The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-04-05

A PEEP AT THE FIRE-EATERs.
"Charleston under Arms" is the title of a
pleasant article in. the atlantic Monthly for
April. The author, who evidently has an
eye for the ludicrous, visited Charleston in
January, and appears to have made the most
of his opportunities. We quote two or
three passages from bis redable story:
CHARLESTON MARKsMEN.
At two o'clock we were steaming over
the yellow waters o. the harbor. The vol
unteers, like everybody else in Charleston,
discussed sec ession and Fort Sumter, con.
sideriDg the former an accomplished fact,
and the latter as fact of the kind called
stubborn. They talked uniform, too, and
equipments, and Workmanship, and drinks,
and cigars, and other military matters. Now
an awkwardly folded blanket was taken
from the shoulders which it disgraced, re
folded, packed carefully in its covering of
India-rubber, and strapped once more in its
place, two or three generally assisting in the
operation. Presently firing at marks from
the upper deck commenced. The favorite
target was conical floating buoy, showing
red on the sunlit surface of the harbor, some
four hundred yards away. With crack
and hoarse whiz the MIME balls flew
towards it, splashing up the water they first
struck, and then taking two or three tre-
mendous skips before they sunk. A militia
man from New York city, who was one of
my fellow passengers, told me that be "Bev-
er saw such good shooting" 1t seemed to
me that every sixth ball either hit the buoy
full, or touched water but few yards this
side of it, while not more than one in do
zen went wild.
at is good for thousand yards" said a
volunteer, slapping his bright new piece
proudly.
THE QUESTION OF FORT sUMPTER.
A favorite subject of argument appeared
to be whether Fort Sumpter ought to be
attacked Immediately or not. A lieutenant
standing near me talked long and earnestly
regarding this matter with civilian friend,
breaking out at last in loud tone:
"Why, good Heaven, Jim do you want
that place to 60 peaceably into the hands of
Lincoln ?"
"No, Fred, 1 do not. But 1 tell you,
Fred, when that fort is attacked, it will be
the bloodiest day,--the hloodiest day the
bloodiest-!!p r.
And here, unable to express himself in
words, Jim flung his arms wildly about,
| ground his tobacco with excitement, spat
on all sides, and walked away, shaking his
head, I thought, in real grief of spirit.
HATcH1Na sECoND-CLAss PLANS.
Tn ooupfrv which for oinhfu uooro hoo
not seen shot fred in earnest, it is not
wonderful that good deal of ignorance
should exist concerning military matters,
and that second.class plans should be
hatched for taking first-class forti6cation.
While was in Charleston the most popular
proposition was to lombard continuously
for two whole days and nights, thereby de-
moralizing the garrison by depriving it Of
sleep and causing it to surrender at the first
attempt to escalade. Another plan, not in
general favor, was to smoke Anderson out
by means of a raft covered with burning
mixtures of chemical and bad smelling
nature Still another, with, perhaps, yet
fewer adherents, was to advance en- all sides
in such vast number of rOwbOats that
the fort could not sink them all, whereupon
the survivors should land on the wharf and
proceed to take such further measures as
might be deemed expedient. The volunteers
from the country always arrived full of faith
and defiance ave want toget squint at
that Fort Sumpter," they would say to
their city friends. We are going to take
it. If we don't plant the palmetto on it,
it's because there's no such tree as the pail
metto."
CoLUMBIADs REGARDED WITH DIsFAvOR.
Down the harbor they would go in the
ferry.boats to Morris or Sullivan's Island.
The spy glass would be brought out and
one after another would peer through it at
the object of their enmity. Some could not
sight it at all, confound the instrument, and
fell back on their natural vision. Others,
NJ re lucky or better versed in telescope
observations, got view of the fortress and
perhaps burst out swearing at the evident
massiveness of the walls and the size OF the
columbiads.
"Good Lord, what gun !" exclaimed
one man. "D'ye see that gun2 What an
almighty thingl I'll be - if I ever
put nv head in front of it!'
THE STAR OF THE WEST.
This fighting was sober sad subject
and yet at times it took turn toward the
ludicrous. A gentleman told me that he
was present when the steamer Marion was
seized with the intention of using her in
pursuing the Star of the West. A vebe-
ment dispute arose as to the fitness of the
vessel for military service.
aFill her with men, and put two or three
eighteen-pounders in her," said the advo-
Gates of the measure. es
"Where will you put your eighteen
Founders" demanded the opposition.
aOn the promenade deck, to be sure"
Eyes, and the moment You fire one, you'll
see it go through the bottom Of the ship,