The New York herald., 1863-09-03
rae GOSSIP OF WAsHiNaTON.
THE ROS-CLADS OFF CHARLESTON.
Why Admiral Dahlgren Has
Not Advanced His Fleet.
Hard Work Yet for the Navy
TO DO,
our washing,on correspondence.

Our washington Correspondence.
wAsnIEoros, August 20, 1863
The atompt made in certain quarters 70 exat the pre-
sent achievements OF the South Atlantic blockadng squad
ron Al the expense of its late commander will have IN
eepi rather OF that utond cd by those who
arc engaged 10 this paltry business. No one whose
thorty suoh Of any weight thks Of blaming
Admiral Dahgren for the caution no has
dspayed la exposing hts iron cads TO fire. All feel that
wth the destruction Of Fort sumter and the capture Of
Ports Wagner and Gregg the main business OF the and
foroos under General GILMORE viii have been accom-
pished nothing then for him but shell Charles
Ion at long range from Cummings Point. And here,
Al parens let remark that the accident to the three
hundred pound Parrot gun does not as was at first sup
posed, at all disable that The injury was received
from tho untimely bursting Of sho just 1t was passing
out or the muzze gun This accident blew OF the
muxzeband but the remainder OF the peco uninuIed
and In good condition for practical work On
this you may rely / may also add (ss IL can certainly
give so mort" the enemy, that Immediately on
this socidenps being reported here General Culum tele
raphed order for another three hundredpounder Of
the make TO be forwarded and in less than twenty
hours the date Of the despatch the gun on
the oalm Of the dark blue sea" resting snusly
10 the hold of Of fastest steam Transports bound
Tor Lighthouse Inlet.
ADMIRAL pAHLGRIs's OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
POSITION
But to return 10 the iron-cad matter Of which
/ set out 10 speak. ID not generally known, but
it u nevertheless truo, that Admiral Iahgren is and
has boon for the last ton days confined to his bod
by sickness has only been able 70 crawl on dcck
into pilohouse on critical occasions expense
Of comfort The abominabie atmosphere Of the
iron oads has taken hold Of his systcm, and nothing
bit bis high resolutou and the necessity ho Is
under OF vndoatng the action OF the Navy Department,
whioh placed him In command, oan long sustain him
uuAsr hs present debility. So Ked is his determination
70 60 through with his work. however, that he has not
y Of his despatches the Department referred
p bis NJ health; and Is only by private istteps from
symp&thizng army officers that hear OF his condition
as doubtless feels that, under the peculiar circumstances
attending Dupont's removal, moro than common
snxlety bs fol, by Mr. Assistant Secretary Fox Tor
the exersions 70 the utermos Of the officer who has
succeeded the victor Of Port Royal and the thrice gallant
arst assaiier Of Fort Sumtor In Duponts attack, II
mus be remembered all the iron.cads up within
sight hundred yards Of tho then uninured fort, Captain
HAiad, in the Inflated Kcokuk, running in to within
oof hundred yards and lighting desperately for thirty
minutes al that Distance only Withdrawing undcr crdcs
ana s moment when his vessel sinking ruin In
Ne present operations, assisted by Gllnorea
powerful land bstteeies, Admiral DahIg on, re-
serving his vessels for work further up the roadsead
has wisely held them not eloser than two thousand yards
10 Fort Sdnter whe that work still condition TO
yey nearly the extreme effective range Of his niteennch
suo6h bores Undor these orcunisasces although Du
uont nay possibly be condemned for rashness Dahl
s<en 0amsnded for prudence, it 10 obviously woEee than
staS maAignsnsly and falsely bolious, to Indulge In
sy aneess indirect inusndoss oavis A. Dupsnts
ai&sk. aaf had lacsed gauanry Tho old Viking Of
The south Atlantic bfeekys$ aeasfon y tAe ls}s pay
the world amonTs peersnen rersonsiy acsidain.cd
with him and Professionally competent 70 Judge hmto
yb listlc No hYav Uoye n.
tsblssnt ocrs lived than his subordinate iron clad
comn)e elders--John Rodgers Rhind Drayton, Fairfax,
Al.aep, Downs, Worden, Turner, and the lamente1
George w. Rodgers, who lost his lite while running his
veS U (ahead Of Admiral Dab grous nagship) 10 within
Ono hundred and fifty yards Of Fort Wagner
10 sunrsR nAKMLrSS
Ono point in the Charleston despa,ohes th far excitcs
asood deal OF laughing commentary among officers Of
tbb army at this point. Is thls'0n The 23d inst Colo
os Jehn W. Turner ga corn fed boy from llinoy''),
General Gimores chief stat and Of artillery coasos TO
Gro on Fort Sumter The ground that is ncsensye
rda, Shion could be sti more completely made pile Of
broken brok and powdered mortar BY further Gre but
yhch could not BY any of hre be rendered
o rpetely harmless against the ironcads than In s
.hsA condition. Tho day after this the 2Ath inst.
lsara hA the ronclads idle only nrng long range
duas previous ten days against this particular fort,
were ssoa making tan attack in force the work"
aud our srAv friends here loosely anticipating that
our next sdyA VIII tell Of the Surrender OF Fort
sumter TO tbaiI n.csds In startling capitals the
noupoemcnt addiA that such day 30 many hundred
psrnes aud ssau,s' "landed the ruined rampars,
and, gaauty climb ng over tho shattered arches
snd psrsdcs, hoist<f the Stars and Stripes
sad took possession Of hSNvork IN the name Of the navy
another glorious victory - shs-marlnesP' Western
coers IN particular ssrosA in this belief The, say
they tho thing done n Island No. Ten, under
mi Eonia nd ou
osoton with the siege Of vcksbnrg, .'aey tell story
which Is rather hard upon the "oumn>r rs on mortar
scnoonsrs and sunboes employed In the redu OF ths,
place. They say that I,ea,enant General pembs ton
seksd Great for truce to bury hts dead ouslSs the
w6rks This was while Grant attacking from tho
land decentralization, whilo the were ttrrw.
ing sheis high In the air fall down over buns
iuto the devoted city. Grant answered tha, he had no
ebectioh. bu, would require hours consul, with
Admiral Porter In order bave the navy coase nring
vel a. The land forces. :" Oh, II that be your only
ohuso Tor wishing delay, mover mind ~ the prompt
anSwer Of tbs rebel hosotla,or. "ff your land bat.
tories on a Lowell With win only stop the
baumcrs' and gunboats may keep firing at the
mocq uutn tho Day or judgment" Ine same
western ocers add that the principle which would
Justify the navy 10 claiming Fort sumter no thoiT prize
vas amply Illustrated In the flaming bulletins which an
noupoed the capture Of the Hane Bur batteries cater
they had been evacuated under the put upon them
rhfough General shermans corps) by The Mississippi
acsilia Al these remarks, am aware. are extremely
III nssurcd aud intcmprac bu, ond dcub, ,hore can
DO much smokc without nrc ard 4, ia fo the
so Interests Of both branches Of the service thar each
shoud know the alleged points of grievance between
them.
ADMIRAL DAHLenxrs cAuuos-ur sEAsos
A Tor other matters, the wsest here hinh ,ba, Ad.
fA pshisrcns caution 10 the opening Of me charestos
conflict Win bs apunaniiy justified when the nature Of
the work yet 70 b accomplished 10 Understood by The
puoae. Fort suu.torweskest for deeocs most power.
fa for the orensvsis nov happily eliminated from the
probism which fbs iron-clads have yet 70 solye
Bs r-ts Mouitrs and Johnson stif remain 70 be SCI,
/. a.a..4