The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-14
.EEEACE BATTERY
TO WIDEN AVENUE
Wartime Relic Will BE Cut
Through to'Make Way for
New Street.
SAME IN GOOD CONDITION
Diagram Of Notable Line OF
Notifications That Guarded
Confederate Capital.
SAME IN GOOD CONDITION

STATED the cutting through of portion
OF Battery No. 10 of the old wartime
fertilization Of Richmond, when 1t was
the beleaguered capital OF the Confed-
erany.
The matter OF preserving these old
Notifications has been urged from TINT
to time by various persons but no definite
action in this direction has yet been taken.
There are others Of the series OF forts
which surrounded the city that have not
yet disappeared before the growth OF tae
city, and 1t is not yet too late to preserve
them In something like their original
form. Accompanying the picture OF the
old defenses now being leveled for rub
ber-tired vehicles and whizzing automo-
biles, is diagram of the defenaes OF the
city, showing what formidable obstacles
stood In the pathway Of the Army OF the
Potomac. This diagram Is made from
map drawn In 1857 by United States
army officers for the use OF the Federal
government, and the specific copy OF the
map Is in the possession OF City Engineer
Cutshaw In his office. Through his cour-
tesy diagram was made from 1t.
Strongly Defended.
AS will be seen from the diagram of the
plan OF Notifications Richmond vas
strongly defended The plan OF fortifica-
ton was made under the direction OF
General W. II. Stevens, C. s. A.. one
OF the eminent engineers OF the Confed-
eracy, and his work has been commended
by experts as one OF the most brilliant
pr1eces of military engineering on this
continent. The Federal map Us merely n
delineation OF the work OF General Stevens
This city was defended from invaders
by three lines OF defenses or fortifica-
txI ~ no
OF forts or batteries. as they were known,
seventeen in number, and encircling this
city and Manchester. At distance OF
three quarters to one mile was the inter-
mediate line, which consisted of continue
GUS breast works encircling the entire city
from point on the hill above the New
Pump House to a point below Peytons
Creek on the east OF the city above and
commanding the river line. The third or
outer line was an irregular one. consist
ing OF separated earthworks. as dist!n-
guished from continuous ones. and be-
ginning at a point on the river and COW
ering the Westham Road and encircling
the western approaches to the city. From
a point near the Chesapeake and ONO
Railroad. north OF the city. and near the
MechanicsvIile Turnpike, n double line OF
Notifications was maintained. an thence
scattered earthworks extended to and
commanded the Nine Mile Road From
point beyond New Bridge Church there
were heavy Notifications extending across
the Nine Mile Road. the York River Rail-
road, the Williamsburg Turnpike. the
Charles City Road, the Darbytown Road.
the Newmarket Road and Osbornc's Turn
pike. There were other earthworks east
OF Gaines's Mill and New Cold Harbor.
The line Of forts. or inner line. was the
most formidable, being fortified with
heavy guns, including a number of eigh-
teen-inch Columbian and smaller guns
firing shells. Nearly all these seventeen
forts or batteries were constructed III me
form OF ve-po!nted stars. Begining WEST
OF the city. on the river, was battery no.
10. and about six furlongs to the .nor'h
was No II, defending the Westham fiahh
Road and about the same distance from
No II. and further TO the north OF II, or
west of the city, was No. 10. which 10
now being RACED to widen Franklin Street.
Rattery No Q Ia located NOW on the
grounds of the Hartshorn College. north.
west OF the city. and Is in an excellent
state OF preservation. The next OF these
forts was at a point on the LaKeslde
car line. now known as Battery switch,
nor,h ~ Rarton Heights. No. was lo-
"a ted on Chestnut Hill, and No. COM
monded the Mechancsville Pipe. NO.
Was further to the eastward or north-
eastward. No. was on a hill overlook.
ing Gillie's Creek, and NO. WIS JUS,
north of Rockets No. commahden
Osborne's Pike, and No rs not Clearly
defined There were three other snia.,
batteries-A between NOS ana ., am
and d between Nos, and !. NO. 10
was on the Chesterfield side OF the river
overlooking and commanding Belle Isle
where many Federal prisoners were SUI
toned No IA was further westward on
the Chesterfield side of the river, "nilu
Nos. 10, 16 and II encircled Mancnester.
thus making almost continuous ll'e -
forts around the two cities ana pto.ect
,np them from attack from any direction.
i've guns located In these forts were OF
such calibre and range as to Wlthstanu
any attack until the troops stationed IN
the city and the Home Guard conld man
the defenses In the intermediate inc OF
breastworks which surrounded me Guy
In an unbroken line. The outer me was
In the nature of an outpost OF PicNe.
post, but with sufflcleht io'ee " iepo'
any slight attack.
Sheridan Repealed.
II was at point on the BROOK rurn-
nike. lust beyond Laburnunl, that shet,-
dan was repealed Y ms ,stort ~ drivs
hack sheridan that General ). II =.
stuart was killed at Yellow Tavern. AZ
tha time OF sherldan's advance President
Davis, himself went out on the BROOK ok
Road with n/ny citizen soldiers. and
there remained four or five hours, am
ticpating further advance of the Fed
erals.
The Fitzpatrick Dahlgren raid was even
more dangerously near being successful.
Colonel Dahlgren, with a small force.
reached a point on or near the Westham
Road, near Battery II. while General
Fitzpatrick. with a larger force, approach
ed from the northward by the BROOK
Road Fitzpatrick was to fire rockets as
signal to Dahlgren to join him. Ha
succeeded In penetrating the outer line
but became engaged near the intermedi-
ate line with the Confederate forces, and
was driven back before giving Dahlgren
his signal. Fitzpatrick retired to the
northward, the direction whence ne came,
and Dahlgren, hearing the firing, sought
to form a jupction with Fitzpatrick, but
ere he reached the point nearest the city
attained by his superior officer, Kipat-
rick had been repulsed and had retreated.
'rhereupon Dahlgren sought safety In
flight, his force being too insignificant
to engage one which had repulsed Kill