Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-06-27
S. w. BoARDMAN, } II
n. G. CLARKE, &c EAec.
{. b. SMITH, Nomm.
Fort Pickens.

letter written by the correspondent of the
London Times, who has been amongst the reb-
els, and in various ways introduced into their
plans and positions, is republshed in the n. Y.
Times of Tuesday. The letter is dated Nav
l6, and is far too long for our columns. The
following comments by the n. Y. Times will
convey the gist Of its contents, and give little
understanding of matters at that mysterious
point of warlike operations:
We learn several things from Mr.. Russel's
letter OF very great Importance. The first and
foremost is that Fort Pickens is unquestionablv
inpregnable to any assault that the Confeder-
ates can make upon it, The second is, that
the reason of Gen. Bragg for not making an
effort to capture Fort Pickens before its defen-
ces became so formidable, was that he had no
ammunition for the purpose. According to Mr.
Russell, there was not, when he passed through
Braggs batteries and explored his magazines.
enough powder on hand for one days firing /;
and the shell were of the most rude and dan
gerous casting, showing much lack of skill in
their preparation.
MIR Russell was greatly surprised, not only at
the inferior artillery of Gen. Bragg's investing
batteries, and the lack of other agencies of
successful attack, but also, and perhaps most of
all, at the unaccountable action of Federal Gov
eminent in permitting the batteries to be erected
that menaced Fort Pickens. The American
people have long shared Mr.. Russell's surprise;
and to this day, the policy at Fort Pickens is
the greatest mystery of the campaign. When
MIR. Russell was at Pensacola, he saw no reason
why the Federal forces in Fort Pickens, the
navy cooperating, did not dispense Gen. Bragg's
army and re-occupy the Government property.
Many other persons of sound Judgment, then
and since, have deemed triumph over the
rebels at Pensacola feasible. Why has it not
been attempted?
1t looks to many persons as if the Federal
Government had abstained from offensive op-
erations at Pensacola merely to oblige the Com
tederates, to whom the conflict would have been
inconvenient and possibly disastrous. Only q
few days since it was published that Gen. Bragg
had sent word to Capt. Brown, of Fort Pickens,
not to return shot if one was fred from the
rebel batteries, for the firing from the latter
might be a mistake
Isn't war of this sort, where one side has the
exclusive arrangement of the time and manner
of the battle, a huge farce? Capt. Brown
should have answered this message by a sum-
mons to Gen. Bragg to dispense his forces or
surrender. He had force enough to make his
demand imperative and if not, he should
have more. Every possible opportunity has
been given the rebel forces to perfect their
preparations. They have been allowed to con-
struct batteries one after another, to mount
guns in plain sight of the fort they are destined
to destroy; and the utmost care has been taken
not to interrupt their proceedings. This looks
a good deal too much like inviting defeat. The
people have thus far been very patient with this
mode of conducting a war,-but they will not
tolerate 1t much longer.