The Portland daily press., 1863-07-14
Letter from the State Capital.
AUGUSTA, July 10, 1868.

AUGUSTA, July 10, 1868.
To the Editor Of the Press:
On Friday of last week had the pleasure
of visiting Fort Popham, at the mouth of the
Kennebec river, in company with Adjutant
General Hodsdon, several employees of the
State and quite number of the prominent
citizens of Bath, who were invited to go down
on the steamer Ella Morse, which went ON a
reconnaissance. His Exccellency Governor
Coburn was unable to be in attendance on ac-
count of several pressing engagements, and
some other officials and gentlemen of respect
ability would have gone but for the "Great
Three-in-one Combined Circus" which was at
that time here, "fdf one day only and eno
postponement on account of the weather. for
excursions). The weather was excellent
and we had delightful time. The Bath
people took their "hosptallties' along,
and did the agreeable to all in that urbane
style for which they are SO justly celebrated
and in which they are not excelled. II any
person is fortunate enough to be catered to by
the citizens Of Bath he is sure to have a good
time.
Arriving at Port Popham about 0 o'clock
A. NJ, We found blocks of granite of various
sizes and stages of finish lying all about, while
the sound of the hammer and chisel, the puff
of the steam engine and the voices of the
workmen, all betokened that the work of cree
ton was steadily going on. The work OF
setting stone on the floor was commenced
about the 10th of June, 1862, since which time
there were laid, up to the close of the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1862, 1900 cubic feet of
granite on the outside walls, of which 1892
feet have been laid this spring. This is in ad-
dition to the rubble work and concrete mason
ry. The whole distance around the outside
wall is 79S feet. The faccade is oval shaped
and divided into three fronts, of which the LIST
is liz feet, the I'd ISL and the Sd H. The
bastion fronts are 1872 feet and the curtain
front to bastion l60 feet The tort will be SO
feet high and will be mounted with two tiers
of casemate guns and one tier of barbette
guns, some OF which will be 100 Founders and
some larger. There are already 100 FOUNDER
rified Parrot guns mounted, for temporary use,
at every embrasure sufficiently finished to adj
nit 1t; and as these face the ocean they are
believed to be capable Of defending the navi-
CATION of the river for the present.
Although considerably less in extent than
Fort Knox, Fort Popham will be the strongest
fertilization on the coast. The walls are eight
feet thick of solid granite, the blocks Of which
vary in size frome one to twelve tons, and av-
eraging about five tons. The granite which
is of very superior quality, is obtained
from the islands near the mouth of the Penob-
scot river, mostly however from Fox Island
Both steam and hand derricks are in use for
hosting the stone. About one hundred work.
men are now employed on the fort, but Mr.
Nutter, the able and experienced Superinten-
dent informs me that help is very scarce and
he would be glad to engage fifty or sixty ad-
ditional masons, stone-cutters and laborers.
He has had about one hundred and forty in all
at one time.
am allowed to copy the following letter in
relation to the action of Gov. Cobura, in tax
ing prompt and active measures for the de-
tense of our coast towns, from rebel invasion:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington City, July 6, 1863.
GENERAL:
The action of his Excellency the Governor
of Maine, mentioned in your letter of the 3Oth
ultimo, is cordially approved by this Depart
ment. The urgent demand for troops at the
theater OF war has rendered il impossible to
divert any for posts not Immediately exposed
to the enemy's attacks, and the Department
mnst necessarily rely upon the vigilance and
active cooperation OF the State Executives.
Whatever measures may be necessary to give
efficient protection TO the public property and
security to the people, from any reasonably
apprehended danger, will be regarded as an
important aid to the general service.
Yours truly,
EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Secretary OF War.
Gent. JOHN l.. HoDsDoN,
Adjutant General, Maine.
The quota of the First District of Maine,
under the draft just ordered, is to be PASS, and
that Of the Third District, 2422
Official notice of the following designations
has just been received from the War Depart
ment:
Asst Surgeon Horace c. White, sth Reg.
Asst. Surgeon John III. Kimball, 18th Reg.
Capt. Ransom n. Pierce, Co. G., 18th Reg
I'd Lieut. Harrison G.. Prescott Co. G, 18th
Reg.
I'd Lieut.. Samuel C. Wallace, Co. G, 2sth
Reg.
Yours truly, HELIos.