New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-03

OI ward, must acknowledge thaJ CafInnianb nave iont
none Of te zeal and bravery which distinguished them
Of old.
Sunday was no idle day for the garrisons. At Castle
pmckney seryice was duly performed, bat the rest OF
the day was devoted 10 energetic action The eXtr1s
Of TIE CkarieSt0R Mercury, containing the latest
news by telegraph from Washington, We're received in
tie morning, and proved welcome relief TO the mono
tony Of garrison duty.
TIE STATE OF AFFAIRS AT FORT SUMTER.
From the accounts OF number Of laborcrs who were
cent from Fort Sumter on Friday night our reporters
have cleaned mass of highly interesting details IN re-
laon TO the strength and present condition OF the great
fortress which fornsthe last stronghold OF Federal
authority within the limits Of our State.
About six weeks ago, when there were no troops IN
Fort SUMTER the Fedora. officers IN charge Of that post
proposed 10 the workmen employed IN completing the
notifications and who then numbered about lJJ men,
that they should enlist in the United States service, and
thus vary the monoony Of handling the trowel and
the derrick by little daily practice with the musket
and the howZer. The workmen, most Of whom were
from a Southern city, at first demnrred at TINS some
what extraordinary proposal alleging that they came
TO work and fight; and, finally, after consilta-
ton among themselves, they laily refused to become
the ankess tools OF coercion. Tire benevolent officers
az there help for II, suffered the matter 10 dro
Tor While and the work Of getting the guns III posi-
ton and otherwise strengthening the fortress, was re-
smcd by the stalWaTt Baltimore mechanics and AOJ-
rers without any more martial proposiiloos
Thus matters wore until the transfer OF The garr-
son of Fort Moultrie TO Fort Sumter. On Thursday
Pinckhey and the rockets from Fort Moultne, an
nolce TO the lookOuts the ramparts OF Fort Snne:
the occupation OF both those works by the State troops
the impression quite prevalent among the ohted
States officers that sudden attack upon their own p0
sition wOuld follow. The laborert were again hastily
sun moned togeher-again the officers endeavorcd TO
coax them to don the blue cloth and brass buttons m
defense of the fOI and again the sturdy sons OF to
declined the tempting offer. Finding that the work
men were movabe in their resolve not TO paril1plte
in any contest with the forces Of South Carolina the
officers thought that the next best thing vast get men
who could e,ince sympathy for Federal tyranny Out
of the way as soon possible Inc boats were ac"
cordiney manned shortly after nghtia, and the larger
portion Of the workmen were quietly taken over 70
Fort johnson. The wOrkmen say tlat lhi' Wd9 ooue
by order Of Capt Foster who it will be remembered
was in Charleston that same morning (Thursday.l
The dreaded attack not having taken place, the Ii
bOrers and mechanics returned on Friday morning,
when about 80 OF them including all the master me-
chanics, weary Of a position 80 full OF danger an1
alarms, announced their intention TO quit On de nand-
ing their pay, they received drafts on the Morrill, M
stead Of tie specie in which the Government usually
paws its employees and glad TO get away, they en-
parked at Ocork Oh Saturday morning. on schooner
for Charleston. On arriving III Charleston, they
found neur-,1es -. q strange city, and Destitute OF
means. A purse was promptly made up for them
among some of our liberal citizens, and Oh Saturday
afternoon they departed for their hones on tJe edu
ship Keystone State. Previous TO leaving, however,
they related the following facts concerning the post
they had Just left:
The force now remaining n Fort Sumter consist OF
about 49, men, 81 of whom tbOrer-, ana the rest
troops belonging TO the artillery branch Of the United
States service. These latter su eni TO man about
ona half the guns of the Fort suppo-ng tue guns We're
all mounted. Fortunately, however this is far from
being the Gaze. Out Of - pieces OF heavy ordnance
in the Fort only II are fully mounted These are
all cassmate guns III the lower Tier, and include the
mise guns of mat of the fortress fronting toward
uiiyan Island Two mo,e OF these caselnate guns
were nearly mounted on Friday evening, bu the work
of getting them in position Is necessarily slov and led
Gus, and, with the fOrce nov AT WORK. II Is impossible
Ia mount more than tree guns pea day az the utmost
The heaviest guns, too which are The lO.inch Colum
liads, have vel 10 BE- mounted. One Of the c'uenale
guns oi the angles Of Inc walls has been placed
IN position AZ To cover Castle tlnCEney lhe gifr
were, on Friday evening getting ready To mount
soue Of the easement guns on the south tide Of he
walks.
IS, ide these heavy PIECES four Of the lighter boT5r
guns are mounted upon the ramE,Its pointing towards
Morris Island. There are "a arranged upon pivot
carriages M 10 sweep around the whole horizon. Inc
magazine Of the fortress is well stocked with an an
quantity Of grape, canister, ana shells, ang ap'u
seven hundred barrel. OF powder All The small arms
and s Of Fort Monltre have been Transferred with
the garrison, aud there j. sufficient accrmulaos OF
pIoyions 10 last, in case of necessity, for sIN mouths
at least. -Four large ciserns contain an ample supply
of fresh wafer but il Is now well understood tnet
Fort Sumter has no fuel to spare. The current
in the CITY that number of the guns in Fost sumter,
which are moi yet mounted, had been spiked by the
Southern WoIkmen, Is without foundation.
TIL. ARSENAL.
About two clock yesterday afternoon, the Federal
H,o which until thai time Lad been suffered TO wave
over the frserol was hauled down. and the glorious
Palmetto banner up in ia stead. As the State flag
for the irt time tapped in the breeze from that nr
staff q salute of cannon was fired to celebrate the
event. We fancy that the guards viii watch more
zealously than ever, h0i they know hat the tug
of their redeemed country is hoaiins proudly over
hem.