Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-05-26
DESTRUCTION OF THEvIRaINIA.
RErLY OF THx PILOTS TO srATEkSrs OF COMMODORE
| TATNALL
RICHNoM Nav d, 1855.

Genttefasn Inc undersigned, pnts on board the
late noble steamer Virginia astdshed and amazed
70 see In the Richmond Enquirer of Nv III, the liter
thought communication OF Josiah Tat1u late fiat
Ger commanding the steamer Virgk, ss 1t Wis the
first iDtimation we had that VIC were 10 be mad the
scapeg0as for the sins" Of those higher in su.rity
Humbla as we are 10 station, yet We free, mtve
born Vngnia1s and dare to hurl back s the tech Of
the commodore his futile and coBtrAdclo misses and,
if have the ability, pour hot shot ino bis exposed
brOddsiies To do this il ia necessary 70 beAp al the
beginning Of bis letter to Secretary Mallory. lear the
commencement he says: Il begin with your tesraphc
dispatches to me Of the and h instants, dsctng
take such position in the James liver asSould
entirely prevent the enemys ascending L." Fartdr on
lie slys "0a the b you Secretary Mallory elesaph-
ed TO to endeayor 10 afford projection to NortS as
we'll as the James rive which replaced me IN myhrig-
lnal position" Way Ord be not state that bis "oHnal
position" Was in the Eli Ibeth river, short dissnt be-
low Oransy Island which position only protected For
folk when By lying in the mouth Of James river, heo
teoted Norfolk and al TIE same time protected kichnd
because at al tides and at any time, night or day Ehf
ship could be gotten under way aud either intsrcet
the Monitor, il she attempted 10 60 to Norfolk n
which there no danger, as she was AFRAID as deth
Of the Virginia. or gee in her rear and follow Er
up and capture her. lie says: ION the 7th iustnt
Commodore Hollins reached Norfolk With orders fom
YOU Secretary Mallory to consalt with me, and itch
officers as might Select in regard 10 the best dispsl.
zion 10 be made OF the Virginia, under the Prd,nt
time appointed for coya,eccs tho enemy sttaekedSs,
vel Point atteJaS6EShp (thc COMMODORE left thl
navy yard TO SEnkee fleet, and, ~ tle mean
time three Of the tenys vessels had gone uptae janet
river bound Tor Rchmond-one Of t1em being the IRON
cti steamer Gslena that lately attacked DTsTns Bluff
beoE Richmond Blu. it vii. be sait tla. Commodore
TatDall haj 10 go TO Norfolk with the Virginia to get
waller provisions *, This deny, because le Vac
g,1ie might have been kept IN the mouth OF EEi5eth
ever or in the mouth Of the James river, sndre.'r,
prov SONS coal yea all she requised, could ha. been
carried noWl the rivers 10 her Without the slghef dth
Guilty or danger so the awful blunder OF g0lBf
Nirok where she could only come out at higbWAter,
AID permitting the enemy ascend the James rer I'M
malesled eanaOt bs jGsihsd or excused by i,aly &C
clsug the pilots Of deception. The order from the Sec
retary of the Navy directed tia. the Virginia shd at
ford protection Jsmss river, as well as to Ndtok;
and this order Commodore Tatna d!sobeyed bygoog
up 20 Norfolk and leaving the James river entire open
aud exposed 10 the enemy And even when theNTgl'
uia no. az the navy yard she lay in The EhAbelh
river lust below CSaney Island, instead OF lyngin the
mouth OF the James riVer where she protected both
Redmond ard Norfolk.
We nov come 10 the assertion where Commodof Tat
pal saws "The pilots mad assured me that they could
take the ship with draught Of eighteen feet, TO Ehu
forty miles Of Richmond" This We deny. We said,
viii favorable tides We could take the ship 10 Westover,
about three miles below HarrisOns bar, which il about
nj,ythree miles from Richmond. But l6t Us see what
VAS the real object in tightening the ship. Ga ne return
from Norfolk, where they learned that General Huger
had Telrsaed the batteries been abandoned, and the
enemy about 10 take possession Of Norfolk, he SAYS
az was about seven o'clock 10 the evening and TINS vi
expected information rendered prompt measures meets
sary fos the safety Of the Virginia" Now 1t words are
% convey idess is not plain that the Tightening NE
snip for the purpose Of coming up James river
- attack the ron-cad steamer Glena and two other
formidable gunboais, With the wooden sides, boS stern
aad rudder of the Virginia entirely exposed Al fret
l,e Commodore says the Virginia WAS ghened for the
sa.ety OF tho ship aud yet IN the same communication
ne says -" determined 10 lgh the ship at once and
run the James river for the prot elton OF Richmond
Now was there no panic here Was there not want
70 the spirit the coolness and calm decision OF
dear and BELOVED Buchanan What! the Virginia, that
noble specimen OF the genius cl her clnsHuctor-she
that vas mistress of at least OF all OF VHginAs waters
REQUIRED promp. measures for her safety A. her very
approach the Yankee roncad gunOoaiS yea the whole
Yankee EaTy, seemed TO remoe, and che bad only TO
make her appearance and they ran in a moment.
But let Us lit the veil little higher Tue commodore
-ad he had retired to bed, and bstWcen oHe and two
o'clock the fret lieutenant reported 70 me that alter the
shin had been lifted 70 render her unh for action,
ne pilots had declared their liability 70 carry eighteen
l-,t above jamestown hIs" Now, here is an admission
that che was unfit Tor action aud yet this commodore
avs he intended 10 take her up James river 10 coutepd
wish the "iron,lId GaenA and two gunboats" that had
a.csnded James river while be Was projecting Richmond
BY wing AZ Norfolk.
Now We desire 10 stale fact, and We defy contradC
ton tba, after the Virginia vas ghteued so as to ren
p Der uLG tor action, having thr wn over ell her ha
lat ADD much OF her COAL she drew aft twenty feet liz
Incl es and twenty feet forward This Ws LsceFtained
Ey Chief lot PsTri8ha going in boa; aud sscerainnE
her ep,c. DRAFT And here wish 10 state another
i, exposing tie Ignorance Of this commander Of the
dgait OF tia ship-Fo pAiul, that even be that runs
NAV read When the Virginia was first dated from The
trydock AZ tho GOsp0rg Navy Yard she drew eiGhceU
feet four inches aft aad yeneen feet forward, With ny
tons OF coal aGks OF water forward, ard her boil
ga filled Sac had no guns or 10 ahell, no ballast,
aai mas since had put upon her upwards of two hun
deed tons Of IRON Thu5 ahe drew feet six iuchcs
mora than We have ever said she could carry 10 within
lory miles Of r chmond, (syen admitting what he
saws though deny ia ccrr,ctnesl Nov, Is II not
plain that tie feet OF the SFgn.ss having had added
70 heT weight more than two bundled tons Of ir11 be
4a, her guns sho; and shell aud stores since sne fest
me out OF Dock Whel she drew eighteen feet four in-
obes had escaped toe memory u the commander or be
WAS ignorant Of what he ought 70 nave known he
s,ys. cater tie ship was rendered unit iOr action he
.as IL formed by the first lieutenant The pilots had de-
red ths inability TO carry eighteen feet above she
jamestown a,ls" What the pilots did say wss, thst
desired if possible the be ghtened 70 less
l,n eighteen tcet a. the wind had been several days
70 the westward, %hich maks the tides much lower
Ru, at the same time We ssd We we're ready aud sizing
10 obey the commands OF the O mmsuder One oil US
remarked we are not aifsi5; wheu lieutenant replied
NJ, We hho" InAl' lN' u nav "S'N =. '-
p-oy,n yourselves meu Of courage" The iac is, the
ship could Lot be gbtsnsd to dTsE eighteen foot water
uclsss 20 glDs AMMUNITION, provisions, aod nearly her
entire supply Of fuel had been thrown OVERFLOW Whop
would have placed her a. tue marcy Of tic enemy, and
Conuodols TatuaI ought to have known il before be
attempted 20 tighten her.
T1e commodore ssys va heard his address TO the
crew. But at the came tine We we're not consulted as
70 the des wind OF depth Of water that could be carried
al that time. he pays On demanding from the chief
pilot ur. Parrish an explanation Of the palphble de.
cep,on he replied chat ghteen feet would be carried
after ths prevalrrce of esstsrY winds and that The Wind
for the last tzo dayshai been wetsy. Tbs statement
pilot Parish utterly denies and Gays nc such dea md
OF An explanation OF "this pal9able deception" was
made. No man charged him with t. g. far from it,
not one word of csnuro or complaint uttered during
the whole time. In fact all felt grateful for the kind
treatment ws he'd received and the commodore, in par
ticular aotsd generously and Kindly So much that