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ments in artillery and other military inventions and discoveries affect this question?

The navigation of the ocean by steam has had a great influence upon the defence of our seaboard. "The heavy armament of war steamers, their ample storage and accommodation for troops, the rapidity of their evolutions and facility of transport, altogether constitute them convenient and formidable instruments for offensive warfare, particularly for making a descent upon any line of coast with a powerful army. Since 1815 it has enabled seamen to set the elements at defiance, and this would lead hostile powers to consider us more open to invasion."

Before its introduction, it required an immense marine and long time for preparation ere an enemy could effect an invasion of our shores. The expedition fitted out by England against New Orleans was known by us to be in preparation, for some part of our coast, six months before its arrival. After sailing, it had to rendezvous at Jamaica, (from whence, also, we heard of its concentration,) and again at Ship island, before commencing to disembark. This gave much time for us to prepare. At that date we may be considered as having had six months' notice of an intended expedition.

At the present time, with the aid of steam, the notice comes with the blow; a few days now suffices to invade either Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, or Savannah, from Bermuda. It is the introduction of steam navigation that has given such an advantage over us, compared with the sailing vessels of 1815.

In 1812 Great Britain considered Halifax a suitable place for her naval depot, and stores for her fleet on our coast. It so continued until a recent date, when they discovered that our proximity by land enabled us to reach and destroy it, beyond their power to prevent it. The consequence has been, that a central point opposite our Atlantic seaboard (Bermuda) has been selected, fortified, and still being fortified with great care and strength, and fitted as a naval depot. To it, already, have all the naval stores been removed from Halifax. It is secure against the power or force we can most readily command, (an army,) and, by fortifications, is secure against any naval armament we are likely to possess. From this point an army can embark in steamers, and in three days be anchored in our harbors, without any other notice than their coming in sight of our headland, but not long enough to enable us to draw together militia to oppose them. Hence it is that we are comparatively weaker, at this time, by the introduction of steam navigation.

Another important facility to an enemy, and to our disadvantage, is gained by the steamship. Fifteen such vessels as have lately been built will carry an army of ten thousand men, with their munitions, to any point on our Atlantic coast in a given space of time, and without any necessity for other rendezvous than the point of attack. Whereas, some hundred sailing transports would be required for the same army, and no calculation made of their arriving at their destination within days of each other.

The defences of the coast of France and England, on the channel, forcibly illustrate the change effected by ocean steam navigation. England considered herself safe from invasion, by the strength of her channel fleet. France considered herself equally safe, by the fortifications of her harbors. For a long period neither power could injure each other, guarded as they were. The fleets of England made many demonstrations upon the coasts of France, but never effected anything of importance, and Napoleon made a powerful combined demonstration with his army and fleet, and failed by the superiority of the English fleet.

But since steam has risen to its present importance, these two nations are considered as having materially changed their relations of defence.

France, with her preponderating land force, transported by steamers, can

readily invade England. The channel fleet of old would no longer be a protection. The statesmen of England, fully aware of this state of things, have for some time past been endeavoring to restore their ascendency.

A channel fleet combined with the aid of fortification, "which experience in war and science can suggest," (Duke of Wellington to the chief engineers,) is now their reliance, but it is a fleet of steam ships-of-war. Several of their ships-of-the-line have been fitted with screw propelling engines, as an auxiliary power, retaining the sails and their powerful broadsides. The first ship built in the English dock yards of this class is the Sanspareil of eighty-one guns, 2,235 tons; carrying on her lower deck thirty 32-pounders of fifty-six hundredweight, nine feet six inches long; main deck, thirty eight-inch guns of fifty-two hundredweight, eight feet long; quarter deck and forecastle, twenty 32-pounders of twenty-five hundredweight, six feet long, one ten-inch gun of eightyfour hundredweight, nine feet four inches long, with a three hundred and fifty horse-power engine, launched at Davenport in April, 1851. With vessels of this description they hope to retain their ascendency on the water, and protect their ports, in the absence of the fleet, against sudden attacks of an enemy's steamers, by fortifications.

In relation to the application of steam to ships-of-war, up to the building of the above vessel, the problem had not been solved. Not a single steamship had been built calculated to contend with a land battery, or a broadside of a ship-of-the-line. We have not, to this day, an instance of steamers having exposed themselves successfully or for any determined purpose to hostile guns, with the exception of the little English iron steamer Nemesis in the Chinese war, where she accomplished much, but against batteries of no value.

As transports and tow-boats, they have contributed greatly to the success of fleets on the invasion of Algiers by the French under Beaumont; the fleet was towed into position abreast the Algerine batteries by their war steamers. At Vera Cruz they made the same use of their steamers-at Beyrout, on the coast of Syria, although the English had the best of their war steamers, they were only used as tow-boats-taking distant stations in the latter part of the action and shelling the fortification.

The French army that recently operated against Rome was transported from Toulon by steamers, carrying artillery, cavalry, and infantry.

The result, then, of the navigation of the ocean by steam goes to prove a greater necessity than ever for defending our cities, harbors and dock yards by some efficient means, whether by fortifications, steam vessels-of-war, or other means, is yet to be considered.

The next branch of inquiry under this second head is: "In what manner and to what extent has the recent improvements in artillery and other military inventions and discoveries affected this question?"

The recent improvements in artillery, I apprehend, are rather the result of calling old things by new names, and thus bringing them afresh into notice, than any substantial advantage.

The use of what is generally called the Paixhan gun is supposed to have produced a great revolution in the sea-coast defence. It is no more nor less than firing hollow shot horizontally, a practice that has prevailed as long as the howitzer has been known (about 1693.) The only difference between the field and siege howitzer and Colonel Paixhan's gun is, that he makes his gun longer, and, by his writings, has caused them to be introduced again on board ships-ofwar, and probably more used for sea-coast batteries.

In our own service we had made use of such long howitzers for sea-coast defence years before Colonel Paixhan gave anything to the public on the subject. We called them columbiads, many of which are now to be seen on Governor's island, in this harbor, that were in use from 1812 to 1815.

On the ocean the use of hollow shot fired horizontally was made by the Count

De Grasse, off the Chesapeake, during our revolutionary war, and abandoned in consequence of the serious injury caused by the accidental explosion of the shells about the decks.

Since their re-introduction similar results have occurred. The steamer Medea, one of Admiral Stopford's fleet, operating against the Egyptians in 1840, when off Alexandria, was seriously injured by the bursting of a shell that, with five others, had been got on deck for examination; one beam was split asunder, the whole deck raised, and every buckhead in the captain's cabin, ward, and gunrooms torn to shreds, and the vessel set on fire.

About the same period (December, 1840,) a similar accident occurred on board the Excellent, the gunnery ship at Portsmouth, on trying some shells after hearing of the accident on board of the Medea. The fuses, in both cases, were metal with screw caps, supposed to be a secure preventive against accidents on board vessels. The use, therefore, of this improvement in artillery, for steamers, and on board ships-of-war is, I conceive, quite problematical, while, on the other hand, its value in the sea-coast batteries is increased by the greater ranges, precision of fire, and facility of causing the explosion about the intended and critical moment.

While such shells fired from ships against stone walls and earthen parapets are harmless, breaking to pieces in the one case, and throwing up a few yards of earth only in the other, the injury to the steamer or ship is far greater than from any other artillery in use.

It may not be amiss, under this head, to show the effect of this species of artillery upon vessels, proving, as I think, very conclusively, the safe reliance we may have in defending our harbors by them if mounted in favorable positions.

The effect of hot shot and shells from these columbiads (I must be permitted to use the American name as of prior invention) against shipping was shown by Captain Hastings, in the service of the Greeks, who, at Salona, in 1826-'7, fired not only hot shells, which he substituted for hot shot, as by their weight they broke through both sides of small vessels, but he fired carcasses and shells from 68-pounder guns. During the affair at Salona, he says, by the time he had fired twice, a brig-of-war blew up, owing to a shell exploding in her magazine. An armed transport brig sank forward owing to a shell exploding in her bow, and was set on fire aft by a hot shell. At Trickere he burnt a brig-of-war with hot shot. During an attack of the Greeks against a monastery at Pinæus, within the straits between Salonis and Megara, and for the relief of Athens, the Turkish pacha opened a battery of five guns upon the Greek steamer Perseverance, two of them long five-inch howitzers, producing considerable effect. One shot struck the carriage of a long 68-pounder and exploded there, another exploded in the counter of the Perseverance and tore out two streaks for a length of six feet, and started out the planking from two adjacent streaks, when the steamer retreated from this dangerous position.

In the attack on the harbor of Tolo, the Greeks directed the fire of 68-pounders' shells on a brig-a shell struck her, exploding in her hull and blew her foremast into the water. They afterwards made an attack upon a Turkish squadron of nine vessels, and opened a fire upon the Turkish admiral's ship, distant about five hundred yards, with hot shells. The second fire of two hot shells from the long guns and two carcasses from carronades, one lodged in the hull of the Turkish commodore, and, reaching the magazine, blew her up. A carcase shell exploded in the bows of a brig next to the commodore; she sank for ward, while a hot shell striking her stern, which stood up in shallow water, soon enveloped her in flames. In a few minutes another vessel was on fire, and an Algerine vessel having received a shell, which exploded between decks, was abandoned by her crew.

In the harbor of Patras, the Greeks made an attack upon an Austrian brig loaded for the Turkish army, by opening upon her a fire of shells from 68

pounders; one of them exploded in her hull near the water's edge, tore out a great part of her side, when she sank almost immediately.

All these results are calculated to show the effect of hollow shot fired horizontally from what is generally called Paixhan guns against shipping, and proves the efficacy of sca-coast defences armed with such artillery.

Of the effect of such a fire against forts, from ships or steamers, I recall to mind that of the French fleet under Joumanville, against the castle of St. Juan d'Ulloa, when a shell entering an embrasure, passed into a magazine through an unprotected door, and blew it up.

In 1840, the steam frigates Phoenix, Stranbole, Gorgon, and Vesuvius, were of the fleet that made an attack upon St. Jean d'Acre. They shelled the town with long guns, from positions beyond gun-range of the batteries, during the attack by the ships-of-the-line, keeping beyond the range of the shore batteries.

During the Carlist war, in Spain, several English steamers presented themselves against the land batteries, but retired on receiving the first fire from the land.

Other than the several instances herein referred to I can recall to mind now, and they all go to show that the use of columbiads is a most reliable means of protecting our harbors against ships or steamers.

Another improvement having a bearing on this subject is that of submarine artillery. Fulton's efforts with torpedoes were of little avail during his lifetime. The attempts upon the English ship Plantagenet, in Lynnhaven bay, and upon Admiral Warren's fleet, off New London, during the war of 1812 to 1815, which proved abortive, are the only instances I am aware of with these machines. Since his death, however, a new agent-that of electro-galvanism-has come into use, enabling us to explode a shell or magazine of powder under water at any particular instant of time. This power may be made auxiliary in the defence of our coast, in the channels over which hostile vessels must pass in approaching our cities; but it can only be of use in connexion with forts, from which the electro-agent is worked, and from whence to protect the torpedoes until the proper moment of using them, as well as from whence to ascertain the exact instant of time in firing them. An undefended position will not admit of their successful application. It is an uncertain auxiliary in the defence of our ship channels, yet one that would be resorted to by officers acquainted with its advantages. Gutta-percha elastic tubes, within which the wires may be protected, is another modern invention, facilitating the use of the electro-galvanic mode of instantaneous explosion.

The effect of the railroad is to economize greatly the military resources of the nation, by relying upon a much smaller disciplined force to act against hostile landings. For example, the same troops that would operate against a hostile army moving on Boston, would suffice to act against the same force that should afterwards attempt to march upon New York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore, or Washington. Before their transports could pass from one to the other, the railroad could transport the army to oppose them.

It is a knowledge of an enemy's movements only that is necessary to enable us to take advantage of the railroad speed of transportation; and here the more recent discovery of the electro-telegraph comes into valuable use. But there is nothing in these inventions or improvements that lessens the importance and necessity of opposing the powerful floating armaments that can be brought against us by equally powerful batteries; for let me again repeat, that a myriad of men, with rifles and other small arms, is nothing against a ship's broadside. One other change in modern artillery deserves to be noticed: During the last half century the calibre of the guns mounted on board ships-of-war has greatly increased, and made it necessary to increase the power of the batteries that may be constructed to oppose them. Objections have sometimes been taken to the power of our sea-coast batteries; a little reflection will, I doubt not, show the

necessity of their being made equal, in all respects, to the batteries by which they can be assailed.

From 1776 to 1783 frigates of thirty-two, twenty-eight, and twenty-four guns mounted twelve-pounders on their main deck.

In 1800 most of the English frigates mounted twelve and eighteen-pounders. In February of that year the admiralty ordered all ships of twenty-four and twenty guns to be fitted on the main deck for thirty-two pounder carronades, in lieu of the long NINE-POUNDERS hitherto carried.

The Danish forty-gun ship Freya mounted eighteen-pounders. The Danish vessels at Copenhagen, attacked by Nelson, mounted

Forty-eight thirty-six-pounders.

Three hundred and sixty twenty-four-pounders.

Seventy eighteen-pounders.

Ninety-eight twelve-pounders.

Fifty-two eight-pounders.

Nelson's fleet mounted

One hundred and forty thirty-two-pounders.
Seventy-four twenty-four-pounders.

One hundred and ninety-two eighteen-pounders.
Twenty-two twelve-pounders.

One hundred and fourteen nine-pounders.
Six six-pounders; together with carronades.

1805. The Victory, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, mounted on her first deck, long thirty-two-pounders; second deck, long twenty-four-pounders; third deck, long twelve-pounders; quarter deck and forecastle, twelve-pounders, and two sixty-eight-pounders, carronades. The French admiral's ship, in the same action, mounted thirty-two and eighteen-pounders; thirty of the eighteenpounders on her upper deck. The Tarinant, of ninety guns, mounted eighteenpounders on her main deck. The Belle Isle has twenty-four-pounders on her main deck. The San Ildefonsa had fifty-eight long twenty-four-pounders on the first and second decks; four long eight-pounders and ten thirty-six-pounders, carronades, on the quarter deck and forecastle.

1808. The Caledonia, English ship of one hundred and twenty-two guns, launched this year, mounted on first deck, thirty-two-pounders; second deck, twenty-four-pounders; third deck, eighteen-pounders; quarter deck, twelvepounders and thirty-two-pounders, carronades, and the same calibre on the forecastle; on the roundhouse she carried eighteen-pounders.

1811. France had no frigate, and England only four that carried long twentyfour-pounders, at this date.

1820. At this date France ordered thirty and thirty-two-pounders for all their ships-of-war.

1839. Finally, the English, on the 20th of February of this year, ordered all her ships-of-war to be armed with thirty-two and sixty-eight-pounders.

1851. By referring to another part of this memoir, it will be seen that an eighty-one-gun ship-of-the-line is now mounted with the tremendous battery of thirty-two-pounders and eight-inch guns.

This regular increase demands, on our part, a like armament, and that we relax nothing in the artillery for the defence of the coast, requiring more time to build, and stronger works to receive and resist such artillery.

3d. How far vessels-of-war, steam batteries, ordinary merchant ships, and steamers, and other temporary expedients, can be relied upon as a substitute for permanent fortifications for the defence of our large seaports?

It follows, from what has been said under the two previous heads, that a nation may rely upon a navy as a substitute for fortifications, in a great measure, for the defence of not only her large seaports, but for her coasts generally.

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