Newbern weekly progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1858-1863, 1861-09-17


note, which we are ready to hand over to any
one authorized to receive it and who will >ap-
propriate it as desired by the donor Mr..
Croghan is pastor of the CatLolc church in New
bern, and IN looking - the welfare Of the sick
soldi .rs here he Is doing no more than the SIS
ters of Cha-ity arc doing at Richmond and Ma
nasssas. Let those of our citizens who have
r.uch to be protected give literally for the relief
and comfort of the sick strangers who came here
to protect them and their property.
We find the following of ial papers in our
Virginia exchanges and publish them for the en-
lightenment Of our readers.
That there has been fault somewhere resui iting Q
in tho loss of Hattoras, all ready to admit,
but the difficulty seems to be in locating it upon
the proper peIs sons. When a calamity befalls an
individual from wickedness shortcom-
ings, we are willing to let the matter rest with
him and his God but when public calamity is
.he legitimate offspring of ineficiercy weakness
negligence the part of public officers or
servants it becomes the duty of the public to
examine into the matter that the blow may fall
where it properly belongs. From a sense of
duty therefore, shall place before readers
all the evidence get in the premises and let
them judge for themselves:
TIE COAST DEFENCEs OF SoRTH CAROLINA
SEIZURE OF IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENTS.
Among the papers captured at Hatteras is tho
letter book OF Major William Beverhout Thomp
son, Chief Engineer of the North Carolina Coast
Defence continuing copies of his official cores
pondence with the President of the Military
Board and other State officers Of North Carolina
in relation to the coast DefenceS from May 2
10 August l 1861.
Much of this correspondence is paraded in The
Yankee journals We copy snch portions we
deem of most interest at present:
In letter to Colonel Warren Wirsow. Presi-
dent of the Military Board, dated Fort Morgan,
June lO. 1861. he says: - know that you will
excuse any suggestion may throw out a sub
Ject we all have much at heart--ln effective
defence of the State, and especially of The sea
coast IL Is true that the character of coast
Is great moral protection to us; but must
not loose sight OF the fact that coast and
every inlet upon it is thoroughly know to the
Yankee captains, OF those vrssris who have been
trading with us for years rs to our own captains
OF vessels and the pilots upon our coast. Every
anchorage is well known to them for example,
i'll the bIght of Cape Hatteras and the blight Of
Cape Lookout and at other points " here safe
choragt b. had aud troops landed: What
am driving AZ is this: L Observed in the bill
passed by he convention. calling for some seven
Thousand men, thai there was provision made
for artillery. | am satisfied, after gynr this sub
ject some Election. that about six batteries Of
light artillery would be found m5st Elective iii
repeng landing of the enemy ut such points
as may not be toruf' d. l suppose that six bat
ttrles would be found be sufficient
but suppose that it shonl require say forty eight
guns With these batteries and the countr!
picket guards on the alert, Informed could be sent
at short notice of the intention cf Nh, energy to
attempt landing at any point lie no doub,
would be repUiaed by we'll served battery, sup
ported by force Of infantry. for he could not pla!
upon the battery tlon his shipping Without de-
stroyiI e his troops aHd thty not kccP Up
an cBcrtire fJr trom Me SaIt bG"ts as Ay w'uid b.
hr0trH asi4c by the brc@h m such 'c"y rs to
render MctF ann uncertain and tnc4 cttre Turn
the subject oyer our mind, and | think that
you will come to tie conclusion that as they pro
posed .nly to fortify til I.Ict t,re many o1h
er points which can Cnly be defended by flying
artillery The beach i> one of tive finest roads III
the world, hard and firm, and repaired by every
tide They could land at certain points, pull Their
boats and commit deplorabe outrages.-
Signed, &c,
NEwn.RN, N. C June l3, 1861.
Colonel Jnmcs 4. j. Br0dford
My DEAR COLUNEL Yours Of June lst / on
ly received at Fort \ organ day OF two SINCE
my return from Fort Hatteras. Fort Morgan
is in condition to make strong defence, and
think fully prepared to resist any force that Is
likely to be sent agai' st it. There are now
twenty-five guns mounted, nine OH the rampant
or upper tier and thirteen on the lower tier. Up
on the upper tier there are three coIumbiads, one
ten inch, and tive eight inch two thirty two
p unders and six twenty four Founders; on the
lower tier thirteen twenty four Founders. In
few days shall have mounted on the upper tier
another inch columbiad All of those guns
bear upon the sea face of the fort. and three of
them on the land approach. OF the latter, one OF
them is the ten inch colunbiad; the second ten
inch columbad, when mounted. will also bear
upon the face and the land approach. In ad-
dtlon to the above, heavy guns enumerated, l
have four platforms erected tor sIx-pounders. and
the guns to place upon them, two of " hich are III
place: the balance save five guns, Including one
twelve pound howitZer, are temporarily IN the
flank casemates -Four ST FOUNDERS will be
placed on the platforms, near the salient com
mandlng the All approach. Two OF them should
be placed IN battery, to entiiade the approach
on the land side, between the fort and the light
house and the remaining ounders either placed
on the land approach, used us circumstances
may require at other points There were seven
30 pound carronades " eut down some time since
They are but four feet three inches long from 'he
of the base ring to the face, but can throw
half peck of canister or grape L have there
fore prepared drawing of casemate carriage
to mount them upon, and shall place them IN
the flank classmates to enhlede the bitches
as soon I can have them made, which be
done at this point, L can then dispose OF the
guns now in the classmates as suggested above
Fort Morgan is important a point on the
line of our sea coast that 1 think the armament
shou d be made complete, for which L have here
tofOre made a requisition There were twenty
five guns, chiefly twenty-five and twenty four
Founders, delivered there the other day, but
Gen. Gwynn has ordered them to be sent up to
Newbern. l do not think that all of those guns
are heavy enough for the fortress, as there are
several light guns among them. But there are,
say four, of those guns that would answer very
we'll have the platform down for another eight
inch columbiad, but no gun to place upon It, as
the gun intended for this purpose has been sent
to Beacon Island. There should be provision
made for eight inch columbiad for this plat
form The sand hills have been cut down and
removed for thousand yards along the
shore, woich is in effect extending the glacis for
that distance over which direct as we'll as
fires amply provided for, when get all
Of the guns. which, with the small arms will rem
der an assault of a numerous column next to
impossibility.
Before [ left Hatteras had mounted three
thirty two Founders and one eight inch howitzer,
the distance range of which is between three
and four thousand yards. There were four
requiring carriages-one for an eight-inch howit-
zer, and the other three for thirty two Founders.
I ordered some carriages to be sent down, ani
hope to find them there my arrival Hatteras
dificult nIace to fortifY. from the fact of