works. Or, should some previous experiment be desirable, he prays that he may be authorized by law to select and employ, under the authority of the President of the United States, such engineers and other officers, scientific mechanics, artificers, ship-carpenters, and laborers, as may be necessary to enable him forthwith to locate and construct, upon the principles and in the manner here stated, one of the proposed principal railroads-say that from Lexington, Kentucky, to Nashville, and thence to New Orleans; or the one from Louisville, Kentucky, via Nashville, to Mobile; or that from Memphis, Tennessee, to meet the one already completed from Charleston, South Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia, to Tennessee river. And also to construct three of the proposed floating batteries, viz: two for the harbor of New Orleans, and one for the harbor of Mobile; to be constructed under his direction, in accordance with the project here recommended, and under the immediate superintendence of such officers as he may select. And when the floating batteries and railroads here recommended are completed, armed, equipped, and manned, the said floating batteries and railroads to be subjected to & scrupulous inspection by such committee of Congress, and by such other public functionaries as may be authorized by Congress, or by the President of the United States provided that no military or naval officer be selected for any such inspection, but such as shall have been in battle and witnessed the effect of the enemy's cannon shot upon our works of defence; to the end that by such inspection the precise character, value, and utility of these works of internal improvement as means of national defence and national wealth, taken in connexion with each other, may be fully ascertained and certified. Under such authority, with two regiments such as the foregoing organization contemplates, sustained by an appropriation of three millions of dollars a year, for three years, your memorialist pledges himself to complete in this period of time the proposed railroad and three floating batteries; which will serve as an experiment upon which the residue of the works here recommended may be safely undertaken. 32. Your memorialist having, at different times during the last seventeen years, submitted to the proper authorities of the War Department most of his views contained in the foregoing 30 sections, as will more fully appear from his official reports, (which he prays may be called for and taken as a part of this memorial,) he has thus repeatedly appealed to the War Department, but he deeply regrets to say that his appeals have been wholly unavailing. He now respectfully calls on every member of the national legislature who loves his country and her institutions to sustain his efforts in preparing for her a system of defence worthy of their fathers of the revolution, worthy of the Union, and of the Constitution which we all stand pledged to support. Your memorialist did not enter the service of his country for the mere selfish enjoyment of the pomp and ephemeral honors of the field of battle, (though he would not shrink from a comparison of his services in battle with those of any other United States commander now living;) his anticipated glory and great object have been to employ her means of defence, ample as they must ever be, so effectually as to convince her neighbors that honesty is the best policy, and that defeat must attend their every act of invasion; and thus to direct the elements of war to the attainment of "peace on earth and good will towards men." With these impressions he deems it to be an act of common justice to himself, his wife, children, and friends, that he should solicit the only relief to which a United States general officer, honored as he has long been with one of the highest commands in the army, and whose best efforts are ever due to his country's service, can with propriety claim. He claims to be the author and inventor of the system of national defence herein set forth and explained; he therefore prays Congress to confirm his claim by such act or joint resolution as in their wisdom shall seem just and right. And your memorialist, as in duty bound, will ever pray. EDMUND P. GAINES. NASHVILLE, December 31, 1839. H. Rep. Com. 86————17 BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant, referring to this bureau a memorial of Major General Gaines, proposing a system of national defence, of which he enumerates, as an essential part, an extensive series of railroads. Upon these last, your directions are that I should submit an estimate of the probable cost. The various routes enumerated by the general will be found in the 10th page of his memorial. According to his computation, they would embrace about 4,200 miles; are to be laid in double track; and would cost, on an average, $15,000 the mile. The routes are 1st. One principal railroad from Lexington, Kentucky, to Buffalo or Plattsburg, New York, with branches to Detroit, Albany, and Boston. 2d. One principal railroad from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Norfolk, Virginia, or Baltimore Maryland, with branches to Richmond, Virginia, and Newbern, North Carolina. 3d. One principal railroad from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charleston, South Carolina, or Savannah, Georgia, with branches to Milledgeville, Georgia, and East Florida. 4th. One principal railroad from Louisville, Kentucky, to Mobile, Alabama, with a branch to Pensacola, Florida. 5th. One principal railroad from Lexington, Kentucky, via Nashville, to New Orleans. 6th. One principal railroad from Memphis, Tennessee, to the Sabine ridge, with branches to Fort Towson and Fort Gibson, Arkansas. 7th. One principal railroad from Louisville, Kentucky, or Albany, Indiana, to St. Louis, Missouri; and thence to the Missouri river, north of the mouth of the Big Platte, with branches from Albany, Indiana, to Chicago, and from the northwest angle of the State of Missouri to the upper crossing of the river Des Moines. As the general has given no precise indication of the courses which these routes would pursue, or of that of their branches, I find it difficult to determine the method by which he has ascertained the whole distance. But, taking Tanner's map of the United States as a basis, drawing straight lines from point to point, without reference to the physical peculiarities of the country, and involving but once in the consideration those parts which may be than one principal route or branch, I make the distance of the whole system equal to 5,260 miles. common to more This is a distance of air lines, and of course is much less than what would be the actual distance of the roads. Their windings and sinuosities would much increase that length, to an extent which I think may, with propriety, be assumed as equal to 20 per cent. and which would make the entire length of roads and branches equal to 6,310 miles. Until surveys are made and the roads located, it is impossible to make an accurate estimate of the cost. But, in the absence of these, by reasoning from probabilities and from experience in cases somewhat similar, one may arrive at a result which may be considered as a probable minimum. The general reasons upon the supposition of a double track throughout; but I doubt if this be necessary. A single track, with suitable turnouts, and double lines of some extent in particular localities, will probably be found adequate to all the objects of the roads. As the roads are intended for great speed as well as great weights, and are to be national roads, they must be made of great strength as well as of durable materials; and as they will cross the country in so many directions, they will no doubt encounter all the causes of great expenses in such structures-rock excavation, deep-cuts, tunnels, heavy embankments, extensive bridges, &c. Under these considerations, and after having, in addition to my own investigations and observations, consulted some of the most experienced and most eminent railroad engineers of our country, I find myself obliged to differ with the general in reference to probable cost. He states the average, on the supposition of a double track, at $15,000 per mile. I cannot, consistently with my own views, state it at less than $20,000 the mile, for a single track and its requisite accessories; and this amount I desire also to be understood as my opinion of a probable minimum. Six thousand three hundred and ten miles, at $20,000 the mile, will amount to $126,200,000. There is no doubt that many advantages may be taken of the railroads already made and being made by States and incorporated companies, in adopting them as parts of the major general's system, but one cannot say to what extent, until the same shall be shown by the surveys. If we suppose it, however, to be equal to 1,000 miles, it will reduce the cost before stated to $106,200,000. The objects of these various roads being to transport masses of troops and munitions of war with great speed and to great distances, means of transporting will have to be provided, and will also have to be under the exclusive control of the government, which last condition makes it necessary that these means should be owned by the government; they become, then, an essential part of government expense belonging to the system. These means are locomotives and cars. A car that would properly accommodate 50 men, with their arms and necessary baggage, would probably not cost less then $500. To transport 10,000 men, then, would require 200 cars. We will now suppose that to move these cars with the anticipated speed will require one locomotive to each train of ten cars; there must, then, be twenty locomotives, which, with the requisite tender to each, will not cost less than $8,000 apiece. It will, therefore, be necessary for the transportation of 10,000 men to have 20 locomotives and tenders and 200 cars. This may be considered as an equipment for one of the principal lines; but as there are seven principal lines, and as each should be supplied with an equipment adequate to the transportation of 10,000 men, there will have to be, for the whole system of roads, not less than 140 locomotives and tenders and 1,400 cars. Applying to these the prices which we have stated, it will make the cost of the means of transportation equal to..... To which add the cost of the roads. And the whole will be.... $1, 820, 000 106, 200, 000 108,020,000 I have, in the foregoing, supposed the plan to be practicable-that is, that railroads may be made in the several directions as required by the system; but it is proper to add that this is a point which cannot be determined except by accurate surveys. Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. J. R. POINSETT, Secretary of War. J. J. ABERT, Colonel Topographical Engineers. NAVY COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE, April 25, 1840. SIR: The board of navy commissioners have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the letter from the honorable Secretary of War to you, of the 16th instant, requesting your reference to them of the memorial of General E. P. Gaines to Congress, submitting a system of national defence, "for a report as to the practicability, expediency, and expense of the plan, so far as relates to floating batteries and other naval defences;" and, in compliance with your indorsement, respectfully state: That in relation to the "expense," the board called upon the chief naval constructor for the probable cost of one of the floating batteries and a tow-boat, as described in the memorial, a copy of whose report is herewith enclosed. These estimates form the best data which the commissioners can furnish for ascertaining the aggregate expense which might be necessary to carry into effect the recommendations of General Gaines. No definite number is specified in the memorial, nor any other information given by which that number can be ascertained with any probable certainty; and no attempt has been made to supply the want of this information by conjecture. There appears to be no cause for doubting that the approaches of an enemy by water to any of our cities and seaports might be prevented by the employment of a sufficient number of floating batteries and tow-boats, prepared, armed, and manned, as are proposed by General Gaines; and, consequently, that the plan is "practicable," provided the expense can be met, and a sufficient number of men be obtained. In considering the "expediency" of adopting the floating batteries which are proposed in the memorial, it is necessary to estimate their comparative efficiency with other means which may be provided, manned, and supported with an equal expenditure of money and an equal number of troops or other persons. The board of navy commissioners, when presenting their views upon the general defences of the country upon former occasions, have expressed the opinion that, upon a subject so important and evidently requiring the best combinations of military and naval force, it was very desirable, if not indispensable, that it should be considered and reported upon by a board which should comprise officers of both branches of the service. This belief has not been changed by any subsequent information or reflection upon the subject, and consequently they can only offer opinions upon the relative advantages and disadvantages of the floating batteries and fixed fortifications, which are based upon facts that appear to be too well established, or so obvious as not to be questioned. The system presented in the memorial is intended "to provide for the defence of our seaports," and "to enable us to repel, by the agency of steam power, every invasion suddenly forced upon us by fleets propelled by steam power." To effect this object, the memorialist proposes floating batteries and attendant tow-boats, which he has described in very general terms, and considers them preferable to fortifications with cannon placed on the banks of rivers or inlets; because with such fortifications only it would be utterly impracticable to lock up a navigable river or inlet, or to arrest the movement of a fleet thereon. He also prefers the floating batteries to steamships-of-war, unless such ships should be prohibited from leaving the vicinity of the ports or harbors to which they may be assigned, From these general views it appears to be the intention of the memorialist that each and every port or harbor shall have at all times all the means for defence against a naval force which may be necessary to resist attacks until re-enforcements can be obtained from the interior; and that no reliance is to be placed upon the concentration of these separate floating defences from contiguous ports for temporary purposes. There can be no doubt that such a perfect system of defence would be very desirable, if it could be obtained with a proper regard to its cost and its de mands upon the population of the country. But if the probable expense of the construction and maintenance of the floating batteries and tow-boats which would be required, and the number of persons necessary for their advantageous use, are considered and compared with the resources of the country, reasonable doubts may be entertained whether an attempt to obtain complete security in this manner would be expedient. That floating batteries of some kind will be necessary as component parts of the defences for several of our harbors is generally admitted, and it is believed formed a part of the plan of defence as proposed by the board which had that subject under examination shortly after the close of the last war for those passages to important points which could not be well and thoroughly commanded by the fortifications on the land. One of the strongest objections which is usually made to fixed fortifications is, that there must of necessity await an attack, and leave the choice of time and circumstances to an enemy. The greatest advantage of a floating force over fixed fortifications consists in the greater power which they possess of choice of position, with facility and promptitude to meet in the best manner any form of attack with which any point may be threatened. All varieties of floating force are liable to greater danger from shells and hot shot, and require much larger amounts, in proportion to their original cost, to keep them in repair than fixed fortifications. In considering the defence of a coast so extensive as that of the United States, and upon which there are so many positions which are important either for their commercial, military, or political relations, the board of navy commissioners, when they refer to the probable nature and force of the attacks which may be expected from a naval enemy, and the physical, fiscal, and personal resources of the country to meet them, are led to the conclusion that many points must be left more or less exposed for many years; and that, while permanent arrangements are made for giving security to others in proportion to their importance, the best policy for the whole country will be to extend those movable defences which can advantageously meet an enemy at the greatest distance from his meditated points of attack, or be soonest concentrated to retard his progress, or to repel him from our shores. This force, if composed of steam and ordinary ships-of-war, employed separately, or in combination, as circumstances may require, might, it is believed, be used (except at some few points) with at least equal advantage as the floating batteries which are proposed in the memorial, and would possess the further advantage of being able to meet and annoy an enemy in his progress, to concentrate where it should be most required, to retire, if necessary, before a superior force, and be held ready to take advantage of any accidents to the enemy, or of any mistakes which he might commit. Its powers would be activeaggressive if necessary, whilst that of the batteries proposed must necessarily be almost wholly passive and strictly defensive. Without entering more particularly into the general subject of national defence, after a careful consideration of the employment of such floating batteries as are proposed in the memorial, the board are of opinion that, although a few such or similar batteries might perhaps be useful in particular places, it would not be expedient to adopt them generally as substitutes for fixed fortifications, or for a floating force which should be adapted to more extensive use and capable of quicker and more rapid combinations. The papers are herewith respectfully returned. I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, C. MORRIS, For the Board of Navy Commissioners Hon. JAMES K. PAULDING, Secretary of the Navy. |