The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-09
WILL FORT SUMTER Be ATTACKED

The South Carolina commtssioner's Re-
turn TO charlottesville Great water
Battery Designed 20 he Used IN the As-
sauIt ON Fort sumter Historical Ana
Iysfs, sc.
We learn from Washington correspondence Of Thurs
day that Colonel Hayne, the South Carolina Commits
sioner Washington TO negotiate the surrender Of Fort
Sumter to the seeded republic has failed in attaining
the object Of his MISSION and has returned home Ths
mooed question, then, recurs will Fort Sumter be at
tackled by the South Carolina forcess We will add 10 thh
query; Wi It pay South Carolina TO attack iH We
ies nat at hrst We we're inclined to the opinion that
with It's small garrison Fort Sumter could not held out
long against 80 large numerical force South Carolna
has at her disposal who would be aided in their assaults by
'he lard works determined, however, to learn the pre-
bhbi'iss in the case have carefully confined our
selves to historical analyses OF naval and land warfare
on which they should be based In the first place. IL Ia
urged by competent military authority that the works
at Fort houtrie Sullivans Island, Cummings Point,
Morris Island md Fort Johnson in the hands OF Ne
south Caroinans, are too remote from Fort Sumter To
be eectus to breach the latter work in order TO sc-
tate assault by water.
II Fort Sumter be intact against any considerable
injury from the land works OF the South Carouans the
only alternative left them is carry the work by an e.
sautt by water For this purpose learn that the cu
CaroliDans preparing immense and novel foatng
water battery which is thus minutey descrbedt
siss of huge platform OF pine beams about fourtssa
inches square, powerfully framed and boited together,
and adapted to float upon the water. AT end thic
panks of the same material and similarly fasteaed,
stretch and onwards for about twenty feet at
an angle of perhaps seventy degrees met ut the top
sharper and shorter one, from the summit Of which q
bomb proof roof will slope to the Of the patfors
Joining another short projecting angle enclosing ths bat
terry that quarter.
The taller end, faced exeriorly with thrce four
tbcknesses of railroad on and provided on tho inside
with lining of sand bags cotton bales Is intended
for the receipt of four cannon forty pounders pre-
tfudng from erdces cut for that purpose At the best
this new machine Is but an experiment, and
brought within range Of the guns Of Fort Sumter may
he rudely tested.
1t is the opinion of many military men that If Fort
S, inter be bombarded by the South Caroinians with
TO breach its walls reduce its garrison prior 10
assault and close attack open their fire from the
land works it is in the power of Major Andersoa,
with himself and garrison under the cover Of bomb
proof casemates all the works opposed to hin
said, within period OF ten hours from tho time he
fires his first gum and drive every South Caronian
killed wounded, out OF barms way, and all this with
out losing man.
There is old French military maxim that Ga gun on
shore worth ship adoat for the truth OF which we
always aloweda wide margn but from recent researches
naval and military history, the result OF which
subjon inclined to adopt the sentiment OF has
maxim, and in the belief that Fort Sumter If attacked,
viii prove an ugly and probably mpregnabe customer
10 the South CaroInians.
Read what history says
In 1892 q considerable French squadron attacked
Cagari, where the Notifications at that time a.
spdsted and weak as as scarcely 70 deserve the n.s
bardmcnt Of three days. was most sgnaly defeated and
obliged to retire.
Iritio rh; tbaL
four and the June fgate Of thirty guns attacked
small town in the bay Of Marello, Corsica, which was
armed with ono gun bdree and garrison OF thirty
men, After a bombardmcnt Of two and q half hours
these ships forced to haul off, with considerable
damage and loss Of fe The Martelo tower had received
injury, and its garrison unharmed There were
hundred and six guns aoat against one On Shore and
yet the latter successful
of Santa Cruz in Tenerne, with eight vessels, carrying
-four hundred guns But, notwithstanding hs great su-
with the > Of two hundred and afty men, while the
garrison received little damage single ban from
the battery striking the side Of Of his vessels,
Instantly sunk her, with hundred scaIncn and a-
rines
In 1898 French fotila Of ffty.two brigs and gun
boats manned with thousand men, attacked
little English redoubt the island Of Maroon, which
armed with two thirty Founders, two six pound
four four Founders and two carronaAes and garr
soned with two hundred and fifty Notwithstanding
this great disparity Of numbers the little redoub sunk
Of the enemys brigs and gunboats, captured an
other the remainder oretreat with great los;
while the garrison had but one man killed and thros
wounded
In 1901 the French with three frgates and six thou
men, attacked the poorly constructed works OF Por
to Ferrairo whose defensive force motley garrsoa
OF fifteen hundred Corsicaps, Tuscans and English Here
the attacking force four times great as that o
the garrison. Nevertheless, they
ful, after several bombardments aud siege Of hve
months.
In July OF the same year, 1901, Admiral saumarex,
with an English neet OF chips the line tive
smaller vessels, carrying in all five hundred and ten
guns attacked the spaneh and French defences Of Age
siras supposng the floating forces of the contendnx
partfg In ~ In
iy very fair estimate for tho attacking
force, considering the circumstances o. the case
have French land battery Of only twelve guns op
posed by English floating force Of hundred and
ninety six guns. Notwithstanding this inequality q
nearly seventeen to one the little battery compelled The
superior naval force to retreat with great loss
Shortly after this the French and Spanish fleets at
three one but met with most signal defeat whereas
with land battery of only one to seventeen the
csive Of the superiority Of guns shore above thoss
afoat
Royal bay, with only one hundred mon and some nfteea
guns ropeled French squadron OF two seventy four gun
ships frgate and brig, assisted by land attack a.
in the redoubt while the French lost ifty men. The
place was afterwards reduced by famine.
In 1SQ6 French battery Cape Lcosa, of only two
guns and garrison OF twenty-five men resisted the
tacks Of British eighty gun ship and two freses ne
ssrge o. one D tec "na guns ons sseo On ne second
available during the action. Hero single piece sf
ordinance aud garrison of twenty i've men opposed 70
thirteen hundred And what effects produocd
by this strange combat The attacking force lost thirty
seven men killed and wounded the eighty gun ship ives
much disabled while the fort and garrison escaped 60
tirely unharmed What could not be effected BY force
was afterwards obtained by negotiation.
In 1908 French land battery Of only three guns ncH
Fort Trinidad, drove of an English sn
and bomb vessel -.
In 1918 Leghorn, whose defcnccs were Of very meda
ocre Character and whose garrison at that time was OK
ceedIpgly weak was attacked by English squadroo
ak ships carrying three hundred guns ana and
force Of one thousand troops The whoe s''emps WAs
Lei us now examine the several British naval attacks
on our own forts in the wars Of the keyoIuon ana le!1
In IT7o Sir Peter Parker, with British neet a
nine yesses carrying hundred and seventy guns,
attacked Fort Moultrc, IN Charleston harbcs which
wss thep armed with only twenty SIX guns and gavsoa.
ed by only three hundred and seventyvs regular ooys
and few militia In this contest the British were e.
trey defeated and lost In killed and wounded TIVE hum
dred and Ave men, while the whole two hundred aud
seventy guns killed and wounded only thirty men In
The fort OF this trial Of strength which ccrtAniys