New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-13

our nav al and land forces but during frday night
the enemy were permitted to land quite oyoo troops
at Baums Point, q short distance DeloW the upper
Confederate battery.
Opinon here ia, that such seeming advantage to
the enemy could easily have been prevented, but as
Justify ing the step welinformed persons assert that
our advantages were sucb in point OF position as 10
make 100 Southrons equal to 900 Yankees. A
any rate it was in this belief that the foothold was
allowed. In response to these plans, at dawn Oh
Saturday morning our forces commenced hrlng az
they advanced up a causeway through the marsh 70
The main land. The fire was most CALLING ana the
enemy suffered heavily, while our own losses were
inconsiderablc. But the landing ruse, it was soon
seen, had been successful they appeared on the
south side of the island in boats and by the aid OF
the number of Is 900.
forward movement was then made from various
p "na,a aha' oy nank movement at once became
"os.eIS Oh the position Our loss in killed and
wounded Is variousy estimated at from three to fonr
hundred-that Of the enemy at one thousand To IL
teen hundred. The Confederstes fought with des.
peration Only about fifty Confederates appear to
have escaped from the island-the remainder of the
2, 100 reported to have been taken prisoners. or
among the killed and wounded.
Among officers said to be wounded are Capts o. J.
Wise and Cole. Mai or Lawson and Lieut. Miller
are reported mortally wounded.
Previous to the battle, the sck on the Island had
been removed to places of security in the interior
These rumors are furnished but in your cores
poudent' estimation must be considerably exagger-
ated. No official report has been received at head
quarters and until this comes to hand We may con-
clude that much Of this news ia without accuracy.
! The noble defense made by our forces in the fight
at Roanoke is the theme Of universal praise. Just
| think that the enemy's numbers must have been as
ten TO one and your readers will have IA idea of
the spirit which animates the Southern soldlery. No
one here appears to be dispirited by the result.
While lamenting the loss Of so many brave men, all
m dot 10 mod
to do or die
! Great excitement produced in Portsmouth
last night, by the occurrence Of fire, thought at
fret TO be the navy-yard. II proved, however, to
be the old barracks, outeide the walls of the govern
ment establishment No doubt exists that the incen-
diaIism was witl malicious intent.
THE REBEL DEFEAT AT ROANOKE ISLAND.
From The Ri-Am. NJ Eyamrner Feb. IL
The loss of an entire army on Roanoke Island is
certainly the most painful event of the war. The
intelligence Of the telegraph Yesterday is fully con-
frned. twenty-five hundred brave troops, an
island in the sea- exposed to all the force OF
the Burnside feet. They resisted with courage, but
when H. 900 men were landed against them, retreat
being cut off by the surrounding element, they were
forced 10 surrender. This is repetition of Hsterss
Oh larger scale.
For the unfortunate General who was compelled
10 hear on a sick bed-perhaps TO witness from the
windows of sick ohamber-the destruction OF his
army and the captivity of his son, we have not
word Of blame To him the fates adverse in this
war as they have been to many other brave men in
other wars; his calamity deserves sympathy and
commands silence.
Nor i, il necessary or useful now to ask how those
troops and gunboais came 10 be there without the
ordinary euppy Of ammunition; or, indeed, why orr
men were sent TO worthless Island where their fate
could only be what il wac, when attacked by great
naval armament. What is more important for pres
ent consideration is the extent OF the disaster aud It's
courequsnces.
II is limited to the los of the troops. There
rersons who dream that nothing now prevents the
enemy from cutting the Southern Railroad capturing
Norfolk. taking Richmond, &c. because he ha. taken
Roanoke IL is sufficient to suggest that Roanoke Is
IN Island and like lIatteras, commands nothing but
"a neghbOrlng coast.
To reach the railroad or any other point, the
enemy must make IN inland march, impOs lbe with
ont oppositOn at this season, and always Impossible
while the Governn ent and people are ready To- meet
him on the road. To touch any Vulnerable point, be
mus, quit his ships fight where he can have no sup
port aud where our troops can be increased without
/ limit. The enemy tried the experiment after Hat
terss, aud will not probably, repeat it.
The moral effect at the North will be like the light
Of straw on ire In three days it will blaze itself
out and be forgotten. Tie dependency OF minute
portion of the Southern public VIII be equally ten
porary. The character OF our race Ia solid, its
courage real, and i,s pluck is sound. Defeat, not
victory il what calls forth the strength OF soul the
/ foritude and iirmness, bo'h OF nations and indi-
viduas. This event produces some triting effect on
our 81 irs, only because we are unaccustomsd yet TO
disaster.
Ii is certain. however, that we shall have 10 bear
many mislortuncs N the course of great war, and
the South will meet them with cala determination.
II we we've beaten IN twenty pitched battles, and
The cannon Of the nted states lcveied at tie
Qualifications of Richmond the war would only have
begun for IA and Tor the enemy.
THE ROANOKE ISLAND DISASTER.
r. another part of The ErlmfHcr OF the same date
Deb live iind the following:
Some hope was entertained yesterday by the pub
lie that further accounts won,d lessen the extent OF
our disaster at Roanoke Island. a foolish report
had been circulated in the city by military officer
that nearly the entire body Of our force on the Island
hnd effected their escape and saved everything but
he heavy artillery; and the circulation OF this vague
ind ignorant rumOr on the streets rc'lVeI Ior o-
uent tie hope and speculations Of the public.
Ylc official information, however, received at the
War Dergrtment In Il dispach from Gen. lluger,
fully bears ont the extent Of the disaster as stated III
ths more potiiye portions OF our teegnpmc us
patches. Gen. Iluger telegraphr only 30 OF our
orees on the island escaped, and that the sick and
few military stores at Nag Head were saved.
TnE OPERATIONS IN TENNESSEE.
I'll, Rlcir nd Examiner of the llth says:
4 dispatci D. .eiyed by TIE VUgiHsGa from Chat
tanooga OF todtys date, Gays II IS reported that
/ fsht occurred AZ Bear Creek. IL is thought to be
/ A.. rue The Lincolniios have again returned 10
Florence. No bridges have been burned. The rail-
road communication Las been entlrelycut of between
this place aud Memphis. The iinconltes are land
ing IN East Port, Mississippi, 30 miles below Flor
once, on tine tennessee River.
NASHVILLE, Feb. l0.-A private dispatch, received
last night from Florence, states thai the eunboats
had lett that locality.
Fort Done son had been largely reinforced, but
no adyices received OF movements there.
New. ORLEANS, Feb. IO.Prvate and general
dspatche, sustain the report that rcconnoilenng gum
boats had gone up the Tennessee River as high MS
Florence.
NASHVILLE. Feb. l0.-Passengers who arrived
this evening By steamboat state that our scouts re-