Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-02
The Defencex II Fortress Monroe.

10 nc EuttoT o. tH9 Etch3tVtid HNll.
DEAR SIR-The rejonder Of Mr.. Segar to
our card Of the ll,h inst. taking issue with
him rs to the truthfuness Of certai! rumors in
relation 10 the delcnces at Fortress Monroe,
demands from US brief reply.
1t will be obvious 10 the most superficial
reader that Mr.. Srgar does not deny single
fact mentioned in our card, whilst he endeavorS
10 sustain his original position. by averring
that there is no discrepancy between our re.
spective statements. Let us examine he facts
Of the casa.
We presume that every person Of ordinary
intelligence, upon reading his card clone.
would have come to his conclusion, viz: that
nothing has been done I0ore than is ordinarily
done. and nothing more than is, at aA times,
usual and proper at military port This, he
now says, he stated upon the authority Of Of.
hcers OF the port" but if any person can read
the array OF facts in our card, ,Aich he has
cot denied, aaI Which arc undenia6le, and re.
main Of that opinion, then we need no longer
wonder a. the simplicity and credulity OF those
who believe that tine moon is made Of green
cheese" ''Crvdat, Judssus Apeln" &c
He says there were only three guns pointed
inland" on the 2ud inst, when he viewed them
through the microscope Of his Union
goggles" Daes he mean to convey the idea
that taers aesre no other guns Mounted on
the land side, q: that dntef Would not
any unprecedented reader have inferred that
there we're only three guns mounted on the
land side of the fort? And yet, there at that
time (and are now thirteen guns planted where
there never were any before, and where but
hre more could DE mounted, if the fort were
actually bc>icged, TO say nothing Of many
others which can he easily directed towards
the land.
Again, he says the guns referred to BY him,
as capable Of being turned inward, have "a
sweep Of $50 deg" Seeming to convey the i'm.
preston that their mounting was to protect the
fort from the seward side. but that they might
BE- turned against the land, from their having
this sweep Now, we said (and we repeat the
ssstement) that none of the guns recently
mounted (Since the 18th january on the land
side and to which we had exclusive reference,
have sweep of more than 90 deg, and very
few (if ANY, can be made to bear seaward, ITO.
wards the bay or roads) whence an attack
u,igh. be made by a foreign foe.
AS to the statement that guns are pointed in
the direction of Norfolk and Princess Anne
counties, distance Of four miles, it is simply
ridiculous lie might have said with equally
as much propriety and accuracy, that they
pointed towards the Blue Ridge. Most OF the
guns pointing towords the roads must point IN
that direction, and some have always been
mounted on that side, whilst those to which we
refer bear directly inland, whence it Is barely
possible ior an enemy (unless Virginia 10 re-
yarded as such) 10 make an attack, afford no
defence against 40 attack from the sea, and
have lever been mounted there before within
the recollection Of those who have been famil.
lar with the delenceS Of the fort for the last
quarter o! century.
If the mounting Of these cannon "be ne
cessary par: Of artillery practice" why, 1t may
be asked, has this never been done before, al
though Old Point has been school for artllie.
ry practice during almost the entire term OF
the present Administration And u these pre-
variations be matters Of "such obvious proprle-
" that the commandment who would lall IN
the precaution would deserve to have his epau-
Iettes taken from bis shoulders by a court-mar:
tial" what penalty should be inflicted upon all
nrryious co1nmandants who have been derellct
in this respect and especially upon the present
who was so lemiss in the proper
discharge OF his duties till the 18th OF Janua.
~, 1861. Surely m!der penalty should
not be visited upon him.
AS Mr.. Segar has derived 50 much inior'na.
ton from the officers in command, perhaps ne
can tell whether tho present Commander OF
Artillery at Washington, who is also Inspector
&c Artillery. suggested that these preparations
snouid be made, on his recent visit to the
Fort.
Whe dismiss the paragraph with regard to
the lnoat beng kept filled with water, inc cry
ING of the hour by the scntinels, &C, with the
s;neje remark that all these are no DOUBT very
nro1cr precautions, under the apprehension OF
IF an attack; and ia this view OF the case, inc
y;,ila,,ce Of those il co!urnnnd is 10 be highly
cosnmendid.
&c citizens Of uaEiptoi., we 10 Tot make
SPECIAL complaint Of these things nor are We
~. much alarmed; perhaps not more so than
Mr. S.sar himself, or those beyond tue bioe
p;d,o hut we are determined that the lacts
LII rot be withheld from the puohc, ana that
',1""a ,;Yy nr.uarstions shall not be made un,
der the silly pretext that nothing Is ooue D MI
what is ordinary, usual ana ProPe' ~
times" They may be very proper as We ',a'e
before aduitted, under the Apprehension .. an
n,iack: bu. we do most enphatlcaiIy oenS s"as
hey are either ordinary or usual, IN a time y.
I,ro(ound peace. Upon the supposltion e .nas
our statement about keeping the moat nlieu
s;,h water, &c, &c. is correct, Mr. Segar pre-
srroes tt,c,e is u necessity for such Things.
1h.o why. attempt to create the impression
hat nothing unusual or extraordinary has
he,n going on for the last few E&fksf 4sI
: he pToper authorities say that they bare ben
done because. 10 the judgment Of military men
&C.,. "a a necessity for theEa," and, ~ Stsl'