, 1880-04-29
OUR LAKE DEFENSES.

pGtr T, J, bronson, HcntltniiteC, light.
------.----~
OuN LANE DEfENSES'
,,ro,o.o, .,,,doumeu, or ,mo,, ,r,,,-
tnry Post. aud Enlargement Of T'Isosc
nt important roint.-vle.v. Of alnI.-
Gen. Hancock on thr Subject.
WAsIixo1ox, D. e, Apr, .a 1a lnc e ee Seerc.
tary OF war mas sent 10 tNe. !loNsn ni heple-
scntatlvcs letter from Alaj.-tGl. Hancock,
commanding the Military Division Of the
u. t., t G,r" af f tha Apmv
recommended oS u!o uehe,a' " .''o army
Tor tte abandonment OF small mintaly posts
on tile Northern lakes and tho en-
,n,"ts nn y tho.c % Ines ~ % Tho mos nosts recon-.
ru.'ts ',, ~ .sa ..,.," " s,. rnr+ mro,,. as,it
1nei,t1ca lor lctcntlon nlc. r"lt bfauy. o"u!'
ste. Marie, alich.; Fort Wayne, near Detroit
romery. Rousc,s Point. N. Y. Those recom-
,nn,,J.d ~ .-sndno, nho ndonmor, ara. Fort
,!eh"s" ~, nfao"n. uo"tr.V1,"e.. n,'",s no -. ~.
slacktnae, Micl':: Fort Gratlo1, MICH; folt
10. N, Y: Madison Barracks, Sackett's IIar-
hor n. v. nn,t piatt.hure 1,arrnckA. n. y.
to'' ~, n'" can 11on.e,t's en,nrnrn,ca.
tion are plhus md estimates for the construc-
t1on OF buildings ut Forts Urutty, Niagara.
md Montgomery. These afa approved by
the GENERAL OF tue Army, ana Il y requested
that Congress appropriate s9tlleient anni to
cover ihe estimates. The following Is Gen.
uancnck's letter: .-......-
liEADQuAnrE1ts MILITARY DlVl5loS OF
TIE ATLANTIC, GovEHSol's MS: lsLAND, NEW
to tile communication u tne General Of. Me
Army. tiated ;5Hly i, ls1o, 70 tlIe '!onorable
| Secretary of War, recommending tic Frad-
uni abandonmens, Of ceftaiii military nos.s
,nent OF the East, md the permanent occu-
PATTON aud further dcyeloplncnt of others, q
copy ut which vas transmitted to me- WITH
a spcc avS the Sor W 70 stSte
TINT, sooli after the rccelpt thereof, l Rav0
directions for the preparation Of tug nsees,
sary plans and estimates for the additional
gairet to neet at ths' views Of tho General Of
the Army in the direction of increasing ne
garrisons Of those posts on the northern
1rontier wllcii, III his Judgment, s'loni4 h1s 9e
strategic value and Importance.
Since my Views In this matter are desired,
! lltye to state that they cotnclue substantln!-
" with ttlose Of the Getefal o. tle Afnfy y.
| regard to thD permanent retention ot Fort
Brady, Sauit Ste; Marie, Mtch;; Fort wayne,
nenr Dutr1ft, Mich; Fort Niagara, y: y;
md Fort Montgomery, Rouse's Point, n. 4.
a9aTfFs # Es ST me Il 5qGpi s e4s aSoSyy o
ferred to, to the honorable Secretary OF War:
fh9se four posts, when the contemplated
| additional barracks Allu Quarters S!1nll nave
brcn erected therent, Woila iilrfisn il lHe ~
troops which would be likely to be stationed
nn that frontier oI our present peace estab-
llsilnlent, especially wien. as rals, troops
Gng sgtsrn sanS nnsrg or az climates.
In reference TO me POSTS insscatent i IGl
gradual abandonnlent, namely, Fort MAck- sS
lnac, Nigh; Fort Gr&llol, Men; f9Tt lot
tor, buffalo, N. T.; Fort Qhlarlo. qSWeEo,
n. Y; Madison Darracks,, Sackett's Harbor,
n. Y, mud Plattsburg Barraeks, n. r, l
have 10 state rs follows: Fort Macklnac nns
goo, barracks aa Gaeartefs ed toF sW9 eo11f n
lint post, and has also been OF yal!ie hereto
foro as q snnitarluni Tor troops sent there
from nnhnaItl,y stations, o1t ~ lt mas nc san. :.
stantal military yaiae' tof tq reason s ti1at u
mel through the Straits to command It by any
guns now III use. TUG reservation there at-
toinS tue National park pr1yiaea tor @ y! an act
ho cenS1ess eoSlnE lfpoSSe ocer ' of he pos fna as
(anter the provisions Of that ,ast} ths in!ne-
dilute management and control thereof: fort
Grntiot, as you are nWare, mas already been
III charge Of m Ordinance serKeant, After
iii Inspection, which I maze thero several
years SINCE. ! recommended toM account or
compllcatons and interfercnces Win Inc
grounds BY the buildings, sl.te-tracks, etc., Of
the Grand Trunk Ratlrond Company, aIM TUG
plrtinl surrou Milling Ct the post BY Tug Cltyof
Port lIurol. and the Vtilago OF Fort Gratiotl
tl,at the post should be abandoned, nlld TINT
lnke, ubout three,,fourths OF milo aboye,
which weru then about 10 be sold. should be
retained by the Government for tug location Of
there. a fort ut tint point, nearly 0pposit
Sarnin, on tho CannInn side Of the river,
would closely command the inlet Of La!so
Huron to the st. Clair River. and would now
VI tint Inlet than tho present site Of Fort
6ceil sold, however, and, II occupied by Tho
would entail the destruction Of the private
property now on them; but 1t Is no longcr
necessary to retain the present site. In cor
nectlon With tho Importance Of this point, In
May stute that constant title Of commerce
ilows Gy It through tle St. Cinir Klver 10 aud
from Lake ErIS and the ercat Western
] "m,nin,,a ti,nnannIa ri vnazcIs nnnIinliy