R. E. De Russy to George Wright, February 13, 1862

3rig. Gen. G. WRIGHT, U. S. Volunteers,

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your communications of December 16, 17, 19, 20, and 28, 1861. Your measures are approved by the General-in-Chief. The following communications have also been received from you: December 31, 1861; January 6, 8, 9,

y and 10, 1862. The course indicated in your letter of the 6th of January, concerning the payment of volunteers, is the one which prevails under existing regulations, so far as the rank and file are concerned; but commissioned officers can only be paid from the date of minimum organization of their respective commands. I am, sir, &c., L, THOMAS, Adjutant-General. CONFIDENTIAL.] U.S. ENGINEER OFFICE, San Francisco, Cal., February 13, 1862.

GENERAL: Your letter of yesterday finds me still unprepared to make a full report upon the points which have been examined, selected, and are to be recommended for the defenses of this harbor, but the following imperfect report will probably suffice to give to the Governor and the military committee of the Legislature an idea of what should be done to guard against the approaches to this city. At the Golden Gate it is proposed in addition to the present defenses to place twenty guns in a temporary battery on the beach between the wharf and the fort at Fort Point, to construct the platforms of the 10-gun battery on the hill, and to mount ten 42-pounders thereon immediately; to occupy the cove at Lime Point, opposite Fort Point, with a battery of twenty heavy guns, some of them to be used for hot shot. These would give fifty efficient guns more on the entrance into the harbor at the Gate, and, including those at the fort at Fort Point already mounted and to be mounted, would give a total of 181 guns bearing on the pass. In connection with Alcatraz Island, forming the second line of defense within the harbor, it is recommended to construct a battery on Black Point or Point San José of at least twenty heavy guns and one of ten guns on Blunt’s Point on Angel Island. These thirty guns, in connection with those on Alcatraz Island (77), would give 107 guns on that line. As an enemy would seek, if possible, to avoid this second line and to pass through Raccoon Strait toward the navy-yard and Benicia, it would be well to establish batteries on the point of Angel Island, called Stewart’s Point. There a battery of twenty or thirty guns would be of great advantage, and finally to prevent the occupation of the anchorage, between the Island of Yerba Buena and the city, which is at too great a distance from Alcatraz to be reached from that point, guns should be placed in position on Yerba Buena Island to command the anchorage and to protect the city. With these defenses it is supposed that until the permanent fort on Lime Point can be constructed the harbor may be made quite defensive against alarge fleet. As has been before mentioned, a fleet night, instead of exposing itself to the heavy fire of the second line, force its way up Raccoon Strait and aim a blow at the navy-yard and the arsenal at Benicia. To guard against such an attempt, Point San Pablo and Point San Pedro have been examined and found good positions for batteries. They are within proper distances of each other and command the entrance of San Pablo Bay, where the navy-yard is constructed and from whence it is supposed there will always be some ships to co-operate with the batteries. This synopsis or general view of the subject can hardly be presented as a report, inasmuch as the number of guns at the several points indicated may be changed when the ground or position becomes more or less important. Indeed, it is presented as a plan for the general defenses of the harbor of San Francisco. It becomes now important to examine the approaches to this city by land. Nature seems to have astrong barrier for the protection of this great city in locating the chain of mountains called the San Bruno across a great portion of the peninsula between the Bay of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean. Commencing at Point San Bruno and extending to the San Pedro road, where the San José road intersects it, is a continuous chain of impassable mountains, with the exception of a narrow roadway lately cut out of the rock side, which is called San Bruno turnpike.

This road is susceptible of being defended by sharp-shooters and a few field pieces until they reach Visitation Point, a distance of about two miles. On this point batteries should be erected to guard against the enemy’s occupying the Guadalupe Valley. On the other extremity of these mountains, as has already been mentioned, the two main avenues or roads, the San Pedro and San José, connect, and passing around the spurs of the mountains on the west reach the city through the extensive valley called the Rancho Rincon delas Salinas. It would become very important to establish batteries at and near the junction of those roads. Good positions for that purpose have been observed on the spurs of the mountains near the Abbey House, where the road passes. As the San Mateo Valley intervenes between this road and the Pacific Ocean, it will be necessary to establish batteries near the Laguna de la Merced to prevent the position from being turned by an approach on the seashore.

The next important point to be protected by batteries will be on the west end of the Black Hill near what is called Shear’s Five Mile House. From the Abbey House to Shear’s two roads are constructed, the one diverging from the other until they converge again and unite at a point called Alemany’s, From what has just been said of the Black Hills it becomes evident that the city must be defended at these important points by a series of batteries so placed as to command the two main avenues leading to it and at the same time overlooking the three principal and extensive valleys extending from the bay to the Pacific Coast, within the chain of the San Bruno Mountains. In the general plan of defenses for Fort Point and the Presidio there are two heights in the rear of the fort which it is proposed to occupy by permanent redoubts; the absence of sufficient appropriations has thus far prevented their construction, but it is probable that some means will be appropriated this session of Congress for an early commencement upon them. These redoubts are intended to prevent an approach on Fort Point by troops landing in the vicinity of Point Lobos and are in consequence very much needed in the defense of that position. It is believed, general, that the system of defense herein proposed to guard against an enemy?s approach on the city of San Francisco will prove the most effective, and that the advantages that can be taken of the positions indicated will be conducive of the greatest results with the smallest means of both men and materials.

With great respect, I am, general, your most obedient servant,