[Also published in the Chicago Tribune April 11, 1861, and Detroit Free Press April 10, 1861.]
An intelligent correspondent of a Northern paper writes from Troy, New York, under date of Saturday last, as follows:
Never since the Mexican War has there been such an extraordinary activity displayed at the United States arsenal in West Troy as at the present moment. A few days ago dispatches were received ordering Lieutenant George T. Hitch to forthwith repair to Fort Pickens and report himself at that post for active duty. In accordance with orders, he is now en route for his place of destination. He is an accomplished and energetic officer, and ranks as one of the first Lieutenants in the service.
Major Mordecai, who has command of the Arsenal, is a Virginian, and is now absent in his native State. The command, therefore, devolves now on Lieutenant Strong, who is the oldest officer now at the post. Lieutenant Porter is the only other commissioned officer now here. Despatches have been received every day, and are constantly being received, for the preparation and shipment of all kinds of munitions of war.
The works are kept going night and day, no intermission of any kind is permitted, and the Sabbath day even is entirely disregarded. I succeeded in visiting the works last night, about midnight, and found every department in full operation. Large numbers of men were engaged, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling, in filling up six, twelve and twenty-four pound cartridges, which as soon as filled , were transferred to other parties, where they were placed in boxes for shipment. In another room I found a large number of men busily engaged in charging bombshell with powder, others, engaged in filling shells with bullets and running them full of melted rosin; the latter were taken when filled to another room, and there, with machinery, a hole about three quarters of an inch in diameter was drilled into the bullets bullets and rosin; then they were taken into another room and charged with powder. A very ingenious fuse completes this death-dealing projectile; it is made of lead, of a size just to fill the aperture in the shells, and is registered into seconds, so that the exact time that will elapse before explosion, after leaving the gun, can be established to a second. Taken altogether, this shot is a most ugly looking customer. I saw, also, large quantities of canister and grape, rifle and musket balls and all other known implements of war being prepared for shipment. I visited the grounds again this morning, and the energy and activity which were so apparent last night were more evident to-day. Two hundred thousand rounds of ball cartridges were being placed on board a barge lying near; numbers of teams were busy drawing to the boat cannon balls, canister and grapeshot, grenades, bullet and rifle balls, cartridges, guns and gun carriages, mortars, and, in fact, every article used in war. What struck me as remarkable was the large number of siege guns and carriages that were going on board, as I could not conceive of what possible use they could be in the South except to the secessionists, unless the Administration had determined “to carry the war into Africa,” and recapture the forts in the South held by the secessionists.
I endeavored to gain some information from the officers at the post, but they were either very discreet of else they knew nothing. I incline to the latter opinion. They pretended they did not even know the destination of all or any of the munitions of war which the Government had so suddenly ordered. From my observations as to the character of the supplies that were going forward, and having a little knowledge of military matter- I once belonged to a military company- I have my own theory, and it is this: The destination of much of the shipment if Fort Pickens, and I judge the Government have determined to make that fort a general rendezvous and supply station; having determined to hold it at all hazards, they will fill it with men and munitions of war, and from that point all the operations against the extreme South will be conducted. The siege guns and carriages, which are of no use for defence, and are only used to reduce fortified places, will be stored in Fort Pickens for future use; or, what is probable, they may be destined for Texas for the support of old Sam Houston in his attempts to keep possession of the government of his State.
You may rest assured, from what I have seen here, that civil war is about to be inaugurated. There is no mistaking these indications, and a fortnight hence will see the republic plunged into a contest which will only terminate with the utter exhaustion of both parties, with nothing gained and everything lost. Truly we have fallen upon evil times. Demagogues have usurped the places of patriots. God save our country.
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David Upton