The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-04-10
J THE FLORIDA FORTS.

:
SQmter.s public attention will next be di-
sested to Fort Pickens, the 1Aext point
shfeatened by The. Secession forces. From
TIE latest information from that quarter,
tha troops of the Confederate States were
concentrating at Pensacola in large.num
sbefs, and everything being prepared to
give Fort Pickens . protracted siege
The following descriptions of the various
sfbrtressess on the Florida coast, which we
take from the New York Herald, will
therefore prove unusually interesting at
thisstime;
PENSACOLA AND. ITS FoRTIFIcATIoNs.
Jks Pensacola Bay.
g Pensacola Bay has rare properties as a
Xafbor. tits now accessible to frigates
The bar is near the coast, and the chan
mel across 1t short and easily passed. The
harbor Is ssperfectly lapd.locked. and the
foad,stons very capacious There are
excellent positions within for repairing,
building and launching vessels, and for
docks and doekyards, in healthy situa
tions. The sapply Of good water is
abundant. These properties, in cennec.
tion with the position Of the harbor as
regards the coast, have Induced the Gov.
ernment to select it as q naval station. aud
place of rendezvous and repair. The
upper arms Of Pensacola Bay receive the
yellow Waters or Pea River, Middle
River ard Escambia River, eleven miles
frem the Gulf Although there is no, hing
about Pensacola tostempt the cnpidity of
Gnfencmy. still, its harbor is one of mill
yary Importance for national purposes.
Pensacola Bay, fortified as it now is, vii b
all its ordnance in position aud properly
karfisoned, is impregnabIe, except by a
long and hazardous siege by an over
whslmi6g and well-appointed land force,
end il could defy all the navies of the
Nsfld combined, till it filled the harbor's
mouth with the careasses of sunken ships
Santa Rosa Island.
o sSanta Rosa Island. on the east point
efzwhich is Fort Plckens, is situated east
IL northwest by south fourteen leagues
anil completely shuts out Pensacola from
the sea. aItlIis so lew that the sta in {
gale washes its top. 1t is not more har
Onefonrth of mile wide. The ives
point Of this island is at the month o
Pensacola Bay. The latter is not ove
~s0ne quarter of mile wide The islan(
is separated from the maitland one ant
quarter miles, there being two channel:
for the passage Of vessels, one on th'
msinland and the other on the islant
side. ssas EsHes -
ssssisia sasse Fort Pickens
The principal means of defense to th
slmonth of Pensacola Bay is Fort Pickens
It is frst class pentagonel bastioue'
work, built Of stone, brick aud bitumon
with covert ways, dry ditch, glacis ant
j outworks complete. Its walls are fort
feet in hight by twelve feet in thickness
Its embrasured for two tiers of guns i
bomb proof casemate, and one tier c
guns open or en- bar6etts. The guns fror
this point radiate to every point of th
horizon, with flank and en6lading fire il
the bitches and at every angle of ap
proach. The work was commenced il
1928, and finished in 1853 1t cost tn
Federal Government nearly one million @
dollars. When on war footing its gar
rison consists Of 1900 soldiers. It's pres
ent armament consists of-in bastioC
26e twenty -four pound howitzers; case
mate, 2 forty-two Founders, s4 thirty-tw
FOUNDERS, So twenty-four Founders; il
barbette "a eight inch howiszers, 6 eigh
teen Founders. IL FOUNDERS, tel
inch colnmbiad, mounted, and ten lncl
.mortars, in bad order.
The possession of this work, therefore
by the Secessionists, is, of course, of th
fret Importance; for unless it is occupies
BY them, it will secure to the Unite,
States troops base Of operations alons
the whole Gulf coast, and keep open
zroad right into the heart of the South
which cannot be obstructed by any ike
Notifications. Once within the gates {
the harbor, and an army could be disen
Hbarked at any point on the whole ba
which it might select 1t codld run q
beyond the Escambia River and land ma
0py hours ahead Of any opposing fore
which might be at Pensacola, beside
placing wide river between it aud th
lattsr-or even two rivers, the Escambi
and Blackwater-by going far enoug
mp. Hence with start of at least forty
..eieht. hours, itcould march into the inte
sriOr of Alabama. An enemy holdin
Fort Pickens could rendezvous nava
force there and keep up q blockade of a
the ports Of the Gulf. unless it could b
net on the sea. The fort is only approach
able by land on one side. Owing to th
.'opehhess Of the country, which is but
barren bed of sand, party attacking