Worcester daily spy., 1861-05-11
a VISIT no FORT rRUMBuLI.
New LONDON, May 10, 1861

| seek TO destroy II. One splehutu cohP"i'y'
composed of come of the best citizens of New
London, has left for the seat of war. Another
is drilling, and will soon leave; while tmrd
now constitutes the garrison Of Fort Trumbull'
The last named company, the City Guard,
composed chiefly of Germans, was first In Inc
field. having been mustered into the service
and sent TO the fort soon after the Charlestoh
traitors fired on the Star of the West. Ihere
is also movement to form company OF cav
airy.
In 1881, when that scoundrelly traitor
Benedict Arnold, attacked and burnt New
London, fort Trumbull was "a mere block of
batteries facing the water on three sides, and
open behind" Fort Griswold, on the Groon
side of the river, and on the highest ground
near the harbor, was then the principal deten-
sive work, and here was the bloody battle and
massacre Old fort Griswold was an earth.
work, and is now complete ruin. Just below
it is battery in excellent condition, with an
armament ready for Use. In 1912, when De-
catur was blockaded in the river by British
fleet, neither fort was in condition to make a
very powerful defense but the present condi-
ton and armament of fort Trumbull would
render il impossible for a similar fleet to ap-
proach the mouth of the harbOr with safety.
This fort, which is situated a mile and
half below the city, is now beautiful struc.
ture, small in size, but complete a..d admirable
as far it goes. went all over it, yesterday,
in company with Mr.. Ruddock of the New
London Star, and by invitation from him.
| He being acquainted with all the officers and
most of the garrison now stationed there, ca
| silly found the wav to everything worth see
| ing, and am indebted to him for much cour-
tesy. There had been no garrison in Fort
| Trumbull since October, 1858, when the SOL
| diers stationed here were ordered to Calitor-
mia. They embarked with others on the mis-
cradle and ill-fated old steamer San Francisco,
which was so terribly wrecked. Everything
has been kept in the best condition, barracks,
buildings, walls, and guns, but it was lonely
and but little visited, after that garrison went
away, until the New London City Guards
were stationed there. Now, it is a very lively
as well as a very beautiful place. visitors are
there every day.
The fort has been directly in charge of Or
derly Sergeant Patrick Mulholand of the reg
ular army. He is intelligent and courteous,
and very freely explained everything, as he
guided us about the fortlfication. will give
an account of the armament as / copied it
from Sergeant Muhollands "return." The
tol nj 4Or
tiication is GA, not including the four gun bat
terry for flying artillery. One of the sixty
four fortifcaton guns is a ten inch columbiad
This gun is not mounted. Seven others like
it are needed to complete the armament, ant
these eight big guns are intended for the watel
battery on the south side of the fort. All the
other guns are mounted and ready for use
The size of the mounted guns is as follows -
There are II eight inch columbiads or sixty
four Founders, s eight inch sea coast howit
zers, IA thirty-two Founders, twenty foul
pound howitzers, 10 twenty.iour Founders,
EN- Founders, and 8 twelve Founders
he additions made to the last edition o
| that interesting volame, the History of New
London; by Miss Caulkins, she mentions the for
and states that the guns are chiefly sixty eigh
Founders and forty.two Founders. This is
mistake. There is not a gun in the fort o
either caliber. My account of the guns il
from an official statement.
The fort proper has two tiers of guns
Fourteen of the eightinch columbiads, mount
ed on casemate carriages, and the eight TWEEN
ty-four pound earronades or hOwitzers, in the
bastions, constitute the lower tier. All the
| Others are in the upper tier on barbette car.
riages except the twenty -four Founders which
| are in the battery on the north side. This
fort, without the armament, cost $280,000 1t
was planned by Cullom, the engineer who af-
| terwards superintendent the erection of Fort
| Sumter. The walls are built of granite. They
were intended to defy any artillery likely to
| be used against them, and look as if they could
| do it successfully. The barracks within the
| walls will accommodate 280 men. The build
ings outside are in excellent condition, and
will accommodate force sufficient for all prac
teal purposes.
Sergeant Mulholland, who now represent:
| the federal government in fort Trumbull, en-
tered the army in 1884. He was born in New
| jersey of Irish par ents, and is by birth
blood and habit, loyal follower of the starr
and stripes. He served in Florida during th'
Seminole war. He was with Gen. Taylor il
the first battles of the Mexican war on the Rio
in the battle Of Montgomery. Then he wen
with Gen. Scott to Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo
and Mexico, was in all the battles, and did hi
duty bravely without getting wound. Here
at New London he wins the good opinion o
all who become acquainted with him, and the
confidence placed in him by his superior of
| ficers seems every way deserved.
The New London City Guard, now the gar.
rison at fort Trumbull, consists OF sixty foul
men, including the commissioned officers
They are respectable citizens of this place
The officers, with whose quarters we made
acquaintance, are gentlemen in character and
manner. We should not regard it as an afflic
ton to be confined for time to such quarters
and companions. The company is under
command of Capt N. Frankau, merchant o
'ne Shy- WI Heiuh'ah, Tue nIsI Heutenant IL
also merchant i believe. When we arrived
at the fort, Capt. Frankau was drilling hi,
company at twenty-tour Founders in the nortl
battery. Four OF the guns were manned, and
after preliminary drill, they were fired in sue
cession four times each sixteen minutes The
men are drilled at the guns every day, ant
are becoming very skillful srtilersts. Capt
+. tells me that they can load and fire one O