New-York daily tribune., 1862-04-19
THE TRIBUnE's SPECIAL REPORT
Arrival of the Steamship Mcclellan
with 100 Prisoners.
MPETY OF TIE FRIGATR VERMONT.


States forces. The Stars and Bars have been sup
planted by the Stars and Stripes The 9TH Conneci-
cut Volunteers occrpy the quarters lately occupied
by the Ist Georgia Volunteers.
The Mcclellan brings the following passengers:
Col J. H. Morrow, sid to Gen. Eur in charge Of Jos
gi.OTsr and bearer Of d,p.shes Lieut. badssu aid to
Com DapSnt = G. Ford Comni..sIy'. Dep.r,msat H. Z,
LoId do DO; Lieut.. w Scott. Vol Eng Rest Capt J.
R.g- Tor guard; : discharged soldiers and mechanics.
Our forces have been Withdrawn from Jackson
vile, and Gen. viele, with /, 800 men, arrived ct
Hilton Head the steamer Cosmopolitan on the
18th inst.
DR.. Samuel C. Robinson, Actng-Purser of the
U. s. steamship Mcclellan, will please accept our
thanks for favors rendered.
From ORr Special Correspondent
FoRr PULASKI. Saturday. April H. 1862.
Two months of preparation, thirty hours cannon
aiding, and Fort Pulaski is fallen. 1t one of the
strongest works in the United States; perhaps the
strongest but two. Indeed it was considered by
many of the best Engineers in the service practically
unassaable and the mos, positive opinions were
given against any attempt at its reduction. One
officer Of high reputation said there was not shot
and she'll enough in the country TO make an Impress
Jon ON il; another said that the place would he as
e,cong al the end Of a months bombsrdment as II
was in the beginning; and the Chief Of Engineers Of
Ibe Regular Army put the climax TO all statements
BY declaring that you might as well canDonade the
Rocky Mountains Fort Pulaski. This also is the
toit which the oraeular correspondent Of The Lon
don Times only last July pronounced impregnable,
and Of which he sent home descriptions, drawings
and plans rs a model of engineering strength. Its
faf marks in the history Of cssemated forts as
the capture Of Fort Walker at Port Royal did in thai
Of earthworks. The officer who has thus ventured
to attack and take Pulaski in defiance Of tradition
and professional authority recently Chief Of
Engineers on Gen. Sherman's staff, Capt. Quincy A.
Gilmore. of the Engineer Corps, since nominated
Brigadier-G General of Volunteers.
Eo,t Pulsski stands on the site Of Fort Greene,
which was washed away in 1894 by violent storni'
and nearly every in 1t perished. MAJOR baococh
of the Engineers began another, but the work was
badly done and was pulled down. In 1852, Lieut..
MansGeld laid the foundation OF the present work.
Bs principal assistant was Lieut.. bephaih, Low
Gsneral commanding the Northern District OF Gen.
Winters Department, and present at the reduction
of the fort he aided 10 build The work Oh eonstruc-
ton was difficult, part of the foundation beng mud
through which piles were driven, and over the pies
81 donble grlage of tlmbers was iao' III oroer 70
clear the bitches OF water, steaInpunp "as KEPT III
onerat;on night and day for two or three years Con-
oess ns0lectng one year TO make the necessary sp-
,ronr;stion. the dtcbes filed, and were only cleared
again 81, a cost of $4,000 The fort is a complete
work hexsgons in shape, built wholly ol brck, WIN
one ter of guns in caseate, ane one en- 6oT6eHe on
each of the four channel fronts. The walls are seven
feet thick at the bottom and five at the TOP, and are
surrounded by wet ditch twenty feet wide. The
gorge looking up the river is covered by an earth
work deni-lune. The whole fort was intended 10
mount 90 guns. When taken it contradictory tyseven
The capture of Fort PRasd was one Of the earliest
purposes Of Gen. Sherman. Reconnaissance was
made on the rht of last December by Capt Gilmore
from TyJee Island and project for the reduction of
tie fort was submitted. This plan was sent 10
Washington and approved; ordnance began TO
rive at Port Royal by the middle Of February, and
on the 18th of that month"; Capt. Gilmore order
ed 10 Tybee and the erection Of the batteries was
commenced. On the 9th Capt. Gilmore was made
General in command Of all the troops on the sand by
Gen. Sherman; extraordinary'step, but necessary,
or at lea expedient for the convenient prosecution
Of the work entrusted 10 him. The Savannah River
was blockaded and communication between Savan-
nah and Fort Pulaski cut off by the Venus Point
battery on the lth Of February, and the blockade
became absolute on the 22d, when battery and two
companies were sent TO Decent Island. On the
day the landing Of ordnance on Tybee began. II
,work Of great difficulty, often interrupted by heavy
w,ather. There is 10 wharf, and no means existed
Of hndng the heaviest guns and mortars but pitch
ing tA-m overheard on the beach at high water, and
carryiD,them up on sling-carts afterward. whole
month Wa thus consumed.
On the Z'b of February the erection OF the earth
works was oeun. IL war necessary 10 DO all Of II
at night, Tor the whole line Of shore along which
they were 70 be bNt war under the fire Of Pulaskis
guns 1t was necessary also that tie work should,
10 far AZ possible be Invisible from the fort in the
day time and all eIpedsn,s were adopted to prevent
the suspicion Of the enemy. Fences and bushes
were moved few inches at time, and all change
Of the surface Of the ground was DO gradual M
scarcely 70 be obArved at distance. This conceal
ment was so skilfuily effected that except in two in
stances the Rebels, although aware that works Of
some hind were building were not able 10 discover
their exact location direct any fire TO interrupt
them. All the ordnance when landed wac trans
ported over difficult gOcnd, from one to three miles.
The sand ridges on toe north shore OF Tybee Isl
and have been gradually brmed by the action of the
wind and tide, and rest o. deposit Of soft mud
In other words the ground over which this heavy
ordnance was carried wss mere crust Of sand On o |