Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-01-31
The Pensacola Forts.

Capt. Armstrong, the commandant at
Fort Pickens, near Pensacola, now shares
with Maj Anderson the attention of the
country. Pensacola is called the key of
the Gulf, and Fort Pickens is as much the
key Of Pensacola as Sumter is of Charles
ton. The Mobile Advertiser of Tuesday,
says:
There are three forts at Pensacola, a
navy yard and redoubt. Commandant
Armstrong has abandoned the Navy Yard
and Fort BarancaS, removing munitions
and spiking gups, and transferring his
forces, amounting in the aggregate TO be-
tween two and three hundred men, from
the main land TO Santa Rosa Island, has
prepared to make good his position within
the immensely strong Notifications of Fort
Pck.ns. Whether he has abandoned
Fort McCree, also, we are not advised, but
We doubt if he. has. This fortress is a
powerful aud casile-like masohary erection,
built on a low sand spit of the mainland,
and appearing to rise out of the WATER
1t is further seaward than Fort Picken>,
of which it is the uis- a vis across the chan
mel, and vessel entering must needs run
the gauntlet of its guns before approach
the latter, which, however, of itself effect
nally closes the hatbor against the admis-
sion of an enemy Of even very heavy
force. 81 p -
Fort Pickens is designed to mount no
less Than two hundred and twelve guns,
and under the protection of lis immense
bailerise the ships Of an enemy could not
make good their harbor ia the bay cf Pen
sacoIa, or if they did not care to run. the
risk from shore batteries which could not
be in very dangerous range, they eoald
land forces and supplies on the fort to the
eastward on Santa Rose Island, which
is som fortymiles long, and Thus throw in
reiuforcements and rendezvous even an
army al the fort without interruption. un-
less of force entrenehed on the island
itself, in the rear of the fort-Whch,
however, is almost if not quite as defens-
bic from rear as 'front.' Ii We are to have
war, the seizure of this stronghold is, of
course of the last importance. for, unless il
is occupied by us, it will secure to the enc
my base of operations along Our whole
gulf coast and keep open a road right into
the heart Of the South, which can not be
obstructed by any fixed Notifications.
Once within the gates of the tarbor,
and an army could be disembarked at any
point on the wide bay whichit might Sc
lect. 1t could run up beyond the Escam-
bia river and land many hours ahead of
any opposing force which might beat Pen
sacoIa. beside placing a wide river between
II and the lalter-or even Two rivers, the
Escamb;a and Blackwater- going far
enough up. Hence, with start Of al
least forly-eigtt hours, it could march in
tc interior Alnbama. An enemy holiing
Fort Pickens could rendezvous naval
force there and keep up a blockade of all
the ports of the Gull, unless We could
meet it on the sea. E
Proceeding then to speak of the posi-
be necessity Of the capture Of Fort Pick
ems, the advertiser thinks it could be done
by sudden attack from the island 10 the
eastward, though it would be "a bloody
business"
Last nights dispatches assure US that
the Secessionists have concluded to lei
Fort Pickens alone. They only storm
empty forts.