The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-08-04

Secondly, 6mple forts and battcries.--Thsfs are
not formed the regular principles of fertilization,
thar is, they formed for the purpofe of aand
ing fege as fortified pslygon is. They are for
the Purpofe of obaruang annoying the Progrefs
OF an enemy by land or water.
Batteries are formidable in defending narrow paf-
ies by land; fueh The paffage of bridge, of a
road cut through rough and eraggy mountain that
cannot be psfied any where efe. Bat they not
formidable in defending water paGes, becaufe fhip
with abriS wind & tide & running at the rate of ten
miles hour, will be out of the reach Of the fire of
the battery in fifteen twenty minutes, and being
fwift moving object all the time, it would be a mere
Chance that any iho, itruck her. =
Whenthe Object OF fhipis tha. of paiiing bat
terry for the Purpefe of attaining attacking fome
other object it is hot cu1onary with the hip TO fire
at the battery left it nioald daurb her courfe.--
Three or four men kept on deck to attend the
helm, and the ref having nothing to do, GO below
Duckworth in paIiug the Dardanelles up to CONTAIN
tinople did not fire at the batteries
When batteries for the defence Of water palss can
be ersSisd without any great expence, and the men
not e1Poed te capture, may be very proper to have
them They may keep off fInall piratical veHels,
but they no, to be trufled to for defence.
Notifications give, in general, delufve idea CT
protection. All principal loifes in the revolu-
',onary war were oeeaoned by truftng to fortifca-
tons Fort Warrington with garrifon of $500
'''Sh was III tnan IOur hours anu the men
Prifoners of war. The fame fate had befallen Fort
Lee on the oppoite ihore, if Gen. Greene had no.
moved hatiily off and gained Haekiniack bridge
General Lincoln fortified Charleflon S. c. and him.
ieli and his army made prifouers of war. Cen
Warrington began fortifying New-York in rs, Gen.
Howe patied up the EAT river, landed his army at
Frogs Point about 90 miles above the city and
marched down upon it, and had not General Wafh -.
ing,on oe ilently and fuddenly off on the north RI
yer iide of York Hand himfef and his army had al
10 been prloners True not to Notifications other
wife than batteries that can be abandoned at diff
cretion.
The cafe however is that batteries, as water de-
fence againt the paaage of fhps cannot do much
Were any given number of guns to be put in bate
rY Tor that Pnrpofe and equal number of the fame
weight OF metal put in guu-boats for the fame pur-
pole, thoie in the boats would be efeiual than
thoie IN the battery The neaiou for this is obvious
battery is itationary Its fire is limited about
two miles, and there its power ceafes But every
gun-boas moved by oar, is movable fertilization
that can follow up its fire and change its place and
poition as circumstances may require. And beides
this, gun 60af' i" eaiHS are TIE Eevreign 5Jsips.
AS this matter intereis the public, and mofl pro-
badly will come before congrels a, its next meeting,
IT the printers in any OF the ates, after publhng it
III their newiPapers, have mind to publiih it in a
pamphlet form, together with my former piece on
gun-boats, they have my conlent freely. take ne-
ther copy right nor preEt Tor any thing pubh.
COMMON SENSE.