each face and two on each flank and rook for more. The next front, directly opposed to our approaches, is a bastion front 244 feet long, with two guns in each flank, one on one face, to on the curtain, and room for three more.

Next a water front 121 feet long, with five guns.

Next a water front 251 feet long, with twelve guns.

Next a water front 173 feet long, with nine guns.

The guns are stated in accordance with the intended armament of the fort. The guns actually furnished by the United States before the fort was seized by the Confederate were as follows: Four 24-pounder howitzers; ten 8-inch columbiads; fire 8-inch sea-coast howitzers; fourteen 32-pounders; sixteen 24-pounders.

The fort had been supplied with its full armament, and the Confederates have probably added all they found room for. In 1860-" 61 Captain (now General) Foster made some repairs and additions, which are thus described by him:

A wet ditch, 15 feet wide all around the ford, of small dept, in consequence of quicksand, the latter readily to pressure, is a good obstacle in itself. A picket fence all around the fort, bordering the ditch, and protected from fire by a small glaces; a bastionette for musketry at the northwest angle; a temporary machicoulis gallery at the southeast angle; two caponieres of bricks to flank the three water fronts; merlons on the whole of the east front.

The Confederate have added merlons on the water fronts, and it is probable that most of the guns may now be fired from embrasures. The guns are all in barbette, unless some casemate guns (howitzers) have been placed in the caponieres added by Captain Foster. The entrance is through the middle of the longer bastion front. This is or was the sally-port through the curtain of the other bastion front. Our approaches along the island will be opposed by a very short bastion front and by one flank of the other bastion front, mountain ten guns in all. The longest front, which contains the main entrance, will be enfiladed.

There can be no difficulty in breaching the work and dismounting its guns, provided we can advance along the narrow strip of land in places not more than 250 yards between water lines and cut off re-enforcements. If the enemy can carry off his would, renew his men and means at will, it will be difficult to obtain any advantage over him. His base of operations in close at hand, and he can build batteries in the sand as well can; moreover, he has every motive for fighting at this point desperately. Hence the necessity, already urged, of isolating the place, and the necessity of using inside some gunboats of light draught to assist others of heavier draught outside and the land forces in drawing the enemy into the fort. He cannot carry on a very long contest in the court.

I don't think we need apprehend any very serious annoyance from Fort Sumter. It will be a mile and a quarter from the nearest part of the theater of operations. A drawing attached hereto * shows the situation of the work, its profile, magazines, barracks, officer' quarters, &c. I find no drawing at the Engineer Bureau illustrating the recent repairs and additions made by Captain Foster. The two caponieres on the water fronts are supposed to be entered from the terre-plain above. The masonry scarp stands about 14 feet above high water. The bottom of the ditch is probably 2 or 3 feet bellow high water. The parapet is about 11 feet thick. The scan wall is made of bricks, and is 7 feet thick at bottom and 3 1\2

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* Not found.

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