The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-01-03

EAREEsT-NEws FROM FORT sUMTER-FuLL
ACCOUNTS OF THE PRESENT STRENGTH OF THE POST,
ETC, ETC, ETC.
FORT MoULTRIE.
All dav Saturday and yesterday, our gallant
troops busy in the performance of the various
duties assigned them by the State.
The damage, though as yet unrepaired, is neither
so extensive nor so unremediable as was at first
thought. Under command of Major Anderson, the
work was strengthened in truly wonderful man
ner, though many parts of it were unfinished at
the time OF the evacuation. However, this is all
so much labor saved the South Carolina troops,
and under the energetic superintendent of Col.
QUINN Engineer-in-Chef, and his efficient corps OF
aids, chosen principally from the Washington
| Artillery, the work commenced is being busily
| pushed forward to completion. A large force of
aborers have been put to work, and IN very snort
| time everything will be set in order.
Contrary to expectation, none of the guns of the
| fort are materially injured. Those that were
| spiked were rendered useless for the time being
only. The instruments used to stop no the touch
holes simply wrought nails, most of which
have already been taken out. None of the guns
injured by the application of tar either inside
or outsde-and the way the impression got abroad
that this substance had been used by the evacuatng
party, was from the charred appearance of the tar
always used as coating to protect the guns from
the weather, after it was burned
Carriages for the heavy S-inch Columbiads bear
ing on Fort Sumter, which were destroyed by fire
on the night OF evacuation, are being reconstruct
ed with all possible dispatch in this city, The
iron works OF the old guns is capable of being
used again, so that after all, not much time will
be lost.
In deserving the fort, military men say Major
Anderson did as little harm to the works as it was
possible for him to do. He might have done great
deal more He might have blown up the work, or
might have injured it to such degree that it would
have been rendered worthless even after years
labor had been spent in repairing it. AS it now is,
tomorrow night will see it almost as strongly for
tified as it was on the 18th.
THE GARRISON AT CASTLE PINcKNEY
|
day. The discipline maintained is rigid, and we'll
adopted to render the post security and reliance
in time of danger. Its position renders it very
valuable to our people, and with the vigilant
ing of interest has occurred at the post since its oc
cupancy, and, in all likeihoods, nothing in the
premises will be needed but the maintenance of the
Th go3a GEde F aFaR al p1na
| From the accounts of a number of laborers who
were sent from Fort Sumter on Friday night. our
reporters have CLEANED mass of highly interesting
details in relation to the strength and present con-
dition of the great fortress which now forms the
last stronghold of Federal authority within the
| limits of our State.
About six weeks ago,when there were no troops
| in Fort Sumter, the Federal officers in charge of
| that post proposed to the workmen EMPLOYED in
| completing the Notifications, and who then num-
bered about $50 men, that they should enlist in the
United States service, and thus vary the monotony
OF handling the trowel and the derrick, BY little
| daily practice with the musket and the howitzer-
| The Workmen, most of whom were from Southern
city, at first demurred from this somewhat extraor-
binary proposal, alleging that they came to work
and not to fight; and, finally, after consulate
among themselves, they fatty refused to become
| the thankless tools of coercion. The benevolent
officers, as there was no help for it, suffered the
matter to drop for awhile, and the work of getting
| the guns IN position and otherwise strengthening
the fortress, was resumed by the stalwart Baltimore
mechanics and laborers without any more martial
| propositions.
Thus matters wore on until the transfer of the
garrison of Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter On
Thursday evening, when the Palmetto banner
| floating over Castle Pinckney, and the rockets
from Fort Moultrie announced to the look -outs on
the ramparts OF Fort Sumter the occupation of
both those works by the State troops the i'm pres
sion was quite prevalent among the United States
officers that a sudden attack upon their own posi-
ton would follow. The laborers were again hasti-
| ly summoned together-again the officers endeay-
ored to coax them to don the blue cloth and brass
buttons in defence of the fort and again the stur-
dy of toll declined the tempting Offer Find
ing that the workmen were immovable in their re-
solve not to participate in any contest with the
forces OF South Carolina. the officers thought that
the next best thing to get who could evince
| no sympathy for Federal tyranny out of the way
as soon possible. The boats were accordingly
manned shortly after nghtlall and the larger por-
ton OF the woTkmen were quietly taken over to
| Fort Johnson. The wOrkmen say that this was
done by order of Capt Foster, who, it will be re-
membered, was in Charleston that same morning
| Thursday.
The dreaded attack not having taken place. the
laborers and mechanics returned on Friday morn
ing when about eighty OF them, including all the
master mechanics, weary of position so full of
danger and alarms, announced their intention to
quit, On demanding their pay, they received
drafts on the North instead of the specie in which
the government usually pays its employees, and,
glad to get away, they embarked at 4 O'clock on
Saturday morning a schooner for Charleston
On arriving in Charleston, they found themselves
in strange city and destitute Of mean. A purse
was promptly made up for them among some of
our liberal citizens, and on Saturday afternoon
| they departed for their homes the steamship
! Keystone State Previous to leaving, however,
they related the following facts concerning the
post they have just Left
The force now remaining in Fort Sumter consists
of about one hundred and thirty men, fifty OF whom
are laborers, and the rest troops belonging to the
artillery branch of the United States service These
of the"EG sufficient to man about one half the guns
Fortunately, h0@9glIng the guns We're all mountsd
case' cut OF seventyve pieces Of hearv nne
TISst are Fns 'Gs only elsyep are fully moupgd
include the nine guns Of that face OF the fortress
fronting towards suvan's Island. Two more of
these casemate guns were nearly mounted on Fri
day evening, but the work of getting them in posi-.
ton is necessarily slow and tedious, and with the
force now at work, it is impossible to mount more
than three guns per day at the utmost The heav-
lest guns, too, which are the ten.inch Columbiads
have yet to be mounted. One of the casemate guns
at one of the angles of the walls has been placed in
|
rison were on Friday evening getting ready to
mount some of the casemate guns on the South side
of the walls.
Besides these heavy pieces, four of the lighter
! barbete guns are mounted upon the ramparts
pointing towards Morris Island. These are so ar
| ranged upon pivot carriages to sweep around
the whole horizon. The magazine of the fortress is
well stocked with an immense quantity of grape,
canister and shells, and about seven hundred bar
! rels of powder. All the small arms and stores of
| Fort Moultre have been transferred with the gar
! rlson, and there is sufficient accumulation of
provisions to last, in case of necessity, for six
months at least -Four large cisterns contain an
ample supply of fresh water, but it is now we'll un-
derstood that Fort Sumter has no fuel to spare
The rumor current in the city that number of the
guns in Fort Sumter, which are not yet mounted,
had been spiked by the Southern workmen, is
without foundation.
THE ARSENAL.
Colonel John Cunningham, having been ordered
by Gov. Pickens to take command of the Arsenal,
completed this order yesterday Sunday about
half past O'Clock. At that hour Capt. Humphreys
gave up the command to Col Cunningham The
Federal flag was lowered after salute of 80 guns,
the state troops having been drawn up in order,
presenting arms. The Palmetto flag was then at
tacbed, and run up with a salute of one gun for
South Carolina. The Arsenal is now in command
of Col. Cunningham, of the 18th Regiment.
WHAT THE LADIES CAN DO.
In reply to many inquiries from fair friends we
would say that they can the State at present
by preparing roller bandages three and four inches
wide, six yards long, of long cloth. They Will be
acceptable to the Surgeon-GeneraPs department
1t has also been suggested to US that in anticipa-
ton of the casualties which we have every reason
to fear may occur at no distant period, the daugh-
tiers of Carolina prepare lint in abundance, which
can easily be obtained by the unravelling of old
linen. In the event of any collision, the comfort
OF the wounded would imperatively demand this
provision.
MILITARY MOVEMENTS.
A detachment of the Citadel Cadets, under com.
mand of Major Stevens, left this city ON Sunday for
Morris Island
The Charleston Rifemen also left the city on
Saturday last, under command of Capt. johnson,
for James Island.
Worthy Of lmitaion.-The following correspon-
dence needs no comment:
CHARLESTON, Dec. 20, 1860.
10 L. ~. Hatch, Quartermaster General, S. c. d.: