Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-27

The burnside Expedition.
We publish below interesting articles from
the rebel newspapers relative to the Burnside
expedition.
From the Wilmington (N. c. Journal, Jam 20.
What course the Lincolnles have adopted
since Thursday we are unable TO say The Nor
iolk Day Book asserts, as though with knowI
edge, that they are destined for Elizabeth City
fIoDtOiy ms point is suggested Or indicated
as being at or near the southern terminus
of the two lines OF water communication be-
tween AlbemarIe Sound and Norfok harbor-
the Dismal Swamp Canal and the Chesapeake
and-AIbemarie Canal. The number of canal
boats would appear to give some shadow OF
plauSlbIy to its. Ii might be an object to
seal up the navigation through these works
and thus cut OF two important lines Of trans.
port ami communication between our forces at
Norfolk and those on our northern coast; it
would be madness for any expedition" to at
tempt To force It's way to Norfolk through eth
er of these canals.
Very naturally the people on Pamlico Sound
are seriously alarmed. Some Injury, serious
injury, indeed, might be done to the dwellers
in Hyde, Beaufort, Craven and Jones counties
10y marauding expeditions, but 40 strategic
advantages could be secured to the enemy by
any such course; and, if report speaks truth,
Gen. Burnside is not a man like Butler and
others vino delight in rapne without a mill
tary object. Ot course we speak now TO the
country, and our remarks will not apply to
Newbern or Washington, or to an attempt to
seize upon some point on the Atlantic and
North Carolina Railroad, with the view of oh.
tanning control OF that work, either for the
purpose OF isOlatiug fort Macon or of advanc-
ing into the interior. These things are only
cogectural, but as they are neither impossible
nor improbable, they naturally create no small
anxiety III the minds OF the people OF New bern
and Beaufort incidentally.
In order TO go to Elizabeth City it would
be necessary for the hotilla to force its way
into Albemare Sound, which is connected
with PdmcO Sound by narrow strait some
twenty miles long, which divides the MAIN
land OF TYrrell county from the banks Near
~ IN The middle OF this strait lies Roanoke
Island, which Is probably about twelve miles
IN length and three in breadth. Roanoke
Island divides the strait into two parts that
between it and the main land being called
Cioatan Sound, and that between the island
ana the banks being called Roanoke Sound.
ne former, Croatan Sound will possibly adj
mt me passage OF vessels drawing eight and
nan to nine feet water-eght and three
quarters is MAJ ked on the Coast Survey at the
shaliowest point. This channel approaches at
island, from which batteries might cOmrland
ii. 1t could not be so easily commanded from
the main land. 1t is thus evident that Croatan
sound Will allow the passage OF vessels OF as
large draught OF water as can approach it
from the sea, whether they enter by IIatteras
or Oeracoke Inlet. The channel, however, is
intricate and narrow, and capable of being
readily Distracted we should think.
The same naIrownesS OF the channel would
evidently preclude the possibility of any ma
n@euvrng by gunboats or other vessels at
lacking any batteries ON the island, and it
seems TO us they would be forced to pass certain
points in single file. Once in AlbemarIe
Sound the shore can be approached with safe
ty in twelve feet water, within thrpt-fourths of
mile of the shore, save at two or three points
ANY vessel that can enter Aibemarle Sound
can ascend the PasquOtank river to Elizabeth
CHy. he DISMAL swamp canal empires into
The Pasquotank river, the mouth of which ia
only divided from North river. the month of
winch Is the southern terminus of the Alber
marie and Chesapeake navigation, by narrow
neck OF land known as North Point.
The water between Roanoke Island and the
banks IS known rs Roanoke Sound, and is not
haVlSaDie: Ine!e are no lunar tides, and any
rise or fall IN Aibemare and Croalan Sounds
Is due 10 the winds or the state OF the rivers
AS Tor our means of resistance and delenca we
can only trust that they may be ADEQUATE. OF
course we would not now state what thrv arc
even II we knew, which we do but partially
hoanoNe Island is about fifteen miles from
Hatteras Iulet.
IRON the Petersburg Express, Jan. oil
we lhink 1t highly probable that the great
burnside expedition intends to make lis de,
m"hsIratons on New Orleans, in order to as
sist the movements OF the armada which is
threatening tie Mississippi Valley from Cairo.
From the Norfolk Day Book Jan o.
a rumor reached The city yesterday that as
many as one hundred and twenty five vessels
and steamers were at Hatteras, insid. and
outside tie bar, We are not prepared TO saw
tut what there is some truth in this rumor
and that these are mostly the vessels of the
Burnside expedition, those recently from the
north anu those also from Port Royal that
nave goh- there to join in the great maraudiBg
expedition. How MANY OF those that pass.J
through the late gale are there we are unable
to say, but, judging from the tone of the north
ern papers that they were already to make an
onward movement as soon as they arrived
and thelr not having done so as yet couyinces
us that they have not all arrived and that
many OLE them are lost, while others are so
disabled from The gale rs to be worthless 10 the
expedition Move when they will. we have
only to say they will find much warmer work
than what they have bargained tor
From the same paper
We are positively assured that intelligence
was received at the military headquarters here,
on Saturday, that a fleet of over forty steam,
ers were inside the bar at Ilatteras on the
10Th, Wednesday last This information is
from an official source, and General Branch
gives it full eredence This of course is the
Burnside expedition, Whether it is destined
to attack Newbern, Washington, Roanoke
Island, or go further south, no one cnn tell.
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