New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-11
THE POSITION or MAJOR ANDERSON

To The Editor Of The " Y. Tribune.
SIR: The entire force of enlisted men under the
command Of Major Anderson is about sxty-four. AL
lowing for the various details not than enough
men TO work rapidly and continuously four guns are
left. Working an eightnch columbiad il exceedingly
fatguiug owing to the great weight OF 9th gun and
shot, and the men require frequent relief. Now, tue
fire of four guns would have to be maintained steadily
for several days to have any great effect on Fort Mou.-
trie the batteries at distance o. nile or more
from Fort Sumter. The power Of resistance Of the
iroB-clad battery on Cummngs Point twelve hundred
wards distant l. yet an unsoyed problem but should
IL prove sbOtprof it would of itself occupy the entire
attention OF tue garrison Leaving the gunners at Fort
Moulre free to practice with tner columbids at the
enlbrasures Of Fort Suoier and the mortar batteries
barn the barracks aud drive the men IRON the bar
bette guns. IL could scarcely be expected THAI one
in the fort should be hurt while there IS not man to
be spared. When, two weeks after the occupation OF
Fort Sumter, the Star of the West was driven away,
Major Anderson gave as excuse for standing still,
while the American flag was outraged and
the lives Of $50 men were put In jeopardy under
Lis eyes, that be bad no guns mounted which could
reach the battery on Morris Island. Yet, before tina
time Mr Holt says the Major had advised the War
Department that he bad no need OF reenforoements~
Did he with bis eyes thus rudely opened to bis weak
ness, change the Tenor of his dispatches No; the
lnvariabe burden has been the same: can maintain
myself here without reenforcements" lie knew well,
no one better that Mr. Buchanan would clutch eager.
aod took care 10 furnish him the above excuse, while
the euemy built battery after battery for the express
purpose of cutting off communication with the sea, and
making tho Reinforcement of the fort difficult and
probably bloody enterprise. Now, he writes 10 tha
new Administration, exaggeratng the dangers Of his
position stating that his supplies are running short.
and that it will take TO- 0e0 men to open the commu-
uicaiion with the evident purpose Of frightening the
President into giving up the fort. His whole course
has 20 plainly shown far grestI sympathy
with and desire TO be useful TO tie insurgents,
than any endeavor TO do his duty to tie
United States, that there is no man who
would be more warmly greeted in Charles3
ton than he Yet this man, who stood calmly by ard
saw the Star of the West fired on, who has day after
day for two months seen men and munitions OF wars
to be used against bis country, pass close under his
guns without remonstrance or threat whose whole
course has tended only to make the surrender OF tha
fort sure and bloodless; who thinks the demands q
the Gulf States just and sympathizes with them in all
tLeir acs; this man, t Is proposed 70 raise over
the heads Of fifty OF his seniors, many of them tired
and capable officers, and promote three grades to tbo
rank OF BIigadierGeneral As this will keep up the
old proportion of three Southern Generals to one
Northern our compromises and submissionists will
now have q fine opportunity TO save the Union once
more. F OSE VINO SEES THE FAcTs.