Thursday, April 21, 2011

Fort Pulaski after the Bombardment

Correspondence of the New Haven Palladium.

FORT PULASKI, Monday, May 4.

It is now more [than] three weeks since Pulaski was taken.  During the time which has intervened our men aided by one company of the Third Rhode Island have been busily employed in clearing away the rubbish which they themselves caused, carting new brick and preparing the crumbled walls for a speedy rebuilding.  The wooden dwellings in the vicinity of the fort, some of which were badly riddled by erring shots, have been repaired by our carpenters, and now serve for quartering troops, for hospitals, bakeries, &c.  A large dock connected with us by means of a plank road affords an excellent place for landing supplies from vessels thereby obviating the mud and water process that had to be resorted to in our previous location.  Around the interior of the fort were blindages – huge sticks of timber, measuring from twelve to sixteen inches square and thirty feet in length, and in number about seventeen hundred.  These were leaned against the wall at an angle of about 45 degrees.  By this artificial process the inmates hoped to baffle the effects of our shell, but all their plans were unavailing.  The James projectile and the mortar shells were driven through them as easily as though they were but paste.  These have all been pulled down and dragged outside of the demilune.  Deep ditches which were dug to counter act the effect of bursting shell have been filled in, heavy embankments and traverses thrown up for protection have been leveled off – all improvements like these, not only give us more room for evolutions but also add to the general appearance of our new home, remove the spirit of desolation and ruin that seemed to pervade every work and corner when we entered here.

It is no uncommon thing for the workmen on the outer walls to find the conical Parrott shell imbedded in solid brick masonry to a depth of five feet – I mean of course the unexploded ones, that failed on account of the percussion cap on the cone not igniting.

The work of rebuilding is under the superintendence of Lieut. O’Rourke, of the regular army.  It is not intended ever to replace what is undone as brick forts hereafter will be among the things that were.  Simply patch it up so as to make it tenantable and leave it in that condition.

A few days subsequent to the surrender of the place, the water in the moat was drawn off and our men busied themselves for days at intervals, in dragging for and fishing up articles of personal property, and likewise arms, equipments, &c., which the rebels instead of honorably surrendering them had thrown into the mud.  A package of some eighty letters, which, when found, were lying in close proximity to a daguerreotype of some Southern miss, were unfortunately so water soaked as to be illegible, and consequently no “secrets” betrayed to Yankee curiosity.  Huge bowie knives, probably fashioned with the intention of making our hair stand on end at the mere sight of them were consigned to a like watery grave while muskets, rifles, bayonets, swords, &c., were found in rich abundance.

What spare time the men get between hours of drill or labor, they amuse themselves in a variety of ways – fishing, hunting fowl on the land, and crocodiles on the river.  One of the latter was killed a few days since, which measured nine feet from tip to tip.

Prof. Starkweather is here with his balloon, the Washington, and will make an ascension to-morrow, wind and weather permitting. – The balloon is to be inflated moved to a steamboat, and taken up the river as far as practicable, so that whoever accompanies him will have a fair chance of seeing the sights in Savannah, in advance of us, who are obliged to wait  a time with patience until the train is ready to move forward.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 31, 1862, p. 1

No comments: