Fortifying the Sound
General Miles urges the federal government to prioritize defensive fortifications for Puget Sound to protect American commercial interests.
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Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles has urged the government to secure proper defenses for the commercial interests of Puget Sound. Noting the increasing strategic importance of the region, Miles recommends focusing on Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass. He also notes the British government's heavy investment in the navy yard at Esquimalt, near Victoria, and suggests the United States should take an equal interest in establishing a naval station in these waters. He specifically mentions Lake Washington, near Seattle, as having many advantages for such a purpose due to its depth and proximity to the Sound.
“I am deeply impressed with the necessity of the Government taking such action as will secure proper defense to the vast commercial interests of Puget Sound.”
General Miles' proposal highlights the geopolitical anxiety of the 1880s as the U.S. looked to assert itself in the Pacific Northwest against British influence. His suggestion of a naval station on Lake Washington predates the later reality of the region becoming a critical center for naval and military manufacturing.
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