The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-08-29


The dangerous error of the opinion, 1.-THE one
last quoted above, is shown by stating the fact.
in proof before the Cuurt-lhat IL WaS az a state Of
PEACE when the Government had authorised or
suffered the Arsenal To he left without its proper
Garrison. And IL ,eaS also in a state Of PEACE.
when the Government permitted these Forts.
jackson and ST. Philip to he left without their
proper Garrisons. But on The commencement of
WAR the case was radically changed So that IL
became The duty Of Gen. Gaines TO hoM his
Dirision rrady for GctiOn-'' tt REPEL INvA-
SION" These Forts are, in truth. the kev to
the city of New Orleans, and are, therefore, in a
military point nf view. altogether the most vital
points upon the national frontier.
1t is well known to every man of Military mind
of Europe, the United States, and Mexico, who
has taken an attentive military view of The sub
ject, that a very small force, say 500 brave men,
supplied with the requisite tools, powder, Sc,
&c, would be able in one night, under the direc-
ton of an experienced Engineer, to place sufficient
powder in the vital parts of these two Forts, 10
break up the masonry, ST. as to render them de-
fenceless, and thus destroy nearly a million OF
dollars worth of work in a single night. A simi-
lar force would do sill greater havoc at Baton
Rouge-300 desperadues, assuming the aspect of
genteel travellers, with their pistols, powder,
cutlasses, &c, safely deposited in their travelling
trunks, landing at Baton Rouge at a time when
hhOob VI ttC J''ili8 'lth VI 'lC pldNt "tIG upDl
the frontier as Volunteers-and landing at night,
would break into and destroy half a million of
dollars worth of Arms, and Munitions of War
If they did not break open the Penitentiary and
let l0use some hundreds of convicts. All this
they could have done without the risk of any Sc
rious loss.
Ii was the duty Of Gen Gaines, as Commander
of the Western Division, To take measures. on
the approach of the War. to guard these vital,
and nluph ey nncad nI,cos from N eucI, dieas,ar
But we are told that his measures, in reference
to these places, were completed, in part, after he
had, on the l7th of May, heard of Gen. TaylUr's
victories of the 9Th and 9th of May. Indeed
and was 1t strange that an old soldier of some ex-
perience-who had learned what this infant Re
public, under the auspices of George Washington
had accomplished against the best of British
troops, (when our population and means of de-
fence were in point of numbers less than half of
what Mexico can now ommand)-shuuld have
deemed it possible that Mexico would find men
and means 10 fight a second and a third battle 2
On the contrary, was it not his duty To anticipate
authority 10 garrison these important posts ecith
out delay? True it is. tina. a second or a third
battle has not been UGged-nOr has any attempt
been made To blow up Forts Jackson and St.
Philip, or the Arsenal at Baton Rouge. And what
does this prove? Either that the known deter
mination of Gen Gaines TO garrison these impUr-
P IYSp $500 w supply VI q W
with twenty one thousand men had suggested to
the enemy the ~proprlety OF taking a llttle more
time to augment their forces, than they had on
the morning of the Sth Of May deemed sufficient
or that our new enemy of Mexico had proven to
be not quite as formidable, or as enterprising as
he had felt himself in duty, and in honor, bound
to consider that enemy 10 be. But how could this
be known in May. 1916, at the time when that
first of patriotic Governors of the South West,
Isaac Johnson, rendered to him the services of the
Division under Gen. Lewis, and the Legion un-
der Gen Augustin. including the excellent Arlil-
lrrisls under Major Gally. OF this fine corps,
Gen. Gaines accepted only GaiIy's Battalion
not eTciusipeiy for SeyUice al Fort Jackson
bat TO do duty al that post until ii shouid ap-
pear proper TO send The Battalion to Point
Isabel, for duty in Mexico, to enable Gen. lay
Tor to meet the grand Army daily egpected by
the whole country, from the city of Mexico uuder
the heroic Paroles.