The New York herald., 1864-12-08

by their vast resources together with the advantages
derived from those triangular depots Of blockade
and rebel suppiIesthe ports OF Hasx. bermuda and
Nassau ports which will always be In sympathy with the
enemies q this coun,ryhas induced them 20 engage IN
this trade Tue Illicit trsfc with the rebels, who are
making war upon government. belongs tothat cnde
OF commercial morals which prompted the CLING OF
10 to trade legally Illegally II II be illegal IL s the
business o. the Chinese and Americans Lot Of Engisn
Many who failed 10 make themselves acquainted d
with the facts connected with the Wilmington blockade
ner IN which II has been conducted The intelligent .
GERS q the naval and merchant service VINO have aoored
WITH uniring zeal and assidiity. ana wsonea wna aa
sleepess vigilance through weary mouths OF winter ana
summer, and in all weahers, stmuated oy the nope .,
benedting their country and recevna its thanks as wen
by iDducement fame and pecuni ry reward.
n successful the opinion that the port
OF Wilmington can be entirely closed by blockade.
Convinced this department always has been that Is
Is necessary take OF the entrances so ss TO
permit armed vessels OF light draught TO GO inside,
opportunity has been omitted 20 the necessity
OF naval and military operations for that purpose
The navy has been a. all times ready TO perform It's part
in srch expedition but the army has yet been
able TO unite in conjont movement. Neither branch OF
the service expect to be successful In an attack dnon
position independent OF other Were there deep
water at Wilmington as at New Orleans. Mooiie and
Port Roys either OF those operations could have been
repeated at that point bus by Of the shoapess Of
the water exclusively naval operation cannot be re-
lied upon TO be successful
An object earnestly cherished by the navy but which
had been delayed for army operation was the posses
sion OF tho Bay OF Mobile. In anticipation that this
rejoned his squadron January but tho operation
si further postponed for military demonstrations in
Commodore Bell who had been left In charge actively
operated with the In its movements for the oc
The possession and occupation OF Brownsville briefly
mentioned In my last report, was followed by q like
M At ss.ss Arsnsas and Caes0 pssses 70 s
and placed under command OF Commander j. II. Strong
afforded all required assistance
Prior TO the occupation OF the lett bank OF the Rio
Grande. the mouth Of that river mad been made tho
rendezvous OF vessels OF various natonaties engaged
In violating, Indirectly the blockade; the demorazed
condition Of Mexico and the mutual rights OF the two
countries on the river and at its entrance, aiordng
facilities TO the Illicit traders Commander Strong
reported s0me sixty vessels anchored in the Mexican
waters Of the Rio Grande carrying extensive trade.
chiefly in cotton, with the rebels through Matamoos
which has thus suddenly become great commercial
mart This traffic which had been prosecuted with sue.
CESS consequences inability. under treaty stpa-
lstons, TO completely blockade the Rio Grande, was
efectually stopped by the occupation OF Brownsville,
which was followed by the Presidents proclamation OF
February IT, 1884, relaxing, condtonaly the blockade
But this possession o, the several ports of Texas was Of
short duration Alter few months occupation tho
military forces were withdrawn and the duty OF guard
ing that extensive coast thus again devolved
Rear Admiral Farragut. the blockade resumed on
the 9th OF September, and has been maintained
po,Ss se
ment in lormer years, difficult TO blockade and
one Of the principal ports for Illicit trade with tho rebels
II had been the steady purpose OF this department
possession OF that bay as operations the Mis-
sissippi would permit tho detachment OF sufficient
operating military force for the expedition But repeated
cooperative movements having this purpose 10 view
were commenced aud then abandoned for army opera.
tions else Where In The meantime the rebels, avaing
themselves Of this delay and Of the advantages Of this
position seded to the collection and construction OF
was Of suc
the department deemed t important that Rear Admiral
o s % o ns o ne ana
part OF the plans Intentions Of that ocer or OF the de-
psrtmsnt 70 Awas the offensive movements Of the rebel
corn snda tn unkt A~fnn uuntgrw
and II With some impationce that he awaited the
means 70 jussfy him IN pattiug that policy into sue
ssi.ssns eososss vsssss ~s.A .Oods. on.. and that
teo In The lace and under the guns OF heavy orssses
nsus Sss hs ssossssry elements q esa reach
him. But W The meantime he STOOD eyar ready 70 meet
.aa Ms.sass q: ssa!t6 wl.h y: isoa:S.d asss of
ssasty hrsassnsA an attack On MOBILE thereby aiding
the as%y " s sso:s = ne n.,. !,
August, and two ironclads from james river and two
from sn: .I,sspp having ,saonsd him Rear y. nd%ir.I
q S d O. s. 'i :ss and
rebel squaarou, which by zen o'clock Was dis
psrssd captured Or destroyed. This engagement. 70
many respects OF the most rema ble record,
and which added new lustre even to the renown OF
Read Admiral Fsrrngus, was not without serious %
the destruction Of the iron clad recumseh one OF his
most formidable vessels, BY. . torpedo. early In the
Craven and nearly all Of her brave officers and craw It
from the Tecumseh that the 6rst shot fired as
the Tecumseh we're nifty two killed and one hundred and
Aer the capture OF one Of tho rebs gunboas BY the
Metacomst OF others under the guns
OF Fort Morgan the iron clad Tennessee bearing the
Gag OF the rebel Admiral Buchanan, maintained the con
test For . while the action fierce and sanguinary.
The wooden ships ds6auty encountered the Tennessee
although her armor was mpervious TO their guns while
antagonist The Manhattan, with Of her fifteen inch
shot broke through the armor Of the Tennessee,
gear, and thus rendered her helpless. AZ ten
O'Clock she surrendered. Twenty officers aud about
pa o the The
these vessels, and the retreat OF the two remain
ing rebel gunboats under the guns OF Fort Morgan ter
the following day OF the iron clads sheed Fort
Cares with such eject that Colonel Anderson the com
mander, sem communication to Rear Admiral Farragut
Offering surrender General Granger, commanding the
United States military forces was sent for and the terms
capituatioa signed by the respective parties on
board of tile Hartford.
From this time onward movements we're In proaress
Tor capturing Fort Morgan the 22d OF August at
day dawn, a boun5srdment was opened the shore
btteres the nors and ships inside, and the vessels
wss Sspayed Sy the rebels and at two O'Clock r. the
fort Internationally surrendered to the navy and
army OF the United states naval shore battery did
good service op this occasion.
FORT Powell had been already attacked the night OF
the 5th and blown up the guns falling into our hands
The capture OF Forts Powell, Gaines and Morgan and
the destruction OF the rebel 1ee possession
bay and closed the port to all ngress egress or
0locksde Tunnera Ids tuat was toutempiateo
Possession the city OF Mobile could not make the
block ade eiectual, and without sufficient co-ope
rating land force which could not then be spared to take
hold The place, further demonstration was not ad-
visabe.
To obtruc naval operations the bay had been strewn
with torpsdoes and lato the 18th of'September
Rear Admiral wrote the department that be was
still engaged In removing them One hundred u was re-
ported had been placed In the bay by the rebels.
gully SQUADRON.
The limis OF tho Eastern Gull squadron have been
tended TO embrace within It's cruising grounds the
waters OF the Bahamas and the vicinity of Cuba
On the 7th OF August Acting Rear Admiral Bailey,
whose hoslth suffering from the debating influence
the climate turned the command OF the squadron
by permission OF the department. 70 Captain Theodore p
Greene the officer next In rank and came north. Cap
tain Greene continued command until the 18th OF Octo
Der, when he was relieved by Acting Rear Admiral X.
Striol,ng.
otyfhsandng the sanitary precautions adopted tor
OF vessels iaie1