Today in History:

284 Series I Volume XLIII-II Serial 91 - Shenandoah Valley Campaign Part II

Page 284 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV.

from the bottom of the ditch, and only require sodding to make them stand for many years. Three other works, Forts Albany, Richardson, and Barnard, have their scarps rivetted with plank; and one other, Garesche, has its scarp rivetted with stockade. Forts Ward and Williams have also exterior slopes of 45 degrees, which, when sodded, will make them permanent. Some of the older works, as Forts Worth, Cass, and Craig require new magazines.

WORK PROPOSED TO BE DONE.

First. Work now in progress and which it is expected to complete this season:

Fort Strong: Two new magazines to be built.

Fort Ethan Allen: Bomb-proof covering to be completed, trimmed, and sodded.

Fort Morton: Bomb-prof to be built and fort t be trimmed and sodded.

Fort Woodbury: Bomb-proof to be completed and fort to be sodded.

Fort Cass: Two new magazines to be built and fort to be sodded.

Fort Craig: Two new magazines to be built.

Fort Ward: Bomb-proofs to be completed, terr-plein graded, and the work to be sodded.

Fort Ellsworth: Bomb-proof to be completed, terre-plein graded, and work to be sodded.

Completion of two block-houses and battery in valley of Hunting Creek.

Second. New works contemplated for the next year:

The new fort between Forts Whipple and Albany; this is an extensive work and will require many months to complete it. A battery for field guns to left of Chain Bridge to command Leesburg road and valley of Pimmit Run. A battery to left of Fort corcoran. A fort at Columbia turnpike in front of Fort Richardson. A block-house between Fort Ward and Battery Garsche, on Leesburg pike. The commission appointed by the Secretary of War also recommended two large forts to be built in front of that portion of the line from Fort Smith to Fort Craig.

Third. Repairs necessary to be made:

The abatis requires to be renewed along the whole line from For Albany to Fort Lyon, inclusive, with the exception of Fort Berry, Garsche, Ward, and Williams.

New magazines will be required next season at the following forts: Albany, two; Corcoran, two; Scott, one; Richardson, one; Reynolds, one; Worth, two; Lyon, one total, ten.

New bomb-proofs will be required at Forts Albany and Worth, and probably at Forts Barnard and Reynolds.

New interior revetments will be required at most of the old works not already rivetted, probably at First Reynolds, Scott, Worth, Ellsworth, and Lyon.

Re-enforcement of parapets will be required at several of the old works, viz, Ethan Allen, Marcy, Corcoran, Scott, Reynolds, Worth, Ellsworth, and Lyon, and in it dependent redoubts.

Revetment of scarps will be required either by sodding the whole exterior slopes at all the forts on the line not already rivetted on an angle of 45 degrees by a scarp wall of brick or stone, or by a scarp revetment of plank.


Page 284 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV.