Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-04-29
FORT MONROE.

Na,-wuo shall say tbat q dozen CLUES ihe
Washington had not better be lost, than that
the strongest Fortress nert to Secastopoi, winch
the wit OF man has awaited TO raise, should be
abated. AS "poiat d'appui,' unequaled; as
piece de resistance" a constant object OF Sc
ccssion envy. Throw into her proper war
garrison, and five thousand men lan advance,
the next day, as pioneers towards Richmond
Leave her, as now, with one third OF her prop
err complement of men, with inadequate
munitions, and an insufficient armament
and who shall say that the drama OF
Fort Sumter, thus repeated, shall not la e
a more tateiul ending. From Monroe we
threatened Richmond. The James river is
navigable to point scarcely forty miles from
that fort and source of sediton. The APP
proach by land, if less expeditions, is scarcely
l.ss convenient. Garrison the seat of govern
ment, less for its strategic Importance than for
the prestige which its loss would confer upon
the confederate army, and then upon land and
by water, from Washington and through Fort
Monroe, pour forth those columns of occupa'
ton which shall concentrate at the capital OF
the Old Dominion, and educate its FIRST
FAMILIES in tleir much needed lesson of a
due submission to the supremacy of we'll
regulated republican government.
AS matter of individual, not less of ma
tional concern, permit me to append the fol.
loving description Of the strongest tortifica-
lions which the science of man has been ena-
bled, by the lavish expenditure and devotion
of more than sixty years, 10 construct as the
Cts Atlantic Sevastopol L.
There were about three hundred men in fort
Monroe who received the reinforcement with
much enthusiasm. The fort is a splendid for
titication and would resist very large attack.
ing force 1t encloses some seventy five acres
OF ground. 1t has two tiers OF guns, case
mates and barbettes, and it was thought there
were over three hundred guns within It's walls.
1t is situated mile and half from the main
land, and completely commands Hampton
Roads and the entrance TO the James river,
and is Of much OF importance in a military
point of view The pennsuar on which it
| stands is but one hundred yards in width, and
OF course commanded by the guns of the fort
| ress.
| Capt. Howes thinks the people will make an
| at enpt on the fort. For some months the mat
| ter has been discussed among them and they
were of opinion five thousand men could take
| it by storm, with the loss Of one-titth theiI
number The plan was to attack it simultane-
| ously by land aud water. The garrison had
| been three hundred men, but by the reinforce
ments of the S. r. Spaulding and State OF
| Maine, it had been increased 10 eleven hun.
dred An attack on this stronghold could not
be successful unless by force of tens OF thou
| in nd In Is IT
it is surrounded by an outer wall of granite
Betwe this wall and the walls OF the fort is
a moat twelve feet deep, and one hundred ant
twenty-five feet in width.
P S.-Are there not some statements il
the following letter of the Virginia correspon
dent of the New York Times, to which tn
popular eye should open, the popular ca
hearken, and the healthy pulse of the pcopl
respond =
Portsmouth, Va, Wednesday. April "a, 1861
The great want of the reyolutionists is small
arms. 1t is the cry that comes up from Rich
mond trnm every part , y p lba. GU slate. omd 'h
put forth in regar,t 20 inaflI1 spirit OF TIN
people of Virginia. 1t looks very much as i
the piping times OF peace" and led to n gen
| eral neglect OF military duty, and some OF the
new Virginia recruits will probably be quite
as awkward in handling guns as they aliege
all northern men to be.
AS soon as the Baltimore riots occurred
Populations tUere sent from, the Maryland Seces
SioniStS to all tie southern states asking for help
and for arms and ammunition. Virginia has nc
small arms to spare. North Carolina has just
seized considerable number at the Fayette
Vile arsenal. but not more than the the state
will need. Maryland will get no help from
North Carolina. Virginia can spare portion
of the cannon taken at the navy yard, and nc
doubt some will b. shipped TO Baltimore il the
boats now running between Norfolk and Balt
more are not searched every time they pass
Fort Monroe.
1t is more than a week since the state OF
Virginia inaugurated hostiliIies against the
United States government by attempting the
capture OF certain vessels-nt war; and the actua
seizure OF a reyenue cater, and the transporta
ton from Richmond hither OF cannon, with til,
avowed purpose of assaultng and taking Til,
maynard. Yet the commander of tort Mon
roe allows the little steamers OF Norfolk, Il
land at the dock OF the fort, to put off and TAKE
on men, that do not hesitate to utter impreca
tons against it, ard insult to their faces til,
volunteers who are sent to defend it. Anc
the Baltimore and Norfolk steamers 20 in ant
out OF the harbor, carrying, for aught we know
arms, powder and ball. back and tcrth between
conspirators. In reply to protests against
eniency, the officers OF the fort and ship say
they have no orders to do anything but definc
themselves j dSSdLed!
On the morning of the fire of the navy
yard, the drawbrdge over the creek that di
vids Fort Monroe from the town OF Hampton
was permanently raised, and thus all conlmu
nication with the adjacent country cut off.
| The reason was, that small body OF men ap.
peared at the further end Of the bridge about
| do liub styatS 81,
fort. The sentry raised the draw, and this
embargo was then made permanent. Now
these men meant to come to the dock and take
the morning steamer to Norfolk, for, seeing
a great fire in that direction, they supposed a
battle was raging, and they were going up to
tight against the government 1t was light
enough for Col. Dimick to cut off their an
proach. But ever since the navy yard fell into
the hands Of the secessionists the little steamer
Coffee, that plies between Hampton and Nor
folk, has been making trips regularly withou
examination and it is stated by men at For
Monroe that last night she made four trips be
tween Norfolk and Hampton; this is impossible
But there is one other steamer, the Yves
Point, at Norfolk, besides iva tug boats anC
two or more steam ferry boats 1t is not un
likely that four of these steamboats, were en-
gagged in bringing heavy Dahlgreen guns
Columbiads, mortars, powder, shot, and shell
from Norfolk to Hampton. From Hampton
these guns can be adva..ced to within one mill
of the western wall OF Fort Monroe and Oh
this side, which is the land side of the fort
there are no easements, and besieging cannon
can only be replied to by guns en- bdr6ette
There are fifteen hundred guns at the nav,
yard, and with all the Norfolk steam craft qui
city at work OF nights, how long will it requir
to transfer a sufficient plumber OF guns L
l Ham ton To II.