Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-09
A VISIT TO roRT SUMTER.
CONDITION OF THE wORI

CONDlIloN Oh IHE .NOkh.
carleton" writes to the Boston Journal as fol.
lows: .....-r t.>..t-
Amer a ramble OF several hours through the city
of Charleston. we made visit to Sumter, entering
hy the.sally port where Major Anderson aud his
faithful crew entered that ever to be remembered
January night of 1861. The fort bears httle1 re-
Semblance to its appearance then, externally or IN
ternaly. No portion OF the original face OF the Nall
is to be Seen except on the side towards Charleston
aud portion Of that facing MOultrie. Prom the
haTbor aud from Wagner it appears only hnnMt-
the debris OF an old ruin. ,
All the classmates, arches, pillars aud parapets
are torn up, rent Ssnnder and utterly demolished
fhe great guns which two years ago kept the Monl-
tors Al bay which hamed and Numbered awhile upon
Wagner, are dismounted, broken, overturned, ahd
lie buried beneath hemOuntains OF brick, dust, con
crete sand aud mortar. After DupOnps attack IN
April, 1868 y reinforcement of palmetto lOgS'was
made the hlrbOr side and against hall OF the wall
facing AOulrie. The lower tier of classmates was
filled up With sand bags but when General Gilmore
aimed possession his lire began to crumble the
parapet. The Rebels endeayOred 10 reconstruct the
wall, or % maintain ITS original height by gabons
filled with sand bat this compelled widening Of
the base inside Thousands of bags filed with sand
we're brought to the fort at night. Bomhproois were
constructed. Day after day, week amer week the
pounding from Wagner mantaiped so chectu~
ally and thoroughly that it was impossible To keep
gun IN position ON that side. -.
The only guns now remaining are hNc OF hh on
the MoHlrie side in the middle tier of casenates-
Five howitzerS were kept the walls to repe an
attack by smallI boats, thel garrison keeping un-
/ der cover or seeking cover whenever the lookout
II erred 4" shot F"
(heueaar ne triSe of pointed sticks protect the
fort from a scaling party. At the base outside are
iron posts aud iron network. There rs also sub
merged network OF iron and chains, kept in place
by floating huoyS.
Il had the curiosity TO make an inspection of the
wall facing Moulrje To see shat was the effect OF
the lire of the iron Clads in DupOntS attack. With
my glass at that time could see that the wall was
badly honey cOmbed close Inspection shows tlr,t
Il II WAS "A very damaging tire. There are seams III
the masonry and great gaShes where the solid bolts
crumbled the bricks to fine dust. lt Is evident
that If the fire could have been continued any con-
siderable length Ut time there that the wall would
have fallen The effect Of that tire led to the filling
up of the lower classmates.
i An hour was passed in the fort, the band playing
national airs, aud the party inspecting the ruins
| aud gathering relics.
/ Cant. James, of the Mass 54th, who is now Aid
i 10 Gen Gilmore, was olthe party. He was wound
ed in the assault Wagner. He gaZcd at the runs
with salts actiUn and pleasure, not unmiNed sWhh
Imelanchoy for yOnder beneath the sands oi Morris
| Island his beloved commander was lying-his Col-'
onr his General, his brother officer iellOwS0hller
III is pity that he was not there on Saturday TO
raise the Tag upon the work; hut he was on duty
elsewhere.
For 4Our long years the cannon OF SHmterla'e
hurled their iron bolts agaUSp the rights of lnan;
but the contest there ~ ended The strong earth
works ON Sullivan'S and Johusun's islands, the bat
trrcs and the harbor, Castle Pinckney and Fort
Ripley, those Of the city erected by slaves useless
nov and forever, except AS monuments OF folly and
wickedness As l. stood there upon the ruins OF
Sumter, looking down into the crater, the pad like
u panorama WAS nnrolled, exhibiting the mighty
events which will inrevcr make II historic ground
The silent landing of Major Anderson at the pqStern
gate, the midnight prayer and solemn oOnsecration
of HE little band to defend the Nag till the la the
lung weeks Of preparation, the imbecie old man at
Washington, thu Star otthe South turning hcr bow
s.ayrari the 18th of April the barracks on fire,
the supplies exhausted, the hOpclesSnesS of sue
cess, the white flag flung out, the Surrcuder and
all that has followed the pictures of the mo-
ment ..........