The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-02
THE SOUTHERN FORTS.


Extract from letter written in Fort SUMTER February
rs, 1851
There is no truth in the statement circulated in
Charleston and published in come Of tho papers, that
Major Anderson had been ill., The comm and generally
was quite healthy and in good spirits. DIR. Crawford,
the medical officer Of the command he'd been quite Ill,
but had nearly recovered. Work st actively going
on at the batteries works around tho fort New
hraznres for heavy guns were in process Of consraot
Cummings Point. These will bear directly upon tho
Of the fort large command were ow stationed
on Morris Island, at the different batteries there At
For; Moule they stl at work at the extension Of
the glacee around the southwest side the works But
few vessels in port Some of the soldiers whose
term OF enlistment had expired had determined t.
main and share the fate OF their comrades.
LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT A. J. sLEMMER TO HIS
FEBRUARY 20, 1861.
DFAn BRcrnER AS q special messenger viii leave hero
FOR Washington tomorrow viii ask him 70 carry somo
private letters, with his public ones, and let you know
some little about Fort Pickens mad the inhabitants
the. eof. ! only wish IL were not much OF a one
sided arrangement as we need letters down here
than you fortunate people up North The papers
come through sometimes but letters qai.e
praes 70 my figuring extensively in tho
newspapers have simply done my duty; but sup-
pose the doing it, under such pressure OF opposition,
makes It appear creditabc Tho troops leaving the
opposite shore Disguised a. playing soldier suppose
They there only about three hundred remaining
and these regplas, having enlisted for year My
messenger % the yard This ,rnng said they afraid
would attack them We could do So and &c pos
session again Of everything in an horr, only
permitted 10 take such a course. have now mounted
nearly all the guns-that is all that really necessary
TO enable this work 10 be defended by force of hun
bred men. We have worked like horses accomplish
this, but great things be done by small when
one knows how This small command has done more
than Chase Lomax could have done with their two
thousand men, and they know it, Having our guns
90 up rapidly, they have had renforcemens
In fact the papers say nothing else could be expected
that We have smugged in from the vessels. II is
true we could have done and they be the wiser
but not man has been added 70 this mana from
them In fact, so particular are We tina. not nm
officer has come ashore with the exception Of Captain
yogdes, and he only once when the vessels frs. came
Ihese sou'hen papers are publishing all sorts OF
false reports about me: One Is that was heard to
say that IL they had attacked the fort any time
during tho first fifteen days would have surrendered
i without firing gun OF course this Is not true My
men stood At the guns every Of th ,se days. and
they had come they would have learned the definition Of
one kind Of grape
The roop'e on the opposite shore think we are In
much more defensble condition than when they frst
1he moral effect Of the guns on top is great When
the move arst made worked most where they could
not see me, and they thought but little doing but
whom my men were put 10 work the bar bette guns
and they saw them g. up almost Ike magic, as they
thought (they could scarcely move their guns) they
began TO think troublous times comiag There are
only, as said before, about -four hcadrcd at tae
BarrancaS bctrea-oDly enough
garrison them. They are very much afraid that
uLe morning they VIII ind the ships 10 the barbos with
the intelligence 70 them tta they leave within two
bonrs, unless they prefer to be food for powder.
Colonel Chase and Captain Randolph both in Mont.
eonery, leaving Colonel ro.ney In com nlnd
lie is a West Point graduate and engaged IN put.
ting up the batteries before that work stopped.
Coionel Chase was putting up battery the light
house, ard moantiug eight inch coumtiads on IT, This
battery woi have taked our front go wrote protest
ing against Us continuance at present and also against
ne erection g al batteries bearing on The fort Colonel
'hase told The Secretary Of War that II he would not
aud the troops in the Brooklyn he his part would
not attack the fort, and would Immediately discontinue
all preparations for doing or course this battery
building was Violating the agreement AMI they have al
mitted by hot going They think have right to
mount any guns either, but that Is all they know
about IL. There armisice my side nj all,
celt about the landing OF the troops ana that tho
Sccreary'e am at perfect liberty 70 mount every gun
10 the fort choose and 10 make such other defcnces
os cr1 invent or copy. A. J. SLE1MER