The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-04-07

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Battery No. H. ct the mouth Of wappoo eresk, rned
guns. which carry ball with accuracy a. fer ~ Castle
Pinckney.
Battery No. II, on the Battery ct tho south end Of
Charleston. eleven-inch she'll guns.
Batteries No. Is and No. II, the mouth Of James
Island creek, 3 guns each.
An ironclad battery, thrseqrartsrs Of mile south ce
Castle Pncknsy, guns Of which large columbiads,
are eleven inch shell guns, tho largest monster
guns and are rined cannon Of the longest range.
An ronoad floating battery usually anchored between
Fort johnson and the last named work. mounting guns
Of which carry long steel projectes and are 100
FOUNDER "smashers"
Fort johnson, 4 very heavy guns.
Battery No. 10, 4 seacoast mortars.
The above guns. together with those In Castle Pinck
ney, command the the Ashley river and the
South channel
Battery No. 16, at the mouth Of shem creek, guns.
Batteries Nos IL and IS, theast Of Mandres Point,
4 guns each
The above guns command the Hog Island channel,
leading to Cooper river.
An iron.clad battery on Cummings Peint-3 Of the
monster guns-whch command the distractions in the
main ship channel.
Batteries Nos 10, co. FL % and 20, Morris Islands
guns each-commanding the entrance 70 the main ship
channel
There also at Charleston two iron rams mounting
in all gums At five different places, too, torpedoes are
submerged, 80 arranged "a to explode when a vessel
passes over them.
The above enumeration shows that Charleston 10 de-
feeded by no less than 376 guns
BREACH INLET BATTERIES.
At Breach inlet there very heavy work, containing
with its ouworks and auxlares about forty guns many
OF them being the eighty FOUNDER rife Of the Tredegar
Works pattern very effective gum but liable to burst
These batteries command Mafnt's channel north,
and range 70 the swash channel, which
carries deeper water than the old main
ship channel, which, owing 10 the sinking Of
the old wnaeshps and natural has ceased TO be
channel Of preference Thus fortified the lower end Of
suvan's Island presents y row Of heavy ordnance sell
dom ever placed for the defence OF any point.
yOLLY's BATTMY.
This battery situated the ruins Of the old light
house, and mounts Eve heavy guns. Is Is manned by
heavy garrison. kept shsre with view 10 prevent
bOcksders from entering the harbor and watching them
at work up the harbor.
TEE DISTRACTIONS.
The distractions consist OF wooden cribs filled with
sones placed convenient distances from zach other,
whc each crib floating raf,s made OF heavy
timber securely dashed together cable chains and then
bolted upper layer OF timber which not only covers
the CHAIN but adds bracing strength TO the structure
At given point this bar or boom is provided with
movable gate, which is opened to allow their
sells 10 pass and This place OF Bgress is directly
under guns of Fort Sumter and close that
almost impossible that any vessel pass them Fate
would seem decree her certain destruction On either
side and at safe distance from the boom are placed IN
- ..A
either by conclusion by Of gavanic battery
either fortranses being prepared that when
the vessel is directly them they fred But the
tide has washed number Of these distractions away
and rotted nearly all the remainder and they
not very formidable obstacle encounter aud
chain and connecting series Of distractions exist be
tween Forts Sumter and Moultre, but, like the other
Interruptions 10 travel are none the better for nearly
two years Kears does bsiieec there topdoes
ia the hartor He looks upon that statement, as h. doe that
Of the plating of Fort Sumter, most ridiculous hum
bug. II they have anything OF that kind-snd he be
heves they have not-they must be usecss by thsne
having long the water for he Is quite certain
they have not been recently laid.
The following general order Is full OF interest
gives us clue to where either Instructions, or per
haps torpedoes, are Placed
GENERAL oRpKR-so.
| FIRST MILITARY DISTRICT,
DEPARTMENT Souri, CARoIISA, GEORGIA AND FLORIDA,
CHARLESTON, Feb. IT, 1868.
/. Vessels navigating hsrbor will passing
through Hog Island Channel between Mount Peasan.
aud Sullivan Island and the channel between the fats
| east OF Castle Pinckney and Crab Bank.
q Hereafter vessels entering port at night
abroad will be allowed to pass Fort Moultrie sumter
until daylight Their course will be pointed by tho
commanding officer at Fort Sumter 10 which post each
vessel will be required to send boat to report.
BfIGADrER GENERAL RIPLEY.
WIN. ,. NANCE, A. A. g., First Military District
THE REBEL RAMS AND eUNBoArs.
Charleston has in It's hsrbor two ron.clad gunboats
rams--the Palmetto state and Chicora. The Palmetto
state s the larger Of them, mounting I'VE heavy guns
two In each broadsde and at the bow. The Chcora
Is much smaller and only carries three gunsoue in each
broadsde and the bow. These two vessels the
ones which made bockading feet Charles
ton on the 3lst January Gripping the Keystone
and nercedita but that occasion neither Of them
showed any extraordinary powers a. ram. They re-
scmbls the Msrrmac, which seems 10 have been the
uattcru vessel OF the Confederate navy The ornaments
Of these vessels are rst class and of heavy eabrc;
but IL not proposed on the part Of the rebel navy
| Department that they should attack our vessels,
but aid In the defence Of the harbor. Their
| light draught will enable them 70 90 over shosl
spots and take up advantageous positions annoy
our wooden vessels tho time OF offensive opera
tions Il has been said that they simply huge float.
ing barus covered with thin srmor but do not dis
credit any abilities which may be vessel bearing
the name Of iron clad but confident that they are
| no match Tor our Ericsson batteries.
OTHER GuSBoArs.
Tho rebels have in the harccr a few tugboats and
river steamers which TO take part in the contest and
n is said that lately British steamer the blockade
successfully and tina, she will be armed for the occasion
Their naval powers In the harbor not OF high order
and though they may burn some powder not At all
likely they will do much harm.
u addition to. the ron-clsds they the steamers
General Clneh. E.wsn and Chesterfield but they do
moi ,uvesr the confederate a1 register - u,n VI