Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-02-14
charlaston and its Fortiacations.

Charleston and it's Fortihcstions.
The following communication appears in
the New York Herald of Friday. We
commend it to the attention of our readers
No. lot EAST ELEVENTH STREET,
.,. February 4, 1861.
To the Editor of the Neao York Herald
Having just arrived from Charleston, S
G., where I have been for the past eighteen
months engaged by the State authorities
teaching navigation on board of the marine
school ship, being obliged to resign my com
mission or take up arms against the flag
Of my country, chose the former.
Seeing an article in the Herald of the
I'd, from the correspondence Of the Balti'
more american, dated Charleston, Janua.
ry 20, 1861, stating that there was about
fifty large pieces of ordnance, together with
several bombs and howitzers mounted on the
Citadel green and on the Battery (promen
ade) of Charleston, has induced me to sub
NIT to you few facts, and through you te
the public, if You feel disposed to give these
few lines space in your valuable paper. UE
to the 25th January, there were but foul
guns mounted on Charleston Battery and
three on Citadel green, at which latter place
there were two more ready to mount, all
only twenty-four Founders; there were nei.
ther bombs nor howitzers.
The nearest place at which land force
can be Of any service against Fort Sumter
is Cummings Point, being only about six
tenths of mile distant. On this point a
shell battery has been erected, together
with few pieces of cannon the same as
above. Fort Moultrie is the second place
that can be of any service in reducing Fort
Sumter. This fort has ten eight-inch Co.
lumbiads, mounted directly in range with
Sumter, and is the only fort which has any
Columbiads mounted.
5 Fort johnson is one al a half miles dis
tant from Sumter, and is mounted with a
few cannon of "a pound calibre. The bat
teries on Lighthouse Island are three and
three.eighths mile distant, and mostly Of
small artillery, and consequently cannot
reach Sumter.
Castle Pinckney is two and half miles
distant, and can bring but three AZ pound
ers and eleven 80 Founders against Sumter
these with little or no effect The Green
and Charleston batteries are 81 miles from
Sumter, and are only to be used in case ves-
sells should get into the harbor. Fort Sum-
ter has four AZ Founders, five 10 inch Co.
lumbiads, and seven 80 Founders to bear on
Fort Moultrie, the former in bombproof case
mates; also an equal number against Fort
johnson and Cummings Point
Major Anderson has now nearly all his
guns mounted, having 80 guns mounted on
the ramparts to sweep the horizon, most of
them 80 Founders, and can be so elevated
as to strike an object at the distance of a
quarter of a mile from its walls Every
part of the fort has been strengthened so as
to make it bombproof.
Since my arrival in New York I have
heard great many say Fort Sumter cannot
be reinforced without opposition from the
troops or authorities of Charleston, and a
serious loss of life. This I believe to be
altogether wrong. Fort Sumter can be re-
enforced, and that, too aoithout the loss Of
man. That, houever, can only be accom-.
plished in. one aoay. Should opportunity
offer, l aoould aoiNinyly offer my services,
and am confident Of success. I am also
of opinion that the Charlestonians cannot
take Fort Sumter. Major Anderson can,
even with the small force at his command,
repulse them, from whatever quarter the at
tack may come, as long as his provisions and
ammunition hold out. CAPT. J. c.