The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1861-01-09
From the Charleston Courier.
Harbor Fortifications.
CONDITION OF FORT SUMTER.

throughout the city yesterday and tie
day before. speculation WAS rife as TO tue
condition Of the different Notifications in
the harhor. Much anxiety was manifest
ed on The part OF the friends of our cit.
zeus in possession Of Fort Moullrie and
Castle Pinckney, while 10 little curiosity
exhibited itself to learn what was the
condition Of the occupants of Fort Sum
ter On this latter point there were a
variety Of rurEors :foat. Some went so
Tar as io@y that the United States troops
would he unable TO hold on. two weeks {:
that their provisions were Of the most
scaniy character; and that water was
very scarce. IL this be so, and if il be
true, as reported, that the larger one Of
the ciserns is rendered useless because of
th" saIt water that makes way into it.,
the soldiers cannot, hy any possibility,
nod out longer than ten or fourteen
days Al the pcin,s from which supplies
can he obtained are RENDERED inaccessible.
There is strong guard Of the Char
'es;on Rh.m-n stationed at tte Light
ll"use on Morris Island, even If bat.
.sy has not lsrn erected there by this
time, n, Mas contemplated. Detachments
81 south Carolina troops are in possess
'"n OF !he post at Fort johnson, while
Suilvans Island aud Mount Pleasant, AS
well as this city, are rendered inaccessible
l." them for supplies. The remaining els
Tern "t the for, it is said is so befouled
with saGnaut water that to DIR nix of il
would lie % partake Of dealh aud disease.
The only remaining way for them to pro
cure water ~ provisions, viii lie by boats
or vessels and even thls mode viii! he
cut of hy the small crafts and steam
hocts tha; arc constantly cruising around
on the watch.
From the worknsn, however, who
have been employed at tho font, we learn
mat there are altogether in Fort Sumter
an"n, forty or fifty mechanics and labor.
ers, TO .ctrer with some seventy soidiers
About 'w"'ve cn,ema;- q avs are mounted
silly oosug towards SuIiivan's Island,
aud four or five harberte guns which
work on piv0ts, and can be worked facing
n any dueclion. With their present
force hey can pace several guns in posi-
ton each day, aud they have an abun
dsnt snpp'y Of shot and shell, and pro.
VISIONS and water. 1" last them tor months.
the c'steins being large and an ply sup
p,lei with good rain water. The guns
OF the largest caiihr" are not vet in posi-
lion, and the number Of canCon in the
fort amounts 10 half its armament.
THE DAMAGE AT FORT MouLrRIE,
though asyet unrepaired, is neither so ex
iensse nor so irrsmsdiable as " az at first
thought. Under command Of Major
Anderson. the work was strengthened in
- truly wonderful manner, though many
paris OF 1t were unfinished at The time of
the evacuation. However this is all 40
much labor saved tho South Carolina
troops. and under the energe,ic supsrin
snce Of Col Quinn, Engineer in Chief,
and his efficient corps of Aids, chosen
principally from the Washington Ar,ile.
r>, tie work commenced is bang busiIy
pushed forward to completion. A large
t"rce OF laborers have been put to work.
aud IN very short time Q, cry thing will
he sst in order.
Contrary 10 eXpectoiion, none of The
guns OF the f'st are materially injured
those that we're spiked were rendered
useless for the time being only. TIE in
s,rume.Is used to stop up the touch holes
were simply wrought nails, mos. Of which
have already been taken out. Mono OF
the guns were injured by the application
Of tar either inside or out.ids-and the
way the Impression got abroad that this
substance hns been used by the evacua.
ting party, Was from the charred appear
ance OF the tar always used as a coating
to protect the guns from the weather af
ter t was burned.
Carriages for the hsAxy 8 inch Colnm
bias, bearing Oh - Sumter, which
were dessessJ bsfse 90 the nigh, Of
evacuation, are being 70 Constructed with
all possible dispatch in ,hi. city. The
iron work'of the old guns is capable of
being used again, so that. ate, all, not
much time will be lost. ..y
In dssering the fort, military msn SAY
Major Anderson did rs little harm to The
works rs u was pussb ble for him 10 do
lie might have done great deal more.
a'' hNNe up tue WOfk, OF
might have injured it to such degree
that it would have been rendered worth
less even af:er years labor had been
spent in repairing ii. As 1t now is. to
morrow night will sea il almost AS strong
Iy fortified as it WAS on the 26th.
THE GARRISON At CASTLE PINcKSEY
were IN most excellent spirits throughout
yesterday. The discipline maintained is
rigid, and we'll adapted to render the post
a security and reliance in time Of danger.
lie position renders it very valuable to
our people, and with the vigilant troops
who now hold it, we may rest secure
Nothing Of interest has occurred at the
post since It's occupancy, and, in alIlikeli
hoods, nothing in the premises will be
needed but ihs maintenance of the pres.
eni good order and wa,cbfulnes..
THE woRKNzs LATELY EMPLOYED ON THE