New-York daily tribune., 1856-04-26
LIFE IN A GARRISON.

Mnny doubtless, of our readers, while standing on
our noble Battery have admired the solid masonry and
massive proport ons Of the Notifications on Governors
and Bodloes Islands and many, perhaps, are familiar
with the internal structure of those works-he ;lacs,
the parapet with ts long Of guns the furnaces for
heating shot and all the other machines of war in
common u,e. II is probable, however, that compara-
lively iew know anything about the appearance OF
frontier post and the Of life pursued by its in
nates, cut of as they from the society Of their
fclows; surrounded by the vast forest, and depend
ng entirely upon each other for all the pleasures OF life
For their benefit will essay brief description Of
the daily life of the garrison located at Fort Myers, IN
South Florida.
Fort Myers is situated on the right bank of the
CaloOsahaCbee, about twenty miles from It's mouth.
1t was established in lsi9 by Gen. Iwiggs and was
named after Col. Abraham +. Myers of the Quarter
masters Department II Is post of great Importance
as the head quarters Of the troops acting on ~ in the
vicinity of the Caloosahatchee and the depot for
the supply Of Comnis.ary and QuarterInasers stores
for the various troops while in the field. 1t Is now
ea1soned by four companies Of the Second and one oi
the First Artillery In addition a. these two compsHies
OF Florida Volunteers, in process OF enrolment,
are TO be stationed there under the command OF Col
Harvey Brown, the second officer in command of the
Florida army The nearest settlement 10 1t IS Tampa,
which is about lG0 miles distant by water, that being
the only of Communication between the places,
as the Great Prale lies between them, and Is as YET
is unexpoTed and snrodden except by the wild deer
or still wilder savage.
Fort Myers presents very good specimen of the
better class VI frontier posts The long, low, one
story ouaers with their wide pazzas, thatched with
the leaves Of the cabbage PALM present appearance
st once picturesque and orderly, being ranged IN
regular quadrangle fronting on the parade-ground
Most of them are built Of hewn logs, and are pierced
for the use of the muskct and rife 80 that IN case OF
sudden attack from the willy savage, each house may
sfod means of defense. There are little gardens IN
iont of the quarters, in which grow the banana
with ts leaves gracefully waving in the wind; the
orange the lemon together with other tropical fruits
and great numbers of that most magnificent OF South
EN- shrubs the Oleander covered with It's punches OF
large pink blossoms. In the center Of the parade rises
tall flagstaff and the stars and stripes, with Ns onsht
folds of red white and blue, stands out In strange yet
agreeable relief from the sOuber background Oi The
dark green pines.
At the entrance Of the font toward the woods
stand. the universal feature of frontier poSt-the
blockhouse-a strongly built log structure, pierced
Ike the quarters, so that a hundred muskets could
uour death and destruction any foe sudsoiouS
enough to attempt to attack it.
The waters of the CalooSahstchee sweep past the
Fort on the north side while the other three sidee
it = completely encirced by the woods Our readers
who ar, unscouanted with garrison life, may perhsPs
suppose that The officers of the posi- spend very
dreary time far away froIa society and the uSages OF
civilized life. This IS true to certain extent out YET
th,y are not without their smuseneuts. fine bowl
irc alley equal 10 any that this city can boast oi was
easily made when they had VIZ forest OF the OeS'
timber IA the world around them, and pins snd balls De-
ing procured from New Orleans, II affords an uniahs
source Of amusement. billiardtab'e, also, brought
fiom Tampa put up IN spare OuIdi"S' anu "
seldom happens that Is not surrounded oy h- 'Nes
of that beautiful game These amusernenis, 'moheo
with the daily routine Of garrison duty, serve {" "h'
awsv the day. The evenings are passed oy 'hese
depizens of the wilderness sitting IN groups on 'AeH
razzas smoking their long pipes oT fragrant II An
IN telling nisry elous tales OF bygone campaigns anu
harbresdth escapes in former days of Indian warfare
or else if the evening IS warn, they promeSaoe ou
the lono wharf which iuts on, two handrcd and MY
wards INTO the rver and enjoy the cool oreeze IRON
scsoSs the wafer Their Life is very peassnt IN us
narration. but tresome enough when continued week
aNer vetk-it. dull monotony only being rei~'- 0!
The arrival Of the weekly mail from lamps win It's
6les u late newspapers and bundles OF ieu~s -V'h
home.
Such vas frontier hfe at Fort Myers E1 months sSo
Now alas all n changed The quiet OF Peace IS
,ar, and the rude tumuls of Indian war has taken
=. r,,ce The Seminole has sent forth his war Sh"op
and the signs of the times predict long and tedious
repetition OF the horrors of the campaign OF lS'i- ="
In that part Of Florida in WhiSa fo1t Myers s'u-
.,ed there is not the same division OF the Ss'hS 'o'.
We have here. They have but two sea'o'S 'n' @s' "