IN SENATE 
 
 OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 t — i i 1 i 1 
 
 JANUARY 28, 1806. 
 
 Ms. Mitchill, from the committee to whom was re* 
 ferred, the memorial of the merchants of New York, 
 submitted a report on that part of the same, which re- 
 lates to " the defenceless situation of the port of 
 New York." 
 
 EARLY in the history of North Ame- 
 rica, the harbor of New York was discover- 
 ed by the Dutch to be a convenient place of 
 resort for ships. Subsequent experience has 
 proved the judgment of the Hollanders to 
 have been good. The place where the 
 North river forms a junction with Long 
 Island sound, is as well if not better adapted 
 to navigation and trade than any which the 
 Atlantic coast affords. 
 
 The city at the head of the harbor, is 
 about 27 miles from the ocean, the ebb and 
 flow of the tide is about 6jfeet. The salt- 
 ness of the water is not much inferior to that 
 of the neighboring sea. 
 
 The harbor is a bay or bason, surround- 
 ed chiefly by islands. Though the space 
 
from the foot of the Neversunk hills, to the 
 mouth of the river Ranban, and another space 
 from Bergen point, to Hobocken are points 
 of the main land, which skirt the shores be-% 
 tween the insular positions. The land is 
 mostly low and is composed principally of 
 gravel, sand, and loom ; and in certain spots 
 strata of solid granite appear. 
 
 The island of Sandy Hook, where the 
 light house stands, is little more than a beak 
 rising not far above the level of springtides. 
 Staten island swells into moderate hills, and 
 and presents especially on its eastern side 
 several bold elevations* Long island whose 
 western extremity loses its ridges and 
 hills in the plains of Flat lands and Newer- 
 trecht, still retains at the narrows where its 
 cliffs are somewhat abrupt and prominent, 
 several positions of considerable strength. 
 In these shores of the two last mentioned 
 islands, the army of the enemy was landed in 
 1776, and a repetition of such an invasion 
 might be discouraged by the erection of suit- 
 able works to oppose it. Governor's island 
 has already been much improved by military 
 works and is the spot on which fort Gay and 
 the principal other fortifications have been 
 erected. Bedlow island, though very small, 
 has also been considered proper for defen- 
 sive operations, and in some degree prepared 
 to annoy an enemy. On Manhattan island, 
 where the city of New York stands, there was 
 once a fort and battery. These have been 
 demolished of late years, under a conviction 
 
5 
 
 of their unfitness, as have likewise some 
 more recent breastworks and parapets, w r hich 
 though constructed but 8 or 9 years ago, 
 /'were within a twelvemonth, destroyed by the 
 people who made them. 
 
 Between these islands there are deep 
 channels and rapid currents. Ships of large 
 force may be brought in from sea and an- 
 chored in safety abreast of the town. And 
 having once reached that station, there is 
 water enough to convey frigates or even 
 larger ships, quite to the city of Hudson. 
 
 To the saltness, depth, and swiftness of 
 the current, is to be ascribed the openness of 
 the harbor of New York during the winter. 
 In 1780, its surface was covered by a thick 
 and strong covering of ice. The like has 
 never happened since, not even during the 
 rigorous winter of 1805. And it is remarka- 
 ble that while the Delaware, Patapsco, and 
 Patomac are frozen, and Philadelphia, Balti- 
 more, and Alexandria are secured thereby 
 from the fleets of an invader, the bay of New 
 York, though situated further to the north- 
 ward, possesses commonly no such protec- 
 tion, but is accessible from the ocean with but 
 trifling impediment. ^ # 
 
 The insecurity of the city is evinced by 
 % other facts. With a small squadron of ships 
 in 1674, the English took it from the Dutch. 
 Shortly afterwards it was retaken with almost 
 equal ease. No cause of attack occurring 
 until the commencement of the revolutionary 
 war, it was found utterly incapable of defence 
 
4 
 
 against a hostile fleet and army in 1776, and 
 abandoned to the enemy by the troops ar- 
 rayed for its protection. And that very foe, 
 which then gained the possession, held it as* 
 a garrison until 1783, when on its evacuation, 
 the inhabitants were enabled to return to 
 their homes, after an exile of 7 long years. 
 
 Since the revolution, New York has 
 greatly increased in population, extent, capi- 
 tal and enterprise. The memorialists state 
 iha.t there one third of the national revenue is 
 collected. They hope so important a sea 
 port may be thought worthy of an efficient 
 defence. And they beg that a portion of the 
 public treasure accumulated in that place may 
 be expended in rendering, both that treasure 
 and the city in which it is kept, more secure. 
 
 For the further information of the Se- 
 nate, the committee beg leave to observe, that 
 a piece of land has been already purchased 
 by the state, on Staten island, comprehending 
 the high point on which the signal poles of 
 the merchants are erected. The greater 
 part of Governor's island is understood to be 
 the property of the state, a small part of it 
 only having been purchased by the nation. 
 Or* these parcels of ground the labor of con- 
 structing works is the principal matter of ex- 
 pense. And it is in this posture of affairs a 
 that the memorialists, after the state has done 
 so much, ask the nation to bear a proportional 
 part of the charge, necessary to provide more 
 formidable means of defence and offence. 
 
5 
 
 Extravagant estimates have been made 
 by certain jobbers and projectors. Artificial 
 islands, and immense piers, and enormous 
 ^floating batteries, and vast chevaux de frises, 
 have been talked of ; enough to absorb the 
 whole revenue, and to terrify all sober calcu- 
 lators of the cost. The committee have dis- 
 missed those schemes, as favoring rather of 
 the visionary and magnificent,- than of the 
 useful and feasible. They content them- 
 selves with recommending an appropriation 
 to a moderate amount, for making further 
 military improvements on the sites already 
 purchased, and which the state m&y hereaf- 
 ter purchase and surrender; in full confi- 
 dence at the same time, that a due proportion 
 of the heavy artillery, armed ships, and gun 
 boats of the nation, will be stationed at the 
 harbor of New York. 
 
 Under these impressions, the following 
 proposition is submitted: 
 
 Resolved, That it is expedient to appro- 
 priate the sum of dollars, to be laid out 
 in such manner, and under such direction as 
 Congress shall judge proper, in fortifying 
 the harbor and city of New York. 
 
 The committee have deemed it to be 
 within the limits assigned them, to recom- 
 m mend another proposition, in favor of the ca- 
 pital of South Carolina : 
 
 Resolved, That it is expedient to appro- 
 priate the sum of dollars, to be laid 
 out in such manner, and under such regula- 
 tions as Congress shall judge proper, in for- 
 
6 
 
 tifying the port of Charleston in South Caro- 
 lina. 
 
 And for the purpose of providing for 
 other defenceless places, if any such there be, \ 
 the committee submit another proposition : 
 
 Resolved, That it is expedient to appro- 
 priate the sum of dollars, to be laid out 
 in fortifying such ports and harbors, other 
 than New York and Charleston, as the Pre- 
 sident of the United States shall thipk most 
 conducive to the public security. 
 
 Committee Room, Jan. 27, 1806. 
 
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