Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-02-18
"TURNING OF TIE GUNS INLAND"
House Of Delegates, Feb. l6, lS6

"TURNING OF TIE GUNS INLAND"
House Of Delegates, Feb. l6, 1861.
To the Editor of the Whio
card sigued by John B. Cary, Geo. w. Hope and
ten others OF my constituents aud published in your pa
per of this morning, impeaches the accuracy Of the
statement recently made made by in regard TO turn
ing of the guns inland" Fort Monroe 20 which card
please allow a biief rjonder:
My insp ction OF the Fort, and which my state
ment was based, was made on the 2nd Of the month
the lite Of my letter which appeared in the Wing OF the
Sth inst The nsp ction out OF which grew the card o
this morning. made, was Informed by one OF the
sgners, The Grening of the last Sabbath, the lOh
INST So that there may have been but three gus
"pcinted ulaLd' on the 2nd inst. and thirteen
on the l0;h. inst and il so, it but Confirms the
theory Of the matter submitted by me, TO wit that the
mounting, dsmountiny, and moving oil heavy guns,
forming they DO the almost daily exercise OF the
s:holl Of practice, q certain number OF guns may be
mounted one day, and different number another day.
But The card of Mr. Cary and his co-wrers does not
conroyert my statement. sa'd there were but three
guns mounted inland IL atmits-expressly admits
that there bus three pieces Of ordan6s pointed ia
land which is precisely what said.
But say the authors OF the card "ihsre thirteen
MOUNTED ne land side, which bear upon Hampton,
and may be easily turned upon the "bosom OF Virginia
did there rot "thires't g'"s Do'sHted on
thc iasd side" expressly said that there wCre many
guns not actually pointed inland but which, for the
sons stated NIGH! be instantly turned inland So there
is sort of discrepancy between my statement and that
of the card
As for the guns be;rg arranged be capable of
being directed at moments loice at the bosom OF
Virginia have to say that nearly all the guns of the
fort bear or may be made to BEAR upon the ad ,ceht
country" or to have turu iuand Nearly every gun
on the side Of the fort land most OF them are there
bears or may at moments notice. be made to bear
on the counts Of Norfolk and Princess Anne the OPP
poste shore. Most Of them have their yawnng mouts
pointing right TO those com les but have not yet
learned that the coed people that live there have taken
either oi.uce alarm. Indeed on either side OF
the OF the fort need have any apprehensoa Tor
the direction OF the gus Of Fort Monroe t the bosom
Of Virginia" know well the oli era Of that post, 81
know | NAV safely say OF them ach one aud all-thht
the hour at shall witness them directing the aim OF ar
.ISry the bosom OF ans portion OF their country Will
be the unhappy of their existence and that such
aim will never be taken except in discharge oil duty
imperative ~ leave slteraatve but discharge or d
honor The Dosom Oi Virginia, thanks 10 our glorious
Oonstitutol tue bosom Of thar country, as well a. OF
myself ami oi my respected constituents who have sgf ed
the card which am noticing.
Az for the assertions of the card that guns have
been mounted the land side" before that the moa
has been kept full of ,nce the 10th OF January
that guns have been mounted in the guard room 10 CON-
maud the main entrance that the draw OF bridge II
raised every night that the housings OF the guns on the
parapet are removed and that senres stationed 10
cry the hour during the entire right--as all these
points said nothing in nv staem mt. Nor do nov
the most distant relevaucythe result II may be OF my
mental obuscuessot these matters 10 the point raised
in the card OF Nj Cary and his friends II guns have
never been mounted ION the land side, tOf which point
| know no,hing) presume i. because Il ere has
been ssity for It, or because there has be
never before school OF artillery ice at the fort TO
require frequent mounting and dismountng OF gurs -
WIZ the mOat should be kept iu!l OF water | Know
not but my impression ia, that ca'al constructed
around fort made expressly 20 hold water
and TO be flied with wat'r, much so as
the grand E-ie James River Canal That sef-
tries should be stationed cry the hour Of the pght
not very remaI liable very formidable thing, as,
suppose il is done at every HILLARY post the face o
the earth. IL Is done at the Richmond Barrack
on the Capitol Square here which is garrsoued 10y sin
gle compluy-the Public Guard. As for 'unhousirg the
guns on the parapet il is not respectable moOnshiue
tor they De housed and uuhcu ed rapidly almcs
as an old housewife her chigAers or her egg-
And the guarding 0! the entr nee TO fort is matter o
50 obvious propriety that the commandau OF it 1h3
should fail Of this precauon would deserve TO have his
| epiuletes taken from his shoulders By a court martial
All these things mat OF military proprety which
can be Judged ony by the military authorities and with
which civilians should int rere They mea-
sures Of precauon OF prudence, ot safety OF military
police and Just needul and proper the locking OF
the door OF the CRIB, by the overseer ater the
horses have been ird and stalled for the night.
said in my letter OF the sth that order had teeu
received from Washington in regard the mounting OF
guns inland. That repeat: 1t is not disputed by the
| card
than il ordinarily DONE and nothing than is at all
times usual and proper military post" This did
say and said the authority OF officers Of the post
| who ought TO know all about it, OF uublemished
name who the sword and button OF their country
and who would no make Misrepresentation than
they would abandon the OF their country in the hour
| Of hottest fight
Ny worthy constituents, doubt with perfect hon.
esy differ very widely, in this matter, from their hum
be representative. Aud the solution Of the difference
is that through different gll.ses--I look
through j,'ign-they peer through disWHiOn gcg-
| giles. They are observation-disclosures, | doubt not -
.m honest lover Of this gloriouI Union Of
| oucl. May my spirit be blasted ere lgive il up,
Nhle solitary hope remains OF its honorable prser.
| vation They would demoiish the earth the grand
structure OF government and liberty which built
by the hands of Washington aud Madison, and Frank
and forever Hence is that my constituents and
widely differ; but if they will bu; pu; on my Union
| specs-which will most cheerfuy loan them-I think
they will to the conclusion TO which have come
that this whole matter Of turning the guns inland at
Fort Monroe" is indeed, nothing more nor less than
| Heather and prunels.'
In my letter of the Sth inst forgot to state what
supply, that all the outcry raised about steamers
going up United States arsenal and carving of
whole cargo of powder also leather and prunella
am Informed by officer of the navy that only one
| ksg renogsd and that for priha;ng purposes
Papers copying the card herein referred will please
| re JrC duce this letter.
Yours truly
| JOSEPH SEGAR