Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-08-11
,r.ssed Dispatches.

suppressed Dispatches.
To- come time before any dispatches to that effect
obd the press street rumor stated that Yankee YES
81. had passed tie outer forts at Mobile and inaic-
ted serious disaster upon naval forces in Mobile
Bay. This turns out to have been correct The same
street rumor prevalent all day yesterday states that
Forts Morgan and Gaines at the main entrance to Mo
bile Beg and Fort Powell at Grants Pass surrendered
on the morning of the 8th inst Fort Morgan is about
30 miles below Mobile and Fort Gaines about 80 miles
Fort Gaines was under the command of Col. Anderson
of the 2lst Alabama regiment and is said to have been
provisional for six months, with garrison of six hun
dred men. 1t was considered strong wok-well built
The general impression is that Fort Gaines must have
been sacrificed by the cowardice treachery of its
mander.
We suppose the whole affair will come out after q
while, but for tie present can only give 1umours
believing at the same time, that they substantially
correct We understand that dispatches relative to
the above circumstances have been sent to the press
but have been suppressed for the Present by the War
Department. though what useful purpose is to be sub
served by such course, wholly unable to see OF
understand, and we do not think anybody else does
But whether the rumour is true or not, or whether
have lost the forts not, feel assured that the
loss Of the outer forts does not entail the loss OF Mo-
bile if the general in charge has only the force the will
the ard the brains to prevent its capture Time
enough surely has been given by the enemy to admit
its oecual fertilization, and if Mobile should unor
tunately fall, the bIame will rest the heads of our
own commanders.
P S-Since the above written, the dispatches a.
luded to have beer received.-Ddiiy Journal, 10Gp.
Our NAYY.--So far as the officers of our Navy
upon this any other station concerned We think
that all who know them will concede that they far
Superior to their opportunities No doubt they
gallant as honorable, and as accomplished body Of
men be und in out of the Confederacy. If
any expressions Of hTe even appeared to convey
different impression, then, of course, they failed to
convey our real meaning. But there is something
wanting in the organization of the Navy, and as gen.
ea thing apparent absence of the necessary adapt
ability among the officers. Gentlemen who have sailed
for twenty five thirty years in splendid vessels, do
not feel at home in the m ke-shift affairs which the
Corfederacy alone afford and therefore, somehow
or ot5er they occasionally sacrificed to the supposed
incompetency, and real want of at the disposal
of the lead of the department. lose their oppor,uni
ty from distrus Of themselves and of the at
their disposal especially the latter. This is all we have
got to about the matter mean to ~ about it,.
Our naval history 81 fer has not ten cheerful
Wherever we haze me ythng it has been by dash
It hes been chance shot as it were" We must
not ask too much, al must not expect too much We
repeat it's i OF harhor d9ence navy
has not hen able to command Ruccess although it may
have dserV it ont has uniformly met with disaster.
This has been SIM y msforuoe-a thing unavoida-
Ole under the circumstances. Oar navy has not paid
but from no fault of its brave man.
Oae of the few gratifying successes of the Navy has
hcep in tha Of Steto hu
of state, board the iron clad Albemarle.-
That Was gallant thing, as was also the capture OF
Yankee gunboat under the protection of the Yankee
fortifcaticns at Newbern. The Navy wants only q
showing We believe