Harvey Brown to E. D. KryeEs, April 15, 1861

_Lieut. Col. E. D. KryeEs, Secretary to the General-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.: /

COLONEL: I wrote you at Key West, reporting our arrival there, and took from Fort Taylor some guns and stores necessary for our expedition, and detached from the companies of the fort and barracks thirtythree men to fill up in part the companies of the command to their maximum organization, intending to take the balance from Fort Jefferson. These men are required to fill vacancies caused by desertion or other absence at New York.

We left Key West at daybreak yesterday morning (the 14th), and arrived at Fort Jefferson at 1 p.m. I found this post in the good order — to be expected from its vigilant commander. The present armament of the fort is thirteen 8-inch columbiads and a field battery, and 104 barrels gunpowder, 608 shells, 150 shot, and a vessel now at the wharf is unloading thirty 8-inch columbiads and twenty-four 24- ‘pounder howitzersewith carriages, implements, &c., complete, with 250 barrels of powder, 2,400 8-inch shells, 600 round shot, and a proportioned quantity of fixed ammunition, so that this post may be considered secure from any force that the seceding States can bring against it. The whole lower tier of this work may with little labor be prepared for its armament. Some flagging and ‘the traverse circles are the principal work tobe done. On the recommendation of Captain Meigs, chief engineer, * Not found, A I have directed Major Arnold to have four water batteries, mounting three guns each, to be erected on the adjacent keys.’ This being done, with the support of one or two ships of war, the whole anchorage will be within command of our guns.

I would respectfully recommend that at Fort Jefferson for the 42pounders ordered 8-inch unchambered columbiads be substituted, and that the wooden carriages of all three forts be replaced at the earliest possible day by iron ones. I took from Fort Jefferson twenty negro laborers for the Engineer Department, thirty-one privates to fill up the companies, so that they are now full, a field battery and four mountain

howitzers, with implements and ammunition, some bricks, and a large flat. We got under way at 8 o’clock p. m., and very soon lost the flat.

Her lashing-rigs and hooks, not being sufliciently strong, drew out and left her adrift. Lieutenants McFarland and Reese, of the Engineers, on eo advice of the chief engineer, have been attached to this command. I am, sir,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,