Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-04-26
How Fort Pickens was Rein
forced,
THE SECESSION VERSION.
singular Statement Of q PROTECTED
Assault,

The Mobile Mcrcuy, of Monday even
ing, 18th inst, says it has ''reliable con-
firmation of the te!egraphic reports of
the reinforcement Of Fort Pickens," and
proceeds to make the following state
mcnt, portion Of which reads singularlv
enough:
On Friday evening, little after dark,
signal guns were heard out at sea-six
distinct cports--seeming to be some
dozen or fifteen miles away. II was sur
missed ut first that they were signals of
distress, but soon it was concluded to
have some connection with u reinforce
mcnt Of Pickcns. About 8 clock there
was discovered to be an unusual stir
about Fort Pickens, and unusual lights
displayed. From various indications
and circumstances, it WAS apparent that
rein n!orcements were being landed and
introduced into the fort. 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 came in du-
| ring the night, they were not observable,
and no signs were seen of~them Saturday
morning.
During the day the FyandoHe had
been cruising about the bay as usual
She. went up to Pensacola, and was there
about to take on board person believed
to be from Washington city. The citi-
zens detained him and handed him over
to Gen. Bragg An examination elected
nothing to implicate him in any Illicit
undertaking, and he was released. He
went over to Fort Pickens, and it is
thought now that he may have carried
the order to throw the men on the ships
into the fort The +, enforcement is
supposed to be the men who have been
waiting on shipboard for that purpose
for some weeks.
There is another supposition OF the
reason of the reinforcements at that
particular time. They may have OBJ
tanned at Pickens some hints of an in
tended visit OF 500 picked men at about
the hour Of midnight.
There can be no doubt that an assault
on Fort Pickens was ordered for that
night at about the hour of midnight
The assaulting party was composed Of
five hundred picked men, two hundred
and fifty of whom were picked men
from the Mississippi Ninth, to be led by
| G. w Harris of the Home Guards; fifty
from the Tenth Mississippi, and the
others from other troops at Pensacola -
All necessary preparations were made
for moving at about II o'clock. The
storming party were led down to the
Navy Yard, from whence it would prob
ably have embarked in boats. There
are some other particulars about the
preparations, as given to US, which we
think had as we'll not yet have the pub
licity Of newspaper circulation.
1t is surmised that Forney was to
have been the leader. There was nc
doubt entertained Of its success, and if
all be true as stated to us, we think Fort
Pickens would have fallen that night
! but for -- what?
Fortune, or Chance, will have to bea.
the blame, and Delay, the real culpHble
party, will probably escape Before the
! hour arrived, it WAS evident the to.t had
! been reinforced, and ali thought Of the
me dtated assault was abandoned. The
men picked for this special service, lay
on their arms all night at the navy yard
without any protection from the chill
air Of the night, some Of them not hav'
ing SO much us 4 blanket. They made
! no complaint.
/ Col. Forncy complimented them 10y
saying they would do for anything
! Not Il cap was distributed to them-the
! business was to be done with cold steel