The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-02-08
The Disunion Movement.

The Disunion Movement.
Col Thomas B. Carr, at work on Fort Tay-
lor, Key West, wrote to his wife at Newport,
r. l., on the 18th inst, as follows
"a steamer arrived here on Saturday from
Philadelphia, bringing late papers from the
North. see by them that the Government
are going to put down this disunion, and al
SO that the fort at Key West had been taken
by the disunionists. | wish to let you and
all the people in Newport, know that Fort
Taylor cannot be taken by the whole South
put together. The fort is impregnable. 1t
is twelve hundred feet from the shore, and
has but one entrance, which is from the land,
over a narrow bridge to drawbridge, which
can be shut up in minute if necessary
Then there is nothing but water around the
fort it commands the town, and could blow
it down in thirty minutes. 1t is in the very
best condition for fight, of which, however,
there is no danger.
The men worked last Tuesday to stop up
all the port holes on the water tier, which are
twenty feet from the water.
The fort has seventy S-inch Columbiad
guns, hlICll Will SCuu Udil VI Siltll IOuI
miles twenty 24-lb howitzers, which flank
the fort twelve l2lb howitzers, and COM
pany of artillery.
Capt Hunt made a speech to the men on
Sunday, and said that by the papers he saw
that the government intended to put down
the disunion movement and although he
did not apprehend any danger, as it was i'm
possible to take the fort, yet to prevent sur
prise he should be prepared for them (the Sc
cederS) He asked the men whether, in case
of an attack, they would assist the soldiers
in defending the fort. to which they all an
swered in the affirmative. lie thanked them.
and said he should continue the work until
April. unless otherwise ordered by the gov
eminent"
We get little intelligence as to the state of
affairs at Pensacola. A correspondent of a
Mobile paper, writing from the navy yard on
the 10Th, says
"rhey are preparing scaling ladders for the
assault on Fort Pickens, in the joiners' de-
partment ofthe navy yard. The blacksmiths
are engaged in making the articles necessary
to mount the guns. the ship carpenters are
preparing the piles to support the platforms
on which the guns are TO be placed, and the
aborers are conveying the guns to the differ
ent places assigned torthem. Col Chase was
here the greater part of yesterday. visiting
every point. A correspondence was carried
on between him and the commander of the
fort. of what nature have not learned. AZ
ter the steamer Oregon had passed up to the
navy ward gun was fired from Fort Pickens
and red flag hoisted at the Southeast corner
of the fort immediately afterward the steam
er Wyandotte steamed up to the fort and re-
mains there yet anchored alongside to the
West OF the fortress"
The Charleston Mercury, referring to the
supposed errand of the Brooklyn to reinforce
Fort Pickens, remarks:
should she succeed in reinforcing Fort
Pckens, Pensacola, the only fortified point
within our grasp with a harbor suitable for
naval purposes, will be lost to the South. and
will be used by the enemy to fit out and shel-
ter its fleets. With these facts, which are as
plain as daylight before us, Southern polti-
clans are to be found who have counseled an
inac,!on which can only result in the catas.
trophe alluded to. SO soon as For: Pickens
is reinforced. we presume the surrender of
the navy ward, under the cover of its guns
will be demanded, and this being refused, i,
vii! he reduced to ashes by the shells of the
Qualifications thus will be DESTROYED not or.
ly the only navy yard on the Gulf. but the
only one In the Southern Contederacy, which
We hope to see formed, but which our recon
structlon politicians are by sinister and secre,
af{o 10 irfhS
Col Haskell, aid-de-camp to Gov Pickens
arrived at Washington, Wednesday evening
with dispatches to Col Hayne, the Sout!
Carolina commissioner. Col Haync will de
mand the surrender of Fort Sumter and vii
return home on Saturday, whether he get.
South predict an immediate attack on For
Sumter. The President is reported to have
, said to member of Congress that he had NJ
doubt that Fort Sumter would be attacked il
less than week, when a fight would ensut
and the war would commence. The congress
r man inquired why he did not reinforce Majo
| Anderson. The President replied that ther
, are not vessels enough in the American nav,
t to reach Fort Sumter, because they would b.
| DESTROYED by the rebel batteries before the
| could get within the protection of Fort Sum
ter's guns. But naval men acquainted wit
1 the harbor say it can be entered with vessel
t OF light draught, in spite of the distractions
t and that as good shots can be thrown frou
an American ship-of-war as from Morris Is
land. Letters are received from Fort Sum
ter as late as the Goth ult., stating that al
the officers and men are well. While the,
would like some fresh meat for a change,the
are unit in feeling against succombing t
the terms of the authorities of Charleston t
supply them either by courtesy or to let then
have daily rations, which they can cut off a
= any moment.
The reports as to the war steamer Brook
Z lyn do not agree, but there is room to fea
q the Presidents backbone has given out again
I 1t is stated that he has sent dispatches L
Pensacola, ordering the commander of tn
4 Brooklyn not to enter the harbOr and not t
land the troops sent to reinforce Fort Pick
7 ems, unless the fort shall be attacked. In
provisions are to be delivered at the for,
however, with the consent of the insurgents
o This backdown is the result OF a Telegram
c from ex-senator Mallory that the fort woult
r be attacked if an attempt should be made I
s reinforce it. News reached Washington OF
Tuesday night, that the forts along the coas
}, of Florida had been reinforced and canno
o be taken that the harbor Of Pensacola
blockaded with three vessels detailed fron
the home squadron, all of which are plyin
o off that harbor, and will cut off all CONNER
: cial intercourse Herewith.
d There are cheering reports from Virgini
t in favor of the Union. By close calculatio
s the anti-secessionists will have twenty-eigh
majority in the convention. v hich will be lu