“I coincide in recommendation that all fortifications and ordnance property be transferred to engineer officer here for salvage. Earnestly recommend that Battery O, First Artillery, be ordered to Fort Sam Houston for recuperation and equipment; officers and men are largely destitute. At present a large number are injured and unfit for duty. Impossible at present to furnish them with ordinary camp equipage, clothing, as all transportation facilities are being utilized to bring in food supplies.” CAPTAIN RICHE’S REPORT. “CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, ARMY, Washington, D. C.: “Jetties sunk nearly to mean low tide level, but not seriously breached. Channel at least as good as before; perhaps better. Twenty-five feet certainly. Forts as follows: Fort Crockett—Two 15–pounder emplacements, concrete all right, standing on piling water underneath. Battery for eight mortars about like preceding. Mortars and carriages on hand unmounted. “Battery for two 10–inch guns about like preceding, both guns mounted and in good shape. Shore line at Fort Crockett has moved back about six hundred feet. Fort San Jacinto—Battery for eight 12–inch mortars badly wrecked, magazines reported fallen in; mortars reported safe. No piling was under this battery; some of the sand parapet left. Battery for two 10–inch guns badly wrecked. Central portion level, both gun platforms down, guns leaning. No piling was under this battery. “Battery for two 4.7–inch rapid fire guns, concrete standing upon piling; both guns apparently all right. Battery for two 15–pounder guns, concrete apparently all right, standing upon piling. “Fort San Jacinto batteries could not be reached by land; inspection was from a distance. Sand around these batteries seemed pretty well leveled off to about two to three feet above mean low. Torpedo casemate, nothing but concrete left and badly wrecked. Concrete portion of cable tank left; cable in it probably safe. Part of coal wharf still standing. “Everything else in vicinity gone. Some of the mine cases are down the beach as far as Fort Crockett. Fort Travis—Battery for three fifteen-pound guns, concrete intact, standing on piling, water underneath. Battery for two eight-inch guns, concrete intact, except eastern emplacement, which has cracked off; eastern gun down and twenty feet from battery; western one all right; concrete standing on piling, water underneath middle of battery. These batteries were inspected from the channel. “The shore line has moved back about one thousand feet, about on the line of the rear of these batteries. All buildings and other structures gone. Inspection was made with General McKibben. Recommendation was made that all fortifications and property be transferred to the Engineer Department; that for the present batteries be considered non-existent, so that future work may be chargeable as original construction.