Publication: THE CHARLESTON MERCURY
Date: April 1, 1861
H.L. PinckneyTitle: THE HARBOR BATTERIES
THE HARBOR BATTERIES.
Saturday last was an occasion that will long be remembered
by our troops at the various posts in the harbor, as well as by
the large number of distinguished gentlemen whose visit to the
fortifications formed the chief incident of the day. Shortly
after nine othe members of the State Convention, and a
few others who had been invited to accompany them, repaired to
the Southern Wharf, where the commodious steamers Carolina,
Capt. LOCKWOOD, and General Clinch, Capt. RELYEA, were in
readiness to receive them. At ten othe lines were cast
off and the boats, with the State and Confederate colors
streaming fore and aft, moved from the wharf to the inspiriting
strains of 'DixieLand,'from the Palmetto Band, stationed
on the forward deck of the Clinch. The weather, fortunately,
was most propitious. The genial sun shone out gloriously over
the harbor, and the mild spring atmosphere, with the fresh
sea-breeze, could scarcely have been more agreeable.
WHO WERE ABOARD.
The company who, by the invitation of Gen. BEAUREGARD,
participated in the excursion, must have numbered several
hundred. Among them we noticed Hon. D.F. JAMISON, and nearly
all the members of the Convention, including quite a number of
Ex-Governors, Judges, Chancellors and military men. It was
more especially in honor of these gentlemen that the visit had
been arranged. Among the other guests were Hon. EDMUND RUFFIN
and Col. RUTHERFORD, both of Virginia; Major General SCHNIERLE,
2d Division, S.C.M.; Major WHITING, of the Engineer Corps,
C.S.A.; Rev. Dr. BACHMAN, and several ladies, who had availed
themselves of the chance to get a glimpse of the batteries, of
which they had heard so much. Gen. BEAUREGARD, in undress
uniform, was aboard the Carolina, chatting socially in the
groups that filled the cabins, and pointing out to those to
whom the scene was a new one, the principal points of interest.
FORT JOHNSON.
The steamers first ran over close to the James'Island
shore, to give the company a view of the village and earthworks
at Fort Johnson. As the three gun and mortar batteries erected
at this point were the first of the works visited, they were of
course viewed with the greater curiosity, and spyglasses of
every variety, from the long and weatherbeaten marine glass to
the delicate lorgnettes of the ladies, were brought into
requisition to get a better look at the grim embrasures of the
gun battery and the immense mound which protects the mortars.
Some of the fair visitors were a little disconsolate when
informed that their view of Fort Johnson was to be limited to
the exterior. To make amends, as far as is in our power for
this deprivation, we present a drawing, carefully prepared
several days since by a military friend, giving a view of THE
INTERIOR OF FORT JOHNSON.
After running a short distance along the shore the boats
were round and steered across the harbor towards Moutrieville
wharf, on SullivanIsland.
FORT MOULTRIE.
On reaching the wharf, we encountered the picquet guard of
the First Rifle Regiment, under the command of Lieut. HEYWARD.
Passing the sentries, the party proceeded through Moultrieville
to the great point of attraction on SullivanIsland -- the
famous old precincts of Fort Moultrie. Here everything was in
capital order. As the Secretary of War and Gen. BEAUREGARD
passed through the gateway, the band struck up and a company of
regular State troops, who were drawn up at the entrance, gave
the usual military salute, while the big guns on the parapet
thundered forth a welcome to the Convention. Once within the
enclosure, the party dispersed over the fort, and betook
themselves to examining the elaborate and massive defences
which, under the superintendence of the energetic and
indefatigable commandant, Lieut. Col. RIPLEY, have been added
to the walls. The stalwart gunners (who belong to the regular
army of the State, and who are as fine a body of soldiers as it
is possible to find) were all at their respective batteries,
and went through the manual of heavy artillery with remarkable
precision. The quarters, the magazine, the bombproofs, and the
furnace, at which several 8 inch shot were brought to a bright
red heat, eminently suggestive of unpleasant results, all came
in for a share of attention; and it was with no little
lingering that the warning that the boats were about to leave,
was finally heeded. We quitted the fort agreeably impressed
with the high state of discipline and efficiency to which the
gallant RIPLEY has brought the garrison. It will be remembered
that in the earliest stage of the Southern movement, Col.
RIPLEY was one of the first to join his fortunes with those of
our State.
DOWN THE MAFFIT CHANNEL.
Once more aboard the staunch boats, we steamed away down
the Maffit Channel to the music of the Marsellaise. As we came
opposite to Fort Moultrie, the flash and white cloud from the
embrasure, followed by the loud report, told us that the firing
of the heavy guns, by way of salute, had recommenced. The
cannonading was continued for several minutes. It was a grand
sight to see the white smoke enshrouding the old fort, to hear
the heavy booming of the guns in quick succession, and to know
that there were men behind those sandbags who would never
dishonor the Palmetto flag overhead. When opposite the five
gun battery, garrisoned for the last six weeks by the Vigilant
Rifles, or rather the Vigilant Artillery (for they are good at
either service), Capt. TUPPER saluted with his battery. The
firing was conducted with great regularity. The detachment of
the Charleston Light Dragoons, on outpost duty, were also under
arms, and formed in line on the beach; they, too, fired a feu
de joie from their revolvers. The steamers then returned
through the channel. When off the Moultrie House, the company
had a fine view of the 1st Regiment Rifles, Lieutenant Colonel
BRANCH commanding. The regiment was in line, open order, with
colors flying, and saluted when the steamers passed.
MORRIS ISLAND.
Crossing the harbor, the steamers steered out the main Ship
Channel, running along the Morris Island beach to a point
nearly opposite the Lighthouse headlands. The scene upon the
Island was indeed a beautiful one. The long low range of
sandhills was covered with sentries, and squads of troops
engaged in the drill. At short intervals the various posts
were indicated by the flags streaming over them. Some of these
banners were of extemporaneous patterns, but all, of whatever
size or hue, bore the honored device of the Palmetto. Here and
there along the crest of the hills we could detect with a glass
the black muzzles of the cannon peeping threateningly out,
while the background was dotted with the white tents and rude
quarters of the troops. After giving time for a survey of this
picturesque scenery, we put back towards CummingPoint.
LUNCH.
Meantime a very sumptuous and plentiful collation had been
served up in the lower cabins of the steamers. The keen breeze
and the tramp over SullivanIsland had served to give a zest
to the appetite of the party and the rapidity with which the
edibles (and drinkables, too) disappeared, was only equalled by
the agility with which the corps of sable caterers marshalled
up fresh supplies. The members of the Convention seemed to be
having an amazingly good time, affording, when contrasted with
their demeanor on the day before, a wonderful instance of the
transformation grave to gay.'The repast was partaken of
sans ceremonies, and the celerity with which the champagne
corks popped one after another from the bottles, was a fair
premonition, on a small scale, of the fire of shells from the
heavy mortars, soon to begin. When it became known that we had
touched at our destination, CummingPoint, curiosity did not
suffer many to linger at the table, and we hurried to the
beach. The first rush of the sightseers was towards
THE IRON BATTERY.
This unique work, a section of which is given in our cut,
was built under the direction of Major P. F. STEVENS,
Superintendent of the Citadel Academy, and attracts attention,
chiefly owing to its simple but massive construction. It
consists of a heavy frame work of yellow pine logs. The roof
is of the same material, over which dovetailed bars of railroad
iron of the T pattern are laid from top to bottom; all of which
is riveted down in the most secure manner. On the front it
presents an angle of about thirty degrees. There are three
port holes, which open and close with iron shutters of the
heaviest description. When open, the muzzles of the Columbiads
fill up the space completely. The recoil of the gun enables
the shutters to be closed instantly. It is asserted, on high
military authority, that this inclined plane will effectually
resist guns of the heaviest calibre -- first, because no direct
shot can strike it except at an angle, which would cause the
ball to glance; second, because its power of resistance is
sufficient to withstand the fall of the heaviest shells. The
Columbiad guns, with which this novel battery is equipped, bear
on the south wall of Sumter, the line of fire being at an angle
of about thirty-five degrees. This is not, of course,
considered favorable for breaching, but owing to the fact that
the wall is loopholed for musketry throughout its entire
length, which of course, weakens it a great deal, the effect of
shot upon it would, we think, even at the distance of 1150
yards, effect a breach within a reasonable time.
THE OTHER BATTERIES.
Passing on to the other batteries, we could not but marvel
at the engineering skill displayed in the construction of these
formidable works. We have not room here to give a minute
account of each battery. Indeed, this would be superfluous,
for, with the exception of the Iron Battery, they all seemed to
be built after the same fashion. All were walled in by the
same impenetrable defence of thousands of sandbags, all were in
the same apple pie order, and all were guarded with the same
ceaseless vigilance. We were soon roused from our admiration
of these triumphs of military engineering by the report of one
of the ten inch mortars, which showed that the daypractice
at the batteries had begun.
THE FIRING was kept up with spirit. One after another the
mortars and heavy guns sent their shot and shell flying over
the waters of the harbor. To a large majority of the
spectators the flight and bursting of shell was something
novel, and the scene was altogether grand and impressive. The
whole hue of the beach for miles was clouded in white smoke,
and the continuous flashing and reports of the guns heightened
the warlike aspect of things. Among those who fired the
mortars was ex-Senator CHESNUT, and we heard one of the
officers say that his shot was quite a creditable one. For the
benefit of those of our readers who have never seen such a
work, we give a cut of A MORTAR BATTERY.
THE REVIEW.
After this splendid exhibition of gunnery, the visitors
continued their walk a few hundred yards to witness the review
of the First Regiment of Volunteers, Col. MAXCY GREGG,
commander. They were drawn up on the beach in two ranks, and
as soon as General JAMISON and General BEAUREGARD took their
position opposite the centre, Col. GREGG ordered the regiment
to prepare for review; the ranks were opened and aligned;
officers stepped to the front; the band beat off; and the scene
reminded us of a similar occasion previous to the departure of
the Palmetto regiment for Mexico. Nearly 1000 men were under
arms. After the review, the officers in one rank marched to
the front and centre, and were addressed by Hon. D. F. JAMISON,
who presented the thanks of the State to the several commands,
and spoke in high terms of praise of the public spirit which
had brought them from their homes and firesides, in the
interior, to the rough life of the soldier on the sea shore.
The regiment was then dismissed. Several of the companies
delighted the numerous spectators with a variety of evolutions,
the most noticeable of which was the drill, as skirmishers, (by
the bugle), of the Richland Volunteer Rifle Company, of
Columbia. They deployed on the centre file to the right and
left; rallied by fours to resist cavalry, in admirable order,
and at the double quick step. Several other companies marched
and counter marched by files, by platoons and by companies, and
gave ample evidence of the efficacy of their training.
THE RETURN.
By this time the sun was fast sinking, and the party
hurried back from their rambles, and bidding goodbye to the
gallant men at the trenches, embarked for the city. On our way
we passed close under the walls of Fort Sumter, upon which
nearly all of Major ANDERSON'S garrison must have been
collected. In a short time we had reached the Southern wharf,
and at six owe stepped ashore, while the band played
away at 'Dixie'quite as vigorously as if they had never
stopped since we started in the morning.
