Year: 1861

lne Cahta hooa lslaha correspondent OF the
New York Commercial writes, Sept. 18th


Whether il be from accident or design, I
knew not, but the present situation Of Will
sons Zouayes, should hostilitiss commence, is
one Of extremeperil. I attribute blame to
none, but had any regard for human life, I
do not think would allow five hundred men
to eat, drink and sleep for three long months
within a mile or little more of an enemy, who
could without moments warning utterly de-
stroy us. If it had not been for the care and
watchfulness of our Colonel, who has construct
ed, with the assistance of the engineering abil-
ity of his own men, without assistance from
the fort, near and safe retreat for US, should
bombardment ensue, the Sixth regiment
would cease to exist.


We number now, including officers about
three hundred and eighty men. Three of our
companies have been sent to Tortugas to assist
the garrison there, and a fourth is stationed in
battery contiguous to the fort.


For some time there has been a most un-
friendly feeling existing between our volun-
Us, and so they express 1t, Gas interlopers, q
rabble, mob, with as little discipline as a
flock OF sheep" They seem to have forgotten
that to the gallantry of volunteers must be at
tributed nearly every victory gained on this
soil, either against foreign foes or traitors at
home. All the really heavy work here has
been placed en- our shoulders. Every vessel





the NEST cumbersome and heavy materials,
such as shot, she'll, columbiads, plankine and
provisions, has been unloaded by eur men.
without the slightest assistance from the reg
ulars.


The position of the camp of the Sixth Reri-
ment N. Y. ", is peculiarly exposed to the
enemy. 1t lies on a level plateau, and eyery
tent is in plain sight of the rebel forces across
the river. The commander Of the post Col.
Brown, ordered US to pitch our tents here, and
has since neither provided US with artillery
nor thrown up batteries or intrenchments to
cover US. Col. Wilson, therefore, with the civil
engineers attached TO his regiment, proceed
ed to construct system of intrenchments
and places Of shelter for his force. The diff
culties in the way of this undertaking were
many, and of the most serious kind The road
to the fort was almost impassahle as swsmps
and heavy chapparel alternated with sand
hills, this was remedied first, for our position
ls to the fort precisely that Of an outlaying
picket, and we know, that in case Of the land
ing of an attacking party all the course left
open for US to pursue is to skirmish away to the
fort.


The road where II crossed swamps was filed
II, with brushwood covered with sand, the sand
hffh were dug through, the intervals were filled
in, and everaembsnkments were thrown
up they were disguised and masked BY the
bushes which We had to out and dig out of our





within twenty rods of the fort, and the innu-
mersble twistings and windings Of the road
afford secure positions from which our skir-
mishers can annoy and retard the advance of
the enemy in case he attack. Attention was
next turned to the securing of places of shelter
for the men in case bombardment of our
camp should occur. This work was done in the
night, by the light of the stars alone, 80 that
the rebels can have no idea of the location of
these our places of refuge


In building these, advantage was taken of
the clay of the land" which is ribbed and
corrugated with sand bills that sometimes rise
abruptly to the height Of twenty or thirty feet
from the level. Behind and into these we dug
and threw up shelter sufficient to cover thou.
sand men. The approach to these shelters is
protacted by an embsnkment seven feet high
and four feet wide on the top, while advantage
is taken Of every angle or elevated spot to repeI
a force attempting to march upon us. This Is
the place for sharpshOOters to work. force
marching down upon US will find that while
roads leading nowhere will continually lead
them astray, the very sand hills behind which
they expected to advance in safety, arc but the
hiding places from which murderous FIRE will
desimate their ranks.


This work has all been done in two weeks
and with the expectation that every minute
We would be interrupted, certainly we have
given them plenty of occasion to open their
FIRE upon US.