Year: 1861

/
The position Of this old fort, which is Of the
utmost importance as a connecting point in
the defence Of the harbor, has been considered
by the highest military authority as the key
to all the defensive works on the harbor
Against the attack Of forces BY land, ora
boat attack by the Stono river, it must be
considered an essential element Of defense.


FORT MoULTRIE


Fort Moultrie, ION Sullivan island is one
Of the sentinels that guard the principal en-
trance to Charleston harbor It is opposite
to and distant from Fort Sumter about one
and half miles. It is, more properly speak
ing, large water battery, without any guns
under cover. The armament consists Of II
guns of heavy callibre and several mortars
The outer and inner walls arc Of brick, cap
ped with stone and filled with earth, making
solid wall fifteen or sixteen feet in thick
ness This work has been much strengthened
recently, and presents a saucy front to Fort
Sumter. 1t is now in command of Major
Ripley, formerly Of the United States Army,
who has under his command several hundred
experienced artiilerists


CASTLE PINCKNEY


Castle Pinckney is a small work situated
on the southern extremity Of .Shute S Folly
Though in itself not very considerable mil
itary work, yet, from its position, command
ing, as it does, the whole line Of the eastern
wharves, It becomes Of the utmost import
ance for it to be held by the State authorities
1t is, in fact, the immediate outwork Of the
city, useful to annoy an invading fleet, should
it pass the outer forts and to render their
landing difficult, if not impossible In its
face; the eastern and western faces arc form
cd by the line Of rampant following the di-
reetion Of the tangent To the circular are at
at the extremity. and for distance of TWEEN
the northeastern and northwestern angles
are semi-circular bastions, the outer extremi-
ties of the arcs beng tangent respectively to
the eastern and western sides Of the fort t-
i lltlt dEc tNo ioWS ~ guils--jllG iDNtI GcIi1
in classmates bomb proof the cmbrazures
for which are about seven feet above low wa
ter mark, and the upper being eu Lu5brue.-
The height Of the rampant is twenty and the
width thirty-tw feet The width Of the out
er wall and Of the parapet is six feet the
depth Of the casemates is twenty feet height |
ten; the diameter least and Wcst) of the cas-
tie is one hundred and seventy feet. The
side Of which are the officers and priyates'
quarters, mess room, &c.


The ascent to the barbette is made On the
northeastern and northwestern corners of the 4
is the furnace for heating shot Around the
foot Of the scarp wall is a brcakwatcr, about /
twelve feet in width. horizontally which has
its western side extended IN a tangent direc
tion to the south, to form the landing. The
landing IS protected BY the fire Of several
guns sweeping its length The armament of
this castle consists Of about twenty-five \
pieces "a and 80 Founders, few sea-coast Il
mortars and Six columbiads- latter not
being mounted In the magazine is a suffici- II
ency of ammunition, including shot and load
ed she'll This work has been, OF late, put in
as thorough repair as possible. Owing to the
want Of ventilation. and the reverberation Of
the sound in an engagement, the lower tier
Of guns would soon become useless, and the
occupants would be obliged to resort entirely
to the barbette guns and mortars Tn this
case the exposure to the enemy IS direct shot
would not be great, for the parapet IS higher
than hulks Of most ships, and much higher
than the adjoining shore. As to its impor-
tanee. although. if we possessed Forts Sumter
and Moultrie, it would be Of comparatively
little use.yet If an enemy possessed It It's prox-
unity to the city would enable the garrison to
damage Charleston seriously.


THE IRON FLOATING BATTERY.


This is novel war machine, designed for
harbor operations, and occupies position be-
tween Sulivan's Island and Fort Sumter
1t is constructed Of palmetto logs. sheathed
with plate iron, and is supposed to be impreg-
nable against shot. 1t is embrasured for and
four guns Of heavy callibre It re-
quires sixty men to operate it. The first i'm
preston on seeing this machine is that Of
immense solidity. The outer or gun side is
covered with six plates Of iron-two Of them
Of the 7 railroad pattern, placed horizontally,
and the other four bolted one over in the stron-
gest manner, and running vertically The
wall Of the gun side is full four feet thick con
structed Of that peculiar palmetto wood 50 full
Of fibrous material that sixty-four Founders
cannot pierce it. The main deck is wide and
roomy In nineteen open chambers, on the
port side Of the deck, We found profusion Of