The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-10

week past nightly d0IighGng very GOOD an
diences. They have been about to give their
last entertainment a week ago: yet. by par
tsculdr ,e4aest, they prolOng their stay. 1t is
very agreeable manner Of spending ,ceary
hour besides, the good cause which they SC
literally assist will always render the @ ueen
Sisters popular favorites in Savannah.
MERcURY.
Of Intersss and Defence.
The following description Of the main
points now threatened by the Yankees on
the coast Of North Carolina, may not prove
uninteresting at this juncture:
EATrBRAs IELEr-THE aRANARY OF THE SOUTH.
Eatteras Inlet, nearly midway between
Fort Macon and Roanoke Island, because OF
the more difficult navigation OF OcracOke,
may be said to be the key to Albemarle, Pam
lico, and Gore Sounds, and their tributaries.
Gore Sound, on account of its shallOwpess
and the inaccessi billty OF the main land bor-
dering 1t, is Of little consequence to the ene'
my, except in rear attack upon Beaufort
With light steamers. Batteries are erected,
We understand, to cut OFF such an attempt
But the possession of Hatteras by the enemy.
IN the nbsence of the most complete defences
upon Neuse aud Pamlico rivers and at Roam.
oke Island, might give him entire control OF
the Srdnavy of the South. Craven, Beaufort,
Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington. Currituck, Gam
deu, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan,
Gates, Hertford, BERTHE, Martin, aud even
Northampton and Halifax counties, without
these detsnces, are all laid open to his raw
ages. These counties have heretofore fur
nished Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston.
and Savannah n larger amount OF corn than
they obtained from all other so" rces, besides
the large shipments they made to Baltimore,
New York, and Providence. The product OF
surplus corn from these counties is imIh ense
Add to this the entire loss Of the whole fishing
interest OF these waters, amounting to seysrai
millions, besides affording one-ha OF the
support of large number of INDECENT per-
sons. who can scarcely obtain it from any
other source. All these sources of wealth
and comfort to our Eastern people might be
cut OH by the possession of these waters by
of property and the personal injury our peo-
pie must sustain from the thieving and de
structive habits of our toe.
THE TWO STRATEGIC POINTS.
But within these waters are two strategic
points ofimmense value to us, and ought to
be protected ut all hazards. Iewbern, one
Of these points, at the junction of the Neuse
and Trent rivers, is about ninely miles by
water from Hatteras, with NO natural OBJ
structions to navigation after passing the
bern simply as depot, or for its destruction, /,
would not De worth the hazard of taking it;
but that point once gained places the enemy
In the rear of Fort Macon and Beaufort har-
Railroad. We a-8 far from think king, how
ever, that much would be gained except its
destruction, and possibly the capture Of For,
| Macon. even if he cosld take Newbern and
| we have some hope, that after the long warn
| ing which the authorities have had, and the
| money and labor expended there, that the
| enemy would fail. But grant him the DOS
| session Of that place. even with the immense
| force of Gen. Burnside, we apprehend his
headway would be readily checked. He
| could scarcely get out Of sight OF that place
westward were our forces, which could be
we'll spared, brought againat him. An
| lico or Tar river, about eighty miles from
Hatteras, If successful, could secure no ad.
vantage to the enemy, except the destruction
| of the place. These points. however, will be
l authorities have made all the necessary ar.
l rangsments to visit upon the enemy utter
l annihilation.
| ROANOKE ISLAND MOST IMPORTANT
Roanoke Island 10. beyond doubt, the mos
important strategic point In these waters
Whistler the enemy designed an attack upor
| 1t to make q rear movement upon Norfolk. o.
| to harass and dsspoil the country, his sue
cess in either respect would bs severely dam
| aging. This island lies about forty miller
North Of Hatteras. at the foot Of A lbemarl,
/ Sound, with Croatan Sound ON the West
lying between the island and the Tyrrsl
shore. 1t IL easy Of &C cess by water, with M
l natural obstructions to any sized vessel tha
can be gotten over the Swash. "a shoal viii
about eight feet water,) at Hatteras. On tn,
East, the island 10 cut on from the Nag's Hsas
banks by q shallow sound not uavigable. ex
cept by light boats. The leland is about eigh
| miles long. and from two to three miles wide
| Croatan Sound is about tour miles wide a
this point. with two good channels, tho best
however, lying within mile and half from
| the island. The Western channel is abou
three miles from the island. 1t is capable 0
| being ma do q very strong position and unde
/ hA a fnru u{cho
| with ample means, such as its inportanc
demands, might be made impregua bl
against any force which could be brough
against it. The possession of the islam,
BY the enemy would give him easy access
all Of the above last named twelve countie
by the nayigabls streams which penetrat
them, ard would place at his disposal Eliza
beth City, Edenton. Hsrtford, Plymouth
Williamston. Windsor, and Murfree sh horo'-al
small, but, TO our people. important towns.
WHERE BuRHsIDI WILL GO.
The idea, however, which seems TO prevail
at the North, and perhaps in some mind
South, that Norfolk would be endan eered b
the Burnside feet passing through the Albs
marie and Chesapeake CANAL, or the Disma
Swamp canal, 10 simply preposterous. Tn,
narrow but deep streams through which tn
feet must pass to enter the canals could .
easily be closed up by the fslllng OF timber a
to cut on all possibility Of q passage; an
I'evsn il he were to bs quick enough to rsac
the canals, his passage could be easily oh
structed by the same means, or by bren hin
| the locks and turning the water out, Ii Woul
be equally hakardous for him to land troob
in Ourrituck or Camden. or at Elizabeth Cit,
to attempt march towards Norfolk. a. hi
advance could be easily obstructed. There ~
several points. however, at which ther
might be succ cessful movement aiming a
the rear of Norfolk; but we suppress motto
Of tht m, lest the information may suggest
the enemy schemes which might prove In
IJurious 70 us. These points are doubles
known to the authorities, and, We trust, ar
well guarded. We have grouped togsfhe
thus much, however, in order to impres
upon the President Of the UOnfedsfacy, tn