Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-12-21

three weeks. By the threat that they will not
allow reinforcements to land, they bully the
President to the end that the capture of the
forts may be comparatively easy. How we'll
grounfled that expectation is. time viii show.
But / venture to predict that, if the armed
men of this city make the attempt TO capture
Fort Moultrie (which viii be the one attack
ed.1 and if the officers and soldiers now there
are suffered to remain and are not over-rilled
and rendered powerIess by some characteristics
cowardlv order from the War Department or
/ President. but are suffered to defend the Fort
themselves as best they can, the population of
Charleston will be less by considerable the day
after than it was the day before. Wheneyer
thai attack is made, when :. the gallant young
men of Charleston" as Mr.. Memminger fatter-
ed them, and the chiyalry of Sonth Carolina go
down to Fort Moultrie to take it. they will
find that things have been got in readiness to
receive them The officers there, all of whose
names I have heretofore given, are quite alive
to the situation in which they are placed, and
fully appreciate their whole duty 1t Is not
necessary to enquire whether they are North
erners or Son;herners they belong TO the
Army of the United States, and have been in
active service, under fire, with the Stars and
Stripes, 1t would be expecting good deal of
sixty or seventy men to withstand the whole
State OF South Carolina. They may not be
able to do SC. But they Will not surrender on
demand
In view of the threatening state of affairs
here, the families of the United States officers
at Fort Moultrie, have been sent away
| Within a few days the Fort has received six
months provisions, in addition to what it had
before In everything but men, the position
is abundantiy supplied, and Is a tempting
prize in the eyes Of the Carolinans, with
which to set up new Government. They
have already in their possession, under the
pretence of guarding the Ansenal, 10000
stands Of arms, which, added to the arnaments
of the three forts they expect TO take, would
enable the new Republic to make quite war
like appearance; to say nothing of the little
Navy which the bill now before the Legisla-
ture provides for Al these are virtually to
be placed in the hands of the Governor,
who, with the purse, which is likewise to be
henlargcd, and given over to him, will have
despotic power
The United States Arsenal is at the west
side Of the city of Charleston. In it are stor
ed upward of 40 600 stands Of arms and cor
responding amonRt of ammunition and other
appointments of war excepting large guns
1t is now guard n, nom na:iy, by military
| corps of Charleston, whose s,ryices the tiov-
ernmcnt accepted to protect it from The m ID.
It was an expert movement, II p,ace'n! cap
ture. 1t will coniinne to he thns guIrte /,
| till the time arrives for making use Oh the ex-
tensive military storehnuse against the Fed
eral tiovcrnment which in this, as in many
other things, has been outwtted by ths nal:i-
( iers. s-t.-
In order to show the animtfs of. the people
of Charleston, who thus very kindly gnqri
the United Suites Arsenal. will relate d sin
| gle circumstance which / see has lately been
| revived and made the subject oil a tclegraghlc
dispatch from Washington. The Command
| ing officer of Fort Moultrie ordered Capt
Seyni9ur and squad of soldiers i'll citiz2nS 5
dress, to proceed to the Arsenal for several
boxes of light arms, and perhaps some anmH
nition, which, though he could do withou', he
deemed best to send for. The military stor3-
/ keeper at the Arsenal had issued ali order for
the articles called for, most of them had been
taken TO the dock, and the soldiers were en-
gagged IN placing them Oh board oil the boat,
when body Of eitizons appeared. commanded
them to desist, took from the boat what had
been placed on board, marched the captain
and his men before the Mayor, Who sternly re-
prinlantltd them. ana bid them return to the
Fort, report the facts to their sHp2rior. and
never he caught in such business ag;siu Ever
since Uncle Sam has been qact.