The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-17
/ X on FORT SUMTER.

,graphic despatch from Washington |
ina. mel Hayne the Commissioner from |
South an interview with the President |
relati, . evacuation OF Fort Sumter has signally |
failed in getting the Executive sanction but on the con
trary received prompt refusal 70 his proposition we
also learn that Lieut. Talbot, one Of the subordinate
officers under Major Anderson, and who went 70
Washington in company with the representative OF
South Carolina returned 10 Charleston from Washington
yesterday afternoon carrying with him the written re
fusa Of the President to accede TO the demand made on
part Of the republic Of South Carolina for the evacu
alton Of Fort Sumter and furthermore, IT said Lieu
tenant Talbot carries instructions TO Major Anderson
10 defend position from any attack that be made
on IT, The peremptory demand of the Palmetto republic
for the evacuation of Fort Sumter may have more sgnia
canoe than people willing to give to it; but Is
nevertheless believed by those who are familiar with
military matters and stragetica prognostics that this
last refusal the President viii precpate an attack on
Fort sumter by the South Carolina troops and that we
may be prepared 10 hear Of its assault at any moment
The proposition 10 attack the fort has been supposed
practicable by some and mpracticabe and certain mad
ness by Others that neo those propositions although
diame.r,cay opposed TO each other must be correct
We therefore propose TO review Of the FORT
with ts present garrison, for defence.
FORr SUMTER
For. Sumter is a modern truncated penagonal fort,
built upon an artificial island at the mouth of Charleston
harpor three and three-eghts miles from the city OF
Charleston The island has for its base sand and mud
bank with supers,ructe, if we may SO term IT. OF the
refuse chips several Northern granite qarres These
rocks are firmly embedded in the sand and upon them the
present fortifcaton is reared. The island itself cost
half million Of dollars and ten years in construc-
on The forticaton cost another half million dollars,
and at the time Of its occupancy by MAJOR Anderson was
80 nearly completed as admit the introduction of its
armament The wals of solid brick and concrete
masonry built close TO the edge of the water ard with
out a BERN. They are sixty feet high and
from eight to twelve feet in thickness, and
are pierced for three tiers Of guns the north east
and west exterior sides. Its weakest point is on
the south side of which the masonry is not only weaker
than that OF other sides but it is not protected by
any flank fire. which would sweep the wharf Once
landed may at the present state Of the con
strucon be easily made FOR the blinds Of the lower
embrasures though six inches in thickness may yet be
easily blown away, and even if this was impossible,
scaling ladders can reach those OF the second tier which
are not protected in this manner.
The work is designed for armament Of one hundred
and forty pieces of ordnance of all cabres Two tiers Of
the guns under bombproof easements, and the third
or upper tier open, or in military parlance, bcr5e;
second tier for eight and inch Coumbiads for throw
ing solid hollow shot, and the upper tier for mortars
and twenty -four pound guns The full armament OF the
fort however had arrived there when Major Ander
son took possession but since its occupancy by the
present garrison efforts have been spared TO place the
work in efficient state of defence, by mounting
all the available guns and placing them in salient
points As we before remarked, the full armament of
the fort is not in position as only of the
hundred and forty guns required for II now mounted
Eleven PaShan guns among that numbernine Of them
commanding Fort loutrie, which is within easy range
and the other two pointing towards Castle Pnckney which
s well out of range Some of tho Ccumblds the most eff
fectve weapon for siege defensive operations are not
mounted Four OF the thirty FOUNDER barbete guns
pivot carriages which gives them the entire range
Of the horizon and others have horizontal sweep of
fire of $50 degrees In addition TO tbesa weghtier pre-
paraons for defence the walls pierced everywhere
for muskets Of which there are endless numbers ready
and loaded. The magazine contains hundred bar
rels of gunpowder and ample supply of shot powder
and shells for one years siege, and large amount of
miscellaneous artillery stores The garrison is amply
supplied with water from artificial wells which are sup
Piled by the frequent showers Of rain.
In a defensive strategetca point of view Fort sum
ter radstes its FIRE through all the channels from the sea
approach to Charleston and has full sweep Of range In
it's rear city SIDE The fort is sufficiently out OF range
from a land artillery attack, so that all approhen
sons for preaching II from that may be put at
rest The maximum range Of the guns from Sumter is
three miles but for accurate firing sufficient to hull
vessel the distance would require to be reduced one half
Of that ngure The garrison Of the fort is six
hundred men bot only seventy nine OF that number are
within It's walls.
Having thus hastily reviewed the point Of contention
we now pas TO make such remarks as the nature Of the
case will permit.
Thousands o. schemes have been devised by unrnary
men for taking Fort Sumter. One man thought TINT II
might be taken by floating down 10 the fort RATS piled
with burning tar barrels, thus attempting 10 smoke the
American troops out you would smoke rabbit out Of
hollow. Another for Cling bombs with prussic
acid, and giving each Of the United States soldiers
smell And st! another thought that by erecting bar.
rcade OF cotton bales, and armng with cannon float.
ing battery might be made which, with the aid OF forts
Moutric and johnson and Castle Pinckney, together
with redoubts thrown up on Norris and Jones'
islands, and with further assistance of an armed
feet, an attack might be made on the fort !.
and at some convenient point party of sharpshooe r.
might be stationed, who would pick OF the garrison nan
BY man thus giving an opportunity Ia party OF inf tr
70 scale the walls Of the fort Such stornng how
ever, could only be accomplished by an immense sacr
ice Of life; and tho only practicable mode Of tax tho
fort would seem u be by prcracted sego and by the
unchristjsn mode Of starving them
Passing by these opinions, now advert "a VIA, ia
termed BY military men tangible and practicable plan
Of attack on the fort under the pressure and strength Of
which che garrison win surrender. The remountng of
the guns at Fort Moutrie and erection batteries on
Morris Island and TO which much importance ia attached
by many, e probably nothing more Than s,rategcal
movement 70 cover the real plan OF attack,
which we are led 20 believe IL Contemplated
and DECIDED upon The question 50 often raootcd.
v Fort sumter mpregnabc against any attack that NAV
he made ny me South Carrna troops9 wc answer en-,
paaticay in the negative. IN Ing this statement we
have the opinion q en- officer who las served twenty.
seven gears in tho American army, who says the work
on De carried by assault the south or gorge so OF
tho fortts weakest pcntand thus force the main cato
way entrance 70 the work and by attacks with smaller de-
tacbnens eectng entrance through open erbrasurcs
Of the fort, At which guns are moun,od The attack
would no doubt he made Just before daybroal 20 that
At..t o. 81.