Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-17
FROM THE SOUTH,
The following extracts are from Richmond
papers Of the 18th and 18th insts.:

The following extracts are from Richmond
papers Of the 18th and 18th insts.:
Conjectures as to Grants Intentions.
From the Richmond Examiner, August 13.]
Grant has sent away to the Valley OF Vir-
ginia q very considerable portion of his Army
OF the Potomac, which it is known has been
operating on this line all summer" It is
not, however, yet possible to say positively
whether he designs to abandon entirely his Pc
sition before Petersburg. We do not think he
will abandon it until the presence Of every
elsewhere. In the meantime much of his force
as is left on the Appomattox will keep close in
their impregnable earthworks, bang away
pretty leisurely at Petersburg, and thus keep
up a show Of besieging that town.
The enemy resumed the shelling OF Peters
burg yesterday morning. Heavy columns of
smoke in the direction Of Grants lines were
visible from this city yesterday evening.
Prince George Court House has been burned
by the enemy. They have also burned the town
OF Darien, Ga.
Ditchins Dutch Gap.
From the Richmond Whig, August 1871
Itis rumored, with what truth we know not,
that the Yankees are cutting canal across the
narrow neck of land formed by bend in the
we presume, with the forlorn hope of thanking
our position at Howletrs. Let them dig; but
they will socn discover that ditching, like mi
ming, did very well in the vicinity OF Vicks-
burg, but neither can be successfully prose.
cuted in the neighborhood OF the James. The
gap is only about half a mile in width, while
by water the distance around the bend 8 seven
miles.
Rebel View of the Situation at Mobile
The Richmond Wing takes gloomy view OF
the situation at Mobile, and particularly of
iron. clads. 1t says
"The naval disaster at Mobile is unques-
tiona5ly an unpleasant affair, and, we fear,
will tend to fix ineradically In the public mind
the idea already widely entertained, that our
IRON clad navy is foredoomed-each ship,
when built, either to be captured, blown up by
np0nlp. stranded SnhSpDnpnt
surrender Of a fortress, in the same quarter, as
strong as modern science, with the experience
OF the defense of Charleston, ample time and
unstinted resources could make it, fills all
hearts with deep and lacerating grief and q
ranking spirit Of Indignation"
The successful defense of Charleston, at a
must fall under the new and terrible artillery
of Gen. Gilmore, is cited to show that Mobile
can and should be defended:
"The works there are of superior order,
and extensive enough at all threatened or as.
sailable points. Those works are provided
with guns OF the heaviest calibre, such as have
been found in every instance at Charleston
potent enough to drive out Of action the Monl-
tors of the enemy in a very few minutes. The
fall of Morris Island gave to the enemy Bate
ries within twelve hundred yards OF Fort
Sumter, in easy range Of our works ON sulh-
vans and James Islands, and placed even
the inner harbor of Charleston under the guns
from the captured positions, and brought the
heart OF the city itself within the range OF Gill
from abroad have no difficulty In entering ana
leaving that harbor at the present moment.
Fort Sumter is still in our possession; her IL
lustrious walls contain formidable batteries
fitted to play no insignificant part should
Dahlgren ever be induced to emulate the ven.
turesome Farragut. There is no difficulty in
keeping up communications with all our ex.
terror harbor defences. ga.
"On the other hand, Forts Gaines, Powell,
and Morgan are some thirty miles distant from
Mobile. They were valuable adjuncus, un.
questionably, to the defense of the city, and
their loss is deplorable, but in no way vital to
that defense. Between them and Mobile have
been built and thoroughly armed a line OF
works commanding the inner harbor. This
line the Yankee navy must reduce; land bat
teries cannot be brought to bear upon them,
Instructions and torpedoes bar the way TO be
passed; and the capture of Mobile should be q
FAR more difficult problem than than was tnat
OF Charleston IL the beginning OF July, 1868.
Farragut has qualities which make MIN more
dangerous adversary, we confess, than DAHL
gren; but Candy, from what we learn, is by no
means as we'll fitted for the conduct OF siege
operations as Gilmore. General Candy is
mere routine soldier, entirely without knowl-
edge Of artillery, fearful OF responsibility,
and, at bottom, a man OF slow, shallow INTEL
lect.'