, 1861-04-23


70: We have found It difficult to get any news
from Fort PickeuPInnd sits. surroundings for
7the last forty eight hours. Since the surren-
ssF q aeEs gmtsr that point Y be next IN
We have reliable confirmation ct the tele-
graphic Reports sof; the. Reinforcement Of the
fort.
On Friday evening, little after dark, sig
;nal guns were heard ont at sea-eit distinct
notwithstanding to- be some dozen miles
= aw; j.. It .Waa suFuised ut first that they were
. signals Of distress, but soon it was concluded
: to have some connection with REIN orcemeut
Of sPicAers.s Abont 8 o'clpck there vas liscov-
cred to be- an unusual stir about Fort Pickens;
9 and unusual lights. displayed, From various
indications and eifcu4s stances, it Was apparent
that re1nforcements were being landed and
introduced into the fort. The reinforcement
YVES still going, on, Saturday morning, when
our Informant LETT. , co.,. .x.,
a: The guns heard out at sea were surmised.
after that discovery, to be signals from the
ships supposed to Be On their way to Southern
ports but if, any eanae in during tho night,
they were not observable, and no signs were
seen ofthem on, Saturday morning,
:! During the day tie Wyandotte had been
. cfaising about the buy as usual. She went up
to Pensacola, and was there about to take on
hoard a person believed to be from Washing.
ton city. The.eitizens detained him and hand
ed him over to Gen. Braggs An examination
elieited nothing 90 impAcate~ him in any Illicit
/ undertaking, and he was released. Ha went
over TO Fort Pickens, and 1t is thought now
hetmaJ have carried the order to throw the
men on the ships into the fort The reinforce
ment is supposed to ba the men who have
been waiting m shipboard for that purpose
tor some weeks.
+ TAere.is acorilsr suppositior of the reason
OF the relntorcements ct at particular time.
They may have obtained ut Pickers some
hints aof an intended vlsit Of 500 picked men
at about the hour Of midnight
I There can be no doubt that an assault on
Fort Dickens vas; ordered for that night at
ABOUT the heuE,of mfdright-' The assauItiut
/ patty wes composed OF five hundred picked
man, two hundred and fifty Of whom were
picked men frona3he Mississippi Ninth, tozbe
led by c. W. Harris, Of the Home Guards, fifty
from the Tenth Mississippi, and the others
from other trgom st Pensacola. All necessary
prapa1atibns we're made fof.. moving at about
II o'clock The storming parry were led
down to the Navy Yard, from whence 1t would
!, probably ha*e embarked fn boats. There are
some other particulars about the preparations
as given to us, which We think had as well not
Jet have the publicity Of 3 newspaper ciscua.
L i sr1u!sed that Forney was to have been
tha leader. There was nc doubt entertained
Of tt6 success and Ii all be true as stated To us.
| Weithink Fort Pickens would have fallen that
night but for--What9
Fortune, or chance, will hare to besr the
blaine, and Delay, the real culpab1e party. VIII
probably escape, Befor, the hour arrived It
was evident tie fort had be n reinforced. and
all thought Of the meditated assault was aban-
do1ed... The men picked for this special ser.
yice lay on their arms all night at the Navy
Yard without any protection for the chill ali
Of The night, some Of them not having so much