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Fortifications, Dockyards, &c.
Appendix No. 9.
We propose first to make a few general remarks on them, which will sufficiently show that it is UNITED STATES. not necessary for our present purpose to go into very great detail in describing them. Such details are to be found, for dockyards, in the Naval Encyclopædia, p. 590, &c.; while the Reports of Gallwey and Alderson, Jones, and Washington give details of the fortifications, most of which, owing to so little having been done to them for years, remain reliable up to the present time.
Arthur, 1881 and 1882, recapitulates the tale of inefficiency; the last Report gives sketches of most of the works in their present condition.
There is no such thing as a first-class fortress in the United States, in a modern sense. It has been objected by a certain school that the creation of a great fortress, both on land and sea-fronts, is undesirable, as it might fall into the hands of a foreign Power, and remain for years a thorn in the side of America, such as Gibraltar has proved to Spain.
Very elaborate schemes have, however, from time to time been made for a complete seaward defence of the most valuable places, and a land defence strong enough to resist a coup de main. Complete details of these proposals for forts, magazines, armament, and garrison will be found worked out in State Papers, together with most valuable discussions on the strategical and tactical values of State Papers, pp. 50, the various points proposed to be defended, and for this reason they are referred to, they give an 65, 140, 162, 216. excellent idea of what may be attacked, but very little of what is actually defended.
The tenth part
of these schemes has never been carried out or attempted.
Many millions of dollars have for many years past been asked for, for fortifications, and for many years a few thousands only have been granted-figures which speak volumes as to what is required and what is being done.
Nearly all the existing seaward defences were originally built for large numbers of smooth-bore guns. They are, however, in many cases unfinished, even in that sense; and while some are kept in bare repair or slowly amended, others are falling, or have fallen, into a state of dilapidation.
The criticisms of their many defects will be found in detail in Reports above referred to. They may be summed up in the sentence (Jones, p. 1):-"The American forts are all of old type, constructed before the present heavy ordnance was known, and are now equally unfit to be armed with, or resist the attack of, modern artillery."
In a Memorandum, end of Jones, p. 15, a debate in Congress, of December 1881, is summarized, in which the confession is made that-
"Portland (Maine) is defended by five inadequate, incomplete forts."
"C
66
'New York's largest guns could not pierce 10 inches of armour."
Philadelphia, Norfolk, Charleston, are all open to attack."
"There is nothing to prevent an iron-clad vessel of light draught forcing the Mississippi mouths, and levying tribute at Vicksburg, Memphis, St. Louis, and Cincinnatti."
""
The coast-line from Mississippi to Rio Grande is quite undefended; as is also Galveston, (Texas)."
"On the Pacific coast the harbours of San Francisco and Portland (Oregon) could be entered by iron-clads."
Quotations from American papers of the most recent date tell the same story. In corroboration, 1880, p. 4. we give two extracts from the Engineer Reports :-
No progress whatever has been made for several years past in the construction of new or the modification of old works built before the invention of modern ordnance or armoured ships. Therefore, it will require much time and large expenditures to make the necessary modifications of our casemated works, and to complete our barbette and mortar batteries, and furnish them with suitable armaments."
"Our great cities-New York, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Washington should they fall into the hands of the enemy-would suffer ten times more than the cost of all the forts necessary to secure them against such a disaster."
1880, p. 7.
Similar complaints with reference to the state of the dockyards could be quoted from Reports, "Service Journal," Service Journals, &c., ad infinitum. One will, however, be sufficient. In last Report the Chief of December 10, 1881. Bureau of Yards and Docks, after pointing out grave defects in all the yards, sums up :-
•
·
"We have on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts nine navy yards and stations, and one in the Pacific, and not one of them in its appointments and facilities is worthy to be classed as second rate, when compared to similar establishments in Europe. We have invested, &c.,
for many years past the amounts appropriated have been not only insufficient to keep this vast property in serviceable condition, but absolutely insufficient to preserve it from decay; the small sum annually appropriated is so divided and subdivided among the nine navy yards and stations, that none have enough to meet the actual demands.”
With this preliminary we shall follow the line of the coast, pointing out the dockyards and forti- fications that exist, very briefly.
And, in order to give some idea of the value of the undefended places, we shall quote from the 1870 Census, the density of population and the wealth per head of population, and from the Index, the money spent on harbour improvements. This is the best short way of expressing the commercial advance of each section. The figures given opposite the Dockyards are from a Return of value of stores there some time ago. They give an idea of the relative, if not the actual, value of the various yards, which probably remains true till now.
[Note. Many of the remarks are collected from State Papers, but altered so as to agree with the changes of population that have since taken place. The source of information will be acknowledged in the margin. Where there is no marginal reference the opinions are the present writer's. This course is adopted to avoid constant recourse to inverted commas for quotations, which interrupt the course of the discussion.]
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