Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-02-07
The Great Expedition.

The great expedition, military and naval,
WHICH has been in the course of orgauz tion
for several weeks past, at and about Bean
fort, \. G. hardly attracts the attention
which its magnitude, d the obvious import
anec Of The work it is appointed TO do, ma.
turally claims for it. According 10 all
I he accouns we receive, this expideton is
npon scale far surprising that of any
movement which has yet taken place upou
The coast. The land force attached to it
constitutes an HrDy of some fifty thousand
men, while The feet ofwAr vessels, including
several of the new Monitors. aud other
iron clads, must be tremendously form.
idable one 4v-
the secret Of the destination Of this power.
ful armada has been well kept. The rebels
are evidently watching it with great bewil.
derment an6 anxiety. They have been
distracted by feintS and mLled by sham
demonstrations. until they gravely eonjec
ture that Gen. FOSTER has no plan at all
that his troops are demoralized and that he
does not know what to do with them
But, unless we are greatly mistaken they
will discover very soon, though perhaps when
it is rather too late for them, that there is
a method in the eccentric operations of @ Ell
FUsrER, and an object commensurate in
importance With the magnitude Of his
forces. e o..
1t was generally supposed at first that
Wilmington, in North Caroliua, was the
port TO be seized by this expedition. Bat
latterly, the indications have pointed TO
bigger game Than Wilmington. The prep.
a.atlons are more extensive than we can
supposed TO be necessary for the capture OF
that city and folly equal to what we should
look for if the main sea port OF the rebels
CoDfederacy--t PlutOnian city OF rebel
dom--Were itself to be assailed Adding
to this consideration ths fact that several
OF the Monitors have already gone TO Port
Royal, we have reason, for believing that
Charleston is the contemplated prz,
Their is no piece OF work connected with
the overthrow ef the rebellion that the
eouRtry so much desires 10 see done as the
capture aud-if it may be 80 with warrant
the utter destruction Of that sink.hole OF
inisraalisui. the city ofCharleston. Moth
ing would so much inspirit the North, nor
cOud any blow inflier greater damsge upon
the rebeIous South. Chsrieslou, is the
main port Of the Confederaey. An elFsetual
blockade oft seems to be impossible, and
the boast OF MAURY that more customs dues
have been collected there since the Wr than
before, is probably not without a great
deal oftruIh Between Nassau and Charles.
toa regular trade. interrupted only by
occasional captures, is carried on. The
only method Of stopping this trade is by
the destruction or ocncpation Of Charleston
aud TO thus destroy the main commerce OF
the Confederacy would be 10 strike il
most deadly bl0w. - lf. ,..,..-y ~
But in proportion to the Importance of the
capture Of Charleston win be the dsspers.
Iioa Of its defense. To acquire it will un.
doubtedly be one of the hardest tasks Of ihe
war. But We possess q tremendous adVa0,
togs 10 oar Monitor feet, and il is in this
that cor hope lies The $4,000 men are
but Incidentally serviceAble, Possibly II the
report be true that Fort Sumter has recei
we'd 40 impenetrable casing OF iron. even
the Monitors may prove to be powerless
Bot that report we dseredit, aud ccnseqen;.
" we regard with sanguins satisfaction the
apparent prospect of On assault upon
NuAfieht0n' lHafsr haI sIlsfHrr faom Fu