USA > Virginia > Virginia and Virginians; eminent Virginians, executives of the colony of Virginia, Vol. II > Part 2
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July 10th, the defenses of the James river were assigned to Captain George N. Hollins, Confederate States navy. At the close of 1861 the principal forts and batteries in charge of naval officers were commanded as follows: Sewell's Point, Commander W. L. Maury; Fort Nelson. Com- mander Charles F. MeIntosh; Fort Norfolk, Commander R. F. Pinkney ; Penner's Point, Lieutenant George W. Harrison; Pig Point, Lieutenant R. R. Carter. Batteries at Cedar Point, Barrel Point and Pagan Creek were in charge of Commander R. L. Page until he was sent to Gloucester Point. Lambert's Point battery was commanded by Lieutenant J. S. Taylor, Confederate States army.
The first vessels available for Confederate service in these waters were gathered in the James river: The Yorktown (formerly the Patrick Henry of the New York and Old Dominion steamship line); the James- town (of the same line), renamed the Thomas Jefferson, but persistently called the Jamestown; the Teaser, a river tug. These, in the winter of 1861-2, were under connand of Captain John R. Tucker, and stationed off Mulberry Island, where the battery at Harden's Point closed James river to the enemy. The Jamestown carried two guns, the Teaser one, the Yorktown (or Patrick Henry) six. The latter was fitted for naval service by her executive officer, Lieutenant William Llewellyn Powell, who had her cabins taken off, her deck strengthened, and one-inch iron plate (all she could bear) put abreast her boiler and engines, extending a few feet beyond each way and below the water line. This boat ran out toward Newport News and skirmished with the enemy's vessels on September 13th, and again on December 2d.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VIRGINIA.
The steam frigate Merrimae was built at the Charlestown (Mass.) navy yard in 1855, of thirty-five hundred tons burden, and to carry forty guns. Her last service in the United States navy was in the Pacific squadron. As already recorded, she was lying at the Norfolk vard when it was abandoned by the Federal troops, and was seuttled and set on fire. After burning to the water's edge she sank with guns, boilers and engine practically uninjured. Six days later her guns were raised by Virginia naval officers, and sent to Sewell's Point and other defenses of Norfolk. On May 30th the frigate was raised and pulled into the dry dock.
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Early in June, 1861, Lieutenant John M. Brooke, Confederate States navy, a former officer of the United States navy who had resigned toenter the Virginia naval service, submitted to Secretary Mallory a plan for protecting ships with iron cladding, and suggested the remodeling of the Merrimacin accordance with the plan. Uponrequest of Secretary Mallory, John L. Porter, naval constructor at Norfolk, submitted a model for an iron-clad, and Secretary Mallory instructed Lieutenant Brooke and Mr. Porter to investigate the condition of the Merrimac. with William P. Williamson, chief engineer, Confederate States navy. and to "report the best method of making her useful."
These officers after careful investigation reported: " In obedience to your orders, we have carefully exammed and considered the va- rious plans and propositions for constructing a shot-proof steam battery, and respectfully report that, in our opinion, the steam frigate Merrimae, which is in such condition from the fire as to be useless for any other purpose without heavy expense in rebuilding, etc., can be made an efficient vessel of that character, mounting # * heavy guns. and from the further consideration that we cannot procure a snitable engine and boilers for any other vessel without building them, which
would occupy too much time. * * * The bottom of the hull, boilers. and heavy and costly parts of the engine, being butlittle injured, reduce the cost of construction to about one-third of the amount which would be required to construct such a vessel anew." Thereport was accepted. the plan adopted, Mr. Porter was put in charge of repairs and construe- tion on the vessel, Mr. Williamson in charge of the engineer's depart- ment, and to Lieutenant Brooke was assigned the duties of superin- tending the manufacture of the iron plates at the Tredegar works, and the preparation of the ship's ordnance.
To whom should be given the honor of devising the plan on which the Virginia was constructed-that novel combination of iron-sheathed. bomb-proof battery and battering ram, destined, with the still more startlingly novel Monitor, to revolutionize the naval warfare of the world ?
It is accorded to Lieutenant Brooke in Secretary Mallory's report, by President Davis in his " Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government.' by Pollard in his " Lost Cause," by John Taylor Wood, who was a lieutenant on the Virginia, and contributed the record of her services to to the Century war papers. Yet Mr. Porter claimed the honor, and that. "great injustice" had been done himself and Engineer Williamson in Secretary Mallory's report. Scharf, in his history of " The Confederate States Navy," sides with Mr. Porter. It is certain the model submitted by Mr. Porter, and by which Secretary Mallory's official orders show the Merrimac was rebuilt into the Virginia, was distinctively the con-
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ception of Mr. Porter, worked out by him before he ever heard of Liou- tenant Brooke's plans or saw his drawings. It is equally certain that Lieutenant Brooke's plans and drawings were made with no knowledge of Mr. Porter's model, that his drawings and the model offered practi- rally the same results, and that it was by his plans the secretary's at- fontion was first called to this innovation on accepted methods of con- struction. It is a singular coincidence, worthy of note in this conver- tion, that before the Virginia was constructed the iron-eladding of boats was put to practical test, and by neither Lieutenant Brooke nor Mr. Porter. Liontenant Powell had originated the theory also, and put it in operation on the little Yorktown.
However the honor of the plans of the Virginia should be awarded, the three officers to whom her construction was entrusted are entitled to great praise for the energy with which they performed their work under discouraging cirenstances. Not the least of these was the con- flirt of views and of authority between the constructor at Norfolk and the Bureau of Construction at Richmond; a conflict that ultimately resulted in those imperfections of the Virginia which so greatly detracted from her serviceableness. In addition to this unnecessary drawback, were others against which no provision could have been made. Ex- perienced workmen were few, and in many instances these had to make their tools before they could use them. There were no patterns to fol- low in constructing the boat, no guide for the workmen except the drawings and calenlations. Errors were made, and work bad to be done over again. At the Tredegar works was the same paucity of workmen. These works, turned from common iron workshops into a manufactory of every kind of munition of war for the entire Confederacy, were taxed to their utmost capacity. The work on the Virginia went. on but slowly, though even " blacksmiths, finishers and strikers per- formed extra work gratnitonsly, in order to expedite the comple- tion," as Flag-Officer Forrest reported on Jannary 11, 1862. Begunin Jane, 1861, the Virginia was not ready for service until the close of February, 1862.
On February 27, 1862, Captain Franklin Buchanan was ordered to the command of the James River squadron. In addition to the Pat- rick Henry (or Yorktown), the Jamestown and the Teaser, already mentioned, the Raleigh and Beanfort, each small vessels carrying one i'm only, were now a part of this fleet. To these the Virginia was now to be added as the flagship of the squadron. Its officers were: Flag- officer, Captain Franklin Buchanan; lieutenant, Catesby apR. Jones; "ventive and ordnance officers, Charles C. Simms, R. D. Minor, Hunter Davidson, John Taylor Wood, J. R. Eggleston, Walter Butt ; midship- Lien, R. C. Foute, H. H. Marmaduke, H. B. Littlepage, W. J. Craig, J.
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C. Long, L. M. Rootes ; paymaster, James Semple; surgeon, Dinwiddi .. Phillips ; assistant surgeon, Algernon S. Garnett ; captain of marines. Reuben Thorn; engineers, H. A. Ramsey, acting chief; assistants, John W. Tynan, London Campbell, Benjamin Herring, C. A. Jack, R. Wright : boatswain, C. H. Hasker; gunner, C. B. Oliver; carpenter, Hugh Lindsey: clerk, Arthur Sinclair; aide (volunteer), Lieutenant. Douglas Forrest. Confederate States army; Captain Kevil, commanding detachment of Norfolk united artillery ; Sergeant Tabb, signalcorps. The crew of three hundred men were a few seamen from Norfolk, eighty sailors whom Lien- tenant Wood found in a New Orleans regiment under General Magruder on the peninsula, and other volunteers from the army.
The following is Lieutenant Wood's description of the Virginia and her armament: "She was cut down to the old berth-deck. Both ends for seventy feet were covered over, and when the ship was in fighting trim were just awash. On the midship section, one hundred and seventy feet in length, was built, at an angle of forty-five degrees, a roof ci pitch-pine and oak twenty-four inches thick, extending from the water line to a height over the gun deck of seven fort. Both ends of the shield were rounded so that the pivot guns could be used as bow and stern chasers or quartering. Over the gun deck was a light grating, making a promenade about twenty feet wide. The wood backing was covered with iron plates, rolled at the Tredegar works at Richmond, two inches thick and eight wide. The first tier was put on horizontal, the second up and down-in all four inches, bolted through the woodwork and clinched inside. The prow was of cast iron, projecting four feet, and badly secured, as events proved. The rudder and propeller wereentirely unprotected. The pilot house was forward of the smoke stack, and covered with the same thickness of iron on the sides. Her motive power was the same that had always been in the ship. * * * Her arma- ment consisted of two seven-inch rifles, heavily reinforced around the breech with three-inch steel bands, shrunk on : these were the first heavy guns so made [their construction was onder Lieatenant Brooke'sdirect supervision, and every gun was tested by him] and were the bow and stern pivots; there were also two six-inch rifles of the same make, and six nine-inch smooth bore broadside -- ten guns in all."
THE SERVICE OF THE VIRGINLA.
At noon on Saturday, March 8, 1862, the Virginia, accompanied by the tugs Beaufort and Raleigh, steamed down the Elizabeth river. cheered by the men at the Confederate batteries along the shores. Withont a preliminary trial to test her speed and manageableness, she was about to offer battle to the formidable Federal fleet in Hampton Roads. Her defects were at once manifested. Not more than five miles
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an hour could be got out of her. Her boilers and engines, not improved by sinking, could not be depended on. Her draft was twenty-two feet, and she could not be maneuvered in shoal waters. She was so unwieldy it took from thirty to forty minutes to turn her.
In the open water she was joined by the rest of the James River boats, the full fleet as follows: The Virginia, flag-ship, Captain Franklin Bu- chanan, ten guns; the Patrick Henry, twelve guns, Commander John R. Theker; the Jamestown, two guns, Lieutenant-Commanding J. N. Bar- ney; the Teaser, one gun, Lieutenant-Commanding W. A. Webb; the Beaufort, one gun, Lieutenant-Commanding W. H. Parker; the Raleigh, one gun, Lieutenant-Commanding J. W. Alexander. Total armament, twenty-seven guns.
The Federal feet off Fortress Monroe was: The Minnesota, forty guns; the Roanoke, forty guns; the St. Lawrence, fifty gims; the gun- boats Dragon, Mystic, Whitehall, Oregon, Zouave and Cambridge. Behind these frowned the heavy guns of the fort. Off Newport News, seven miles above, the point itself strongly fortified and held by a large Federal garrison, were two steam frigates: The Congress, fifty guns; the Cumberland, forty gums. At the Rip Raps was Fort Wool, with its heavy gun.
Off Sewell Point the Virginia and her escorts turned toward Newport News. The hurried preparations on board the Congress and Cumber- land seemed to indicate that the attack was unlooked for. When the Virginia came within three-quarter mile range, the guns of the Cumber- land and Congress and the shore batteries opened on her. Answering fire was reserved until the range was shortened, then the forward pivot gun on the Virginia was fired by Lientenant C. C. Simms. The effect showed what terrible work the ironclad could be counted on to do with hor guns. Nearly every one of the crew of the Cumberland's after pivot gun were killed or wounded. The next test was of her ability to disable an antagonist by a blow. The Virginia steered straight for the Cum- berland, giving the Congress a broadside fire in passing, which was returned. The Cumberland was struck under the forerigging, nearly at right angles, and her side went in like an egg shell. The blow was hardly felt on the Virginia, though her ram was left in the Cinnberland as she backed off, and the side of the Cumberland, Lieutenant Wood says, " was opened wide enough to drive in a horse and cart."
As the Virginia backed clear of her, the Cumberland began to list to port, and fill rapidly. Her gis were manfully served as long as they were above water, and when her crew were driven to the spar deck they confined to fire her pivot gims until she went down with colors flying. She sunk in three-quarters of an hom from the time she was struck, and when her hull rested on the sands fifty-four
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feet below the water, her pennant was still above water, flying from her topmast.
The Virginia was headed so as to give her space to turn in. As she swung round, the Congress came in range again, and Lieutenant Wood raked her with three shots from the Virginia's after pivot guns. In trying to get out of range she grounded, but in water where the unfor- tunate draft of the Virginia would not permit her to follow. The Vir- ginia headed for her, and took position two hundred yards off, where every shot told. For an hour the guns of the Congress answered bravely, but her loss was terrible and her position hopeless. At about half past three she ran np the white flag and lowered her colors. Most. of her guns were then disabled, more than half her crew killed or wounded, and her hull had been several times on fire.
Among the killed on the Congress was her commanding officer, Lieu- tenant Joseph B. Smith, and the surrender was made by Lieutenant Pendergrast to Lientenant Parker, of the Beaufort, that boat and the Raleigh having been ordered alongside by Captain Buchanan. The orders were to take off the crew and men on the Congress and then set her on fire. But firing from the shore batteries did not cease, although the white flag on the Congress could be seen as plainly on the shore as on the Virginia. This cruel and continous fire wounded friend and foe alike. Lieutenant Taylor and Midshipman Hutter, of the Raleigh, with many of the crew, were killed while taking Federal wounded from the Congress. The Raleigh and Beanfort then hauled off, with abont thirty prisoners. Of those left on the Congress such as were able es- caped to the shore by swimming or in small boats. That those. umable thus to escape perished with the ship is to be laid to the charge of their own troops, who, safe on the shore, disregarded the white flag that otherwise would have protected these unfortunate ones. Among those who escaped to the shore was Lientenant Pendergrast. After surrendering the colors and his side arms on board the Beaufort, he was permitted to return to the Congress to assist in removing the wounded. Violating his parole, he escaped by swimming to the shore.
Captain Buchanan ordered hot shot to be fired into the Congress which was done until she was on fire. foreand aft. While directing this he was severely wounded, as was also his flag-lieutenant. Robert D. Miner. Command of the Virginia then devolved upon Lieutenant Catesby apR. Jones. Several shore batteries had been silenced by the firing from the Virginia, and from her little consorts of the James River squadron. These smaller boats had been active and serviceable all day. The Patrick Henry was temporarily disabled by a shot through her boiler, which scalded four to death, wounding others.
THE VIRGINIA RAMMING THE CUMBERLAND.
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When the engagement opened, the St. Lawrence, Roanoke and Min- nesota left their anchorage off Fortress Monroe to come to the assist- ance of the Cumberland and Congress. The two first grounded a short distance from Fortress Monroe. The Minnesota grounded half way between Old Point and Newport News, but in position to be actively engaged. Lieutenant Jones would have moved on her after the Con- gress was disposed of, but the pilots of the Virginia would not under- take the necessary management of her with approaching night and obb tide upon them. The Virginia anchored off Sewell Point for the night. As the night wore away, the booming of the exploding guns of the Congress was heard. Then followed the explosion of her powder maga- zine, scattering her last fragments, and by her expiring bght could be seen all that was left of the Cumberland, the pennant on her sunken mast. It had been a good day's work for the Confederacy.
The Virginia bad gone to anchor apparently uninjured, for though, under the concentrated fire of more than a hundred guns, everything above deck that could be shot away was gone, her iron armor appeared uminjured. The damage done by the wrenching off of her ram (caus- ing her to leak in next action) was not then apparent. Her entire loss in killed and wounded was only twenty-one. Few that witnessed that day's battle, Confederates or Federals, doubted that the morrow wonk see the destruction, not only of the Minnesota, but of every Federal boat riding in Hampton Roads. Lieutenant Jones, however, watching on the Virginia, knew that no such victory was assured. In his very interesting contribution to the history of these engagements, published in the Southern Magazine, of Baltimore, prepared at the request of the Southern Historical Society, he says: " One of the pilots changed, about 11 p. m., to be looking in the direction of the Congress, when there passed a strange looking craft, brought out in bold relief by the burn- ing ship, which he at once proclaimed to be The Ericsson. We were therefore not surprised in the morning to see the Monitor at anchor near the Minnesota. The latter ship was still aground." That the commanding officer of the Virginia knew the Monitor was in the field at 11 p. m. on the 8th, should, it would seem, forever dispose of the oft-repeated assertion that it created " the utmost consternation" on the Virginia to see the Monitor on the morning of the 9th.
THE MEETING OF THE VIRGINIA AND THE MONITOR.
The construction of the Monitor had been watched at the North with the same interest that in the South had been felt concerning the Vir- ginia, and her appearance afloat was even more novel. The Monitor was a small iron hall, upon which rested a large raft, surmounted by a revolving circular iron turret. The hull was 124 feet long, and thirty-
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four feet wide at the upper end. The raft projected at bow and stern, and was fifty feet longer than the hull. The turret was eight inches thick, nine feet high, and twenty feet inside diameter. In the turret were two eleven-inch Dahlgren guns. Her draft was ten feet. This was her first great advantage over the Virginia, that she could run into shoal water. Her second point of superiority for the work before them was, that she could turn anywhere, without appreciable loss of time. No more accurate, dispassionate and interesting account of the irting of these two strange erafts can be given than that which Lieutenant Jones gives in the paper already alluded to, which is as follows:
"At 8 a.m. we got under way, as did the Patrick Henry, Jamestown and Teaser. We stood towards the Minnesota, and opened fire on her. The pilots were to have placed us half a mile from her, but we were not at any time nearer than a mile. The Monitor commenced firing when about a third of a mile distant. We soon approached, and were often within a ship's length; once while passing we fired a broadside at her only a few yards distant. She and her turret appeared to be under perfect control. Her light draft enabled her to move about us at pleas- ne. She once took position for a short time where we could not bring a gun to bear on her. Another of her movements caused us great anxiety; she made for our rudder and propeller, both of which could have been easily disabled. We could only see her guns when they were discharged. We wondered how proper aim could be taken in the very short time the guns were in sight. The Virginia, however, was a large target, and generally so near that the Monitor's shot did not often miss. It did not appear to us that our shell had any offeet upon the Monitor. We had no solid shot; musketry was fired at the lookont holes. In spite of all the care of our pilots we ran ashore, where we remained over fifteen minutes. The Patrick Henry and JJamestown, with great risk to themselves, started to our assistance. The Monitor and Minnesota were in full play on ns. A small rifle-gun on board the Minnesota, or on the steamer alongside of her, was fired with remark- able precision.
" When we saw that our fire made no impression on the Monitor, we determined to run into her if possible. We found it a very difficult feat. to do. Onr great length and draft, in a comparatively narrow chan- nel, with but little water to spare, made us sluggish in onr movements, and hard to steer and turn. When the opportunity was presented all steam was put on; there was not, however, sufficient time to gather mil headway before striking. The blow was given with the broad wooden stem, the iron prow having been lost the day before. The Monitor received the blow in such a manner as to weaken the effect,
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and the damage to her was trifling. Shortly after an alarming leak in our bow was reported. It, however, did not long continue.
"Whilst contending with the Monitor, we received the fire of the Minnesota, which we never failed to return when our guns could be brought to bear. We set her on fire, and did her serious injury, though much less than we then supposed. Generally the distance was too great for effective firing. We blew up a steamer alongside of her.
"The fight had continued over three hours. To us the Monitor appeared unharmed. We were, therefore, surprised to see her run off into shoal water where our great draft would not permit us to follow, and where our shell could not reach her. The loss of our prow and anchor, and consumption of coal, water, etc., had lightened us so that the lower part of the forward end of the shield was awash.
"We for some time waited the return of the Monitor to the Roads. After consultation it was decided we should return to the navy yard, in order that the vessel should be brought down iato the water and completed. The pilots said that if we did not then leave, that we could not pass the bar until noon of the next day. We, therefore, at 12 m. quitted the Roads and stood for Norfolk. Had there been any sign of the Monitor's willingness to renew the contest we should have remained to fight her. We left her in the shoal water to which she had with- drawn, and which she did not leave until after we had crossed the bar on our way to Norfolk.
"The official report says: 'Our loss is two killed and nineteen wounded. The stem is twisted and the ship leaks; we have lost the prow, starboard anchor, and all the boats; the armor is somewhat damaged, the steam-pipe and smoke-stack both riddled, the muzzles of the two guns shot away; the colors were hoisted to the smoke-stack, and several times ent down from it.' None were killed or wounded in the fight with the Monitor. The only damage she did was to the armor. She fired forty-one shots. We were enabled to receive most of them obliquely. The effect of a shot striking obliquely on the shield was to break all the iron, and sometimes to displace several feet of the outside course; the wooden backing would not be broken through. When a shot struck directly at right angles, the wood would also be broken through, but not displaced. Generally the shot was much scattered; in three instances two or more struck near the same place, in each case causing more of the iron to be displaced, and the wood to bulgo inside. A few struck near the water-line. The shield was never pierced; though it was evident that two shots striking in the same place would have made a large hole through everything.
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