Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-04-05
MoRRIs ISLAND, CHAKLEsrOS HARBcn
March 24, 1881


d Description Of tie Batteries and HosO they
Are Manned-Higor Of Martha, Luw-7ne
Infantry, Artillery and Rifes-Hopitalities.
&c.
Here we are, with Governor Pickens' per-
mission, safely errived Mt Norris Island, 10
Charleston harbor. We have been safely Ian =
ded. after only half m hours delay from the
confederate governments steamer Gen. Clincl,.
1t is true were few minutes' detention at til .
gangway, for Lig soldier with n light muske
required that time TO scrutinize our passport.
The Governor, when in hurry, does not write
in exactly SO legble manner That those who
run may rend, aud ns the South Carolina SOL
dicrs never run. it was certainly excusnble in
the sentry to hesitate little while before he
passed so suspicious n character as n newspaper
reporter. We had been adlnou ushed, before
proposing TO visit the fortificmtions that the
strictest military discipline wns rcigning-mar
tinl law in the s.ricest sense-and that some
Newspaper men who found themselves within
the lines of the Notifications occasionally found
great difficulty in getting out; in fact, one
cluled to join the service, just for the lovo Of
the thing, and we beheld him nmong the first,
illustrated in comfortable red wooen SHIRT,
lnsey woolsey pants, and beautiful bead, of
verlnilion hue, reaching hard by his br. nst
bones, and boiling with sanguinary tempcra-
ment that plainly indicated desiro to give the
Yankees Dnhlgren.
as that goodi' asks the sentinel Of another.
The crowd pushes. Wo cry Colonel Dearing
and the Governor" seize our pass, and in few
minutes encounter Colonel Dearing on the
bench. who very kindly makes our pathway
clear
BATTERY no. I.
The first object of interest We discover, af-
ter We find ourselves behind IA we'll packed
and protected sand bank, is terrible looking
battery. surrounded by determined looking
men consisting of two forty two Founders and
four beautiful ten inch mortars, the latter of
which have power to crack the clouds when
they have nothing else to crack. This battery
is located directly opposite the sallyport of For.
Sumter, the weakest spot in that almost indcs-
tructible fortress. 1t was from this battery
the accidental shot was fired that knocked a
piece out Of one of the ramparts Of Fort Sum-
ter, the mishaP. however, being splrtedly
medied BY Major Andcrsons men, without
return shot from tho gallant Major Compli-
mcnta, under similar circumstances, are gene
rally returned in warfare, and Anderson has
friends among Charleston military mon
by his conduct on lhis occasion. So much for
battery No. l.
BATTERY 20 2.
And what sort Of a structure have we now
come tot 1t looks like terrible engine ofsome
sort from the ieside but clambering to the
outer works. we find it resembles, nfter we
know what is inside, the ribs Of iron devils,
close rivetsd with clasps of steel and alliga-
tor mouths. for portfolios. This is Major Ste
vons' famous iron battery, constructed of rail-
road iron, SO compact that neither water nor
dews can penetrate. If a she II or ball strikes
the roof it will either rebound or be lost in The
sand bank that protects its front, or be Iost in
the soft marsh just beyond. This battery is
supplied with three sombre looking ten inch
oolumhiads directly pointing to the sallyport
OF Sumter before mentioned, and when the
iron jaws of those portfolios are slowly lifted
and let down, it seems as if human bodies were
crushed in every motion. To the genius of
Major T. +. Stevens, who is "A graduate of the
South Carolina Military Academy. is the con-
struction Of this remarkable battery TO be
credited.
BATTERY NO. 3.
What have We here, behind these ramparts
OF sand bags and san dbanks. with turf sodden
resorts for est. or retirment for the wounded
or fatguedi This is a battery Of three ten
inch columbiads and three ten inch mortars.
war ship that could pass this battery with
out being sunk would have to fly over it like
balloon, with great danger at that, for she
cold nevor do SO through the channel.
And now we have
BATTERY NO. f.
1t is composed of three eight inch mortars.
1t is we'll situated and we'll manned.
Next on the line of this, to the enemy, hum
bie lowlooking fortiicatlon, is
BATTERY NO. 6.
Which is composed of two twenty. four poup-
ders and two eight inch bowitzers. The ac-
euracy with which these guns have been fred
may be imagined when. at the distance of
milo and more. buoys have been sunk.
BATTERY NO. 6.
Consists OF similnr armament TO that of bat
terry No. 8. viz:-Two twenty four FOUNDERS
and two eight-inch howitzers.
BATTERY NO. 7.
Consists Of two for:y-two Founders and two
twenty.four Founders.
BATTERY NO. 6.
Is an admirable and formidable battery of one
ten inch teolumbiad by Col. L. G. Lamar aide
to The Governor. The accuracy with which
barrel can be hit at the distance Of mile and
half after the gun is sighted by Col. Lamar
marvellous. WHILE at the same time, the neat.
ness to be observed in all the surroundings of
Inc battery, the cleanliness of the flooring up
on which rests the carringe Of this terrible dog
OF war; the fine polish Of the carriage, the
trim looking men who "run the mschine'-to
o'e . ispdg phrase-in fact, the super. excel
ienee Of all the arrangements of battery No. s,
exhibit yacht like experience in its comn,an.
der which would never allow a wsnderer to
depart unsatisfed::
.'StA- BAfrppy xo