Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-07-25
THURSDAY AT TOwANDA BRADFORD COUNTY


there were no guuner's instruments, for accu
rateiy aim ng and eevating the pieces, or get
ting the d stance to the objects to be fred at.
Oar guns are in tiptop order, every one, all
the equipm ents complete; plenty of Colu mbi-
ads, howitzers and mortars, Of the heaviest
metal and lar gest calibrej all in the most ad
vaatageous position in reference to the enc,
my'S works, and We have the most accurate
aud approved gunner'S instruments, and know
the exact dis tance to every point about US.
The gun which did most damage to Sum-
ser was II FOUNDER, rifed cannon. Maj
ANDERSON had no riaed cannon We have
eight - Founders. A rifed cannon shot is
about three times the weight of a spherica
shot for guns of the same calibre. Thus AZ
FOUNDER gun throws q ~ FOUNDER ball but
- FOUNDER rifed gun throws a ball weighing
in the neighborhood of l25 pounds, more or
less, the raed shot being OF the same diane
ter, but is cone instead of q sphere) Mai
ANDERSON had but q scauty supply of ammU-
milton. We have abundance Fort Sumter
was set on fire, and the garrison nearly Suffo
Gated. In Fort Pickens there is nothing 10
burn, and red hot shot or shell can do no dam
age comparatively We are well prepared to
stand long and furious bombardment, aud If
BRAGG is wise he will but prepare more for
defence than attack, and it would be very
good policy in him to secure for his horde Of
traitors, safe means Of retreat. BY q land
force Fort PckeOS can be attacked but on
one side, and for an enemy to approach the
work, lal!owing that he had beeu successful
in landing, for the purpose Of storming, he
would have to encounter the FIRE from the
fort in front, aul the fleet in flank, which
would anuhate one half his force before he
could reach the ditch, and the ditch would
probably become the last resting place Of
most of those who should enter it.
Allowing that the enemy had landed his
force on Santa Rosa Island, aud had effect
ed . odgment, aud erected batteries to breech
the work, (Which, by the way he cannot do
as long as We have an armed vessel here he
would have to batter down glacis half as big
as the hill in rear Of the Baptist church in
Troy, before he could get a shot to touch the
walls To breach the wok. they are too dis
tant. To she'll US out is next to impossible
aud to surprise or take Us bv storm would re-
qui!e more men than the c. 5. can fad
Our Land batteries mount the heaviest
guns made, aud besides being counter to the
caemys batteries, will also play on the forts
aud Navy Yard and are eufladed aud protect.
ed from the fort. The several large guns are
each named some being called after persons.
places, &c" Santa Rosa" Sapper, +" Fed
eralist,' Thirty,four," &c, are specimens of
the names they bear. Those names are given
b! the parties who work the guns
For the last few days the rebels have been
practicinS with shot and shell! ,and from all
can see their practice is very poor Their
shell burst wide and short Of the mark, and
their shot fly wild-but constant practice nav
improve them. | don't wish TO be understood
as deSpsing or undertaking the skill or bra
very of the rebels. They are Americans as
we are. and have some gallant and skil.ful Of
fcers among them, and in times past, when
fighting under the good old flag have been
tried ard found not waiting They are now
engaged in a bad cause, and cannot succeed.
JUNE 2l.-ThiS is the longest day in the
year, they say, and With Us, has been the hot
test one as yet. Since l,2 this morning uu-
I'll l2 this evening, except during the hot
test part OF the day, I've been busy engaged
in bringing in and moantirg riaed cannon and
carriages. and today schooner has been tow
ed In with - more 0f the SAM on board Ev-
erything is r!Fsf nowadays, even their grog
the men call rIae4 lciisEy" Everything ex.
tremely mean or extremely good is called rifsd
To handle, move, mouat, aud dismount, gaus.
weighing from ) TO ! tons, is 10 fool of a
job. and requires q thorough practical knowl-
edge OF mechanics
To see a 10 inch Columbiad on its carriage.
on The ramparts of the fort. your first thoaght
would be. how the deuce did they get il there,
but if you were to see the Engineer Company
put one up, and mouat it, you would think it
did not weigh more than a good sized lack log
for country fire place, bat on its breech you
would see the figures $4,000, and TO see par
ty Of seven men, mauPlvre such gun al Ar
,illery drill, traverse and run it in and from
battery, and load with l2S pound shell, you
would say TO yourself, there is certaialy some
thing in tactics.