Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-08-12
No Sitnatinn III Manila
jy 20

The Situation at Mobile
Ths naval DISASTER sc Mobile is usq iestionAbly an
unpleasant affair." aud, fear viii tend to fix ineradi-
ably In the public mind tie idsa already widely enter
lAnsd, that our irOu-elad navy is fOredOOmOd-ssOh
ship, when built either to be captured, blown up BY
our own people, or strsndsd TIE Subsequent surren-
dsr Of fortress in the sane garter, as strong as
modern science With the experiences Of the defence OF
Charleston ampls time and unsiined resources sOald
mike II, fls hearts with deep aud lAoersting gre
and raj king spirit Of indignation. Such an event
has been ous province to chronicle, afer long series
Of sub anal successes since The early spng, begin
ming With The defeat Of Seymour In E)rida, and cpd
log uih esgoal discOn6Iu Of Grant but few days
ago, inclrdng E4ry's cOm5sts a. ths AonOeaeJ and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS which have sigraly illustrated
the genius skill and col inrepdy OF our Officers, and
she noble courage, intelligence and devoEon CT our
sdasry For Gaines has been surrendered by IFS CON-
nAnd,r-a Ccllnel Audsison-Wish its heavy arma-
ae0s It's adequate stores Of munitions and subsistence
s lIrre garrison Of 600 bate-sstsd Confederate SOL
disEs It's unimpssed defensive meAns and appliances,
In direct defiant disObedienes OF orders, and in the
isee Of the prolonged defence Of Battery Wagner
10 the fAce, too, Of the memorable example Of Fort
Sam,er, after SOS days Of 81 unparalleled bor-
bsrdnenL We lad hoped Indeed, that, AtseF the de-
fsaee Of Charleston and the attack FJrt AcAster,
should be spared the repetition o; such humlistrs
disasters the esquire Of the works de ending Port
Royal HarooF and Hilton Head the surrender Of Fort
HAgteras, and The reduction FJst Jackson a. the
mouth Of the Mississippi, and Of FOEs Pulaski Bui all
these become Insignificant in comparison with The
urosnng shame-as history mus. record in a5anan-
tine leters-Of the eapitu!AOu to FATrAgut Of Fort
Gaines AFTER so tr.aDg defence sglnss 20 slight an
a..sck.
Bal; il the defence Of -arlssisn has been without rs
lesson C The hereafter notable commander to when
WIS assgasd The "DAd sminenee' Of the surrender CT
Fort Gas and the consequent loss OF FOri Powell OF
th siege Of the war let not tse events Of the last Ss5
days around Charleston hAr6Or be lost she people OF
she Clniedsrats Safes l. should DO remembered that
o. lie 15sh OF july 1868, the ensmy threw an over
WdemDg force seized With the east end CT
Morris IlArd, and thence IN short time, from bal
tsies ga:nished with new and terrible artillery,
hurled his bolts Wth marvellous precision aad inersdi-
bic range upon Battery Wag1er and Foft SUMTER Viii
the srgesi missiles before used u war Here shcW-
cred fom a least six roacads, which were able twill
% lake positions commanding our Hsnks. l. should
be recascled tina. these events gave bFh at the tine
60 general dslIust Of lie ability Of General BeaUre-
gard 10 Withstand ultimately susd desguS.iys means Ct
assault and 70 hold CHARLESTON against euoi Federal
naval resources, bleked by Glmorts engineering skD,
vast mechanical appliances and new artillery. Few
doubted, indes7, or as leass not filed wi pain
ul apprehens On as the loss Of Claglt)n was fore
gone coaeusion-aa inevitable result Of he fail Of the
s3ah snd Of Morris Island Ia tbis apprehension, we
sre assured large and respectable portion Of 10
peopls Of Caarlssoa shared Ejruaa.sly, tai5
the idea Of the skliul, resOluls oPposuney En-
trusted with The eoidact OF operations in ia! qlAT.r
nor Of The brave Csers Aad soldiers under hu; sud
to-day the thoughts Of al o. u gov pleasant and can
hdent When We think o. he issue.
Thus il should DO in relation 70 Mobile. The works
there Of sriOs order and extensive enough
al thre1 tened or Rssaable points. Fnoss works srs
provided with guns Of the heavis cabTs, such have
been found in every instance at Char, son potent
enough 70 drive on. Of action the monitors OF the
my In a very few minuiss The fall Of Norris Isllod
gave 70 the enemy batteries within twelve hundred
yards Of Err Sumter in easy rloge Of our works on
sulVans and James IaHds, and Flaosd even he inner
hArbor Of Charleston uaiss the gus from the capture
positions and brought the hear. Of the city i:s within
the range Of Glimos.'s Parrott guns. Nevertheless,
from abroad have no aluy in entering and
leaving that hatbor a. the present moment F5rtSlm-
ter il still in possession; her lustriOu3 walls
tain formidable batteries 6ed TO pay no Insignificant
part shoald Dab gFen b induced 70 emulate the
VontuFOus FArragut-ald there Il difficulty in keep
ing up communications with all Que eKsoFio. hArbOr de-
fences.
o. the other hand, Forts Gaines, Powell aud Morgan
are some thirty miles distant from Noble Toey were
valuable s pets unqls5iOlAby, to the dsfe1ca of the
city, and their loss dspOrAble, bu in way vital
that defence. Between them and Mobile have bocn
bulk and thoroughly armed line Of NOrks command.
ing ihe inner hAFbOr. This line the Yankee navy must
reduce; land batteries be brought bear upon
them-ob5lruc ions AID toTpedOss bar the way TO be
passed; and the oaEte Of Mobile should b, far more
difficult problem hen that Of Charleston in the be
gIning Of JAY, 1868 Farragu; has qualities which
make him more dangerous adversary, Ee cOnfess,
than Dahgrsn; but Candy, from slai learn, is by
m means vel fitted for the conduct OF siege opera
ions 81 Gilmore General Caaby is 4 routine
sollsr-entirey without knOSlsSgs Of artalsryfsaIlol
VI resPOasiblily-and, 81 bottom Of slow, shall
low intellect