New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-14
FROM FORT PlCKENS.
FITS Reinforcement md Present eonoi''on'


"Neversinko behind u,-everybody in good spirits,
eager for service, and anxious TO know something OF
our destination. Precious freight carred-sheiis'
pistols, powder, and rand.bags; IS horses 4Vo"oop''
AID 10 otfcerr. Col. Harvey Brown, I'd Aftiliery III
command.
On Saturday, the 18th, we arrived at hey West,
communicated with Fort Taylor, and took on ooafu
three 1Oinch mortars gold battery OF artillery anu
quantities of ammunition and stores adapted 10 opera
tons in trt ncbes in fortress, and in field. Az 'is
point Col Brown assumed command, In orders, Oh tne
newly y-created Military Department OF FiorGa, COM
prsng the Islands of the southern point OF tue rehn
sua, and that bone of contention Fort Pickens Inc
Commander at Key West is invested with supreme
authority over the sland-can proclaim martial Ia" il
needful take other measures for enforcing the aws
of the United Staes-suRpressing the fuDciichs OF i
civil officers claiming 10 act uLder commission ioe'
Jefferson Davis, andchohing Secession wherever mani
tested
On Sunday, the lih we anchored of Fort Jefferson.
which occn; ies commanding poarion on ore OF tne
Tortugas Isands. This point ia valuable az ~ Hai
rendezvous and harbor. Whatever power oecupiesn II
may be saii to control the entire commerce Oh ,no
Gulf OF Mexco-especisly with Key West an ouIh.'
ting depot. The Fort covers the whole lslano, tnus
aiiOrdil fo0t,od for besiegitg force IL con-
structed of solid masonry, ana is designed to mount
four tiers Of guns of large calber. When completed,
fully garisoned and provirioned it is ahsoiniely i
preenatlei all the navies in the world would hot 10
able TO take it. IL now hes garrison oil three COM
panes two Of the let and one OF the I'd Artliery ana
several months suppes-sui,ic for present eAigen-
ces II may be interesting to know that If the steam
ship Gen. Whitney, which left Boston n Jaauary iast
with Major Arnolds Company Of Artillery on board,
had been three four days later tbis important posi-
tion would be in the hands OF the enemy-a large
force having been already embarked at hew-Oi i.ahs
for lie seizure, when intelligence reached them u is
lv sbo I't,f 4. AtufNa
At Fort Jefferson We took on board few mountain
bowirzers, quantity of shot and sheii lew th0u-
SAID brick, and twenty negro hb)rers, the latter De-
loptiug To Mr. Secretary Mallory Of the Confederate
Navy. The foanci i resour,fs Of our Government
gre eyidently held ia high resled. Mr. Malloiy's
Southern patriotism cannot wi bsapd the test OF
Uncle SAM. dollars. Ills present position Ia the St
cesson Cabinet IL mere matter OF roll'ics; ihe dlP9
siion he makes OF his negroes one of business. lie
turns an honest penny by ing out his sery Is TO TIE
Government sgsnst which he is at war. or course,
Il oro is nothing IN m tlis involving TO him conflict
of conscience. Doabless lie Is lot troubled with sny
usel, 81 appendige Of tha sort. In case we eject
laning upon the ain shore, bis emotions may proba-
lly he oi u ni0gled cast, when he reflects Low use
flly his slaves emi l0ytd in throwing up breat
works 10 cover the advance OF our army VI on ms
own town OF Pensacola; but the consolius idea VIII
De dominant that they Gie Ia good hands, lnudhhl
their ecrvi es will be paid for
Leaving Tortugas we were informed that For,
| Pi.ke.s was our destination. Tie reinforcement Of
tlat besei.e1 garrison ut Iast matter oi 1act.
II. posOn is eonfGeTed highly important, aud viii
be ield al Ill hazarts TIE announcement ON bCard
| ,hp togeiher with some suggestions ioreshado"ii
the Ioicy OF tie AdninsiraliUn were lreued 10 Win
d, 90 interest and received with enthusiasm. IL was
exIlit,d 10 me that the Govern 1ent designed not ~
commence war against the seeded States, but TO act
sriitly on Tic jc.epsiye II however, the South Ia
sist. ulon war ard will beein IT, then they may bave
| IL, with oil The evils aud suffering it brings II tie
Cotton States will have war cotton Plantations must
furpish the field, Of battle. The South ggst her,e
bear tie bruit OF it. Hence with Fort Pickens and
tie sl,nd on which fis located, in 0lr possession
rerezyoas ard depot be egtatlisbed for an army
OF ity thousano more II more were CURED
large force landed here threatens every Southern
port Ia the gulf-Gsiyeston, Mobile Pen
,acoais but one hui oil miles from the piLl OF tho
! Conlederaier. Hence, each Of these points, thus
threatened would require corresponding nn'agobS-
tie force to protect IT, Our own su.al array, without
ANY inerea II concentrated at this place c9ud thus
| give eul loyneut to IS 000, without Hiring siot.
On TUESDAY af,e.n neon, the 10TH ths Atlantic quietly
dro Ell anchor outside the hsrbor in the mist OF oar
feet be- end the rapge Of the enemys artillery: I'm
nediatey a,ss dak preparations for dlhenterka'on
commenced The Proeess was ie'esss::,v SLOW, 9"iaY
TO the insufficient number Of launches at disposa
BY day light all the companies were landed except ore
and this was put ashore during that day wth0u. mo!cs-
taiion from the SecessiOnists. The brooklyn had,
three nights before, landed her reenforeements mum
| bering cone 300 men. On Saturday, the 2Uth, the
steamship Illinois arrived with Two companies OF Ar
tllery and 100 recrusthus increasing the garrison
to g3) men, counting - sailors and 10 marines
FoRT PIcKYss, May 3 1861.
Two weeks have worked great changes in the in
terror Of this fort. Until the arrival OF tie reinforce
monis il wa i'll adapted to resist assau and almost
powerless agains, bombardmea Ii ID generally sup
posed that Fort Pickens bears the relation to tie
ether works in the har5or that Fot Sumter does to
Moutfie and Pnckney. This is an error. Fort Bar
rancas occupies the commanding position Is perfectly
deiaded, aud las plungng fire upon the whole body
Of the works Fort McCrea has reverse fire upon
two Of ir feoes All three were built to resirt foreign
invasion and to protect the channel aud hsrhor against
the fleets of foreign power. The idea Of domestic
enemies evidently entered into the calculations
OF tie projectors OF these works. Fort Plokens was
apparently planned upon tic idea that would fall
into the hands OF the enemy Perhaps 1t ives intended
as trap II would answer tho purpose well were 1t
not for the fleet ouisdc but 60 long TIE Government
retains possession Of the sea- the garrison cannot be cut
off from the supplies.
Daring the pas, fortnight the procef Of delcment,
with reference 10 the batteries OF Forts McCrea and
I}arnncas has been steadily going on. Eight hundred
men, constantly working liko bees, have produced
wondrous changes The faces and bas,ons fronting
the enemy's lines ere now tolerably well protected
from the direct fire Of Bafrancas and the fanking fire
Of McCra The lnes OF interior crest have been rased
from two TO four eethus aiording considerable secu-
MY TO the cannoDiers ut the principal guLs New re-
venens have replaced the olltraverses of sand-bags
and gabions have gone up in front Of the classmates
most exposed-covered ways and bCmb.prooi shelters
have been thrown up tue ramparts with ref. renee
TO lines of iire from "over the way''-unimportant
guns dismounted the side, aud important ones
mounted On the other.
Remember that Is fort was built upon the suppos!-
tion that the main land would be occupied by friends,