The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-03-08

GIDEON WELLEs, Secretary OF the navy, Was
an old Jacksonian Democrat and the trusted
personal friend Of the " Hero OF New Orleans
lie has hsld several Offices OF responsibility.
and was for many years connec,ed WIN 'ho
press lie has always held o leading place IN
the politics Of Connecticut, being recognized
a. the leading genius Of the Republican party
OF that State.
EDWARD BArEs, Attorney General, q native
OF Virginia, was born In 1923. and u therefore,
sixty eight years old. In 1914 he went 10 Mis-.
souri,, where he has since resided. and studied
law. lie became States Attorney. and after-
ward District Attorney for Missouri. and FIRE.
quently served In the State Legislature. Ito
was o member of the Lower House OF Congress
iron 1877 10 1879. and acted with the whg
Party. Since the formation OF the Republican
party In Missouri, he has been its leading
member, and his name rallied much strength
in the Chicago National Convention.
LETTER IRON LIEUT.. snNsrR.-Thc follow
ing interesting letter from the Commander at
Fort Piekens. to his brother. will be read with
pleasure -
february 90. 1861.
Dear Brother;
As special messenger will leave
here for Washington tomorrow, will ask him
Ia carry some private letters. with his public
ones, and let you know some little about Fort
Pickens and the Inhabitants thereof | only
wish II were not 80 much Of q one-tided ar
rangement, rs We need letters down here more
than you fortunate people up North can. The
papers come through sometimes, but letters
never. II quite surprises me to see my name
figuring 80 extensively In the newspapers.
have simply done my duty, but | suppose the
doing IL, under such pressure Of opposition,
makes Il sepear creditable. The troops are
leaving the opposite shore, Disguised nj play
ing soldier, I suppose. They say that there are
only about three hundred remaining. and these
are regulars, having enlisted for one year. My
messenger TO the yard, this morning. said they
were afraid We would attack them now. We
could DO 80, and get possession again Of every
thing In an hour, II we were only permitted to
take such course.
have now mounted nearly NIL the guns
that IL, all that are really necessary TO enable
this work to be defended by force OF i've hun
dred men. We have worked like horses to &C
complish this, but great things can be Done by
small means when one knows how. This small
command has done more than Chase or Lomax
could have done with their two thousand men,
AMI they know Il. Having seen our guns go
up 80 rapidly, they swear we have had rein
forcements In fact, the papers say nothing
else could be expected-that We have Struggled
"
have done 80, and they be none the wiser but
net man has been added to this command from
them. In fact, ~ particular are We, that not
even an officer has come ashore. with the ex-
ccption OF Captain Wedges. and he only once,
when the vessels first came.
These Southern papers are publishing all
sorts Of false reports about me. One Is that
I was heard TO say that II they had attacked
the fort any time during the first fifteen days
I would have surrendered II without firing
gun. 0fcourse this Is not true. Ny men
stood nj the guns every one % those days, aud
| II they had come they would have learned tho
definition Of one kind Of grape.
The people ON the opposite shore think wo
are in a much more defensible condition than
when they first came The moral effect Of the
guns on ton Is great. when the nave WAS
| first made worked most where they could not
see me, and they thought but little was doing
but when my men were pup To Work ON tho
barbette guns, and they saw them 20 up al.
most like magic, as they thought, They could
scarcely move their own guns,) they began To
think troubl some times we're coming. There
are only, rs said before, about four hundred
men nj the barracks, Fort Barrancas and old
McCrea-only enough To garrison them They
are very much afraid that some hne morning
they will find the ships In the harbor, with the
intelligence to them that they can leave within
two hours. unless they prefer to be food tor
Colonel Chase and Captain Randolfare both
in Montgomery, leaving Colonel forney In
command.
lie is a West Point graduate, and was engtg-
ell in putting up the batteries before that work
was stopped.
Colonel Chase was putting mp q battery near
the light house, and mounting eight inch coli
umbiads on Il. This battery would have rakei
our front, 80 ! wrote, protesting against It's
continuance at present, and also against tho
erection of all batteries bearing on the Fort
Colonel Chase told the Secretary Of War that
il he would not hand the troops in the Brook
Ign, he. on his part, would not attack the fort,
and would Immediately discontinue all prepar-
ations for 50 doing. or course, this battery
building was violating the agreement, and they
have admitted II by not going ON. They think
have no right 10 mount any more guns either.
but that Is all they know about It. There was
no armistice ON my side at all, except about
the landing Of the troops, and thai was the
Secretary's. am ut perfect liberty to mount
every gun in the fort, " choose, and TO mako
such other defenses rs can invent or copy.
A. J. SLEMMLR.
First Lieut.. First Artillery. commanding Fort
Pickens.