The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-01
NEW YORK CITY DEfENcES,

SorE-Vhs Present Condition or Our
Foits--What Cam lie and What Should
BE Done-Thc Earthworks Needed on
Long Island, &C., &c.
The peculiar relations bot geen our government srd
that Of England have become matter of serious concern
with all classes Tho com Cations which have ariesn
and will arise, between this country and Engaad IN re-
gard TO the question OF cotton and OF effective block
ade should induce tho government 30 IL that wa
are prepared for any emergency To avert war VIC
should be prepared for H. Weakness strength
Obscure ges an attack IN this Gan ounce OF pro-
vention ia worth pound Of cure" The approsSh Of
powerful British fleet TO waters and the iransv a.
tion Of thousands Of British troops Canada tea
that the crieis Ia imminent Our preparations for IL,
therefore, should be Immediate.
During the present ago war s generally confined 10 al
taeks upon large cities rhe great seaports-,he cen.re
or wealth and population, the coats Of commercial
poWer-theee are the vulnerable points OF nations and
these TIE points attacked Conquess OF territory are
not considered necessary feasbe t the large cites
e conquered the country submits There the attack will
DO mtde, and there will have erep,lled u s troo
mat this country could never be subjugaed II .nvu
cbe II the federal government destroyed By To-
reign Power states would each carry on the ysr
by Itself Like snake cut TO pieces each separate iuu
woulu have vitality of its Far the purposes CT
war however the capture Of QUE large cities would de-
eide the fate Of the milton. Nay the capture OF New
YorA alone would settle the question, ana bring 10
ter ms With the enemy. rhs metropolis Ia the capital,
the heart the lie Of tho nation sud IL IL were taken apd
held, we nigh. ngS on but could fight success
fully Capture Paris, and Franco yc'64 seize upon Lvn-
don, ard England submits take Eev v,f,, and tina
United States must be consider I'd cozquerel In this
point Of view the defence OF Jew York ia national
necessiy, and its safety a waiter Of rstionu con-
cern. Here, if anywhere, the enemy viii hava
to be met, and this city will be forced to
measure the strength Of It's defensive works aga oct
the vast resources, the SCIENCE the fk the inmcrea
armament Of the enemy
NEW YORK.
In view, then, OF the importance OF New York. LEI Va
zee what It's present deerces They conss. me
following named forts, in less incomplete cor-
dtiop the position of which may be by reference
the accompany ing mar
For. rompkns Staten slaud-Just begun, situated on
ne eki,.e ~. "a pi-.--,
td) Fort Richmond, s.A,en Finished but Will
out armament.
(e) Fort Hamilton--SeverA 80 FOUNDERS mounted bot
all would be condemned IL inspected
() Fort Wood, Bcdloes IsAnd-Most OF the guns DIS
mounted enc few serviceable
Fort Iafayette-x!dWay between Forts Fhohrnond and
Hamilton, about 400 yards from Long leland snore-A
full but inferior armament.
ID Fort schuylsr-No ornament.
(c) Fort Columbus, Governors ZsAnd-WsD armed
with old style guns.
(c) Cste William, Governors Isand-Fun armament
Of good guns.
% Fort on Sandy Hook-works in progress
(9) Fort Wlet.s Point Land bought, but work not
yet begun.
(aJ Breeetwofks aud 70 magazine on lis Isl aud
OF these defences cornpstciy garrisoped.
Forts IAfay ette Columbus, Wood, Hamilton Castle
william only have any ornaments, and these, with lao
exception Of the latter not complete Forts schuy
Ter and Richmond, though the most formidable of tie
whole array, without any guns whatever, and the
remainder Of the LIT ocly forts in embryo i1
| prospective.
II is evident therefore, thai New York 10 o, present
| mott DGdequatey defended, and could be eaeiy at
tackled end destroy ed BY such feet EsgsnI could
terd. But. further than this the government Board of
EngiDeeIs hive decided toat al the ,I 10 can,a
| complete and AIMED si'a molern Tesp,us tbs
city would ntil DO far from mpregla,e Eheo TIE orcea
| which England could send against it are considered
DxrEscEs NEEDED
What is needed is system Of defenoes 80 orplets
that shall discourage attack Gibraltar Does by
| its very mpregnabty. The approaches TO the habor
should be Theoretically sealed No spot should be left
where vessel, attempting TO enter, should not be
| under fire. The government engineers have
| decided that there ought 70 be- at the Narrow
| batteries sufficient to concentrate the ere of
three hundred guns upon every point Of vessels path
s needless say that such batteries do now oxist
Major Barnard, in his report TO the secretary of War;
S69 holds that oesides Forts Richmond and Tompkips
on the Staten Island side OF the Nsrrows, casema.ed
battery aready begun should be erected south OF Fort
Richmond and that earhwork batteries should be ex-
tended along the Shore that the Long Island Shore
batteries should be extended along the bluff below For.
Hamilton and that Fort lafayette should DO completely
remodeed These would consulate series Of outer de-
| fences.
10 MI the gap between these works and the IN
terror deences on Bedloes and Governors Isands Major
Barnard says that . battery il needed on Robbins
Reef O rakg the Narrow and preventing the passage
Of gunboats and other vessels Of light draft arour
Staten leland by commanding the outlets Of the Kills.
This latter battery could be assisted in time Of war by
| temporary earthworks ".
To guard against the Decentralization Of an enemy at
Gravetend Bay battery Ia needed At Coney leland (v)
This and the proposed battery Surveys for which have
been made) at Fort Richmond will sweep the bay. At
present troops could land tho outer beach Of Cooey
Island and retain communication with Halifax Bermuds
and England by means OF the Fourteen Foot East
channels They would be out Of the reach Of guns Of
any forts built aud the beach itself 10 hidden and
| protected by sand hills
For extreme outer defences have the work OF Sandy
Book, ~ which, when completed, will prevent the enc
my stfs from occupying the ou'er Day but viii not
tect all the entrances 70 the herbor To up tho
approaches battery Ia needed at West Banks, CON-
handing the lesser entrances, and Rcmer's
shoals /. can be erected guarding the swash and tho
East char pels.
The cost Of these works would be Elk eight millions
Of dollars. and Major Barnard recommended in 1862 that
they should be immediately began. If they werh
deemed necessary then, how important are they now
To build them all, t. begin them ALL would
impossible in the present state Of the country, and
direct attention for the present. therefore, only 10 work
which and
SHOULD DONE IMMEDIATELY.
The works now In progress should be pushed for
ward as fast as possible Those along the Narrows and