The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-05-27
GuUh ate.

4
! suffering -
GuUh ate,
RI. + ,ljowiys communication from Brlga
der q eneral Whiting contains some Interest
ing facts concerning gunboe:s. It shows that
their capabilities are very much magnitisd, and
that they are not the all powerful and irresist
lille things many prominent psroons even at
tbs South have regarded thefa to be. The les
con taught st the obstrrciicn In James river
By our thres-gun battery has helped to dispel
The deluson that had prevailed on the subject.
If the powerful vessels then essaying TO reach
the capital Zone Of whose officers informed an
I'D acquaintance on board the beat that carried
the Yankee prisoners down the river, that Is
would cins in Richmond the day after the
bombardnent cOmuenced:l were unable to
pass white the obstruction was not complete,
and when it was defended by only three guns
in battery. what chance do those boats STAND
nov } l. is clear that the enemy can never
reach Richmond by The river. He hss had biz
eunbont corcei: taken out Of bin TO that sx.
tent. j. L. said that Linceln VIZ 1t Fortress
Monroe and ordered the bouts 10 proceed at
once aid take RicbmcSd IL advance OF dc
Ciellan But sven Lincoln could not force
his terrible boats By the small battery at
prewFy's Eluf--a barrier which he has "hearn
on" befors this We invite attention to
General Writings letter:
HEADQUARTERS t.I DiyIstcs RgssRvs,t
Near E.cecIond, may e, 1oi2 {
"a sic Editor II u. Dapasch
q ha an -
boa.s IS Not, hsrhsps, unreasonable, consider
irE III manner IL which their desds have oeen
tru,cpstst and exaggerated; hu. II Is very 40
uri I'D Eestiest. wi. state 6 few facts
Horiz ,n.ai, or ra ner direct shell erius, =.
from Uah Sren o. rIl1ed piscss IL destructive
only 20 shtpptns Or ia idnss. Il has vsry
uttie feet uIDn erIt.ries. sttheg Win OF
x! acu. parry sis, OF urscu tT,ors lenic-ed -
llis . dee, think, psrt!y ~ the difficulty o.
cau,ing the aeli sven II we'll direcgs,s, &c sx.
pio.ia sX t:,l9 IL tbs osi:cI. bat chic dy 10 IA
sIse. velocity Of the missile which carries
t!.e fragments aIter explosion beyond the
U1I.a Of oufstiAS. 4ottaf Ettns, or -ertichi
dr., sz It is called. i.. x well managed, muon
raoce destructive AUD dangerous, Ii that the
velocity II small S..G tina - plc i've force b
fuIi play. iktT5 Lever znowa c sieii IEom
the EunoCat., exploding over IN opea battsTP
or group o. iine OF Iash, 10 do any lrm
Last wilma. portion Of my conr,and. nn-
Ge, Uapt TTohel, wassxposeu 10 r. y innt day
and might shell hiring OF IL and 9-iuch Dahl
gren and r: Il ri shells. The camp Nas she,.eo
repeatedly, and fire starteL in it ores pF some
cam paens usL t:ty neg ~ the Inissl:s. We bad
o.. che CasDai'Y.
Daring tbs sg-.s ..!..ie re .s..yis guNboHts
tired nsuTsaE one hundred and TWO hnndrs1
haGyy shea ~ a siagie picket staIi1u TN The
Potomac, without either hurtiaG maD or
irving of The guard.
The gtiiaG. Eeto: Walker, of the artillery.
uol,mberei his battery II the open tei /, and
for several hour engaged ths Hawnee. live
yanE.e, an@1cstie, aud tug, a. long IaG se,
without l. single casualty, compelling Il,
boats 70 retirs. They we're coi.1mandse by II
brave Officer q the u. E E.ty2p. Ro Will
Who is repcr:s. - have .os: : Il arm II the
tight.
TIE battery Z. 8 ouia Creek was shelied for
three days last aummef BY the Potomac fee,
OF. vessel sioaa expei,ding several aunureo
sasli with no Otner TT CT thGQ & scratch en-
one man > hand and the killing Of troopsr's
horse In the Yea- OF tbs battery
Maior WaIKs. WAS over tweive times last
winter and tall uuder i1re OF inch Dahtgrens
from gunbcats with his battery, without q
casualty
Lieat.- Uoi stephen Lee, 90 .he Hampton
Legion n iliery, no,7 commanding the art.i'
.ery 1T h:. division, twice engaged them-
| ae!d b ittery sgainst iuch shells without =
| casualty.
| when tns Evanspcrs tat.eTiss recpered
| az. lie @er,a;n. - end Poe anon las, eveL In IN
| ~ Imperfect condi ion of these batteries at
| ina! t!u1e, tae eEen1y'a TIRE Inflicted no dam.
| aga wlatsvsH
| AT Yorktown, al hough the gunhon,s nred
| Il great deal iGto the town aud At Gloucester
! p0int, both If which were full OF ten'a, nos .
| p.tais, s:orehouses, wagons. and troopsehut
| one man was killed Ut Yorktown, and nobody
| hurt =. gloucester Pcin:.
other day, al The engagement between
| G. part of my maed aUd The enemy at FL
| tlur,'s Landing. near West Point, one of the
enemy'a Eunhcats opeasi uron = position
fun NhicE Il fay~ nom ents hsinr. L,eul.-Col
| Lee AID Capteia nelly b III ii VAIN sndsav
cred " tn sour pieces - react. th. trans pCrtr
| nd though "a b. a; sot the range with great
| accuracy, aud burst her shells directly over
| the heads aud within a few feet Of she Ctr
N,rth Carolina regiment, commanded By
| Col. Fender, bus one man was hart; and al
| thoueh ,heir gunboats sbelied the wo dis in
| which Hoods brigade ard the Legion were
| drawn up, after the enemy ware driven ont,
20. e nxn was touched by taem
| can vouoh for mos. OF the above circuln-
| stances FROM personal knowledge end obser
| valioa. Officers CT my command attest 81
| have 10: seen myself.
| at port Royal ana Hatteras the result. was
| due partly to Overwhelming foroe, aud par thy
70 ine cerieucs on The part of the eupnsrs
II IL s.id-and I have no doubt Of ;t--ths;
| many guns were dts,nouated by the recoii,
owing to the accsn tries having been cure
,essly l. r. III gear when the pieces were tired.
WINE others W ere sc.s I'd and r.ndeYe useless
BY The printing wires being left In the ven.
| while tue charge was IaWmsd Our FRI &
| was q SO bad. Yet. d. both thlss p!eceh the
| loss VI the saryis was trldrg. when coIn
pared to the weight and length 81 the eEs-
At Donsison, by Commodore Foote'S own
| ehu wing, the guuboass were fairly whipped
| sud vi hdraWn GunbOais had nOthis & to do
| with ,he taxing of Fort PULASKI At Island
| No. 10, they failed. EoTts jackson aud st
Philips surrendered II 1in sreacasry and nu-
tiny, and that alone Fort Moon was tahsn
| by lauG batteries
| Let oar mn stand 20 their guns and fight
| them as the ofhcers aHd men OF our Navy did
the ether day at Drewry's Siuh, and there IRE
few rivers II this country lii wnica tina Y&l-
kee gun boass Will venture far--odrlaio;y not
the James, tbs Gape Fear. Cg tbs Sca nafn
| Jules below Charleston.
| nops tnu above statement Will cool some
| what tue excits,asut produced BY the lame
sud approach OF gen boats. As far as our Side
is concerned, thors cnn 30 10 DOUBT as TO the
accuracy o: lbs above siatstasnts. what ef'
tact we msy have proouceo Oh 'as easm. >
however. from the sslss ard eos.cadtsso,y
i ssstsIasnts they ere oulel!ei 70 make, tn-
| truth is gradually sisted Taaok God, our
| lssGess ate ret ttligsc 70 tx. either 70 ksep
0ps courage u " &c 1se-sy &C: Corc.'nS 1eas
CT rScg:s.
Very :.,ssosr...s.
" 4 (. Wasy-SS,
sr.z .asS. paza-a'g -. osv. Esscrvs.