Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-13
F0RT RIPLEY.

SIX ten inch eolumbiads.
FORT RIPLEY.
This iron-elad. ctsemated work, located on
the middle ground. will, il is believed, give the
assailing feet more trouble than any other work
IN the harbor. Ii is believed TO be almost i'm
Treenable- Its guns sweep down the Swash
Channel crossing the fire OF Sumter and Moul-
trie. Eight guns were to be mounted on this
work, two of thom powerful Armstrong;.
FORT JOHNSON.
Fort johnson is simply a huge sand battery.
1t is situated one aud a quarter miles from Fort
Sumter, and mounts 4 heavy guns. The work is
considered by military authorities as the key to
the defensive works of the harbor. and espe-
caily important as defense against a land attack.
There is a battery of four sea coast mortars in
connection with the work.
CUMMINGS POINT BATTERY.
The nearest point of land to Fort Sumter is
Cummings Point. distant I $50 yards. On the
point is the celebrated railroad iron battery-a
structure of yellow pine logs, rooted with T rail.
1t IS pierced for three port holes. which are COW
cred, when the gun is being loaded, with iron
shutters.
THE FLOATING BATTERY.
The floating battery is constructed OF palmetto
logs, armored with boiler iron. IL mounts forty
heavy guns. This battery now lies aground, and
will be used to cross FIRE with Fort Ripley.
THE BATTERY AT CHARLESTON.
On the battery at Charleston have been mount
ed eight guns. four of which are riied pieces of
eight inch calibre, and the remaining four ten
inch columbiads. These guns are expected to be
used to prevent the troops on the transport yes
sells from efTecting a landing at this part OF the
city, should they succeed in passing the forts. aud
are looked upon as a kind of last resort.
THE WORKS ON THE ISLANDS.
On james Island the old batteries about Sc
cessionville have been renewed; but no new ones
have been erected. On the northern sile of Wap
poo Creek. where it empties into to the Ashley
river, a battery has oeen erected commanding
both streams. On Sullivan's Island, a six gun
battery has been erected near the Moultrie House.
and another four gun battery-at about a
mile from that spo. On Morris Island there is
one six gun battery, besides the one on Cum
ming's Point
BRANCH INLET BATTERIES.
AT Branch Inlet there are works containing
about forty guns, many Of them eighty FOUNDER
rifles. These batteries command Moff,tt's
Channel north, and range over to the Swash
Channel.
FoLLY's BATTERY.
This battery, situated near the ruins of the old.
light house, mounts five heavy guns
DEFENSE on THE LAND SIDE
There are five large forts defending Charles
ton on the land side, which are believed TO be
similar in size ami construction 10 the tort on
Federal Hill. Baltimore. The armament of
these FIVE forts consist altogether of a hundred
guns, including mortars and eleven inch she'll
guns.
RESUME.
Besides the one hundred and four guns OF Fort
Sumter. the fifty guns of Fort Moultrie. aud the
twenty five guns Of Castle Pickney. there are
twenty-seven large aud storing batteries command
ing the channels aud approaches from the sea,
mounted with guns rs follows:
Battery No. l ION east end of Sullivand Island.
40 guns.
No. 2. ON Suliivan's Island, Is guns.
No. 3. on Sullivan's Island. IA guns.
No 4, on SullivaD's Island, 10 guns.
No. ,, on Sulliyau's Island. 8 guns.
No. 6, on Sullivan's Island. 6 guns
No. 7, on Sullivan's Island, A guns
No 8, on Sullivan's Island, four guns two of
them sixty-four Founders. and two eight inch
mortars.
No. 10. a sand battery on Sulliyan's Island A
guns, of which 2 are eight-inch columbiads, and
, are rihed cannon.
Tho above guns, together with those in Fort
Moultrie, command the main ship channel lead
ing TO Charleston, Motifs Channal end the
Swash Channel. The guns OF Fort Moultrie and
those of Battery No. 3, also command the for
midable distractions that are placed in the main
ship channel, between Fort Sumter and Fort
MOultrie.
Battery No. III, at the mouth II of Wappoo Creek,
four rihed guns, which carry a ball with accuracy
as far as Castle pickney.
Battery No. II, on the Battery, at the south end
of Charleston, 4 eleyen-inch guns.
Batteries Nos. 10 and Ia. near the mouth Of
James Island Creek, 3 guns each.
An iron clad battery, three quarters OF a mile
south of Castle Pickney, & guns.
An iron-clad floating battery, usually anchored
betw cen Fort johnson and the last named work,
mounting A guns.
Fort johnson A very heavy guns.
Battery No. 10, A sea coast nortars.
The above guns together with those in Castle
Pickney Ommand the entrance TO the Ashley
river and the South Channel.
Battery No. 10, at the mouth of Shem Creek,
4 guns.
batteries Nos. IL and ls, southeast of Mendall's
Point, 4 guns each.
The above guns command the Hog Island
Channel, leading to Cooper river.
An iron clad battery on Cummings Point, with
3 monster guns, which command the distractions
in the main ship channel.
Batteries Nos 10, %, 81 ~, and %, on Nor
ris Island, 3 guns each, commanding the entrance
to the main ship channel.
There are also at Charleston two iron rams,
mounting in all 3 guns. At five different places,
too, torpedoes are submerged, so arranged as TO
explode when vessels pass over them.
The above enumeration shows that Charleston
is defended by no less than three hundred and
seventy six guns.
THE CHANNELS.
To give the reader some idea Of the entrance