Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-25
The Attnck mon Fort snmter.

That an attack upon Fort Sumter is GER
tainly intended by the Charlestonians, admits
OF no doubt, and that very serious prepara-
tions have been made for the seige, is also
clearly apparent. The Charleston correspon-
dent of the N. Y Times writes:
~ nave just returned from visit to the
famous aoating-battery or raft, which is now
entirely completed and will be launched al
the first favorable tide. There have been so
many crude ideas concerning this novel wea-
Jon, and such ridiculous ideas concerning its
real object that genuine and positive state
ment of It's powers and purposes will, Of
course, be interesting. It may be relied up.
N, as had it direct from leading person
employed in the construction Of the new mill
tsry leYiathan.
Your readers will please imagine huge
box, forty-six by eighty feet pierced for n
sufficient number of riaed cannon, and with
a roof covered with three thick plates of the
best sheet iron, and rendered perfectly bomb
proof. Il viii draw with the armament and
the complement of men-thTee htRdred-Only
four teet At judicious time or turn Of the
tide, it will be foated down by the aid Of two
steam-tugs, to point on the land or inner
side of Fort Sumter, distant just siI hundred
yards. At such proximity, Major Ander-
sons guns, they say, cannot be DETECTED, and
thus secure from his terrible colum biads, &c,
they will pepper away at the weak part fac
ing Morris and James Island, until they et-
feet an entrance, or militarily speaking, make
a breach. Thus, having lam at advantage,
with the Cummins' Point batteries, now i'm
mensely strong, shelling him; with MoulIie's
fearful cannonading also, now terrible Gus
toner; with James Island, too, pouring in the
iron rain, they think the little band at Sum-
ter will be very like the poor fly that became
completely entangled in the meshes Of the
spider. It is my deliberate impression that,
with the extraordinary activity that has been
displayed since I left my labOrs, that Major
Anderson will be annihilated utterly when
they do commence"
The Wing Press, of MiddletOwn, Orange
County, publishes an interesting letter writ
ten by an officer in Major AndersOAs com
mand to a relative in that county:
It is dated at Fort Sumter on Feb Z, and
saws that the soldiers are standing at their
guns port fires lighted, daily expecting an at
tack. From the batteries at Cummings
Point six mortars bear directly upon Fort
Sumter, and these are behind fortifcatiOns
which viii stand severe FIRE before they can
be made untenable It probably viii be Maj
Anderson's lolicy in case of an attack, first
to batter down Fort Moultrie and all the
houses on Sullivan's Island, and then to take
the eiother batteries seriatiu. The officer seems
to have no fear Of the foating batteries which
are said 10 be in course Of construction. They
will be under Samter's guns for the distance
Of mile at least, before they can be made
available, and if they get under the walls
'fnfernal machines will be hurled into
them. The writer also details certain other
defensive preparations, and says that they
have abandoned all hope Of receiving aid
from the Government but gives his word
that manly and vigorous defence will be