, 1861-03-12

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CHARLESTON s. G., March 4, 1861.
Fort Sumter is the absorbing idea- This
community dream Of it by night and talk Of
nothing else By day. Trade, finance, religion,
education, arts, may be started as the topic Of
conversational is sure to lead straight to
Fort Sumter In less than five minutes You
may depend on it, that il two or twenty per
sons are together, the subject Of conversation
is Fort Sumter. There is q painful realization
now that talking merely must soon cease, and i
bloody action commence, else all tile talk and
preparation Of the last three months stand rs
q hollow mockery and disgrace. to CARROLL
mans.
Strange rumors continue to gain currency
and credence from Fort Sumter. Popular
belief in the report that Maj. Anderson and
two subordinate officers intend to resign or
have already done SO, has strengthened In the
last few days. Another still Is, that Capt.
Foster has ordered his furniture, which is
stored in the city, to be sold, as he expects,
with the rest Of the garrison, soon to leave
Fort Sumter and this section Of the country.
While the inference would be that the cvacu-
alton Of the fort is intended, o rebel De.r nc
suggests that it ia nothing more than pru-
dent foTethought On the part Of the captain,
which, in view Of what must be the result Of
the impending conflict, the entire garrison
would do we'll to initiate.
Nj. Secretary Jamison, Of the War Depart
ment Of South Carolina, has given notice that
the newly appointed Brigadier General of the
Confederate States, Peter G. T. Beanregard,
will hereafter have command Of the Troops IN
and about Charleston, and that his orders will
be respected and obeyed accordingly. Gen
B., who has already arrived. is the Representa-
tive Of President Dayis, as well as commander
Ct the Charleston forces. There was before d
good deal Of discomfort among the Charleston
military, which will be aggravated BY this ap-
pointment. The Charleston Rifles, one Of the
111 uaNct in fha Atnf3 Euv
broken up through quarrels and 1nsuboIdina-
tion. Other companies are Threatened in the
aame way.
As the critical moment approaches, the
rebels distrust their ability to accomplish the
ieat Of taking. Fort Sumter. The prevailing
| impression ia, ttat the floating battery Is
| failure; soldiers mutiny against serving in
her. The Richardson Guards, who were to do
| duty in her, hare broken up and disbRndcd.
| "A more critical examination into the fort
resses they have constructed at such great cost
and labor, has given rise to grave doubts as to
their efficiency, and to welEgrounded appre-
tensions that they would prove slaughter.pena
before Major Andereon's explosive shots.
Cumming's Point Battery, which is Of much
strength, is unquestionably too far of, the dis
tance between 1t and Fort Sumter being twelve
hundred yards, while experience shows that
preaching distance The failure Of the float
ing battery, which they intended to push with
ip FIVE hundred yards OF the fort, knocks the
| underpinning from the rebels.
| am reliably assured that these are the re-
suits Of tho examination which JEFF. Davis
lately instituted into the preparations Of the
Rebels. Competent engineers, among them
an Englishmnn Of much cxperienpe, pronounce
their blunder5 not only numerous but great.
Davis is too good ! military man himself to
go to Sea in tub.
AL these things make for the cause of peace.