Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-06


/ TAI restIns frsm Fsrt sumter-Range and
Distance 81 the CharIeston Batteries-
Power Of the Fsrt 20 Resist On Afteek.
The Charleston Is. o. correspondent Of
the NeWYork Herald writes: MA
The new Qualifications Nos. q 3 A5
| and 6 were thrown up IN The order named.
| No. 1. the aStar Of the West battery n sit
kuated on Morris Island, and has three guns
hearing On the main ship channel No. 2,
which Il situated about the middle OF Sui
| Iiven's Island beach, is q heavy battery, bear
ing both on Mafit Channel and on Fort
sumter. It's distance from Fort Sumter Is
between one and a half and two miles-a
moderate range. No. 3 is a light howitzer
battery, placed on the east end Of Sullivan's
Island, in order to command the ford be-
tween that and Long Island. The site of
battery No. 3 is one of historic interest.
Duripa the battle OF Fort Moultrie Clinton
| attempted to pass from Long Island to Sui
ivsn's Island, for the purpose Of attacking
Moultrie in the rear, but was prevented from
| doing so by Colonel Thompson, the position
of whose force was very nearly that now
occupied by this btkry.
No. 4 is situated on the northern extremity
of Morris Island, or Cummingss Point, as it
is called; it is, perhaps, the most effective
battery Of all. The guns are heavy column
biads, and besides these there are several
mortars. They bear upon the channels Of
the harbor and also upon the gateway Of
Fort Sumter, the distance to which is only
a thousand yards, or something over a half
mile.
No. 8 is a battery Of seven mortars, from
which bombs or shells could be thrown with
IMMUNITY for any length Of time, inasmuch
as II is placed so as to be perfectly protected
from the guns OF Fort Sumter, It's distance
from that Fort is between one and a quarter
and one and a half miles.
Fort Moultrie, recently much strength
ened on the water side, has thirteen guns
bearing on Fort Sumter and others bearing
on the channels. The distance separating
these Forts is one mile. Fort johnson has
only three or four guns, and is one mile and
a quarter from Fort Sumter.
There are four channels Of entrance to
Charleston harbor-main ship. channel, rum
ming within range of Morris Island, and for
miles parallel to the beach; Mafit Channel,
which begins at a shoal named, Significantly,
the Rat~tle-snake, approaches Sullivan Island
not far from an ugly breaker, called Drunken
Dick, and then passes close by the no less
ugly guns of Fort Moultrie. Between these
two channels are the remaining two-Swash
Channel, not well marked, and North Chan
mel, little used. The low-wster depth of the
best of the four is but eleven feet.
A steamer entering by either channel to
land re- endorsements at Fort Sumter would
nave to pass a certain point, situated in the
only ~naYigable approach to the fort. Should
a steamer succeed in reaching that point il
would there receive the combined FIRE of Fort
johnson, Fort Moultrie, Battery No. 4 and
Battery No. 2-the distances from the point
designated TO the forts and batteries named
being respectively two miles, three fourths
of a mile, half a mile and a mile and q half
A steamer, therefore, at the point referred to
would be exposed to the iron hail from more
than twenty-five guns, at an average dis
lance of less than q mile and a fifth. (The
Star of the West turned back before reach.
ing it)
In the event of an attack upon Fort Sum.
ter, there could be brought to bear upon il
the fire of Fort johnson, Fort Moultrie, Bat
terry No. 8, Battery No. 2 and Battery No. 4
that is, a fire from at least twenty-five guns
and ten mortars.
To oppose this attack from five points,
there are in Fort Sumter certainly not more
than seTenty-fve men, if as many; and as
it requires at least five men to each gun, oil
the large number of guns in Fort Sumter
only fifteen could be brought to action. But
when guns are mounted in easements (that
is have solid masonry above, beneath and
on either sidel as in this fort, the violent
conclusion accompanying their discharges
soon causes those who man them to suffe /
severely from rush of blood to the head, and,
in consequence, it becomes necessary to re-
lieve the men for a time.
Hence, of the seventy. five men garrison
ing Fort Sumter, at least one-third would
have to act as a reserve, and the remainder
fifty men, could man only ten guns. Thus
it appears, that but two gum could be op
posed to each of the five attacking batteries
1t would seem, then, that to re-enforct
Fort Sumter is of paramount Importance
but since the approach of a war steamer hal
been rendered impracticable, as shown, the
only alternative would be for a re enforce
ment to enter Lighthouse Inlet in small
boats, land on the south end of Morris Island
march the length of that island (three OF
four miles, take Battery No. l and Battery
No. a, and having thus reached the north
end of the island or Cummings's Point, Fort
Sumter would be but l 900 yards distant, and
to cross would be an easy matter.
To defeat such a movement, however, am
pie provisions have been made. Battery No.
6 has been planted OF the south end of Nor
ris Island, so as to command Lighthouse In-
let, and a force ofsix or eight hundred mel
has been quartered Oh the anne island, the
larger part being stationed at the south end
nesr the Battery.
With less ample means Col. Thompson il
76 successfully disputed Clinton's passage
at Long Island Ford. From the Palmetto
Guard, with Battery No. 6, may be expected
at least as much as from Col. Thompson
with his little eighteen-pounder and ligh
field piece.