USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > History of Norfolk County, Virginia and representative citizens, V.1 > Part 64
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On the 17th of June, 1833, the anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill, the dock was opened for the reception of the line-of-battle ship "Delaware," the first liner built at Gos- : port, and the first national ship ever docked in a dry dock belonging to the United States.
Large numbers of ladies and gentlemen were present to witness the opening ceremonies, which were made as imposing as possible, the occasion being one of great rejoicing as well to the citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth as to the whole navy.
The figurehead of the "Delaware" repre- sented Tamarind. a chief of the Delaware tribe of Indians. It was saved when the "Delaware" : was destroyed in 1861 and is now in the Naval Museum at Annapolis. It is referred to as a masterpiece of wood-carving. This figure- head was carved by William Luke, who had . obtained great reputation as a sculptor in wood. His establishment was located at the : southeast corner of Court and London streets, Portsmouth, and it is said that he executed all the carving at that place for the United States Navy. He died February 2, 1829.
The turning-gates are constructed of tim- ber and composition, and covered with copper. Each gate is 36 feet wide and 30 feet 8 inches in height. The turning-posts are fitted with composition saucers in the lower ends, which The line-of-battle ship "North Carolina" was soon afterward admitted to the dock. rest upon composition pintles fixed in the ma- sonry: the tops of the posts are secured in The dry dock was turned over to the com- mandant of the Navy Yard complete on the place by straps keyed to anchors laid in the coping. Each gate is supplied with two com- , 15th of March, 1834. The total cost of the
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY .
work was $974,356.65. The following is a tabulated statement of expenditures up to October 1. 1833, as published in the report of the Secretary.of the Navy for that year :
Items. Amounts.
Office, shops and stables.
$22.119.75
Tools, lighters, driving-machines. &c.
-11,420.44
Pine timber. plank, nails, iron, &c.
17.794.34
Surveys and plans of navy yards.
3.360.26
Coffer-dam
23.532.84
Pier-wharves
10,972.50
Cob-wharves
14,022.59
Excavation
58.572.33
Foundation
64.097.46
Drainage (temporary)
33.803.46
Masonry of dock.
450.789.62
Banking up.
11,432.72
Wells and tunnel.
13.762.02
Engine-house
33.901.97
Engine and pumps
27.945.22
Turning-gates
22.388.43
Floating-gate
24.121.54
Removal of coffer-dam.
S.134.81
Miscellaneous
35,010.55
Superintendence
31,256.88
Total
943,645.73
In 1830 a claimn was set up by the widow and trustees of William Pennock to the square of ground which had formerly comprised lots 128 to 135, both inclusive. This ground had been purchased by the United States from Ar- thur Emmerson, whose title was derived from the State of Virginia. and was of compara- tively recent date. It was now asserted by the claimants that the square had been purchased by Wells Cowper, in 1785, from the commis- sioners appointed by law to sell the Gosport lands, and had been sold and conveyed by the heirs of the said Cowper to Mr. Pennock.
On the 23rd of March, 1830, Mr. Emmer- son informed the Board of Navy Commis- sioners, in answer to a communication from them on the subject, that he knew of no title to conflict with his own: but that if anybody could produce a valid title he was willing to refund the money he had received for it, or if suit was entered he held himself ready to de- fend the title.
Under date of June 25, 1830, Nash Le- grand, the navy agent at Norfolk, was directed by the Secretary of the Navy to cause the con-
flicting titles to be examined. In his answer, dated July 20th, Mr. Legrand states that the heirs of Cowper held a receipt for the pur- chase money paid to the commissioners in 1785, but that if any deed had ever been exe- cuted conveying the property to them it had been lost. They had, however. held uninter- rupted possession of the land, "except the ownership of Emmerson under the State pat- ent." Mr. Legrand had consulted the State's attorney, whose opinion was that the claimants could easily establish their title.
The claimants several times declared their intention of entering suit for the property, but seem never to have done so. As it was not de- sirable to build upon the ground so long as there was any doubt as to the title, Mr. Le- grand was directed, on the 30th of April, 1831, to enter into a contract on the part of the gov- ernment with the claimants ( they having pre- viously expressed their willingness to do so) by which the latter bound themselves to convey the property to the United States in case their title to it should be established, for the same amount that had been paid to Mr. Emmerson, and which amount that gentleman had again promised to refund should the decision be against him. The contract was executed ac- cordingly on the 31st of October, 1831, but no further steps seem ever to have been taken.
In 1832 a correspondence was commenced by John Harper, who had obtained from the State of Virginia, under date of November 13, 1832, a grant of such portions of Second, Fav- ette, Nelson and Jefferson streets as were in- cluded in the newly added portions of the yard, and described as "waste and abandoned lands," and which he had caused to be surveyed after it was not only in the possession of the govern- ment of the United States, but actually en- closed. as was certified to by the surveyor him- self. Mr. Harper now desired the Navy De- partment to purchase his title.
The Department, of course, declined to con- sider his proposal and on the 27th of February, 1833, an Act was passed by the General As- sembly of Virginia authorizing the trustees of
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the town of Portsmouth to convey the title of slieds ; a storehouse: a mast-shop. with shed for masts and spars: a boat-shop and boat- :house: a workshop for capstans, rudders and the property in question to the United States upon the payment of its value, and also ceding to the United States the jurisdiction of all lands . other heavy work ; a cooperage and storehouse recently purchased. The ground contained in : for water-tanks. staves, etc .; dwelling houses the streets was assessed at $4.779, and was : for the commandant and four other yard offi- duly conveyed to the government in 1833. by , cers, all substantial brick buildings: besides the trustees of Portsmouth, on the payment of that sum: there being some informality in the deed. however, a new conveyance was made in Mav, 1837.
In accordance with the further provisions of the Act of the 27th of February, 1833. above referred to, Governor Littleton Tazewell. by deed of April 1. 1835. conveyed to the United States the jurisdiction of all lands recently added to the Navy Yard as well as of that purchased in 1826 near Fort Nelson, and upon which the Naval Hospital was after- ward erected, under conditions that should the government at any time, for the space of five years, fail to use the property for the purpose specified, the jurisdiction should revert to the State of Virginia, and also providing that the officers of the State should at no time be pre- vented from executing within the limits of the property any process whatsoever.
Mr. Harper continued to urge his claim until 1839, when the last of his letters is dated.
While the work of building the dry dock was going on some progress was being made under the plan for the improvement of the yard. This mainly consisted in putting up workshops, erecting a wall around the yard. filling in and leveling the grounds, etc. After the completion of the dock Capt. W. P. S. San- ger became the civil engineer of the yard. which position he continued to hold until 1842. when he was transferred to the Bureau of Yards and Docks. then newly created.
A plan of the yard, made by Captain San- ger about the year 1840 (there is. unfortun- ately, no date upon it), shows the progress up to that time of the work of improvement, which consisted of the following, viz .: A smithery; an iron store, including coppersmiths': tin- smiths', and other small shops; five timber-
these, a few temporary timber-sheds, and a number of small buildings not contemplated in the "approved plans," consisting of stables, saw-house. watch-house, oil-house, tar-house. etc. In addition to these a large portion of the quay-wall had been built on the water-front and about three-fourths of that surrounding the timber-dock or basin. The timber-dock was commenced in 1835. Specific appropria- tions were made for the quay-wall in 1835. and continued from year to year until 1840.
Commodore Warrington, who had as- sumed command of the yard May 26, 1831, continued it until the 7th of October, 1840. i The yard was constantly used in the meantime for fitting out, refitting, repairing and laying up the ships and vessels of the navy.
The sloop "John Adams" was built in 1830. The frigate "Macedonian" was rebuilt here between the years 1832 and 1836. The surveying-brig "Pioneer" was launched in 1836. The line-of-battle ship "Pennsylvania" became the receiving-ship in 1837. The sloop "Yorktown" was commenced in 1835 and launched in 1839.
Of the old buildings that were standing in 1837 the ship-houses. the office buildings along the north wall, the commandant's house and a portion of the marine-barracks, were still standing in 1810: the rest had all been re- moved or rebuilt.
Commodore W. B. Shubrick assumed com- mand of the yard in October. 1840, and re- tained it until October, 1843. A plan of the yard made under his direction by Captain San- ger and received at the Bureau of Yards and Docks in November. 1842. shows little prog- ress up to that date beyond what is mentioned above, the continued appropriation for "grad- ual improvements" having ceased. A black-
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440
HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
smith's shop and turning-machine and a foun- dry and plumbery had been added to the steam- engine house, and some other storehouses had been begun.
The steamer "Union" was laid down at the yard in 1841 and launched in IS42. The store- ship "Southampton" was commenced in 1842.
In October, 1843. Commodore Shubrick was relieved by Commodore Jesse Wilkinson, as commandant.
In 1842 an appropriation was made by Con- gress for a dredging-machine for this yard. which was completed the following year, and successfully used for deepening the channel in front of the dry dock and along the wharves : the earth brought up was used for filling up where needed in the yard. During the year 1843 the ground around the dry dock was graded and the pavement relaid; by this the dock was protected from injury to which it had been subject from filtration.
The brig "Perry" was laid down in 1843; some additional machinery was erected in dif- ferent shops during the same year. The quay- wall was completed during that and the follow- ing years, i. e., 1843-44, as far as ship-house "B."
The sloop "Jamestown" was laid down in 1843 and launched in 1844. In 1845 another storehouse, No. 16, was built. A bridge across the timber-dock was completed. The dock itself was still in an unfinished state; no ap- propriation having been made for several years. Work was suspended on the quay-wall in 1845 for the same reason. A new building-slip was commenced in 1845 under special appropria- tion. The store-ship "Southampton" was launched in the same year.
for $2,403.50, the amount he had paid for it, with interest to date, his sole object in making the purchase from his private means having been to save the government from the exorbi- tant valuation likely to be put upon the land as soon as it should be ascertained that it was desired as an addition to the Navy Yard. Jur- isdiction of the St. Helena property was ceded to the United States by an Act of the General Assembly of Virginia, dated March 22, 1847.
Commodore Lawrence Kearny became commandant on the ist of June, 1847. Some progress was made that year upon the launch- ing-slip previously spoken of. Another store- house, No. 13, commenced the year before, was finished. The frigate "St. Lawrence" and the brig "Perry" were launched. The former had been on the stocks for over 20 years. The steam frigate "Powhatan" was laid down.
January 19, 1848, Commodore John D. Sloat was ordered to relieve Commodore Kearny as commandant.
In 1848 a small appropriation was made by Congress for continuing the quay-wall, and was applied to build a coffer-dam for the north wall of the timber dock. Appropriations were also made for a new pair of masting-sheers. for additional machinery, for various shops, and for improvements at St. Helena.
In September, 18449. Fort Norfolk and the grounds about it were turned over to the Navy Department by the War Department for the es- tablishment of a magazine for powder and balls. Work was immediately commenced upon the shell-house. A building near the site of the present sawmill (outside of the yard, when built) had been used as a magazine for some years previously. During the same year, building No. 51 was erected, also some brick stables. An engine-house to the smithery was commenced. A gun-park, a coal-house, and a landing-wharf were built at St. Helena. Work upon the quay-wall progressed as far as the appropriation would permit.
On the 26th of August, 1846, the lot of ground opposite the Navy Yard, on the Berkley side of the Elizabeth, and known as St. Helena, was purchased and added to the yard. This ground was needed for ordnance pur- poses. Commodore Wilkinson had purchased it some time previously without letting it be Between the years 1850 and 1860 great progress was made in improving the yard, un- known that the government contemplated doing so, and now conveyed it to the United States , der current appropriations, while at the same
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time great activity prevailed in building, re- pairing, fitting ont, and laying up the ships and vessels of the navy. The steam frigate "Powhatan" was launched in 1850.
During Commodore Silas H. Stringham's administration in 1851, three oak trees were planted in front of the commandant's office. one by Ordnance Officer ( afterward Admiral) Farragut, one by William H. Peters and one by Gunner George Marshall.
Work upon the quay-wall was steadily con- tinued from year to year, though that portion to the southward of the timber-dock, instead of being placed where it was originally. de- signed to be on the "approved plan," was built on a continuance of the line of that to the northward of the dock. This brought it into considerably deeper water, and at the same time : added to the area of that portion of the yard. In 1854 the method of building coffer-dams to exclude the water from the section of wall in progress was abandoned, and the work was carried on by the use of diving-bells. This change not only facilitated the labors but very considerably reduced the cost.
The timber-dock was finished in 1854, to- gether with the bridges across it. A culvert ; was built in 1853 to drain the lands adjoining the yard and to conduct the water from them into the dock, thereby considerably freshening that in the dock. The culvert was built of brick laid upon a pine-plank floor.
There being but a limited supply of fresh water at Gosport, appropriations were made in 1850 for building cisterns for collecting rain water ; one was completed in 1851, with a ca- pacity of 38,000 gallons. Afterwards two large reservoirs were built,-one completed in 1856, holding 124,000 gallons, with a head, when full, 141/2 feet above the grade of the yard. Pipes from this cistern lead to hydrants in different parts of the yard, and to the wharf at the masting sheers, thus supplying the yard and ships with water and also the engines in case of fire. Water was supplied to the cistern from the roofs of store-houses Nos. 14 and 16. fear which it was located. The other reser- 1
voir, completed in 1857, was located near tim- ber-sheds Nos. 32 and 33, from the roofs of which it was supplied with water; its capacity is 128,000 gallons.
Work upon the magazine and the keeper's house at Fort Norfolk was commenced in IS51, but not completed until 1856. A reservoir was built near the magazine to contain 90,000 gal- lons of water. A sea-wall and landing-wharf were also built, and two old houses converted, one into a store-house and the other into a filling-house.
Building No. 19, a rigging-loft, armory, and offices, and the entrance-gateway, was erected in 1851-52. A building was con- structed in 1853 near timber-shed No. 33, which was designed for a sawmill and burnetiz- ing-house. It was entirely devoted to the lat- ter purpose, however, and in 1856 a sawmill was erected at the South end of the yard, on one of the sites intended for a dry dock. A culvert was constructed in 1855 from the bur- netizing-house to the timber-dock.
In 1855, Gosport, Norfolk and Portsmouth were visited by that terrible scourge, yellow fever. A ship called the "Ben Franklin" ar- rived in May or June with yellow fever on board, and was sent below to the quarantine, where she was kept until it was supposed all danger was past, when she was allowed to come up to Dickson's wharf in Gosport, and there discharge her cargo. This occurred during the first week in July. A few days afterward the fever broke out in Gosport, and gradually spread to Portsmouth, and thence to Norfolk, assuming the most virulent type, and raging without sensible abatement until frost set in, late in October. Work at the Navy Yard al- most entirely ceased, the panic being so great that it was impossible to procure mechanics, with the exception of a small number of old hands. Almost everybody who could do so left the city, remaining away until the danger was past.
Dredging was carried on from year to year during the decade, deepening the channel and furnishing material for filling in the low places
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
of the yard, and the space between the old shore-line and quay-wall as well as at St. Hcl- ena. A new dredging-machine was built in 1854.
Grading the yard was also attended to; . pavements were laid around the buildings, and brick foot-walks through the yard in various directions; roads were macadamized, and a thorough system of drainage established, by which the sanitary condition of the yard was much improved.
Gas for lighting the yard and buildings was introduced in 1855.
On the removal of the sawmill in 1855 and 1856, new machinery was added to the ma- chine-shop, and a new foundry was erected, completed in 1859, on site 41, designed in the "approved plan" for an iron and copper store. A boiler-shop was commenced to the northward of the machine-shop. A new engine for pump- ing out the dry-dock was completed and set up in 1856. A large and commodious building was erected in 1856 as a receiving and issuing store for the department of provisions and clothing. It was located on the new-made ground, just south of the entrance of the tim- ber-dock, into which a culvert from its cellar
leads. An ordnance building not on the "ap- proved plan" was commenced in 1858 and com- pleted in 1859. Guns and shot platforms were built at St. Helena, and also at the yard soutli of the ship-house "A."
Two large lifting crancs were crected on the quay-wall in 1857, and a large amount of machinery of various sorts was added to the different shops through the yard. Alterations, additions, and improvements were made to some of the buildings under the appropriation for "repairs of all kinds." Rail-tracks were laid down at St. Helena and also at the yard; in the latter connecting the anchor-racks near the dry-dock, the different shops and store- houses, with the wharf near the sheers.
Considerable building, repairs, etc., of ships was carried on during the same period. In 1855 the magnificent steam frigates "Roanoke" and "Colorado" were laid down; these vessels were finished and launched in 1857. The : steam sloops "Dakota" and "Richmond" were begun in 1858 and launched, the former in 1859 and the latter in 1860. A purchased steamer called the "Dispatch", was rebuilt in 1859 under the name of "Pocahontas."
CHAPTER XXVI
THE CONFEDERATE STATES NAVY YARD
THE EVACUATION AND DESTRUCTION OF THE NAVY YARD BY THE FEDERALS -- OCCUPATION BY THE STATE AUTHORITIES-TURNED OVER TO CONFEDERATE GOVERNMENT-EVAC- UATION BY THE CONFEDERATES.
The following accounts of Commodore McCauley, Captain Wright, U. S. Navy, log of the U. S. S. "Pawnee" and of Captain Sin- clair, C. S. Navy, and William H. Peters, Esq., C. S. Navy, agent, and of the Norfolk Herald give full particulars of the abandonment of the Navy Yard by the Federals, its occupation by the Confederates and its evacuation by the lat- ter. The discovery of Commodore McCauley "that the insurgents were throwing up batteries immediately in front of the yard" was all in the imagination, and the report of the arrival of State troops grew out of the strategy of Col. . William Mahone in ordering trains to be run back and forth over the Norfolk & Petersburg Railroads so as to give the appearance of mili- tary forces being thrown into Norfolk with great expedition. The Commodore made his report after his retreat to the Capital of the United States.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 26, 1861 ..
Sir: I beg leave to detail to the Department the events. which preceded the evacuation and destruction of the government property at the Gosport Navy Yard on the night of Saturday, the 20th of April. On Thursday night Flag-Officer Pendergrast learned that obstructions had been sent down to be placed in the river ; he promptly had two boats manned and armed to prevent it, but owing to. the thickness of the weather his intentions were foiled. On Friday, the 19th inst., I understood that Virginia State troops were arriving
at Portsmouth and Norfolk in numbers from Richmond and Petersburg, and the neighborhood; and not having the means at my disposal to get the "Merrimac," "Ger- mantown" and "Plymouth" to a place of safety. I de- termined on destroying them, being satisfied that with the small force .under my command the yard was no longer tenable. I did not, however, carry that act into execution until the next day, before which I discovered that the insurgents were throwing up bat- teries immediately in front of the yard, when I sent Lieutenant Selfridge, of the "Cumberland," to General Taliaferro, commanding Virginia troops, with a mes- sage that if they continued to menace me by placing batteries opposite the yard I should consider it an act of war. and fire upon them. Colonel Heath, the aide-de-camp of the General, returned with Lieutenant Selfridge, and assured me that the General disclaimed all knowledge of such batteries. I then commenced scuttling the "Germantown," "Plymouth." "Dolphin" and "Merrimac," destroying the engine and machinery of the latter, cutting away the large sheers, spiking the guns in the yard and on board the ships in ordinary. including the "Pennsylvania," and destroying such arms of the old and obsolete pattern as could not be placed on board the "Cumberland." and throwing them overboard: making the destruction of other things, with the exception of the public buildings, as complete as possible. By this time it was quite dark; my officers, with few exceptions, had all deserted me; even the watchmen had thrown off their allegiance, and had taken part with the secessionists: so I determined on retiring to the "Cumberland," and in the morning act as circumstances miglit require.
With the "Cumberland" I could have destroyedl Norfolk and Portsmouth, and had batteries opened upon the ship these cities would have been at iny mercy. Before I had carried out my intentions of em- barking aboard the "Cumberland." Flag-Officer Panld- ing arrived in the "Pawnee." As he had special in- structions from the Department, which he substantially
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
communicated to me, and to which I gave entire as- sent. I took no further active part in the matter, and embarked on board the "Cumberland:" but I can bear testimony to the gallant manner in which Flag-Officer Paulding and his brave associates executed his orders. Toward morning Flag-Officer Paulding embarked with his force, and the "Cumberland" and "Pawnee," the former assisted by the steamer "Yankee" from New York, stood down the river unmolested.
The "Cumberland" was detained some hours by the obstructions placed in the narrows near Sewell's Point, but finally overcame them, and anchored in Hampton Roads by 8 o'clock P. M., Sunday.
In making this, my report to the Department, it gives me great pleasure to report the gallant and meritorious conduct of those officers true to their al- legiance. I cannot speak in sufficiently high terms of Flag-Officer Pendergrast for the many valttable sug- gestions I received from him. To Captain Marston and officers of the "Cumberland" I feel very much in- debted.
Lieutenant Selfridge bore a message to the com- manding general under great personal risk.
I have to thank Commander Livingston, Lieu- tenants Semmes, Donaldson and Irwin for gallant and efficient services, and to Lieutenant-Colonel Edelin, of . the Marines, my thanks are particularly due.
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