The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-24

NEWS FROM PENSACoLABAy.

NENS fhOM HENSACOLA BAY.
We condense the following from the Mobile
Mercury of the 18th, from which some interesting
facts may be obtained:
We have reliable confirmation of the tele-
graphic reports received of the reinforcement of
the fort
On Friday evening, a little after dark. Signal
guns were heard out at sea-six distinct reports
seemingly to be some dozen fifteen miles away
1t was surmised at first that thev were signals of
distress, but soon 1t was concluded to have some
connection with reinforcement of Pickens. A bout
O'Clock there was discovered to be unusual stir
about Fort Pickens, and unusual lights displayed.
From various indications and circumstances, it was
apparent that reinforcements were being landed
and introduced into the fort. The reinforcement
was still! going Satu day morning when our
informant left. The guns heard at sea were sur
missed, after that discovery, to be signals from the
snlps supposed to be on their way to Southern
ports; but it any in during the night, they
were not observable, and no signs were seen Of
them Saturday morning.
There is another supposition of the reason of the
rentorcements at that particular time. They
have obtained at Pickens some hints of an in
tended visit of 500 men at about the hour OF mid
night
There can be no oubt that an assault on Fort
Pickens was ordered for that night at about the
hour of midnight. The assauting party was COM
posed of five hundred picked men, two hundred
and fifty of whom picked men from the Mis-
sissippi Ninth, to be led by c. H. Harris of the
Home Guards; fifty from the Tenth Mississippi and
the others from other trooos at Pensacola. All ne
cessary preparations made for moving at about
IL o'clock. The storming party were led down to
the Navy Yard, from whence it would probably
have embarked in boats. There are some other
particulars about the preparations, as given to u.s.
which we think had as well not yet have the pub
| licity of newspaper circulation.
1t is surmised that Forney to have been the
leader. There no doubt entertained of its sue
cess, and if all be true as stated to u.s. we think
Fort Pickens would have fallen that night.
Before the hour arrived, it evident the fort
| had hon,, a,,,F,r I.L,z
! ted assault was abandoned. The men picked for
this special service lay their all night at
| the Navy Yard without any protection from the
chill air of the night, some of them not having so
| much as a blanket. They made no complaint.
| Col. Foruey complimented them by saving they
would do for anything. Nota cap was distributed
to them-the business was to be done with cold
| STEEL
There is no truth in the report that Gen. Bragg
had position ON Santa Rosa Island with 800
| men.
The Wyandotte islpositively notified to stay out
side in the future
A letter from Warrington, Fla, dated the 18th,
says: All communication with the ships and Fort
| Pickens has been stopped from this time. The
mail carrier from Fort Pickens arrived this morn
| ing with mail to be forwarded and to get the
letters and papers therein, but all intercepted
| NEWS FROM PENSACOLA.
| Mr.. A. Il. Nicholson delegate from the county
| of Escambia to the Florida State Convention. ar.
rived in this city yesterday evening, direct from
| L IeHsacOld, anu reports tnaC OeneTal Bragg mac
laid an embargo upon all the vessels in that har.
Dor, luding the mail steamship Galveston, W
Hutchins, master. There were perhaps twenty
vessels in the harbor at the time they were placed
under embargo.
We copy the above from the Savannah RepubE
can, of Saturday last. The editor of that iourna
| adds his own comment as follows:
PICKENs.
We regard it, upon the whole, a forum at,
thing that the contemplated attack on For
Pickens was frustrated by the indiscretion of 8
| newspaper correspondent. The plan it seems was
to scale the walls with body of five hundred
picked men, an experiment which, if successful a
| all, must have necessarily been accompanied witt
an immense sacrifice of human life The Confed
crate army has learned useful lesson from the
recent engagement at Charleston. 1t was there
| proved that no fortress surrounded by others wei
armed, can long Withstand a vigorous lombard
ment. The geography of Pickens and its vicinity
is peculiarly favorable for this kind of Investment
Any number of batteries may be erected within
range OF the Federal fortress, and to play upon i
almost from every point of the compass Severa
iron batteries, like that on Morris Island, woul'
do most effective work in bombardment both il
protecting our own troops and battering down thu
enemy. We hope such arrangements will be made
and even though it should require month, o
three months, the time will have been well spent
at the end of it accomplish every pur
pose and save the lives of our troops besides.
How THEY GET OFF.-Judge Harriss, of the Oc
mulgee Cir cult, Georgia. has adopted new pla
of rdding his dockets of assault and battery case
which is not bad idea. At Jones Superior Court
held last week, as we learn from the Macon TEL
graph, two persons indicted for fighting Offence
were discharged on condition that they should e,
list an The Georgia Army, the Judge taking occaso
say to them that they might indulge their bellie
erent propenslt'es by fighting Lincon's men withoi
the fear of fine or imprisonment.
: The Savannah Ne,Os says the schooner Elite,
baltimore, has been sold for $lOO, as she lii
wrecked on Tybee beach.