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Maj.
Anderson here informs Washington of the progress the South Carolinians
are making in erecting batteries to fire upon Fort Sumter, as well as
his own progress in mounting some of the guns at Fort Sumter.
(When Anderson moved his command from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter,
very few of the guns at Fort Sumter were mounted on carriages.)
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No. 34.] FORT SUMTER,
S.C., February 5, 1861. Col.
S. COOPER, Adjutant-General: COLONEL:
The character of the
work on the end of Cummings Point nearest to us is, I think, now pretty
well
established. It seems to be a bomb-proof, with embrasures for the guns,
the
embrasures cut in a sloped wall, formed of heavy timbers, which is now
being
covered with railroad bars. This battery, though too far off for doing
much
damage to our walls, unless they have or get heavy rifled guns, will be
pretty
safe from the effect of our horizontal fires. They appear to be at work
to-day
connecting this battery with one between it and the battery which fired
on the
Star of the West, by means of a covered way. Their engineering appears
to be
well devised and well executed, and their works, even in their present
condition, will make it impossible for any hostile force, other than a
large
and well-appointed one, to enter this harbor, and the chances are that
it will
then be at a great sacrifice of life. Our 10-inch columbiads are now in
position. One points towards the city, one towards Fort Moultrie, and
the third
can be directed either towards Fort Moultrie or Morris Island. They are
at an
angle of from 30° to 35°. I tried a shell, a few evenings ago, and we
calculated that from a charge of two pounds we got a range of about two
thousand yards. I have also four 8-inch seacoast howitzers planted in
the area
at an angle of 39°. These bear upon Morris Island. I am now removing
the pieces
of flagging from the area of our work, as I want it clear, hoping that
should
any shells fall in it they will probably sink so deep that they will
not do
much, if any, damage. Captain Foster is engaged in experimenting with
one of
the iron shutters, trying to see whether we can use them in the lower
embrasures. It is very desirable that these embrasures shall be made as
secure
as possible. I
am, colonel, respectfully, your obedient servant,
ROBERT ANDERSON, Major,
First Artillery, Commanding. P.
S.---Of course, in speaking of forcing an entrance, I do
not refer to the little stratagem of a small party slipping in. |
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