USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > History of Norfolk County, Virginia and representative citizens, V.1 > Part 65
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I am, very respectfully, your most obedient servant. C. S. MCCAULEY,
Late Commandant of the Navy Yard at Gosport. HON. GIDEON WELLES,
Secretary of the Navy.
Capt. H. G. Wright. U. S. Engineer Corps, made the following report of the destruction of the Navy Yard: "On reaching the yard it was found that all the ships afloat except the 'Cumberland' had been scuttled, by order of Commodore McCauley, the commandant of the yard, to prevent their seizure by the Virginia forces, and that they were fast sinking. One of the objects of the expedition-that of re- moving those vessels and taking theni to sea --- was therefore frustrated. On reporting to the Commodore of the yard, I found him disposed to defend the yard and property to the last, and the troops were accordingly landed and some dispositions for defense taken. It was soon determined. however, by Commodore Pauld- ing, who had come on the 'Pawnee' from Washington, to finish the destruction of the scuttled ships, to burn and otherwise destroy, as far as practicable, the property in the yard, and withdraw with the frigate 'Cumberland' in tow of the 'Pawnee' and a steam tug which was lying at the yard.
"To Commander Rodgers and myself was assigned the duty of blowing up the dry-docks assisted by 40 men of the volunteers and a few of the crew of the 'Pawnee.' The dock which is a massive structure of granite masonry has a pumping-gallery running along the back of one of the side-walls, entering from the level of the bottom near the entrance gate. and ter- minating as is understood, in the pumping- house near the farther end of the dock. Un- der the circumstances of want of time for prep- arations and the darkness of night, this gallery offered the only means for the establishment of a mine. Had the dock been full of water, this advantage could not have been availed of, but we found in it a depth of only about two feet. We accordingly proceeded to construct in this gallery a platform of such materials as coukl be collected to a height above the surface of the water, and on this we placed the powder (2,000) pounds) which we had brought from the ship, established a train from the gallery to the outside, and connected it with four sep- arate slow-matches. Everything being arrang- ed, all the men were sent to the ship, except one of the crew of the 'Pawnee.' who was re- tained to watch for the signal from the Com- modore for lighting the matches and returning to the ship. On the signal, the matches were lighted by Captain Rodgers and myself and we made the best of our way toward the land- ing, but before we could reach it the flames of the burning buildings had become so intense, that the boats had undoubtedly been driven off, and indeed we could not approach it. After some delay. we succeeded in getting out of the yard through the burning gateway, and seized a boat in the hope of making our escape by the river. We proceeded but a short distance, however, when several shots were fired at us from the Portsmouth side, and as the armed force was rapidly accumulating against us at a point below. where the river was narrow and where we should have had to pass within ef- fective musket-range, we concluded to land on the Norfolk side and deliver ourselves up to the commanding general of the Virginia
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forces. He received us very kindly and cour- teously, and on giving him our parole he pro- vided us with comfortable quarters at the At- lantic Hotel. This was on Sunday morning about 6 o'clock. On Monday, at noon, he sent us with an officer to Richmond, where we were most kindly treated by the Governor and his family, and by the gentlemen there present from the various parts of Virginia, we re- mained as guests of the Governor on parole till Wednesday, the 24th, when we were re- leased, and on Thursday morning we left for Washington." Evidently the Virginia officers did not know at the time they were treating those two United States officers with such marked consideration and courtesy, that they had been engaged in lighting slow-matches to explode a ton of powder almost in the midst of thousands of unoffending women and chil- dren without a moment's warning.
The following is an abstract from the log of the U. S. S. "Pawnee," April 20, 1861 :- At 6.45 (P. M.) steaming up toward Norfolk. Passed the obstructions in the channel without difficulty. Kept men at quarters, guns loaded. At & P. M. ran along- side of the Navy Yard wharf, to the north- ward of first ship-house. Hailed by the U. S. S. 'Pennsylvania,' who greeted our arrival with three cheers. . The flag-ship 'Cumberland' did likewise. At 8:10 Lieutenant Commanding Donaldson, of the receiving-ship .Pennsyl- vania' came aboard and informed us that all the vessels at the yard had been scuttled and the machinery of the 'Merrimac' completely disabled this afternoon to prevent their falling into the hands of the insurgents, who had for some time past been making demonstrations against the public property at the Navy Yard. Flag-Officers McCauley and Pendergrast came on board. Sent parties to various parts of the yard to secure, remove or destroy public prop- erty liable to fall into the hands of the in- surgents. A large party went ashore to knock trunions off guns : succeeded in breaking a few off. Received from the 'Pennsylvania' four
boxes of arms; also a detacliment of 34, rank and file, of marines with bags and accoutre- ments. Sent the Massachusetts volunteers ashore in the Navy Yard. Sent marines brought from marine-barracks at Washington to relieve marines belonging to the yard; the latter transferred to the 'Cumberland.' Placed guard at the main entrance to the yard and others patrolled the yard. April 21. Com- mences and till 4 A. M. making preparations for setting fire to the ship-houses, ships, and storehouses, and destroying the dry-dock. Landed all turpentine, powder and waste re- ceived on board from the 'Anacosta' on Friday last. Re-embarked the marines and the Massa- chusetts regiment. Sent parties in charge of Captain Wilkes, Commanders Sands, Rodgers and Alden, and Captain Wright, of the U. S. Engineers, for carrying on the preparations above-mentioned. At about 2 A. M. the ma- rine-barracks were set fire to. At 3:30 hauled off from the wharf and prepared to take the flag-ship 'Cumberland' in tow. At 4:15 A. M. the 'Cumberland,' having the steam-tug 'Yankee' alongside, succeeded in getting a haw- ser to this ship and slipping her cable. We got under way and commenced steaming down to Hampton Roads. At 4:20 sent up a rocket, and the ships, buildings, etc., were fired. Sent all hands to quarters opened the magazine and shell-rooms and manned the starboard battery, the marines being all on deck under arms. Steaming slowly down, passed by the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth unmolested, the flames of the burning buildings at the yard il- luminating the vessels and the town perfectly. Steaming slowly to allow the boats to come alongside. Captain Wilkes and Commanders Sands and Alden and their parties returned on board, but reported their inability to bring off Commander Rodgers and Captain Wright, U. S. Engineers. At 6 approached barriers in the channel, and found new obstructions placed there since we passed last evening. Deter- mined to anchor the 'Cumberland' and exam- ine the channel, which was done. This ship
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passed obstructions without touching anything. * *
Captain George T. Sinclair's telegram to the Secretary of the Confederate States Navy, Hon. S. R. Mallory, in regard to the destruc- tion of the Navy Yard, dated April 22, 1861, in part is as follows : The 'Pennsylvania,' 'Merrimac,' 'Germantown,' 'Raritan,' 'Columbia' and 'Dolphin' are burned to the water's edge and sunk. The Delaware,' 'Columbus,' and 'Plymouth' are sunk. All can be raised ; the 'Plymouth' easily, not much in- jured. The 'Germantown' crushed and sunk by the falling of sheers. Her battery new and complete uninjured by fire. can be recovered. * * Destruction less than might be expected. The two lower ship-houses burned, with the 'New York' line-of-battle ship on the stocks. Also the rigging-loft, sail-loft, and gun-carriage depot, with all the pivot-gun car- riages and many others. No other buildings burned. The metal work of the carriages will be recovered; most of it good. About 4,000 shells thrown overboard can be re- covered. The Germantown's' battery will be up and ready for service tomorrow. In ordnance building all"small arms broken and thrown overboard will be fished up. The brass howitzers thrown overboard are up. The 'Merrimac' has 2,200 10-pound cartridges in her magazine in water-tight tanks. The flag of Virginia floats over the yard.
"Only eight guns, 32-pounders, destroyed; about 1,000 or more from II-inch to 32-pound- ers taken and ready for our cause. Many of them are ready in batteries. We saved about 130 gun-carriages, all saved at St. Helena (Va). Many thousands of shell and shot from II inch to 32-founders safe. All the machin- ery uninjured. Magazine captured with 2,000 barrels of powder and vast numbers of shells and quantities of fixed ammunition. An at- tempt made to blow up the dry dock failed. Everything broken that they could break. Pri- vate trunks broken open and officer's clothing and that of their wives stolen.
The Virginia flag mentioned by Captain Sinclair as floating over the yard is at this time the property of Stonewall Camp, Confederate Veterans, and decorates their meeting-room in the City Hall of Portsmouth.
We copy from the Norfolk Herald of April 22, 1861, its story of the evacuation and at- tempted destruction of the Navy Yard by the Federals :
"On Saturday and Sunday the greatest ex- citement prevailed in the city. Troops were hurrying to and fro and everyone anxious to know what was to be done, but unable to obtain the desired information. The rumor was that the 'Cumberland' was about to sail from the Navy Yard and preparations were made t. prevent her.
"At 12 o'clock an officer came from the yard bearing a flag of truce and was con- ducted to General Taliaferro's headquarters at the Atlantic Hotel, where a consultation was held, which resulted in a promise from the commandant of the yard, Commodore McCau- ley, that none of the vessels should be removed nor a shot fired except in self-defense.
"This quieted the excitement, but it was renewed at a late hour when it was ascer- tained that the 'Germantown' and 'Merrimac' had been scuttled, and that the heavy sheers on the wharf at which the 'Germantown' was lying had been cut away and allowed to fall- amidships across her decks, carrying away the maintopmasts and yards.
"It was also perceived that the men were busily engaged in destroying and throwing overboard side and small arins, etc., and boats were constantly passing between the 'Pennsyl- vania,' 'Cumberland' and other vessels. The assurance of the Commodore, given by his of- ficers at the truce interview, however, tended to allay the apprehension of an immediate col- lision. But the continued stirring movements at the yard soon rendered it certain that it was the intention of McCauley to destroy all the buildings and other property there, and it was, therefore, with not much surprise that about midnight, after two or three slight explosions,
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the light of a serious conflagration was ob- served at the yard. This continued to increase, and before daylight the demon work of de- , struction was extended to the immense ship- houses known as 'A.' and 'B.' ( the former con- taining the entire frame of the New York, 747 which had been on the stocks unfinished for some 38 years), and also to the long ranges of two-story offices and stores on each side of the main gate of the yard.
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"The flames and heat from this tremendous mass of burning material was sent by a south- west wind directly toward the line of vessels moored on the edge of the channel opposite the yard, and nearly all of these too were speedily enveloped in flames.
"The scene at this time was grand and terrific beyond description. The roar of the conflagration was loud enough to be heard at three or four miles distance, and to this were added occasional discharges from the heavy guns of the old 'Pennsylvania' ship-of-the-line, as they became successively heated. These guns, it is asserted, were double-shotted and directed at different parts of the yard for the purpose of insuring its complete destruction. This, however, is certain that if all her guns had been thus prepared and directed, the 'burnt' district could not have been more completely cleared of its appurtenances.
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"As soon as the torch had been successfully applied to the ship-houses, the 'Pawnee,' which had been kept under steam from the moment of her arrival about midnight on Saturday. was put in motion and taking the 'Cumberland' in tow, retreated down the harbor out of the reach of danger, freighted with a great portion of valuable munitions, etc., from the yard, and the Commodore and other officers who had won for themselves the inglorious distinction of destroying devils in accomplishing such a vandal work. The ships proceeded as far down as the barricades at the narrows, where the 'Cumberland' was left at anchor, and the 'Pawnee' continued on to Fort Monroe.
"As far as we could judge from a cursory observation, the property destroyed embraced
besides the ship-houses and contents, the range of buildings on the north line of the yard (ex- cept the Commodore's and Commander's resi- dences which were unhurt). the old marine- barracks and one or two workshops, the im- mense lifting-sheers, the ships 'Pennsylvania,' Merrimac,' 'Raritan,' 'Columbia' and brig 'Dolphin' burnt to the water's edge; the sloop 'Germantown', broken and sunk, the Ply- mouth' scuttled and sunk even with her deck, and a vast amount of small arms. chronome- ters, and valuable engines and machinery in the ordnance and other shops, broken up and rendered utterly useless.
"Apearances indicated that it was intended to cripple this admirable and useful work ( the dry dock) by blowing up the gates, but from some cause this was not done, and the dock was found to be altogether unhurt. We cannot bring ourselves to believe that any officer of a navy distinguished hitherto by a high sense of honor and chivalrous courage, could willingly condescend to such an inglorious mode of war- fare as this. We rather regard it as an eman- cipation from the wretched cabal at Washing- ton, and a practical carrying out of the tactics laid down by the villainous Sumner and other orators of the Black Republican party. Burn, sink and destroy is the word with them.
"Yesterday morning Lieutenant Spotts- wood of the navy, a Virginian by birth, ran up to the flag-staff in the Navy Yard the flag of the Old Dominion with its well-known arms, the figure of Liberty trampling on Tyranny, with the glorious motto- Sic Semper Tyran- nis'-and there it continues to flutter in the breeze.
"A fort had been erected at the Hospital Point and old Fort Norfolk put in regular fighting order by the secessionists. A fort has also been erected at Sewell's Point, 12 miles from Norfolk, opposite Old Point Comfort.
"The authorities yesterday waited upon the surgeon at the Hospital and compelled that officer to resign his position.
"The Navy Yard with all the vessels of war except the 'Cumberland,' which has been
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towed into Hampton Roads by the steamer 'Pawnee,' was burned.
"The Naval Hospital had been given up by the government officials. The United States steamer 'Pawnee' landed about 500 men at the Navy Yard to assist in the destruction of gov- ernment property.
"Al the spirit stores were destroyed, but the citizens secured immense quantities of pro- visions, guns, powder and ball. All the guns at the Navy Yard were spiked by the govern- ment officials, but in such a bungling manner that all but 8 or 10 have already been made good for service by the citizens, and many of them mounted at prominent points for defense. "The 'Pawnee' has sailed for Washington, and on Monday evening the 'Cumberland' was !ving opposite Old Point.
"A steamer supposed to be the 'Baltic,' ar- rived off Old Point on Monday evening with about 1,000 Northern troops on board."
AN ACCOUNT OF THE EVACUATION OF THE NAVY YARD, FIRST BY THE FEDERALS IN APRIL, 1861, AND SECOND BY THE CONFEDERATES IN MAY, 1862.
(By William H. Peters, Navy Agent, C. S.)
At about 2 o'clock P. M. on April 20, 1861, the late William H. Spooner came to my place of business in Portsmouth and said the Navy Yard gate had been closed and that none but those having special permits were allowed to enter the yard. He also said it was rumored that the authorities of the yard were making preparations to destroy that establishment with fire.
To satisfy ourselves as to the truth of these rumors, Mr. Spooner and myself procured a boat and sailed in it up to and in front of the yard as far as the timber-dock. We saw enough to satisfy ourselves as to the truth of all we had heard. We found that the ships alongside the wharves had been scuttled and were slowly sinking. Men were engaged in cutting away the standing rigging of the sloop of war "Germantown." Her upper masts
were tottering. It was seen that a force of workmen was at work breaking off the trun- nions of cannon.
On our return in passing the brig-of-war "Dolphin" and receiving-ship "Pennsylvania," we observed small guns on the poop-decks of those vessels which, no doubt, had been re- cently mounted there to repel some apprehend- ed attack.
Our people already much excited became alarmed at the situation of affairs at the Navy Yard and the reported destruction of that vast establishment. It was feared that the burning of the Navy Yard would involve the destruc- tion of Portsmouth. A meeting of the citizens was at once called to consider what was best to be done under the circumstances.
At this meeting a committee, composed of Capt. Samuel Watts, Capt. James Murdaugh and myself, was appointed to wait on the com- mandant and endeavor to prevail on him to abandon his purpose of firing the yard.
This committee proceeded to the main en- trance, but was refused admittance. While waiting at tlie gate a reply to our written re- quest for an interview with the commandant, General George Blow, in command of the State militia of the district, Lieut. John T. Maury and Paymaster John DeBree came out at the gate. The two last-named officers, having re- signed from the U. S. Navy, had just left their ship, the frigate "Cumberland," then lying abreast the Navy Yard. These gentlemen said to us that we need not wait, that Commodore McCauley declined to see us; and then added that it was useless to ask any questions of them as to what was going on inside as they were not at liberty to talk on the subject.
The Navy Yard at Portsmouth, Virginia, was fired and abandoned that night, April 20. 1861, by the Federal forces. The story of which and the folly of the act are told in his- tory. Happily a few houses only. in the city and those of but little. value took fire and burned.
On April 21 1861, Capt. Robert B. Pegram, then just resigned from the U. S. Navy and
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commissioned a captain in the Virginia Navy, ; appeared, and acting under authority from the Governor assumed command of the Navy Yard in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
On April 22, 1861, Commodore French Forrest, who had also just resigned from the U. S. Navy and been commissioned a commo- dore in the Virginia Navy, relieved Captain Pegram of the command of the Navy Yard and station.
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On the same day, viz :- April 22, 1861, the writer, who had been commissioned as pay- master, Virginia Navy, and assigned to duty at the Navy Yard, reported and took charge of the "Provision and Pay" department. His official i connection with the yard in this and other ca- pacities continued until the evacuation by the Confederates on May 10, 1862. The state- 1
ments contained in this paper may therefore be accepted as facts of which the writer has personal knowledge.
The condition of the Navy Yard at Ports- mouth as it appeared on the 21st and 22nd of April, 1861, was melancholy to look upon. On the morning of the 20th of April, 1861, this establishment was the best equipped and in all respects the most complete navy yard in the country. On the morning of the 21st of April, 1861, it was almost a mass of ruins.
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. The exterior row of buildings on the north front of the yard, which contained large quan- tities of manufactured articles and valuable material, was totally destroyed together with the contents of the buildings. The two ship- houses "A" and "B," which were immense structures, and in one was the line-of-battle ship "New York" on the stocks, were also burned, as were also other buildings.
The destruction of the stone dry dock was attempted, but was not successful. Twenty- six barrels of powder, a quantity sufficient to have destroyed not only the dry dock but every building at the south end of the yard, were found distributed in the culvert on its north side and across the head of the dock. These barrels of powder. were connected by a train which continued on the inner steps at the bot-
tom of the dock, where it is supposed slow- matches were placed for ignition at a prear- ranged moment.
The plan, however, was happily discovered in time to frustrate it. Lieut. C. F. M. Spotts- wood, to whom the discovery was reported early in the morning of the 21st, promptly directed the gates to be opened, when the dock was flooded and thus saved from destruction.
The destruction of every ship at the yard except the old frigate "United States" was at- tempted and in great part accomplished.
The line-of-battle ship "Pennsylvania," the frigate "Columbia" and the brig "Dolphin" were burned to their floor-heads.
The frigate "Raritan" was burned and sunk out of sight. The steam frigate "Merrimac" was sunk and burned to her copper-line and down through to her birth-deck, which with the spar and gun-deck were also burned. The sloop-of-war "Germantown" was sunk and burned to her bulwark on the port side. The sloop-of-war "Plymouth" was scuttled and sunk. The line-of-battle ships "Delaware" and "Columbus" were scuttled and sunk at their moorings.
Many heavy cannon were spiked and for the time rendered useless, some had their trun- nions broken off.
The abandonment of Portsmouth Navy Yard and its partial destruction by the Federal authorities was a most unaccountable pro- cedure. It was hard to believe that such a step was in contemplation, even after it was known late in the day of April 20, 1861, that some of the ships at its wharves had been scuttled and were sinking. Virginia it is true had just passed the ordinance of secession, but had not yet joined the Confederate States of the South; which latter it is not denied was in a state of quasi war with the Federal govern- ment. Virginia had not. nor as a matter of fact had the Confederate government, the means of capturing. or of even seriously menac- ing the Federals in their possession of this vast establishment. For let it be remembered that the frigate "Cumberland" with a full crew and
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fully equipped, and also the receiving-ship "Pennsylvania," with batteries and men suf- ficient to work them, lay abreast the yard in position to effectually protect it and destroy the city of Portsmouth in case of an attempt to capture, or on the slightest demonstration against the yard.
The total destruction of the Navy Yard at Portsmouth though attempted was not ac- complished, owing doubtless to the haste with which the Federals left; some of the store- houses and other buildings were consumed, to- gether with large quantities of valuable store materials, etc. But many buildings remained intact; and very large quantities of costly materials, naval supplies, etc., were found un- injured.
The writer of this paper, by direction of the Governor of the State, made an inventory and report of all public property in the port of Norfolk and Portsmouth taken on the 21st of April, 1861, in the name of Virginia. His re- port, which is embodied in public document No. 25 of the proceedings of the Virginia Convention of 1861, shows the number and de- scription of buildings that were left unharmed. Among these there were the commandant's dwelling, the commanders', surgeons', lieuten- ants' and masters' dwellings.
The foundry and its dependencies; the ma- chine-shop, and its adjuncts; five large stores, used for the storage of naval supplies; several substantial structures used as workshops and other buildings, together with the dry dock, timber-dock and quay-wharves, cost, as shown in that report, $2,944,800.
The ordnance left by the Federals in their hurried departure consisted of 1,085 pieces of heavy cannon with gun-carriages, breechings, blocks and tackle, and a large number of shells and stands of grape and various other articles of ordnance, equipment and stores in large quantities, including 250,000 pounds of pow- der, in all costing, as shown in that report, $341,000.
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