Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-04-23
aow Fort Pleksns was RsIuiOrcSd--A SIM
anIor afnrNeane

The Mobile Mercury, Of Monday evening,
18th inst, says it has "reliable confirmation
Of the talegraphio reports Of tho reinforce
ment Of Fort Piekens," and proceeds to
make tie following statement e portion Of
which reads ~singularly enough;
On Friday evening, a little after dark,
signal guns were fred cute sea-six distinct
notwithstanding to be some dozen OF fifteen
miles away. II was surmised at first that
they were signals Of distress, but soon Il was
concluded 20 have some connection with a
reinforcement Of Pickens. About 0 o'clock
there was discovered to be an unusual stir
about Fort Pickans, and unusual lights dis
PLAYED. From various indications aud cir
cumstances, It was apparent that reinforce
ments were being landed and introduced into
the fort. The guns heard ont at sea were
surmised, after that discovery, TO be signals
from the ships supposed to be on their way
10 Southern ports; but if any came In during
the night they were not observable, and no
signs were seen Of them Saturday morning.
During the day the Wysndotte had been
cruising about the bay as usual. She went
up to Pensacola, and was there about to take
on board a person believed to be from WASH
| inRton city. The citizens detained him and
handed him over to Gen. Bragg. An exami-
nation elected nothing to implicate him IN
any Illicit undertaking, and he was released.
He went over TO Fort Pickens, and Il Is
thought now that he may have carried the
order to throw the men on the ships into
the fort. The reinforcement is supposed
to be the men who have been waiting on
shipboard for that purpose for some weeks.
There is another supposiion Of the reason
of the re-inforcements at that particular
time. They may have obtained at Pickens
some hints ofan intended visit Of 500 picked
men at about the hour of midnight.
There can bs no doubt that an assault Oh
Fort Pickens was ordered for that night at
about the hour of midnight. The assaulting
party was composed Of FIVE hundred picked
men, two hundred and fifty Of whom were
picked meE from the Mississippi Ninth, 10 be
led by @. W. Harris Of the Home Guards
6fty from the Tenth Mississippi, and the 9TH
ers from other troops at Pensacola. All ne
cessary preparations were made for moving
at about II o'clock. The storming party
were led down to the Navy Yard, from
whence it would probably have embarked 10
boats. There are some other particulars about
the preparations, as given to us which We
think had as well not yet have the publicity
of newspaper circulation.
It is surmised that Forney was to have
been the leader. There was no doubt enter
tanned of its success, and il all be true a
stated to US, we think Fort Pickens woull
have fallen that night but for-what2
Fortune, or Chance, will have to bear th,
blame, and Delay, the real culpable party
will probably escape. Before the hour arli
) we'd. it was evident that the fort had been re
: enforced, and all thought ofthe meditated as
sault was abandoned. The men picked 70
this special service, lay on their arms all nigh
at the navy yard without any protection
from The chill air of the night, some OF then
not having so much as q blanket. The,
made no complaint.
Col. Forney eomplimented them by sayinI
: they would do for anything. Not a cap wa
distributed to them-the business was to b
: done with steel.
/, THERE'S no truth in the report that Genera
Bragg had a position on Santa Rosa ISLAM
! with 1900 men.
The Wyandotte is positively notified I
STAY outside In the future. E