Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1863-03-06

spec,ive duties and positions. However,
with all his abilities and facilities, be has
been unable to make complete blockade.
But We have done something since our ar
rival. We have captured three hue
steamers, bound into Charleston, with
their almost invaluable carsoes, and caused
two more to run on tho beach and be
wrecked. We have also captured three
sailing vessels, going ort. The exact
nun bcr of vessels that have gone through
our lines, in safety, on dark, foggy nights,
we are unable to determine with certain
ty. But do not believe that they equa!
the number captured, notwithstanding the
numerous lies told on the subject by
Rebel sympa,hizing newspapers.
We have had, on an average OF this
harbor, about eight steamers, and two pi-
lot boa,s, all the time. More steamers
would, l think, have been very service
able, yet it seems no more could be spared
for this special duty. When you bear IN
mind that this coast is full OF dangerous
sand bars, and that the line Of channels to
te guarded is about twelve miles long,
ani that thick fogs, heavy gales, and dark,
nights all assist the smugglers in their e1-
ertions to get in or out, you eau more
readily pardon any seeming neglect on the
part of the blockaders.
The abilities Of persons accustomed to
the use of their eye-sight, as sailors are, Is
wonderful, but God never gives q man
ewes that could see q vessel, one hundred
yards off, through some Of the fogs we
have here. Blockadiug corn-crib against
hungry rats, on q very dark night, would
not be an unfair simile to this blockade
1t might be bad for the rats occasionally,
but a bright lookout would not prevent
some damage to your corn. When We cap
ture the crib, and not until then, vii. We have
our own way. As you are aware, my du-
ties not being to keep lookout on deck,
can with better grace give due credit to
my ship-mates, who l believe have so
faithfully done their duty.
There is considerable time necessarily
lost by steamers going into port for exam
inatiou, repairs, and fuel-ships are lot
immortal, but on the contrary require very
heavy expenditures for repairs, Engines
and boilers, to be efficient, must be care
fully examined and repaired occasionally,
to say nothing Of the other details about
the ships hull and rigging Our vessel
for instance, with her immense boilers con-
tanning nearly ninety tons Of water, and IN
which are consumed at times seventy five
tons of coal per day, with our powerful en-
cines v whch, W be q desired, can do the work Of
sirteen hu"dred horses, after being har'
messed, aud ready for constant duty for
seventy or eighty days, require few days
for careful examination and repairs, before
we can safely say they are ready for
another heat. When We get into port, nc
time is lost-we have even worked on
Sundays in order to get back to our duties
here. So much for the difficulties Of the
blockade.
You have all, l suppose, read the de-
tails Of the exploits OF the Rebel iron
clads of this port. All Of the vessels
damaged wero light merchant steamers,
with light batteries,) made into men-of,
war. (We can take it as hin, not to
count too largely on the power Of our Ma
Wy, if We get iuveigled into q foreign
war. A large portion Of the Navy are Of
this sty.e) The Rebel accounts of the
aff,ir, as l read them myself in the
Charleston papers, are, think, the most
, consummate specimen Of lying have
seen during this rebellion. Part Of our
squadron did not even know the rams had
been out, although they heard the cannon
aiding. 1t was hazy day-aud the Reb-
els might as we'll declare the blockade
raised on any night or day when darkness
or fog shuts US out from their view. On
our vessel, we have no fears for their iron
clads, and for US to be seriously injured BY
them, would be as Notifying to US as it
must be to gallant soldier in our West.
T eru Territories to be shot by Digger To-
dian with poisoned arrow. Luckily for
them, (and they know it, too,) our vessel
was in Port Royal at the time Of the raid.
II some Of our fifteen one hundred
Founders, or our eleven inch solid shot:
can't smash in their sides, then gentle
thump with our vessels bow moving at
the rate Of thirteen knots an hour and
backed by nearly four thousand tons OF
solid matter, ,ooula, I have no doubt.
As q ram, there is nothing perhaps in
our Navy superior to the Powhstan. We