The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-11-15

Ths rersssseasisss 81 wilns.sss.
a Wilmington correspondent Of th,
Richmond Enquirer, writing on the a5tl
ult., says:
The position Of the Cape Fear defens
es render them strong against an attach
by sea, owing chiefly to their proximity
70 The channel through which vesseis
must pass to enter the mouth OF the riv-
er. It u about thirty miles from the
tova Of Wilmington to the ses. the rive,
-nayigable for large steamers. runniu .
through level, marshy country, we'll
wooded on either shore Same eight
miles below the town is the first bar. and
beyond this the stream is clear and deem
until the "Rp' il reached. A long.
low, narrow island stretches directlv
scfoss the mouth Of The river, leaving
osly tvo narrow inlets 1t either end for
she waters TO join each other. These
are here deaominatsd Eastern and West
ern bar, Or Old and New inlet. Before
tho var the Western bar was alone used
~ vsssels Of any eiEe, and the United
States Government made m effort to close
the New inlet entirely, in order to force !
larger volume Of water through the other
to reader il deeper and capable of taking
over the vessels of greater size and
draught. Many years was this work on
hand, and many thousands we're spent in
hauling sto0es TO throw into the channel,
not one Of which has been heard of since.
1t was futile task. Fhe channel deep
ened. if anything. and the project was
abandoned. This inlet is now considered
the better Of the two by blockade runners.
although : majority Of steamers going
% Nassau 20 out the Western bar.
Along the whole extent of the North
Carolina coast, the bays. :nlets and har-
bers are constantly changing, the sands
shifting FROM place to place, filing up an
entrance here and deepening another
there. Above Hatteras s~ssh there is
MOI IN irlet at the present time at all
navigsble. while no longer than twenty
years ago there were three or four. At
this place there is the same change con-
SANITY going on-the channel constantly
moving about from place to place, aud
The "Trip" filing inpr deepening with
astonishing rapidisy. AT the eastern bar
The channel runs within City or sixty
yards of The shore, and close under the
guns Of Fort Fisher and Fort Lamb,
while at the Western bar Fort Caswell
guards it equally well Besides these
main defenses are several minor batteries
strung along the beach, located at points
that, to an engineer eye, seemed to bear
most upon the track of vessels coming
into the river. There is, also, close BY
Fort Fisher and on point Of land be-
tween the rip" and the bar, large
earthwork of mould, erected by Colonel
Lamb, commander of the fore, which
mounts soue powerful guns. For several
months past this has been terror TO the
feet outside. and has very properly kept
them At distance. These guns have
plunging ERE upon the channel from the
"Rip" to the bar and beyond SO it will
be extremely difficult for even an iron
clad to enter the hsrbor until these guns
are sileuced. Bearing upon the "Trip"
are several recently constructed works,
mounting very effective ordnance. Upon
the eastern rip" and almost immedi-
ately in the middle Of the channel, is the
wreck Of the iron-clad Raleigh, which
vas lost BY sudden change in the NOV
ing sandy bottom for il was proven she
was 10 the exact line passed the evening
previous in safety. BY this it will be
seen the channel is difficult, even with
skillful pilots: that it is easily defensible,
aud that the proper defenses have been
erected. These seem quite adequate,
aud, am fully of the opinion, able to
resist any feet the enemy can now bring
against him.
But an attack by water may not be ex.
pected alone. for the feet will undoubt-
edly co operate with some kind of land
force and have to look also to the
land side Of the works. Here, too, be
lieEe, proper provision has been made
II the plan be to land men st Lockwood 4
Folly to operate against CAswell, and al
Mssonboro Sound to operate against Fort
Fisher, then We must trust 10 our land
forces TO meet them. Uf General Whit
ing's force | know nothing, snd would
say nothing if l did but entire conf
dance is here felt in his ability 10 hold
the position, and / believe he will do it
There is no man understands the grounc
better, for as Lieutenant in the United
States army he has surveyed il over ant
over. And besides he is defending BIZ
own home and his own people. With
proper force at command, and have n,
fears Of the result---it will lapse into
siege and bonn mbardment Of the forts, as
Charleston, until the rough winter wealth
er drives the unsesworthy iron monitor
into some safe haven.
General Bragg is here; but whether o.
tour OF inspection or TO take temporar
command I have not heard, For two Q
three days be has been visiting the vari
GUS defenses with General Whiting, an
believe is satis6ed with the latter's On
gineering skill. 1t Is understood Gene,
al Bragg win remain here until the 6gt
| is over.
- It is related that in the town /,
Richmond, Indiana, : wealthy Quake
whose four beautiful horses we're the a.
miratiol Of the pla,s, VAS asked to Al
pecuniarilv in the formation Of cavaIr,
/ Hs Hpied: aFriend, thos koowest thl
II Il n>~ucH r.svn th~~ ~,. ho-s.. r