, 1861-02-08
A Jersey Herotnc--f1Fs. S1emmcr.
Correspondence N. \. Tribune. $40


1t is singular low our heroes, aud our
heroine6 too, start up into public favor, some
times by single stroke Of courage or judg.
ment at the pc1ilous moment. Heroes they
must have always heen, hut opportunity Was
wanting. That present, and at q single bound.
they take position in public. confidence. We
all remember how General Taylor's victorious
progress townrd Mexico, astonishcd tho coun~
try by tue sudden discovery Of his transcei'd~
ant militry capacity, and how the country after
ward, by general accla1DatioD, heaped upon
him its greatest honors. It was just SO in the
case of Major Anderson. A single glorious
act has enabled him to carve his name high up
upon the shaft Of military renoxn. Tie re-
ward is yetto come.
But Lieut.. Slemmer, in command Of Fort
Pickens, aud his heroic wife, are entitled TO
more public consideration than they have yet
received. This officer, and Lis parents, arc all
nati;cs Of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Princeton, aud Monmouth. He graduated witt.
honor at West Point, served in Florida againEt
the Seminolea, was there promoted and order
ed to California, and. being agaiI1 promoted,
,gas ordered to Fort Moultrie: he afterwards
entered the Coast Survey at the invitation Of
Professor Bachc. But he had hardly accepted
this duty when the Superintendent Of the West
Point Academy, knowing lis high q,lalificc-
tions, applied to the Secretary of War for tbc
appointment Of Lieut.. Sle.n1ner as q teacher
there. There lie reniaiued four years, WAS
then ordered to Fort Mou}trie 4 second time.
and thence to Pensacola, where his command
| embraced Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas, aud
| Fort McRae.
1t was while here, occupying the barracks,
he accomplished the brilliant feat OF transfer
ring his little command from, weak position
10 tie imprcgnablc one Of Fort Pickens. He
thus foiled the rebels in their plans agains:
that important position as completely as did
Major Anderson. There be Is now, eonmsnl
in:, the harbor, and by incessant labor i'll put
ting the fortress in fighting condition, his httle
baud of heroes may be relied on to do the:1
whole duty to the Union. Distance las de-
privcd him Of much of the notoriety wl.ich has
attended the movement at Fort Sumter. Bll'
| Lieutenant Slcmmer acted on his own respon
sibility, and the country will gatlantly sustain
him in what he SO wisely did. After the bar
rac1ls had been so hastily evacuated that eyel
Mrs. Slemnlcr's trunks and clothes were Let
behind in tho hurry, the rebels took posses
sion. Mrs. Slelnmcr took boat and returned Il
the barracks to Obtain them. The scntr,
stopped her and demanded her business, b,:
she pushed brayely On, and entering the lar
racks, asked that the trunks containing he
clothing might be given up. Though no il
su1ting demonstration was made, yet I'll:
rebels refused her. It WAS then the lire Of h'
heroic toul broke forth. "Then," said she, .+
will take command Of one Of Lieutenant Sicu,
: mcr's guns myself, and Fhen lie gives ii
word to fire, will batter down your barracks.
This lady, whose name is Caroline, is Je1
sey woman, the youngest daughter OF the Re'
John Reynolds, Of the Episcopal church, fo'
lnerly Chaplain in tic navy, and long Tcsilen
Of Burlington, where his three daughters wer
educated at st. Masy's Hall. She graduate
there when only fifteen years Of age, and
but twenty now. She was distinguished !:
school for great aptitude for lc'rning and C,
cesslyc fondness ft,r learning. Out Of schoc
though generally seen with some miscelau,
ous book in hand, yet in school she was prof
ably never known to he deficient with her lc
| son. Her education has been very eomp1et
/ | Her intellectual faculties are Of the highc;
order. Her mind is quick, strong and corraG
| GUS, making Der speech 10 the rebels exact
, | wAat onc might have expected from such
heroine III face and feature sho is extremel
prcposscssing, with very captivating manner
She is worthy to be the wife Of the hero
/ Fort Pickens.