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December 13, 1860 - Captain John Foster to Colonel René de Russy

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Union Correspondence, etc.

FORT MOULTRIE, S.C., December 13, 1860.

Colonel R.E. DE RUSSY, Commanding Corps of Engineers, &c.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to inform you that Lieutenant R. K. Meade, Corps of Engineers, reported to me for duty on the 10th instant, I placed him in charge of Castle Pinckney the next day, and relieved Lieutenant J. C. Davis from his temporary duty at that post. The work at the Castles is progressing satisfactorily at present, although I have up to this time been delayed on account of one firm in town refusing to shell me, as the agent of the United States, some lumber, which I was expecting, and very much needed. I have made arrangements to obtain the requisite quantity of lumber elsewhere, and have transferred the bricks and cement from Fort Sumter. The work on the cistern is already commenced, and that on the wooden banquettes will commence to-morrow. In the mean time, while waiting for materials, the force has been employed in perfecting the messing arrangements, putting the fort in thorough police order, and oiling and working the gun carriages, so that they now move with perfect facility.

The men for this working party wee picked, and the majority of them are reliable against the disorderly attack of any mob to possess itself of the work. My confidence in them has increased within a few days.

A strict night watch is maintained, and during the daytime a man stands at the gate to prevent interested persons entering and inspecting the fort and its arrangements for defense. This latter precaution I have found to be necessary on account of numbers of men connected with the military, who came for the purpose of obtaining knowledge to use against the defenders of the for tin case of a collision with the Government. I have given the same instructions to Lieutenant Snyder, at Fort Sumter, with reference to which the above precaution became necessary first.

At Fort Sumter everything is going on smoothly, although I have purposely delayed the mounting of the guns, for the reason that I did nor consider it safe to proceed with that work until some definite idea was obtained as to whether the work was to be maintained or not. Consequently, only the guns of the left face, which do not bear towards Fort Moultrie directly, are mounted in the first tier, although every preparation is made to mount all the guns in the shortest possible time when it is necessary and safe so to do.

I think the temper and disposition of the men at Fort Sumter, are very good-better than a few days ago. They will defend the fort, as far as possible, without arms, against a mob, but not against the organized forces of South Carolina.

I have endeavored to strengthen the conservative feeling among the men through the overseer, and have succeeded to a certain extent, and I now consider this fort and Castle Pinckney safe until it comes to the solution of the question whether the Government is to surrender them to the State or to refuse her demands. At that time only United States troops, and in good numbers, will be sufficient to overawe an attempt to take them by force.

I hope the Department will not think me too explicit in my terms, for I wish to avoid any unnecessary alarm, but I feel it my duty to state my convictions, in order that it may have full information for its action. I would respectfully, but strongly, urge that more definite instructions be given me for my guidance. If Fort Sumter is to be risked against the chances of an attack, it will be important to vary my programme, and to change the deposit of a large portion of its stores, and to provide for the exigency of its loss. If not, I will cheerfully prepare to defend it to extremity until troops arrive for its garrison. If the garrison in Fort Moultrie is to be transferred, I should know it, in order to stop the heavy expense at Fort Moultrie, which in that case will become unnecessary, and which is now fast consuming my available funds. I can also, in that case, proceed in the armament of Fort Sumter.

At Fort Moultrie I have continued my heavy operations, and have employed one hundred and twenty men. The accessory defenses that I have created and am now perfecting are very important to the defense, and I trust the Department will approve my action. They comprise, besides the works ordered by the Department, the formation of a wet ditch, fifteen feet wide, all around the fort, the depth of which is very small in consequence of the quicksand which is reached, but which is very yielding to pressure, like a quagmire, and, therefore, a good obstacle; the construction of a picket fence all around the fort bordering the ditch, and protected from fire by a small glaces in front of it; the cutting off the projecting brick cordon, which might serve to aid in scaling the oblique face of the wall; the formation of a bastionette at the northwest anger, so as to obtain a more effective flanking fire than could be obtained by a small cut in the parapet, and the formation of a temporary machicoulis gallery at the southeast angel.

All of these auxiliary defenses, except the picket fence, will be completed in four days, and will vastly improve the chances for the defense. With a sufficient war garrison I would consider this fort as secure against any attack that this State can bring against it; but the garrison is a mere handful of sixty men, and can hardly spare five men to two flanking caponieres-a fact that has influenced me in forming the machicoulis gallery at the southeast angel, as this can be defended and the wall flanked by two or three men, who can also be ready to rally any poi with the rest of the garrison.

In fine, I have spared no pains to give every assistance to the defense. I decline dot make a fraise around the coping, for the reason that its effect would be to diminish the width of the wet ditch, since the same length of ladder that would catch on the points and enable the assailants to mount would not otherwise strike the wall more than half the way up. If time spares I shall widen the ditch one or two feet and plant small pickets within it.

I have saved all my cement barrels to be used in forming merlons, if necessary, and some of them are now being sued by the garrison on the east front, facing the sand hills, to form covers for a few sharpshooters upon the parapet.

I hope funds will soon be sent me for the present month. I should think the United States Treasurer could issue his warrant against the deposit in Charleston for what money I require, for the assistant treasurer, Mr. Presley, informed me that he had ample funds in hand.

I exchanged a draft on New York for gold to-day, in order to pay the men on Fort Sumter. The bank made the exchange at par.

Very respectfully and truly,

J. G. FOSTER, Captain, Engineers.


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