The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-06-29
Fort PIckens ana surroundings.

EOEG EAc6UAS AnG SuEEOunuAmEBs
The letter of Mr.. Russell to the London
Times, gives SO graphic description of the
situation and relative strength of General
Bragg's batteries at Fort Pickens, that we
cannot avoid making lengthy extracts:
BRAGG's BATTERIES.
do not think that any number of
words can give good idea Of long line of
detached batteries. I went through them
all, and l certainly found stronger reasons
than ever for distrusting the extraordinary
statements which appear in the American
journals in reference to military matters,
particularly on their own side of the ques-
ton. Instead of hundreds Of guns, there are
only 10. They are mostly of small calibre,
and the gun-carriages are old and unsonnd,
or new and rudely made. There are only
five heavy guns in all the works, but
the mortar batteries, three in number, of
which one is unfinished, will prove very
damaging, although they viii contain or
10 mortars. The batteries are all sand-bag
and earth-works, with the exception of Fort
Barrancas They are made after all sorts
of ways, and are of very different degrees
of efficiency. In some the magazines will
come to speedy destruction ia others they
are we'll made. Some are of the finest
white sand and will blind the gunners, or
| be blown away with the Shells others are
cramped, and hardly traversed; others,
again, are very spacious, and well construct
| ed. The embrasnres are usually made of
| sandbags, covered with raw hide to save the
cotton bags from the effect Of the fire of
| their own guns. | was unused to observe
That's. Of thesa xUorlza-had- galleries in
/ the rear, generally in connection with the
magazine passages, which the constructors
called " at-holes," and which are intended
as shelter to the men at the guns,
in case of shells falling inside the battery.
| They may prove to have very different re-
| suit, and are certainly not so desirable in a
military point OF view as good traverses.
! A rush for the Z" rat hole" will not be very
digniied or improving to the morale every
time bomb hustles over them and as
suredly the damage to the magazines will
be enormous if the fire from Pickens is
accurate and well sustained. Several of
the batteries were not finished, and the men
who ought to have been working were lay
| ing under the shade of trees, sleeping or
neutrality-suspicious. long-bearded fell
lows in flannel shirts and slouched hats,
uniforruless in all save bright well-kept
arms, nd resolute purpose. We went along
slowly from one battery to the other.
visited nine altogether, not including Fort
! Barrancas, and there are three others,
among which is Fort McRae. Perhaps
there may be fifty guns of all sorts in posi-
ton for about three miles along line ex-
tending 136 deg. around Fort Pickeus, the
average distance being abe mile. The
mortar batteries are well placed among
brushwood, quite out of view to the fort, at
distances varying from 2, 500 to $500 yards,
and the mortars are generally of cai5res
nearly corresponding with our ten inch
pieces. Several of the gun batteries are
put on the level of the beach others have
more command, and one is particularly we'll
placed, close TO the White Lighthouse on a
raised plateau which dominates the sandy
strip that runs out 70 Fcrt McRae. or the
latter have already spoken. Fort Barran-
cas- is au old fort--I believe of Spanish con-
struction, with a very meagre trace--a
plain curtain face towards the sea, protected
by a dry ditch and an outwork, ia which,
however, there are no guns. There is
drawbridge in the rear of the work, which
is simple paralelogram showing twelve
guns mounted en- bdTbette on the sea face.
The walls are of brick, and the guns are
protected by thick merlons of sandbags.
The sole advantage of the fort is in its posi-
ton il almost looks down into the case
mates of Pickens opposite, at its weakest
point, and it has a fair command of the sea
entrance, but the guns are weak, and there
are only three pieces mounted which can do
much mischief While was looking round
there was an entertaining dispute going on
between two men, whom believe to have
been officers, as to the work to be done, and
heard the inferior intimate pretty broad
ly his conviction that his chief did not
| know his own business in reference to some
orders be was conveying.
Tha of hfcl, I
did not appear to be at all sufficient for one
day 5 moderate firing, and many of the shot
were roughly cast, and had deep fianges from
the moulds in their sides, very destructive
to the guns as well as to accuracy. In the
rear of these batteries, among the pine
woods and in deep brush are three irregu-
lar camps, which, to the best of my belief,
could not contain more than 2, 200 men,
4 There are probably 5000 in and about the
batteries, the Navy Yard, and the suburbs,
and there are also, | am informed 1900
at Pensacola, but doubt exceedingly that
there are as many as 5000 men, all told, of
effective strength, under the command of
Gen. Bragg. It would be mistake to des-
pise these Irregulars. One of the Missis-
sippi regiments out in camp was evidently
composed of men who liked campaigning,
and who looked as though they would like
Is1g rtrnls-
the remark will often be made-but they
had pugnacious physiognomies, and the
physical means of carrying their inciua-
tons into effect, and every man OF them
was, | am informed, familiar with the use of
arms. Their tents are mostly small and
bad, on the ridge pole pattern, with side
flys to keep off the sun. In some battal-
ions they observe regularity of line, in 9th
ers they follow individual or company ca
price. The men use green boughs and
bowers, our poor fellows did in the old
hot days of Bulgaria, and many of them had
benches and seats before their doors, and
the luxury of boarded floors to sleep on.
| FORT PICKENs.
The way from the jetty to the entrance
of the foot is in the universal deep sand of
this part of the world the distance from
the landing place to the gateway is not
much more than 200 yards. and the ap-
proaeh 10 the portal is quite unprotected. =
| There is a high ramp and glacis on the land