The New York herald., 1864-09-02
AFFAIRS on TEE JAMES RgvERs

Mr. VIM. II. Merriam's Despasch.
TArxs sATrEEY, MEAN Crows NEST AND TIE GAP,
.U ..a.es August 29-P. n.
FEW pIscovsRy a STRANGE AND FoRxipABiE LOOKING
RgBEL CRAFT N o4 u
new discovery has been made, ~ ID believed, from
ths poipt, which, Impressions provo true, III not
be without s important bearing upon cur operations in
this yc.nazs mysterious looklng-and TO all appear.
most .omiab,erebel craft has been uiscoyered
iysa creek yet unnamed by us, rDrty ing from The
wess the the poar0on bridge at Chapins
Bluff and above boiE Proctor and kngsiand creeks
From Dutch sap tae OF Nacr Iuoow's operations
the distance hs creek is four miles in direct ne
The ships situation ia eeenlogY near Fort narling
the ches 70 that rebel wcrk The vessel
30 RI rs we can Sea appears IN rsh. only at intervals
then oDly WITH he swaying of the tides and, as be-
osc stated, wears the ss'sct OF iorintaos craft
seems bc situated ibat IL Monitors should pass
abve the mouth OF the upper creek the rebel vessel
could easily PASS 30 toer aud open succcessul fra
ts bow always pointed down stream, and Il has very
heavy snoseslack, RCD in color Al times her
wnoe length istscernsbe, aud then again only tho m
as tte nature or this vessel are numerous among the
OF her movements soino thinking she Ia shp
prpccs purposes, others thas she s merely an Oh
structon vert.e UEt
TIE nxnrl POSITION BEARING on Durcn
~ the Hoslst, house battery there are seven guns
bearing Dutch Gap and on sli cur batteries on The
socth bank OF the Jimes, inrucng The one hundred
pourder crow Nestboih ,bo uElon and rebel srouud
ths bank Of thu water being composed OF hgh
bluffs. Tue ground at Dutch Gsp and above, Tor dis.
tance o. several mss n nc iroediate vciuy cf the
oourse, Is both low and marked by small swans
Or low spots Of Earth, whefeon coarse grass and low
Sushes gr though hey generally tilpole, h.viug
some laxirau, cr0ps ). sraiu this summer These
sFai!s dfaa iulo llnes river II Is in Of thoss
e.asca p6rs that the rebel mortsrs aud llshi bat
te-ies situated. Wherever the river banks too
steep places where the eseny desire TO plan. bat
ie,es they cot embras1as through The bslkp aud hrs
from hen uPon the Gap. They also ira through ike
ecbrasures tho banks Of tue james, from .aeir gun
and rams lpou batteries on Tie south bank OF
the river. F nfI
SIGNAL IT'LL,
Which point lays nortbofy Dutch Cap corrnaDd'ng IT,
the enemy busy en-. aseo n erecting batteries In
view the DECENTRALIZATION by the cans wnen completed,
tho Howstt Hnuss batteries the guns OF Which viii
doubtless he removed 10 this new point In the end.
As yet We are doing roAing % Impede this rebel
work. except the hrng OF lew fhos from
fes Malitors. II wiil be remembered that the
Hewlett House batteries successfully erected n
ace OF Admiral oo'G feet who i1terpCsed an OBJ
lection untii they too far Progressed 10 admit Of
destruction. ! told that rarely oitp upon tho
construction OF rebsi works until We discover their
strength and the disiodaemsnt OF the enemy from them
becomes o serious question.
Py,sr.Pvro vpcSr,
with the Tenth cort, thing has been quiet during
Ire past tveaty.lour hcurs the usual arlery dc
conoetning which o uotniug 10 recorded .. aRy
time
continues cNo Erd favorable T. cur operations The
GrsF ths CIR ygfteTd day incesaact, AAu2 but
in no wiee impeding, MAJOR LGd'ow's work