The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-08-23
The Defense of Philadelphia.

l wonder, says James Parton, in the
Ledger, if the people of Philadelphis,
in these centennial times, recall the stir
ring scenes which took place on their
river Delaware hundred years ago,
when DIR. Franklin, civilian as he was,
was experimenting the river defenses of
the city. The old man was then in his
seventieth year, but the youngest SOL
dier in Philadelphia was not more zeal
GUS aud alert than he in the active SER
vice of the country.
Nor was this g first time that he had
taken the lead in fortifying Philadel-
phia. Twenty eight years before, when
England was at war with France, and
the Quakers of Pennsylvania were disin-
cllneu to take any measures toward the
defense of the province, it was the prin-
ter franklin who reused the people to q
sense of their danger; reminding them
that single privateer, armed with ten
guns, could anchor opposite the city,
and levy a contribution upon the IN
habitants.
Five miles below Philadelphia, near
the junction of the Delaware and
Schuylkill, two island obstruct the
channel and render the navigation, for
milo or two, slow and difficult. Red
Bank is the name of the opposite New
Jersey shore. franklin, who was a real
water dog, the best swimmer in the
province, and always fond of river ex-
cursions, knew we'll the spot, and fixed
upon it for his defensive works. Can
mons were bought; earthworks were
thrown up; and. in short, the front door
OF Philadelphia was closed against an
approaching robber. During one of
his visits to Boston few years before.
he had been invited to the castle in
Boston harbor to witness the exercise of
club of artillerymen (merchants and
mechanics of the town. who used to 20
once week to the castle for day 3
practice with the great guns. He after
ward learned that the best engineers
and artillerymen at the taking of Louis
burg, in Cape Breton, were no other
than these same Boston shopkeepers
and tradesmen.
Such club he now formed in Phila-
delphia, and they went down the river
every week to Red Bank and Mud
island, where they learned to handle the
great guns, Franklin himself taking his
turn with the rest. During that war
Philadelphia was not molestcd, the mere
existence of the works at Red Bank suf-
fcing to deter the enemy's vessels from
ascending the river.
But now the very mistress OF the seas
was in arms against the thirteen colonies.
extending along coast two thousand
miles in extent, with scarcely cannon
available against an approaching enemy.
1t was on the fifth Of May. It's, that
Franklin landed in Philadelphia, after
an absence of ten years in England,
chiefly spent in avertiDg civil war The
news that greeted him was that hostili-
ties had begun. The battle of Lexing.
ton was fought while he was crossing q
the sea. He felt that war was then un-
avoidable, and he threw oil the energies
OF his mind into the great work of or
ganizing measures for defense.
His Red Bank experiences OF 1748
were ever fresh in his memory; and be-
ing now q member of the committee of
safety, with the province of P.nnsyl
vania almost unanimous for defense be-
hind him, he determined to make thor
ough work OF closing tine river. Besides
beginning Fort Mifflin upon Mud island.
and strong works at Red Bank on the
Jersey shore, both commanding the
channel, he caused three rows of what
were called vaisseaur de frise to be
sunk in the channel. These were large
frames of timber filed with stones and
sunk to the bottom of the river, to
which large beams barbed with iron
were fastened, which were designed to
extend above the surface. Precisely
how they were arranged have never
been able to discover, for all these
operations we're, of course, carried on in
secrecy. The private letters of the time
abound in allasions to DR.. franklin q
cheuaur de .trise, as they were also
called, but NO one appears to have taken
the trouble to give an exact account OF
them.
In addition to these means of defense,
Franklin caused the construction of q
fleet of "galleys," which were vessels
OF considerable size, propelled by oars,
and designed to carry cannon, and to be
filed with armed men. There were men
(and General Washington appears tc
have been one of them) who had little
faith in the Franklin galleys; but almost
every one ,rna In have a. obaJ oI