Defending the City and Harbor of New York
Item
Type
Letter Signed
Title
Defending the City and Harbor of New York
Description
McHenry discusses the details of the proposed defenses of the port of New York.
year created
1798
month created
06
day created
13
author
sent from location
New York
recipient
in collection
in image
note
The members of the committee were Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and Ebenezer Stevens. Cited in Burr, Hamilton, and Stevens to McHenry, 06/14/1798.
recipient note
Military Committee of New York City.
notable person/group
Military Committee of New York City [Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and Ebenezer Stevens]
James McHenry
Secretary of War
adjacent militia
commander of any naval force
land army
notable location
Island of New York
Sandy Hook
East and West Bank
Red Hook
Governors Island
Long Island
Bedlows Island
Oyster Island
notable item/thing
defense of the harbor and city
batteries and block houses
18 pounders
24 pounders
12 pounders
8 inch howitzer
10 inch howitzer
ship channel
battery
narrows
landing of an enemy
system of regulations and signals
ships
chain of defenses
naval enterprise
vessel
moorings
cannon
fortifications
maps and drafts
deliberations
notable phrase
Supporting batteries and block houses to be established at the following points vz. a battery at Sandy Hook, opposite the middle ground, three block houses, on the east and west bank, within the Hook, each to contain five 18 or five 24 pounders, two 12 pounders, and one 8 or 10 more howitzers, and to command the ship channel, a battery of 6, 18, or 24 pounders on cards side of the narrows
a small battery at Red Hook, another small one opposite to the Governors island on Long Island, and a better on the opposite side of governors island to cooperate with the batteries on Long Island and Bedlows Island
It is presumed that these batteries and block houses, may be completed for about 70,000 dollars
and that the batteries at Sandy Hook narrows and could be maintained against the country of an enemy, by the adjacent militia, and that a system of regulations and signals may be revised which would instantly procure to them their cooperation
Assume these data, the committee will be so obliging as to consider, whether the commander of any naval force, unaided by a land army, ought to venture all the risks to which his ships would be exposed in passing and returning, through the fire of such a succession of batteries, with a view merely to say the city under contribution?
If the committee should conclude that such a chain of defences, would be calculated to deter from any naval enterprise, against the city, or render it so extremely hazardous, as to prevent most commanders, from venturing upon the experiment they will be pleased to deliberate and give their opinion whether (without abandoning the idea of works, upon and contiguous to the beard of New York, calculated for a cast stand, or to drive any vessel from her moorings, that might attempt to come within cannon reach of the city) it will not be advisable and proper that the said works be undertaken, in preference to finishing or adding the fortifications
document number
1798061300001
page start
1
Item sets
Transcribe this document
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (4 pages) | WGF14 (4 pages) | Collection: Alexander Hamilton Papers | R: 14 |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | James McHenry | New York | [n/a] |
| Recipient | Military Committee of New York City | [unknown] | [n/a] |