Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-21

4 Birds Eys Tisto Of Is Si,uaiioa-Tse Pos5.
ton Of is D9eHees and he ApPT0assss 20
the City.
Frsm the Richmond Ezaniuerl
i The news We get By telegraph and tas forni5-
able gathering Of Federal and and nsvsI f5re--
/ Ia the vicinity Of Charleston dsLota thst the
/ long threatened attack upon that city VII not
! be much longer delayed. While the fortunes oF
I the campaign would not be materially aHse4s5
/ By its destruction, and the subjuzsii5n q ths
/ South advanced nos one io.a, yet It must Be
/ confessed that the impending conflict is viewed
with the deepest interest end solicitu7e By ths
I people Of tbs Confederate States and many q
prayer is uttered for the satisfy Of the city from
which was fred The first gun II ihis war for cur
/ rights and Independence. J0st At this tine,
when the public mind is 50 excited, bird 's-eves
view Of the situasion Of Charleston and its de-
lenses win be interesting to our resders.
Charleston IS situated on low, level point Of
land, at the junction Of Cooper aud Ashley
rivers. Nc portion Of the city IS more than
twenty feet above tide, so that upon appr5srkin1-
it from the harbor its buildings and tue beauti-
ful spires Of its churches SEEM to riss directly
from the water. The Cooper river ioins tie
Ashley at right angle frOm tbs North, and the
continuation OF the latter riFaT TunuiHV nearly
due east, forms she lower hsIbor and bay oe
Charleston, which Widsns grsiualiy from tive 10
ive miles 70 its mouth, distant aocUt ZEN u1iies
from the city. On the Opposite side Of ths
Cooper river, where It dsboucnes into the bar
bor, short mile from the city, is Castle Pirck
ney, small work, but mounting some hesvv
guns. Nearly opposite, on the southern side.
of the harbOT, on James island, about two niles
distant is Fort johnson. Abut four miles from
the city, midway between SUiljvan's AID james
Islands, is Fort Sumner, and directly norlhwsrd
Of it, on Suliiva0's island, at a distance Of two
thousand yards IS Fort Moultrie. BstTeen
these forts is the only channel for vessels to
approach the city. Fort Sumter has thrss tiers
Of guns, end snder The old eovsrnmea5 ranked
as a tortlhcatIon OF the second class IN the ez-
tent Of the works, anl sbe strength OF its srma-
ment, but it was constructed in a very superior
manner, and was supposed to be inTuluerabls
at the time to the effects Of any naval ordnance
then in use. It's reduction by South Carolina
in 1861, was effected By hot shot from Fort
MouitFie setting IRE to the wooden roofs Of the
eapaei0u5 buildings allotted FOX officers guar
ters, by which Anderson and bis garrison we're
literally roasted out Care has been taken, in
The reconstruction Of the buildings 20 avoid an
chance for a repetition Of such q bsFbacus Fors
Moultris is 8 work Of inferior rank, but ii 3 adj
mirably situated for dealing effective blows
upon an approaching enemy.
Tbs principal entrance 70 the harbor IS thrOugh
ship channel, ths 0uter bar Of which IS distsnt,
soEthest from Fort Sumter, about SIX miles.
Shortly after crossing the bar, ths suemy's ves-
sells viii come nnder the Ere of the batteries en-
Johns island, near and parallel to whish thu
channel runs IN westerly direction for nearly
two miles. Il then makes an angle noTiaWard,
[unning tor more than q mile directly towards
Forts Sumter and Moultris. After passing the
former, it turns to The West, and passes beneath
these torhhcations, directly under their guns,
and then bends to the southwest, IN which di-
rectlon Il approaches Fort Johnson f0T upwards
OF two miles, while on she right Sc Is uajer tbs
FIRE Of SSstle PinelJnsy. It IS not unsil the en-
envy silsfees or passes al these works, and 9TH
ers which viii announce themselves at ths
proper time, that be viii be able 10 cceupv
Cooper and Ashley rivers, and placs Charleston
Al the mercy Of the shot and shells of his ron
cads.
Whatever uncertainty prevails as to tie abii
ity Of tOrtlhcati0ns to resist the impetus Of the
formidable projectiles hurled bY the Federal
gunb0sts, there csn be no doubt that the invul-
nerabiity of the turrstsd monsters wiz BE- test
ed on this occasion By seFsrer ordeal than any
10 which they have been heretofore subieetsds
and Admiral Dupont viii find a diffsrenI enter
.ainmeut in running the gauntlet Of Forts sum
Ter and MoulIie, and johnson sud Pincknsy.
from that furnished by the miserable abortion,
batteries, at Port Royal, so pregnant
0f disgrace and disaster TO S1uta Carolina.
Bat saPpOsing every obstacle oVere0ms, and
he enamy's fotilla enabled b set itself un-
lcsthed before this city, it is occupied alone b.
armed men, under brave AMI skillful leaders,
who viii make it one vast fortress; and while
Is beautiful spires may be topplsd to the dust,
md It's building given 10 the flames, while ens
tone remains above smother it VIII be defended,
md sven its ashes viii be preserved fC0m the
pollution Of q Yankee footsisp.