The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1861-04-11
nm FoRTIFIcAT1oNs ON MORRIS
ISLAND.


FULL DESCRIPTION OF TWELVE BATE
RIEs.
Especial Correspondence Of Tie Nev York Times.
CHARLESTON, G. S., March 25, 1861.
Your correspondent has been unwilling
to acknowledge that he could be defeated
by the South Carolinians in his efforts to
see the most important Of all the fortifca-
tions in the harbor, viz: those on Morris
Island. He has tried every expcdient,
had been promised over and over again
that he should certainly see them, but in
variably the promise has been revoked
when the appointed tilno- camel After
the avalanche of crinoline that | alluded
to in recent letter, Gen. Beauregard is
sued the most positive orders that no civ
ilians, under any circumstances, should
be permitted to visit either Eart Johnson,
Moultrie OF Morris. Notwithstanding
this imperial cdct, the thing has at last
been done, and have TO thank that bun
die of charming contradictions, q woman
for tho modue operandi. was coming out
of Quartcrmaster-Gencral Hatch's office,
on Meeting street, last Saturday after
noon, when I met very lovely creature
in tears. She had been to Gen. Bcaure-
CARDS headquarters, in Secession Hall,
but he, she said, was no gentleman, and
wasn't an American thus to refuse lady
who had not seen her husband for eight
weeks She had also been to see Gov.
Picllens' headquarters, but could not sec
him. [ returned with her TO Mr.. Hatch,
and plead hard, but the Quartcrmaster,
although made of fnc-toncd materials,
dared not disobcy the orders of his supe-
rior in rank. I determined on coup,
and told the lady that if she would come
down to Southern achaJ at 10 a. IN. pre-
ciscly, Sunday morning, that l would
have at her disposal safe boat with four
trusty oarsmcn, and we would see if VIC
could not run the gauntlet successfully.
I am thus minute, because leading mer-
chant here told me only fortnight since
that if she heard Of ny going or attempting
to go to any of the forts he should notify the
Government that [ acas q spy" Yet an eN-
traordinary piece of good luck has ena-
blcd me to sec the whole network Of i'm
mcnscly strong fortifcatlons, covering
the whole of Camp Gregg, as Morris Is
land, six miles long, is called.
Punctual to the moment, the lady ar
rived and we sailed down the beautiful
bay with the thermometer at IS deg.
When off Sumter, we stopped to observe
the effect of that "accidcntal on-pur-
pose shot from the columbiad at Ste
vcns' Battery I observed that place
full two feet square had been knocked
away, and that very deep intentation
had been made, which is now partially
filled up. On the samc side there arc two
long rows of holes on two sides Of the
pentagon, facing respectively Forts Nor
ris and James. These also answer as
.ventilators; but owing to the imminent
danger of an attack at any moment, the
lower range had been scaled up with
lead, and the upper one partially so.
thus protecting themselves on this side.
but adding to the dangers of long
siege by shutting out free current OF
pure air. Instead Of sailing direct for
the first battery at Cummings Point.
which throw the shell into SUMTER we
turned our course for Morris Island Creek,
and made for Col. Gregg's private wharf,
about one mile up from the bay. AS we
ncarcd the landing. the sentry, rough
up-countly soldier, who, like many of his
companions, has not seen woman's face
for over q month, stared my beautiful
companion completely out of counte-
nance, and evidently was so completely
nonplussed that we might have passed
without any apcrmit." I gave my card,
and requested him to send at once to Col.
Gregg and inform him that the rcprescn
tativc of the Now York Times had taken
the liberty of visiting the island, and
trusted that he would be permitted to see
the different batteries, and also to escort
q lady who wished to see Lieut.. -, Of
the Richland Rifles. In fifteen minutes
Col Gregg himself came riding down,
eyed mo pretty sharply, evidently Won
dcred at the temerity of the especial .
but, nevertheless, invited mo to land, and
also my companion. While she was es-
corted to her husbands quarters l was