Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-11-15
D.semce. OF W..miug,ou

A Wilmington. n C, correspondent Of y
Richmond paper furnishes he following descrip
ton Of the defences OF that place II ia OF espe-
cial interest a. the present time. in view OF the
anticipated attzck by the United States lard end
sea forces:
The position OF the Cape Fess defences gende
them strong against on attsck bs sea. owing
chiefly to their proximity 10 ihe channel through
which vessels must psss 10 enter the mouth OF
the river. IL Is about thirty miles from the town
Of WilmiDg ton TO the ses, the Tiyef. BaviSable
for large steamers, running through level.
usrshy country, well wooded on either shore
Some eight miles below the town is the first bar
and beyond this the stres u Is clear and deep, un
Ill the RIP" is reached long, low. marrow
island stretches directly across the mouth of the
river, leaving only two narrow inlets at either
end Of the waters 10 join each other. These are
here denominsted Eastern and " estern bars. o.
Old and New Inlei
Before the war the Western bar was alone usei
bv vessels of any size. and the United States
Government made an effort 10 close the New
Inlet entirely. in order to force large volume
of water through the other 90 render il deeper
and capable of taking over the bar vessels Of
greater size and drsught. Many years this
work on hand. AM many thousands we're spent
in hauling stones 10 throw into the channel, not
one oi which has ever been heard OF since l.
futile task. The channel deepened il
anything. and the projec, was abandoned This
inlet Is nov considered the hes, II The Two BY
blockade runners. although 4 majority of steam
ers going 10 Nassau 20 out ,Ae Western bar
Aloog the whole extent Of the North Carolina
Soss. the bays. inlefs and bssbors ". cOustan'iv
changing. the sands shifting from place 70 place
filing I'D sn entrance here. and deepening
another there
Above Hatterss s~ash there Il not al inle, a.
the present time At all navigable while no longer
than twenty years ago there were tbree or four
Ut this place there IS the same change constantly
going on-the channel moving about from place
10 place, and the Rip filing IN OF deepening
With astonishing rapidity
Al the Eastern bar the channel sGus sithin
hiiy or sixty yards OF tue shore. AID close unces
the guns of Port Fisher aud Fort Lamb. While ~
the Western bar Fort Carsei guards !; equally
veil
Besides these main de,enses are several minor
batteries siTung along the beach ocsted 81 poiIis
that. % an engineers eve. seemed 10 bear most
upon the track of vessels coming into the river
There il. also. close by Fort Fisher. and or :
point a. land between the Rim and The bar a
large esrthsOFk or mould. erected by Colone
Lsnb. commander OF !hc forts shich mounts
come powerful guns
For several months past fhi. ~ teen = Gesfas
- he fees outside. and hss ,ety properly Aea
them ~ a respectful distance. These guns have
plunging IRE upon tue chsnael from the "Rip"
20 the bar aud beyond: % Il gill oe extreme,
cftcgit tor even 81 iron clad - enter the sar5ot
until taese guns are sileDcei. Bearing uron IN,
Rip are several recently constructed works
mounting very effective ordnance Upon the
Eastern RIP. and slm0>; imnelistslv IN the
middle 81 me channel. j. the Nreck OF the iron.
clad Raleigh. which lost - sudden change
IA the moving sandy bottom. fot il -as proyen
che 49, IA the exact line passed the evening pre-
vious IN safety BY ihis il ~il be seen the chan
rel = dithcclt. even wiih ,kilful pilot: tbai =
= easily teiensoe. and that the proper de'en>es
have been erected These seem quite adequate
s0d. am fully o. opinion. able 70 resist arr
dee. the enemy can uow bring against them.
But attack by water NAV not be expected
alone, tor the heet ~ill undoubseclv cooperate
With come kind Of land force aud ~ have ALEC
% Iosk - The land eide u tie work Hers
%. | believe. proper provision hss been made
II tie plan be 70 land nee a. Lockrooi's
Polls. ~ operate sxsinst Fora Fisher. thea se
must usst to ogr land force 10 NEE; them Of
General Whitng'- force l kno~ nothing. -ne
would say nothing II did /; bar entire conhde0ce
% here felI 10 his ability 70 hold the position.
and ! believe hs gill 10 Is. There Is nan
zhss rntsrs'arts the grpsrd better, for ss lies