Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1862-02-12
Fort Pulaski, &c.

AS the vicinity OF Savannah is likely
to have good deal of importance at
tachod to it within few days, in NIL prob
abilities, we copy from Richmond pa
per the following description Of Fort
Pulaski, and also of Fort jackson, fafth-
er up the river, near Savannah
FoRT PULAsKI-Fort Pulaski guards
the city on its sea approaches. 1t is built
on Coekspur Island, fourteen miles from
Savannah, at the mouth Of the Savan
nah river. The site of the fertilization
was selected by Major Babcock, Of the
United States Engineer Corps, about 2G
years ago, but ii was not till 1881 that
The work of erecting the present mas
siye masonry fertilization was commenced
in earnest. In that year Captain (now
Quartermaster General Mansfield took
charge of its construction. The fort was
finished few years ago, ut a cost Of
1908, 900. The fort is of psntaGonal
form, covering several acres. It's walls
are forty feet high, and present two falls
on the sen approach, with ranges Of f.e
radiating at opposite angles, The fort is
cmbrasured on tie front and channel side
for one row Of guns, under bomb-proof
classmates, with IN additional tier Of guns
open, OF en- Jarbete.
Tie salient points and fanking APP
proaches on the rear of the work have
no enbrasures for heavy cannon, but are
thoroughly covered by enflading musket-
~ loopholes, which renders a landing or
o2caladng extremely hazardous o,,an en-
envy. The full armament of the fort viii
consist on The lower tier, or sixty-fve
32-pounders, (iron picces) and the up
per tier of ffty-thrco 24-pounders, four
IS-poundcrs flank;0g howitzers, one 13-
irch mortar, twelve 8-inch columbiads,
and seven 10-inch mortars-in all $50
guns. The columb;ads are heavy and
very destructive weapons, Of long range,
ard adaptod tonse spherical shot orshcll.
They are capab,a Of en- elevation Of $50
degrees, and vertical fac Of five da
greece, depressed to thir'y-s;x degrees
elevation. The interior Of the fort is
veil supplied with massive furnaces for
heating shot, officers quarters, soldiers
barracks, and an immense supply Of shot,
powdcr md musIota 4 wide d:toA sur
rounds Tire work, Which, when dry, can
be used by sharpsbooters, Or con1, if
necessary at the approach of an enemy,
be easily flooded. Beyond the ditch is
glacis, or inclined bank, which is emilia
ded by the guns from tho lower or case
mate row Of the fertilization.
Tho full war garrison of the fort is
eight hundred men, but onc-half that
number could hold it very successfully
against very large force. Vessels Of
any considerable size, in beating up the
channel to Savannah, are obliged to ap-
proach within seventy yards of the fort,
and at this point many guns of large
caliber can be made to concentrate thea
fire. The fertilization is pronounced by
expert army engineers one Of the strong
est and most perfect of its kind on this
continent. 1t covers q larger area than
Fort Sumter, but has one tier Of guns
less.
FoRT JAcKsoN.-Thisi is q small work,
built on low marsh, four miles from
Savannah, on a site near the bend of the
river, and commands important points on
the channel, on the line Of Notifications.
It is built OF heavy brick masonry. It's
armament consists of ten twenty-four
Founders Gron guns), three field pieces,
five eight-inch howitzers, one ten inch
mortar. 1t cost the government $780,
600. There is also an exterior line Of
Notifications erected to protect the mouth
of the Savannah on its sea approach at
Tybee Island.