The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-12-30

hence :" sad Smith, who very patlenuy |
listened to my indignation.
:"Very true" | said, There is conso-
lation in that But, Smith, there are
many things in this world they did not
teach at Oxford" BOHEMIAN.
WHNINaToN, December %, 1864.
At the date of my last letter-the
19th-the Federal feet, reported to have
sailed from Fortress Monroe for this port,
had not arrived 1t has since made Its
appearance off New inlet, the eastern
entrance to the harbor Of Wilmington.
II came to anchor during the night OF the
18th and the morning Of the Goth, and
consists, all told, OF about forty trans
ports and the steam trigates " abash and
Colorado Nomonitors or gunboats have
been seen, and if any started, they were
compelled by stress OF weather to put
into port at some point north OF this, or
have gone down iii The gale TINT has swept
the coast tor the last three days The
| wind has blown with great violence from
all points OF the compass, and the sea
| has been exceedingly rough, rendering 1t
|
| the open beach. The fleet lay at anchor
on the 10th and 2lst, bat last night 1T
! drew off, and this morning only the tops
Of the masts of the Wabash and Colo
RADIO arc visible from Fort Fisher
| 1t is impossible to say whether the
transports, under convoy of the frigatcS,
have merely drawn off shore or sought
p0rt elsewhere until the gale shall have
| suhsided or have gone on to Port Royal
and Savannah, The prevailing opinion
| il, that they have gone farther south, uni
that their appearance here was only
fent to distract attention II would be
more agreeable to know they had shared
the fate Of the Spanish ARMADA, and that
in distributing u medal commemorative
of the event, we might adapt the Ian
guage employed by Queen Elizabeth on
that occasion: AHaCS Ueus Ct h"ste.
| itSst tl~t"t""-
We hear of no movement yet from
Ncwbern against GoldsborO'. On the
Roanoke, however, the enemy is quite
active A number Of barges, filled with
troops and conveyed by gunboatS, have
assembled the river to point six miles
by water below Poplar Point, and an
attempt was made to land on the evening
of the 10th, which was happily defeated
by Brigadicr- General LeventhOrpe, OF the
: North Carolina State troops. The bat
tie lasted until night, three hours, ant
! 1.-The loss of the enemy was severe. -
Yesterday morning. the 2lst, the tede
rails renewed the fight and succeeded II
, landing some sharpshooters since whicl
l we have had no later accounts up to thu
/ time Fort Branch is few miles aboy
, Poplar Point, on the river.
> The policy of the enemy is manifest
j the same in North Carolina that it is /
Georgia: 1t is to destroy our railwa
/ lines and devastate the country. Th
{ movement against the Weldon railroa
some ten days ago was part OF the pla
: of operations at present being under
, taken against this place anG the rallwa
n leading hence to " eld0n. The fate
u Richmond and Nirginia-as | hope GeI
{ eral Lee and Mr Seddon will discover
% tine-will not be decided alone on Il
:, banks of the James and Shenandoah.
e Should the enemy be permitted to ga
t possession OF Charleston, the great ba
G tie for the old Dominion aud for Co
- tsderatc Independence wilt be fought ear
y next spring, probably near Branchv'iI
OF South Carolina, and, at all events, som
Is where on the single and all importa
to line Of railway fon kingsville to \
TO gusta For four years the enemy h
We sought i'll vain to overrun the count
I'd from the Ohio and the Potomac, and
in defeat US in battle. liencetoEth his poll
T. will be to operate from the sea, by sin
be lines, against our railways. This, .Ta
he. is now doing; and such will be the tutt
1T policy Of Sherman. Having failed
"a take Richmond by marching OVERLAP
ed Grant now hopes to effect its fall by c
ting Oft its supplies.
il The time has come, therefore, for
an President and General Lee to elev
lat their telescopes and take wider view
AL | the situation. SALLtsT