Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-11-07
DOMESTIC,

| II Is preiaced BY some remarks on the necessity
sSs'eh OIL general defence, more especially
! i0A'ous Positioh e occupy, in relation
:" 'he arbitrary governments of Europe The
ie""s VI oe'ehce are presented in four classes
navy ortihcatlons, Interior Communications Inv,
isnd and water, and Regular Army. and we'll or
sanized Militia. The Many must be prov,ded with
es'"oHshnehts Tor building and repair rendezvous,
anu refuge. Notifications must close the bar-
coEs against an enemy; prev him from establish
's himself on the territory; the great cities;
prevent the avenues of interior NAVIGATION frnm
oelng b!ockadel at their entrance into the ocean.
cover Tue coaswise navigation; and protect the
h"'aA establishments. Interior Communication
must De provided In order bring the necessary
supplies 10 the stations and haTbors facilitate the
concentration OF military force, and preserve do
nestle commerce unimpaired by war The dry.u
! ana '!"Nia, together with The Marine, are the
vital principle othe whole. The Board then show
'he mutual connexion and dependence of all these:
mat without the Navy, the defence becomes mere
~ passive: without interior Communications The
! navy wants supplies, and the Qualifications rein
iorcemenis and that without Notifications the
navy must be naked and scattered. With our har-
! DOTS fortified the enemy would be unable to en-
force strict blockade, and our navy would there
lore neither be needed for their defence, nor be
confined within our waters By hostile force; while
instead OF having the enemy al our doors as in the
last war, The contest would be trans err ed 10 the
| ocean, and the Interior commerce of the county
remain uninterrupted. And It Is another ady.ntas.
oil naval war, that The loss of lite il less and the
hardship and disease less severe. The Report
however, confines itself chiefly to Fortfc ,tion,.
One OF the most important objects continue the
Board TO be obtained by these, Is TO preserve that
line OF interior communication which, IN time OF
war, mus be relied on in place OF the exterior
coas' ing navigation. The next i, TO guard as be-
tore mentioned, the channels by which trade ami
he country. Bat ii happens for unately that the
security Of the first involves the security ofthe las
as VIII lie evident from all examination oil the geo
graphical features OF The country. Thus the Iite
Oh interior coasiwlse communication begins in the
great bay north OF Cape Cod, passes thence over
land to Narragansett Roads or Buzza,d.' Bav:
thenre through Long Island Sound 10 New York
( mp the Rarian, and land TO the Delaware:
down that river, and over land to the Chesapeake:
down that bay, up Hampton Roads and Eizabe,b
River, AMI, through the Dismal Swamp TO Abe
! marie SQUAD thence, through the sIyamps and
sounds OF The Caroinas and Georgia 10 the head o,
The peninsula OF Florida; over land to the Gulf OF
| heHico and thence through interior sounds and
bays 10 Or cans Some OF the short natural impe-
dlmen's OF this line already removed: others
are rapidly disappearing and the rest in the opinion
OF me Board, will ere long be overcome
NOW, the works which would preserve this line
OF communication from north TO south, ould also
protect the mouths OF the coInulunIraiIons from
east to west, as will be evident when the adv antae
OF iorlIiying particular points, comes to be shown
10 take one example among many, the security OF
the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, would at once bre-
serve The commerce from north 10 south from the
Dismal Swamp TO the head of the Chesapeake and
that which Is carried down all the rivers which
empty into 1t, as the James, the York, the Ralpa-
hammock, the Potomac, the Susquehanna, Sc
The sea coast o the u. S. which extends 1890
Irntia IL n dol into. Il.
Eastern, extending from Nova Scotia 10 Can.
Cod; the Middle, from Cape Cod to Cape Harte-
ras; the Southern, from Haueras to Cape Sable:
and the Gull oil Mexico Frontier from bic 10 the
month OF Sabine River. OF these sections the
Board enumerare the positions T. be fortified, and
the advantages Of each.
The North Eastern section is characterized by
It's senaied coast, numerous harbors, and dense
! iogs. On the eastern half of this coast, these
and the inIicaces OF us navigation, not onlv Sc
cure an interior communication bur 10 protect i,
from an enemy. The remainder is less broken but
contains several excellent harbour On this n,r,
OF the maritime frontier the Board recommend the
toriifica'ion OF Mount Deseri Island Penobsco,
Bay, the Sleeps CuI, The Kennebeck River
Portland. Portsmouth, Gloucester, Beverly. Sa-
lem, MSfble cad, Boston, (the additional deien.
ces OF which last NJ e estimated at Sl279429 \
. Plymouth and Provincetown
The coast between Cape Cod and Cape Hstteras
has fewer haibours than the last and rrinciralIv
sandy shore 1t IS distinguished also by its mjider
climate and clearer atmosphere, by the depth and
magnitude OF its bays and sounds and the length
OF the deep tide navigation in the rivers. The
important stations requiring security. are Martha,
Vineyard Sound, Buzzard's Bav, New Rsdford
Narrsganseit Bay, "a station oil great consequence
as being The OILY one on the coast accessible with a
north west wind, and commanding the ereat
inward curve of the coast from Cape God to Ha
teras,) Soningten, Gardiner's Bay, New London.
and New Haven. New York will reoure adli
, tional deiences to The amount of So POI. s3t :
The Delaware Bay, 20 the amount Of SSI7 900 -
{ In the Chesapeake, Hampton Roads is recommend.
ed as the chief naval rendezvous to the south. A.
Boston and Narraganseit Bay are 10 the north.
and the harbour OF st. Mary's and the Patuxent.
for Notifications. As TO Annapolis the Board are
unable 10 slate whether new works will be reouir
edi but small work is lequired al the mouth OF
Elk River, to protect the Della are and Chesape,ke
Canal The District Of Columbia is proter,ed h.,
Fort Washington, which work cost SAf6 A67
2 This fort had been better placed on Lower Cedar
Point. For securing Baltimore Harbour for,
is Necessary at HawkInss Point and another on tbe
: extreme end OF the fiat on Solers's Point ,rbe
! estimate OF them both is S9l7,542 Tie tress,l
tort M'Henry, Redoubl Wood & Coyinaton II ,,ts
4 -, should be retained as a second barrier
The southern section of the coast is invayiatl,
: low, and generally sandy, and the ridge of go,
2 either lies on the main land or is divide.I e..
7 it by sounds or basins when This ridge /. 10
& ken, It Shy marsh, and the Islands are np,,eo,s
; The abrasion Of the shores Of the rivers cso.e.
lew harbours to be lound The points for defence
are Ocracock, and Albemarls aud Psmtico Sounds
Beaufort. N. G., Cape Fear River, Georgetown
n Harbour, Ssntee River and Bulls BAY, ChaTlsston
ID