The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-08-22
GENERAL BUTLFR's CANAL.
A letter from the Army of the Potomac saws

For some time past Maor-General Butler ha,
been coming over a brilliant scheme wherewith Il
annoy the enemy and advance the Union interest In
this region materially. His plan CONTEMPLATED
nothing less than the construction of canal at what
mas hitherto been known as Dutch Gap-hereaftei
10 be known as Buffers Gap-in the direct face OF
the enemy, which, when done, should, among other
results, by reason of its situation compel the rebel.
to extend their line OF defence a distance of fouI
miic-tit Is to say, thodlstance saved to by the
digging of the canal, which is to be one hundred and
fo'ty yards III length, is miles OF water course
IN the james river.
Some four days since the proper details Of men
and officers were made for this important and
hazardous work, and these men encouraged t.
ITS performance by extra inducements, and placed
under the general command of Major Ludlow OF
the departmental staff. The work proceeded hand
somcy tor three days, during the last of which the
enemy discovered our operations and made instant
preparation to open fire. which the result will show
to have been ~ advantageous one for thcm though
Ludlow nobly and sAcessfully held his POSITION still
holds 1t, and viii continue to hold it until his ap-
pointed work is accomplished.
AT tive O'Clock yesterday morning two rebel rams,
believed TO be the Virginia and the Richmond,
though some think one OF them was the Lady Davis,
appeared at Dutch Gap III the James rver. The
James at this point forms a proulontory, which is
very narrow at its apex. The shape of this pro-
m0ntOy Is III the form Of long tongue and, yelg-
ing 10 the nolthward and westward, makes another
tuTn which forms another point similar TO the first
east by north. Hence the river bends yet again,
and forms a third angle running northwest. I'm
der cover oi this angle, completely and literally
sheltered from gunboats, lay the two rebel rams.
Their position such as, taken in connection
with the Hewlett House battery of the enemy, to
subject forces to ellfilading fire, which
was bople throughout the day with manly fortitude
by our men.
The successful construction of the canal, of which
there can be doubt viii, il is alleged, enable our
gunbJatS 10 wholly overcome the formidable OBJ
>trdctons i'll the James river, and possibly uit-
mateiy be the means OF their engaging Fort DAZZLING
ana Othhrshc strongly fortified places adjacent to
Richmond, and perhaps, before the end comes ore-
rate largely lii the reduction of the rebel capital it
self. These slowing anticlpatiOHs; but, never
theless, they capable ci realization by patient
and iuduigent waiting for. Any Of these re-
suits, added 10 the necessity imposed upon the en-
emY OF longthcrln2 his line of defence distance OF
four miles, requiring several thousands OF men to
this pTOlongaton ot their lines, will certainly
be regarded AS adequate compensation for the time,
Labor ana men bestowed upon the accomplishment
OF the undertaking.
The negroes, who are largely engaged upon the
woik of constructing the canal behaved we'll under
the continuous and CALLING fire Of the day for
an instant iilnchlng, but standing to their work
maniuiy and credtabiy This fact was source Of
favorable comment during the day, ana / am glad
IL be able to record it.
CDNTT2J FB DErRFDATTOSs TALLAHAsSEF-A
HEAVY LIST.
The schooner Sophia from Turks island has ar
rived at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, with the crews
Of the tolaWIg vessels, sunk by the pirate Talla-
hassce
Ship I.ittlefield, of Bangor, Maine from Cardiff
for New York, sunk on the lfth, III latitude Il de-
grets, longitude 6G degrees; schooner Lamont Du-
roat Of Delaware, sunk 18Th, in latitude 10 degrees,
longitude Is degrees schooner Mercy a. Howe, OF
Chatham, sunk yesterday, III latitude AZ degrees,
longitude to degrees.
After the crews of the above vessels We're put on
board the Sophia, the Tallahassee sunk four other
srhooue4s one Of which was the J. IL. Aowcn, OF
| he spnf,( on hp yvaS Cppp
this morning III the direction OF Seal island.
1HoMAsIoN, MAINE, august 1.-THE rebel
steamer Tallahassee on Thursday destroyed twenty
five vessels off Mattinicus Rock. She was manned
mostly by Nova Scotia men.
After seIi,lhfs the crews and passengers of the
vessels destroyed into Friendship by small craft,
she steeftd in easterly direction.
BosroS, August IA dispatch from the Ameri-
can Consular Agent at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, to
this city, states that six vessels destroyed
by the pirate Tallahassee Monday, six miles from
Cape Sable. Thirty of the, crews were landed
at Yarmouth III a destitute condition. The pirate
was i'll sight on Monday morning.