, 1863-04-11


po't 1tcy:t OH the South Carolina coast Sostt
Id;sio 1nlrt is forty miles from Port Eoyal, IN;
twenty n1tz from Charleston. 49, in the abov,
tcr, kncts; third quarter, ? 1-1o knots fourtt
A. thfs point the Good acts north and the cbb
! ects -outf. @A4~ eDD
We give these tidal data to show the an,o,nt
| OF current our 7e>scis will be E47ored with or
| Iavc 10 overcome, and at poin. where it is
10 Ge supposed NC shall mech with the most
Resistance fron. the artillery Of the enemy,
| SUPPOSED OBSTRUCTION GROUND.
The narrosrcst part Of the main slip chan.
Mel Is about one mile aud a quarter beloI
no1t Sumter, within easy range Of its nuns.
li'e c'l'n1:cl 1T tllat point Is less than q halt
u n's sn,h ~1a 1tu thc water is only six ftho.ns
IN ccp1n: IT Is fi:r to presume that there are
DISTINCTIONS, or at least torpedoes, placed
Eerc. Tie guns Of Fort Mouitric also brar
npon this spot, while it is in short rluoe nj
the iron clad battery ut Cummings Point.
| and OF minor batteries in the Immediate Vi.
e;ni,T., If the rebels have shown the proper
shtl ,,t t., II wll DC one of t}ls hardest places to
| Eel bS with Cur vessels. On either side Of the
chanilcl way ut this point there are shoals.
covered with :bout 6eTentccu feet Of 1rater'
| which afford faeilitits for securing tho ch1inss
| when held tue distractions, willie at this
point Fort Moultric has direct raking fire
asfoss M. inc decks. Sumter aud Cummings
tolnt converge their fire at j slight angle. and
Tue other batteries bring to bear . direct
bIoadside and cross fire. It will BE- 4 warm
place tor vessel there. Adding to this the
tire from the batteries on Sullivan's Island.
parallel bnt opposite to tie fire from Morris
Is!antl, ana you VIII have an unparalleled line
FORT SUMTER.
fofi sumter is work Of modern constrnc-
tloh, al:d II known as Il trunca. cd pcntaeoual
1"rt 1t IS built upon an artificial island 1t the
month OF Charleston llarbor, three and three.
e1Ghths miles distant from tic city Of Charles
ION. Ihe island has for its base q sand and
mud bank, with superstructurc formed of
lie refuse of several Northern stone uuarric;
The Island itself cost half million Of dol.
E!re, and WIS ten years in course Of eonstruc-
tlon. The fortification cost another half
1nlllloh, ARD when Major Anderson took pos
session Of it, It was 70 near completion tllat =
rer'ion ct its guns lad been placed in posi-
t"n. Ihe walls are Of soiid brick .nl con-
crete masonry, built close to the WATERS
edge, without a berinc. They are sixty ftct
high, ard from eight to twelve feet in thick.
ness, and arc pierced for three tiers Of guns
on tie north, east and west exterior sides. It's
weakest point is on the south side, Of which
IN: masonry: is not only weaker t!an the other
sides, but 1t is not protected by any flank
Tire, which would sweep the lanting wharf.
Once landed, apartJ could have easily effected
al Fu'IGllEc.
The work Vas designed for IN armament of
one hundred and fo:ty guns Of various calf
bres. Two tiers Of guns are in casctnAte7,
while the upper one il open, or en- 1tr1,tie, the
lower tier for furty-two poundcr p,ixi,an
guns; second tier, eight and tcn-inch colum-
hiads, and the barbctte Tier for mortars and
twenty four FOUNDER guns.
We learn from Thomas Kearns, one of the
Earr.Enn Of Fort Sunltcr, lna1lY interesting
particulars In relation to ti1t work Our i{-
for1nant left there only few weeks ayo,
and is now III this city.
Ee states that in Fort Sumter there arc one
hundred and four guns ready ior action, about
htty-two tone half) Of which nro ten-inch col
nmb:ads, the realader being eight and SIX
Inch DahlEFcns and howltzers. There arc four
heavy moraFs in the fort, Que being stationed
at each corner. There are about twelve rifirsl
guns in the works; but in consequence of the
explosion Of one Of these guns, By which an
officer Of high rank narrowly cscapcd losing
his life, 1t had been determined not to placc
any more reliance upon such pieces. They
had, therefore, given up the idea Of ritliny old
ready rltlcd. The fort was in the same coudi-
ton as when taken by the rebels,
and, being then much injured bv the
engagement Of April - and II, would
moi, stand one.half the firing it did on
that occasion. 1t lad not been iron-platcd.
III flct they had not enough iron to coulplete
fore could not spare any to put on the out
side Of their fort, even if they had had any
idea Of 60 doing The only alterations that
had been made were In the officers Quarters
which, twill be remembered, lad been scye.
ral times tired during the fight iu 1861-and
some large ilat stones, that had been sent
from the North to lag the fort, hal bect
broken up and made Into solid wall outside
tor the protection Of the two magazines.
With regard to the former, the roofs had been
lowered, and built ont, with covering Of
them it could not fire them or do any other
kindsof material harm. The appearance OF
the fort from the city shows perfectly level
top, nothing appearing above the parapet 1t
afl. Ihe fort cannot make q very good fight
against such vessels as those Of the Monitor
pattern: There are about fve hundred men
IN Inc fort, which force Was expected to be
doubled coon.
FORT MuC1THIE,
Fort Moultrie is situated On Sulliyan's
Island, opposite Sumter, but further up tho
ha!bor, and about one ami = half mics distant,
u Is, properly speaking, huge water battery,
having NO easements. Its armament origi-
nally consisted Of eleven heavy guas and sGy.
cE.l mortars. The outer and inner walls are
OF brick, filled with brick and capped with
stone, making solid wall about sixteen in-
ches In thickness. The work was mnch
strengthened previous to the bombavdment
in lsGl, and was in command Of Major Ripley,
formerly Of the United States ARMY.
Fofs Noul ric mounts fifty guns, fow Of
which arc in bomhproofs, while others are
protected with sandbag Tamparts. a new
boMbproof retreat has been b1iIt on the par
ade ground for the soldiers to retreat to when
herd hnrd pressed by the shells Of the enemy.
With this exception there has bean no iu1por-
! tant alteration made In this work. Notwith.
standing this, Moultric will be able to make a
| most determined and the best fight. Kcarnes
said that if he was in an iron.clad, about to
| enter the harbor In hostile manner, he
ehonld care for nothing If he could success
fully pass through the lire from Fort Moul-
trio.
CASTLE r1scKSEr.
Ihls work Is situated on the southern e1-
trenity Of shntc's Folly Island. It is not .
iortincataon Of much account, except In re-
| gard 10 lfs position, which enables II to com
| nland all the eastern wharvcs. It Is, in fact,
| an outwork Of the city rather than defence
| to the laTbor; but in tho event Of IN inya-
| ding fleet passing the lower works 1t would
somewhat annoy them. Its plan prcsents to
inc south = semi-circular tacc; the eastern
and western faces arc formed By the line Of
ramraEt following the direction Of the tan
| gent to the circular arc at its extremity, and
| for 4 distance Of twenty yards the northern
side Is plain. At both The northeastern and
northwcstesnanglcsar are semicircnlar bastions,
tue outer extremlties Of the area being tangent
respectively to the eastern and western sides
| Of the fort. There are two tiers Of guns, the
| lower one being in bonlbproof cascnlatcs' the
clnbrasuTcs Of which are about seven feet
| above low water mark, the upper ten being
| css bdrGtttt. The length OF the rampant Is
twenty feet, and the width thi1tT.two feet.
The width Of the outer wall and parapet is
| six feet The entrance to the work Is On the
| northern side, On either side Of which arc tho
| officers quarters, messrooms, &c. Its arma-
iiIent Is about twenty fire pieces, twenty four
and thirty-two FOUNDERS, a few sea-coast
mortars and Elx ten.inch columbiads.
FORT RIPLEY.
| The work on the middle ground promises
| TO give our vessels more trouble than anr
work In the harbor, Fort Sumter not except
| cd. Tho very best Of engineering talent has
produced an iron-clad, cascmated work, with
| tloping sides, which will shed shot as well as,
pense or skill has been spared upon tile ork,
| and 1t Is believed to be almost imprcgnable.
| Our informants do not give us the details Of
Its construction, but all claim for it the great
est merits. Our own officers acknowledge its
/ commanding position and the probability of
Its doing us much harm. Its guns sweep
down the Gwnsl channel, giving m approach
| Ing vessrl the full benefit Of terrible raking
| fire. 1t crosses the fire Of Sumter and Moui-
| tried BY any class Of vessels; for where tho
sesse! meets the distractions she also cncoun-
5ers the fire Of Sumter half mile distant,
hloultrle half mile distant, aud the middle
ground work, distant about two miles, with
ING foft johnson and Cummings Point bat
1e[es Playing away in full rfgor. When
ai neaIns le1t the harbor this work was ready to
Ing the completion Of the fo1ts w Il I Wa w % alan
| stated that 1t was ext,ec Cd 49, 49, or.1