Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-26

APeep at the PalmettoIsts- ppearance Of
Charleston In Martial Mood 60 n New
! EnRIRnder. I .H7r I.. -
The Atlantic Monthly for April has an
article from the pen Of ]. w. De Forest, of
New Haven, Conn, who visited Charleston
in January, and describes that city under
arms in an amusing way. We extract from
his article as follows;
Charleston Mdrksmen AT two o'clock
we were steaming over the yellow waters of
the harbor. The volunteers, like every body
else in Charleston, discussed Secession and
Fort Sumter, considering the former as an
accomplished fact, and the latter as O fact of
the kind called stubborn. They talked uui-
form, too, and equipments, and marksman-
ship, and drinks, and cigars and other
military matters. Now and then an awk-
wardly-lol3ed blanket was taken from the
shoulders which it disgraced, refolded,
packed carefully in its covering of India
rubber, and strapped once more in its place
two or three generally assisting in the ope-
ration. Presently q firing at marks from
the upper deck commenced. The favorite
target was conicsl floating buoy, showing
red on the sunlit surface Of the harbor, some
400 yards away. With a crack and a hoarse
whiz the MIME balls flew toward it, splashing
up the water where they first struck and
then taking two or three tremendous skips
before they sunk. A militiaman from New
York City, who was one of my fellow
passengers, told me that he "never saw such
good shooting" 1t seemed to me that every
sixth ball either hit the buoy full, or touched
water but few yards this side of it, while
not more than one in dozen went wild. BID.
ut is good for thousand yards" said a
volunteer, slapping his bright new piece
proudly.
The Question Of. Fort Sunter.-A favorite
subject of argument appeared to be whether
FortSumter oughtto be attacked Immediately
or not. A lieutenant standing near me
talked long and earnestly regarding this
matter with civilian friend, breaking out
at last in loud tone:
"Why, good Heaven, Jim do you want
that place to go peaceably into the hands of
Lincoln ~
mo, Fred, do not. But tell you, Fred,
when that fort is attacked, it will be the
bloodiest day the bloodiest day - the,
bloodiest Up
And here, unable to express himself in
words, Jim flung his arms wildly about,
ground his tobacco with excitement spat on
ell sides, and walked away, shaking his head,
l thought, in real grief of spirit 10
Hdtching Second class Plans-In a couu-
try which for eighty years has not seen a
shot fired in earnest, it is not wonderful that
good deal of ignorance should exist con-
cerning military matters, and that second
class plans should be hatched for taking a
first class fertilization. While | was in
Charleston, the most popular proposition
was to lombard continuously for two whole
days and nights thereby demoraizng the
garrison by depriving it of sleep, and causing
it to surrender at the first attempt to escaiade.
Another plan, not in general favor, was to
smoke Anderson out by means of a raft COW
cred with burning mixtures of a chemical
and bad smelling nature.
Still another, WITH perhaps, yet fewer ad-
herents, was to advance on all sides in such
vast number of row-boats that the fort
could not sink them all, whereupon the
survivors should land on the wharf and pro.
ceed to take such further measures as might
be deemed expedient. The volunteers from
the country always arrived full of faith and
defiance. I'VE want to get squint at that
Fort Sumter" they would say to their city
friends. "We are going to take it. If we.
don't plant the palmetto on it, it's because
| there's no such tree as the palmetto"
ColunJiads Regarded Nth Distauor-
Down the barbor they would go in the ferry
boats to Morris or Sullivan's Island. The
spy-glass would be brought out and one
after another would peer through it at the
object of their enmity. Some could not
sight it at all, confounded the instrument
and fell back on their natural vision. 9th.
ers, more lucky or better versed in telescope
observations got a view of the fortress and
perhaps burst out swearing at the evideat
massiveness of the walls and the size of the
Cclumbiads. -.
Good Lord, what gun' exclaimed one
man. "D'ye see that gun? What an al
mighty thipgl I'll be If ever put nv
head in front of itp