Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-22
A VISIT TO FORT SUMTER,

"Carlton" writes to the Boston Journal as fol.
lows
"After ramble for several hours though the ci.
ty of Charleston, we made visit to SUMTER enter
oag IN Sa ,ss yhsEs Mlcr AaasEs9n
1851. The Fort bears little resemblance to it's sp.
Pearance then externally internally. No portion
of the original face of the wall is to be seen except
on the side towards Charleston and q portion of
that facing Moultrie. From the harbor and from
Wagner it appears only q tunulus- the debris fan
old ruin.
All the cssemates arches, pillars and parapets
are torn up rent asunder and utterly demolished.
The great guns which two years ago kept the moni-
tors at bay, which famed and thundered awhile
upon Wagner, are dismounted, broken, overturned,
and lie buried beneath the mountain OF BRICK dust
concrete, sand and mortar. After Dupont's attack
in April, 1868, reinforcement of palmetto logs
made the harbor side and against half of the
wall facing Moultre. The lower tier of casemates
was filled up with sand bags, but when Gen. Gill
more obtained possession his fire began to crumble
the parapet The rebels endeavored to reconstruct
the wall, or to maintain its original height by
gabions filed with sand, but this compelled wild.
ening inside. Thousands of bags filed with sand
we're brought to the fort at night Bomb proofs
we're constructed Day after day, week aft.r week,
the pounding from Wagner was maintained SO ef
fectually and thoroughly that it was impossible to
Keep guns III pOStlOu on tllat SQe.
The only guns now remaining are five or six on
the Moultre side, in the middle tier of casemates.
Five howitzers were kept on the walls to repel an
attack by small boats, the garrison keeping under
cover or seeking cover whenever the lookout cried
"a shot"
Checeaus:de rise, pointed sticks, protect the fort
from scaling party. At the base outside are iron
post and wire net work. There is also q sub
merged network of wire and chains, kept in place
by floating buoys.
had the curiosity to make an inspection of the
walls facing Moultrie to see what was the effect Of
the fire of the iron clads in Duponts attack. With
my glass at that time could see that the wall was
badly honeycombed; a close inspection shows that
it was very damaging fire. There are seams in
the masonry and great gasbes where the solid bolts
crumbled the bricks to fine dust 1t is evident
that if the fire could have been continued any con-
siderable length of time there, that the wall would
have fallen. The effect of the fire led to the filing
up Of the lower easements.
An hour was passed in the fort the band play
ing national airs, and the party inspecting the
ruins and gathering relics.
Captain James, of the Massachusetts, ifty.fourth,
who is now aid to Gen. Gilmore was of the party.
He was wounded in the assault on Wagner. He
gazed at the ruins with satisfaction and pleasure
not unmixed with melancholy, for yonder beneath
the sands of Morris Island his beloved commander
was lyHS-uiS CVioueiS uS SeuoId uie oTVtuoI
officer, fellow soldier. 1t is pity he was not there
on Saturday to raise the flag upon the work but
he was on duty elsewhere.
For four long years the cannon Of Sumter have
hurled their iron bolts against the rights of man
but the contest there is ended. The strong earth
works on Sullivans and Johnson's Island, the bat.
teries in the harbor, Castle Pinckney and Fort
Ripley, those in the city erected by slaves, are use
less now and forever, except monuments of folly
and druic ckadpo 40 I ctood fhoro ,iro
of Sumter, looking down into the crater, the past
like panorama was unrelled exhibiting the nigh
ty events which will forever make it historic ground
The silent landing Of Major Anderson at the east.
ern gate, the midnight prayer snd solemn consecra.
ton Of the little band to defend the flag till the
last, the long weeks Of preparation, the imbecile
old man at Washington, the Star Of the South
turning her bow seaward, the 12th Of April, the
barracks on fire, the supplies exhausted the hope
: lessness Of success, the white flag hung out the
surrender and all that has followed, were the pic.
lures of the momentl