The Placer herald., 1864-12-17
How il happens that Wilmington, North
Carolina, Resists our monitors and
Blockaders.

Recent correspondence from Wilmington,
n. g., TO Richmond paper says:
The position of the Cape Fear def noes
renders them strong enough against an at
tack by sea, owing chiefly to their proximity
to the channel through which vessels mu.t
! pass to enter the mouth Of the river. 1t is
about 80 miles from the town Of Whining
ton to the sea, the river navigabe for large
steamers, running through level, marshv
country, well wooded on either shore. Some
miles below the town is the first bar; be,
| yond this the stream is clear and deep until
the rip" sreached. A long, low, narrow
| island stretches across the mouth Of the rjv-
er. leaving on y two narrow inlets at either
end Of the waters to join each other. These
! are here denominated Eastern and Western
/ bars, or Old and New Inlet Before the war
! the Western bar was alone used by vessels
OF any size, and the United States Govern
ment made an effort to close the New Iolet
entirely, in order to force larger volume of
water through the other to render it deeper
and capable of taking over the bar vessels
of greater size and draft. Many years was
this work on hand, and many thousands were
spent in hauling stones to throw into the
channel not one of which has ever been
heard Of since. 1t was futile task The
channel deepened, if anything, and the pro-
ject was abandoned The inlet is now con
sidered the better Of the two by blockade
runners, although majority Of steamers
going to Nassau 90 out the Western bar
Along the whole extent Of the North Car
oIina coast the bays, the inlets and harbors
are constantly changing, the sands shifting
from place to place, filing up an entrance
here and deepening another there. Above
! Hatteras swash there is not 40 inlet at the
| present time at all navieable, while no lon
ger ago than 20 years there were three or
/ four. At this place there is the same change
constantly going on--the channel moving
about from place to place, and the Rip filing
in or deepening with astonishing rapidly.
At the eastern bar the channel runs within
so or 60 yards Of the shore, and close under
the guns of Fort Fisher and Fort Lamb
while at the western bar Fort Caywell guards
it equally well. Besides these main defenses
are several minor batteries strung along the
beach, located at points that, to an engineers
eye, seemed to bear almost upon the track
Of vessels coming into the river There is
also, close by Fort Fisher, aud on point of
land between the Rip and the bar, large
earthwork or mold, erected by Col. Lamb
commander of the forts, which mounts some
powerful guns. For several months past this
has been terror to the fleet outside, and
has very properly kept them at a respectful
distance. These guns have punging fire
upon The channel from the Rip to the bar
and beyond; SO that il will be extremely diff
hcut for even an iron clad to enter lie har
Dor until these guns are silenced. Bearing
upon the Rip are several recently construct
ed works mounting very effective ordnance
Upon the eastern Rim, aud almost immediae
" in the middle OF the channel, is the wreck
of the ironcIad Raleigh, which was lost 10y
sudden change in the moving sand bottom
for it was proven she was ia the exact line
passed the evening previous in safety. BY
this it will be seen the channel is difficult,
even with skiIlfuI pilots; that it is easily
defensibie, and that the proper detences have
been erected. These seem quite adequate,
and, | am fully Of opinion, able to resist any
fleet the enemy can now bring against them.
Bat an attack by water may not be ex~
pected alone, for the fleet will undoubtedly |
cooperate with. some kind of land force
and we have to look also to the land side of
the works. Here, too, believe, proper pro-
vision has been made If the plan be to
land them at Lockwood's Folly to operate
against Fort Fisher then we must trust 10
our land force to meet them. OF Gen, Viii
tings force know nothing, and would say
nothing if | did; but entire confidence is
here felt in his ability to hold the position,
and believe will do it, There is no man
that understands the ground better, for as
Lieutenant in the United States army he
surveyed it over and over. And besides, he
is defending his own home and his own peo-
pie. With proper force at command and
| have no fears of the resut--it will lapse |
into siege and bombardment of the forts,
as at Charleston, until the rough winter
weather drives the unseaworthy iron Moni-
tors into some safe haven.
Gen. Bragg is here; but whether on tour
of inspection or to take temporary COM
mand | have not heard. For two or three
days he has been visiting the various defenses
with Gen. Whiting and believe is satisfied
with the latter's engineering skill. 1t is
understood Gen. Bragg will remain here
until the fight is over
The Detroit Free Press is informed by one
who knows, that Mary Ann Pittman, the
Southern lady referred to in Judge Holt's
Infamous report, is mulatto girl, ~d was
taken from plantation about ten miles from
Fort Pillow. She drinks, chews tobacco
smokes, dresses in mems clothing when
necessary, and is addicted to all the vices of a
woman who is a regular camp follower. She
is shrewd, unscrupulous and vicious to the
last degree-wil not hesitate at anything
for pay. All this must have been known to
Mr. Stanton and Judge Holt, and yet they
have the impotence and daring to issue such
a report against million of northern men,
on the testimony OF such an abandoned wit
ness.
Rich QuARTz.--The Victoria Coonist
Al, Il ,,f,