Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-02-19
,n,Ir SAN,V nEpiRTMENI !.

,ere.,i,sie ;ss administrator ut the Navy
Deu.rtmcnr. under its present head, VIA
power t, send Tor persons anu papeTs. ''nd !"
rerar, he result Of -aij investigation t" tie
| two Houses, respectively" ask iea'e u
peri ..
TIN. r. ar,,r.tlncs with The r"i?n;:irHS
,u,,,;..; !, ,ha resolution Cor tntir bpl'vini'
49, tLnv hor. called before them many per
800 cnc,.-ed in tie naval and military SCI
r;co oni ~ corsract3Ts and employees, rs we'll
=. o,ners in civi! life, supposed TO have knowi.
ei-a G.: he matters 70 te investigated, ana
ha.e examined IuG.ny pagers among the ar-
ei,;v3s &C tho Navy Department. N order !"
inf I'm themselves af the munuor III when TIE
d. pa..m2r. has been administered. They
have sYu.h, information wherever they sup
:gs,a i: c.uil 20 f1nnd. aaj have iHvlscd Il
trcn, a: ,.ao could give il. Tho large nur'-
Der OF witnesses sn,: v";u.:i7ous records cS-
amiYcd, proicac:;d their s:t;;ngs until near
tie cicse IF tic last recess vi C"nHre:7'
w!!cn they :urrl it necessary to p;Nn' 'a'
;n t;mory, that each member might ree!e" ~
before nisa:nS 4 report, Hud t!at lEe i"o
uouscs r,i,htt be enabled 10 decide whether
ina c;mmi:tsc had frprl IL just Judgment
and attained L lrcp"r conclusion. ri: 'ils
testimony deemed material aTd proper TO be-
published will be- founi III Is vo!uiac Of nearly
500 pages, printed darins Tie last rrc:-a CT
Cor cresS, whicatbey herewith submit a. raf'
Of tits report. The Various laws rtla'lnS, II
/ tho navy, tie rer,nrt5 Of the Secretary, (%t:lc:'
,.;e l,ocn con.idsntially communicated to
C.ng1ese.l and the rules and orders given by
bin; although coming under the rc7ic" Q!
the committee. they dAI not think 1t necessary
CT rroper to print. 1910
The . mm,,tee confined ttcir examination
u tie aamesii: operations .! the Navy Derart
m, Mt. They intended - Investigate It's Tor
e;yn operations also. aud - inquire "ho were
sent a agents 10 foreign 'ouct:,Gs TO i'n'chAsc
vessels, what iusuucaons We're %'ven mem,
what funds wcro furnished them, what &':sia-
,lc- they encountered. aac Whist "'2rc ~" &c
sa!Is OF ;he:" respective m:ssiHcH. ku: tic
Secretary ard tie President dcc'5rI Il lnc>?-
| sisteHt VIII the lGb!i: Interest AMI iiic goo;
ftitc o; the Government u furnish teca I'M y
mati2n. e. is publication Tonl! !mrcr:! ;i"9'
in oar ~s,ryi,e abro@l, arrest ,nei: iahIc= 2rc
d,f+ar thci7 If rts to serve u: a'.d the : ~
mite, concurr!ag in trus5 views, t!I ~.
press such inquiries.
Ii. due, in This co7Hcc.i9n. - state TIA:
the Secretary o: he Nary caereA 70 send BE-.
fore H.. c0mm;s:ee q gentleman wan had
rla' &c III lle IGEsISa As.h ~ =. '-''
correspondence :c:a.i"g TO them, VINO cou!'
inform uI. co! tien:iaily, 81 their character
snl resni;s. and lha: Ac cfFe:td al i,Cnrma-
ton nj ic- III coa,r2! aeI very iscil:iy 81
obtaining i; be could e:c7ioy touGAio. :a'
i ,mest;a aF.:rs Of The Eay,r, wherever cai.:i
20? by tne c1D: .n.t:ne. 0
1: will appear il TIE printed testimony
herewith >phanit:ci, that tie c%n!am:ttIr haze
Inquired ia;0 everything; ra,a,ing 70 the leG'
~,cri.ls and the op'fat:Yos q The Navy wi;nin
the Confederate : a:ca: the Glanrs aug re
sources for huiiilng q naTy- iha c!!.rts =
purchase or build vcssH.s AMI T. obtain ord
nance and ord: aucc S.Oru-; tie number "Ld
4 kind t vessels purchased az built, u; ~'orr
D2rcha-sa ~ ~ w.r:n built :ce c~unt:&".'
FIR ilaIn AMI h9T complied Ei:h the cni
sracIs :"t war vessels nos pend ag the YES
sells owned hY lie ti,Ternrcnt wneit inc Navy
Denarin"ut Was organized, md The lui:heI
and KIM nos nSn"t b. II tue naval dr!cr'.S
he N.s'Isi;'p; r,v.r AID especially OF Seu
DT.nana. c: thc Cumberland, fcnnta.aa and
James rivers. AMI Of lle c;'T Of Nor:,H ;a%
circumstances connected With :En 4"s. ru@::"i
Of the Iirg;ail, the L0ui.ianG. the Mi.Si.sjp'
ri, rhe Arks1sas ard Cthrr eunhra:s: tho
cause' .: ou. na7at disasters AID Il tie ia'a
ure "E cur nu7y 70 meet ;hs public a.pes,G'
tioEs.
The committee d. aot daem It necessary tt
rav!-w all ted. facts rcll:ing - these tUpics, uI
10 express thDir cnnniER!en unnn rHcil vi thrTl.
IL iir tC-:;m!Ly is herewith presented, aid
mav be Rad ~ all x!,c desire IT, i2!tria..i 4
it furnishes. They think 1aey Will d;i:hnrse
shc;r day b. expressing the general rent II
sh"i7 inr37:iga:;on=. they are s~rat'iied that
| they cla -;ite ttlat, after :Dng. patient ard
,.- -! ,-u.,.a ,L.r !,,., r,,n,1 nn.n-
inc in fhn administration eli the Navy Depart.
mont .h:!t iu;tii.s any ce"sUre vi Mr.. dial
i0rr.
Mr.. MALLORY assumed tae rG &c Of Secretary
cs 'ha Navy q: the beginning o. the Pro- J.
sioral Government, ard organized its Paw,
p-parincar. II :hen hal nrnmvy, TO gs-sei
g wsr, aud. inIaei, u0t+I Vessel nC nv kind
There wer. but two navy yards III the Con
Tolerate States, ani bot lizzie = :io timber il
them We lad bat a small r .umbcr of shin
wrights, or Il peraors nn'sss sing the skill u
haaiicreft ne1esstry 10 ia nors .rrr.ion o
v~ess;'s o. var. We hn3 hn. f.w seamen, anc
no commercial school %. training gcsm.r.-
"s we're especially Ieticicns in the ma:hine
~ 'oT r'or.''lIog -:s1ul vessels, and in IN
means ioc iscy .ss~u:t;on. We had noc ti'
irnn' toe IRON Sork.. the foundrios or ~rcilir,
mus ne "' %.rsslo, 3. 81 the skilled wG"kinen
essert'ai q the c,r plc;;Ja Q! torn:lai..;e s5iL
of uhr.
hGs seven steam war vessels tad been bnii
N sac States now forming the Confedera.
sac, the war Of 1919. Eagint- for but tw,
> nj '.I"s, were contracted FIR in thsse Stats
;hr heavy ~fp-g,n2s e which we're 2:s ssir;i
coa:-;c."! FIR elsewhere. Tho ertirs ina
c"irarv for >ueh vessels had 10: been Ger
s~'rrcte5 i, these States. taI' means and re
s)ur'1s for building T. navy wnre ~ sna!
AID iucurs;l"rsblc. compared with the hay"
!1wcr AMI rts)urces - the cTtmy. that mar
~pl.c;Gtic men doubted the vision Z or q.
tcnIt t. construct Il rarr.
While our means OF huiiIing hulls, engine
aai na.iir"ry. s!,d Of cquippiug end mar
{ ming efficient ships OF war were TINS limi.ct
, the immediate and h7n,iy demands upon al
I the workshops Of tho country iDr ordnance az
ordnnn.e st0cos reduced then still more
= Thus tbe shops ct Norfolk navy yard, ATTIC
shcy came under the c5ntrol Of The Soaretar,
! Of the Navy. were largely engaged in the ,naa
! ~uGacturo Of gun-carriages, sn)t, shell, &c 20
the army, ana il mounting and sulaiJ:1l
+; guns.
; We lave hal to labor under the most unto
ward ana embarrassing circumstances. NaI
t had been employed IL sbip'vE:Ehs., who ha
: never served HI apprenticeship, Of hailt 8 We
=. '.i, cr even worked on cro, because skill All
experience could nor nc commanded. All tn
ia9cr or materials requisite to complete a.,
n equip 4 war vessel-ould rot be commanded q
any one Iuinr Of che Coateieraay; but RI
o u~ach;ncry fnr propellirg it, or some aarf Of j,
r OF Size ordnance or criraocc stores. had to b
! transported to the various aid distant point
where :hn huils we're being built. Thus. il
: the construction OF the Mississippi ut New
Orleans, the iatcr, skill and resources Of Gif
, ferent par,S Of The Cnnfedesarv were recss-a
rily invoked: her iron Was rolled ut Atlanta
y portion" &c he~ machinery aa.i equipment.
we're naio 1t Norfolk, while the main shaf
; and ord anre and ordnance sr9rcs were mad
at Richmond.