[CHAP. LXIV.

be received. He has good company, and the honor of that of that grand old country is wrapped up in his remaining there. I would like to say many things about Fort Morgan, but will not trepass on your time. My purpose in writing was merely, so far as business is concerned, to say that I hope you will at once direct that large tents with flies to them [of the pattern of officers' tents] will be sent to Fort Morgan fdor the troops encamped outside. If the whole garrison is kept inside the fort you may expect yellow fever and other serious diseases amongst them. The sand is so heavy and white on the outside as to render it very disagreeable, unless the soldiers can get the benefit of the breeze. With such tents as I mention they can have some protection from the sun and get the sea breeze, which is very fine. With these little close tents they are forces to remain out in the open sun, or else suffer very much from heat. It is not there as it is in Pensacola where they have liveoal shade trees to protect them. At Fort Morgan all the trees, save a few scattering and stunted pines, are removed to prevent a cover to an approaching enemy, and there remains only a huge, unbroken waste of sand, nearly as white as snow and intensely hot. The most of the men from North Alabama are unused to exposure, and will be unable to stand camp life on the beach unless they have some shelter from the sun. They are all encamped outside the fort.

If a hostile force of 1, 500 well - disciplined men was landed three miles form Fort Morgan, and marched under cover of the sand hills, they could approach, with a front of nearly the whole breadth of the land, to a point within 300 yards of the glacis. Colonel Hardee is having the hills leveled, but it is a very heavy undertaking, and with his present force of labores he cannot accomplish it in two months. Captain Maury is the only man in the fort who can load and fire a heavy gun with any precision of aim or any regard to tactics. Lieutenant Ball is there, and he is a man of sense and will make a first - rate officer, but I take it that he is not practically experienced beyond his training at West Point. Colonel Hardee and Colonel Maury is a man of brilliant talents, cool judgment, and great scientific and practical skill. He is indispensable to the service. I saw an experimental shot with a 10 - inch columbiad made by Captain Maury with a shell provided with a new sabot of his own invention, and it was a most magnificent soccuss. His second trial the shell was projected about two miles and a half and exploded within ten to twenty feet of the water. The first shot was equally as successful. Fort Morgan is safe from an attack seaward, but it seems to me that it is liable to great danger from a sudden land attack, especially in the absence of experienced artillerists. Pardon the length of this letter.

Very respectfully and truly, your friend,

John T. MORGAN.

[1.]

MONTGOMERY, April 16, 1861.

Honorable L. P. WAKLER,

Secretary of War:

DEAR SIR: I propose to raise one or more companies of volunteers to assistin reducing Fort Pickens. If required we will pay our own expenses and arm ourselves. We will require no pay for services. We wish to be permitted to return to our respective companies of cavalry so soon as Pickens is taken. An early answer will oblige, as a meeting