Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-23

The Defenses Of Richmond.
A refugee writes as follows in regard to the de
fenses Of Richmond:
But il Lee does fall back on the defiant city,
YOU may depend on il Grant will have plenty of
work before him. The defenses around the town
are no bugbear as some persons have guessed and
published. They are as perfect and formidable
as military skill and engineering can possibly
make them. Several weeks ago the works then
around the city were carefully inspected BY
President Davis and Gems. Lee and Bragg. and
we're pronounced by them quite satisfactory; but
Notwithstanding this, the President. about a week
later, called Gen. Beauregard. the Totleben of
the Confederacy, to the capital, TO examine the
works and devise Improvements. if in his judg-
ment any could be made. Beauregard spent
several days around the city with Lee and Bragg,
and the result was the immediate commencement
of another line of defensive works, Several of
the most prominent engineers in the rebel SER
vice have been detailed to superiutend the con
~struction Of the new line agreeably to the plan of
the great engineer Thousands of negroes have
been employed more that three weeks in digging
new bitches. and throwing no new ramparts, par
apets, &c, in advance of the old ones. By this
time the new line is. beyond doubt. completed.
These Qualifications were to consist, as | was
informed by one of the officers engaged in their
construction. of seventeen detached forts, form.
ing several independent defensive positions after
the style of the notifications constituting the
second line of defense around the city of Paris.
The barracks and auxiliary works are so ar
ranged for fanking fires from artillery that mu-
tual protection will exist between the forts. The
interval between the works are closed by long
curtains protected by bitches twenty four feet
wide and sixteen feet deep. in most Of which are
constructed transforms aud tenailles. Many of
the bitches are supplied with water from the nd
jacent r~ivulets. These forts are all to be con-
nected by a military road and telegraph ~affording
speedy communication between them.
These works will be mounted with guns of
large calibre. and there will be no lack Of how
itzers and mortar batteries. protected by bomb
proof out of reach of the Union ar
tllery.
The question may be pertinently asked,
"Where have the rebels obtained such a supply
Of ordnance OF this characterg" answer. that
they have manufactured some, but have received
more from Europe. The Northern people would
be astonished TO learn the great amount of war
material and other necessaries. that, in spite of
the blockade. the rebels are weekly receiving
from the other side of the Atlantic. On the 22d
ult | counted around the depot Of the Richmond
and Petersburg railroad. thirty two mortars of
French.manufacture. which were received at Will
mington only a few days before.
Before leaving the defenses of Richmond |
must mention n new and novel invention by Cap
tain Holden of the rebel army. 1t is nothing
more nor less than a stink ball. designed to be
fired into the works of b~esiegers TO stink them
out. About the middle of April | was one of
several civilians who. upon invitation, accompa-
MED a party of officers TO Atlee's, a station on
the Central Railroad ten miles from Richmond,
to witness some experiments with this ball. The
ball is an iron shell containing cOmbuStible and
destructive as well as odOrifervus matter. and L.
similar in appearance to the stink ball in use
many years ago. 1t is designed to he t%hrownby
mOrtars. but in the tests on the occasion referred
to. the fuse was lighted and the she'll allowed TO
illuminate where IL was. The stencil which fol
lowed the explosion was the most feiid and viii
lainous that ever outraged the Olfactories Of
man. Coleridge said that he counted in Cologne
seventy sever
swell defined and several stinks."
But il he had been at Atlee's on the day of the
experiments alluded TO he would have recognized
them all. and seventy seven thousand more. The
concentrated stink OF all the skunks. p~ole-cats,
niggers, pitch, sulphur. rasped horses and horses
hOOfs, burnt in fire. assafGtida, and b~ug-weeds
in the world could not equal the smell emitted
bv these balls. But not only is tie smell in
itself intolerable, but il provokes sneezing and
coughing, and produces nausea. rendering it i'm
possible for men to do duty within reach of it
A single ball will impregnate the atmosphere
for fifty wards round, and the fetid compound,
entering everything it touches. emits the stencil
for a long lime. The opinion of all who wit
messed the experiments was that these balls were
a fair Offset to Greek fire, and Gen. Winder, aud
several other officers of rank who were present.
expressed the belief that it would prove more
effective for driving off b~esiegers than anything
ever invented. Be this as it may. if Richmond
is ever threatened by a siege, the 'sneezers" as
the inventor facetiously calls his balls, will form
a prominent feature in the defensive operations.