Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-04-10
SIEGE OF FORT PULASKI.

Although the course of the war has given
the public a glimpse of almost every form of
military and naval operation, our experiences
have been hitherto deficient in one particular
we have had until lately no systematic invest
ment of regular fort. The tidings Fl ON the
Georgia coast supply this want. Fort Pulaski,
one of the great National strongholds, com
ma ding the passage by river to Savannah, is
now beeaguered by the National force, and the
pablic may soon have all the excitement of
siege.
This result has been prepared by a series of
operations that have been in execution for some
months, and which The outside world has been
made acquainted with only by occasional out
groupings of information.
Ii may he remembered that, as long ago as
last December, naval reconnaissance was made
from Port ROYAL, under Capt. DAVIS which re-
suited in the exploration of Il back c1annel by
which Fort Pulaski could be isolated from Sa-
vannah. This important passage was lmne-
diately taken possession of by naval force, as
were also the ncighhoring islands and their
water surroundings above and in the rear of
the fort. Forthwith batteries were begun on
Long Island, Oakley Island and Wi ming'on
Island; other batteries were erected ON Bird
and Jones Islands which completely command
the Savannah Rivers while the National gun.
boats took possession of the creeks and water
passages on the opposite side. Quietly, but
very energeticaIly, these operations were CON
Quoted, till the rebels in Fort Pulaski awoke
one morning over a month ago, to find that
they were completely isolated from Savannah,
and Invested on every side. To make their
isolation still more perfect, the telegraphic wire
between the fort and the city was also cut and
it was further reported that the water supply OF
the troops in Pulaski was cut off. Under these
circumstances, small detachment of our army
sat down to deliberate siege, and in this inter-
estnr situation has been Fort Pulaski for over
thirty days.
When the Pulaski rebels found out that they
had been thus outwiited and caught in a trap,
the first thing they did was to swear that the
situation was eiie very thing that suited them.
Accnrdinglv, the Savannah aud Richmond
papers have for some time been loudly affirm
| Ing that Pulaski was impregnable-that the oc-
cupant fore had provisions enough to last until
the Millenium-anI that the taking of the fort
might safely lie relegated to the epoch Of the
| Greek Kalrnda.
| When he rebels swear place is impreEnablv
depend on it its fall or surrender is imminent.
| True to this oft honored principle, these lin
pr"gnahle' fellows have now, ii seems sent tC
the National commander a proposition of sur
render. The outlook from their casemates il
/ Pulaski suits them not. The ominousy ir0wn
| ing series of batteries or ri1ed cannon, nnt
morturs that hedge them round and about arr
not comfortable objects for the rebel eye to res
upon. 10 be sure Pulaski is "impregnable,
but still they are not altogether unwilling tC
capilulate-on conditions. II then, say they
Gen Sherman will allow them to Withdraw
''wth the honors of war;" and permit thsm t
hetake themselves elsewhere, they will graceful
" waive the respects of his mnriaIs, and reSi9l
a fort which. though impregnable, they woult
not care to see defaced by any tentative effort
of rfed shell and shot.
1t will pain all lovers Of the high chivarie
of war to learn that Gen. Sherman has declinet
the proposition! With a behavior as ''ungen
erous and unchvalric' that with whicI
Buckner charged Gen. Grant when he refused
to come to terms at Fo"t Donelson, Sherman
has demanded an unconditional surrender.
and sent back word that he would, on the frs
of April, open fire on the fort if they reius"
to yield it. Afte. spending three months il
erecting his works, he has, it seems, no noio
of having his labor for his pains on s'tch terms
1t is a way our Geaeras have, and we despai
Of satisfying the puncilious Southern miiilar
gentry on these delicate questions.
Whether the dweers in Pulaski have re
signed themselves to fate, to which even th
flower of chivalry Of the medieval days had q
times to succumb, and have unconditional
capitulated, or whether they proved recalcitran
and the National batteries have been compelle
to open on them on Fools Day, remains yet t
7 be seen. There is some hope, however, that
rleverer-say in boat or Il balloon may hav
appeared stimulated by the offer OF ''thIrt
thousand dollars" which the Savannah rebel
had held out to any one who would rescue the
, friends within the hted fort. Whatever ma
be the result of this bid, it is certrinly nov,
mode of enli>ting heroic and patriotic entel
prise, and makes one curious to know ho
much the three hundred got for guardin
r ThermopylP, and what pecuniary consideratio
, stimulated Arnold Winkelried, under II
shadow of tn. Swiss Alps, TO gather into h
, side the sheaf of Austrian spears.
1t will be seen that the situation at Fo
. Pulaski is quite an interesting one, and its il
) vestment recalls another Southern regular for
: not far distant from the present one, similar
[ invested Just one year ago. Then. however,
} was the exultant rebels investing Fort Stunt,
| with seven thousand now it is the detected az
\ mted rebels of Fort Pulaski to whom is con
. mended the contents of the poisoned chali,
they then forced the nation to drain.-N
= Times.
q FORT JEFFERSON.