New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-01-05
Aen 0rIeans lailp Crsstsnt,
the charleston 1Iarl,or Defences.

different Notifications in the harbor. Much anxiety
| was manifested on the part Of the friends Of our
citizens in possession of Fort Moalric and Castle
Pinckney, while little curiosity exhibited itself
| to learn what was the condition Of the occupants of
| Fort Sumter. On this latter point there were d
variety OF rurnors afoat. Some went 80 far as to
say that the United States troops would be unable
to hold ont two weeks that their provisions were
OF the most scanty character, and that water was
very If this is So and if it be true, as
ported that the larger one of the csterns is rem
dered useless because of the salt water that makes
way into it, the soldiers cannot, by any possibility,
| hold ont longer than ten or fifteen days. All the
| points from which supplies can be obtained are
| rendered inaccessible. .a
| There is a strong guard of the Charleston Rife
men stationed at the Lighthouse on Morris Island,
even if battery has not been erected there by this
| time, as was contemplated. Detachments of South
| Carolina troops are in possession of the post at
| Fort Johnson while Sullivan's Island and Mount
Pleasant, as well as this city, rendered mac
ccsslbc to them for supplies. The remaining cis-
tern OF the fort it is said, il befoued with stag
nant water that to drink of it would he 70 partake
of death and disease. The only remaining way for
| them TO procure water or provisions, will be by
boats vessels, and this mode will be cut off
| by the small crafts and steamboats, that are con-
| stantly cruising around on the watch.
From the workmen, however, who have been
employed at the FORT learn that there are alto
| gether in Fort Sumter about forty or fifty me-
| chancs and laborers, together with some seventy
soldiers. About twelve casemate guns are mount
ed, mostly looking towards Sullivan's Island, and
| four or five barbette guns which work pivOts,
and can be worked facing in any direction. With
their present force they can place several guns in
position each day. and they have an abundant sup
ply of shot and she'll and provisions and water, to
last them for months, the csterns being large and
amply supplied with good rain water. The guns
OF the largest caibre are not yet in position, and
the number of cannon in the fort amounts to half
its armament.
From the Mercury of the same date we extract
| the following:
All day Saturday and yesterday, our gallant
troops busy in the performance of the various
duties assigned them by the State. At Fort Moul-
trie, we are glad to be able to state that matters
are progressing swimmingly. The most vigorous
measures are on foot to remount the disrnantled
guns, and every hour is working wonders towards
that end. AT various exposed points along the
bay breastworks are being rapidly erected The
details of these Notifications we shall give at
another time, But whoever chances ct the earnest
| manner in which these defences are pushed for
ward, must acknowledge that Carolinans have lost
| none of the zeal and bravery which distinguished
them of old.
Sunday was no idle day for the garrisons. AT
Castle Pinckney service was duly performed, but
| the rest of the day was devoted to energetic
action
THE STATE OF AFFAIRS AT FoRr SUMTER
From tile accounts of number of laborers who
were sent from Fort Sumter on Friday night our
reporters have CLEANED mass of highly interest
ing details in relation to the strength and present
condition Of the great fortress which now forms
the last stronghold of Federal authority within the
limits of our State.
About six weeks ago, when there were no troops
in Fort Sumter, the Federal officers in charge of
that post proposed to the workmen employed in
completing the Notifications, and who then num-
bered $50 men, that they should enlist in the
United States service, and thus vary the monotony
of handling the trowel and the derrick by little
daily practice with the musket and the howitzer.
| The workmen, most of whom were from Southern
city, at first demurred from the somewhat extraor.
binary proposition, alleging that they came to
work and not to fight; and finally, after consuta-
ton among themselves, fatty refused to be the
thanlless tools of coercion. The benevolent
officers, as there was no help for it, suffered the
matter to drop for awhile, and the work of getting
the guns in position and otherwise strengthening
the fortress was resumed by the Baltimore me-
chancs and laborers without any more martial
| propositions.
Thus matters until the transfer of the garri-
| son of Fort Moultrie TO Fort Sumter. On Thursday
| evening, when the Palmetto banner, floating over
Castle Pinckney, and the rockets from Fort Moult-
re announced to the look. outs on the ramparts of
Fort Sumter the occupation of both those works by
| the State troops. the impression quite preva.
lent among the United States officers that sudden
| attack upon their own position would soon follow
The laborers were again hastily summoned togeth-
| er-agaln the officers endeavored to coax them to
don the blue cloth and brass buttons in defence of
the fort, and again the sturdy sons of toll declined
| the tempting offer. Finding that the Workmen
were immovable in their resolve not to participate
|
the officers thought that the next best thing was to
get men who could eyince no sympathy for Federal
tyranny ont OF the way as soon possible. The
boats were accordingly manned shortly after night
fall, and the larger portion of the workmen were
quietly taken over to Fort johnson. The work
men say that this was done by order of Capt Eos,
ter, who, it will be remembered was in Charleston
that same morning (Thursday.)
The dreaded attack not having taken place. the
laborers and mechanics returned on Friday morn
ing when about eighty of them, including all the
master mechanics, weary of q position full of
danger and alarms, announced their intention to
quit. On demanding thcrpay they received drafts
on the North, instead of the specie in which the
Government usually pays its employees, aud glad
to get away, they embarked at o'clock on Satur.
day morning on schooner for Charleston. On ar
irving in Charleston they found themselves in a
strange city, and destitute of means. A purse was
promptly made up for them among some of our
liberal citizens, and on Saturday afternoon they
departed for their homes on the steamship Key
stone State. Previous to leaving, however they
related the following facts concerning the post
they had just left:
The force now remaining in Fort Sumter con.
sists OF about one hundred and thirty men, fifty of
whom are laborers, and the rest troops belonging
to the artillery branch Of the United States service
These latter are sufficient to man about one. half
the guns OF the fort, supposing the guns were all
mounted Fortunately, however, this is far from
being the case. Out Of seventy-ive pieces of
heavy ordnance now in the fort only eleven are
fully mounted. These are all casemate guns in the
lower tier aud include the nine guns of that face
OF the fortress fronting towards Suyan's Island.
Two more of these casemate guns were nearly
mounted on Friday evening" but the work of getting
them III position Is necessarily slow and tedious
and, with the force at work, it is impossible to
mount more than three guns per day at the utmost
The heaviest guns, too, which are the ten inch
ColumbIads, have yet to be mounted. One of the
casemate guns at one of the angles of the walls
has been placed in position so as to cover Castle
Pnckney The garrison were on Friday evening
getting ready to mount some of the easement guns
on the south side of the walls.
Besides these heavy pieces, four of the lighter
barbette guns mounted upon the ramparts,
pointing towards Morris Island. These are so ar.
ranged upon pivot carriages as to sweep around
the whole horizon. The magazine of the fortress
is well stocked with an immense quantity of grape,
canister and shells, and about seven hundred bar
rcls Of powder. All the small arms and stores of
Fort Moultre have been transferred with the gar
rson and there is sufficient accumulation Of pro.
visions to last in case Of necessity for six months
at least Four large cisterns contain an ample
supply of fresh water, but it is now well under
stood that Fort Sumter has no fuel to spare. The
rumor current in the city that number of the
guns in Fort Sumter, which are not yet mounted
had been spiked by the Southern workmen, is with.
out foundation.
THE ARsENAL.--About2o clock, yesterday after
noon, the Federal flag, which until that time had
been suffered to wave over the Arsenal, was hauled
down, and the glorious Palmetto banner run up in
its stead AS the State flag for the fist time flap
ped in the breeze from that fine staff salute of
cannon was fired to celebrate the event.
The Washington Star thinks that q blockade of