Mr. Finegan of Nassau, from the Committee of Sea Coast Defences, made the following report:
The Committee on Sea Coast Defences have instructed me to report:
That Fernandina, the mouth of the St. Johns, Tampa, Cedar Key, St. Marks and Aplaachicola are all points at which an enemy could land and find greater or less facilities for reaching the interior and devastating the country, and these points should consequently be provided with as ample means of defence as it is in the power of the State to furnish on so short a notice. At none of these points did the late Federal Government, during its existence, make any provision whatever for the defence of the people, saving at Fernandina, where there is a Fort in process of erection, but which is as yet in so unfinished a condition as to be insusceptible of defence and harmless as a means of offense.—At St. Augustine is a Fort amply sufficient for the defence of the city, which is in our possession. At Key West, Fort Taylor, a work of great strength, commands the city, and would be a complete protection thereto, but it is unfortunately still in the hands of the Federal troops. The Tortugas, another work of great strength, is also in the hands of the Federal troops, but is so far removed from the main land as only to be valuable in a commercial point of view, not as a matter of defence. Pensacola is also strongly fortified, and would be impregnable if all her defensive works were in our possession, which however is unfortunately not the case as yet, but nothing more need be done for her citizens.
Your Committee are very far from apprehending any invasion of the State at any of the points indicated: they are unable to conceive of any considerations which could induce the Federal Government to adopt such a course. It is, they admit, extremely probable that an attempt will be made to collect Federal duties by ships of war stationed off the more important ports in the seceding States, perhaps even to blockade these ports and totally cut off their commerce; but that will only lead to collisions on the high seas, and will not disturb the internal peace of the country, and it is further confidently expected that the whole power of the late Federal Government will be required to blockade Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans, leaving the Florida coast undisturbed, though perhaps the large commerce of Apalachicola may attract a small share of attention. Under these circumstances, your committee deem it only necessary to recommend that the proper Military authorities of the State, if not already authorized, be, by the passage of proper laws, authorized to provide suitable field batteries for the undefended points, to be under the command of local officers, for the purpose of preventing any landing which might possibly be attempted for
