Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-12-19

The outer and inner walls are of brick, capped with
stone and filed In with earth making sohd wall - OF
10 feet il thickness The work nov ~ progress consists
10 cleaning the sand from the walls OF the lori dchng
n ayoupd The entire circumference aud erecting glacis
closng up the postern gates in the East and West
walls and instead cutting sally ports which lead into
strong outwors the Southeast and Southwest angles,
in which l2pounder howitzer guns will be placed ena'
bling the garrison to sweep the ditch on three soes win
grape and canister The Northwest angle oil the Fort has
also been strengthened by bastone to sustain the
weight of heavy gun, which will command the main
street Of the Island The main entrance has also been
better secured and trapdoor two ieet square, cut IN
the door for ngress and egess At this time the height
of the wall from the bottom Of the ditch TO the top oil
the parapet twenty feet The ditch IRON ~ 70 10
feet wide at the base and Is feet deep The nature OF
the soil would not to admit oil this depth being
increased auick.sand having been reached in many
places The work the south side Is nearly hnished
The couuterscarp il substantially built OF plank, ana
snread with turf The gacis is also finished. II Is CON-
nosed Of sand and covered with layers oloam and turf
all Of which is kept firmly in place by the addition oil
sections of plank nailed uprghts sunk in the sand,
and crossing each other at right anges-makng squares
of about 10 feet EACH The purpose OF the gacis which
il an inclined plane is to expose an attacking party 70
the fire of the guns-which so placed as TO sweep
from the crest Of the counterscap TO the edge oil the
beach On the north side all the wOodengun cases have
been placed close together the rampArts apparently
for the purpose OF securing il against an escaade but
possibly as . screen for battery OF heavy guns a
good many men engaged in clearing the rampGrh OF
turf and earth for the purpose Of putting d'en very
uofy looking arrangement rieh con'ists Of strips 9
piank inehe vide, II inches thick, aud or feet
long sharpened at tie point aud nailed doUH 40 a. 10
project about feet horizontally from the top 81 me
rah,
noticeable fact in the bastionetts 10 which We have
above alluded is the haste in which OF them has been
ia formed of solid Masonry
In constructing the other however, rameUork oil plank
has been substituted Against the inside OF this wooden
outwork loose bricks have been placed Both bastion
etts are armed with small carronade and hoWitzer
pointed literally so as TO command tue Wnoe lnter'eh
ing moat by . cross-fire.
In the hurried execution Of these extensive improve
ments, large force-above 10 men-are constantly
engaged Additions daily made TO this number, ana
the work of putting the fort in the best possible condl
ton for defence carried on with almost incredible
vigor.
THE GARRISON.
few days ago, Col Gardner, Who for years. had held
the post of Commandant aud whose courtesy and bear
ing had won the friendship OF all who knew him, was
relieved in the command by Major Robert Anderson OF
Kentucky. Major Anderson received his first commits
sion as Brcvet % Lieut. % Artillery, July 1925, was
acting Inspector General in the Black Hawk war, and
received the rank Of Brevet Captain August 1885, for
bis successful conduct in the Florida war On Septem-
Der s. ls47 he made Brevet Major for his gallant
and merorous conduct in the battle Of Aono del Rey
The other officers are: Capt. Abner Doubleday, Capt.
T. Seymour, Lieut.. 7. Talbot Lieut. J. G. DaviP Lieut..
n J. Hall-al of the First Regiment Artillery.
Captain ]. G. Foster and Lieut. G. W. Snyder, Of the
Engineers corps.
Assistant Surgeon s. W. Crawford, of the Medical
Staff.
The force under these gentlemen consists OF two
panies of Artillery. The companies however, not
full the two consisting, are Informed, Of oaiv
about serenity men, including The band. short time
ago additional companies were expected, but they
have not come and it is positively stated that there
piH be- for the present al least, reinforcement Of the
garrison.
VIGILANCE IN roET.
While the working are doing wonders on the out
side the soldiers within are by means idle. Field
pieces have been placed in position upon the green with
In the fort and none of the expedients OF military engi
ueerng have been neglected TO make the positions as
strong as possible II is said that the greatest vigilance
is observed in every regulation at this ume and that The
guns are regularity shotted erery night IL is very certain
that ingress is longer easy matter for outsider
and the yisiter who hopes to get in must make up his
mind to approach with all the caution ceremony and cir
cumlOcution with which the Allies are advancing upon
the CAPITAL Of the Celestial Empire
FORT SUMTER,
work OF solid masonry, octagOnal in form, pierced on
the North East and West sides with double OF port
holes for the heaviest guns, and the South, land
side in addition openings for guns loophoed for mus
ketry stands in the middle OF the harbor the edge
of the ship channel and is said 10 be bomb proof IL is
ct present without any regular garrison. There large
force of wOrkmen-some hundred and fifty in al
busy employed in mounting the guns and otherwise put.
tins this great strategic point in order The armament
of Fort Sumter consists of 40 guns many Of them be-
ing the formidable ten-inch "Columbads," which throw
either shot or she'll and which have powerful range
Only few of these yet in position, and the work OF
mounting pieces OF this cabre in the classmates is neccs-
sary a SLOW one There is also large amount Of ariil-
ery stores consisting Of about 10000 lbs of powder,
and prOporlionate quantity OF shot and she'll The
yo,Lr.n engaged here sIrcp la 49, fart ev0ry nshi,
owing 20 the want of any regular communication with
the city, The wharf landing is the South side, aud
ia Of course exposed to u crossrc from all the openings
on that side.
PIYcESEY.
il located the Southern extremity OF narrow slip OF
marsh land which extends in n norherly direction 10
Hogsand Channel To the harbor side the so-csed
tie presents circular front IL has been considered
of much consequence fortress although its proximity
70 the city would give il Importance, If properly armed
aud gausoned. From hasty observation we find that
there are about fifteen guns mounted the parape the
majority Of them are eighteen and twenty-iour pouudes.
Some "Columbiads" are, however, within the wals.-
There are also supplies OF powder, shot and shell. At
present there is garrison the posi-; the only resi-
dents are one watchmen who have charge of the
hubor light. Some thirty or forty day laborers en-
poyed repairing the csterns and putting the place gene
rally in order.
The Courier publishes the following dispatch from
Washington, under date of December l0th:
Major Bell and several other officers OF the army
have been sent to Fort Moure to look after the forts
and keep sharp look upon them They sent FOE
no good 10 us. See that they make change in the
distribution of soldiers so to put them all in Fort
Sumter. That would be dangerous to us"
THRTYSlxTH CONVERSATIONAL SESSION.
WASHINGTON Dec II.