantially casemated every exposed gun on cur
as at every pc Mt at least, where it ghs have been
do, ADVISABLE to make stand We do not speak at
random or unadvisedly We ascertain the cost TO
dollar. Has this been done? What has been done
ur Beverhout 1hompson-pardon us-Major Bever-
nOut Thompson engineered and others engineered
things that they called orts, but which mere breast
works, virtually open in the rear, without even PIVOT
uDa or guns mounted on siege carriages; with those
hat did bear on the water, en- ba bers and 50 mounted
as have peasant alucriy in getting dismouned-
hose at Roanoke were rho!ly misplaced, with the ex-
:eptiou of three or tour,
We really must learn lesson from The energetic work
If our Ell emIes. Long ago saw or ought to have
seen the necessity OF either protecting sacoast guns
or at OF having them range fully equal to those
| likely to he opposed to them We have yet done
title nothing to meet this necessity But the o,hrr
day the Yankee authoris and people woke up to the
act that their wooden q 1t but infant in the
| hands of giant, compared with the Merrimac We
will bet something that they have already commenced
10 meet this emergency Perhaps matured their plans
perhaps have their work in hand and actually pro-
| crossing. They meet the emergency without losing
time We must do it too. Alter the battle of Manas
and some other affligs the enemy got rid OF much OF
the dead the Incompetent leaders and officers
We must do something Of the same kind. 1t may not
be pleasant to be compelled thus learn from the enemy
but it s much better to learn even from the enemy than
not learn at ALL
Ia recent issue, quoted and endorsed the dctum
of General Bragg against putting politicians to
mand our armies. We would now express an opinion
which believe everybody has already conceived Tor
himself, namely, that mere degree from West Point
no more makes skiful or successful soldier, than
degree from a college makes skul or successful pro-
essiOnal business Of the hundreds of graduates
turned out annually by the universities and colleges
OF this or any other country how many make their mark
10 aftere, indeed beard OF beyond their
narrow circle which is not fraction less merely
because they may have opportunity for Improvement
of which they either lacked the energy ability to
avail themselves? West Point cannot differ essentially
other schools it's students from ether Students
its graduates from other graduates 1t affords or
has afforded excellent opportunities, but the usefulness
OF the military graduate in after lie must depend upon
his capacity and will to improve these opportunities
nd turDh
account aud above all while keeping fresh bis science
by dllIgent and c0ntiru~d study, enable himself to
rise superior to the letters of routine and thus
grappe with facts they arise and keep ace with the
world it progresses Without this last qus6c ution
the soldier of the schools aud OF tradition must degee
rate into the martinez and become as helpless 10
the hands OF TT al lire 'onmarders ss were the routine
Austrian generals in tbe hands OF the young Napoleon
10 our reduRlication of disasters arising out of the
same errors persiseny adhered to, may not trace
too much OF this stubborn routine spirit that Gespises
any outside suggestion, however good that might look
like Innovation or change from former rules or prece.
dents in apparent orgefdness of the fact hat change
makes change-that as times change We must change
with them. That the mode means and appliances of
attack change those of defense must also change to
fashioned barbete batteries and forts have almost uni.
tormy fallen, while as yet attack has been ventured
90 any casemaed work with the exception OF Pensacola
and that was unsuccessful.
After the fall of Port Royal. ventured to express
opinion that ought to earn lesson from Our ex.
tperence there the necency of open works to meet
the qurements of the case and also to SAYS that in
our opinion, guns could be projected at cost
that would be far more than repaid by tie important
aivantag ShCh suct protection would secure This
drew from ducated military tficer, communi-
cation explaining the modus operGmdi, probable cost.
and so forth. = II this pira'ed, suo by one
Of our Richmond contemporaries and, way anOth-
tr went the rouuds and-thnt Icas oil The great mis-
fortune was, that this thing APPEAR in newspaper,
Tor we verify believe that were the Angel Gabriel to
Ike hea My revelation some routinists th.t rev.
citation would be secuted with contempt, unless present.
first 10 writing, und. cover staIed with an official
81 al, aid tied with red tepe in double bow knot It
would also ADD much TO A Gabri E-q q personal IN
hence. he tO d 81 h;ms II Of his wings and 9th
CELESTIAL accoutrsutns. and array imsplI 10 the
latest " gulatlOn costume, With many rows of eagle
buttons on bis angelic abdomen and intricate convOu-
items Of gold lace on bis SsrspAiG coat sleeves.