The weekly union record., 1864-05-21
Iron Clad Vessels, Iron-C -Colored Soldiers


We make the following extracts from the
Enquirer, of April 18th, a rebel paper, and
JEFF Davis organ. published at the rebel Cap
Richmond, Va:
so far we feel sure of the issue; all else is
mystery ard uncertainty. Where the first
blow will fall, when the two armies of North
e-n Virginia meet each other once more face
10 face; how Grant will Try 10 hold his Owl
against the master spirit of Lee, We cannot
even surmise Bot it Is clear TO the expert
eneed eye that the approaching campaign Will
bring into action two new elements, not known
heretofore in military history, which may not
unlikely decide the fate of the gigantic crusade
the enemy will array against Us his new iron
clads By sea and bis colored troops Oh land.
Europe will watch with nervous interest the
first great trials made OF these improved Mon
itors. if it should be our good fortune 10 finish
and equip our OVID vessels Of that class in time
10 meet them on equal terms.
The only serious encounter that can be cal
led fair trial OF iron clads, resulted in the de-
struc;lon of the Monitor keokuk by the supe-
riority of oar projectiles steel bolts and spher-
ical shot, devised by Bro, ke. the ingeniuS in
ven.or of the deep, seasounding line The IAN
kee gun boats, occasionally iron clad, with
their light drafts and powerful guns on pivots,
have assembled our rivers with immunity, right
ened the people on shore and controlled the
country for miles aFouGd. The prestige that
attended them a first, and cost US so dear, has
however completely vanished; ike every drea-
ded danger they succumbed as they were fairly
looked in the face. Now We know fully their
vulnerability aud the perils of a water trans
port for troops, with their helplessness when
attacked in boats. Since these first trials,
however, the Yankees have made great efforts
10 remedy the evils that attended their early
iron clads-their want of buoyancy, their
sinking too deep forward TO approach well at
certain landings. the necessity TO tow them out
at sea, and their slowness, which would EN-
barrass the fleet to which they may be attach
ed. They claim now to possess vessels as
buoyant and free in motion as ordinary steam
ers, impenetrable to any known projectile, in
GLIDING the new Whitworth guns, and provi-
ded with heavier armament than the last
built iron clads Of the English. These they
propose to carr. into our harbors, aud if We
there can meet them conflict such as the
world has not yet seen will take place.
The other new feature likely 10 give a
strange coloring to the summers campaign is
the LA RGE FORCE OF ARMED Blacks
which OUR ARMY Iproposes TO employ. They
have apparently reconsidered their first plan
Of using them merely for garrison duty And
We see them in Virglnlan and other points OF
attack placed in the van, or sent, well mount
ed on forsging expeditions, in order thus TO
season and harden them for war While it
cannot be expected that they will ever fight
with the bravery OF gallantry of our own men,
we are disposed to believe that they will be as
soldiers, bnt little inferior 10 the RlFFRAFF
OF GERMAN Y and IRELAND, which en-
tiers so largely into the composition of the
Northern army.
1t does appear then, by the Enquirer, that
the Southern chivaIry and arstocracy have
dcgenerQted so low as to bring master and
slave side by side with the same equipments oil
war, shoulder 10 shoulder and check by iowl
A large force of armed blacks and Southern
Chivs. confronting the army of the Federal
Government. Oh, what fallen countrymen
and what glorious consolation it must be for
sympathising Copperheads who pretend to be
furiously opposed to negroes bearing arms
ln justification, however, of the employment oi
Blacks in their army, the chivalry consider
them "but little Inferior TO the riffraff of Ger
many and Ireland, which enters so largely into
the composition of the Northern army" This
comparison is certainly quite complimentary to
those Foreigners who toot their horns for the
Confederates and the chivalrc Democracy