January 12, 1861, The New York Herald
PENSACOLA BAY.
Pensacola bay has rare properties as a harbor. It is now accessible to frigates. The bar is near the coast, and the channel across it short and easily passed. The harbor is perfectly landlocked and the roadstead very capacious. There are excellent positions within for repairing, building and launching vessels, and for docks and dockyards in healthy situations. The supply of good water is abundant. These properties, in connection with the position of the harbor as regards the coast, have induced the government to select it as a naval station, and a place of rendezvous and repair. The upper arms of Pensacola bay receive the Yellow Water or Pea river, Middle river, and Escambia river, eleven miles from the Gulf.
SANTA ROSA ISLAND.
Santa Rosa Island is situated east by northwest by south fourteen leagues, and completely shuts out Pensacola from the sea. It is so low that the sea in a gale washes its top. It is not more than one fourth of a mile wide. The west point of this island is at the mouth of Pensacola bay. The latter is not over one and a quarter mile wide.
FORT PICKENS.
The principal means of defence to the mouth of Pensacola bay and the naval station is Fort Pickens. This fort is a first class bastioned fort, built of New York granite, and situated on low ground on the east point of Santa Rosa Island. Its walls are forty five feet in height by twelve feet in thickness; it is embrasured for two tiers of guns, which are placed under bombproof casemates, besides having one tier of guns en barbette. The guns form this work radiate to every point of the horizon, with flank and ensliding fire at every angle of approach. The work was commenced in 1828 and finished in 1853. It cost the federal government nearly one million of dollars. When on a war footing its garrison consists of 1,260 soldiers. Its armament, only a portion of which is within its walls, consists of –
Guns.
Forty two pounder iron guns… 63
Thirty two pounder iron guns… 17
Twenty four pounder iron guns.. 49
Eighteen pounder iron guns… 5
Twelve pounder iron guns… 13
Brass field pieces… 6
Brass flank howitzers… 26
Heavy eight inch howitzers… 13
Thirteen inch mortar… 1
Heavy ten inch mortars… 4
Light eight inch mortars… 4
Sixteen inch stone mortars… 4
Coehorn mortars… 5
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Total armament… 210
The fire from this work completely covers the navy yard, and in case the latter is held by the federal authorities, it would not hold out long against Fort Pickens. The bar on the exterior of the bay is three miles distant, and beyond that there are no facilities for a hostile fleet to lie in safely. All the forts in Pensacola bay are ere this garrisoned by Alabama troops, who were invited there by the Governor of Florida.
FORT McKEE.
This fortification is situated on Foster Bank, and guards the west side of the mouth of Pensacola Bay. It is a bastioned fort, built of brick masonry, with walls twelve feet in thickness. It is embrasured for two tiers of guns, under bombproof casemates, and has on tier en barbette. Its armament consists of 150 guns and in time of war requires a garrison of six hundred and fifty men. The work cost the federal government about $400,000. Its guns radiate at every point of the horizon. It is a very effective work. The full armament of the fort is not compete, but a sufficient number of guns are in battery to make a very good defence in conjunction with Fort Pickens. Below this fort is a water battery, which mounts some eight or ten guns. The interior of Fort Mckee is provided with the necessary shot furnaces, officers’ and soldiers’ quarters, magazines, &c.
FORT BARRANCAS
Is on the north of Pensacola bay, and directly fronting the entrance to its mouth. The work is erected on the site of an old Spanish fort. The fort is a bastioned work, built of heavy masonry, and mounts forty nine guns, and in time of war requires a garrison of two hundred and fifty men. The armament of the work is fully mounted, and its magazines are in good order. In the rear of the fort is a redoubt which is auxiliary to Fort Barrancas. Some extensive repair have recently been completed on this redoubt, and the flanking howitzers of scarp and counterscarp can be mounted with very little labor.