Year: 1861

whole work; the moat is supplied with
water from Mill Creek, and while the
gates are open, ebbs and flows with the
tide. g.. ~a. fs. ....-a... ~. e =.


The Water Battery, like all the masonry
on this fort, is beautiful piece of work !;
it is built of stone, and is sufficiently thick
to withstand any shot that can be projected
against it from the bay beyond. ltis fin
ished with casemates, the arches of which
are turned with brick, and rest upon gran
ite columns in the rear. This battery has
forty.two embrasures, and is supplied with
like number of 42.pounders, which, like
all the rest of the guns in the garrison, are
fully mounted and ready for action. 1t
covers all that face of the garrison that
fronts upon the channel of the bay, and is
only intended as means of offence and de-
fence when attacked by force on the wa
ter. This position Of the work, like the
ramparts, is coverd with green turf, and
presents a beautiful and pleasant prone
made in the summer afternoons At the
upper or northern extremity of this battery
commences redoubt of breastwork that
extends around to the point Of that bastion
in which the magazine is situated in the
middle Of this redoubt is saly-port or pos
tern, that leads out to an outer work (not
yet fnished), that is intended to protect
the fort from the lard side. ....


"From the Water Battery to the maya
zine is decidedly the weakest portion of this
fortress, and we'll organized force of one
thousand men could readily carry the forti-
6cation at this point. Besides the fact that
there are no casemate guns on these two
faces, the gates that supply the lnoat with
water are on this side, and at low tide might
be closed to prevent the water from coming
in on the change of the tide, and thus could
a land force reduce the draught of water to
such an extent as to enable them to wade
across and scale the walls; which, Of course,
could only be done under a uurderous
fire. The gun from only one shoulder could
be brought to bear upon the scaling party,
and that one, or even two, would be so de-
pressed as to render its effect doubtful
Besides this, storming party could reduce
the garrison to submission in short while,
unless the elements consplre to furnish
them water, for there is not spring, or
a we'll, or pump on the work but, like
the good people of Norfolk, the soldiers at
Old Point have to depend on the clouds
for their drink, (except when they drink
whiskey, and then they depend upon their
own iDgenuity.)


awe were led into the above remarks,
because of the fact that Fortress Monroe is
considered impregnable, but such is not the
fact; it lacks much of it as it now stands,
and even if it was completed, we give our
idea of the work, when We remind our read
ers that Sebastopol and Gibraltar fell before
TeSOluLe euemy.


GAS no fortifcation is impreguable to a
we'll appointed army of resoute and de-
termined men, the question of reducing
Fortress Monroe is one to be determined by
the wisdom aud judgment of the civil and
military authorities of the Confederate
States; taking into consideration the ne
oessary loss of life that must ensue in its
successful capture. Upon this point we
venture no opinion, leaving it to the wis,
dom and discretion of President Davis and
his noble officers in command of the State
and Confederate forces.


"The garrison at Fortress Monroe, is,
doubtless, very large aud well appointed at
this time, with the capacity, on the part of
the United States authorities, to increase
it to larger amount.


owe have no idea that the reports as to
the number of troops now in Fortress Mon
roe, variously estimated at from three to
five thousand, are correct. But that a large
and strong garrison is now within the fort
We have no doubt.


Accommodating the entrance to Hampton
Roads, its guns effectually blockade the
James and Elizabeth rivers, stopping all
vessels bound either to or from Richmond,
Petersburg or Norfolk Great annoyance
is thus given to the trade Of Virginia and
North Carolina but as the same blockade