Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-24

tails.
From the Tribune's correspondence, date
ed August the sth, we make the following
extracts: 10
1t appears that when our forces arrived
on the Island there were in Fort Gaines
only some three hundred men garrisoning
sver b By 1B%Sfd5P sE dPaSfl 81 l5uF fnndPsd feadsEs E
from Mobile, a regiment of whom were
sent to the relief of the three forts, Nor
gan. Powell and Gaines. This regiment is
composed of boys between the ages of IA
and IS, who were hastily called together
for the defence of Mobile when that city
was stripped of troops to aid Hood beat
back the forces of Sherman, advancing to
its capture. These poor boys are all soant-
ly clad, half drilled, and anything but
efficient soldiers, as we found them placed
on picket duty back of the Fort. While
there on duty six were killed and seven
wounded-One, by the accidental discharge
Of his own gun, and four or FIVE by their
own cOmrades-whiie but one man of ours
was killed, and none wounded, up to the
time the fort capitulated.
Fort Gaines is pentagon, with bastiOns
in two angles and mounted, when captur-
ed, sixteen guns, of which three were To-
| inch Columbiads, and the balance thirty
two Founders. Nine brass hOWitzers were
also captured inside the works, besides a
liberal supply of ammunition and ratiens.
l observed one powder barrel of the Hsz-
ard make branded 1886, and concluded
that the stealing of 1860 had not yet been
entirely exhausted.
The rebel torpedo record was found in
the fort, showing that upwards Of three
hundred of these internal devices had been
sunk in the channel, of which fifty had
been put down within a week of the time
when our feet passed through.
saw one of these Internal inventions of
Southern civilization. 1t consisted of tin
ease, in shape like large cOffee pot or
boiler, holding, perhaps, ten or fifteen gal
Ions. The lower half ofthis consisted of an.
air chamber, by means:of transverse par
tition, and the upper, or small end, was ill
ed with powder. Upon the end of rod
fixed inside this, and in contact with the
powder, is placed cap which is to be ex-
ploded by means of a hammer which is
held suspended outside of the tin case Of
powder, which hammer is passed through
spiral spring that operates it. When the
torpedo is sunk, the hammer is elevated
and held there by peg, placed SO as to
hold it up To this peg is attached float,
which, by moving the peg when passing
boat draws the line attached to it, lets
down the hammer suddenly with sharp
blow upon that part of the tin case just in
side of which the cap is placed, and ex-
plodes it, and, presto the harm IS done.
Fortunately for US, the barnacles gather
so soon on any Of these contrivances as to
soon render the action of the hammer i'm |
possible, and the salt water quickly cor
rodes the tin case and destroys the powder !
otherwise our feet would have not es-
capped SO easily as it did in getting into No
bile Bay.
The quality of rations found inside the |
fort was excellent, consisting of -four rice, |
the best of pork, and everything in abun-
dance. French wax candles and the finest /
of stationery were found in the officers /
quarters, and looked as though the block
ade-runners had been busy furnishing the /
knick-nacls which We have been hattering
ourselves that tho chiValry were deficient
in.
-Four blockade-runners are now caught /
in the clI de sac of Mobile Bay, having
been loaded some days with cotton and tar
at Fort Morgan, waiting an opportunity to
get to sea-. When our forces landed on
Dauphin Island they took the alarm and
to Mobile. They are all iron ves-
sells, of English build, and running under
English colors, and have been plying be-
tween Mobile and Havana. Their names
IRE as follows: The Red Gauntlet, the
Mary, the Heroine, and the Virgin, and
hey may find their occupation, like 0thel-
o's, gone some fine morning, if events in
his neighborhood progress as expected.
Our land forces are expecte to cross i'm
to the peninsula in rear Of Fort
Morgan and that accomplished, they and
ur fleet can speedily reduce the fort, as we 5
ave already done with Gaines. Its garri- {
on is thought TO be not larger than that OF 1
iaines and is estimated by some at hun
red less, thought it is, without doubt, well d
roYisioned and maintained, and is by far {
Ironger and more defensible work than | g
iaines. Ia
remember having neglected to mention
hat some sixty negroes, engaged at fatigue a
uty on Fort Gaines, were run out of there o
n to Little Dauphin Island prior tothe sur q
ender of that Fort, with two superintend- q
nts and instructions to make their escape | o
yer TO Fort Powell and ashore. The ne c
roes instead came to our lines, and fifty a
,ur of the sixty were in less than two D
ours time doing fatigue duty Oh our lines, C
nd the same day were received into Col. Il
Obbs Goth U. S. Colored Infantry as a C,
art of the Grand Army.
A bombardment of FortlSiorgaa is to
Ike place by our feet combined, at eight Il
clock this morning, in which interesting c.
,remony the captured Rebel boats Ten ol
ese and Selma will participate, the long Il
.nge Brook rifles, with which these crafts Il
e furnished, proving admirable for send
g our compliments to the Rebels with, d
Id, 1 fancy, not the most welcome visi- pl
nts they could receive.
The Rebels had salt works all along the Fl
ore as far as one can see, and the smoke b.
their fires rises in half dozen places in CT
ght along the shore Of Bon Seeours Bay eC
the westward These will perhaps be SO
inned out some IN the course of time 30
$ salt is thirty dollars bushel, tits rath- &C
profitable speculation. VI
I had the felicity of handling some of vi
r. Memminger's paper currency to-day. re
ne hrst issue is not now received at all as
those parts. The second is valued at
-o-thirds the last issue, and the last issue Cl
proportion to gold as eighteen to one fd
lat is to say the last issue of the rebel mt
,Yernment is worth one eighteenth of a pc
liar in gold, and the previous issue one ms
enty-fourth. At this valuation, tippling sht
Mobile is at the rate of three dollars and ex
lalf, toith ice and two and half dollars
-hout A Mobile paper sold here, up to
} time of ourarrival, at fifty cents, and Mi
ing chickens in Mobile markets at
dollars per pair.
:, vii
n the great hop region of CoOperstown, OF