The
Secretary of War, of
South Carolina, made a report to the
Convention, on Monday giving a description of the armament of
Charleston harbor, which is interesting at this exciting hour:
At
Fort Moultrie, on
Sullivan's Island, the injured guns have been replaced, and all, amounting to thirty-eight in number of various calibres, have been protected by well constructed merlons, the magazine has been made bomb-proof, and other works have been erected for the security of the garrison.
To the
East of
Fort Moultrie, on the same island, the entrance to
Maffit's channel has been defended by a battery of one 8-inch howitzer, two 32pounders and two 24-pounders.
Between that battery and
Fort Moultrie, there is a mixed battery of three 10-inch mortars and two 32pounders.
West of
Fort Moultrie, at about two hundred yards distance from the fort, a battery of two 10-inch mortars has been erected; and an enfilade battery of two 32 and 24pounders has been erected at a point of
Sullivan's Island nearest to
Fort Sumter.
Besides these on
Sullivan's Island, there are two12-pounder guns and a full field-battery of artillery at
Breach Inlet, at the extreme Eastern point of the
Island.
On
Morris' Island, at
Cummings' Point, a battery of four mortars has been erected.-- Near this, a battery of three 8-inch columbiads, covered with heavy timbers and
railroad iron.
At the termination of the parallel, a covered way, there is a mortar battery of two mortars.
These all bear on
Fort Sumter.
The channel is defended by a battery, designated as battery G, of two 8-inch howitzers; by battery F, of two 8-inch howitzers and two 42-pounders; by battery E, of one 8-inch columbiad; by battery D, of two 8-inch columbiads; by battery O, of two 24-pounders; by battery B, of two 24-pounders; by "Star of the
West" battery, of four 24-pounders; by sunken battery of two 9-inch
Dahlgren guns; by a battery at
Vinegar Hill, of two 24-pounders; and by two 24-;pounders and two 12-pounders at Light-House Inlet.
At
Fort Johnston, on
James' Island, there are two mortar batteries, of two 10-inch mortars in each, and one gun battery of one 24-pounder.
At Fort Palmetto, on
Cole's Island, near the mouth of
Stone river, there is a battery of two 24-pounders and 18-pounders.
At Battery Island, on
Stone river, four 24-pounders have been ordered to be placed in battery.
A mortar battery, of three mortars, is in the course of construction near
Mount Pleasant.
A floating battery, strongly made, and cased in front with iron plates, has been constructed, to breach the facade of
Fort Sumter, towards
James' Island.
This battery has been mounted with two 42 and two 32-pounders.
Besides the above-mentioned guns in position, there are thirty-nine guns of different kinds and calibres, at the Citadel, most of which are not mounted, and there are four heavy 10-inch mortars just received, and one 9-inch
Dahlgren gun expected momentarily from
Richmond.
To man the different batteries and fortifications mentioned, and to prevent the landing of a hostile force on
Sullivan's and
Morris' Islands, the troops are distributed as follows: On
Sullivan's Island, there are thirteen hundred and ninety-four men, consisting of artillery, infantry, and a detachment of dragoons; the whole under the command of
Brigadier General Dunovant.
On
Morris' Island, there are thirteen hundred and fifty-six men, consisting of artillery and infantry, under the command of
Col. Maxcy Gregg.
At
Fort Johnson, there are one hundred enlisted men, under
Capt. James; thirty-one enlisted men, under
Lieut. Blanding, at Castle Pinckney; and one hundred and forty-six men, composed of artillery and infantry, under
Capt. Pope, at Fort Palmetto; making in all, three thousand twenty-seven men; which force has been placed under the command of
Brigadier-General Beauregard, an officer of the army of the
Confederate States of America.
The military force consists of nine regiments of infantry, not including two regiments now being formed, or the volunteer soldiers of
Charleston.
The troops are enlisted for six months. The estimate given of the force does not extend as far as up to the last three days, during which period the number has been largely increased, in view of the expected attempt to reinforce
Fort Sumter.
