John Jacob Rivardi letter June 24, 1794

John Jacob Rivardi to Henry Knox
                                                                                             Norfolk, June 24, 1794
Sir:
 My occupations, since I had the honor to write to you last have been so numerous that it was impossible for me to send the plans which accompany this letter sooner.   I hope you will excuse their not being followed immediately by a chart of Elizabeth river and by that of Craney Island.   Having no other instrument but a plain surveying compass, without telescopes, I am under the necessity of multiplying my operations ad infinitum, and very often to omit minute details which would nevertheless be useful in a map that is to be consulted for marches &c.  Should it be possible to send me a theodolite, I would consider it as a very particular favor.
The two plans which I have the honor to submit to your inspection will lose much by not being accompanied by a map to show their exact situation and distances, together with the direction of the channel in its whole extent.   I shall, however, try to explain the matter as much as it is possible, and in a fortnight I hope to remedy what should remain obscure by sending the necessary plans and a chart.
Fort Nelson is situated on a small point of land, projecting from Portsmouth side, in Elizabeth river, nearly opposite Norfolk and within point blank shot of it.  It commands the whole of the harbor, as well as its entrance.  The letters in red,  a b c d e f g h i, show the ancient lines of Fort Nelson, ( the magistrate only is traced, and the following were the principal faults of construction:)
 1st. The line c d afforded to the pieces mounted there, a direction out of the mid-channel, as it appears by the inspection of the dotted line, l l, whereas,  the present direction m m, from the new line C D, co- operates effectually with the battery A B. To obtain that direction I was obliged to construct the flane B C which covers the face of the opposite bastion.  The said flane would have been greater if I had not been forced to consult the line of the highest tide, which sometimes raises to the counterscarp.
2d.  The line e f was not flanked.
3d.  The redans e f g, offered too acute at salliant angle,  the side f g was both too short and too oblique to flank the line g h.
4th.  The side h I, makes too obtuse an angle with I a, to flank it.
5th.  The line a b was without any defence whatever.
6th.  The whole terreplein of the fort was so very high above the level of the sea, that no part of the interior of the fort was safe at a very short distance of the breast work.  The foundation of the windmill, which served as a powder magazine was entirely open to the shot.   I was obliged to sink the whole terreplein considerably; the four large traverses serve now as a very good shelter, and even as an entrenchment to secure a retreat.  They had another advantage, that of employing a vast deal of ground, which should otherwise have been removed.  There is not a part of the terreplein, at the present time, where the men will not be perfectly covered by the works.
 Having examined the faults of the former fort, I shall beg leave to state the objections, which at first sight, could be made to the present construction:
1st. A B, C D, and I H, are the only flanked sides towards the river; the lines D E, E F, F G, G H, not deriving the least defence from each other.
2d The entrant angle G, might have been omitted, as well as the salliant angle E.
Without entering into every reason which led me to prefer that form, I shall only observe, as for the first objection that from C to F, the best form to give to a battery, would have been a part of a circle or an arc of about 120 degrees; but as a courbe can never be flanked I referred making the angles D and E; and, in order to cover them, I constructed a kind of caponiere leading throng the ditch to a place d’armes which flanked sufficiently these lines; for it is plain that this is the last place where a landing, in order to form an attack, would be attempted.  D is also covered by the flank a v, E by the caponiere 4, 5, 6.
With respect to the angle G, it is so very obtuse, that it little differs from a straight line, which could not have been obtained without diminishing the side F E, and carrying H I, more inwards, as the ground before G is too low to admit of its being brought forward. In short, in fortification of the works fronting a river which offers no landing but out of gun shot, the chief intention of the lines towards the water must be entirely directed towards rendering the navigation as difficult as possible, disposing the guns in such manner as to bear upon the mid-channel through its whole extent; the mutual defence of flanks and sides is a rule from which an engineer may then depart, though he never can do it when he constructs towards the land side. The batteries A B C D, afford an excellent crossfire with the batteries J K and A B of Fort Norfolk; the guns from D in F bear then upon the vessels nearly at the distance of a musket shot.
Towards the land, or Portsmouth side, the entrant angles S T V, N M L will appear at first a singular innovation, but the advantages derived from it being considered, they will, I hope, he considered as an useful one.  If two simple bastions had been constructed, the faces towards the water could not have been flanked, and the shoulder, or angle de l‘épaule, would either have become too acute, or the flanked angle would have fallen in B, which would have been intolerable.   The only side in the whole fort, which is not immediately flanked, is L K, where the saillie is managed.  As it is impossible however, to attack it in front, without passing under the fire of the flank R Q and of the lines N M, M L it is sufficiently protected.
With regard to Fort Norfolk, the ground is so advantageously situated to command the channel, that the front J K A B C D E was almost dictated. The brisure of the courtine, which would be a fault in land fortification, became unavoidable, as by that the two batteries command the two principal points, viz: A B has its direction towards the western branch, where the British troops landed last war, and co-operates as a middle point with the fort of Craney Island, and that of Portsmouth; B C fires along the channel in front of Craney island - the disadvantage arising from that construction is, that the faces J K, D E, being parallel to AB, BC they are not protected by the flanks of the horn work, a consideration which must yield to the advantage procured by being able to direct two guns more on the points just mentioned, which would not have been the case, if the courtine had been straight; besides, those faces cannot be attacked in front; and it the enemy wanted to turn the line D E he would have to pass under the fire of a wing of a flank of the bastion F.  I shall only add, that all the ground round the fort is perfectly level, as far as musket shot, then it is surrounded by woods, where an enemy could be stopped, either by abattis, or by small parties. No gun could be brought, without great trouble, to annoy the land defences, and they are sufficient to afford two hundred men a very gallant defence against eight times that number.  By the time have finished the plans concerning Craney Island, the chart of the river will be ready likewise; and I hope that you will think, with Governor Lee, that it would have been difficult to find a better method of defense.
Whatever delays there may be in the completion of my plans on the paper, you may rest assured, sir, that there are none in their execution on the ground, as far as our means will allow for it.  I am forced to superintend every thing myself in order to avoid errors, for I can employ nobody who is acquainted with the subject, except Mr. Courty, who does not speak a word of English.
I wrote to Mr. Vermonet, and received no answer.  I am also informed, very imperfectly, of the proceedings of Mr. Dodge, at Baltimore.  I am very afraid that he has too much confidence in his abilities, and that there will be a deviation from my plans: for although I gave him very plain instructions, I expected I should ask for further explanations and directions as he went on with his works.
The front J K A B C D E is much advanced at Fort Norfolk.  The Governor of the State presses much to see a beginning at Craney island, and I should have complied already, but for the great scarcity of hands. However, as Fort Nelson is advanced, I will be able, in three days, to break ground there.  I shall have the honor to write to you in a few days likewise, concerning the mounting of the guns and several other objects regarding the necessary implements, magazines, &c.
 J.J.  ULRICK RIVARDI

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