P : J. G. Foster to Jos. G, Totten, March 17, 1861

General Jos. G, ToTTEN, Chief Engineer U. 8. Army, Washington, D. 0. : GENERAL: The unusual activity observed and reported yesterday morning in the surrounding batteries was due to preparations for receiving some distinguished person who visited them in the afternoon.

“Here omitted. To appear in Atlas.

_ CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.—UNION.

is supposed that this was Vice-President Stephens, of the so-called

_ Southern Confederacy. Three rounds were fired from all the batteries on Morris Island, except No. 1, apparently as much for practice as for

_ saluting, for most of the guns not pointed in this direction were shotted. _ This firing enabled me to detect the positions and approximate calibers

of the guns in these batteries.

The marginal sketch represents this roughly :

Bi, No. 1. Battery of sand and palmetto logs, four 24-pounders. _ No. 2. Iron-clad battery, three guns, 42-pounders or 8-inch columbiads. No. 3. Battery of sand and palmetto logs, three guns, 24-pounders or -32-pounders. No. 4. Battery of sand and palmetto logs, with one 8-inch columbiad or 8-inch sea-coast howitzer. _ No. 5. Star of the West battery, five guns, 24-pounders or 32-pounders. ais a large magazine; b, ¢, d are defenses of the character of redoubts on top of three sand hills. _ There were two guns at each round fired from the light-house battery. ‘ _ Three or four more guns were landed yesterday with barbette carris, and most of them (in fact, all that are removed from the landing ch is in front of battery No. 1, where there is deep water close in e) were carried around upon the channel side. One, at least, was d in battery No. 4, making four guns in that battery at present. hese guns with barbette carriages came from Castle Pinckney, nearly whole of the upper tier of which is being removed for this purpose. of the guns from Fort Moultrie bearing upon this fort or the chanhaye been removed. No work is being done on the batteries lookwards us. All preparations are directed to strengthening the el batteries very much, and to covering the present batteries in ear, Which was before open. ork of any magnitude is being done on Cummings Point to-day y). On James Island the work on the covered way connecting k of the line of intrenchments and the mortar battery is being

78 th e honor to be, yery respectfally,

your obedient servant,