Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1865-03-23
A VISIT TO FORT. ST INTER-.

VISIT TO FORT ST INTER-.
aCarlton," writes to the Boston journal
as follows:
After ramble for several hours through
the city of Charleston, we made visit to
Sumter, entering on the sallyport where
Major Anderson entered on, that ever to
be remembered January night Of 1861
The Fort bears little resemblance to its
appearance then externally or Internally.
No portion of the original face OF the wall
is to be seen, except on the side towards
Charleston and a portion of tlrat taclhg
MonSrie From the harber and from
Wagner it appears only y tunautt-the
debris OF an old ruin.
All the caseinates,1 arches, pillars and
paripets are torn up. rent asunder and
utterly demolished. The great guns which
two years ago kept the monitors at bay,
which ha.ned anG murdered awhile upon
Wagner, are dismonnted, broken, over
turned, aud lie buried beneath the noun
tain OF brick, dust, concrete. sand and
mortar. After Dupont's attack III April,
1863, a reinturcemen1 of palmetto logs
was made on the harbor side and against
halt of the wall facing Mouhrie. The,
lower tier of cas- enlates was filled up with
, sand bags but when Gen.ss Gilmore OBJ
tanned possession his fire began to crnn-
bic the parapet. The rebels endeavoreds
to reconstruct the wall, or to maintain its,
original ,heighth bv gabions filled with
sand, but this. compelled a widening IN
side. Thousands OF bags Allied will, sand
were brought to the fort at night Bomb
proofs were constructed. Day after day,
week after week, The pounding from Wag-
ner was maintained SO .etfectrally and
thoroughly that it was impossible to keep
guns in position on that side.
The only gnns now remaining are five
or SIX on the Mcultrie side, in the middle
tier cf casemates. Five howitzers were
kept on the walls To repel an attack by
small boats, the garrison keeping und-r
cover or seeking cover wheneverrthe look
ont cried "a shot! =
Cheueauu de .ffri;se pointed sticks protect
the tort from scaling party AZ the base
outside are iron posts and wire network. =
There is also a submerged network Of
wire aud chains, kept in place by floating
bouys. e y s1ers y b, 6..sss.. 49, j. t1s .5s
had the curiosity to make an Inspection
of thesyalls facing Moultris. to see q what
was the effect of the fire OF the! iron clads
in Dupont's attack. - With my glass at
that-tiine could see that the wall was
badly honeyccmbed; a close. inspection
= shows that it was very damaging ire
There are seams in the masonry ART
great gashes where the solid bots crnni-
bied the bricks to ine dust. It.is evident
that if the FIRE could have been continued.
any considerable length Of time there. that
the wall would have fallen. The effect of
the hreled 70, the filing 4np Of the lower
casemates. .4>s 81 4, g~f4ses \ ss..s4ss = IA a
An 4hourswas passed : in the fort,
the band playing national airs and
the party inspecting the ruins and gather
ing relics. So 4 - S84sF 4 af5sSs es&fa Asf
Captain James, Of the Massachusetts
Fifty fourth, who, is now aid TO sGen.s Gii-i
more, was Of the party. He was .wennd.' =
ed in the assault. on Wagner He gazed
at the. ruins with satisfaction and pleasure,
! not unmixed with melancholy, for yonder,l
beneath the sands Of Morris Islsnd lis be-
loyediconnander was lying ! 4 bis colonel,
bis general, his brother officer. tel low sol
dier. at l. .. pity. he was pot there On
Saturday tosrais0 the flag upon the aFork ;;l
bnt he was on duty elsewhere srsxsA 80
For four long years the cannon Of Sum