The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-28


cning sally ports which lead into stroug cutworks on
The southcast and southwest angles in which twelve
poundcr howazcr guns WIN be placed, enabling
the earriarn 20 sweep the ditch on three sides
with grape and canister The northwest angle OF the
fort has also been strengthened by bastioncttc 10
sustain the weight Of heavy gun which viii command
the main street Of tho Island. The main entrance has
also been better sccurcd and trap door two feet square
cut In the door ngrass aud egrcss Al this time the
height Of the wall from the bottom OF tho ditch TO the
top of the parapct Is twenty feet The ditch Is from
twelve TO fifteen feet wide at the base md fifteen feet
deep. The nature Of tho soil would not TO admit Of
this depth being increased quikand having been reach
cd In many paces The work on the south side Is nearly
finished The counterscarp ssabsisntaly built OF plank,
and spread with turf Tho lacis is aso finished II Is
composed OF sand and covered with layers Of loan and
turf all Of which kept nrny In place by the addition
of sections Of plank nac 70 uprghts sunk In the sand,
and crossing each other right ngles-makng squares
Of about ten feet each rhe purpose Of the gac- which
is an inclined plane, to expose attacking party 70
the FIRE Of the guns which placed 70 sweep IL
from the crest Of the counterscarp 70 the edge M the
beach On the north side all the wooden gun cases have
been placed close together the rsrars apparently
the purpose Of securing again cscasde. but possi
bly, a screen for q batter e heavy guns. good
many engaged In clearing the ramparts Of turf
and earth for the purpose Of putting down very ugly
looking arrangement which consists Of strips OF plank
-four inches wde inch and q half thick, and six
eight feet long sharpcncd at the point and nailed down
project about three feet horizontally from the top
of the walls noticeable fact In the bastonettes 70
which have above alluded the haste In which one OF
them has been built. The completed Is formed Of
solid masonry. In constructing the other however
framework Of plank has been substituted Against the
inside cf This wooden outwork loose bricks have been
placed Both basticnettcs with q small car.
ronade and howitser pointed ateray 80 as 20 command
the whole intervening mcat by cross Ore.
garrison which has just vacated tho fort l. command
cd BY Major r. Andersen United states Army The other
officers Captain Abner Doubleday, Captain Seymour
Lieutenant Talbot, Lieutenant j. O. Davis, Lieutenant
y. j. Hail. all of tho Fret regiment artillery Captain j.
g. Foster and Lieutenant g. W Snyder of The Engineer
corps; Assistant Surgeon w. Crawford Of tho Medical
staff The force under these gentlemen consists cf two
companies of artillery the companies however are not
fuil--the two comprising only about seventy men, Ia.
cluding the band about fty five rank and Glo In al
PORT SUMTER.
For, supptcr is one Of the most powerful military
works IN the United States. II Il built on an artificial
island Immediately within the mouth ~ Charleston bay
between Fort Msuirc and tho site Of old Fort johnson
of Revolutionary memory, and eguidisiant from thosc
points about ourths o. ono mile The chip channel
leading the nc city Of Charleston Ia between
forts sunptcr and nouitrc, and entirely commanded
within half range by them between forts sumpter and
johnson the water Is very shallow, only available FOR
vesses q very light draft and then only high water
The ARTIFICIAL island which Fort sumptcr " built ~ con.
siructcd q the refuse from the granite quares Of Now
England. Ten years cnsumed In sss complexion asa
cost Of half million of dollars The fertilization IA o.
pentagonal FORM built q solid brick masonry The walls
ny feet In height, and from eisht 10 ton feet IN
thickness and pierced for three tiers ~ guns besides
having necessary bophoss for musketry, and designed
for an armament u ono hundred and forty
pieces of ordnance or an caIlbres. Two
tiers of the guns arc under bomb rroor
cascmaes and tho third upper tier open or In ml.
tary parlance, tayifethe lower tier for rorty.two
FOUNDER raixhan guns the second tier FOR eight and ten
inch Columbads for throwing solid or hollow shot and the
upper tier for marars and twenty -four pound guns rho
fu armament q the fort however hod not arrived there
when Major Anderson took possession, and u is fair
therefore 70 suppose all the available ordnance VIII be
cqunbly distributed throughout Jadicously ss pos
sibic. II s thought that with the present armament q
The fort the guns would be capable of throwing six thou
sand pounds Of shot a each discharge IN defensive or
sfrstcgca point of view Fort sumptcr radatcs its Ore
through all the channels from tho approach 10 Chcs
ton and has foil sweep of range IN s rear city side
ample 10 rcpe any attack from that quarter The fort 4
sufficiently o range from and artillery attack sn
that an apprchcnsions fcr brcachng > he pu, 4,
rect Tho maximum ranre o. tn gus I'm sump,cr
n three mila, tut for sccr.a~ au.. sun