The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-11
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.

MINaToN, in command Of the Arsenal, show
ing that the newspapers had greatly ex-
aggerated the shipment Of arms to the
South. The following resolution, among
many Others, was reported by Committee,
and adopted at the meeting by small ma.
jority =
RESOLVED, That we deprecate. any inter-
ference with the shipment Of the said arms un-
der government orders, however inopportune
or impolitic the same may be, believing it
| would give color to the imputation that we
have no more respect for the Federal Laws
than our fellow citizens of the seeding State
OF South Carolina. and decrease our moral
| much more than it could increase our material
power. II
In an editorial on the subject, the Post,
after condemnipg the hasty and illadvised
action of the people of the city, and the in
fammatory appeals published in some Of
the Republican papers, goes on to say:
The Great Gun question is settled. The citi
/
the government. This seven hundred tons of
Pittsburgh manufactures will be duly shipped
to their port of destination, and the city of
Pittsburgh will not be the first, by an overt act
of rebellion, to declare that this Union is dis.
| solved past mending. lo I.'.a ...f.... Il .l
Gen. HARVEY, in an official report to
the Secretary of War, dated St. Louis, De-
cember II, says the cheapest and best way
to catch Montgomery is to furnish the Gov
ernor of Kansas with funds, and let him do
it. The General, in his communication, re-
fers as follows to Montgomery: 1
| believe that Montgomerys band is fully az
large as represented to be; that they are sworn
to protect each other by perjury, assassination,
and in every way possible. Their object is,
as declared publicly by themselves, to protect
fugitive slaves in the Territory, to assist them
to run away whenever an opportunity offers,
taking them East and receiving sixty dollars
per head" and to drive out of the Territory all
| of the population on the border either belongs
to this organization or sympathise with them,
and those who do not dare not oppose them or
give information concerning them. I am sat-
isied that the greater part, if not all of the
donations which are sent to sufferers in Kansas,
SOCS lutO tuo uduUS VI ILLS Uauu, anu Inc great.
| er portion OF it is perverted from the use in
tended. and used in purchasing arms and mu-
nitions OF war for carrying out their plans. 1t
would take large force to thoroughly break
up this band. 1a..... :.
Montgomery has regularly organized band
| OF about sixty men, who receive ten dollars
| per month, besides portion of the robberies,
| &C., and also spies and runners all over the
country, who give him timely notice of any
movements set on foot against him.
- It is universally conceded that Major
ANDERSON acted wisely in evacuating Fort
Moultrie, and occupying Fort Sumpter.
Military men at the east, are in extacies
over the movement, and it is only objected
to by the secessionists. 1t is conceded that
it would require acontinuous bombardment
of six months with guns Of the heaviest
metal to destroy Fort Sumpter, and then it
could only be done, if at all, by chipping off
the masonry piece by piece. The New
York Herald gives the best sketch we have
seen Of Fort Sumpter: " 5%5 Isl
Fort Sumpter is one of the most powerful
military works in the United States. 1t is built
| Oh al arunCiai iSlauQ, lWme0lately Wltnn tle
mouth of Charleston bay, between Fort Moul-
trie and the site Of old Fort johnson, of Revo.
lutionary memory, and equidistant from those
points about three.fOurths of one mile. The
ship channel leading from the sea to the city of
Charleston is between forts Sumpter and Moul-
trie, and is entirely commanded within half
range by them. Between forts Sumpter and
johnson the water is very shallow, only avail.
able for vessels of very light draft, and then
only at high water. The artificial island on
which Fort Sumpter is built is constructed of
the refuse from the granite quarries of New
England. Ten years was consumed in it's
completion. at q cost of half million of
dollars. The fertilization is of pentag
onal form, built of solid brick masonry.
The walls are fifty feet in height, and from eight
to ten feet in thickness, and are pierced for
three tiers of guns, besides having necessary
loopholes for musketry, and designed for an
armament of one hundred and forty pieces of
ordnance of all calibres. Two tiers of the
guns are under bomb proof easements, and
the third or upper tier open, or, in military
parlance, en- barbette-the lower tier for forty.
two FOUNDER Paixhan guns; the second tier for
eight and ten inch C0lumbiads, for throwing
solid or hollow shot, and the upper tier for
mortars and twenty-four pound guns. The
full armament of the fort, however, had not
session. and 1t is fair, therefore, to suppose all
the available ordnance will be equitably dis
tributed throughout as judiciously as possible.
1t is thought that with the present armament
of the fort the guns would be capable of
throwing six thousand pounds of shot at each
discharge. In defensive or strategcal point
of view Fort Sumpter radiates its fire through
all the channels from, the sea approach to
Charleston, and has full sweep Of range in
its rear, or city side, ample to repel any at
tack from that quarter. The fort is sufficiently
out of range from Q land artillery attack, so
that all apprehensions for preaching it may be
put at rest. The maximum range Of the guns
from Sumpter is three miles, but for accurate
firing, sufficient to hull vessel, the distance
would require to be reduced one half of that
figure. 1t can only be entered by an enemy
by the embrasures, which an attacking force
must crawl through, one man at q time and
hence two men at one of these could defend it
against five hundred. 4t .41 ..+
The fort at the present time has officers
quarters and barracks for seven hundred men,
its regular war garrison. There is an ample
supply of shot, powder and shell for one year,
siege, and q large amount of miscellaneous
artillery stores. The garrison is simply sup
piled with water from artificial wells, which
are supplied by the frequent showers Of rain.
Considering its position and natural advan.
tages, Fort Sumpter, with its present garrison,
10 lmpregnable from any Tack of local ma