The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-14
CO M UNIC MS.
For the Union.
To ruI Hos. LEWIS CAsa

For the Union
To rnL Hon. LEWIS CAsG
SIR: In undertaking to show the condition of our
Notifications and their state Of preparation for de-
fence shall rely chiefly upon reports and other
documents heretofore submitted TO Congress- which
however familiar TO you, and others who may have
turned their attention 10 the subject, are but ltte
known, apprehend, to the American people.
| In report made TO the House of Representatives
in 1899, by select committee, Of which the Hon
William Cost johnson was chairman il is said
"The policy which induced Congress, Immediately
after the late war, 20 decide and provide for the
national defence by the establishment OF system Of
Notifications, was founded the distressing and
Notifying events to which the nation had been sub
jected. The vast body Of men which il had been
necessary TO call into the field throughout the whole
extent Of our frontier-the numbers who perished by
efposure-the loss Of blood and tressure-the inter
rupuon Of the mechanical and agricultural labors,
were 10 be traced in great degree 10 the defence
less condition OF our coast and the mproyidence in
not having in store an ample supply Of naierei and
munitions Of war. Had the vsledctory admonton
OF the Father Of his country been duly regarded
much blood and treasure would have been saved; no
marauding enemy could have entered our bays in
let's, and rivers with imPInity--haye laid our cities
under contribution-pluntered our towns, and an
noyed the inhabitants Of our whole sea-board by
predatory ineurAions; and never would the disgrace
have fallen on the nation having had their Capi-
tol sacked, and len heap y! smoking ruins. 1, was
these occurrences, however this dear-bought expo
renoe, which induced the adoption Of that system Of
defence by which Notifications have been erected,
and others are now in progress, at the exposed
and commanding positions along our whole frontier
But udiclous as the adoption Of the system
efficiently II has been carried into effect in
the location and construction Of defences, what
AFTER the length OF time which has elapsed and
the millions which have been appropriated, is
the present condition Of the country How far
are the Notifications which have been completed ca
paele OF subscribing the purposes for which they
were erected And what supplies Of the munitions
OF war have we really to meet any sudden emergen-
Icy' From the information furnished the COM
mlttee, It appears that there are none Of our forth
cations provided with full and complete arma-
ment, while many crumbling into ruins destitute
Of ornaments capable Of the slightest defence; and
that many OF our chief ports and dock-yards are in
such defencecss condition, that single armed
ship might enter them with impunity, and in a few
hours destroy millions Of property which il has
taken years 10 collect In the reports Of the ord
nance department. heretofore made il is stated that
many OF the cannon belonging to the United States
were IN service during the revolutionary war, and
are oil various callbres and patterns II is stated
that there are 1000 heavy cannon on hand, in
GLIDING mortars and howilzers, which are Of old
and unsuitable patterns and ought not 10 be depend
ed upon for the defence Of the country. II will also
be seen that the whole number Of batterine cannon
IN the Notifications is 1885, in depot | 2I9 and at
4
OF 2SO4; leaving no less than IL OF be provided
for the purposes specified by the Secretary Of War
The number Of shot required allowing $50 per gun
333O,25Oi while the whole Of the shells and balls
IN possession Of the government, is only 300 800
leaving deficiency Of 8, 020,94l.
'As TO field trains, considering the extent of our
country, the difficulty and delay of Transporting ar
ulery from distant depots, and the policy Of our
government as TO the system of defence which we
should adopt the number Of field pieces should per-
haps be upwards Of 5000; and yet we have on
hand and contracted for less than COO and but mo-
dicum OF ordnance stores-none, indeed appearing
TO have been distributed among the States and Terri
tories vi naval ordnance, 1t appears from report
made IN 1884, that the whole number Of great guns
which had been critically inspected was ], 453, ex-
elusive OF io9 cannon and graunades of this number
I93 are below ie-PUuadsrs, and composed of ere,uI
DESCRIPTION, shape and form, Of the manufacture of tp-
cry nation q The earth that hos eper cast Ttn A
number OF guns at each Of the naval stations have
been rendered totally unit for service, and never
be used on board our ships OF war, with safety and
efficiency. or this description, there are several
hundred which ought TO be condemned, and the de-
fcency occasioned thereby Immediately made up
with suitable guns of approved calibre and pattern.
As far as the committee have extended their inqui-
res on the subject, they have found one general
opinion among the officers Of the army. and navy,
that most Of the cannon orned by the government are
u,ya for serrice and that the supply which the ma
ton has is totally disproportioned to the require
men and inadequate TO the security of the country
1t is well known fact that many of the guns
on board our national ships during the war
OF 1912, burst during the heat of action and
thereby destroyed more of our own gallant de-
tenders than of our enemies. This is frighuul
and horrible disaster and sufficient of itself deter
our sailors from entering into the service of the
government who thus regardless of the lives and
limbs of those who risk everything in the defence Of
their country" "There are five foundries employed
in casting and shot in the United States, &c,
&c land if all these were kept in operation, allow
ing all possible zeal, good faith and exerion the
part Of their proprietors, 1t would take many years
TO supply the immediate and contingent wants Of
the government in the several branches of the land
and naval SERVICE" Under these circumstances, what
would be the condition of the country in the event
of sudden war; Those very forts which have
been erected at such expense, could not be put
into state of defence, but would fall an easy con-
quest into the hands Of an enemy and instead of
affordIng protection to our own people, would be.
come depots and citades for the enemy, from which
to send forth their maraudng parties, or to concen.
rae their forces for holder enterprises. No barriers
being nerposed, free ingress to the interior would
be opened, and our very inland towns be subjected
to predatory incursioRs- Our navy could neither be
augmented nor secure the fruits Of victory; and if
driven from the seas by stress Of weather, or su-
perior force, would have harbor where they
could repair their losses and disasters be retted
in security, so 10 recommence active operations.
of strife and bloody warfare which hang a dark
cloud ready to burst on our defenceess frontier
in fact, believing that, "if ever general war should
commence along that extended line, conducted with
the skill that many Of the tribes are known to
possess, it will require an army of 5000 men to
prevent them from making inroads upon our settle
ments, )" the committee Of opinion "that further
time should be lost; but that the government should
take immediate steps to provide ornaments for our
Notifications and to supply not only the present and
81 Init. f,rn Nah,
feld-trains 10 be distributed throughout the States
and Territories, and especially along whole
northern and western frontiers; and to accomplish
these purposes the committee are entirely oonrinced
that the establishment Of national foundry is not
only appropriate and expedie but absolutely neces-
Sarys"
have quoted thus largely from this elaborate re-
port, not only because the statements made in refer
ence to our fortifcaons and the necessity Of estab-
fishing national foundry to insure their speedy
armament fully sustained by the opinions Of
experienced officers and scientific men, but because
~ IL al