The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-05-01

| Battery Scott-(Capt Mason of the
| Sd X. L. three l0-inch columbiads and
one 8 inch columbiad W 20 a8n
Battery Halleck--(Capt. Sanford
two l3inch mortars. 4, f.lo -o-.aa
Battery Sherman-(Capt. Francis
13-inch mortars.
Battery Burnside -(Sergeant Will
son. one 13inch mortar. oqaae
Battery Lincoln-(Capt. Pelouze O
the 18th Light Infantry three lO-incf
columbiads.
: Battery Lyon-Capt. Peloaze,) three
8linch columbiads. aya'esai.ei
! Battery Grant-(Capt. Palmer; 9Th
COnn.,) three 13inch ,nortars.
Battery Stanton-(Capt. Skinner, ]
three l3-inch mortars.
These works were placed SO as to
be hidden from the enemy until they
opened fire. Totten was nearly 700
yards from the fort. Batteries Sigel
and Mcclellan 1920; Battery Scott
nearly 1877; Battery Halleck, 24O0 ;
Battery Burnside and others were all
more than 5000, and Battery Grant
$500 yards away. Breaching case
mated forts at this distance had never
been supposed practicable in modern
warfare; indeed, 800 yards is the great
est distance at which it was ever at
tempted; and consequently but little
reliance was placed, even by many of
our army officers, on the efficiency of
that portion of the armament intended
for preaching purposes. tfi9a' ~
The great l3-inch mortars however,
it was believed, might prove very eff
fective in smashing in the classmates,
throwing their huge shells for mile
i'm the air. These missiles each weigh
500 lbs, besides the bursting charge,
which is in from Z to ii lbs 90 lbs. of
powder are also required for the dis
charge of the piece. The mortars
themselves, with their carriages, weigh
%, 500 pounds. fg1
On the evening of Thursday, April
10th, Lieut.. Wilson, of the Topographic
cal Engineers, had the honor of carry
ing from Gen. Hunter, demand for the
surrender and restoration of Fort Pull
ask. The message was written one,
and alluded to the immmense arma-
ment, which rendered the destruction
of the fort only question of time it
called upon the rebel commandant,
therefore, to spare useless effnsion of
human blood. 3ae laa .agr-
Wilson crossed from Tybee to Cock
spur Island in a small boat, bearing
both white flag and the stars and
stripes. He was met at the shore, and
not allowed to land, but his message
was conveyed to the commandant. "A
sealed reply was brought back, and he
returned with it to Gen. Hunter. 1t
contained these words: / am here to
defend, not to surrender the fort"
Orders were at once given TO open fire,
and at about halfpast seven A. Nj.
Lieut.. Porter had the honor to fire the
first shot from Battery Halleck.
The other batteries quickly opened,
and Pulaski was not long in replying /;
in few moments the firing became
general. e
uG U1OItdfS WCIc stI III ct uOO CnCS-
tive; mortar practice is known to be
one of the most difficult branches of the
war, and indeed the bombardment of
Pulaski will not be likely to encourage
other attempts to shell out casemated
forts. Comparatively very few of the
shells of the great ll-inch guns fell
within the walls. Accidents occurred
early in the day in our entertainments !;
three of the columbiads, on which very
great reliance had been placed, became
dismounted, and one of the largest
mortars was for several hours complete
y useless. val
Lieut. O'Rorke was set to work at
remounting the columbiads, but the
work was one that required time; it
was rather an unusual thing, however,
to see engineers busily engaged in their
ordinary duties in the midst of bonn
bardment Gen. Hunter remained on
shore all day with his aides, and pro-
vided an ample collation. on the ground,
hardly under cover,-where all his Of
ficers who passed were invited to re-
fresh thelnselves,-another novel fea-
ture in the bombardment. The cham
pagne pops alternated with the report
of heavy guns, and more than one tired
soldier availed himself gladly of the
courtesy of the General. Gen. Benham
was also ashore with his staff, and in
every part of the field. ....t.r
Between Battery Lincoln and Bat
terry Halleck is an open space entirely
unprotected, within which, indeed, Bat
teries Sherman and Burnside were
erected, but beside these there was no
imaginable cover for nearly a quarter
of mile. Between Batteries Halleck
and the works on Goats Point, still
longer, and, if possible, barer interval
stretched out; along these spaces lay
the only roads connecting the various
batteries, and over them, whoever
passed from one part of the field to an
other was obliged to come in full view
of the gunners on the parapets of Pull
ask. The enemy had no shot or shell
to waste on single men, but he saw the
advantage OF interrupting our commu-
nications, and pretty hot fire was kept