Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-01-11
Major Anderson.

When the Government held back and re-
fused to reinforce him. and while 1t was
secretly plotting with the authorities Of
South Carolina that no change should be
made in the location Of the Government
troops at that point, Major Anderson took
the responsibility Of exchanging an inse-
cure position for safe one, and thus plac-
ing himself upon impregnahle ground
where be could not only protect the lives
of himself and his men, but also the Gov
ernment property. For this act of hero
ism and Jackgonian pluck, he is receiving
the plaudits Of hundreds of thousands Of
his countrymen who regard this movement
of his as one of the most fortunate a.
chievements that it was possible for him to
accomplish. According to all accounts, he
is now in situation where he can defend
himself against the attacks of the enemy
for long period, If indeed he cannot resist
them for all time to come. The following
sketch Of Fort Sumpter, where he now is
located, gives a good idea of his present
quarters, and will be read with interest:
I" Fort Sumpter, which just now attracts
universal attention, is built upon an artifi-
cial island at the gate of the harbor, three
and half miles southeast Of Charleston.
1t has been for ten years in course Of con-
struction and only recently was so near
completed as TO admit the introduction of
its armament. The fort rests upon de-
post of granite rocks, brought from New
Hampshire and placed there at great ex-
penso for the purpose, no point on the
mainland adjoining on the South being
sufficiently near or firm for the erection Of
a defence so necessary to aid Fort Noul-
trie in securing the approaches to the city
The cost Of the work has been over $780,
600. The fortress is in the form Of a
demi-octogon; the truncated side being at
the South, and the exterior faces present
ed toward all points of the main ship chan
mel, and overlooking Charleston and Fort
bIoultrie The walls are Of solid brick
masonry, ten feet in thickness, and in
height sixty feet from the water-lne to the
parapet, They are pierced for three tier
Of guns, numbering in all a hundred and
forty pieces, Of all sizes The upper tier,
which is designed for mortars and twenty
four FOUNDERS is unsheltered but at such
height as to be beyond tbs reach of dan
ger from the balls of naval attack. The
others are beneath bomb-proof easements,
the lowest tier consisting Of heavy PAX
hans, carrying forty-two-pound shot, and
the intermediate often-inch Columbiads It
is stated in the Charleston papers that of
seventy-fve heavy guns now in the fort,
only eleven Of the Paixhans are fully
mounted, nine Of them being directed to,
wards Fort Moultrie, and one towards Cas-
tie Pinckney. None ofthe Columbiads are
in position. -Four Of the twenty-four-
Founders on the summit of the wall are
mounted upon pivots SO as to sweep the
horizon. They are at present on the side
adjacent to Morris Island In addition to
these weightier preparations for defence,
the walls are pierced everywhere for mus
kets, Of which there are endless numbers
ready and loaded. The magazine is enor
mously stocked with grape. canister and
shell. 1t contains seven hundred barrels
of gunp6wder In his removal from Moul-
trie, Major Anderson carried with him all
his stores and small arms. The place is,
therefore. amply provisioned for siege of
six months Water is furnished by four
large cisterns; the only articles of which
there appears to be deficiency are men
and fuel With regard to the offensive
abilities of the fort, its guns will sweep ov-
cry point of the compass. Their range av-
erages three miles; of course, commanding
absolutely every approach to Charleston,
and rendering the feebler defences of Fort
Moultrie. or Of any fortified places upon
the mainland, wholly untcnablc. In de-
fensiye point Of view. the place is regarded
as impregnable. From the mainland the |
nearest point of attack is 500 yards dis
tant, but on ground SO low as to be entire
y at the mercy of the guns of the fortress;
and besides there is no artillery in the pos
session Of South Carolina which, even if
undisturbed, could make ANYTHING like a
breach in its massive walls The garrison
consists at this moment of sixty-four rank
and file, fifteen musicians and one hundred |
and seventy laborers. The utmost viei-
lance is maintained by all parties, sharing
as they do to man the determination to |
perish in defence Of the place. The la
6orers are busily engaged in mounting the
guns, so that each day adds TO the number
In position for effective service.
= 1t has been suggested that in our
allusion last week to the outgoing County off
GERS: we did our friend Harlow Pease Injustice
10y CHASING him among the Democratic officials
whose political demise we were rejoicing over
and OF Whese official presence We congratulated |
the county on having become freed. It's hard |
" necessary, We presume, to say that nothing
OF the kind was intended, for our relations to-
wards that gentleman, both personal and politi-
cal, preclude any such idea The name Of tbn
ex-District Attorney was sandwiched in he
tween lot Of Loco Focos, it is true. and cor
sequently in bad company. but not thro,,rE, on,