Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-05-28
DESTRUCTION OF THE Fl MERRIaAo d

The following letter from Coms I0lhall " wy
Secretary Of the Navy, Mr.. Mallory gives the par.
ticuars Of the destruction Of the Merrmac and the
causes which led to it The country will hardly be
convinced that it was wise policy to eyacuate NOR
folk at the time twas done, or to burn the Merrmac
which really seems to have been consequence OF
the evacuation:
RlcHMoND, Va, May IA, 1862.
SIR: In detailing to you the circumstances which
caused the desti uction of the C. S. steamer Vir
ginia y and her movements o few days previous to
that event. begin with your telcgraphic dispatches
to me of the 4th and 9TH inst, directing me to take
such position in the James river as would entirely
prevent the enemy's ascending it.
General Hnger, commanding at Norfolk, on learn
ing that had received this order, called on me and
declared that its execution would oblige him to
abandon, Immediately his Forts on "Craney Island"
and "Sewe's Point" and their guns to the enemy.
informed him. that as the order was Imperative,
must execute it. but suggested that he should tel:
egraph you and state the consequences. lie did So
and on the 9th inst you telegraphed me to endeav
or to afford protection to- Norfolk as well as the
James river, which placed me in my original posi-
ion then arranged with the General that he should
notify me when his preparations for the evacuation
of Norfolk were sufficiently advanced to enable me
to act independently.
On the 7th inst, Commodore IIollins reached
Norfolk with orders from you to consult with me
and such officers as might select in regard to the
best disposition to be made of the "Virgihia under
the present aspect Of things.
Wehad arranged the Conference for the next day,
the Sth but on that day. before the hour appointed,
the enemy attacked the Sewel's Point Battery and
left INN ediately with the "Virginia" to defend it.
We found six of the enemy's vessels, including
the iron clad steamers, Monitor" and Manga
tuck, Smelling the Battery We passed the Bat
for md OF f0rf hn for %
pose of engaging him, and thought an action Ger
tain, particularly as the minnesota" and cyan
dcrbilt," which were anchored below Fortress Mon
roe got under way and stood up to that point appa-
rently with the intention joining their squadron in
the Roads Before, however, We got within gun.
shot the enemy ceased firing and retired with ali
speed under the protection of the guns of the For
trcss, followed by the Virginia" until the shells
from the rip Raps" passed over her.
The "Virgnia" was then placed at her moorings
near Sewells Point, and returned to Norfolk to
hold the Conference referred to.
1t was held on the 9th, and the officers present
were Colonel Anderson and Captain --, of
the Army, selected by General IIuger who was too
unwcll to attend himself and of the Navy, myself,
Commodore llollins, Captains Sterrett and Lee,
Commander Richard L. Page and I.cutcnants Ap.
Catesby Jones, and j. Pembroke Jones.
The opinion was unanimous that the "Virginia
was then employed to the best advantage, and, that
she should continue for the present to protect Nor
folk and thus afford time to remove the public prop
erty.
On the next day. at 10 o'clock a. IN, we observed
from the "Eirginia" that the flag was not flying on
the Sewelrs Point Battery, and, that it appeared to
| have seen abandoned. | despatched Lieut.. j. p.
Jones' 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 the Bay shore, and were marching rapidly on
hat tho "a, al,
| doncd, and our troops were retrcatins | then de-
spatched the same officer to Norfolk to confer with
General lIuger and Captain Lee. lie found the
| Navy Yard in flames and, that all its officers had
! left by railroad On reaching Norfolk be found that
General luger and all the other officers of the arpy
had also left that the enemy were within half
mile of the city, and 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.
| 1t was now seven o'clock in the evening, and this
! unexpected information rendered prompt measures
necessary for the safety CT 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 7th, in my cabin
| in the presence of Commodore lIollins and Captain
Sterrett in reply to question of mine, they both
emphatically declared their ability to do so.
Contidng in these assurances, and, after consult
ting with the First and Flag Lieutenanis and learn
ing that the officers generally, thought it the most
jud:cious course, determined to Tighten the ship
at once, and run up the river for the protection Of
| Richmond.
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 design we might capture his vessels
| which had assembled it. and render efficient aid in
the defence of Richmond, but that to effect this,
would require all 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 unwcll, had retired to bed Between
one and two o'clock in the morning, the First Lieu
tenant reported to me that, after the crew had
worked for five or six hours, and lifted the ship so
as to render her unfit for action the pilots had de-
cared their inability to carry eighteen feet above
the jamestown Flats, up to which point the shore,
on each sde was occupied by the enemy.
On demanding from the chief pilot Mr.. Parish,
an explanation of this palpable deception, he replied
that eighteen feet could be carried after the prevail
ance of easterly Winds and that the wind for the
last two days had been westerly
had no time to lose The ship was not in a
condition for BATTLE even with an enemy of equal
force, and their force was overwhelming l, there
fore, determined with the of the First
and Flag Leutenants, to save the crew for future
service, by landing them at Craney Island, the only
road for retreat open To u.s. and to destroy the ship
to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy.
L may add that although not formally consulted,
the course was approved by every commissioned
officer in the ship.
There is no dissenting opinion. Theship was &C.
cordingy put on shore near the main land. in the
vicinity of Craney Island as possible and the crew
landed she was then fired and after burning fierce.
ly fore and aft for upwards of an hour, blew up
little before five on the morning of the 18th.
We marched for Suffolk, twenty-five miles, and
reached 1t in the evening, and from thence came by
railroad to this city. 49,.
IL will be asked what motive the pilots could
have had to deceive INC. The only imaginable one
is, that they wished to avoid going into battle
Had the ship not been lifted, so as to render her
unfit for action, desperate contest must have en-