John G. Barnard to Edwin M. Stanton, October 14, 1863

Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War:

Sir: A Commission having been ordered by you a year ago, to examine into the system of the defenses of Washington, and that report having received your approval, I feel it proper to make a brief statement of the operations on the works and their condition.

Previous to my resumption of charge of these works in August, 1862, the system was butaskeleton, so to speak, of a fortified line. In many important parts, indeed, though the works would be valuable as points-d’appur to a line of battle, they would be almost useless unless in connection with an army strong enough to be capable of giving battle. Washington required something more than this. Washington required to have all the strength that could be attained from a line of field-works ; a strength which would enable it to be defended with a moderate force against very superior numbers, at the same time furnishing to an inferior or defeated army, forced to take refuge within its lines, an impregnable barrier. In accordance with this idea, I immediately commenced operations, which ere PURO ES and confirmed by the commission. I give a brief sketch.

Fort Lyon.—Four out-works, Forts Willard, O’Rorke, Farnsworth, and Weed, have been completed and armed, and auxiliary batteries and rifle-pits connect them. The position now is a very strong one.

Fort Williams.—On Traitor’s (Cooper’s) Hill, has been built, also rifle-pits and batteries between it and EKilsworth. With a few pieces of field artillery in these batteries and the opposite one near Fort Lyon, and some watchfulness, a cavalry raid into Alexandria would be difficult, while they complete the system of defense against regular attacks.

Battery Garesché, a small fort, has been built near Fort Blenker. It is armed and efficient.

Fort Berry, occupying an important point between Forts Barnard and Richardson, has been built and armed.

Fort Whipple.—This powerful work, one of the finest field-works in the world, was commenced in the spring, and had its batteries ready early in June. It is now essentially complete.

Fort C. F. Smith, commenced last winter, was in readiness early this spring. It is a powerful work, and is essentially complete.

The various works on the line south of the Potomac, from Fort Lyon to Fort C. F. Smith, have, with few exceptions, undergone important modifications and improvements.

In Forts De Kalb, Craig, and Tillinghast, large bomb-proofs have been made (all the new works, except Berry, have extensive bombproofs), and in all, new embrasures and platforms have been made, magazines strengthened, &c. The works have been connected by rifle-pits (more properly covered ways for infantry), and at all

oints where artillery could be advantageously used, batteries for field guns have been constructed. f ,

Forts Ethan Allen and Marcy oe Chain Hoge), pauese works have been extensively repaired and improved, and large additional bomb-proofs built. They are connected and supported by covered way rifle-pits, and batteries for field guns arranged where necessary.

Fort Sumner.—The three works, Franklin, Ripley, and Alexander, have been combined into one powerful work of this name.

Forts Mansfield, Simmons,and Bayard have been built between Sumner and Reno. :

Fort Reno (formerly Pennsylvania) has been extensively modified,. bomb-proofs added, and the powerful battery in advance constructed. Connecting the works mentioned (from Sumner to Reno) are Batteries Benson and Bailey, and several others, and lines of covered way rifle-pits.

Fort Kearny, a powerful work, has been built between Reno and De Russy, as also Batteries Russell, Smead, Terrill and covered way rifle-pits.

Fort De Russy.—Modified and improved. Between it and Fort Stevens, the Batteries Kingsbury and Sill and lines of rifle-pits have been constructed.

Fort Stevens (formerly Massachusetts) has been extensively enlarged and improved. Between it and Fort Slocum three new batteries and lines of rifle-pits have been constructed.

Fort Slocum, originally one of the weakest, has become one of the largest and most powerful works on the line. Between Forts Bunker Hin and Saratoga, Saratoga and Thayer, Thayer and Lincoln, numerous batteries for field guns have been built and constructed and supported by lines of rifle-pits.

Fort Lincoln has had additional bomb-proofs built. The spur or ridge between it and the Hastern Branch has been occupied by the powerful Battery Jameson, and by rifle-pits arranged as covered ways.

Port Mahan has been strengthened by the construction of bastionets, for flanking.

Fort Meigs has been extensively enlarged. All other works not mentioned have, with scarce an exception, received considerable improvement and modification.

On nine different points having the most extensive command, 100-pounder Parrott guns have been mounted so as to bring every part of the ground in front of our line under their fire. Two new batteries, Parrott and Kemble, were built expressly for such guns, and their special function is, with Battery Cameron, to sweep the heights eth the Potomac between the Chain Bridge and Fort C. F.

Yor the defense of the Potomac, the two water batteries (Battery Rodgers and Fort Foote) have been constructed. They are essentially finished, and are receiving their armament. The latter is a powerful inclosed work, and the most elaborate in its internal arrangements of all the defenses of Washington.

The work described is either finished or brought to a state of efficiency ; still a system of works of this character demands constant watchfulness and expenditure to keep it up, and there are yet some works that require overhauling, and all of them ought to have their scarps either revetted or sloped and sodded. Fort Ward, in particular, a very important work, was built in great haste, and demands almost complete rebuilding.

It is a maxim among railroad men that ”when the cars can go over the road it is half done.” Turn-outs have to be made, depots, store-houses, offices, &c., have to be built. The track must be ballasted, tunnels, cuts, and embankments enlarged, and, finally, a second track must be laid. It is quite likely that this maxim will apply fully tothe works about Washington. They are, essentially, brought to a condition to render the services expected of them, as a railroad over which the trains begin to pass is brought to a condition to do the service expected of it, and, like the railroad, it is likely to turn out that they are really but half finished.

I have just before indicated, in general terms, how much I can foresee that ought to be done, besides which there will, doubtless, arise innumerable demands for repairs and removal of what was hastily and imperfectly built in the first place, as well as for modifications and improvements.

I have no disposition to magnify this work. I am ready to leave it at any moment. I relinquished command and the more exciting duties of the field at a moment when they would have brought me more palpable recompense, to carry out these works, because I felt that the security of Washington demanded their perfection, and that the security of Washington meant the security of the nation’s cause, and that I was the man upon whom the duty fell.

With these remarks, I recommend that an appropriation be asked of Congress of $300,000, for completing and rendering more permanent the defenses of Washington.

very respectfully, your most obedient,