Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-17
DRUID'S LETTER.
INTERESTING NEWS FRox NoBILE-THE pEFESsZs
OF THE cIrr-PRKPAEArIoSs AGAINST LAND
ArTAck-THE WEAK POINTS IN THE LINE-wnL
TIRE CITY BIZ SURRENDERED?
From the New York Worlds Correspondent
BALTIMORE, August ii

TIRE CITY BIZ SURRENDERED
From the New York Worlds Correspondent
BALTIMORE, August IL.
NEWS FROM MOBILE.
| received some news from Mobile few days
lgo, which may be of interest, now that the pub
c eye is turned toward that quarter. The report
ed surrender of Fort Gaines may lead to the i'm
preston that Mobile itself will fall prey to the
co mbined land and naval forces of the Union
now operating there. But il the
following information be correct, it will be seen
that severe engagement must be fought be-
fore complete success can crown our efforts
there.
DEFENsEs OF MOBILE.
The defenses of Mobile consist, first. of the
forts commanding the harbor and bay, and
those on the land side of the city; second, of
the naval force in Mobile bay; and, third, of the
land forces in and near the city.
STRENGTH or TUE REBEL FoRls
Soon after the war began il was supposed by
the rebels that Mobile, like Charleston, would be
attacked from the sea, and consequently their
first efforts were directed to guard against this
need not describe Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines,
they are already well known. 1t Is enough to
say that they were both builtby the United States
Government before the war, at cost Of two
million FIVE hundred thousand dollars. and were
then considered as strong as the strongest of our
stone forts. Their armament however, has been
considerably changed since then. Twenty five
of the guns in Fort Morgan were removed from
there to Fort Gaines. and their places supplied by
guns of English manufacture. which were brought
over in the fall of 1862 These guns carry the
celebrated steel-pointed projectile, which. as ac-
tual experiment proves, easily penetrate the sides
of the strongest iron clad vessels. They are
mounted in the classmates of the fort. The re-
mainder of the armament of Fort Morgan con
sists of rifed guns, and OF smooth bores OF the
largest caliher. The latter carry solid shot. one
Of which would smash hole in wooden vessel
large enough to send her to the bottom. Fort
Morgan mounts one hundred and thirty guns.
and Fort Gaines has forty-two. | win speak of
the distractions in the harbor presently.
PREPARATIONS To RESIST a LAND ATTACK.
Soon after the capture of New Orleans in the
spring of 1862. it began to be feared that an at
tack on Mobile would be made from the land
side. This could easily have been DONE and No
bile could easily have been captured then, if
Gen. McClellan's plans for the spring campaign
of 1862 had been carried out. But upon bis re-
moval of the chief command of the armies, his
plans were abandoned. and the golden opportu-
nifty was lost. The rebel leaders Immediately
took advantage of this. and their engineers be J.
gan at once the construction of q chain of forts
surrounding Mobile on three sides, on the north,
the west, and the south. The Alabama river,
with the harbor defenses described below. are
supposed to be a sufficient defense on the east
side. These forts are thirteen in number. They
are earthworks of course, but the experience of
this war has taught us how formidable these are
when properly constructed and mounted with a
suitable armament. These works were con-
structed by the best engineering talen. in the
South. Only six of them were constructed in
1862. The remaining seven were built in 1863,
and all of them were carefully inspected last
spring. Each fort is complete in itself. and each
one will prove terrible obstacle. But there is a
weak point in this line of defensive works Ow-
ing to the conformation of the ground and the
large extent of the line to be defended, it was
found impossible to adopt the same system in the
erection of these works that was used at Rich
mond where the capture of any one of the forts
does not give an assauting party the key to the
position, because the captured fort would be in
stantly commanded by the guns of half a-dozea
others
WEAK POINTS IN THE LINE.
But. fortunately for Gen. Granger, there are
at least two weak points in this line of forts;
that is, comparatively weak. There are two of
these forts which, If captured, can be held by
two largest and strongest forts in the whole line
All of the thirteen forts are mounted with a very
powerful armament. and the grnners are well
trained. Besides these principal works there
are number ofother redoubts and batteries, and
long lines of rifle pits Besides the heavier ar
mament of the works, each one is provided with
a number of carronades and howitzers, intended
to throw showers of grape-shot and canister into
the ranks of an advancing column, if the latter
come to close quarters. These little pieces are
so arranged that their fire cannot fail to be terri
bly, destructive at short range. The entire line
of forts is fifteen miles long, but that is a cir
cumstance that only shows the great extent of
the works. AS ntimated above, the capture of
any one of them would give the key of the
position.
FORT MORGAN STILL IN THE WAY.
1t will be understood that neither Fort Nor
gan nor fort Gaines was one of these works
Fort Gaines is at the entrance to Mobile bay, but
even its possession does not give US command OF
the latter Our vessels cannot enter the bay as
long the three tiers of guns in Fort Morgan
continue to utter their emphatic objections, and
even if the latter were Senced, there then re
mains
THE REBEL FLEET IN THE HARBOR.
This consists of four iron-clad steamers, the
iron clad steam ram Tennessee, three gunboats
protected by bales of cotton, and six smaller
wooden steamers; the whole commanded by AID =
miral franklin Buchanan. These vessels carry
an armament of over sixty guns. The Union
feet under Admiral Farragut is superior to that
of the rebels both in the number of vessels and
guns But as only four of the Union vessels are
iron-clads, and they of the unweldy and un
manageable monitor" class, the rebels hope to
have the best OF it in any engagement that may
take place.
THE DISTRACTIONS IN THE HARBoR AND BAY
are quite formidable. and are arranged in two
lines. and in such a manner as not to interfere
with the movements OF the rebel fleet. The first
line is just outside the entrance to Mobile bay,
and consists of triple line of spiles, with sharp
points, arranged in this manner:
Ii is commanded along its whole length by
the guns of Fort Morgan, and particularly at
the opening, left for the entrance of blockade
running vessels. Every one of the Union YES
sells must pass through this narrow opening or
gate il order to enter the bay. and how many of
the wooden vessels can do so under the accurate
fire to which they will DE exposed from Fort
Morgan, can readily be imagined. Indeed, one
OF our iron-cad monitors. the Tecumseh, has
already been sunk in this very opening by the
guns OF Fort Morgan, and it may be that her
snnken hull may render the passage through the
gate still more difficult.
The other line of distractions Is far IN thu,