The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-01-02
The Charleston Forts.

! WASHINGTON, Dee. %, 1S60.-As mucl
anxiety is felt by the public in relation to tn
defcnces and public property in Charleston
harbor, I propose to give you statemen
that may be relied upon as unquestionabl.
correct
Forts Moultrie and Sumpter are situated
on opposite sides Of the entrance to Charles
ton harbor, and completely cover and com
mand it. Fort Mou'trie is on or adjacent t.
the land, and dwelling houses and othe
buildings are erecte c,o5c up to the walls o
the Fort 1t covers 50 large surface tina
it cannot be successfully defended at al point
by garrison OF less than three hundred
men.
The present force in command Of the place
consists Of two companies of infantry which
have been reduced by death and expira
ton of terms of service, to sixty. three be
sides the band, who are not armed. They
are under the command Of Major Anderson
gallant and loyal officer, who will doubtless
make the best defence Of which the place i:
capable.
The adjacent buildings will furnish con
cealment and protection for an attacking
force until they arrive at the walls Of The
FoIt.
/ Experienced military men, well acquainted
with the position, say that force Of two
hundred and fifty men, by an attack, skill
fully planned and executed, can take tht
place with the present garrison, with tn;
loss of from three to five men on the side o
The assailants, and perhaps double tina
number oc the garrison.
| But this is not the worst view Of the case
Fort Sumpter is built in the water, ont
thousand yards from the land. 1t can only
be attacked, therefore, from water craft. l
is just finished, and is one Of the stronges
works in Christendom; mounted with thirty
two pound cannon, and supplied with on
hundred rounds Of ammunition for each gun
1t is covered, bomb proof, and can only b'
entered by the embrasures, which an attack
ing force must crawl through, one man at ;
time, and hence two men at one Of these
could defend it against five hundred.
With garrison of one hundred and fifty
men, it could only be successfully attacked
by siege batteries and heavy ordinance, ant
then it could withstand siege of weeks, o.
perhaps months.
The guns of this fort command Fort Moul
trie, and could reduce it to heap of ruins ii
twenty -four hours. But, yet, in this place
there is not single bayonet or single sol
der
1t is in the custody of an Engineer, with ;
few laborers, who have been engaged ii
mounting the artillery.
Twenty five men can take Fort Sumpter
turn its batteries on Fort Moultrie, ano drive
out the garrison without the loss of single
man on the part of the attacking force.
The Charleston Arsenal contains fiftecr
thousand old muskets that have been Iitlet
and provided with percussion locks, and two
| thousa,, d rifles.
This has been surrendered to the State
authorities, and is now in the possession anc
under the control of the sovereign and indie
pendent State of South Carolina, which il
now in rebellion against the United States.
! Whether this extraordinary state of things
is the result of imbeclity or treason, tht
people must determine. And there seems
to be no remedy for this state of things thai
! is not worse than the disease. lift be sale
that the President ought to be impeached
the answer is, that if the House should pre-
sent articles of impeachment against him
the tendency of them would not deprive hin
of power whilst he was before the Senate.
| And if the Senate as it is now constituted
should ultimately convict him, it is certain
that the proceedings would extend beyond
the expiration of his term of office.
And it is certain that the tendency o
such proceeding would greatly increase the
present excitement, and bring about coils
ions and bloodshed, which might otherwise
be avoided.
/ There is therefore, probably no remedy
for the existing condition of things but pa
tience. under sufferings and outrages sucl
as have been rarely inflicted upon FREE
people, until time shall rid us of the incun
brance. ..........-