Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-19

ready built. as well as those to b.
erected Tor the officers and stores. BY
another timber wall at a proper dis
lance from this, and filling the space
| between with clay. the parts of the
building exposed to the hill will be
protected against cannon and We
| houses be fortified to the eyes. which
are about eight feet high. | have sur
veyed the ground on the hill in view
of Il proper place for a redoubt. as
your EXcellency desired, and find there
| is such place"
THE additional buildings to be
erected must be no less than two
houses, forty-four feet long. for Off
GERS and stores, and three small block
houses, to be erected in the half
moons, or places for armes for the de-
fence of the picket work, as also for
sentries to stand guard in. and all
these should be fortified as above. The
expense of which. with another re-
doubt, will be great After it is done.
is will be as irregular, Informed an as
semblage of buildings as We're ever
huddled together to be called a fort,
and it will be hard TO defend them, or
account of their irregularity, and the
large circumference of we picket
work" Capt. Lithgow proposed to do
one of three things; Ito alter the fort
so as to make it square, regular
fertilization: or build it in the form
begun, or build it on the hill"
1t will require to complete the fort
four hundred and fifty tons of timber,
forty or fifty thousand shingles, and
forty fhntIcon1 hui ctn
The work cannot be performed until
spring, when bricks can be made.
There is no stone except what may be
got on the opposite side of the river.
The timber must be cut and hauled
this winter. with oxen. and hence hay
must he sent for the oxen
Capt. Hunter was" he remarks. "a
good carpenter. and understood log
work and he and such men as could
work with broad and narrow axes
should be retained" TT was excess
sve hard service" he continues, haul
ing sled loads of hay and provisions
from Merrymeeting bay to Fort Hall
fax" He says. "One thing l forgot to
inform your Excellency, that | have
been obliged constantly to allow those
men that hauled fire. wood. stores, &c.
To Fort Halifax a certain quantity of
rum. without which it would have been
impossible to have done anything"
Gov. Shirley wrote Capt. Lithgow in
reply March sth. that the fort should
be completed in the next year, and
accommodations provided for his
family: and ordered him to make the
inside comfortable for the men and 10
look out for their healths; and in
formed him that four fiat bottom
boats for transportation We're almost
ready and would be sent Immediately.
Two more were ordered. all to be
armed with four SwiVels each.
Iithgow. in the face of accommodating
difficulties. prosecuted the work. On
the I'D Of March he informed the gov
ernOr that the barracks We're so far
done AZ "a accommodate the soldiers.
ana that plank shutters had been
made FOR the doors and windows: that
his family must be removed from Fort
Richmond. though there was no suit
able place for their accommodation.
ana asked what should be done in re-
lation To completing the fort. for. he
remarked. ''aS it now stands IL j. one
of the most extraordinary Fortresspz
heard Of" He says that ne was cut
ting timber for strengthening the gar
rison. one half of whom We're unable
during the winter to go abroad on ac-
count Of the scurvey and other ais.
and that he had 200 tons Of hewn tim
brr on the eminence. which could De
used in any way his ExcellenCy may
please TO order
He expressed his determination ITO
erect another redOubt on the eminence,
cannon proof, to be garrisoned with
sufficient number of men To defend II
against a considerable army. with
great artillery" If the fort should be
erected on the hill. he thought the re-
doubt could be Joined to il. and would
make a good Tanker. He said he had
"a hundred tuns of board logs and
bolts to make shingles, most all hauled
in on hand sleds."
Neither the fort or garrison We're
disturbed during the winter by In
dams: but in the spring they shot one
Barrett at Ticonic. and Mr.. Weston
was taken captive when passing from
Fort Western to Fort Halifax.
Capt. Lithgow having collected his
materials was proceeding with the
erection of the fort. an alteration in
the plan of which he had submitted to
Gov Shirley, who laid ii with Wins
lows plan of the fort before the
House. and the same We're referred to
a committee. which subsequently re-
ported that in their opinion the plan
drawn by Capt. Lithgow should be
adopted.
Winslow's plan is on file in the State
House. Boston, and is as follows, with
Winslow's letter to Gov. Shirley relat-
ing to it.