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March 12, 1861 - Captain John Foster to General Joseph Totten

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Union Correspondence, etc.

FORT SUMTER, S.C., March 13, 1861.

General JOS. G. TOTTEN,
Chief Engineer U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.:

GENERAL: The work upon the redoubts on the channel side of Morris Island still continues quite actively. It is confined to those described in yesterday's letter. The pacific news by telegraph on the 11th seems to have created a pleasant feeling in those around us, if we may judge by the quantity of powder that they burned yesterday. About one hundred and fifty guns in all were fired, but not with regularity; of this number Fort Moultrie fired about one hundred guns. The remainder were fired from the Maffitt Channel battery, above the Moultrie House, and from the batteries on Morris Island.

We got up the 10-inch columbiad yesterday, and transported it to its carriage. To-day it will be mounted at the west gorge angle. One-third of the loophole openings on the first tier of the gorge are solidly closed with stone, with lead run into the joints.

A third temporary building is being demolished to obtain fuel. When the supply from this is exhaust the blacksmith shop will have to be pulled down, and in order to prepare for this I have moved the bellows and apparatus into one of the second tier casemates. The weather is very pleasant. I received the Department letter of the 8th instant.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J.G. FOSTER,
Captain, Engineers.

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