Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-04-22
The Defences of Charleston.

Viewed strageticaIly, Charleston harbor
forms cut de sac four miles in length
from its entrance at Fort am,er up to the
city. This blind passage varies in width
from one to three miles, sad is capable of
bearing defensive works an each side and
on shoal places in mid chsnnel.
On these natural advantages have been
brought to bear the fnesGengiueerings skill
in the Confederacy (and st was the flower
of the genius of the country during Pc
Rod of two years. Lee, Beauregard and
Ripley in succession have exhausted thei-
professional efforts to make it impregna-
BILE. Everything that tie most improved
modern artillery and utslimited resources
of labor can do has bees done to make the
passage of a fleet impossible. And it is
impregnable. Sebastapol vas as nothing
to it.
Our fleet got but to the entrance of the
harbor. 1t never got within it. Had the
iron-clads succeeded ir passing the OBJ
structions, they would still have found
those miles of batteries to run. They
would have entered into an Inferno which
like the portals of Dantes' hell, might
we'll bear the flaming legend, I" Who en-
tiers here leaves hope behind" Not a
point 81 which they ~cal.' ref have fond
themselves
Mid upper, neither and surrounding Tres"
They pass out of the focus of the fire of
Forts Sumter, Moultrie, Beauregard and
Bee, and they find themselves arrested
under the ranges of Sumter, the Redan,
Johnston and, Ripley. They get beyond
this, and a concentric fire from Ripley,
Pinckney, the Wappeo battery and the
guns of the city falls upon them! Merely
to run by batteries, as was done at the
forts below New Orleans, is not a very
difficult thing, even for vessels not iron
clad; but to be anchored, AS it were, under
such fires as these, is What no ships were
ever called on to suffer.
I think am justified in saying that the |
Admiral and his staff and the captains com- |
handing the iron fees have all along well |
the task that was given them |
to do, and that they entertained no illu |
sions regarding it. But both the Navy
Department and the public have-illusions
as to the nature OF tho work to be done
aud delusion as to the instruments with
which it was to he lone Then saw all ]
the strength. They knew that their
easily sleranged. They knew
|
These limitations, however, will over
shoot the mark if they convey the impress
sion that Admiral Dupont lacked faith in
he enterprise, or that he entered upon it
lnwillingly. 1t was, in fact, no case for
either blind faith or an unreasoning
'kepticism. Too little was known, as
HeiI Of the real character of the rebel de-
ences as of the true merits of the IRON
Lad vessels, to justify one attitude or the
'ther. 1t was absolutely necessary to try
certain experiments as the basis of any
lefinite plan of .eiege-for it was never
bought it would be less than a ten days
flair. The operations eff yesterday, there
ore, may be regarded in the light of re-
The reconnaissance result !
d in a repulse, though not disaster. {
hat it was not SO is due to the admirable
kill of our naval leaders. In the process s
re have learnt valuable lessons. And now
remains true to-lay as ever that Char
eston may still be successfully assailed. {
'ut that will begin to be possible for US q
7hen, casting off childish illusions as to '
pecial arms, an adequate expedition shall a
9 sent, military as well as naval, and in
,hich the lazy shall only be required to
lay its legitimate part.