The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-14

1
their mperiections became by experience so
manifest, and the expenditures consequently
incurred In large assemblages of troops, and in
various temporary devices, were SO great, that
no sooner was the war ended than the Govern
ment determined TO enter promptly upon an
adequate permanent system of military de-
fences.
| To this end board of experienced engineer
and naval officers were directed to examine the
whole coast and select the proper points for for
tlhcatlons, navy yards, and depots. They APP
piled themselves several years uninterruptedly
to this duty; and the result of their labors was
| the system which has now been in operation
some thirty years, and is still in progress of
completion.
by this system all OF the projected works are
divided into classes according to their relative
importance in the order of time; the works
IN each class being arranged in like order with
respect to one another. The leading objects of
the system are TO cover all important and valu-
able points on the maritime frontier from an
enemy's attacks to do this gradually, in mea
sure as the state of the treasury will permit,
|
portance and value spectively-each new I'M
dertaking being separately and expressly sane
toned by Congress. The design has not been,
as some have supposed to place forts and bat
teries along the whole line of coast wherever
an enemy could land, but to provide permanent
| Notifications for the most commanding posi-
tons on the approaches to the principal cities,
|
positions as, while they exclude enemy's
squadrons will, in case he should resort to land
ing, oblige him to make considerable detor
before reaching his object; and such, moreover,
as shall afford protection to as many important
points as possible.
Fort Delaware. now in progress at Delaware
bay, is an illustration. 1t is situated forty miles
below Philadelphia, and may certainly be made
to prevent the nearer approach of an enemy by
water. The river being thus closed against his
further progress, no enemy could reach the city
except by landing and marching thither; in do
ing which he would encounter the population of
| New Jersey and New York falling ON his flank
on one side, and that of Delaware and Mary
land on the other. And while this fort will
l.
it will cover also the Chesapeake and Delaware
canal, the railroad from Baltimore to Philadel-
| phia, the powder manufactures on the Brandy
wine, the towns of Newcastle, Wilmington,
and Chester, and several other places.
! Some towns of little note, in point of size or
population, become objects Of importance, from
their peculiar geographical position or other in
| cidental circumstances. Pensacola, for in
stance, has little of its own to excite the cupid
ity of an enemy; but its bay is the best harbor,
and within this bay is the only navy yard in
| the gulf. Considerations of this nature bring
within the defensive system quite number of
places and positions of no especial Importance
in themselves; but still larger number are re-
garded by the board as constituting the last
| classic be provided for only when the more
| important points shall have been made secure
| It will be from the foregoing observa-
tons that the protection of our vast seacoast and
! frontier by suitable Notifications is every year
steadily becoming more complete and efficient.
Ihe labors OF the board of engineers, in project
| ing new works, have not yet terminated 1t
has been only within few months that their
ton of the coast of East Florida; nor has it been
possible for them to present projects for any of
the harbors of the Texas coast. From the
board of officers appointed to examine the Pa
| clhc coast, only preliminary reports have as yet
been received. AS it will soon be necessary to
detach considerable number of engineer Off
GERS to be employed in constructing defences at
| these inn nd hoIo
Der of officers is hardly sufficient for the proper
| execution of the labors now devolved on the
corps the Chief Engineer recommends the i'm
| mediate commencement of plan of increase,
| by annual additions to the foot of the corps of
| limited number of graduates from the military
| academy.
| Certain objections arc often urged against
| Qualifications as a means of defence The most
| common one is that they have become ''obso-
ete," by which is probably meant that the
| means of attack have been so changed in their
| nature that notifications, though they may
have been once adequate, are no longer
The introduction of steam vessels into naval
| service may be presumed to be the principal
| change here referred to; and undoubtedly the
| suddenness with which such vessel may pre-
sent herself, and the rapidity with which she
may pass from place to place, make it neccs-
| sary that there should be constant readiness to
| receive her Buta steamer is much more vul-
nerable than sailing vessel; she has twenty
mortal parts to one Of the latter; and while she
| has many of these, and presents so large a
| surface, her armament is small A war steam
er, with an exposed surface (every inch of
| which is permeable to shot) as large as that of
a line of Battle ship, can reply to the batteries
| with fire Of some eight or ten guns only, in
stead of the forty or fifty of the latter. Had she
an equal armament, and an equal surface exposed
to the batteries, still she would suffer most, be-
cause SO much of her surface covers matters to
! which the least injury is destruction.
| The only other improvement in means of
attack which can be supposed to render fortif