The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-04

I Magruder is in Arkansas, operating in the most
| vigorous manner, and swear, with his usual
| vehCmcuce (aud he Is one OF those barking dogs
| that tiic), that Steele and he cannot live long
| the same state.
ItisR pity this memorable novem nj c,ul not
| have begun 10 ugr; but tha' is OWING TO ,he dir
Guilty Of transportation, &c, aud wecannot COM
| plain.
Letno one be surprised If the Trans. NTlssissppi.
should yet act the most signal part in tho liberia
| ton Of our glorious country.
Tho ENpCcted Attnek Upon Wilmington.
| Corrc'rcEdracs OF ne Richmond Dispatch.
WILNINoroS, n. G., October 2j.-Rotlru.i
officers, It !, said, report large Asot gathering
/ in Hampton Roads for the ayOwed purpose Of
/ getting command of Wilmington harOOr; but be Is
| difficult to conjecture what they hope d accom-
| plish without the aid of Land force. Then ihe
/ question arises, from whence can this force De
| obtained 10 would seem, by his repeated ,tll
| for more troJIs, that Grant " uld not he likay
! TO spare any Of his veterans; Sheridan has ala ne
can attend to IN the valley SuUrmiu seems t1 pa
sufficiently amused In North Georgia. aud the
GankeeiiuIccs In he West are quite nldeIult lte 10
take care OF General Price.
There remain the recruits, It is true; but they
can scarcely De made cec i've for this u'ticl,
even ii Farragut should have the tencrJy 20
make the attempt. Current report no yevc~
points out this place a, the dostiulton OF the iron
clad hect now assembling; aud until il cln ba
definitely determined, we must make pra1lrl-
tiCns to meet IT,
The position Of the Cape Fear defense, render
them strong against an attack by sea, OWING
chiefly 90 their proximity tD the channel through
which vessels must pass 20 eutur the mouth OF lls
river. II Is about thirty miles from tht t5yn of
Wilmington % the sea- the river uAyir rtbe for
large steamers, running through a level, marshy
country, wel wooded on ci,hec shore. Some
eight miles below the t)wD is the trst bar anl
beyond this the stream is clear and deep. uutI
q l. frF.'f 40 E.HI..t Loo.
stretches directly across the mouth Of the river,
leaving only TWO narrow nlets AZ either end tor
the waters TO Join each other.
These are here deuominatcd Els'crn aud
Western bar, or Old and New inlet. Before che
war the Western bar was alone used NY vessel,
of any size, and the United States Government
made an effort 70 close the New inlet entirely, IN
order to force a larger volume of 1nter through
the other, to render It deeper and capable Of
taking over the bar vessels OF greater sil, and
draught.
Many years was this work on hand, and many
thousands were spent IN hluIiug stDn 3 to throy
into the channel, not one of which has ever been
heard OF since. 10 was a ia lie task. The chan
mel deepcucd, If anything, and the project was
abandoned. This inlet is nov considered the
better of the two 10y blockade runners, although
= majority OF steamers going to Nassau 60 out
the Western bar.
Along the whole extent of the North Carolina
coast, the bays, inles, and harhOrs are constantly
changing the sands shifting fsom place I'D pllce
hllirg upan entrance here and deepening another
there. Above llateraS swaSh there is not an inlet
at the present time at all nayigable, while no
longer than twenty years ago there were three or
four At this place there is the same change con-
stautly going on-lhe channel moving about from
place to place, and he Grip hlling in or deep
eniug with astonishing rapdity.
At tue Eastern bar the channel runs within fifty
or sixty yards of the shore, and close un Ter the
guns of Fort Fisher and Fort Llmb while at Jue
Western bar Fort Caswel guard it equally well.
Besides these main defenses are several minor
bait ries strung along the beach, located at pOns
that, to an engineers eye seemed 20 bear most
upon the track of vessels coming into the river.
There is also close by Fort Fisher, and on a point
Of land between the "Trip" and the bar, u large
earthwOTk or mound, erected by Colonel LlmJ
Commander of the fUrts), which mounts some
powerful guns.
For several months past this has been a terror
to the fleet outside, and has very properly kept
them Mt respectful distance These guns have
plunging fire upon the channel from the Grip"
to the bar and beyond so it will be extremely
difficult for even an iron clad to enter tho harbor
until these guns are silenced. Bearing upon the
rip are several recently constructed works
mounting very effective ordnance.
Upon the eastern Grip" and almost imme-
diately in the middle Of the channel, is the wrc,
OF the irOn-clad Raiei3h, which WAS lost by Il
sudden change in the moving sandy bottom; Tor
IL was proven she was in the eXuCt line passed the
evening previous in safety. BY this il VIII be seen
the channel is difficult, even with skltul pilots;
that il is easily defenSible, and that the proper
utleuScS nave lttn erected. These seem quttc
adequate and / am fully of opinion, able %
resist any fleet the enemy can now bring against
them.
But an attack by water may not DO expected
alone; for the fleet will undoubtedly Cooperate
with some kind of land force; and we have also
TO look 10 the land side Of the works. Here, too,
| believe, proper provision has been made. If
the plan be to land men Mt LOCkwood's Folly ID
operate against Ca9wel, and at Maslnblro
Sound against Fort Fisher then We must trust
to our land force to meet them or ,neral
Writings force know nothing, and would say
nothing If did but entire confidence is here
felt in his ability 10 hold the position, and
believe he will do it.
There is no man understands the ground bet
ter; for, as II lieutenant of the United states
army he has surveyed il over aud over Aud
besides, he is defending his own home and his
0~E people. With proper force a. commlnd,
have no fears of the result; il will lapse
into siege and bomOardment of the forts a. nc
Charleston, until the rough winter weather
drives the unseaworhy iron monitors into some
safer haven
General Bragg is here; but whether on a our
OF inspection or to take temporary comman |
have not heard For two or three days he mas
been visiting the various defense with General
Whiting, and believe is satisfied with the lItters
engineering skill. 1t is understood General Bragg
will remain here until the fight is over.