The New York herald., 1863-05-27
the OFFENCES OF RICHMOND.



Ae, dc.
IhAye some nows from Richmond today which may
be important tho reported got 4
between herc and that city IL comes through thu
channel tho in my ietter of tho 18th, and is
therefore, perfectly authentic Tho lcit Richmond
tho day before yesterday.
whilo tho administration at Washington has bocn
devoiing its attention during ths last six nths
TO the negro--to tho devising Of plans for
pating, feeding, providing FOR ami educating tho
negro--during all this time the rebel governnen,
has been busy employed in pattiag 70 good ,hs
lessons which they learned Ia June and July last.
Our second canpaign against Riehmond In which our
my approached within sight Of the scepes of that city
taught the rebel. whcro their vulnerable points
Haleck had been half general he would have kept Con
Mcclellan nj Harrsons Landing IN July reinforced him
with tho fty thousand troops that he had at his disposal
and General Mcclellan would then have taken Richm nd
Hut Iaeck ala the rebels tho great service to withdraw
from before thor capital the only general whom thcy
foar and tho rebels Immediately set 10 work N improve
tho opportunity thus them forty their capt
tai That work now And IL IN done eieetaaly
that as have said tho rebels have fear any Union
army however large unless naval force including
Q neos Of ironcAd and boats, snni u
CO operate with II. Whenever that donc they admit
Richmond will be In peril.
The that recently been uet aoa, In regard
tho rebel Mcrrimac entirely destitute
oftruth. she finished and ready for action Her
gnos In perfect order and hcr armament and ammu
milton all board she will bo found. on
trial, 70 be quito formidable . customer a. tho
old Mcrrimac was. Tho story Of her boing perfect
failure and OF having two old scows each side Of
her keep anoa, doubt invented blinds
or az dish Of chat for tho venerable heal of tho
Navy Department. Precisely tho story set
anoat IN regard tho old No February, 1s62 II
declared that she topheayy III at she vas eaky
that sho unmanagsssle that her cnginer would not
work. that shc hos gcd badly and that 'he ~As
too heavy 70 float on he wisr. bat wN able " dis-
close and did dsclo sc real facts IN regard % the Old
Merrimac my ettcr tho HysD ten days before hcr
tho Monitor, an place on record tho
facts gard her the Secretary %
the Navy any his opcr atons towards Rcbmopd
on tho reports q alleged refugees relabo abands
he viii ind lAte hs fatal buudsr.
observ that tho statement of n reliable oou,raband N
being tccgra phc all the country, aud Is being pub
shed all tho papers 20 tho effect that there
q hundred guns IN posti around Richmond IL Nv
strange that newspapers should give ered"peo TO such
sstoandin2 taic that even though tho o,utrAbant
asserts tnat hs rrfag~c from Rcnmoni.
Ia my letter July q Described very brisay tseiiy
eight forts which At that tlmo either built
progress of construction around Richmond A. that tno
the hal no, been supplied to half of them
indeed than hall n them hai BEEN completed
But the work the steadily prosecutei during
the and fall while the guns ami gun earriNse
being prepsr Cd Tho forts al completed be-
fore the cold weather n the present in
during nlnih of December last all M thcfn
Piled with their armamsnts and ths guns properly
mounted The additions that have been tnaie - hofe
fort, and tho arm1nsnts that have bceu Supplied
them justify me IA reproducing tho list
tis rmE AsorsD Ncifsosp, vfri rHns ihEs
No. i.-Fort Richmond on Rlehnopd mn. command.
Ing the apTroa hes ~ hs Bash fIi Plank road fm.B
work mounting uniy guns - small caiitrg
No 2--on Bush nm, near the Agriciiiurai lair
grounds. COMMANDING thc approaches by ~ay 4 tho rail-
road from ffofcreksburg tho Bush o. Plank Abd
the Itep Ron turnpike, 10 guns ~ ~hh two arc smooth
40 IA large mrong fort On a hin ,hres miles norm
west ~ kichmnui forcs Attacking this rr ~DuN
nrst hare to cross Brok run hall a mils g. the rth
vest M intervening space y rakea by the "a uns ~
The fort ~ which three arr Mod pisces ~ IN I'll calbre
tnf,e ar. sZ anfefs ,n,h bere and ih' 20, lnall-r
srctsbarg Hailroad and three tho Broos road
NO. i-Forl Randolph, On bin two ani hh milcf
from The Meadow bridge rad and the Brook Hln
pike Mounted Nth ID runs. hsio' uhch ore 'iaei to
remainder b"ing ~ and ~ p'undef smeoth borrs
No. 6--F0rt Besufesafd vcfy strong SoTk. butt ~
ground very lgily rased aboVe iha, fot nns srriai
aud fans huy es, ouor than Fort Rand pb tbs ma
gans In Uh ca short clear a. u ~ three asd hsf
mss no'th ~ ih@ captai Thcru aFa sons ps-aa'ii-s
~ low psltiu " will be readily sren that no,binF
ctpt shells roach ~ garfsn. 10 mills ant shat
ronth u e main brarch q tbs chicxahominy abf h.
No q a large strong fcrt o. soaSsrny nm, sAfy
,ro mes north u Hiehmonf Tnis fart VS. buh n ~
summer ani fai ~ 1891, AMI is walls Si ~ civ-ref
with green ssds neri summon unless KcbmoDi - tassr
before then. The riofe y the bn ~ ~hieh ths -,
fort recorded a. o-e - tsa chi.' iDnsiis d.ent~s ~
The city u nnounts iuslvs g1ns, y ~hsh 80 s's
rinei, two afe 20 isshin sS'SYih b'f~, hna -" 80
No a small .sys t~o and ht, sr,. ne-,beaa ~
III cry. osnsn.oding us ,sife.i i,oa Ga,s ssyr-.
Nm urtrue frfu
rnoarv eight guns q lafse eibf, so'ns ~hi mr.
NJ 4 small wors thfse mile. uortt.as, ofth. eiit
Commanding ths sppsqaeh~s ffo@n uhe hsciisni svlf
ersss .'.s ..Sn ., . ~ ~, .s,.a %
No - besgtHaily tnithsi f0ft, W a. aifnfasaps
tss tbs Sg,g 4 hii. two sns aaf niles noftilss
q tna ciD u ayrse .sTet "sa s1ns
No to--ftrt Jolnsty1. ore a th1 argfFi a1d nget
q The uors, hin iogr - noftfuas, ~ -. ciy
gtss oosnfsasd ts. ApgruAobs. fosn hs Nsthsniasyu
trdgs ahd blfso bs.i W Gen Nopibafy, agi iT
Ns "a frt too nsliss ~ cty s7sarlsnfIaf
the roaia from ths bfiss ani Ne bfgs bslt bJ
'essin xs y, "o,issfy .. s'1. A. -
so ia--5o,t J.sssoa, v~y l~ss ss1 s,ress o,to-
roAf from whhs lI1use. ~ ns,anu is r1fs rosi
tb~rn nses .1i tns fssl = iarse oslbFs.
No IA very aruag foft three Hilst ss.thflsi u
,Le eiiy onnans ~ Ne stage raai from " sn7ss'a
Il fn04His ~ ssns ~ wb.ch AZ ings - prtss
are 81 yousssr smith bo'es, Asd afe iIt-eh srr1
70 ia s,o.s ~, 'osr m.s' saiihsasi y W siv
sosnnardnr is atrsehes ~ the clafies Ciy rnaf al
10 Contra ftai--s Esns
so Is.--A susas fs'i thfes nsis. ssuihsAs. = i.r
si,y ef-c.ast.e ~ ~ apgfnaftes ~ ne NsH Mtfs
rs.sf anf 10 f~nifsi . af IL rnrs
"a IL a stft1g - thfes AL = hsf niiss nstit t F
~ ey o.fasa4ils W apgssN.iss by "a V.o'fs isrh
q ~ "a tts Nsr HsgtH fpsi-l4 glrt.
Se is 4 .nsn rors ,lgss siss ussi = ths my aa
t,s rishf bsas u tBs Jsrnes firw--T Ftns
~ ~ 49, fufi hssfsisf, sfEs ata suqns foft 90 Ma
s,.seff a three mlifn NYlih = Ng g y. Ihn f.t
80 tsfi iasi ssrtnsf h -sss,na,sf. Asf 80
rini tar.s firsy. u 1ornts - vsfy bsfgg suar
.f q shssb iLfrs Es..scties u vcrDeb94as
"a ~ A A frrt TO rl.ea soIib q ikt city. tls
ttss 49, fsfles fifey St ~ N o1nanands la
nat q ~ gats lr ihs ssas A. ~ 10
40 gi~t fogt sis Di,sf assib q bs ciy - ~ -
b. i 4 tbe isDs fissr. vhch 4 oosnuasd, u ~