, 1863-04-20

younger in years, not conycrzed In opinion By
ong service, have had more ardent expecta-
tions. Now that the Monitors hare been
tested and have come out Of the hardest pos
slblc pounding which the rebels can give-a1-
most as good as new-tley are sanguine that
ash heap.
The crews who reaEon Of what can be done
by what has been, are eager to t1y their
strength In decisive contest, which will b.
2 victory or defsat, ora repulsc. hare It
from good authority that the crew Of The Iron
sides will refrain from giving the Admiral The
customary hearty cheer usual when 4 com
mander transfers his flas to another ship.
In the army, where discipline Is lax CON-
pared with tile navy, where men express their
opinions freely, there Is modification, ehagrn
and disgust: The troops Of the department
hare had but few oppoT Ttunities to meet the
enemy. They we're ready for the encounter.
The siege train WIS complete, the ordnance am
PIE for offensive operations. All Of their ex-
pectations have vanished. They sec nothing
Thc5 Dai II !, in2e'txs 2e'aiers S9bnme5 baa ap
The result is rot what WAS hoped or ex-
pected. We who watched the contest we're
not surprised to see the fleet withdrawn. for
1t had been determined to discontinue tho fire
at sunset. We were surprised to find 10 loss
q e. ~, M,s SO lev wounds, no se7ioas damage to
tAc Monitors after such pounding. Great
vas the surprise when it was ascertaiued that
the expedition had been abandoned.
WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED.
Notwithstanding the Iroasis3es did not ret
lt1o actlonfo do much; Notwithstanding the
heokah was 80 soon done for; notwithsfand
ing two Or three Of the Mentors hid their
guns guns disa1led ai temporarily By their recon, a
good deal was accomplished. The eastern
well ot Sumter is almost ruin. There are
several holes apparently through the wall.
1Wo Or three ports arc knocked into one
Captain Downes Is confident that his 15.innb
shot went through the masonry.
:, We hase hid near view cf the obsrruc-
tions. TwotoFpcdocs exploded without dam
age to the fleet. The Monitors have steamed
up and down and across the channel between
Aoultrle and Sumter, and find 1t clear sailing.
snm1er, then, can be successfully approached
. WHICH, nlndrance II from distractions. The
guns, and guns only. The obstacles in the
way OF approaching Charleston are Of diff.
ferent character. Aflcr passing Sumter there
is line Of oil casks holding up an iron cable.
:, II ll-inch shot is sent through the casks,
r. the eaoie VIII pc no longer IN obstruction,
4el; There are ropes, fish seiues, designed to
foul the Propellors. Yankee Ingenuity can
easily prodnce an iron frame or network to
shield the rropcl1ers. Old ropes are not In
su1nountaple obstacles. There are rows Of
piles, visible at low water. There Is one
rams and STEAMERS pass. 1t is supposed that
m the passage there arc monster to7pedocs.
containing thousands Of pounds, to be ign;t-
Ell by galvanic battery from the shore. Nj
Ericsson las invented and constructed q raft
and torpedo to. blow up the piles, break
them off at the bottom Of the stream: but
the naval officers do not like to try new ill.,
Tcntions, and 1t has been Laid aside without
even preliminary trial. These are obstruc-
tions which will need attention after Sumter
Is rcduccd-not before.
Ths fleet has met the heaviest possible fire
which the rebels can give, and it h:; been a.
certnined that at the short distance Of four
hundred yards the decks, hulls, turrets and
pllot-houses are not penetrated by the polish.
Cd English steel shot fired from Whifworth
guns. Their power to resist the mosttrcmen-
dous fire ever opened upon fleet is proved
beyond question. The damage done By the
enemy upon the Monitors was mainly thc
knocking out Of few bolts, and one indenta-
lion Which TOR the time prevented the Passaic
from TeFolyinG its turrct. We hare also as
Of two hours duration can be repaired in
season for renewal Of tie attack on tile sue
ceediug dny.
CAN sCMTEE he REDUCED?
Ne have seen the heaviest possible rebel |
lire. We have also seen about the smallest |
possible fire Of the 1ctt. The dispatches
from Charleston say that the fort was struck |
!sa1J-!ouf tlu4cs-sAoWlnE that nearly every
shot aimed at the walls had some effect, |
There is a discreet silence as to the damage
done to the fort. II the walls were sound.
should VIC not hear Of it? Tie inference Is
natural, that the damage is greatereyen than |
appears to us who saw It from distance.
We have the reduction OF Pulaski for basis
o. caleula;ion-"hers the nearest battery was
three~fourths Of 4 mile distant-farthef than
the lronsi1es in the late engagement.
1t will be instructive at tIis place to see
Nh:t was done ut Pulaski. The mort2rs en-
p!oycd there did no damage. There were but |
twenty guns IN all. and they we're in position |
at the following distances:
-irr