The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-06-14
Destruction Of the merrimac.

Com. Tatnall reports IS follows to the
Rebel Secretary of War:
eve observed from the Merimac that
the flag was not flying on the Sewelrs Point
Battery, and that it appeared to have been
abandoned. dispatched Lieut. J. P. JSnes,
the Flag Lieutenant, to Craney Island,
where the Confederate flag was still flying.
and he there learned that large force of the
enemy had landed on Bay shore. and were
marching rapidly on Norfolk that Sewell's
Point Battery was abandoned, and our troops
were retreating. I then despatched the
same officer to Norfolk, to confer with Gen.
Huger and Captain Lee. He found the
Navy Yard in flames, and all the other off,
GERS had LEFT by railroad-that the enemy
was within half a mile Of the city, ana that
the Mayor was treating for its surrender
On returning to the ship he found that
Craney Island and all the other batteries on
the river had been abandoned.
It was now seven o'clock in the evening,
and this unexpected confirmation rendered
prompt measures necessary for the safety of
the Virginia
The pilots had assured me that they could
take the ship, with draft of eighteen feet,
to within forty miles of Richmond.
This, the chief pilot. Mr.. Parrish. and his
chief assistant, Mr.. Wright, had asserted
again and again and on the afternoon of the
seventh, IN my cabin, in tho presence of
Com. Hollins and Capt. Sterrett, in reply to
. question Of mine, they both emphatically
declared their ability to do so.
Confiding in these assurances, and after
consulting with the First and Flag Leuten-
ants, and learning that the officers, generally,
thought it the most judicious course, de-
to tighten the ship al once, aud
run up the river for the protection Of Rich.
mond. ..s.-....s -....t..
All hands having been, called on deck,
stated to them the condition of things, and
my hope that, by getting up the river before
the enemy could be made aware Of our de-
signs, we might capture his vessels which
had asoended it. and render efficient aid in
the defense Of Richmond; but to effect this
would require oil their energy.in tightening
the ship. they replied with three cheers.
and went to work at once. The pilots were
on deck and heard this address to the crew
Being quite unwell, I had retired to bed
Between ] and o'clock in the morning, the
first lieutenant reported to me that, after the
crew had worked for FIVE or sig hours, and
lifted the ship SO as to render her unfit for
action, the pilots declared their inability to
carry eighteen feet above the jamestown
Flats, up to which point the shore on each
side was occupied by the enemy.
On dema- ding from the chief pilot, Mr..
Parrish, an explanation of this palpable de-
ception, he replied that eighteen feet could
be carried after the prevalence of easterly
winds, and that the wind of the last two days
had been westerly.
had no time to lose. The ship was not
IN condition TOR battle, even with an enemy
ofequal force, and their force was over
whelming therefore determined, with
the concurrence of the First and Flag Lieu
tenants, to save the crew for future service
by landing them at Craney Island, the only
road for retreat open to us, and to destroy
the ship to prevent her falling into the hands
of the enemy. may add that, although not
formally consulted, the course was approved
by every commissioned officer in the ship.
There is no dissenting opinion. The ship
was accordingly put on shore as near the
main land in the vicinity Of Craney Island
and the crew landed. She was then fred,
and after burning fore and aft for upwards
of an hour, blew up little before five on
the morning of the 11th.