Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-26
THE BURNING AND DISCRETION OF COS.
PoRT NAVY vAxD Bv LzEcoLN,s
TROCPsl
AN EXCITING DAY in NoRroL n.
FULL PARTICULARS.
Special Correspondence Of the PETERSBURG Px,,...

here did not mean to inaugurate hostillties AGAINST
the citizens of Virginia. but desired only to be let
alone. II they were attacked, or their movements
interfered with, force would be met by force,
and the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth would be
sheied. This notice, it was added was given that
| opportunity might be allowed tor the removal of
the women and children, 1T it was contemplated to
commence hOstilities. The caution was not needed
/ however, for the mple reason that being almost
wholly unprovded with men and suitable munitions
Of W. there was not the least likelihood that the
Commanding General would incur the penalty Of
/ ordering an attack.
Until the arrival of the Petersburg battalion last
night the whole force under arms here did not num-
| Der two hundred men, and even this small force
| was but lndifferently supplied with means of de.
| fence. OF artillery, the arms most needed fur
rife cannon C pound .rs) and two eighteen pound
ers comprised the whole amount that could be rem
| dered available. So urgent the necessity for
artillery felt to be that old that have done
duty at street corners as leaning posts for half
century more have been dug up all over the city
but being found worthless, as any one might have
1 known, have of course been thrown aside again.
| 1t seems unaccountable that place so important
as this should have been, in times like these left
| utterly defenceless.
| OF powder and fixed ammunition there is an
| abundant supply. You have already been informed
| by telegraph of the seizure of the naval magazine
at Fort Norfolk last Friday night BY this seizure
| we have secured upwards Of 5000 barrels of pow
der and fixed ammunition OF this quantity about
one-third has been sent to Richmond and Peters
burg, portion to Hampton. and the balance is
stored near this city, at present under the protec
ton of the Petersburg City Guard, Capt May. tits
pretty safei
Speaking of the Petersburg companies, 1 may
mention here that their arrival last night hail
ed with tumultuous delight. Their march up the
! street triumphal in its features. Shouts and
cheers rent the air, banners and handkerchiefs
| waved from every balcony, women welcomed them
| with smiles. and men with hearty greetings. All
felt safer for their presence.
Reverting now TO the enemy. All day long il
| was evident from proceedings in the harbor that
| some unusual movement was about to be made,
but its precise nature no one could determine.
Everything however, indicated purpose on the
part CT thu enemy, to abandon the Navy Yard, and
destroy all the property that could not be removed
With the ebb tide quantities of Lroken musket stocks
| fuated past the city, and workmen from the yard
reported that all the cannon had been spiked, and
general destruction of property was in progress.
Later in the day, 1t was discovered that the Ger
mantown, Merrimac, Raritan, Plymouth, and Dol
phin had been scuttled, and that pair Ut enormous
sheers used for taking in and out the masts of
sels and erected at cost OF $4,000, had been cut
down, crushing with their weight the stern of the
Germantown, across which they were thrown. All
these ac.s and others indicated purpose to retreat
Just after dark, to the surprise of all, and the
| dismay of many, the Pawnee steamed up the har-
Dor and took position at the Navy Yard, where she
was received with such shonts of rejoicing could
be distinctly heard in this city. Her arrival put
new face matters. IL was rumored that she
brought large reinforcements and that the l ard
would now be defended to the last extremity; but
the reverse of this was her mission She was sent
to destroy not protect She brought with her 200
workmen from the Washington Navy Yard and
large quantities of turpcnine TO be used In firing
the buildings. There is no doubt that il was the
| intention of the Government to make the work Of
destruction complete, but panic seized on those
employed to carry the design into effect, and much
of the most valuable property was saved. Shortly
after the arrival of the Pawnee, the military COM
panies from Petersburg arrived, and as trains were
kept running until a late honr in the night, an i'm
preston prevailed among the enemy that reinforce
ments by the thousand were beng thrown into the
city, and that immediate attack might be expect
ed. After that, the only thought was low to es-
cape. II cunning device of President Ma
hone, that running of the trains, and he deserves
credit for practising to successfully so shrewd
trick.
About midnight the alarm was raised that the
Navy Yard was on fire, and enough there il
was, sickly blaze that seemed neither TO diminish
nor increase for several hours. This, however,
was only the beginning The tide was not yet ia
vOrable for the escape of the vessels and would not
be at flood until day break. Meanwhile men were
kept busy all night transferring everything of value
from the Pennsylvania and the Navy Yard to the
Pawnee and the Cumberland and both vessels were
loaded ia their lower ports.
At length o'clock came, and with it food tide.
rocket shot up from the Pawnee and then almost
| in an instant the whole front of the Navy Yard
: seemed one vast sheet of Asme. The next minute
streaks of flame flashed along the rigging of the
Pennsylvania and the other doomed ships, and soon
they were completely wrapped in the devourng
element. The barber was one blaze of light.
The remotest objects were distinctly visible. The
surgng flames lesped and roared with mad violence,
making their hoarse wrath heard at the distance of
several miles. The people of Hampton and even
those who lived beyond, saw the red light and
thought all Norfolk was fire. 1t was certainly
grand, though terrible spectacle witness, such
one as it is not given to a man more than once in
life time to behold In the midst of the briance
of the scene, the Pawnee, with the Cumberland in
tow, stole like guilty thing through the water,
fleeing from the destruction she had been sent to
accomplish.
But the work of vandalism only half per-
formed. The most valuable portions of the yard
are still untouched, and are now the property of
the State of Virginia. The only buildings destroyed
are two ship houses, the officers quarters, sail
loft filed with cordage, the marine barracks and
some few sheds. All the valuable workshops, with
their machinery the boat houses, spar houses,
timber houses, with their costly contents, are all
now in our possession.
| The dry dock. constructed at so much expense.
and the finest in the world, was doomed but not
destroyed. Forty barrels of powder were intro
duc.d into its chambers and slow match applied.
But it would seem, by the interposition of Provi
| denee. this magnificent work was spared The fire
after burning few feet, went out and did not ignite
the powder. The dry dock is ours in perfect condi
ton. The machinery in the shops is also perfect;
damage inflicted on it. The stores of costly tina
bers that il has been the work of years to accumu
late, are all safe Fifteen hundred pieces of the
finest ordinance in the world, are comparatively
hurC, Ii is true that the greater number of them
were spiked but then the work was SO clumsily
| performed, that the spikes for the most part
be removed without the least difficulty. Some of
| them can be picked out with the fingers. Forty
two were unspiked yesterday in the course of an
hour.
} The shipping destroyed, except the Merrimac-
which was first class steam frigate, nearly new
was of no great value The Pennsy lvanis is no loss
every body knows. The Plymouth, Puritan and
Dolphin had been condemned as unseaworthy. The
Germantown. though old, vas fine frigate She
can, however, be easily raised, all the others,
without any great expense. The Pennsylvania is
utterly destroyed The others were burned only to
the waters edge, having be previOusl y sunk The
| Plymouth was not burned at all.
Two officers were made prisoners this morning,
Com. Rodgers, of the Navy, and Capt. Wright, of
the Engineering Corps of the Army. They were
much frightened when brought ashore fearing the
violence Of the mob which instantly surrounded.
{ But being placed under the protection of compa-
, ny of soldiers they were taken to the Generals
| Headquarters, at this hotel-tEe Atlantic-wIthout
any demonstration of violence insult on the part
of the citizens. The haye the privilege of the
hotel Op their parole. They depoqnce the destrqc-
ton of the property as barbarous and Vandal but
say they weeobged to obey the orders OF their gov
ernment They declare that the utter demolition of
everything that could not be removed Gas in their
orders, and but for the apprehension of an immedi
ate attack by an overpowering force, the command
: would have been carried out to the letter. 1t was
in contemplation to ruin the dry-dock the machine
shops and other structures, and helm everything in
one common ruin. But this plan could not be car
ried out for want of time. Accident precpitated
matters somewhat too. A Sergeant Of the mariners
named Myers knowing what was to take place, and
not wishing to be carried off with its company, set
fire to tie barracks before the appointed time and
endeavored to escape in he confusion. He succeed
ed but vas shot yeral times while scaling the
! walls This circumstance creating lack Of conf
dence in their owl men, and fearing an attack from
without, they discontinued the Preparations for
: firing the buildings but marched the men aboard
? the ships and waved tor the tide This prop
erty 10 the value of several millions saved Officers
Rodgers and Wright were separated frorn their
commands when the conf agration was started and
t rushing to the landing found communication with
e vessels cut of. They then made all haste to the
main nrtranne which when they reached thew