Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-11-17
NEWS FROM THE SOUTH.
The Grand Attack on RichmOnd-The
James River Fleet Expected TO Aid
in the Assault.

The Grand Attack on RichmOnd-The
James River Fleet Expected to Aid
i'm the Assault.
Washington correspondence Of the Richmond Ex-
amner, Nov. 81 .-r-s.f.'
The present campaign will, in all proba-
bility, close with another attack on Rich
mond. The completion of Buffers canal
and fifty thousand reinforcements are
Grants conditions precedent to another as
sault. These, however, will be fulfilled, and
then watch out for combined land and
naval movement, the latter of a very formi-
dable character, for it is said that no less
than fifty iron-clads will cooperate, and are
now being assembled in the James river.
sHERIDAN's ARMY AND PoRTER's FLEET Ex-
PECTED AT RICHMOND.
from The Richmond Examiner, Nov.9
The most important intelligence, if such
it may be called, which is unsupported Dy
official information, is to the effect that
Sheridan's army has certainly retreated to-
wards the Potomac, and abandoned the
Manassas Gap railroad, by which its sup
plies were obtained. There is but one in
depreciation to be placed on this fact If
fact it is: that the best part of Sheridan's
army will be sent to Grant. A part will
probably be retained at Washington or at
Harper's Ferry, to hold Early off; the rest
will come to the lines of Richmond, either
by the RappahannOck route, over which
Grants great army marched hither, to at
tack the city on the northern side of the
river, or else to swell the depleted ranks of
Grant himselffor the grand combined water
and land assault on Chaffin's and Drewry's.
The former supposition appears most prob
able.
In the meantime it becomes every day
more likely that the Dutch Gap canal will
shortly be finished: that tiron-clads can pass
through it; and that an immense fleet, fir
ing on Drewry's and Chaffin's Bluffs, with
the view of clearing the banks of the river,
will be the most important feature of
Grants last effort to take Richmond. This
canal, at Dutch Gap, is self-imposed toll.
During the passage of Grants army to the
south side, he or Butler found that our Con-
federate iron-clads would come down and
attack him. 10 prevent this they sunk
vessels in the river near Curles Neck. The
Confederates planted batteries on the bank;
the enemy were unable to take up their
own Instructions under the fire of these bat
teries, and the river has been closed to the
enemy's fleet from that day to this. He
has been compelled to dig canal to pass
his own distractions. Such is the value of
distractions in the channel of river
With good batteries in the neighborhood
and sharpshooters on the banks, no fleet,
iron-clad or otherwise, can pass by them
nor get them out of the way. The lesson
was learned at Sebastopol harbor, repeated
in the Pelho by the Chinese, and again at
Drewry's Bluff in 1862. The distractions
hastily sunk in the river saved Richmond
after the Merrimac was blown up. III the
distractions in the river below Chaffin's
Bluff are in proper condition and properly
situated, the labor on the Dutch Gap canal
will be labor lost. But by distractions
only, such as vessels sunk in channels, can
rivers be successfully defended since the
invention of iron-clads. Even wooden ves-
sells can run by stationary batteries, and no
batteries are of avail against iron-clads,
when there are no such distractions to
bring them to halt under fire. Torpedoes
may be effective, but they are new inven-
tions and not fully proven. They are also
uncertain things. They get wet; they get
rusty. Often they fail to go off at the right
time and the right place. But distractions
formed of sunken wrecks areproven. Their
effect is well known, and they are the things
which sensible men, who wish seriously to
succeed in the defense of the city, will new
er forget or discard.