| Show THE tim mardfin charleston adrid forts I 1 the following description on ot the posit position iol ioa and of the forts in ch ar teston leston harbor by a correspondent of an eastern journal may maybe be interesting to those not acquainted with the location and nature of those defenses they are three in number namely fort moultrie fort sumpter sampler and castle pinckney the first is on sullivans island which is principally within the corporate limits of the city of charleston this island is separated from the main land by a narrow channel which sometimes at low tide may be forded corded though it would be a very unmilitary thing for an attacking expedition to rely on this method of app approach roath it is precisely here that the bridge spoken enof of as is now clearly foreseen will be wanted and it is said that the means of supplying the want is in a considerable state of forwardness though the results thus far have not been alto aito altogether I 1 ether satisfactory fort moultrie is on the seaward side of the island nearly a mile distant from this channel so that its passage would be measurably in the face of an enemy and directly so should the commanding In officer erect batteries at the point of landing which however is not certain to be done sullivans island i is quite thickly built up generally with wooden tenements and a horse railroad traverses the whole distance the fort foit itself is an extensive ex work well provided with everything but men its guns are many of them of the largest and best description and nearly all the recent improvements in in explosives have been introduced in the us use 6 of which the men are well drilled indeed I 1 max may M a state with confidence that the th e officers and men at moultrie very much excel in this particular cular recently a trench has been dug around the entire fort and without going into minute detail it will be enough to say that everything is being done necessary to place the rork work vork in the best possible condition of defence it has recently received six months provisions what is wanting in men will in a measure be made up by discipline and completeness piet let iet eness of death dealing appointments the istance distance between fort moultrie and the city is about three miles castle pinckney stands in the harbor wholly surrounded by water which cannot be bridged readi readily lyl lys between moultrie and the city and can be operated upon only by heavy guns it mounts a large number of heavy guns and has recently been very much strengthened in 1832 gen scott verl did id much to astren strengthen 6 then this position and most of the works then added still remain an engineering force of a limited number of men has for the last two weeks been engaged in rendering the fortification one of a really formidable character like fort moultrie it only wants men fort sumpter rises out of the water f further urther down the harbor about three and a halt elies uiles drom irom the city nearly abreast of and not over one mile mill from moultrie it not only commands both the other forts but it is believed the city could be effectually shelled from it it is thoroughly appointed with all the larger description of guns outwardly it resembles the round yellow fort on governors island though larger it is thoroughly bomb proof and believed to be impregnable to anything likely to be brought to bear against it though out at sea it has a fine well of fresh water for some time past upward of one hundred men mostly mechanics have been actively engaged placing the guns in order the effect ot 0 captain fosters efforts are plainly visible even to the unprofessional eye there have heretofore been no more soldiers than were necessary to act as keepers moderately well garrisoned sumpter would prove an ugly customer to charleston and its surroundings ours roun dings 9 s should it ever come to that one would suppose up pose that it would not be difficult for men when driven out of moultrie if supplied with boats to pull over to sampler sumpter and in a very tery brief space of time make it hot work for tho tha captors in moultrie the united states arsenal is at the west side of the city of charleston in it are stored upwards of stand of arms and a corresponding amount of ammunition and other appointments of war excepting excepting large guns it is now guarded nominally by y a military corps of charleston whose services the government accepted to protect it from the mob since this letter is devoted so purely to military tar united matters I 1 will append the following list of united states officers here major robert anderson capt abner doublede Dou bleda capt T seymour T talbot J C davis N J hall all of the first regiment of artillery assistant surgeon S IV crawford capt J G foster IV engineer corps |
