Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-13

sioners OF the navy -b0ard, examined those pla
ces designated lii your letter of the 9Th Of Ma,
LAST, ior the purpose OF reporting, through you,
| for the consideration OF the President of the
| United States, the opinion of the navy commits
| ssouers as totiie means most proper TO be adop-
| tc3fOr the defence OF the Chesapeake Bay, IN
| time OF war; it's source OF unpleasant renec-
! tion, not only To myself, but ann confident e.
| pud!iy 50 10 the other commissioners 10 find
on comparing our opinions. tat we do not en-
| tfeiy agree as 10 the mode b. which this truly
important object might, most probably, be as
| comphshed. | regret this the more, from the
| persuasion, that IL would have been more a.
sreeable TO you, aud more satisfactory TO the
President, had we found ali the data upon
which We might have formed correct eSt-
mate OF such positive character rs to admit of
no diversity of opinion. As, however, different
opinienS are entertained by the members of the
board we have Judged il best that each menu
Der should make separate report:-trus,ng
mat from these conflicting opinions, and the
facts * arguments adduced in support OF each,
TIE bes means of obtaining the highly iRpoi-
ta3t ebJect IN vlewmay he eiicited.
proceed with respectful Difference for the
opinions OK my brother commissioners, to sub
mt those views OF this important Question
which the most attentive consideration and
anxious inves tigaticn of facts, have produced
ia my mind
From the distance between the nearestpoinis
ofthe fiddle Ground x Horseshoe, the great
depth of water between those places aud their
exposed situation TO the mountainous waves
rolling IN from the Atlantic ocean, unohstruct.
ed, during the prevalence of south easter;y
gales, Incline to the opinion, that it would be
extremely difficult, itn0t ImpractlcuDie, 10 e.
reef batteries, at amy cost, however great that
would resist the tunlult OF the whole Atlantic
ocean, drawn is II ere to a focus, bv the ne
cuiiar formation OF the coast at that point.
lnlnOthor view such an attempt might be
hazardous: for tnay he seriously qneStioned
whether the erection OF batteries IA that part
Of the channe, Of CheSapca..e Ray which is The
MI
ne! through that immense bank OF sand the
Middle Ground, thereby changing the course
oi It's waters, rendering the batteries wholly
useless, and subjecting the navigation OF the
bdS Ia destruction atits very confluence with
the Atlantic ocean? \ new channel thus for
med, would necessary diSpiace immense depo-
sites OF sand from the Middle Ground, 81 there
by, most probably, To the destruction of the
navigation complete t!e bar, that nature has
already more than z-3ds flashed, across the
entrance OF the bay.
For these reasons, the erection of batteries
between the Horse Shoe and Middle Ground.
appears 10 ne, 1t not impractcable, at least
unadviSabe.
l will now examine the navigation from Cane
Henry To hampton Roads. and thence to Nor
folk, for Tie purpose OF demonstrating, hy nm
questionable facts, how far Norfolk unites the
advantages essential to the purp noses OF a
great naval rendezy Gus and depot Of maritime
stores.
As anouter harbor, Hampton Roads is easy
As its entrance from the bay, by erecting
formidable battery nj Old Point Comfort aud
another at the distance OF one mile on the
suoai ot Nllicughby's Poiuj, it might DC -
tar defended rs 10 prevent hostile beet how
ever formidable, from attempting To enter it
without having III view the Accomplishment OF
sclne great object. On ordinary occasions the
FISK which an enemy wOuid then incur, from
an attempt to enter hampton Roads wOG!d
no doubt be sufficient 10 deter him but an
object. worthy OF the risk, might present IT.
svit-and, ia such case. an enemy ayailiHtr
himself of the most favorable wind and tide
might attempt 1t, and would probably succeed.
TaSsin9 these batteries. as tie might do under
SUCH circumstances, with Il velocity equal 10
fourteen mlies an hour, the effect OF the 5at-
teres would be rendered very uncertain, and
lac would De III their reach only minutes l.
seconds! Should he succeed IN entering the
road. he might anchor in various situations
from four to four and a half miles in every di-
rection from tie shore. My own personal
observation enables me to add, that during the
prevalence OF noTtil-easteriy gales particularly
IN the winter season, Hampton Roads is sub
icct 10 very heavy sea, which may be ascri-
bed 10 its great width at its entrance, and its
exposure to the ~ f..
rs AN inner harboT Norfolk may be easily
defended both By land aud sea and there
Is in ITS vicinity an abundance of good timber
These are great advantages; bat from the diff
tic ulty OF getting IN or out OF ElIZabeth-river
arising from the narTOwnesS OF tic channel IL
many places, and the Variou, courses neCcs-
Sary to be steered, from ". n. W. TO H. ~
r. points directly oppOsite) before YOU reach
Cape tienry, added 10 Il shoal at its confluence
with the waters of Hampton Roads, on which
there are only 20 feet inches at low water
and not more than ~ feet inches at high wa
ter, during tie prevalence of neap-tides-
aud at time, excepting the sDring-tides
more than n feet at low X p feet at high
wafer, present to my mind insuperable oblec-
lions tn Norfolk as yard, particularly when
it IS recOected how imperfect and lnse-
cure Hampton Roads would be as an outer mar
Dor.
| viii! HOW proceed TO state the advantages
and disadvantages peculiar to York River.
considered as a place for a naval reEdez-
town as al outer aud above itas an inner har-
Dor
The lower part of York river being, at its
mouth, OILY one mile WIDE and three quarters
IN breadth from shore to shore, and tie chan
mel only about fiteen hundred yards from fiat
10 fiat aud aii0rdng, as it does "A safe nayi-
CATION AZ ali times aud ~ seasons for ships of
the greatest drdught of water, is in my opin-
ION, suitable for au outer harb0r. Wuh the
aid 81 land batteries an inferior n,ay he dcf.u-
dcd against superior force OF ships Like
Hampton Roads, however, il is subject go a
rough ser during the prevalence Of eaStorlv
gsHes; bnt IN this river thar DISADVANTAGE Is
e really duIini' he'd by tue fact, that with any
wind inai would urlke this anchorage Obiec-
tcnaulc, ~ That would enable au enemy Of SUI
pcrIOr force 90 approach you, tsuppnsiHg this
place rot to he iOrufed) YOU can, with perfect
security and case, get under weigh aud run iu.
20 tue inner hdrbOT, above tie batteries at
York town and Gloucester.
"a an inner harbour and Naval Dcpot.
OK river, above ORR town. does not com.
biHe every advantage desirable, not having any