The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-05-13
How Things stand.

How Things Stand.
The Delta has very interesting
letter from Pensacola, and among the
things mentioned, we find the follow
ing relative, to General Braggs ad-
vantages, and the disadvantages that
tho troops in i ort Pickens labor un-
der.
"With McRae, Barrancas and these
various sand battaries, Bragg can
open semi circle of FIRE upon Pick
ems or over a hundred guns, most Of
them so, bu. several OF them 8 and
10 inch columbiads. These bate
ries will have the great advantage,
over the Fort of a concentrated fire,
while Pickens will be under the ne
cessity of scattering aud difusing its
fire along line of several miles.
The indications, however, are that
] the Navy Yard viii be the chief OBJ
ject Of attack by the Fort. AL their
work seems to be on the side of the
Fort facing the yard, where they are
throwing up sand batteries and noun
ting their heavy guns. The effects
Of such a fire upon the Navy Yard
would Of course be very destructive.
Speaking of the consequences that
would arise from the destruction Of
property. in case of a difficulty, the
writer sensibly remarks:
off, therefore, the several millions Of
valuable property there collected should
be thus wantonly destroyed. 1t would
deduct So much from the amount for
which the Government Of the Con-
federate States would bs liahlc when
a settlement and partition Of the pro-
perty of the old Union shall be made.
If Lincoln and the Federalists sue
coed in subduing us, they will. by
bombarding these detenceless houses,
docks and machine shops, deprive
themselves Of a station Of great value.
if not of positive necessity, for the
maintenance of their naval power in
the Gulf. Sneh a bombardment
would. therefore, be a blunder, as
a crime. 1t could effect no object
III toe scheme OF coercing and suhju-
eating the South. They might bat
ter down the houses and the docks,
and level every structure with the
ground, but even then they dare not
venture on our soil, or come within
rife shot of our yeomanry."
Regarding the probable force Of
ti.s ied.ra,iss, aud the charter of the
officer in command, ile SAYS:
1.-The old flag of the United States
waved high above the fort. 1t was
quite evident that the garrison of the
fort has been considerably rcintorc-
ed. think, however, the force in
tire Tort has been considerably exag-
gerated. Having ascertained the
transports that have appeared off the
landing, and noted the troops which
We're shipped ON them at the North.
l estimate the garrison at four, at the
highest five hundred. This whole
force is under the command of Colo
mel Harvey Brown, the same officer
to whom was assigned the duty of
defending Washington City during
the Inauguration Of lincoln and who
has been selected for this post on
account of his well-known Abolion-
ism and his fanatica hate Of the South.
On the arrival of Brown, Wedges and
Slemmer, who had preceded Wilson
IN the command, came over under Q
flag Of trace, and waited on General
Bragg to inform him that Colonel
Wilson had succeeded 30 the COM
manI of the garrison, and that he
should expect said Bragg TO leave tn.
Navy Yard and other property in the
| nited States in twenty days. Gen,
eral Bragg replied by sending his
compliments TO Colonel Wilson, and
his respectful declination Of his polite
request, as he had no instruction from
his Government to vacatc the prop
erty in question, and no disposition
o., a., a., &c his nu.p accor5