The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-26

| Hs 1ate. and each fresh account OF it's gallant de-
| Tense had cheored our hearts, and when finally
the history Of the soige and defenco of Sumter as
| Southern fortress was closed without the enemy
being able to boast OF it's capture wo thanked
| Tod Tor his modification which ve kue was
great 1t was, therefore, with many varied emo
tions that we climbed tho walls Of sumter for the
first time in our life. Tho faco of tho fort TO-
| wards Moutrie aud tho city still bears some re-
semblance to its former self. Tho brick wall still
stands Somuch Of it is towards tho city and Az
not been knocked of by missiles from Morris Isl
and remains smooth and without acar. Towards
/ Moultrle there are considerable scars mad, by
tho balls OF the first bonbardmcnt. There is now
no such thing as a gateway to tho fort but Won
climb directly over tho wall from wharf which
projects towards Morris Island. Tho sea face OF
tho fort, aud more especially the faco towards
| Norris Island, s o slautil mound ofsand and
rubbish somo thirty or forty feet high. Thoro is
leaSe "f rock all round the fort on Which Il
s'ornlnS party might gain footing, but the rug
eoi ascent is such as to deter tho stoutcst heart
from making tho attempt. After you have 4 linuu
tho summit or tho wall, look into tho interior il
iolioWea Instantly by feeling or disappoui mont
lou SEQ nothing but what appears TO bu tho dry
ecu OF lake, no guns. no soldiers; only a few
| small caolns that remind You Of huls Oh m Iuu-
ttih slde. 1t seems complete wreck, and it is
not until you have entered gallery and descend
ed into the aasemates that you perceive that it is
Still fortress of great strength, in fact stronger
| than II ever MAS before. The garrison at present
consists OF only smsll squad Of colorrd soldiers
under the charge Of an ordnance sergeant but
thoro are in the classmates great guns that l,uk
as II they must havo been put there first aud tho
fort built over them. 4 small wooden lipht hons.
now stands on the sea wall Of the fort, and it ir
said that it indicates tho spot where turreted
ironclad iortitication is to be erected but ut pre-
sent when YOU have walked round the battered
wallis, and explored the dark galleries aud case
mates, you have seen all that there is Of Sumter.
NORRIS ISLAND.
We larded on the wide whto beach az Cum-
mings Point, and where at our last visit wer @ the
Mortar Battery and Stevens Irobclad Battery.
we saw large esrthwork, with q sign buard, on
which was painted, "Fort Putnam" Twoor three
one-hundred FOUNDER Parrot guns are bearing OH
tho city, and are placed at an elevation Of almu,
forty-hve degrees; few moro guns arc pointed ia
the direction OF Sulyan's leland, stockade
ience divides Fort Putnam from the marsh, and
an old flag staff still stands, but bears no colors
We strolied up the old military road and passed !,
continuous series OF fortihcations resembling For
N~A"I1 49, sAa'ooS ofOiJ icbpeCI lOr ABOUT nall
mile. HAversacks, knapsa cks, clothes aud cook- |
ing utensils, in a ruined condition, wero Btreyed
all along the route. At length wo camo to Bat |
terry Wagner. We had never seen it before and |
We were previously disappointed. Either it has |
been greatly changed in appearance since it Wat |
evacuated by tho Confederates, or else our cpei |
neering lore was not equal to pruper compre- |
hension of the situation. We Could s, Q no case
mates, nothing but an open earthwork, in which
there was no protection for the gunners, or any of
tho men actually engaged in tho fight Areserye
might have been concealed in rat holes and the |
interior OF the fort was safe enough from bullets
and solid shot, but shells, If properly aimed |
could fall in anywhere. The fort now consists OF
TWO high sand walls, extending entirely across tho
Island, which ID here very narrow, joined by
short wall OH the side, and the embaukment
is higher on the sea side than elsewhere In the
interior Of tho fort somo six or eight hus aud
on the high embankment ON tho sea side ia a
tolerable cottage. In front uf the fort il large
canal, now dry, and n"t very deep, but which was
probably much deeper aud tiil, d with water when
the battery was built. Wo have heard much
praise lavished ON Battery Wagner, but We are
inclined to think that q great strength must
hayo consisted in the bravery Of the mon who de-
Tended it. The only garrison now is working
squad Of coored troops under the charge Of IN
sergeant.
The appearance of Morris Island, in front of
Battery Wagner, has much changed. Tho houses
have all disappeared, and the hill on which they
stood has disappeared also. We could not locate
Vinegar Hill, the old encampment Of the Irish
Volunteers, and in fact the islan is perfect fiat
until you como to the old sand hills wnere the
Light House used to stand. Hero wero tho quar-
ters of the Palmetto Guard, and many royal
frolic have NO Witnessed in their camps. They
have seen different soldering since then, and
many youth that complained Of hard times
then has fallen on the battietelds of Vr ina,
Maryland and Pennsylvania. just across Light
House Inlet is Folly Island, whore GILMORE rect
on his antagonist that WAS never recovered.
walk back to Cummings Point along the beach |
gives you an opportunity to enjoy nne sea eH
to pick up sea shells which are quite plentiful. !
and to pick up also, il you choose, some soldiers
bones, which have been washed from their gru vos
i've than that OF Sulivan's island; it is uid r
winter, dryer, commands better view 4 %
ocean, and has greater variety of Shells A !
walk on Morris Island is as pleasant an epih cd !
In an afternoons sail as would be furnished by
any locality of the harbor.
CONCLUSION.
Our excursion extended no further than Morris
Island. 1t Was not convenient to go to James Isl-
and, and it WAS against military orders to visit
however, with both places, and the Inducements ,
to visit either we know not to be very great We
once knew every foot Of Ca tie Pinckney, having
been on duty there in 1861, and to Judge by whsi
one OF it in passing in the steamer 1t has not
changed great deal. A small island OF about :
mr. fhrA a alnxr,h h..x ro-L