New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-29

petition almost fIuitless. JUSlOs'
The Capture of Arknnsns Rost-Deaeripfion
of The Fortiicstion-Thc Destruction
Done by the Charlottesville Prisoners
Takcn-fncidents.
From Oar Special Correspondent
AKK,xsis Po,r, Jan. 10. 1859.
In the las. communication from this point, come
matters OF incident aud description were necessarily
omitted which may not lose their interest at this
date.
THE FORT.
The main object Of curiosity wa, the fertilization.
The fort proper stands Immediately the river, and
commands il foF mile or more. IL rests on table
and tie edge oil which rises from the river preepi-
lately 10 hight OF thirty feet. 1t bias basion 'front.'
ON al sides j. fully I51 yards from salient TO salient.
L. yararet lie turEO0aded by mOat five or Fix iett
deep, and rises as mssh higher above the surfouhi-
INK countty. R.tepits extend back ff0m Tie bas-
non fronting cur i'ucs Tor nearly mile Tue whole
bears ey.aenoe 81 great labor aud skill. It's TWO
casenatos, vii lac tie nver, were hail buried IN
oauhworss, euiy aiOgilng sn opening tpihcrnt iof
The eancon 1ho roofs of thc essenates ven
three luli itiCk aud oi sod OAK, and covered Wlih
raj road ron. Il woui1 seem impossible that any
lrJie,iiloB could enter tIoin. Nevertheless, 10 u
dozen piAees The iron mail aua the can bad BE- "a
peLslTs ed, ana once or twice perforated. In tie
casomH,e 20 be rig tie y'lnti ID thlSten bad been
shattered Al Tue muzI 9, and ruudeied completely
gortiiefs. The Woodwork haa been torn rs II
,iGcd b. lightning in various places and partially
wfeucned on II pl-ce. Tne haroctc cannon, II
monster DaAlgrtn, had been his IN four places,
deeply indentsd one s!ds aud tie iruzze torn o.
Fr1gIuefts OF cannon ANA bufst tloIls Wera lyltg
m al directions. One ho1itzsr had been hut!cd
from lie position the pI-pet into tts Interior oi
the works and turned W side down. Another had been
knocked 70 flinders Fuo = large piece thrown INTO
remote corner OF the work. Scarcely gnn was M.
injured. The barracks were reduced 10 utter aud
ir,Lsng,i.hable runs. Ihe roofs leveIed TO the
q. IN or heape1 no cri.s cross Underneath, oXcS
of med, aud, singular a., VI sat, cast OF
cl1tler b-ds made OF corn hUsAs, bottles, every
tiiugw aica cons .i.utcs the wr,chsd comfort OF an
outlsved soldieIy, were here ,narls together ia
Gus dirty oia,s. Among other reg'e Pagers Tue
wdtir PICKED up Que oil which the'ioiio"hS h a
copy; ...-v,.,., n,,,o, Ary,o,LA.pdw,
RsytE'" tLo"o. A At.aa q. ard H'is Ev,s.h
"srr1iL OEprH No. Al planters On 10Th 'd,' Of .he
AIsaI. River between Or Lees place and kieh.sad WA
TheI viii be sent a. Que. 70 these Headquarters ~ Of
=, 81. .d,cgr !, oens.si oAUHchiLL'
Val oqautlties Of ammunition marked s.. Louis
Anenal," wero piled ~ IN boxer. Enfield Iifss
Tent out of shape aud covered with mud were
heaped together. Mud and straw buii. cninneys
were riddled with cannon shot. The fury OF tie
tillery was 10 be seen everyw heTe. bueh terrible
d;spay OF mechanical power, aud such unerring
Workmanship will hardly ever be seen. The whole
for. was Il v seek. Nothing escaped. In many pla-
ces blood lay in clotted pools. BodIes clothed IA
ieanp, muddy nnd CORY we.o lying IN tho trenches,
or hidden away under the Eulns. II MAS disnaI
AID u fearful spec, 4cie
THE GUN BOATS
Had not escaped unecitIcd ia THIS rrTihc encoun-
ter. Oae fhog had entered the L)uisyiile JIht on
tie edge OF ber iron pl4ting bad plset tarou her
guard, entered Tie Pnrsers room, and then eS .oaed
destroying everything Ia lite RANGE shell tad en-
tered one Of tire portfolios At tie bow and exploded
on the gun-deck kllllg one man, MORALLY Nounh-
ing three, aud eighty wonndng nineleen. otlll
another had passed through the side and after re.
bounding twico had ontereda steam condenaer, and
was there extinguehed. number 81 the gunIers
were shot by shurpshootcrr.
The De Kalb and Cincinnati were Injured, but In
a much less degree. The Runuers at Tho fort had
an immense advantage over tLOse On TIE Runboats
from this facts They rad obtained the range per-
iectly. Targets had been placed at different dis
tances from the fort a sand bar which made out
from the southern shore, ne1ly hallway across the
lIver. Hence AZ the boats came opposite 10 them,
the distance was exactly known and The fuse I'D
justed accordingly.
1t was generally admitted by the garrison that
the work was done chiefly by the runboats. Most
of the wounds appear to have been inflicted by frag
menis OF shell.
THE PRISONERS,
Amounting 10 1891, not including wounded, were
an object vi interest similar TO "a vast menagerie
lhs huge, shsggy beaded, heavy bearded Texan,
suggestive of dirk knives and dark alieys, no un-
worthy successor Of Jack Ketch the slender
smooth-laced boy, squalid and poorly clothed, but
retain Nc the air Of gentleman; the Western saw
boues bedecked with the badges Of his proiessiOn
and swelling with the Importance OF ollicej the
tinsecd colonel and adjutanI-ali were there Inc
vast majority of them tad the appearance of barba
rians They were unwashed uDcombed, unslofn,
covered with remnants Of carpets, filthy blankets,
ieIBs of The cOsrsest mators. One could not heipl
thinking, us he saw hem, Ia il possible that our
glorious Government is to be tEamoled in the dust
BY such rniscroans as thesei" In future times, II
likely that free schools and free institutions may
transform them iuso society OF sbich inc country
nle hardly can be found on the face OF the earth.
they are exactly the material TO be imPreRnated
with the bltterest prejudice ADD hsnaticsm They
6ght mainly from M lsu0rant. blind aud brutal hs'