Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-12-05
NEW SCENE OF OPERATION.

NEW SCENE OF OPERATION.
Capture Of TyDee Island In Georsia-So,ne
Account of It-ApprOach to Savannah
! Strength CT Fort Pulaski.
By the steamer Illinois, at New York, we
have accounts of the occupation of Tybee Island,
off the coast of Georgia by detachment of
! U ited States naval forces from Port Royal
OF this island, and the approaches to Savan-
nah, the New York Times thus remarks:
Tybee Island lies near the mouth of the Sa-
vannah river, which is here the dividing line
between South Carolina and Georgia. to the
southwark of the bar, and about twenty miles
southwest from Port Royal. 1t is one of the
long chain of sea islands which stretch all along
coast of this and the adjoining States. The
island is small, not as large as Port Royal island,
and is chiefly of use to us as stepping-stone to
Cockspur Island, lying immediately to the north
of i, on which is situated Fort Pulaski-a very
strong work, that defends the entrance to the
Savannah river, and is the defensive outpost Of
the city of Savannah ITSELF Tybee Island has
been notable chiefly by mariners on account of
its lighthouses, (Tybee Light one of the most
prominent On the Southern coast. 1t is fixed
light 1913 feet above the sea, on the northeast
end of the island, and in clear weather it may
be seen at the distance of twelve miles This
| ght was extinguished by the Georgians shortly
after they had seceeded from the Union.
Many vessels are lost on these banks and the
southern breakers are dangerous. Tybee is a
nice little elsie of ocean," long, narrow and
somewhat marshy, in the coast country of Cha
than, and in climate and scenery is very much
like Port Royal and the other Carolina sea is
lands. small amount IF Sea Island cotton is
raised upon it, and its inhabitants are but few
1t has beautiful creek to the west of it, where
"a ship of any burden may lie in safety at an
! Choir 81
Savannah is fourteen miles above Tybee ISL
and, on the Savannah river. 1t has good
harbor. Vessels requiring fourteen feet of wa
ter come up to the wharves of the city, and larger
vessels come up the Five Fatham Hole four
miles below. The city is defended by Fort
Jackson, at Eve Fathom Hole and by Fort Pu-
laski on Cockspur Island. They have also,
since secession, erected small fort on Skidaway
Island, covering the creek to its west by which
gun-boats could get up toward the rear of Sa-
vannah. The guns on the parapet are mostly
ield-pieces, mounted on frame works of wood
instead of regular carriages. Besides these
strong earthworks have lately been thrown up
on the mainland along the river, and on the is
lands in the river, to resist a naval attack as
resist land attack Every spot of vantage
ground has been seized upon and prepared fol-
defense. The cotton shipped from Savannah
amounts to about 400, 900 bales of Upland an.
nually.
The geographical conformation of Georgia
is very analogous to that Of South Carolina, anC
may be concisely described thus: From the
ocean for a distance Of seven miles there is
chain of islands, intersected by rivers, creek:
and inlets, communicating with each other anc
forming an inland navigation for vessels of loo
tons burden along the whole coast These
islands consist of salt marsh and land Of
gray, rich soil, which produces Sea Island cot
ton of a superior quality The coast on the
mainland, for four or five miles, is salt marsh
Back of these is a narrow margin of land, near
ly resembling that of the islands this is par
TALLY or wholly overhowed at the return of the
tide, and constitutes the rice plantations. Then
commence the pine barrens, which reach from
sixty to ninety miles from the coast Beyond
this is the country Of sand-hills thirty or forty
this again is what is called the .ILnper Conn;
South Carolina, the southern part of Georgia i,
thinly populated by whites. The plantation,
are large, and the slave element is dense The
gross population Of Georgia, by the census o
last year, was 1,057.3 1927, divided into 5,O97
free people, and 1862 $50 slaves. The State
claims to have raised fifty regiments for seces-
sion service. The population of Savannah i.
entered as 22,29e, but we know from the pa.
pers of the t,wn that when the news of the
Port Royal affair reached there great part Of
the population took to the interior.
FORT PULASKI, NEAR SAVANNAH.
Fort Pulaski is situated on the northeastern
corner Of Cockspur Island, which is separated
from Tybee Island by the creek or arm of the
sea already mentioned. 1t defends the mouth
of the Savannah river and the approaches to
the city. The fort, like so many others, being
left to take care of itself, the Georgians, at Sc
cesson times, quietly stepped in and took pos
session. They Immediately commenced work
completing the dcfenses, mounting additional
guns, ETC., till, at the time of Mr.. Russels visit
in May last, be thought it capable of stopping
a feet very ehectually. He describes the fort
as an irregular pentagon, with the base line
or curtain face inlands and the other faces case
mated and bearing upon the approaches. The
curtain, which is simply crenellated, is covered
by redan, surrounded by a deep ditch, inside
the parapet of which are granite Platforms rea-
dy for the reception of guns. The parapet is
thick, and the counterscarp is faced with solid
masonry. drawbridge affords access to the
interior of the redan, whence the gate of the
fort is approached across a deep and broad
moat, which is crossed by another drawbridge. >
Sandbag traverses guard the magazine doors,
and every thing is in as good trim as the rebels
know how. The walls are exceedingly solid,
and well built of hard gray brick, strong as iron,
upwards of six feet in thickness the classmates
and bombproofs being lofty and capacious.-
The garrison of the fort is $50 men, and it is
undoubtedly now fully garrisoned. The work
is intended for 12S guns, of which probably a
half are mounted on the classmates. They are
long 32s with few 42s and columbiads.-
The 1O-inch colum biads are en- barbette. There
are three furnaces for heating red-hot shot
The means of completing the armament were
furnished by the Norfolk navy-yard. The
channel into the Savannah river at this point is
very narrow, and passes close to the guns of the
fort. Mr.. Russell thought it would take some
hard blows before Georgia would be driven to
let go her grip of Fort Pulaski.