H. R. Taylor «et Al to Edwin M. Stanton, October 1, 1861

Hon. SECRETARY OF WAR, Richmond, Va. :

SIR: The citizens of Apalachicola, under a deep sense of their present insecurity and anxiety for the safety and protection of their families and property, deem it their duty to address you on the subject of the defenses of their city. About the 1st June last, upon application, the. executive of our State ordered two 32-pounders (old guns) to be delivered to us, and these, at the expense of the citizens, were brought here and placed in battery in the most eligible position to command the several approaches to the town. At a later period a messenger was dispatched to Richmond, who succeeded in obtaining an additional number of guns, and it was deemed advisable that these should be placed in battery at Saint Vincent’s Island, to cominand the entrance (West Pass) to our harbor, and the work was commenced and prosecuted with all the means and men that the city could command.

More recently a regiment in the Confederate service has been organized, five companies of which have been detailed to this point, and are now under command of Colonel Hopkins, who has established his headquarters at Saint Vincent’s Island, removed all the troops to that point, dismantled the battery here, and issued a peremptory order for two rifled cannon, daily expected, and ordered siege guns, mounted for the use of the city, to be sent to him on arrival, thus monopolizing for that station every available means of defense, leaving to our company of volunteer artillery and two companies of undrilled infantry, with less than 100 invalids and exempts, the entire and sole protection of the city, and 1,500 women and children, whose natural protectors are most of them enlisted in the service, and without the means to remove their families to places of greater security. The only means of communication is with boats, not only requiring a heavy expenditure in their employ, but they are subject to capture at any moment, as they may easily be intercepted in their trips to and from the city to the island through’a wide and deep channel across Saint George’s Island between the two points, and entirely beyond the reach of any guns that can be put in battery at Saint Vincent. The approaches to our town by land, as also from the East Pass, are entirely unguarded, and it would not require a large number of such boats as are now being constructed by the enemy to capture the city before any intelligence of an attack could reach Saint Vincent or assistance be rendered by the forces there. The capture of the city would invest Saint Vincent on the main-land side, their supplies would be eut off, and their entire force easily reduced to the alternatives of death or eapture without even a show of defense, as no possible outlet of escape would be open to them. The armament at Saint Vincent consists of four ship-mounted and two long 32-pounders, and recent events at Hatteras have demonstrated the insufficiency of such ordnance against the heavy and long-range guns of the enemy. It is believed by military and scientific men that an abandonment of that position would not leave the eity exposed to large vessels, and that by removal of the guns and troops, erecting batteries with long-range guns to command approaches by water, causing earthworks to be thrown up at assailable points around the city, with a battery of light artillery to furnish our present company, our town would be more secure than it could possibly be made in any other manner.

Lieutenant MeLaughlin, of the Navy, left here a few days since for Richmond, and to him, as an officer qualified by experience and examination of our position, we refer to present these matters more fully before you.

Insecurity and apprehension are predominant feelings now, yet these will in nowise lessen the determination of our people to perish beneath the ruins of their city rather than ignobly desert or suffer it to become the prey of the vandal hordes who threaten to assail it. We would speak modestly and respectfully of the officers who have been furnished by the Confederate Government to conduct military operations in our State, and the announcement of General Grayson’s appointment, from his long-tried and acknowledged capability, gave general satisfaetion, but a recent visit from him has exhibited in him such an enfeebled state of health and constitution as almost to forbid hope of amendment, and we must necessarily be deprived, if not altogether, to a great extent, of his valuable aid and counsel in our necessity.

We have the honor to be,

very respectfully, your obedient servants,