New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-08

w. w. WOOD. and possesses extraordinary power. III
was arranged and applied tie pcketbost ut the sns
ceson and under the direction Of Rear Admiral L. H.
Gregory and his ablf assistant Leut. Gushing was
directed 10 have tie for carrying out the views
OF the department. prepared and when these were com
pelN 1t was quickly and brilliantly execdted i,h
foul ken brave officers and men who volunteered ior
the service he the night Of October O. aseended ,bc
Roanoke TO Plymouth assaed the ram at her wharf,
though guarded by military force on shore as wen ~
By her crew and sunk her. Only himself ana one oil MS
party escaped death or capture.
THIS daring and successful exploit removed TIE fch'
able defense Of Plymouth Commander Mac0inh sen.
ior officer in the Sounds. promptly avaed himself OF
tie advantages o. Lieutenant Cushings scMeyenen'.
With the naval force AZ his command ne pressed on to
teries aud on the 3st OF October took possession oil the
place, capturing few prisoners thriy.two cannon
small arms and ammunition. thus Tees tablslinS the
Union supremacy in tie Sounds .. North ceroInh.
From July. 1868 VIXEN tie Rebels were driVe2 from
Morris Island by tie combined forces Of Rear Admiral
Dahlgron and Major General Gilmore. ond the navy
thereby gained command OF the entrance To- and pos
session Of Charleston harhOr. that monitor vessels
could remain In idle bockadcrunnlng ceased ninlos,
entirely in that quarter and was transferred 70 ana
vigorously proceeded IT. Wilmington.
JLis locality POSSESSES singular natural advantages 10
resist blockade which the Rebels have added Olhd
in the way OF enrihworts With powerful guns to cover
the Overwhelmingly and TO open on our Vesocis
ever they come within .angc. These shore batteries
were made 20 command the several channels aud the
numerous nlets in that quatter. ,
The difficulties OF closing this port entirely whlic
cur slips with heavy bIoadsdc blitere: can approach
y reason of the cx,r, ue sowness ~ the vater cen
BE- rightly appreciated ny those only WHO arc ihhiu'
with tie locality and have had experience on iant s,'
.ion. without cooperating land force, u u iOt eA'
pccted that VIC coald elise Tie pof oi Emiak on.
There has been time within the last Two years WAh
the navy has not been ready and anxious 10 perform s
part IN such expedition. for posse ION ~ tl' en-
frances "a Cape FtaI River j. necessity 20 stop en-
Ifoy all usfcss 10 0F cCrrss from .hat l.iee Eunhn
tie bot kado 1t that point has been mode iaa,ter o.
business 10y foreign cariiaiss, os wen " ~ tr
Such his bsen and is The siIngeney o! the bhcA-ce,
that articles OF commerce command ihoai.us ptic
throughout tie Whole iIsuTrec,onaIy ieYien t"'fou
stimulating Tie capaiy q r,cAb-s holt'.f. DIV
nte has no, been violated with impIny. heayy losses
have lcf ~ most Of those who have been engaged u
the Illicit trade. SixtytYc steamers iac hHErci'ssS
value Of which. with their oargoes, "!l. hcaict! tI
sh1rt Of thirteen millions Of d0a-s haze bcen capt tN
or destroyed IN cndcavorng 10 enter Or escape rom
Wllmin ton. Over htty such results nave o.curieu
since ECCr-A dmirh Dahlcrea anchored ~ hi'li'ot
icet inside Of CAarcs.oa bar and closed thl' Io 10
COMMERCE -.
Somr idea Of The difficulty Of closing tho main en-
frances 10 Cape Fear River, which arc marry i.',y
ith Gv o. our steamers sono o. them tho fastest ~
The scr, lee stationed and distributed By naya, oicei
Of Intelligence and oSpciiente. on trose entrances,
block lie runners, watching thcir opportunity, ana
Awaiting themselves OF daF nights, good plots and ok
,raordinary speed. succeed in getting INTO ana oIt o.
Wilmington. .-,
AgflrT hehr. AAWlEil =. /. ANF, WV i'i 49,, =
has been in command OF The sqredfon, dschFglg Us
arluous autics with Intelligence and fidelity, was re
hcycd b. ar-Adr!ral Porter, who took e9Mm,,hl o.
the North Atlantic squadron on tae lsin %. o'toDei'
sis,isslrTi sQrAD4oS.
Tie eyenis of The wear have furnished alliora. qroo
II the wisdom Of the policy which dictated me oEsaH
laton of powerful aud elccAt squadron on re Nv,
II tie interior IL u,cilh. las been icm0n.raifu
on r.eny occasions and "a various way. whether 10
Conveying transports laden WITH sotlrfs OF s"pl'.
destined for the army or HcrcEaEdse aAa pIoHHce ~
the people Ia assisting IN pei.Lg Gtths uroA W '
military posts ia rendering more saio me nv IEts'V.
M The .tfeas to commerce and tiaYel; IN lhdcptlcc
naXal expedition. or ~ co Operating " c-tcnNc s"
try move mcnis. it, importance me Drcn nanit'ou.
10 obtain possession OF the pli. an constant
Is patrol itai great stream Rom taIp 10 \ ~ VI etn
Is IN itself work of yast mnfn!inle ~ Il tae Ieoe
combinations have been lioatr. aio tht' olcAi@t on
severed az IL wcro.by 81 impossible Fui. IAe Valo
Ieup,.sce and Cumberland .lgc.s lave Aat"ist u''A
paisulcd Thus loyh ci,ilors IA ter '4ciH.y nave
boon pro.ectsd refuge has Leon afforded 70 those escaP
ing from anarchy AID oppression sAu ''4'-H s'''
10 insure asystcuatc and vigorous execution o. the
duties doyol, ln sLo sggadron tEc waters .raie.see
rs il have bgel divided ili0 sei! h''s lls'I--',
nnLsr Tie c0nuuud Of ca CIfDile Isld oN'.F. N-i'
tie ycs.as in each Gilct have thor ip1cp Atf geo
Of duty thoy held ready to suppo each other "he1
occasion requires. and 'ig DO ready eoAee"u'''u
when al emergency dcr3andslt
Tie squadron b. composed 20 greet extent, Of boats
that had bscn employed IA TIC carr lnl ilde ui Whicn
have bcn purchased, strengthened hid Ls.es iIf way
tessels M Strength they are lightly armed, aid ooae
Gueuy more Liable 10 a. Hstcf. btl tltli eosts frrau
Inferior 10 that Of roucind ycsscs, or to'c 81 icif
structure for ocean service Tie most ttln3Fr opcFa
tons of The Mississippi squadron during the year have
been in connection with Tie inlu! cAitoloh on the
Red River which with TIC attending llclUcLis i9iin
interesting page ia TIE annals oil ne va; ne l
ure ~ this cOnjou expedition 10 accomplish iAs iu
ortant results dc-iTcd AID anticipated are atfhIidbr
TO causes be- Ond hucn control aud to ne wall 81 sc
cess the part OF toe military arm 81 tic S!iice 20
-. f.Hf 80
g iry one of cooperation Titb toe amy AZ o' a.
however witAIn iself lie lem ta al acces NJ OF
snary crcrmeiances aId nj not nai-i"l op'i., q. N
terycned It's history night Lave been not less hIi-it
than the record oi other accS, MS ~ iAls sbd On
On the sih U. March Reu.AGrlra. io.lr bad nssei'
bod at tie mouth o. Rcd river .urnl4lc ufct lA'
clad vessels and " lgGr.n{ht wooden opass iCr co
operation with tie army. aai was th're lolned ~
norton eli MAJOR General acf nan 1o re a. Trans! % r.
under the command ~ General \. j. smith.
The juut forces wore' up The river on TIC lHth q.
ua,cb 10 to,n a junction with Mujlr-G General Banks
nj AlcrhnGt!e IL ther progress sunr al tne vessels
brauched OF into The AtcAal Gya, WINE he main p9i'
ton continued up Rod liyer The Rebels were driven
In uIn from simmsI0rl and Fort DcRlz'y, the utter
falling acaiu TO oar posses ion. with AZ guns ana ma
utions 81 war ard .ew prisoners Some ~ the h'ef 81
X.,scs were dispatched 90 Alexandria win me hope OF
cutting of the Rebels IN their retreat Dn without sue
cess That place occupied BY on ofce and a1oh!
the first " PR. both AMY ana navy commenced 10
mo-, up the river toward shreveport PAT only ~
the naval force could proceed illtheT M tr thfh
AeYau,'rs ana IL was with difficulty they reached that
oint But The assistance Of the guboss was 80 essen
iia 10 success that risks Lad to be iascn and ~
traordinary e1crtious were nade TO pass We vessels
oyer the falls 20 rs 20 give Ito required cooperation
Main force had 10 be used 20 haul The gunbois. But
Grand Ecoro WAS reached without accident aud occG-
lied without o?pol ion Jicrc were ~ thir tine maj
r,,ous Of the usual rse 81 the In tho river, and
eyerytlng promised success. Tventyhrrc heavy guns
lad been captured ,sorn Tie Rebels since the enry into
that river. Springfield landing was dcsgnutei as the
pDnt FOR The next Junction svi the cOororaing forces.
md II was reached 10 tie appointed time three dogs
after leaving Ecore By six gunboas and twrniy hoayy
transports Here they learned that Ito army under
C;onea Banks had met reverse and was falling back
,n pleasgu. Iiu soire distance below. Ec0r.Admiral
Porter was therefore compelled to turn back with The