From the Florida Forts.
The
Brooklyn, which left
Hampton Roads Friday for
Fort Pickens, with two companies U. S. Artillery, is nearly at her destination by this time.
Her entrance to the
Bay is to be opposed by the allied troops.
The Mobile News contains an interesting letter from the
Navy-Yard at
Warrington, Fla., from which the following is an extract;
We of the
Mississippi and Alabama Regiment, containing eight
Mississippi and two
Mobile companies, under
Col. Abert, of
Mississippi are quartered at the U. S. Marine Hospital, just opposite
Fort Pickens, and about a mile and seven-eighths of a mile distant.
Fort San Carlos de Barrancas is about half a mile south of our quarter.
It is a mile and a half distant from
Fort Pickens. Fort McCree is still further south, and is a mile and an eighth of a mile from
Fort Pickens.--We are in possession of all the military positions except
Fort Pickens.
It is on
Santa Rosa Island, which is forty miles long, and about one mile wide.
We can distinctly see the cannon on
Fort Pickens from our piazza.
Nearly all the guns have been shifted to the land side, and the most active preparations have been made for defence.
Our preparations consist in four
Dahlgren long thirty-two guns mounted at the
Navy-Yard, to rake the
Bay, and prevent any vessels from coming inside
Fort Pickens.--At
Fort Barrancas we have mounted about twenty-five 32-pounders.
At Fort McCree there are four Columbiads and a large number of heavy guns, none mounted, unless it has been done to-day.
Fort Pickens mounts 215 guns, and requires a garrison of 2,000 men.--Its present garrison consists, as far as we can ascertain with certainty, of 83 soldiers.
Some sailors have been sent to it from the steamer
Wyandotte and the storeship Supply.
It is supposed that they could not spare more than fifty men. If this supposition is correct, the garrison does not exceed 133 men. A majority of this number are believed to be disaffected and averse to fighting us, but are compelled by military discipline.
The commander of
Fort Pickens is
Lieutenant Slimmer, of
New England.
He is a very firm and brave man, as I am credibly informed.
He will not surrender until he is compelled by an overwhelming force.
It would be a violation of military rules to give a statement of our strength.
We must humbug Slimmer, if we can. It is no secret about our strength in guns and batteries, for he can see them with his spy-glass.
Slimmer has a beautiful young wife, and she is very spirited.
She tells him to fight to the last.
She flew around us over this side, in such a way that she was arrested and sent away.
The U. S. steamer
Wyandotte, of eight guns, is lying near the fort on the outside, ready to assist in the defence.
Fort Pickens is a very strong position.
On the water side it has three tiers of guns, two rows of casemates, and one of
barbettes.--Very few of them are mounted, and I suspect that Slimmer has closed up the lower casemates.
He is concentrating every art and means of defence on the land side.
On that side there is a great ditch, which would be a slaughter pen, if we were foolish enough to enter it.
There is vast deal of impatience and discontent among the troops, especially in our regiment.
The men are "eager for the fray," and are very free and outspoken in their criticism upon the loss of time by delay and inactivity.
If something is not done here by next Tuesday, there will be a revolt against the commanders.
I and my friends propose to leave on that day. I have no time to waste in garrison duty.
I submit to military prudence by withholding at present any discussion of the means proper to be used to take the fort.
I will say, however, that
it can be taken by our present force in twenty-four hours. I have prepared the plan, and it has been discussed night and day in my room, by numbers of officers.
I have submitted it to two resigned officers of the navy, and they heartily approve it. At a proper time I shall make it public.
We have killed one of Uncle Sam's soldiers in a rather amicable way. One of them was found at
Fort Barrancas, when the
Alabama troops took possession.
He was not made a prisoner, but allowed to stay or go as he preferred.
He chose to stay, and was bountifully furnished by the volunteers with victuals and bad whiskey.
He went in strong on whiskey, and this morning he was found dead in the adjacent woods.
