The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-05-30
A GREAT REUNION.
No 4

Nr. Editor: On our return from old
Fort Johnson and surroundings, as re-
lated in my last, one of our ladies
being tired and somewhat sickened by
the ride on the water, concluded she
would not risk another trip at once,
and so returned to our home to rest ;
the others of our party decided or q
trip to Fort Sumter. [ soon found at
the wharf neat and trim little naptha
boat, called the E. II. Jackson, on
which we took swift and pleasant pas
sage. As We neared the old fort we
found another larger boat-the Planter
I think-at the landing; SO our captain
steamed out beyond and up the chan
mel some distance until the other vessel
moved cut of the way, when we
turned and ran back and were soon
lashed to the pier. Here a new diff
Guilty, unforeseen by the passengers,
presented itself, for our little craft
was so low that to reach The landing
on the wharf our gang plank had to
be laid at an angle of about forty-fiVe
degrees as it seemed to me, and then
the lightness of ourvessel, lashed as
it was by the advancing and receding
waves, made it 50 unsteady that I
was actually appreheusive Of danger,
especially to our feminine genders !;
but with two men at the foot on the
boat and two on the wharf to hold
the plank steady, and plenty of willing
hand. to aid, the landing wa, soon
successfully accomplished, indeed l
believe our women showed less fear
than we Of the sterrer sex, for they
climed like they were used to it. Once
on top I reslized a sensation never be-
fore felt, for although I had often
passed near Fort Sumter, both in time
of war and peace, l had never set foot
on the inside, and'in fact can hardly
be said 10 have been inside yet, but
on top, for it is not now what it once
was; true, the brick walls that were
80 battered and kno ;ked down by
artillery during" the war have been
rebuilt, so that the exterior looks
someN hat familiar, but the port holes,
which once bristled with big war dogs,
ready to belch forth fire and iron upon
the approach of hostile ship are now
all filed in with brick, and inside the
walls have been filled in almost to the
top. I don't know what is the plan
contemplated for its completion, but
at present there are no parapet guns.
Indeed there is only one gun mounted,
aud that is far back from the south
eastern wall, and is so arranged as to
command the channel and indeed can
be turned west, south or east as oc-
casion may require. 1t is a monster
Of gun, a short description of which
made note Of as given by one OF the
garrisoo, to wit: q 12-inch breech-
loading rifle, SO feet long, proiectile
weighing one thousand pounds and
requires charge of four hundred and
eighty pounds of powder, can shoot
Is miles, average range u miles. The
diameter at the breech is | think
about four feet, and at the muzzle
must be about twelve inches. I was
told by the same soldier who detailed
these facts to me that by the use Of
modern range finding aud sighting
apparatus, an object the size of the
lighthouse on Morris Island for in
stance, which is some five or six miles
away perhaps, could be bit almost
every time, and Notwithstanding the
immense weight of the gun, forget
how many toms, child's or lsdy's
tiny hand can easily change its po-
sition 50 as to bring it to bear on any
object within its radius. indeed our
woman tested it. There are prepara-
tons being made for mounting another
of these monsters. I don't know how
many more are to be in position
when the fort is completed.
But the sound Of the whistle al
monisIes US that our boat is ready to
leave, and without seeing half the
points of interest, I who have coa-
sumed the tine examining the big
gun and asking questions, must hurry
away. Our women took in more, and
when again safely on board could tell
me Of their visit down to the waters
edge on the west side and of the
SHELLS they gathered, and Of their |
going down into the msgazine, &C.,
&C., but as is often the case with |
them, they we're so long getting back |
hat [ feared the captain would pull |
off and leave them, but his patience
was equal TO the emergency, and so
after awhile they were all safely |
lowered into the boat and we steamed
back 10 the warf. More anon.
r. Fl. Jennings