The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-12

| oldu 10 Tue ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, WIS "
pointed by the Secretary, of War Oct. q
Of the present forts andIsufficiency of tn
present system Of defenses for the city.
The Commission devoted two months t
the study and perso19l examination o
the system. As no more authoritative ex
position can be givenI Lishall quote from
their report at some leDtth: r
REDUCED TO ,M,sYsTEM.
"The system of works constituting wha
are called the defensfsi. of Washington
may be divided into four groups:
'First-Those south Of the Potomac
commencing with Fort Lyon below Alex
andria, and terminating with Fort ID,
Kalb opposite Georgetown.
"Seeond-ThOse of the Chain Bridge.
"Third-Those north of the Potomac
between that river and the Anacostia
commencing with Fort Sumner and ter
minating with Fort Lincoln.
''FOurth-ThOse south of the Eastern
Branch, commencing with Fort Mahan
and terminating with Fort Greble, nearly
opposite Alexandria.
''The perimeter thus occupied. not count.
| ing the interval from Fort Greble to Fort
Lyon, is about 80 miles, or including that
81 miles.
"In the first group are 23 field forts. In
ard Marcy and three batteries for field
guns. In the third are Is forts. four bat
teries. permanently armed with heavy guns,
besides about IA batteries for field guns,
some of which are of heavy profile, with
stockade gorges and magazines. In the
fourth group are II forts, besides the
armed battery connected with Fort Car
roll. There are therefore, in the whole
system, as it now exists December 1862,
53 forts and % batteries.
The total armament actually mounted
in the different works, mt the date of this
report, is CAB guns and IS mOrtars.
1.-The total infantry garrisOns required
for their defense, computed at two men
per yard of front perimerer and one man
per yard of rear perimeter, is about $4,000.
1.-THE total number of artillerymen re-
quired Ito furnish three relefs for each
gum is about 5000. 1t is seldom neces-
sary to keep the infantry supports at
tached to the works.
"The artillerymen, whose training re-
quires much time, having learned the dis
position of the armament, and computed
the distances Of the ground over which
attacks may be looked for, and the ranges
and service of their guns, should not be
changed: they should remain permanently
in the forts.
'The $4,000 infantry should be en-
tuupeu III SUCH pOSlllOHS us Iiluy De most
convenient to enable them, in case of
alarm, to garrison the several works; and
force of 5000 cavalry should be avail
able for outpost duty, to give notice of
the approach of an enemy.
whenever an enemy is within striking
distance of the Capital. able by rapid
march to attempt a cOup-de-main, which
might result in the temporary occupation
of the city. the dispersion of the Govern
ment. and the destruction of the archives,
all of which could be accomplished by a
single days possession, a covering army
of not less than $4,000 men should be held
in position, ready to mech to meet the
attacking column. go
against more serious attacks from the
main body of the enemy, the Capital must
depend upon the concentration of its entire
armies in Virginia Or Maryland. They
should precede or follO~-~ny movement of
the enemy seriously threatening the Capt..
tall"
THE WORK OF 1863.
The various operations recommended by
the Commission, sanctioned by the Sec
rotary of War, were pFoSecuted with great
vigor during the early bart of the: year
1863. The new work 1esommsnded were
entirely completed during that year, and
ready indeed to rendeA efficient service by
the time the season % aGtive field opera
hind Forts Cass and 1evoodbury-Fort
Whipple-and that at the Red House,
Fort C. L. Smith, became the most per-
feet and beautiful specimens Of what may
be called ''sem-permanent" feld-wOrks.
So also was Fort Foote, designed as n
water battery in conjunction with Battery
Rodgers. 2 -t-<E
The operations of 1864 during the lat
ter half of the year,, under charge of
Iieut.-Col. B. s. Alexander, whose aid
during their whole progress had been of
great value to the Chief Engineer, We're
mainly to the repairing, strength
enins and perfecting existing works. An
to the above statement is to be
found in the beginning of a large fort,
styled Fort Mcpherson (but never COM
pleted), behind Fort Craig, to fill the gap
in the second line, between Forts Whip
pie and Albany, and of three small works
over the Anacostia, between Forts Mahan
and Meigs. AH"
Thus, from few isolated works cover
ing bridges or commanding few espe-
ciai1y important points, was developed |
system of fertilization by which |
every prominent point, ut intervals of 800 |
to 1000 yards, was occupied by an in |
closed field-fort, every important approach |
Or depression Of ground, unseen from the |
forts, swept by battery for feld-guns |
and the whole connected by rifie-trenches, |
which were in fact lines of infantry para |
pet, furnishing emplacement for two |
ranks Of men and affording covered COM
along the line, while roads |
were opened wherever necessary, so that |
troops and artillery could be moved rapid
" from one point of the immense peri
phery to another, or under cover, from |
point to point along the line.
A STRONG LINE AT LAST.
The woods which prevailed along many
parts of the line We're cleared for mile
DR. more in front of the works, the
of which were surrounded |
by abatis. Bomb-prOOfs were provided in
nearly all the forts; all guns not solely
Intended for distant fire placed in en-
brasure and well traversed; secure and
magazines ample to con-
AIN lOO rounds per gun, constructed; the
original crude structures, built after de-
signs gwen in textbooks for field fOrti-
ications," replaced by others, on plans ex-
Deriehce developed, or which the increased
powers of modern artillery made neces-
'ary. All commanding points on which
IN enemy would be likely to concentrate
lrtillery to OverpOwer that of one or more
If our forts or batteries were subjected
lot only to the fires direct and cross, of
many points along the Iine but also from
leavy rifled guns from distant points un-
lttainable by the enemy's field-guns.
With all these developments the lines GER
ainly Appropriated to the maximum de-
,ree Of strength which kan be attained
rom unreyetted earthysbrks. When in
Iulv 1864 EARLY onnk,H,J hoSo.o W. |