Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-01-03
ArFAIRs ar cHARLEsros.


Especial despatch to the Baltimore American
CHARLEsToN, Jan. 2.-No definite movement
has been made Tor an attack on Fort sumter,
though rumors are abundant In relation TO some
movement In that direction. The rumof on the
street IN that Il 10 to be starved out and then
stormed by large parties If men rafts, protected
by the batteries from the shores Major Ander-
SON y H. ~ y vS.
and should the fortress be sttac ked he can hold
out long enough to receive succor, If Ii is the In
tention of the Gouernmentto ma Ike any movement
The number of arms in the u. s. Arsenal, now
In full possession Of the State, has been greatly
exaggerated. They do not exceed 25 600 stand,
instead Of 10000, and many Of them old flint
locks.
The CITY is nightly pat oiled by the military.
Though there is no fear of the negroes any enc
mics In the city, II thought necessary TO drill
the recruits in all the stern realities Of the sol
dier,s life
Preparations are making to fortify some of tie
points Of the harbor with cotton bales, covered
with foot Of earth, as to prevent their confa-
Sumter. Chsrauz de Jrise and other obsttuc-
tons are being devised to drop into the Channel
to prevent any vessels of war from coming in.
Ali the buoys in the channel are being removed,
and the lights on the coast will be extinguished
so soon II Is ascertained that any naval vessel
| Is approaching. The coast Is the most danger
Gus in the country.
The military on the coast unused az they are to
such exposure and hardshipe suffering greatly.
The weather has beeh quite cold, as well as damp
and dsagreeable, and their relatives In the city
are in great distress about them. The realities Of
practical secession are already found to be much
more serious than was anticipated, although the
| the first gun has not been fred yet.
| As yet there have been no clearances of vessels
| made out under the new regime. All vessels that
| have cleared since the Goth did so under United
States papers made out and issued to them before
the act Of secession: The first vessel that arrives
from Liverpool will create a rumpus, though II is
presumed no attempt will be made by Major An
derson to prevent her passing into the city.
The Charleston Courier of Monday says:
There were a variety of rumors afiOat on Sunday
concerning Fort Sumter Some went so far as to
say that the United States troops would be unable
to hold out two weeks; that their provfsions were
of the most scanty character. and that water was
very scarce IL this be So and IL II be true,
ported that the larger one of the cisterns Is rem
dered useless because of the salt water that makes
way into it, the soldiers cannot, by any POSSIBLE
ity, hold'out longer than ten or fourteen days
All the points from which supplies can be OBJ
| tanned are rendered inaccessible
There is a strong guard of the Charleston Rife
men stationed at the light house Morris Island
| even IL battery has not been erected there by
| this time, as was contemplated. Detachments o.
South Carolina troops are In possession Of the pos
at Fort johnson, while Sullivan's Island and
Mount Pleasant, as well as this city, rendered
inaccessible to them for supplies. The remain
ing cistern Of the fort it is said is so befoulet
| with stagnant water that to drink of IL would b.
to partake of death and disease. The only re
| naming way Tor them 10 procure water or pro
visions will be by boats or vessels, andeven thi
mode will be cut of by the small crafts ant
STEAMBOATS, that are constantly cruising around Of
| the watch.
In deserving Fort Moultrie, military men sa
Major Anderson did as little harm to the works a
| II was possible for him to do. He might hav
blown up the work, or might have injured it {
such degree that it would have been renders
worthless, even after years. labor had been spen
!. in repairing it. As II now is, tomorrow nigh
will see IL almost as strong y fortified as IL was
the Goth. Contrary to expectation, none Of th
guns Of the fort are materially injured. Thos
| that were spiked were rendered useless for th
|, time being only. The instruments used to sto
up the touch holes were simply wrought nail,
, most Of which have already been taken out. Non
Of the guns were injured by the application of "a
, either inside or outside.
In relation to other points Of defence In the hal
, Dor, great deal has been said OIL the street. an
since the affair at Fort Sumter there has evidentl
| been disposition TO grumble because more actiy
. | steps have not been taken In throwing up breas
. works and batteries on all available points Tho
| who consider the subject, however, will see TIL
until the act of evacuating Moultrie and occupanC
| OF Sumter was consummated, there was mutu
| agreement between South Carroll ma and the FEEDER
e Government, which bound us In honor to take 7
; | active warlike steps After faith was broken
| our opponents all the dispatch requisite has be-
| used by prompt administration to fortify q
!, harbor as completely as possible