The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-04
THE PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS.

THE PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS.
The necessity Of maintaining sscrssy n regard TO de-
tails Of operations for the reduction OF Fort Macon
has prevented from giving you this any account
Of what has been done that end In the way OF batteries
the island in the rear OF the fore. Now THAI the
obligation or conceslment 10 renewed, brief dsscrip
tion Of the works erected by forces may bs In
appropriate preface TO the story the fall Of Isr
Macon.
Ny previous letters have told you Of the landing or
troops Bogue Banks (or the spit ~ the occupa
tion by thsm somo four weeks ago. OF point about
miles In tho rear Of tho fort and the gradual advance Of
piokets and the OF those OF the enemy to
within a limit Of less than mile from its walls Tho
rebels were thus held in cheok while, under the
the sand hills which dot the spit gradually the work
Of constructing tho batteries went forward. The
worked by day. while teams and wagons night drew
ths materials four miles, by most creuiious route In
tho heavy sand The operations wore conducted by
General farke and him aud the forces composing his
command due tho successful carrying out OF the
plans for the reduction Of thc stronghold n which tho
rebels had thought to Withstand tho march Of our VIC
torious arms In North Carolina.
Az the ground selected for tho erection Of the
batteries had been cleared from tho Intrusion OF the
enemy, by the unrem,ng and iaborious picket duty OF
the Fourth Rhode Island Fifth Rhode Island Eighth
Connecticut regiments Captain williamson Topographic
cal engineer OF General Burnsidss staff surveyed the
vicinity for the purpose OF ascertanng the desa
be places for the location Of the batteries In this duty
he was assisted by Lieutenant Fager. ordnance officer
Of General Burnsdes stan Captain Norris, Company
First United States Artillery (reguars); Lieutenant
Prouty, Twenty fifth Massachusetts, Volunteers (actng
assistant ordnance ocer) aud Captain Ammon Of bat
isry I, Third New York Artillery.
The sc for the rst battery (of four inch mortars
wa chosen under the OF large sand HILL the
edge Of the marshes which line the northern side Of the
"spt" distant 400 yards from the fort The working
Of this battery particularly allotted 70 Lieutenant
raglsr. BY whose name II was known during tho siege
shough As devoted himself generally to the snd
working Of all three. This battery manned BY .
portion Of battery I. Third New York Artillery.
The nsxtbattsry placed one hundred yards Ia ad
vance, and nearly In The centre OF the island. II was
built and worked BY Captain Lewis O. Norris
ably assisted BY Lisutsnants Gowan and Pol.
lock. Its armament was three long thirty pound
siege Parrott guns, r1ed. The shot used in
ths battery was Of novel character. Each projcctis
was made sf solid cast iron, conicay shaped, with
blunt point some three inches in diameter the
especial object Of the battery dsmoun the guns
on the fort For this object the nat impngng surface
OF the shot peculiarly adapted as 1t was loss liable
10 glance, sfaut common with sharp pointed shot.
The next aRd last battery that OF four eight inch
mortars II vas located one hundred yards further on
or twelve hundred yards from the fort under sand
hill near the beach. Il in charge OF Lieutenant
Prouty. and msnnsd by detachment OF Battery Third
New York artillery.
In addition to the above rife pits had been dug In va
rous parts OF the "spn tho tanks and Ia front u
che battery. In wAeh pckets posted to repel
any sors wnich che enemy might make. The batteries
again were connected with sach other by trenches sunk
in the sand an skirting the hills. Communication was
4hus kept open between the various positions By this
means while they also served AZ . protection the
pckess and rslisfs from lone point TO another
during the progress Of the bombardmsnt
Ths siege train employed for the reduction Of the fort
twill be seen, embraced only eleven piscssfour ten.
inchmortars, four eghtinch mortars and three siege
guns 10 view Of the york accomplished the facts them
selves viii tell how admirably and effectively the bate
rlss we're managed. entered into the plan originally
have batteries At the westerly side Of Beaufort and
Shackssord banks the opposite shore of the inlet
~ that tho fort would be surrounded In esmicrcle
With their FIRE and THAI Of tho ganboats and blockadna
V~ei, the fort would havo been target for shot apa
We'll from all points Of the compass But they were NOT
eSectsd as the Investment deemed suflci ist y com
pese Tor the opsnGg Of the bombafdmsn Had tho fort
made protraotsd resistance their yond
have bsSn occasonsd as its spesdisr rssuc.
sion
Justice 10 the men who have performed ths ,vorL eo
pobly mpels me 70 present. In lstlc table tho nam..
~ c principal officers, and the designations OF tba ,.g,
rssbis, battalions snd companies engaged
prieadier General John q. ParSe comp,anu,,,o
OrdnApcs officer, Lieutenant r. ". Flagelcr
Actiug assistant Drdna 0fcer. IJsutspspt pron,v
fcpIsny E, Fnss regiment United states ar,il.ry