The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-12-05
rHE PRNaAcoLA .FORTs.

NOTkbS
The report of sharp work in Pensacola
Bay gives interest to the following des-
cription Of the forts there;
EoRT PTcKENs.
Fort Pickens, the largest and most i'm.
portant sf the forts. is strong work,
standing on The western end Of Santa RO.
"a Island. 1t was built to protect the
Pensacola navy yard and the main eut'
rance to the harbor. Of its interior the
best and most recent description was
contained 10 letter Of Dr.. Russell, the
London Times correspondent, dated May
18th. He says:
The casemates are all blinded. and the
hospital 10 situated in the bomb proof
inside. The parade of the fort was full
Of men, and at a eoup.G all it was evident
that great efforts had been made to pre-
pare Fort Pickens for desperate defense
The parade ground has been judiciously
filed with deep holes, like inverted cones
in which shells will he comparatively in
nocuous; and, warned by the fate oeSum-
ter, everything has been removed which
could prove in the least combustible.
The officer on guard led me straight a.
cross 10 the opposite angle OF the fort!
As the rear of the casemates and bomb
proofs along this side will be exposed to
a plungiug fire from the opposite side,
very ingenious screen has been construct.
ed by placing useless gun platforms and
parts Of carriages at an angle against the
wall. and piling them up with sand and
earth for several feet in thickness. A
passage is thus left between the base Of
the wall and that Of the screen through
which man can walk with ease.
COL. BROWN, THE coMMANDAST.
Turning into this passage we entered q
lofty bomb. proof, which was the bed
room Of the commandingl officer. and
passed through into the cAsemate which
seryes as bis headquarters. Col. Harvey
Brown received me with every expression
, Of polteness and courtesy. He is tall,
spare, soldierly looking map. with face
indicative ofgreat resolution and energy,
as well as sagaciIy and kindness and bis
attachment TO the Union was probably ono
of the reasons of his removal from the
command of Fort Hamilton. New York,
, to the charge of this very important tort.
He has been long 10 the service, and he
belonged to the frst class Of graduates
D who passed at West Point after its estab-
lishmOnt in 1918. After short and very
A interesting conversation, be proceeded 10
show me the works. and We mounted
upon the parapet, accompanied by Capt
o Berry. and went over the defeuses: ForI
II Pickens has a regular Fashioned trace, in
q outline an oblique and rather narrow par
allelogram. with the obluse angles facing
' the sea at one side and the land at the
y other. The acute angle, at which The
: bastion toward tho snemy's batteries il
n situated, 10 the weakest point Of the work
but it was built for sea defense, as have
already observed, and the trace was pro-
y longed to obtain the greatest amount oI
i fire on the sea approaches. The crest o
! the parapet is covered with very solid
y, and we'll made merlons Of heavy sane
bags. but one face and gorge OF the bast
!. ions are exposed to an entiladiog Gre iroH
" Fort McCrea, which the Colonel said h
III intended to guard against il lie got ,ine
n. All the guns seemed in good order. tn
to carriages being we'll constructed, bu
"a they are mostly Of what are considere
" small calibres ow-a-days, being 8
b Founders. with somo AZ and "a Founders
r There are, however, four heavy coumbi
s. ads. which command the enemy's works
on several points, very completely. !
4; struck me that hslbastion guns were ra,l
' er crowded. But. even in It's presen
O. state, the defensive Preparations are mos
8. creditable 10 the officers, who have ha
a, only three weeks 10 do The immense. a
n mount Of work before US. Tho brick &C
=, pings have been removed from the part
an pets, and strong sandbag iraverseS hav
er been constructed to cover the gunners,
ng addition 10 the rat.holes" at the bastior
pp Moro heavy guns are expected, which
% with the aid Off few more mortars, wi
20 enable the garrison to hold their own
no gainst everything but a regular siege O
be the land side; and so long as the fle,
covers the narrow neck Of the island wit
va its guns, it is not possible for tho Confec
. crates 10 effect Judgment II Fort NJ
10 R6a were strong aud heavily armed.
nd could inAiot great damage on Picken
*. but it Is neither the one nor the othe
NO and the United States officers are con
"a. den, that they will speedily render it u
=" tenabla.
'n' The 6ouches a Jsu OF the fort may
ith put down at forty, including the avail
nv ble pieces in the classmates. which swe
m. the ditch aud tho faces Of the curtain
The walls are Of the hardest brick.
''' nine feet thickness in many places. a
IN the crest ofthe parapets on which msrlo
and traverses rest on turf From t
viii walls there 10 q splendid view of t
,ov whole position. and found my compa
~ ions were perfectly well acquainted wi
aS' the strength and Iocus ofthe greater pr
cry Of the enemy's works. OF course l be
ing my peace. but was amused at their q
.ob curacy. "There are the quarters Of Q
friend. Gen. Bragg" There is one
their bcsE batteries just beside the ligl
ne house."
owl The tall chimney Of the Warringt
of Navy Yard was smoking away lusIi
ith. The Colonel called my attention to
n kLnk 30