Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-03
LATE REBEL NEWS.
Extracts GFom theLatest
RIchmond Papers.
TIE SITUATION. - o..
h.an,ha IEar.iI,.sst E -gSIs.,ts 81 = !

THE SITUATION. -.'.-;
EfrSmthe xanin1, NST: 20
The Northern papers announce that the
Dutch Gap canal is near to completion
From another source We learn that tho
iron cI6ds of the enemy have moved some
disksusa hp tbe -Giyer. I'VE are inclined 70
believe both statements. The work on the
canal has been long time prosecuted, and
il might reasonably be supposed nearly
done even without this assurance. The
assemblage of powerful iron clads in tHamP-
ton; Roads could not have been intended
to operate against ANY Other point than
Richmond. If they were bound to vii.
miugton, Charleston or Savannah, their
rendezvous would have been appointed IN
harbors nearer to their point Of deslinA'
ton.
We fully expect to see a combined naval
and military,Attsek JnAdeuponthe detenees
on Chsf6n's farm-below the bluh-6etore
the ground becomes SOFT. Il Ril doubt,
less. be accompanied by heavy dem onstFaS
lions on the extreme right and the extreme
left of the long Confederate line, but the
main effort must be expeetedsop ths'river,
at the extreme point fortified by theaCon
fedarates. It's chance of success will de-
pend upon the judgement displayed BY onr
own engineers in preparing for the heet.
What they have done, we neither know nor
seek 10 know. But this much We can say
on the theoretical point, that obstructions
in the channel of river, with batteries on
shore, nullify the powers of feet.
This much has been repeatedly proven
by actual experiment., and this means Of
defence is the only means Of defence which
naval Invention has not--oyereome. The
most poseStal forts have proven insutA.!
cient 70 stop mailed vessels. Any armor,
probably, can be pierced BY solid bolts, II
properly or happily delivered. But the
time during which vessels are exposed is
short, and unless the shot strikes under
certain conditions il Is not effectualj there
fore the batteries are often passed, espec-
faIty If the- feet is sufficiently numerous
TO afford the loss or disabling Of few ves-
seis, Torpedoes are new thiugs-experi-
ments as yet. They are often fished up in
the night-they become useless in many
Nays. But we need qgo no further than
Dutch Gap to fnd incontrovertibIe sevi-'
dence of the VAlus of an obstructed chan
mel. In an early part of the present cam
tpaiRp, the enemy himself sunk four or
I fiTe transports in the channel of the James
River near Dutch Gap; and from th4t day
| TO this, his feet has beeu of no use, TO him
In any single affair on the Richmond
lines. For, once sunked, these wrecks
rendered the river impassable; they could
not be gotten up except by. the employment
of extensive machineFy;- and the machinery
worked within range OF the simplest bat.
tery of field pieces. Bot why should we
talk Of this Q Noaeknew better the matR:
ematical certainty Of an efectual defence
against effect when q river channel iS
| Io6structed sthaal the engineers dot Rtch.
mond, knd they have ddhbtless made the
\ proper application of their knowledge.
5i3- FROM RETEEsBvRGHs u -
The report that the enemy had made
| another demonstrAtion upon our extreme
right seems to have been premature. Men
| Who have Just finished q feast of poultry
pie and ldodghnuts are not usually In
tnroper condition for G,Hreconnoisssuce"o ol
La fight Grant will doubtless put his troops
| Id N zion ere long, and when he does 90 ht
Viii resort to hisH old practice of plying
them, in advance, with whiskey, supplies
of which have recently arrived at CitJ
Point. w al sa-l ~. Ia -.
Burnside, who recently visited his told
corps,m ~ has returned TO Fortress Monroe
Itis snrmised that he may be assigned. to
the command of the troops which will sai
| ia n[Porter's feet for some uudeveloped des
iStination-proRhb the Carolina coast
,t,t-y - -.fi.shrfom GkoRGIA.
We e.baysaol nsRs fta& Gsorgis, beyond
1.-THE Official assurance that Sherman'l
movements have been thus far obstrueted
with a degree, Of success which eneouragei
the hone that, only . remnant OF his army
viii ever reach the sea.oost. This is mol
the iansuags used in Official quarters, bul
Il il a legitimate infetence from the adVieet
received. wedo notfotget that Sherman
has force, and that he may by possibility
break through the mesheS Which have beer
laid for him but, choosing 70 look at thl
brightest aide, we remembeF that the large
his force the more rapid the. exhaustion o
| bis supplies, both Of subsistence and am
| mnnition,. and that his line Of march
4 through q hostile county, the people
4 which may impede his, prpgrsss By teliinl
4 trees across, the toads and burning bridges
90 Tar he has advanced very slowly into th
l5.heart ofcGeorgis,n 5and the prisoners
i War he boastfully promised % teleaseiAr
now far beyond .his Eeaeh.l r.,aa a. ~ 60.
.--l-1 g j. ,sS7t=ditHR. ,LHAcHs ~, ~ :, f
s7s Pr rrem the EEaminer. a.Iss 3.
/ Mr.. Leach is'negotiattng a peace again
| T'bsi tenarkabls eHSbet 81 Congress tFoI
North Caroiina fs aiwsys Negotiating
mace BY himself; and there ts 20 aopFtl aeoFt
,t4tbat be- presides over q. convention 81 .
! IN States In hig dresmD By night. ne NJ
4 stfbe,intiomiEGbIa eonBtRncy and eonsisiene ~
tliaaeyotion t6ionsqP qPhnSipl6 Nhteh 81 ltAl5 ata'
Le..iLaa fhe ltftfiy great niap. :. EaeE $50