The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-22
The Capture Of Fort Pulaski.

The Capture Of Fort Pulaski.
We cut from the N. Y. Times correspondent
the following interesting account Of the results
of our bombardment of fort Pulaski
The scene was one that beggars description
The light was ample to show the outlines of the
structure, with the guns and transyerses on the
walls, the bomb proofs, (Which were timbers
position, the tops leaning against the walls,
forming a wooden defence inside the brick one J
and the bitches cut in the area, the dirt from
which had been thrown up against the tmbers
On every side the walls were SCARED by bomb
shells and riAed shot, and the ground torn up in
all directions. Masses Of fallen masonry and
spintered tmbers lay tblckly streHn around
few groups Of rebel soldiers and officers lin
gered-the most having retired TO their quar-
tors for the night.
| 1t appears that when, On the morning Of the
10Th, COL Olmstead declined to surrender the
tort, 1t was distinctly understood chat lis rcduc-
tlon was only question of time. But it was
iolt by these men that as soldiers 1T was their
duty 70 make the best possible defence. 1t was
only alter we had preached the corner Of the
jort, thus enabling our missiles to play upon
the Chief magazine, located in the opposite cor
ner that it was felt thai the defence had become
hopeless, and that further resistance would be
IN defiance OF The rules OF war, ag attempting TO
hold an unten4ble fortress, and needlessy en-.
dangerlng the lives Of TIC garrison without the
Eope OF any corresponding advantage. Both
oihcers and men manifested an anxiety shat their
courage should be properly appreciated, and
seemed gratliied by the general testimony which
we all bore to their gallant defence.
Lieut.. Lacklnson having offered to show US
through the works, we first visited the casemate
against which the fire OF Cur rifed guns Was
directed, and where our breaches were finally
effected The scene startled us all. The walls
there were much thinner than we had supposed
not over three or four 1eet-and the whole side
OF the cascmate was shot away, and the gun
lay covered by the rubbish. From here, by
flight OF winding stone steps, we assembled to
the ramparts; and Lieut., Lackinson pointed
out 10 US, successfully, the different barbette
guns they had used, and the points Of damage
from our fire. Each gun was protected by large
tsnyerses of sand and sods, which hao proved
most efficient protection to their gunners. The
ordnance was of different szes--some riled,
some columbads, some mortarS one was named
- JEFF DAVIS" one Btamegard,' &c. lie
showed us two small bug elegant riAed-gune---
the Bradshaw, belieye-wbich were received
from England by the FingaI, and which we rec
ognizod as among The most effective they had
used. One gun on tie northwest was named
after Com. IltnaIl, and had becn much ,uoro
effective than the Commodore himself with bis
MusquiIo fleet, as it had silenced the battery on
Long Island, in Cen Viele's command, which
opened fire on Thursday. One shell had torn
holes in the traverses, and our rfled shol tad II
many instances, after passing over the walls in
'front.' made sad havoc in the parapets on the
other side.
Our shells, it seemed, had done absolutely no
effective damage; even the round shot from the
coiumbiads had not effected poroeptible injury.
Still more strangely, the Parrot guns had been
comparatively harmless, the work being done
almost entirely By the James projectiles which
came whizzing through the air, making a noise
like the whir of u circular saw at high speed
and which, from its peculiar shape and open
ings, the men had learned 10 denominate tie
- wheel-hub." This testimony is to US OF the
greatest value and Is unanimous on Che part
Of the officers and men. 1t proves that the only
really effective artillery we had against the fort
were our five James guns--one 24-poundcr, two
32-pounders, and TWO ~ FOUNDERS.