Weekly Trinity journal., 1861-01-26

The Charleston Forts.

Charleston harbor, as given by the Mercury, IL
interesting now. Fort Sumpter, to which Maj.
Anderson retired because he was obliged to, by
the refusal of The President to reinforce his little
band, is by all odds the strongest of The three
defences commanding the town;
FoRr MouLrRIE-Ths is an enclosed water
battery, having u front on the south or water
side. of about three hundred feet, u depth of
about two hundred and forty feet 1t is built
with salient and reentering angles on all sides,
aud is admirably adapted for defense either from
the attack of a storming party or 10y regular ap-
proaches
The outer or inner walls are of brick, capped
with stone, and filled in with earth, making
solid wall fifteen or sixteen feet IN thickness
The work now in progress consists in cleaning
the sand from the walls of the fort, ditching It
around the entire circumference, and erecting a
glacs closing up the poseru gates In the east
and west walls, and instead, cutting sally ports
which lead into strong out works on the south
east and south west angles, in which twelve
FOUNDER howt2er guns will he placed, enabling
the garrison to sweep the ditch on three sides
with grape and canister. The northwest angle
of the fort has also been strengthened by a
bastionettc, to sustain the weight of heavy gun
which will command the main street of the Island.
The main entrance has also been better secured
and u trap-door, two feet square, cut In the door
for ingress and egress. AT this time the hight Of
the wall, from the bottom of the ditch, to the
top of the parapet, is twenty feet. The ditch is
from twelve to fifteen feet wide at the base and
fifteen feet deep. The nature of the soil would
not seem to admit of this depth being increased,
uuicksand having been reached in many places.
The work on the south side Is nearly finished.
The counterscrap Is substantially built OF plank,
and spread with turf. The glacs is also finished.
It is composed of sand, and covered with layers
of loan and turf all of which is kept firmly in
place by the addition of sections of plank nailed
to uprights sunk in the sand, and crossing each
other at right angles making squares OF ahoul
ten feet each. The purpose OF the glacls' whlch
is an inclined plain, is to expose an attacking
party to the fire of the guns which are so placed
as to sweep it from the crest of the counterscrap
to the edge of the beach. On the north side all
the wooden guucases have been placed close
together on the ramparts, apparently Tor the
purpose of securing il against an cscalade but
possibly as u screen for battery OF heavy guns.
| 4 rood many men are engaged in clearing the
ramparts of turf, and earth, for the purpose OF
putting down a very ugly looking arrangement
which consists of strips of plank four inches wide
and one and a half inches thick, aud six or eight
feet long, sharpcncd at the point aud nailed
down so as to project about three feet horizontally
from the top of the walls,
A noticeable fact in the bastioncttes to which
we have alluded, is the haste in which one OF
them has been built. The one completed is
formed of solid masonry In constructing the
other, however, u framework Of plank has been
substituted. Against the inside of this wooden
outwork loose bricks have been placed Both
bastonettcs are armed with small carronade,
and howitzor pointed literally 50 as to command
the whole intervening moat by n cross IRE.
In the hurried execution OF these extensive
improvements, u large iorce-about one hundred
aud seventy men are constantly engaged. Al
ditions are daily made to this number and the
work of putting the post in the best possible
condition for defense is carried on with almost
incredible vigor
FoRr SuurrER.-A solid work of masonry,
octagonal in form, pierced on the north, eats and
west sides with double row of port holes for the
heaviest guns, and on the south or land side, IN
addition to the openings for guns, loophoe5 for
musketry, stands in the middle of tho harbor, on
the edge of the ship channel, and Is said to be
bomh-pr0Of. 1t is at present without any regular
garrison. There Is alarge force Of wOrkmen-
some one hundred and fifty in all-buslly EN-
ployed in mounting the guns, and otherwise put
ting this great stratgetc point III order lhe
armament of Fort Sumpter consists OF one nun
dred aud forty guns, many OF them belhg the
formidable ten-inch Columbiads" which throw
either shot or she'll, aud which have fearful
range. Only few of these are yet in position,
and the work of mounting pieces OF this callber
in the easements is necessarily II slow one. There
il also a large amount Of artillery stores, consist
ing Of about forty thousand pounds oil powder
and prOportionate quantity OF shot ana smell
The workmen engaged here sleep in the Tort
every night, owing to the want OF any regular
communication with the city. The wharf or
landing is on the south side, and is of coura eX-
posed to Il cross fire from all the openings on
that side.
CASTLE PNoKNEY.-This Is located on the
southeastern extremity of u narrow slip OF marsh
ground, which extends in northerly direction to
Hog Island Channel To the harbOr side the so
called castle presents circular front 1t has
never been considered of much consequence as
fortress, although its close proximity to the city
would give it importance, ii properly armed
and garrisoned. From hasty observation we ma
that there are about fifteen guns mounted on the
parapets the majority Of them are eighteen ana
twenty four Founders. Some COlumbladS' are,
however, within the walls. There are also snp-
plies of powder shot and she'll. At present there
is no garrison at the post the only residents
are one or two watchmen, who have charge OF
the harbor light. Some thirty or forty day
ahorers are employed repairing the slsterns and
putting the place generally In order
OvE Mong CgNsus INcIDENr. "A widow, having
four children, was called upon to give the names
aud ages Of her children, as well as her own age,
and In answering the following scene ensued
Census laker-" Now Ma'am, | have your
name, please tell me your age?"
Lady" am 80 years of age"
Census-taker-" What is the age Of your eldest
danghterl'
Lady --" She is 28 years old"
Census-taker-" How old were you when She
was born 2"
Lady-Ue,y crusty-" was 22 years old"
Census taker--" Then, Madam, that will make
you 80 years"
Lady" don't care, am only 3d."
Aud to this she stuck, at the same time telling
the census-taker that he L" had no right to ask
such impertinent questions"
TIE papers say Brigham Young is iubant