Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-02-08
From tho Florida Forts

The Mobile Nr~s contains an interesting letter
from the Navy Yard at Wurrcnton, Fla, from
which the following is an extract:
We, of the Mississippi and Alabama Regiment.
containing eight Misspp, and TWO Mobile co,n.
panies,, under Cot. ALERT, Of Mississippi, ana
quarted al the United States Marine liSpitaI,
just opposite Fort Pickens and about a mile
und seven eighths of II mile distant. Fort San
Carlos do Bnrrancas is about half n mile south
of our quarter. 1t is mile and half distant from
Fort Pickcns. Fort McCrce Is still further south.
and is q mile and an eighth of mile from Fort
Pickens. We are in possession Of all the mill
tn'y positions except Fer, Pickens 1t is on
Santa Rosa Island, which s forty miles long, and
about one mile wide. We can distinctly see the
cannon on Fort Pickens from our piazza Nearly
all the guns have been shified to the lund side,
aud mnst active preparations have been made
Tor u f-nce Our preparations consists in four
Dahlsrern long thirty two guns mounted at tho
Navy Yard, to rake the Bay, und prevent any
v's-e's from coming inside Fort Pickens. At
Fort B'rrancas we have mounted about twenty
fv. - Founders. AT Fort McCree there ara.
four Coluinta,ls aud large number Of heavy
guns, none mounted, uucss it has been done to-
day. Fort Pickens mounts 2l5 guns, and re-
quiies II garrison Of 2,0UO men. Its present gar
rlson CONSISTS as far as we can ascertain with
| certainty, Of 81 soldiers. Some sailors haze
been sent TO ii from the steamer Wyan,lous and
the soreship S"HiH 1t is supposed that they
supp shon is correct. the garrison does not cx-
coed l"3 men. r:ajolty Of this number are
believed TO be affected and VERSE to fighting u.s.
but are compelled by military discipline. The
corn'mandc, of Fort Pickles. is Lieutenant Slim
mer OF New England. lie is very firm and
brave man. rs | am credibly Informed. lie will
not surrender unlri he is compelled by an over
wh"liiIng force. 1t would be n violation Of
military rules TO give 4 statement Of our strength.
We mast humbug Simmer, if we can. 1t is no
secret about ",1 strength in guns and batteries,
for h" can see them with his spy.glass
S!i"lmer has Il hnnu,ifu! Young WIFE and she
is very spirited. She tcls him TO fight 10 the last
Sh" flew around us over this side, in such a
way that she was arrested and scnt away. The
En''ed States SIC "n"r lya"ei,He, of eight guns,
Is ing near the fort the outside ready to
assist III The defence.
Fort Iickcn* Is Il very strong position. On tho
wafer side ii has three tiers of guns, two rows Of
cns"n,n,rs. and one of burJcitrS. Very few Of
'h"n nre mounted, nul suspect that Simmer
has rl"s"'i up the lower cascmates. lie is COIL
c"n;ratin@ every art and means OF defence OH
TIL. land slr. On that side there is great
ditch, which would he saughtev-pen, If wo
wer" fn"liSh enough to enter it.
There is Il vast deal OF inpaiicnce and dscon-
tent an"ng the troops, especially in regi-
flcni. The men are "cager for the fray," and
are very free and "ntsp"k-n in their criticism
uI,hn the loss or lime uy trlay and inactivity
IL SNiit'hluI Is nGL uOhe mere tie next lucSuaS.
ther" will hr - revolt against the commanders |
nd my kiends propose to leave on that dav I
have no time to waste Ill garrison duty. sub
init to military prudence by withholding at pres.
snt amy discussion o. The means proper to he
II, ei I" take The fort. ! will say. however, that
Il ca" be taken hy our present force in twenty
four hours. ! hnv" prepared the plun and it
has been discussed night an'l day in my room,
by numbers of officers. ] have submitted it to
two resigned officers of the navy, and they
heartily approve it. At proper time shull
make public.
We have killed one Of Uncle Sans soldiers
III n rather am:cahlt way. One Of them was
found ut Furt Enrrancus when the Alabama,
troops took rosscsson. lie was not made pris-
oner, but allowed to stay or so ns lie preferred.
lie chose To stay. aud was buuntifuily furnished
by the volunteers with victuals anu had whisky,
lie went in strong OH whisky, aud this morning
he was found dead in the adjacent woods
WAlI;H'roS, February 4.-ln the Senate, to-
day. Messrs Benz amin and SlirlI, of Louisiana,
Withdrew. Mr.. Cline,nan, of North Carolina,
made sl'eech i'll defence Of the action of tho
South
In tie House the Deficiency Bill was deba-
te and amended.
The delegates To the peace conference met
and resolved TO sit in secret session in future.
IT is thought EX-l'resdrnt Tyler will he chosen
Prrsi'i-nt- The Conference IIas adjourned un-
til to.innrrow
Two additional companies of Federal troops
arrived yesterday. making about eight huns
drri n"w here.
WA>uNGr"H. February al am reliably in
formed that President BncIan,n has informed
.oi. iihyhe, III r"py to his letter in relation
to For. sumter, that he has no power express
or implied, to nesniiate for the sn lie or tranfrr
"f any prorerty belonging 10 the General Cow
ernlnen'. That all such applications must 10
made TO Congress, who alone possess the power
to dispose Of such property.
WAsISGToS, February 50 p. m.-The
Pacifirntl"n Border State Convention will as
sefnhlr here Tomorrow The Commissioners
from Nir!inin. kYtueky. In''iana. Ohio. New
Jersey. Dc!nwa"S Rhode island. Pennsylyania,
North Carolina anil maryland arrived tonight
The irg'n'a Commissioners nre in caucus
nt air. Tyler's rooms. IL is understood that
their first move in the Convention will be to
introduce resolution ignoring tho right Of
the Federal Government to Use force against
the seeding States. If this proposition is re-
Jccte'i, a general bolt of the Commissioners of
the border slave States is ANTICIPATED,
The Kentucky Comm> sioners arc also in eau
Gus They sny that Kentucky demands full
and final settlement, she will forthwith
JOIN The Cotton State movement. 1t seems 10
h' e. 'n"rnlly admitted that Virginia will main.
~ control the Con,cntion but nobody hns the
slightest hope Of n"y satisfactory adjustment
being arrived ut.
TheFrrsident is evidently manruvernc to
gam time. lie has NOT yet officially ncknowl-
edged the receipt Of HAYNES communication,
tn' IN conversation he has expressed himself
as pleased with its tone. pronouncing it "able,
dignifed and courteous
Coop MATERIAL FOR SoLDiEBs-A letter from
Warrento", Fla. 10 the Pensacola Observer.
thus describes private in one of the COM.
pan;es
Professor Day is just six and half feet high
IN his stockings. His weight is three hundred
aud ten pounds. and he measures seven feet in
the eIr'I' He is the tallest and biggest man
IN The regiment, and is noted for his great
strength as we'll as for his huge proportions.
tie has been known to shoulder six hundred
oale OF cotton. and has frequently taken
whisky barrel by the chimes, raised it at arms
sngth, and drank at the bung hole. On one