rang, the drums rattled, and we were soon in a posture to defend ourselves; but the alarm was groundless, it served only to show that the men were on the alert, it was soon found that a harmless dog had alarmed the sturdy Dutchman. On the 12th, I received the unwelcome intelligence that my company had been selected to remain in the Fort, to guard the sick and baggage, and to my great mortification was compelled to march inside the piquets. But I must describe Fort Brooke. It is situated at the junction of Hillsborough river with Tampa, or rather Hillsborough Bay. The Fort is a triangle, the hypothenuse or base of which rests on the sea, in the apex are two block houses, which command two sides, and are fortified with cannon, on the breeches of which their sorrowing friends have painted the names of Dade, Gardiner and others who fell in the massacre. The base is commanded by a lunetta, and the whole is surrounded by a strong palisade, with sharp stakes on the top, amply supplied with loop holes for the musketry, and port holes for the cannon; outside the palisades, there has been dug a number of wolf traps, with a strong, sharp stake, in the bottom of each on which the enemy must be impaled, if they should succeed in approaching so near us. There are eighty or ninety volunteers, and eighty regulars and marines, in all about one hundred and sixty fighting men left in garrison: the whole under command of Major Sandes, a fine soldier looking gentleman of the regulars. The army marched on the 13th, under command of General Gaines, of the United States army. Each man was supplied with ten days provisions. There were two battalions, one commanded by Lieut. Colonel Lawson, the other by Major Marks. The regulars, about four hundred in number, were led by Colonel Twiggs, Major Montfort, and other United States officers. They marched in high spirits and seemed eager for a brush with the enemy.