of Engineers, "that the sketch of this fort offers none of the requisites for occupying this position in a manner suitable to the principal object which it should have in view. The towers are of no use, and seem only placed there to spoil the general tracé and disposition of the works." The bomb-proof barracks at this work are now untenable.

FORT GREENE (see Plate I., Fig. 2), is an elliptical barbette battery for twelve or thirteen guns, with a palisaded gorge. The work has a development, measured upon its interior crest, of two hundred and forty feet; its parapet is twenty-one feet thick; its rampart twenty-six feet broad; its scarp-wall twenty feet high; has a command of twenty-nine feet above low water; and within the work is a brick barrack and guard-house, a bomb-proof magazine, and a hot-shot furnace. The Board of Engineers say, "this battery is sufficient for its purpose."

FORT WOLCOTT (see Plate VI.), is a large but low battery, having an enclosed redoubt in the middle whose head flanks the front of the battery. The development of the redoubt, measured upon its interior crest, is seven hundred and forty feet, of which three hundred and twelve look towards the sea; its parapet on the gorge is twelve feet thick, and in other parts eighteen; its rampart is twenty-one feet wide; and its command is thirteen feet above the ground and thirty-six above low water. The two wings of the battery measure eight hundred and forty feet of interior crest development, of which three hundred and twentyfive feet are on the right and five hundred and sixteen to the left

of the redoubt; their parapets are twenty-five feet thick; and their command is twenty-seven feet above low water. Within the redoubt is a powder magazine; behind the left wing is a brick barrack; and within either wing are hot shot furnaces. The whole work could mount fifty guns; and its fires, which cross those of Fort Adams and Fort Hamilton, would suffice to cover the harbor of Newport.

From the foregoing description of the works existing in 1820, it will be seen that the Board of Engineers considered those at Brenton's Point, the Dumplings, and on Rose Island as almost worthless; while those at North Point, and on Goat Island, would suffice for interior defense when covered by new channel fortifications.

For the Dumplings, where the United States owns nearly seven acres of land, the Board of Engineers submitted a project, designed by General Bernard, for a very large and costly work. Across the Point, extending from shore to shore, was to be a strong line of three bastioned fronts, with two advanced redoubts occupying higher elevations; and within this enclosing line were to be ten heavy batteries, along the rocky shore, to fire seaward upon ships endeavoring to force a passage through the channel. The entire armament of the work was to be three hundred and eighty-six pieces of artillery of all calibers. This work, never commenced, would be entirely unsuited to the present requirements of this exellent position, where eventually a strong fortification must be built.

For Rose Island, where the government owns twenty-three acres of land, the Board of Engineers proposed a small fort, on the site of the present unfinished work, three hundred and eighty-four yards in perimeter, to mount nearly one hundred guns, in barbette, chiefly on the three sea fronts.

For Brenton's Point, then the most important position of all those to be fortified in Narraganset Bay, the Board of Engineers deemed it necessary to construct, immediately, a powerful work, not only to defend the main entrance against an enemy's fleet, but to hold the position against a large land force till it could be relieved by our own troops, which would require time to be organized and marched to the attack of the enemy. It properly was observed that the strenght of the work should be fully equal to the objects to be secured, that is to provide against such a contingency as had actually occured. Large fleets during the Revolution had invaded Narraganset Bay, and for three years Rhode Island had been held by a strong hostile army which we

had not been able to dislodge. It is true that our population and resources had increased, but even in 1820 we were but a feeble power as compared with some of the nations of the old world which might assail us. History was full of illustrations of large fleets and armies being quickly transported to distant points; therefore, there must be no stint in our preparations to meet such foreign expeditions as might be sent to secure a lodgment in Narraganset waters-a bay so capacious, so approachable, occupying so important a strategic position on our northern coast, and acknowledged to be the best roadstead upon our Atlantic seaboard.

"With the opening of this anchorage properly defended, hardly a vessel of war could come, either singly or in small squadrons, upon the coast, in the boisterous season, without aiming at this port, on account of the comparative certainty of an immediate entrance. And this would be particularly the case with vessels injured by heavy weather, or in conflict with an enemy; with vessels bringing prizes, or pursued by a superior force. The use of this port would almost necessarily bring with it the demand for the means of repairing and refitting; and the concentration of these upon some suitable spot would be the beginning of a permanent dock-yard. For the same reason that ships of war would collect here, it would be a favorite point of rendezvous for privateers and their prizes, and a common place of refuge for merchantmen.

"But the same properties that make Narraganset Roads so precious to us would recommend them to an enemy also; and their natural advantages will be enhanced in his eyes by the value of all the objects these advantages may have accumulated therein.

"If this roadstead were without defense an enemy could occupy it without opposition, and, by aid of naval superiority, form a lodgment on the island of Rhode Island for the war. Occupying this island with his troops, and with his fleets the channels on either side, he might defy all the forces of the Eastern States; and while, from this position, his troops would keep in alarm and motion the population of the East, feigned expeditions against New York, or against more southern cities, would equally alarm the country in that direction; and thus, though he might do no more than menace, it is difficult to estimate the embarrassment and expense into which he would drive the government."

Entertaining these views, the Board of Engineers say "the defense adopted for Narraganset Roads must be formidable in the important points, because they will be exposed to powerful

expedition" of the enemy which "may take possession, and bend his whole force to the reduction of the forts on the island, which cannot be relieved until a force has been organized, brought from a distance, conveyed by water to the points attacked, and landed in the face of his batteries; all of this obviously requiring several days during which the forts should be capable of holding out. To do this against an expedition of ten or twenty thousand men demands something more than the strength to resist a single assult. Unless the main works be competent to withstand a siege of a few days, they will not therefore fulfil their trust, and will be worse than useless."

With these premises, in the then feeble condition of the country, very different from the present state of affairs, the present Fort Adams was planned and built. It consists of a pentagonal masonry main-work, bastioned on the three sea-fronts, and casemated throughout for gun-rooms and habitations for the garrison. The principal channel-front has three tiers of fire, the others two, the upper batteries of the whole being in barbette. Covering the two land fronts is a crown-work separated from the main-work by a deep dry ditch. Exterior to all, except the main sea front, is a covered-way with the usual places of arms, traverses, &c. Upon a commanding hill in the vicinity is a formidable casemated masonry redoubt, connected with the fort by an earthen caponnière, so arranged as to form a strong barbette battery towards the ship channel. These various defenses cover about twenty acres, and were designed to mount nearly five hundred pieces of artillery of various calibers. For beginning the construction of this work, Congress, in 1824, appropriated $50,000, of which $22,500 were applied to enlarging the site* to one hundred and sixty-five acres, which were purchased by the United States at various times after 1794. Lieutenant Andrew

Brenton's Point, upon which this fort is situated, is the extreme north-westerly point of Brenton's Neck, which constitutes the lower part of the island of Rhode Island south of an east and west line through the Lime Rocks in Newport harbor. The original proprietor, William Brenton, left Hammersmith, England, and landed in Boston in 1634. He brought with him a commission from Charles the First dated 1633, and termed a grant. which allowed him to take so many acres to a mile of all the lands he should survey in the New Englands Colonies, by which authority he became possessed of extensive tracts on the Merrimac River and elsewhere. In 1638, he removed with his wife to the present site of Newport, R. I., and was one of the nine gentlemen, who, February 28, 1639, united themselves into a active body politic for the purpose of forming a township in the Island of Aquidneck, which they termed a "Plantation." In doing this their first object was to choose a spot which would prove the most lucrative situation for a commercial town with a good harbor. Accordingly the place selected was Newport, of which, probably, William Brenton was the surveyor. He had already taken possession of the "Neck" and named it "Hammersmith," in which were two thousand acres of land, having the richest soil and presenting the most picturesque scenery. On Redoubt Hill, where are situated the present quarters of the commanding officer of Fort Adams, he made a clearing in the dense forest and built a brick dwelling, one hundred and fifty feet square, which commanded a magnificent view of the ocean and bay, and was surrounded with well laid parks, beautiful gardens, extensive orchards, silver lakes, and roads and foot-paths meandering everywhere.

Journal 26.