John Jacob Rivardi letter July 20, 1794

Major Rivardi to the Secretary of War
Norfolk, July 20, 1794
SIR:
I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 7th instant.  It afforded me a great pleasure, as you were so good as to express your satisfaction of my conduct.  Permit me to embrace this occasion to assure you once more, that whatever may occasion delays in the business I am intrusted with, it will never arise from my want of or attention, and that the pleasure of performing my task, like a man of honor, will be such, that, in spite of difficulties I never shall renounce it.
Here I have a great many obstacles to surmount, which I never could have foreseen.  I hope you will excuse me if I enter into some particulars on that head; the anxious desire which I feel to see the fortifications complete, will be my apology, and I never should trouble you with any complaints, if I personally only was suffering, some difficulties arising from others in the performance of my duty.
At my arrival here, the novelty of the object of my voyage, the of Governor Lee, and the good dispositions of some leading men, encouraged me to hope that a great deal could be done, by means of contributions and voluntary assistance, which from the smallness of the sums allowed by Government, would have been impracticable otherwise.  The first letters I had the honor of writing to you, sir, expressed that expectation which, I am very sorry now to inform you, has been much too sanguine; for I thought that, in a small community, where public welfare ought to be the chief aim of every individual, no jealousy, no parties, could be found.  I do not think, however, that there exists, any where else, such ridiculous divisions as here.  The inhabitants of Portsmouth expected all the means should be employed in protecting their side, and refuse their assistance at Fort Norfolk.  The inhabitants at Norfolk, not to be behind hand, refuse their's at Portsmouth, and will not even do any thing on this side of the river, if every one does not work in turn.  The consequences are obvious: money must purchase all the labor, and, even then, it is sometimes impossible to get more than thirty or forty hands.  This is not the only inconvenience to be complained of.  There is a large number of dissatisfied men who object altogether to fortification, from the same principle for which they object to every measure of Government.  Some would rather bush fight, (as they call it) in case of a war, and the fact is, I fancy, that they had rather not fight at all.  I drop this disagreeable subject: the only thing is to be deaf, and do what the safety of the country requires.
The sum allowed for this place was 3,737 dollars, to which adding the 1,200 that I requested in addition, we will have 4,937 dollars, 2,700 of which only have been sent.  This sum has brought us so forward that the balance, or a very few hundred dollars more, will be enough.  For the mounting of the cannon, Mr. Bedinger informs me you have sent 1,500 dollars, which are not yet arrived.
By the plans which I had the honor of transmitting to you, you will see, sir, that instead of 24 guns, there will be at least 30, employed for the defence of Elizabeth river, which alone would require some additition of money, allowing even that the estimate which I have in my instructions is an accurate or sufficient one.  I expect Governor Lee every day; his presence, I hope, and example, will rouse a little the sleeping patriotism of the people here; then I shall communicate immediately to you what is to be expected, and what further ought to be done.  In the mean time, money is much wanted here, and we have suffered a little from the delay of the 1,500 dollars, which you ordered to be sent here.  If I dare to mix my private concerns with the public ones, I should beg leave to tell you that a delay of the sum I requested in my last would likewise bring me into difficulties.  
I present hereby to your inspection the plan of defence of Craney Island.  Should Point Comfort be fortified, the battery of seven guns (drawn in the margin, fig 2d.) would be sufficient, even without the outworks which I painted yellow on purpose; but, if the Government does not think proper to go to that expense, the same battery might do, with the addition of the outworks; but, in case there was a sufficiency of means, I would prefer the fort F. 1, as that place is very important from its nearness to the channel.  I have sent a plan similar to the enclosed to Governor Lee, and I shall wait for his directions before I proceed any further.
J.J.U. RIWARDI

Fort Norfolk Documents

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AMERICAN STATE PAPERS
CLASS V
MILITARY AFFAIRS
VOLUME 1
DOCUMENTS
LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE,OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
FROM THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIRST TO THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FIFTEENTH CONGRESS INCLUSIVE:
COMMENCING MARCH 3 1789 AND ENDING MARCH 3 1819
SELECTED AND EDITED, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS
BY WALTER LOWRIE, Secretary of the Senate,  AND MATTHEW ST CLAIR CLARKE Clerk of the House of Representatives,
VOLUME
WASHINGTON:
PUBLISHED BY GALES AND SEATON
1832