Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-27
Correspondence Of the n r. world.l
BALTIMORE, April 81
A xrw rLKxESr or REBEL STRENGTH.

From the sources of infor nation alluded to in
recent letter | have derived the following
facts in relation 70 the naval plans of the rebels.
The operations OF the Coniederates ia the
campaigns Of 1854 will not be confined to the
maneuvers of land forces lf their plans are
carried out. naval operations on large scale will
form a prominent part OF the exertons which
they vii! put forth. Without including their
foreign-built vessels, of which will speak pres
ertly, aud excluding also such vessels as the
Georgia. which used merely as stationary
floating batteries. they have built themselves.
mostly from their own materials and have now
at their command, feet of no less than thirty
iron clad vessels. More than twenty Of the
largest and most powerful of these vessels, as
has been demonstrated BY actual experiment, are
fully capable OF coast wise and river navigation.
and are therefore capable of taking a part in Of
fensve naval warfare. IL is more than likely
that this element OF strength OH the part Of the
rebels has not entered very largely into the plans
OF the campaigns for this year which have been
formed at Washington, for the simple reason that
the facts related below are either not known, or
are not believed there. However this may be.
certain IL i that We will experience far more
trouble from the Confederate navy. before the
year is out. than any one at Washington expects.
AASUFAcTURE OF IRON PLATES FOR VESSELS Al
THE SOUTH.
Ny letter Of April 10Th contained a statement
of the places at the South where railroad iron
and heavy machinery were manufactured. There
are only three Of these places, however. where
iron plating for vessels Is being made or has been
made; namely, at Richmond, Charleston and At
lanta. This. by the way. in another reason why
the capture Of these places would be 80 vitality
important to our cause Bars of railroad iron.
however. have been used to considerable ex-
tent ia plating the vessels that have been built at
the South These bars are not always of the
heavy Il shape; out many cases simply
fiat rails, two aud half inches thick and three
or four inches wide When this kind Of b IRIS are
used. two layers of them are always fastened on,
crossing each other dagonally This secures
thickness of FIVE inches Bradley's new iron
works AT Manchester. opposite Richmond. which
were put up last spring, and the machinery for
which was purchased AT Glasgow Scotland. and
brought over last June and July in vessels that
ran the blockade at Wilmington, has been run
ming with a full Of hands ever since last Oc-
tober, and during the last four months has done
little else than to turn out fat bars OF iron for
plating vessels two inches thick and four inches
wide. The vessels that are plated with these
bars have three LAYERS one over the other. and
thus have plating of six inches thick
CONFEDERATE RAILROADS, ETC, PROTECTED BY
GuNBoArs.
There are four of these ron-clad vessels at
Shreveport, on the Red river, in Northwestern
Louisiana. They will. no doubt, take "a part in
the engagement with the Federal forces concerned
IN the present Red river expedition. it the recent
repulse OF the latter has not been so severe IA TO
cause an abandonment of the expedition. In the
East there are two irOn-clad vessels at Kingston
and one near Gold>boro. ON the Neuse river; two
on the Tar river, at point where the latter
crosses the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad:
aud certainly three, (if the last one re
Gently building is completely 1T Halifax, on the
Roanoke river. These seven irOn-clad punboats
in North Carolina are intended mainly at present
NJ least for the defense of the important railroad
from Wilmington to Richmond. and in order to
prevent Union troops or vessels from advancing
on that road from Newbern or from Abemare
or Pamlic0 sound. But there Is nothing in their
construction which would prevent them from
navigating those rivers To their mouths, and
sailing along the coast: for the experience of
their trial trips has proved them to be unworthy
in every respect They are mounted with guns
OF English manufacture.
The five lron-clad vessels at Mobile, the FIVE
at Charleston and the one in the Savannah river
were all so accurately described in the World
short time ago. that | need only refer to them
There are besides. at Charleston. two powerful
iron clad steam rams. one of which is commanded
by Captain Ingraham.
TEN IRoN-cLAD VESSELS AT RICHMOND.
At Richmond, aud between that city and Fort
Darling there are ten iron clad vessels. most of
them mounted with rihed guns OF these the
Merrimac No Is the largest and most formida-
BILE. Her armament consists Of six guns, namely
two heavy Columbads on each side Que ten
inch rihed gun at the bow. and another at the
stern. These guns all carry the steel pointed
projectiles which crashed through and through
the sides OF our iron clad Gaiena. "a it they had
been made OF pine boards. These ten iron-clad
vessels will play an important part in the defense
OF Richmond. if that city is attacked by way of
James river. or from the south But il seems
most probable now that we will first hear of
them at the mouth of James river in Hampton
Roads. or perhaps even sailing up the Potomac
TWENTY EURoPEAN-BuILr iRoS-cLADs TO ARRIVE
IN THE SUMNER.
In regard 10 the iron clad vessels that have
been built for the nederates in the ports of
Great Britain and France during the last eighteen
months. my information is positive that they will
hnd their across the Atlantic before the end
OF June. Arrangements have been made for
the transfer OF those vessels that were built for
the - Emperor of China" TO parties who cannot
be identified with the South: and alter the trans
ter has been made, the governments of France
aud England can no longer interfere with them
the parties alluded 10 will then take them to a
seaport IN some other country. where by a pro
cess well known IN maritime practice. the vessels
will ultimately come into possession OF the agents
OF the Coniederacv. These vessels of which
there are abodt twenty in all. are built expressly
for ocean navigation. and some OF them are of
the same class The Warrior and La
Gloire." They are all constructed IN the very
best manner by the most experienced European
ship builders, plated with iron maleable s,eel
TO a thickness that dehes penetration and mount
Ell with armaments far superior TO ANYTHING now
ahOat in American waters These vessels will
prove an element OF strength on the rebel side.
the Importance OF which has been entirely over
looked by the Administration. intent on It's
utOplan negro schemes When these vessels
reach our shores they will not be used tor de-
tense To break the blockade of Charleston,
Wilmington and savannah, will be their first
first attempt And after that il is expected that
thew will attack some OF the seapOrts in the
Northern States.
TORPEDOEs AND SUBMARINE BATTERIES.
The COnfederates are Also making active pre-
u1rations for breaking the blockade OF Charles
ton. independent o, the arrival of this transatlan.
tic feet The recent torpedo explosion In the
James river was only an experiment They
preparing. 10y means OF torpedoes and other sub
marine explosions. TO attack our feet Of iron
clads IN the part where they. ike Achilles.
alone vulnerable tn such assaults, namely. in the
heel: IN other words. thew seek 10 direct the mis-
ses % their submarine warfare against our iron
clad vessels o. the not protected by the iron
armor. namely. the wooden hull. some distance