New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-06
FROM FORT MONROE.
From The Tia aatoa Gaiette.

We are permitted publish the following interest
Ing letter from Fort Monroe containg an excellent mar
raive OF the experiences OF military friends from
this place in reachiue and occupying that positions:
Four MONROE, April %, 1861.
DEAR FRIEND: am just informed that schooner
Will take lettess 10 Boston. have been go busy one
way and another that L have not had moment TO
write since entering the fort.
Oar passage from Fall River to New-YorS was very
long from IL O'Clock ?. m TO o'clock p MI, aud as
tedious long 90 most For want OF cooks, we were
nor well supplied with eaable8. The weasel was nol
well ballasted and overloaded aud unit Tor
the yoyage. Arriving at New York, the vessel was
ballas,ed by Sling her hold with coal and from thence
on we had pleasant passage. 40 York we spent
Thursday night on board The boat at the wharf, the
officers taking tea at the Asor House, by invitation OF
the keeper. About o clock Friday morning we lett
Newly ok, and had pleasant passage. Mr. Steiscn
Of the Aston put board The boat number Of ser
wants, aod we're able 10 get tar supply OF food
We arrived Off this Fort ~ O'Clock Saturday mora
ing, bl stood of again. fearing 10 go III csC II might
be in the bands OF the sercders. While approached
the coast Of Virginia we collected about one hnnored
Of the 3barp-shOOter and required them 10 be ready
at q moment, notice, in order 70 be prepared for any
vessel living in wait for rs. AZ about O'Clock a. m
= steamer hove in sight, and Immediately threw up
snal rockets. We put ont all The lights IN the boat,
called up the shooters, all whose gans were loaded
with ball. and placed guard 50 that the resi- oil the
men shond not rush deck and upset the boat. The
other steamer then pat ont her Lights, and We were
somewhat anxious for time. Indeed many oil us Gid
not take oour clio hes or sleep wink thai nigat. We
waited until sunrise, when the u y flag wac Iun up
on the Fort and we gave l. hearty cheers, j assure
YOU; glad TO see il were, Oh many account.
On arrival az the wharf. we were dlscmbdgkel ana
marched into the Fort. Glad enough were me ON CTS
and soldiers in tie Fort They had been dong very
labOgoua duty and exceedingly anxious lest u0y
sioulh be strprised The Fort Is beautiful Lace
cucloses % acres o. land; has wall between - and
90 feet high Of brick and stone, and from 50 to 40 feet
wide has moat about II some - eet WIDE IN E'oit
places and six feet depth OF water in the nJl ilee
hundred guns besides Large number Of mOr,ars, can
he placed in the classmates aud Oh parapets. In ease Ol
"A seige-thRt s on all siies-G,JOO men Wolld DC re-
uired 20 properly man the guns rive men r'H WoIA
the guns but there should be sevcn aud there should
he ia such case, three distinct parties to lake their
turns al the guns or reEef-, they are called Out
eide of the noat are water batteries The danger nor
would come from the land side Oh .Let ,de there are
10 caema,cs except tho which protect the gates The
For l. built on pont Of land Of about 100 acg, aud
l. connected with The main land By long strip u land
200 ic-t vide, and q mile and quarter or more
long, loJ ii the place II assaulted, the i0-ces must
CON over THE s'IJ oI sandy land. Now pointed over
tbi. in of land are large number OF guns Of heavy
ali err aud number Of morags; and any forces CON-
ing over would lie exposed 10 terrible IRE, and no
doub, destroyed. In ADDITION 10 this snp there In
auoler long and narrow strip that, with a bridge,
lcads 20 Hampton. The bridge j. now down, ana
ticket guard Is establi-hed either side; one side
by the regulars, anil on the other by the Hampton
pcovle. The guard II more than mile out NON the
lJt. The guard egnafs thus lar iccl that n Is very
unrcrlin neither they return 90 the Fort alive, when
they 90 Out ther,. SIA'S acres are mclOscd Dy the
Fort the other firty Diit upon, and It Is gnlte
oatsIc al night. T4o.c buildings will probably he de-
si-oyed room, as they wouL aloal aid 70 an enemy,
and will be N the way D. case 81 an attack. There i
Il large hoicl owned parily and sept by Union man
"a brother o. willard, at " Warrington.
The Government machine shop Is outside the walls
and IS now operated ~ mayLiusi- from companies
John G.. Brtg- bcin, foreman Nearly all outside
strong Sece.sicn-ts aud are by degrees leaving, az
they know they WOld be destroyed n thoy G.d not.
Inside The Fort there several hree-stOry brick
housc5 aud several long ranges OF barracks barns,
stOrehOuscs, church, and IA addition, number Of
houses a. they call em built IN the caseates, which
are arches IN the walls, ten feet high and ~ many
uidc ia which when the fOst il in condition, the
guns are placed firing them, OF cOmsc, through holes
Ia the wale Thee arches are divided across the mid
die aud formed into two rooms. The officers Of our
several companies, as wen a. man! o. lAC1e mere &C.
cupy these hOusef.
Inc o.ce. OF tie For, here aye extrersly pleasant
The people outside Of The
Font and alfo in Il, surprised At yi.it. They
ba0 however very different feelings in regard
10 US The fomer curing The Yankees VITA
will and The latter breathing ireer, and from state Of
Insecurity, fc, ling perfectly safe. The nighJ before
we came hey NpCcted isht. and every man in the
Font slept with arms ia trer hands. Bu' mos. We're
on guard You zee II !. a nile around the wall,
aud ili 800 men 10 guard the whole place, and keep
their vcket and be pepa ed to work the guns beside
was n great work. Il l. odd that the first troOps In
Slave territory should be- from Ma .sacLuses and il
makes The NirgiuiDus mad They say the Fort
shall be taken, If the first blood Of Virginia ills
The moat. The officers say they cannot, with the
nrescut force Saturday was an exciting day. In
course Of the dly the Third Regiment in in the
y. X. Spauldrng, from Boston. They had not, howey-
or gOt into quarters before the war steamer Pdwnee
arrived ordered them board, and took them 10 Nor
fok 10 s. O'Clock after passing batteries OF the Seces
siorists which had they fired into them, would have
made sad havoc they were so thick on board. At Nor
folk under he command of the Commodore they threw
all the shot aud shell stores in the water, burned
eral ships ad all the buildings. The work OF dcstuc
ton was con neuced before the pawnee arrived, and
am sorry 10 ay they scuttled the MerImack one Of the
finest shin, in the navy. Hal the Pawnee arrived
few hours before she could lave been brought oil.
They broke her machinery before sinking her,
and IN sinking, her back was broken, 10 she can he oil
no 1ge 10 the enemy. When the Pawnce came away
she brought of the ligltc Cumberland, with COumo-
dore Pendergasi and all the United States sailors and
marines about 100. Upon the whole, il was a most
sutces ,iu and uUpursdt expedition, and the III Heei-
ueu feel quite glOious over IT, They DESTROY ed an
immense amount of stores and ammunition, which
not now be used against n.y. The Cumberland Is now
Wing oil the fort and with the fort has complete con-
troll of this rcgion-Noriclk Hampton, Richmond Sc.
The people around here "a. they were fools that they
did not take the tOTt hcorr our arrival. On Sunday
We were IN quite an excited state getting quarters ar
ranged aud scertaining the facts of the expedition 10
Norfolk. Our ncu are now pretty comfortable. They
at tst had to sleep on the lOor bat have Low bought
at the lo;el, which is closed, mattresses sufficient for
them 10 have quite good bed We hone TO remain
hero during our enlistment and shall probably 40 60,
unless we are elected by the iucensed Nirguians.
On Mouday We were mustered into The service Of
the United States, oy simply taking an oath 20 support
tho Government aud obey The officers. The men OF
both regiments work pretty hard but DO II with spIlt.
AZ present, all are quite vel.
4 dozen more engaged the machine NOD,