The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-01-02
THE WAR.
Condition Of Brogg's Rebel Forces;T
S!Otsment of Lieutenant Deserted
from BrGgg'S Army. s'.<l
From the n. Y. Post. |

from BrGgg's Army. '''Sl
From the n. Y. Pos,.l
Among the arrivals ir the government .
steamer Connecticut, at this port y=ster. !
day from Fort Pickeps, was Mr. a. n.
Baker. who formerly occupiel the posi-.
ton of Lieutenant OF Marines in tie Uni.
ted States service, and among The officers
who, in April last, resigned their com
mission at Norfolk. lie has siuce Uecn
engaged in the Confederate service nj
Pen.acola and in Virginia. On the night
Of the goth OF November (ihirty-six hours
before the commencement of the bonn.
bsrdment al Fort Piokehs he deserted
to Col. Brown, aud gave information
which. led to the opening Of the fre of
Pickers upon the rebel batteries. He
was rowcd nine miles in a small boat in
order to accomplish his purpose, bytwo
sailors who also escaped. -3' tt
His extensive experience and obsetva-
ton in the South. together with his frank
ness and honesty Of purpose, ,end-rs his
statement of the condition Of atfai al
Pensacola and throughout the South, ve'
rv interesting and important.
Mr.. Baker was born in Pennsylvania,
and, as has been stated, held at the Pc
riod of the breaking out Of the rebellion
the post of lieutenant of marines in Nor
folk, which he resigned on tie 9th of
April. tie excuses this act by saying he
had at the time no idea of what he was
doing; and intimates that there was a
Young lady" in the question, fact
which alone induced him to remain in the
South. Even on the day of his resigna-
tion he undertook to ascertain if II was
too late icr retractor. Learning that lie
must abide by the consequences, he re
T mained two months at Norfolk. and final
i ly offered his services to the Confederate
: States, and was given the same rank tina
, he had previously held. Hewas assigned
d to Gen. Bragg's division at Psnsacola
I and acted for time as Assistant Adju
y tan. General. having ABUNDANT opportu
lies Of knowing the exact state oil afaiI
i at Pensacola.
J. He states that Braggs forces at presen
: consist of belwern five aud SIX Thousand
II men, and the lines run from the Pertid
e River at Pensacola TO the Navy Yard
e distance Of nine miles. Nearly all
this force is encamped in the vicinity o
the rebel fortidcaions, AMI only sbou
one thousand men are beyond easy reac|
= on the line 10 Perdido. ..H
These forces do not, as has been SUP
posed, occupy the iorts and batteries
ei any considerable extent, but are encamE
TO ed two miles away, in IT,, uoOas, and or
ID of the range ofour fire. A sufficient fore
ID of men to guard the batteries are deta,le
10 to that work, but do little. mole thu
l. picket duty. On tue occasion OF alarl
le companies are marched from the camE
III in the woods as needed, and are employs
le 10 work the batteries. ".
10 The rebel batteries are not OF torml
oil able character. Many of them are CO.
g. snucted with sand-bagS, and some OF the
Q, are mounted with "qllakers" or wood'
Ie, guus-very formidable in appearance, b
g. not Of any particular service in actio
e. Instead ot the one hundred and fifty,
sixty guns which have been counted
OF our forces, the real ones are less BY abe
'd' one.lhird. The serviceable ordnance
ms The rebels, including those in Fort b
49, rancas, the only forIiication whl'h is
'rs all formidable, number one hundred a
'us two pieces, and there is not riled s
) among them. Lieutenant! Baker is pc
eat M tive, although it has been reported . !,
''h rrifed shot we're fred by the enemy, Il
nIa. they have nothing but smooth bore gu'
ing But he states that there are five batter
Of f"Bogg's guns" which are OF ten IN
ave ca C,libre and carry eOnical. shell sOmewl
en-; resembling the rifed shell now in use
'as There are IN all nine Of thess guns in ?
The session Of the rebels at Pensacola
gh' Of which, and only one, is atahe M
i'm Yard. This is understood to be the 0
ing one which damaged the Federal steaT
10 Richmond.
.ees When the result Of the Port Royal
ned pediliou became known to the rebels,
d a thousand forces of Bragg',s forces v
Withdrawn from him and sent TO SaV
req luah and Charleston. ''''+ Sa'N-.s
'rce The condition OF the troops at PEI
was cola is worse than has generally b
title believed. They are niserably unilor'