Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-31
MORNING LEADER.
WEDNESDAY KORNIEe. AUGUST
DeseriptIon Of Fort Morgan.

Fort Morgan Is 8 much older work than
Fort Gaines and is far better constructed.
Il was built Tor the defence of Mobile Bay,
and was erected on Mobile Point for that
purpose. II is a very strong work, its on
iy wesk pG:at, If 1t can be said to have
any, being on the land side. 1t occupies
the site of Fort Bowyn, noted in the war Of
1872 By direct FIRE the fort is invulnera-
bic, it having no classmates in the outer
walls, which are protected by glacis Of
sand, in which all the shot and shell in
the world could be innocently buried.
The guns are mounted en- bdr6ette, and in
the center Of the works arc bomb proof
Quarters. Throwing shell over and drop
ping them inside the work would do no
damage to the defenders, as the troops
have only to keep away from the area
and they have no occasion to be there, for
no fighting is expected TO be done there.
The following, from a Mobile paper, is in
teresting
"We take il that in a stand of fight of
the sort, twenty wooden walls, even with
the help of three iron-clads, will be no
ma ch for ths heavy ordnance, the sand,
the shell, and the gallantry of Fort Nor
gan. Our brave boys in that work have
been waiting three long years in patient
inactivity for the stirring scenes in which
their comrades in arms, at other points,
have participated. The Yankee Admiral
seems disposed to crafty their desire for
Gfeshing their maiden swords" and test
lug their heavy artillery practice on real
and living targets. They have been care
fully and well instructed. They are COM
1nanded by an artillerist distinguished for
scientific and practical skill, and they
have as pretty chance for a beautiful
fight and for winning glory as could posi-
bly, be offered to faithful soldiers. Let
them remember that the idea of Yankee
naval and gunboat invincibility has long
since been exploded; that the forts in
Charleston harbor whipped and disabled
and drove of nine Of the Yankee invinci-
ble Monitors, and that one heavy shot,
fairly hitting a monitor turret, jars it so
that it viii not turn, and it is thus render
ed useless.
EAs for the wooden ships, every encounter
in this way has proved that land battery
we'll served can always whip them. Fit
ty men in four gun battery at Sabine
Pass beat a Yankee squadron, sinking and
capturing some, and taking more prisoners
than double the number of the garrison.
If any man feels any Of that awe of the
Yankee navy which used to be generally
prevalent, and which now has its depress-
ing effects upon some of the officers who
were brought up on its decks let him re-
unAmFer General Magrlder in Galveston
Bay, who armed two or three old high
pressure steamboats,, made ramparts Of
cotton bales three deep and then boldly
sailed out and attacked, captured, sunk
and dispersed a Yankee squadron. Nor
forget the glorious example Of the lamen-
ted Villepigue at Fort McCree, in the har-
Dor at Pensacola, who, with a sand battery
mounting two eight inch guns, whipped
the Yankee steamships the Richmond and
the Niagara. The garrison at Fort Nor
gan should take courage from these exam
ples, and if they serve their guns coolly
and bravely they have an opportunity of
wearing the brightest laurels of this war
1t would seem from the above that the
rebels deemed the work impregnaDle and
easily defended, and our diagram plainly
shows it to have been very strong and
well armed. 1t was named after BrigadieI
Morgan, of Revolutionary fame. 1t was
seized by the rebel Alabama troops on
January 4, 1861, and was Immediately gar
risoned by them under orders from the
Governor of the State. Preparations were
then being made TO repair the wharf, and
the work had actually commenced The
structure had cost the United States 81,
242, 1902.
THE ARMAMENT OF THE FORT.
The fort is defended by several heavy
guns and many pieces of a lighter charac
ter, for rapid movements during defen
sive action against storming column
Our diagram can be referred to, as illus
trating the following description - Thl
bastion behind the Lighthouse battery w
will call No. l, and continue the number
by following line to the left around tht
fort. The Lighthouse battery is armeS
with two 32-pound banded and rife guns
and two thirty-two pound smooth-borei
Bastion No. l, behind it, has one seven
inch Brool1es rifed gun, one thirty-tw
pound rife and one thirty-two poun,
smooth bore. Between bastiOns Nos. an
2 are one ten-ineh Columbiad and on
eight-inch Blakely gun. In bastion No.
are one thirty-twO pound rife, one thirty
two pound smooth-bOre and sOne ten-inc
Columbisd Between bastiOns Nos. an
3 are two thirty-two pound smosth-borC
and one eight-inch Dahlgren, defendin
the magazine. In bastion No are Oh
rthirr-two pound rife one thirty-tw
pound smooth-bOre and one ten-inch Ct
lumbiad. Between bastions Nos. 3 and
are two thirty-two pound smooth-bort
rnd an eight-inch Brookes rifle
gun In bastion No. are fv
thirty-two pound smooth bores-
Between bastions Nos. and are thre
thirty-two pound smooth bores. Bastio
No. has three heavy gins, and midwa
between that and the next bastion is q
eight-inch Blakely. The battery in frol
of bsstion No. 5 contains four heavy guI
The shore battery contains two thirty-tv
pound rifles, four ten inch Columbiads al
one six inch rifed Dahlgren. The teri
plain is guarded by a movable Whitwor
gun; and in the ditch, guarding the sail
port are hOwitzer and q Parrot gun.
Within the easemstes of the bastions of Il
main curtain or inner wall, are two how
zers on each angle, making twenty guns
all sweeping the main ditch to the trenc
Other guns are scattered around for use
may be required.-Correspondenee of
Nelo York Herald.