The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-01-14


Fort Moultrle .CbarleTtoa -. 81 75 30i 4373S
Castle Pinokaey Charleston Is 43 s09 s,9J6
-ort Jae kson - Lonlsiaaa -. $50 si7 se5 i23 66S
Fort fIks ..-.-. louisiana 80 472,GCl 81 52u
Total e35 4 9a5 Os9 III ,248
Total cost of the alb We ii foItifoatons So 7o2 537
PENSACOLA AND IT'S FoRTIFicATioEs.
Pensacola bay has rare properties as Il har-
bOr. 1t is now accessible 10 frgateS. The
bar is near the coast, and the channel across
IL short and easily passed The harbor is per-
tectly land-locked, and the roads stead very ca
paclouS. There are excellent positions within
tor repairing, building and launching vessels,
and for docks and dock-yards in healthy situ-
atoms. The supply Of good water is abun-
dant. These properties, III connection with
the position Of the harbor, as regards the coas t.
have induced the government 10 select it as u
Naval station, and place OF rendezvous and
repair. The upper arms Of Pensacola bay re-
ceiye the Yellow Water or Pea river, Middle
river and Escambia river, eleven miles from
the Gulf.
SANTA ROSA ISLAND.
Santa Rosa Island is situated east by north
vest by south fourteen leagues, and com pleie-
ly shuts out Pensacola from the sea. 1t is SO
low that the sea in a gale washes its top. II
is not more han oue-tourth of a mile wide
The west poiut OF this island is at the mou th
OF Pensacola bay The latter is not over one
and Il quarter mile wide.
FORT PiCKENs.
The principal means Of deience to the mouth
of Pensacola bay aud the naval station is Fort
Pickens. This fort is a first class bastioned
fort, huilg Of New York granite, and situated
on low ground on the east point Of Santa Rosa
Island. It's walls are f,rty five feet in height
by twelve feet in thickness it is emhrasured
for TWO tiers OF guns, which are placed under
bombproof casemates, besides having one tier
of guns en- barbstts. The guns from this work
radiate TO every point or the horizon, with
flank and entilading fire at y7ry angle of ap-
proach. The work was commeH ced in 1923
and finished in 1853. Il cost The Federal Gov
ernment nearly one million Of dollars. Wien
on war footing Its garrison consists OF 200
soldiers. Its armament, only portion o1
which is within its walls, consists Of
Guns
Forty-two pounder iron guns ..----. 65
Thirty two FOUNDER iron suas.--.- u
Twenty -four pounder iron Gg
tighteen FOUNDER iron guns
Twe.vs pounder IRON guns---.--~- .---.... ID
Brass field pieces .-.-.....----...
Heavy eight lncn howitzs srs rs--.-.-...-,----- Is
ThlTLeen- Inch mortar - Observation-Disclosures.
Heavy ten-inch mortars. observation-disclosures
Lie ht eight- Inch mortars. ...------....
Sixteen mon stone Hoftars.
Coe horn noTtars-- .-.-.----
Total armament ..'..---..--~- .ZlU
The fire from this work completely covers
the navy-yard and i'll case the latter is held
by the Federal authorities, it would not hold
out long against Fort Pickens. The bar on
the exterior of the Bay is three miles distant,
and beyond that there are no facilities for a
hostile fleet TO lie in safety. All the forts in
Pensacola Bay are ere This garrisoned by Ala
bama troops, who were igvited there by the
Governor Of Florida.
FORT MRAE
This fortification is situated on Fosters
Bank and guards the west side of the mouth
of Pensacola bay. 1t is a Fashioned fort, built
OF brick masonry, with walls twelve feet in
thickness. 1t is embrasured for two tiers of
guns, under bombproOf casemates, and has
one tier en- barbstts. Its armament consists of
$50 guns, and in time Of war quires garri-
son OF $50 men. The work cost the Federal
Government about Si00,U00. Its guns radiate
at every point of the horizon. 1t is very ef
fective work. The full armament of the fort
is not complete, but sufficient mum Der OF
guns are i'll battery to make very good Ge-
fence in conf junction with Fort Pickens. Be-
low this fort is water battery, which mounts
some eight or ten guns. The interior OF Fort
Mckee is provided with the necessary shot
furnaces, officers and soldiers quarters, mag
aZiles &c.
FORT BARRANCAS
is on the north OF Pensacola bay, and directly
fronting the entrance to its mouth. The
work is erected on the site of an old Spanish
fort. The foIt is Fashioned work, built OF
heavy masonry, and mounts 40 guns, and in
time OF war req uires garrison OF $50 men,
armament of the work is fully mounted, and
its magazines are in good order. In the rear
of the tort is redoubt, which is auxiliary to
Fort Barrancas. Some extensive repairs have
recently been completed on this redoubt, and
the thanking howitzers of scarp and counter
scarp can be mounted with very little labor.
THK NORTH CAROLINA PORTS.
Fort Macon protects Beaufort, N. O., and is
situated on bluff on Bogues bank, one and
three fourths mile from the city. 1t com
rnands the EN- ntrance TO Beaufort harbor, hav-
ing full sweep of fire on the mt ain channel The
opposite entrance to the harbori is Shackleford
bank, one and q half miles across. The fortifi-
cation is OF hexagonal form, has two tiers OF
guns, one in casemated bombproofs and the
anrSf Ggcfx nf
twenty ythirty-two-pounders, thirty-two twen-
ty-four- FOUNDERS, two contemporaries, two
twelve-pounders, three field-pieces for flank
ing defence Twelve flank he howitzers, eight eight
inch howitzers (heavy,) eight eight inch now
itzers (iight,) one thirteen-inch mortar, three
ton Inch mortars, two Coehorn mortars. To-
tai, ghty seven guns. The war garrison OF
the fort is three hundred men. This fort,
however, is sadly in need OF repairs the ma
sonry requires pointing in many places /;
nearly all .he iron work, such as doors and
window fastenings, are rusted away. Oae OF
the wooden bridges across the ditch IS oecayeo,
AS also the shingled entire slope OF the covert
way. The shot furnace il useless, the store
rooms need renovation, and the roadway re-
quires to have its embankment repaired, and
q new bridge to be built across the canal. The
wharf, having its piers undermined BY the sea
current and its wooden superstT ucture much
decayed, req uires to be rebuilt. The fortifica-
ton cost the Federal Government half mil
lion dollars.
Fort Caswsll is q flrst-class fortiHcation, Of
hexagonai form, built Of massive Northern
granite masonry. having two tiers Of guns
under bombproof casemates, and one tier OF
guns On baybstss. II Is situated at the entrance
OF Cape Fear river, two miles from Smith
vile. It's armament consists OF twelve 81
FOUNDERS, twenty two N-pounders, four
is-pounders, four II FOUNDERS. three field
pieces for Ranking dsfsuces, six flank howit-
zers, six eight-inch howitzers, (heavy,) two
ten inch mortars and two Coehorn mortars-
in all eighty.seyen guns. The work 10 sur
rounded by bitches and advanced works, and
IL in every particular frst-class work. II
cost the Federal (3overnment SSH, 900. Ita
war garrison consists os 400 msn. The work