Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-09-21

and il will b. yer. desirable to have it within 90
! otAerwise, the most important sdvantsge to which
the nation IS looking, that OF avoiding the possibility
al blI>.-le, will be ent'c civ lost.-i intimately
acquainted with All the principal harbors OF this
| extensive Bay cannot, therefore, find language
! to express astonsh,nent ut the want OF judg-
| nent, or waat worse, Interested motives OF some
| writer's, who have recommended different sites,
suited tn their own Interest views. One of these,
! "a Farmer, most Tx Is, Ter lac has no nautical
| kno.!edge.) recommends St. Msry's, which place,
he says, offers great advantages to the adjacent coun-
try, ard extends tbose advantages to Baltimore bu.
| he more particularly recommends it rs an appen-
| dsge TO the building yard at Washington, which,
according to his views of the subject could not ex
ist withoutt We must, then, upon the same priuci-
| pie, have at least another ior,iGsd place between
| that and Cape Henry, place OF protection to
our shps, it wonld be impossible to get clear of
| the Capes in night, even admitting the navga
ton to be easy wien, on the contrary,
| the passage by York spit, the tail of the middle
ground aad Horseshoe renders the navigation ex-
tremeiy dangerous asd dill cult, in sdark night
Were the nation brd enough to erect navy yard
| at ST. Mary's, with England would cause Bal
timore, Alexandra aud Washington to feel its eff
fee's most sensiby-it IS well known that the Tan
ger Islands, extending to the westward, draws
! the bay, at the mouth Of the Potomac TO marrow
locus /; consequently, large three, properly
ranged, and which would certainly be b ought there
| by establishment Of this kind, between Smiths
Poat and the Tangiers would Ell, etually block up
those three towns. We viii then, while in our
right senses, place St Marys out of the question,
anil co.le down 10 the next point belew, which IL
York River. With this river , am Intimately
qnainted, aud agree thu; L is of the bold
! est and most beautiful emptsrg iato the Cbesa-
peaka and, from its contiguy TO the ocean, pns-
sesses the advantage of ships getting tn IN few
hoursindeed, it possesses every possible advantage
over st. Mary's, which, none other than person
| influenced by the most selfish motives, would
have comnended-yfnecessary, to make aretreat
| Tor vessels bound up or down the Bay and Poto-
| mac, erect, in time of war. small Fort there
not making it an object cfblocsle by placing there
the great ndUGi arsenalgf me nation, as Il conve-
trc1ce 20 coOsr the retreat Of merchant JesseiS.
Were it impossible to iortiiy Hampton Roads, York
River would, in my opiron, afford one Of tie mos;
| eligible situations the Chesapeake but when we
know, from actual survey that this important point
can be made very strong, with little expence in
the 1corks hemsefses, will be required TO protect
the establishment otiy, on York River, Without al
iordns one other solitary advantage and, that in
war, large force must be kept purpo5ely 10 garri
son IT why should we be mad enough to remove
our arsenal trcm ot the safest, aud, every
| spec, after forttfng Hampton Roads, the hest cho-
sen in the Union mot only giving up the valuable
works already erected IT, but going the expence
ORE erecting them on York Rver--And we are told
too that the b. tsit which ccud be found there, By
Commodore Sinclair, the officer sent by the gov
| ernment to select one, situated four hundred
| yards from the channel; consequently, large adj
| making land, to such extent.
will, therefore, go on to recommend our contin-
Jung the navyy where it now is st GOsport, and
increasing IT to any extent which circumstances may
| require; and will not give it mere empty re-
| commentator, without pointing out most clearly
tothe duest comprehension, the Iaany and incaIcI-
liable advantages it will afford, only to the first
great object but, while It every possible adj
vantage to that, it will give strength to the eoun-
| try and security to its commerce. beyond our most
.-lo
/ fortifyi Hampton Roads; without which, would
by no means advocate it. Such fertilization is ia
the first place, complete lock to the outer door,
leading TO the Capitol of the State it forms Hamp-
ton Roads into olthe most spacious outer bar
| Dors that can be conceived, from which ship or
squadron, after riding in the utmost security, can
choose their opportunity and be at sea in hours,
both light besses being in sight at the time,
and the channel wide, bold, and uuinterfupted--lt
also affords safe and sure protection Tor ships run
| nmg through blockading squatiGi and bound to
| Norfolk OF James River; while it offers double
security D the navy yard, stuated one of the Fl
| nest inner harbers in the world. Timber of every
description, particularly spars and yellow pine
plank, has been and still is continued to be car.
red from this tn every otheryard in the Union, and
| especially to that OF Washington
| In time OF war, this transportation was found
impractcable, which served TO shew the advauta.
ges this settle has over every other in the procuring
this indispensable article. On the shoaliest part
| from Hampton Roads leading to Gosport is mud
| list Of about quarter Oft mile in extent where
| tie Commissioners themselves sounded, and, lat
low water oil very lew tide, 81 seet was carried O.
| vcr-I'he tide, in common, ebbs and flows about
| feet; that there is want of water lea.
| dog from the inner to the outer harbour Why
| then select any other spot, when the whole world
! scarcely affords one equal to this ? This dock
yard has the Canal leading from the Carolir as &c
it, through which the live oak of the south can ca
| SLY be conveyed during war, when all ether ward,
in the Union must find it impossible to procure it.
II has ell other timber in abundance on its branches
| The garl'soning the town of Norfolk always af
lords sare prote cton to the yard without one
dollar additional expesce which, when estimated
at from FIVE to eight thousand, the number station
ed here during the late war. is an expence worthy
consideration. Even were the general goyernm emf
to lose sight OF this important object Virginia her
self would find il to her interest fertify Hampton
hoads-She would be gamer in three years
war, not only in the facility would afford her com
merce, beth external, and by the way Of the Dis
NAL Swamp Canal ; but she would be less harras
sed in her most vulnerable point, leading direct t.
the capital consequently, the expense OF immens
numbers OF Troops being called out, would be sa
we'd, and most desirable tranquility on the water
courses, thus secured, preserved.
| Norfolk, which nature has pointed out az tn
great Commercial Town of Virginia, would deriy
ncaculsble advantages, by having secured to he
such an outer harbor as Hampton Rnads--Ve,
sells, which without such protection, would find
impossible to get TO sen, would be enabled to drol
down under cover Of the Notifications, aud ava
themselves OF dark nights 10 clear a blockadin
squadron, while those coming in with a fair win
J Tor the Roads, aud ahead TO Norfolk would fin
equal security. In fact, with Hampton Roads So