The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-21

OF the OF secession. ~ way II recreation he
vsitoa The incaL0us the harbof o. tins occ Zion
AZ c.mpanon and pleasant tslkcr have met Win ieW
men hk" better than Nj. Ruin lie ~ mn ~ moran.
toh ard ready % mpaIt II 40 IS withai quite se's'
sonsi, aid as matter "a course rfadny nhds consene
ny - snttnci y ths at'.1de. lic see1a = tax gae
.n interest 10 tho txc tea,ep' of tbe day. ana - hniea
every where as ne representative ~ what Virginia WAS
an, sh" twha' me senihe he's would have her ~; he
hkewss express livtiy hope and 3bnlDg confidence
~ the ultimate 5, cesslon oi h.s >t,ie
casy,s rNcbSEy.
arrived az saste itekney iho lrst enc 81 the FORTH
tatcns oi ur founCs, the steamer had diculty ia
making h"r way up u the wharf, oMng 10 tha strung
current that swept BY and the heavy gae blew Oa
the wharf group OF soldiers and olceis werg stnaiar,
sheltered by old watch box, was nsrye 0ad
with black paint the words i Fort pettgrcw ls6o ii
honor Of the gallant Colonel captnred The c1rtNci.
uonthe day after the transfer ot ne United Stn
troops from Mouitro to sumter. n approaching 'a2
castle IS necessary TO pass along narrow ctsewa q
solid masonry, extending from the whar To the Wa ~
the fort about thirty forty steps long Al the end II
the causeway ledge of masonry extends ou ffom the
castle, and Is washed by the This ledge, as
will call 1t, reaches round to the Of the fort AMI I
Is at the terminus that you reach the door Tho ori
very email, SHAPE, and washed with
orange bun colored matter. Passing through tie
heavy gateway one finds himself within small yari,
surrounded by high walls. in the rear Of the yard
distance until lost in deep water IL was upon this side
that the South Carolnans entered when they took pos
session. The gates were all barred and the Tort was
locked up.
An INCIDENT or TIE CAPTURE.
An officer gives me the following particulars OF the cap
turc OF Pinckney which having never before been pub
isbsd take the trouble to write out for youThe esca
lade par hayng landed the marsh scaled tho yard
walls. iher commander Folone j. Johnston Pettigrew
advanced heavy low ached gate aud with the hit
o his swcd raped three times, and called for surrei
der no answer was made and no gave orders to plant
the ladders and mounted He called upon the troops 10
follow and springing the paapet rushed down into
the castle in search OF the garrisonan officer and three
At the point where entry effected the
United States officer in command quietly leaned and
chewed his tobacco at intervals squirting the juice with
Colonel Peltgrew and his rushed down sned the
gate TO let the laggards in and then sought the com
mandcr Mead, OF the United States Armys Colonel Petit
grew addressed himself to Mr.. Mead and received
answer but turned upon his back and about to walk
away. Finally, however, he demanded TO know by what
authority this orcbe entry was made into the property
of the United States
Cor ply the authority of tho sovereignty Of South
Carolina, SIR
ME.D-I am commander here
IrInGREw-No sir; you not now. am IL com
mand, and shall remain here in that capacity until Or
dered otherwise BY the authority upon which took tins
step.
MEsD-Then shall be forced to go over Sumter for
counsel; afterwards shall return.
rrTT1GREw-But shall not suffer you to come back.
hEAD-Then will not 60
PsHnoREw-But you Shall go. You cannot remain
here
Alr Mead flew into passion, in which he joined
by the Colonel and to end the difficulty each turned upon
his heel. Thus ended the affair.
found great improvements alterations &c, made in
the totacaon but do not think 1t advisable TO ande 70
them Suffice il 10 say most Of the men see good deal
TO light little
FORT MouITRE.
At Fourt Mourie, Sunday though IL was, everything
busy The columbiads spiked and burned by Andcr
son. ALL with the exception Of three, remounted on
carriages unspiked and good as Several OF
the merons erected upon the paet to protect the guns
bearing on Sumter are completed. The wok - done in
most mastery manner Barrels and bags OF SAND are 30
disposed and evenly packed to give solid, masonry
like appearance The merons are very thick and mpo-
netrabc and afford great security 10 the artersts be
hind them. The process OF constructing this sort of de-
fence is this mannerIhe bombproof surface Of the
prapet is turned up and rows OF barrels OF sand are
placed in positions desired. The sand is all tightly
rammed into barrels and filed up compaclly in the mid
die Of the space formed by the shell OF barrels Outside
Of the barrels bags Of ani laid and the whole tight
y bound together by iron bands and ropes perfectly
mpene,abe. Many OF the exposed parts OF the fort
wen as the magazine are protected with work Of this
kind
rsEAsoSAmE scp
The force employed rs very large-almost too large
The negroes wheel barrows OF sand into the fortAcaon
from without and the whites carry u up ihc piIapet and
it, On the present occasion the string of laborers
was very large. Many u them IN red hunting shirts
gentlemen not onjy by birth but IN education and
refinement Wheebarrow in hand they labor side by
side with the negro Here is 4 huge sand pile on the
rarnparts, and the red coats about IL Laughing
and testing, work becomes play and men who never be-
fore lifted spade worked on without compliant. Here
comes Mr. Ruin says ono. All the party for the mo
ment ceased labor, the venerable old gentleman sm
1ngy approached with his heaity well boys hard at
-thats rght-give me spade and sutng action 10
word handed up his Of the party, and with
the shovel he received in exchange actually set in TO
work by loading the wheelbarrows 1T the only
states, and for several minues assure you, he made
good use OF the opportunity. All were anxious that
SIR. Rufn should iii barrow for them least,
that by the time no had performed tho request OF all
have doubt satisfied 10 get away.
Morris leland was the next place visited by party
The heavy surf that surges the bach rendered 1t
very difficult TO elect landing. The channel, however,
runs the shore and point alno. directly op
pesite Sumter the is and half fathors Deep
that light drangt steamer could approach within
twenty or thirty feet Of the shore The ordinary method
NJ In thp
lighthouse is by means Of barges small craft OF any
kind which can navigate the shallow creek that winds
through heavy marsh stretching out for miles towards
Charleston The Island itself composed for the
part Of marsh land and sand hills II is unnhsbited,
cep, by lew hsherrntn, VINO reside mere during tue
whole year. Neverthecss quite village OF summer
donces clustered together that part OF the island
facing the open Some of the houses quite large
and Of well finished exterior. Everything surrounding
them is barren and unnviting ON the sterile soil aud
among the barren wastes nothing but the turdest vegc
grow. This III the soil for the palmetto and
here fourishes upon the saline, bracsh nutTment
a0oundng in the soil Here and there, however, fer
tile spot found. upon which beautiful shads trees
flourish, adding pcturesquencss and beauty 20 the
mer retreats Of the wealthy planter.
Besides the palmetto, the most common ls the Yucca
palmetto royal poor mans soap tree 10 s
times called. This found upon all the islands
sand hills the coast IL puts forth no leaves, properly
speaking and rarely attans greater height than twelve
feet Instead Of foliage long KIN fcke and very pointed
OF the regular intervals giving the whole affair
something Of the appearance OF huge porcupinc with
quilts erect. The spears Individually measure about
inch IN thickness at the widest end and taper of 10
extremely fine point which Is capped by very sharp
thorn. At the top Of the tree and Al the end of every
branch always found cluster these concaye leaves
so closely Tapped together that they form perfect cone
In size and appearance similar to OF the
husk with point so sharp and hard that IL could be
readily thrust into the flesh above inch with very little
force The is called tho poor mans SOAP because
II Is used BY the negroes and sani hers for scrub
hing In this II said obviac the necessity OF any
soap whatever.
ISLAND mAUL
The beach Of the island along the ship channel for
several miles, until a large shoal, where sanford
channel commences and takes ts way ont At several
points along the shore the channel less than third
mile of. For summer drive, promenade or bath in
the surf Nahant and Newport not 10 be compared
with this magnificent beach Sweeping along In regular
y graceful curves II extends eight mics
The surface is hard aud In many places strcwn with
pretty shells In all parts liz wide enough for at least
three carriages TO drive abreast am told that in the
the place greatly sought by the wealthy
inhabitants OF the mp country and city though there Is
regular hotel or boarding place the island. II is
~.