The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-08-17
From the New York FINES
The Destruction at Sosport Navy Yard.

House of Representatives, of July 10. Hon
Gideon Welles, Sc retay of tho Navy, has
transmitted to that body the corresponds
ence relative to the destru, ton Of the
United States vessels and other property
at the Navy Yard at Norfolk. Va. 1t has
been printed and copy lies before us.
We are sorry to find that the view taken
of the loss of the public vessels end pro-
perty, by the Times, at time Of its cc,ur-
renee, is fully sustained by this cores
pondence The transaction must r.na n
stamped on the page of Americ; n history
As the most disgraceful that ever befel our
Navy, and one Of the most disastrous that
ever happened to the Government The
blame of the affair will chiefly lest, per-
haps. on Commodore McCauley, whose
conduct is wholly inexplicable, but seems
to be a compound of imbecility, drunken
ness and treason.
The correspondence is too voluminous
for entire republication, but the leading
points in the history of the loss of the
vessels and pLoperty at the Navy Yard
are rs follows On the 10th. and again on
the 18th day of April last, Mr.. Welles
wrote to Commodore c. s. McCauley, Com
mandant Navy yard at Portsmouth, Va,
warning him of impending danger TO the
property IN his keeping directing that the
Merrimack Ga splendid steam man.ot-war
of 30 guns) should be got ready imme
diately and sent out of the harbor, advis-
ing special attention to shipping and stores
IN the yard, and sugge ting that " it might
be best 10 order most of the shipping to
sea or to other stations. Mr.. Welles, in
his letter OF the 18th, orders the Merri-
mack to;the Philadelphia Navy yard, and
informs Commodore McCauley that he has
sent Mr. B. F. lshwood, Engineer in Chief,
to Norfolk, to expedite her sailing, and
directing the Commodore to have Mr.
lsherwoods suggestions for that end
promptly carried Out
On the 18th of April Commodore Nc
Cauley informs Nr. Secretary Welles that
the Merrimac may ''ko,r be taken and
used for temporary service. On the 18th
OF April Mr.. sherwood writes to Secretary
Welles that he had Leached Norfolk on
Saturday 18th OF April-reported to Com
modore McCauley to proceed with his
duty in preparing the Merrimack to sail.
He began on Monday moraing, 18th, put
ting every available man in the Yard to
work and worked day and night till
Wednesday afternoon, 18th. when he
called. in company with Chief Engineer
Darby. on Commodore McCauley, and re
Io:ted the machinery ready Tor steam -
that " forty four tiremen and coal heavers
were engaged and ready to 60 on board,
and asking him if he should fire up al
oncs,
The Commodore replied, Not that
afternoon" but added that if | had
steam on next morning {lsth )it would be
time enough Mr. sherwood kept a reg
a,ar engine room watch. and " had the
fires started at daybreak, At ., A NJ he
called upon commodore McCauley, and
reported the vessel ready for leaving
ali the engineers. tiTemen and coal-heay-
ers were aboard and the fire was up. -
The on.y thIug wanted was his order TO
cast loose and 20 Commodore NcCauley
replied that he had not yet decided to
send the vessel, but would let Sir. l.
know in the course OF a few hours Mr.
J. called the ConmoIores attention 10
the fact that the orders for the vessel TO
20 were peremtory, adding that if she
waited much longer she could not sail
till next day and at night distractions
might be placed in the channel The
Commodore replied as before, that he
would determine in the course Of the
day About > P NJ, Mr. l. again called
on the Commodore, when he was Informed
by him that he had determined 10 retain
tie vessel, and directed Mr. |. TO draw
the fires Mr.. |. once more urged on
Commodore Me- auley attention that the
orders from "peremptory, and expressed
a conviction that the vessel could be taker
out with perfect safety, earnestly yoiun
tcering his advice that the attempt should
be made, with the Germantown "a sloOp
ot.war of 10 guns, completely equipped
!or sea- in tow. Commodore McCauley
replied, reiterating lis previous declara
ton that he should retain the vessel.
ga.nmodore Paulding here takes up tbs
story. He had been ordered on the lctl
ol Ayill To Norfolk I" 10 take command 0
ali the naval forces then afloat. and to de
all In his power to protect and place be
yond danger the vessels and propert,
belonging TO the United States" IL
embarked on the steamer Pawnee. a
Washington, on the 18Th. on the evenin
OF the 10Th reached Fortress Monroe, anC
took on board Col. Waldrup's Massachu
setts Regiment OF Volunteers, and at 5 !
NJ, same day, was at GOsport Navy Yard
lie found there atioat the steam frigat
, Merrimac, 80 guns; sloop of war German
: town 40 guns; sloop Plymouth, 30 guns
, brig Dolphin, 20 guns He also toun,
, there three thousand pieces of ordnanc
OF all calbres,' about three hundred bein
latest patterns of Dahlsren guns, ant
). there was no effectual mode of render
2 ing these guns unserviceable." CommC
dore PauldlnE says:
In carrying out the orders Of the Dc
/ partmeut, it was my intention to hav
placed the vessels named in the channt
+ to protect it from further obstruction, an
at my convenience to take them unde
e the guns OF Fortress Monroe or sen
them to sea, as might be most expedien
Greatly to my regret, however, | foun
that these vessels had all been scuttle
. about two or three hours before my arr
val, and were sinking so fast that the
could not be saved
Commodore Paulding the reupon too
measures to burn and destroy what pr,
perty he could, and left the harbor, town
Il away with him the naa OF war Cumbe
land, which was easily passed over tn
distractions placed below 10y the rebel
Commodore Paulding says that as 500
= after he reached the Navy Yard, n flag {
Y truce came from Cen Taliaierrc, a vi
u ginia General thereabouts, proposing 1
e permit him Commodore Paulding) to tax
$ out the Cumberland, if he would "sto
the destruction Of public property, whic
d message was defied.
Y Capt. Wilkes of the steamer Pawne
a makes an official report to Commodol
Paulding OF his part the transaction whic
is much the same in substance as Comm
dore Paulding's report 10 the Navy D
partmcnt. But it develops little OF Con
modore McCauleys conduct about thes
times. After it was found that the yesse
Q were sinking, and that the property
e the Yard would have TO be destroyed, a
e efforts will turn TO this end. Mines wei
fixed and trains laid. At halfpast OF
o'clock in the morning all was ready. an
y every soul but the few that were to Fl,
the trains were ordeIsed to leave the ian
d and come on board The troops al
n marines were rapidly embarked sa,
,. C.nt Wilkes "When IL WAS rennrfad