Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-26
The Defenses Of VashInston,

ton made on short trip from Washington
across the Potomac on the 2lstinst.:
A party of four having, by good fortune,
obtained pass, concluded to make a visit to
some of the many Notifications near Wash.
ington, on the Virginia side of the Potomac.
we took direction from Willsrd's Hotel
toward the Long Bridge, where we found the
first obstacle to our further progress, in the
shape Of sentinel, with" Your pass, ifyou
please" whichwsspresented, and pronounced
correct.
This interruption occurred at three differ
ent points on the bridge before we were able
to place our unsanctified feet upon the
sacred soil Of Virginia" The Long Bridge
is situated below Washington, on the direct
road to Alexandria, and is the only bridge
crossing the Potomac below what Is called
the Chain Bridge, which is some FIVE miles
higher up the river. On the west end of the
bridge is road built of earth through a
marsh of some considerable distance, at the
end of which we found a stockade and earth
works of considerable dimensions and of
great strength, through which it is necessary
to pass when crossing the bridge from either
direction. Upon these earthworks we first
saw heavy cannon placed in position. These
were evidently intended expressly to protect
the road leading to the bridge from any un-
welcome intruder. Here we were again
brought up with "Your pass, gents,p which
being all right we were permitted to
proceed.
We visited in the order named Fort Rum
yon, Fort Albany, Fort Corcoran, Fort Ben
net and one or two others, whose names are
forgotten, and saw also the long line of
breastworks, part of which are now occu-
pied by the De Kalb Regiment.
These forts, as they are called are all earth
works, surrounded by deep and wide ditches
so wide and deep as to make it very difficult
to pass them; and Fort Corcoran has an adj
ditional defense in having the outside of the
ditch surrounded by trees, which have been
cut down, and the small limbs all cut off,
and the large ones sharpened to a point;
these are piled up with their butt or BODY
end toward and near the ditch, while the
sharp ends of the large and strong branches
are projecting outward; they are thus piled
some twelve or more feet high all around
the fort, except the entrance, so that it would
be impossible for man in hurry to get
through from the outside, without first dis
placing this barricade, which could only be
done by fire or cannon balls.
These breastworks or earth. forts are nearly
all we'll supplied with sand.bags or barrels
containing sand upon their SUBMITS for the
protection of infantry, while the spaces be-
tween the bags have convenient loop holes
for their muskets. They are ali abundantly
supplied with very large cannon, which will
throw conical shot or she'll an immense dis
tance; and all of these forts or breastworks
except those protecting the approaches to the
bridge or river, have command of large
open field before them over which an enemy
must pass to reach them. The country near
these defenses was covered, to large ex-
tent, with second growth timber much of
which has been felled and now remains upon
the ground, thus impeding the approach of
an enemy, except by roads, which are cleared
away in such manner as to be we'll covered
by guns from the esrth-works. These works,
to an inexperienced eye like mine, look ab
solutely impregnable, if even moderately gar
risoned.
We also saw in our rambles, three block
houses, built of logs, the second story pro-
jecting over the first some feet, all around,
with strong door in the second.story, ap-
preached by fight of steps, which can be
detached by those entering the blocknhouse
at will. Both stories are pierced with loop.
holes, in all directions for musket or rifle
shooting. The roof also is made like the
body of the building, with logs, making the
whole building proof against Minnie balls
y good description of these buildings may
be obtained from Cooper's Pathfinder. Houses
were usually built of hewn timber, and thus
obtained the name of block. houses. These,
however, are built of rough logs.
We saw but few soldiers on the Virginia
side, as they were all west of the ground we
passed over, nearer the enemy, and these for
tifcations seemed designed as places of re-
treat, where small force could protect them
selves against an attack of numbers vastly
superior to their own. Washington is safe
from any attack from secesh in that direction,
at least, so it seems to me.
ftar Our in teraatinor visit m fIa Y1oopc Of
defense referred to, we recrossed the river
some miles above the bridge, (which carried
us over" by a rope ferry, and rode up to
Georgetown Hights, when we had fine
view of the line of hills bordering the Po-
tomac on its west, containing the line of the
United States Notifications, and those of the
rebels also lying still further west, Munson's
Hill being the nearest approach of their
works. The rebel flag was floating on Nun
sons Hill, and could be distinctly seen with
glass from Arlington Hights, Georgetown
flights and the dome of the Capitol.
We then visited Colonel Berdan's encamp-
ment of sharp shooters, who were practicing
at target in the presence of many of the
dignitaries of Washington. Among them
were the President, Secretaries Seward and
Cameron, Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
Generals Mcclellan, Mcdowell and Mansfield,
the Prince de Joinville and son, and two
others of his suite, who that evening attached
themselves to the United States Army, and
many others of less note. The shot attrib-
uted to the President by the correspondent
of the Associated Press was mistake.
Colonel Berdan has five hundred sharp
shooters, as they are called, who, as a body
Of men, probably possess as fine physical
development as any body of men of the same
number in any service. They use heavy ri.
fies, some of the barrels alone weighing
thirty pounds each, and are designed for a
long-range shot. They are to be used in
-pits-that is, bitches dug sufficiently
deep to make the earth thrown out of them
just high enough to place their rifles upon
for rests, to enable them to take good aim,
each shooter to select his man, which would
be very destructive to an enemy within
reach of their guns. They, however, disap-
pointed me in their shots. They had tar
get six and one-half feet high, by four and
one-hAlf feet broad, upon which was painted
two life. size men FIVE and one half feet high.
At this target, at distance of six hundred
yards they fred two hundred and fifty shots,
and succeeded in making eighty.four holes
through the images. These shots spread all
over the target to the very extremes above
and below, and upon either side.
venture the assertion, that there is many
a backwoodsman who would have placed
more balls in that target with an ordinary
sight upon common rife, and at arm's end,
than the Berdan sharp-shoOters did on this
occasion with their spy glass sights, and
their easy, quiet rest, with the same number
of shots. Colonel Berdan took up a rifle
weighing thirty pounds, and holding it
at arms length, fired at the target, remark
ing, "Gentlemen, you will find a ball-hole
near the center of the forehead of the right.