The daily confederate. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1864-1865, 1864-02-25

and distant points W here the hulls were bein Q
built. Thus in the construction of the Mis-
sissippi at New Orleans, the Dor, skill and
resources OF different parts Of the Con federacy
were necessarily invoked her iron was rolled
at Atlanta, PORTIONS of her machinery and
equipments wee made at Norfolk while the
majn shaft and ordnance and ordnance stores
were made At Richmond
In order to sheath the hulls of gunbaats,
we have been obliged to use such scrap iron,
old and rejected sugar mills, and sack other dis
cartled iron as coul! be gathered up and to
prcpci them have baen constrained to use the
engines and boilers Of dilapidated steamboats,
Hence it has happened that some of our gun
boats have proven insufficient because of the
imperfection oftheir machinery and sheathing
Besides the DEFICIENCIES and difficulties, we
have been obstructcd in our operations by the
invasion Of the enemy, whereby we not only
I'st our navy-yards and much Of their ma
chnery and ship timber, but were compelled
to destroy gunboats quite completed, and
steamboats, whose machinery might have
served u.s. to prevent them from being cap
tured by the enemy. Hence the destruction
of the Virginia. Louisiana, Mississippi the
vessels 10 Lake Poncliartrain, Bayou ST. John,
the lazoo and Mississippi rivers and else
whore
! But had we been able to command all the
| workshops aud material, artizans and sealncn,
| requisite 10 C. instruct navy equal in size to
| thaI OF our enemy, still! we should h We BE-
gun the war upon the most unequal terms
| The enemy bad powerful navy to begin
with we had none. Under the L. S. Gov
erumcnt the Southern States have made great
ana generous sacrifices to promote the mari
time interests OF the North, while the great
resources OF naval wealth and power were
l9uoFed; ana when we entered upon our Srug-
Gle Tor Independence, We found ourselves con-
ironted and our waters invaded by powerful
navy which had, with our aid, been fostered
AID developed for over sixty years and which,
III addition to smaller vessels, readily convert
Ell to war uses, from great commercial
inarine-compisel 81 steamships, many of
them the most formidable on the ocean and
81 sailing vessels, with an aggregate OF 2
/ 10 guns, all under the guidance of naval
men and Seamcn whose professional attain
meuts aud nautical skill were unsurpa ssed-
The encmya vast naval resources, great com
! merclal schools for scamen, numerous artizans
and vast workshops, cuab ed him 10 augment
this tormid4bie force with rapidity unequal
ed in nava! history while the naval resour-
ceS OF The world We're also opened to him 1t
would have required many years, even under
the most iaxo'abie circumstances, for Us to
have Quilt AMI equipped as many and such
vessels rs the enemy began the War with
The committee make these observations
not meley In justice to the Secretary Of tie
Navy, but to correct the public Judgment,
which has been founded at least in part.
upon an exaggerated estimation of our means,
or undeserved dissemination Of the Secretary.
or OF naval ,fficers, or of contractors with
the Department The testimony does not
furnish any sufficient grounds for imputing
the shortcomings, failures a'd disasters Of
our Navy to the Secretary. On the contrary,
IL SHOWS that be has bee Ii vi2lant, ndustri-
Gus and energetic, In employing the means
Within his power to purchase and to build a
navy. One of his first acts. after entering
upon his duties, was to call tie attention of
Congress to the rapid and radical changes in
naval warf.rc which had taken place within
wyears, in displacng the wooden walls"
that had been relied on for attack or defence,
with gigantic iron-cads He early took
heans Tor constructing an iron-clad navy
An officer Was sent throughout the Confeder-
ale States to examine aud report the means |
OF manufacturing and prep ,ring iron armour
and heavy machinery. Others were sent
to the United States, to Canada and
Europe, to purchase or build suitable |
vessels for imme late use. The build |
Ing OF armoured vessels was began In the hope |
OF compsnsating by their individual strength |
Tor our great Inerlority to the enemy in the |
num0er OF war vessels and of seameu and ma |
Tines. The time, labor and material necessary
to construct a single heavy armoured steam !
vessel may be judged of from the following
example: The Merrimac, enc of the ships |
sunk aud partially destroyed by the enemy on
abandoning Norfolk, Was raised, aud although
the main point of the hull and the bo ers and |
material parts OF the machinery were unin-
Jureo, eight months of uninterrupted labor Of
as many workmen as could advantageously be
employed, aided by the workshops of Rich
mond, were necessary to get her in Fl gbting con-
ditlon as an iron-cad. Work upon her, and
orders of tie Navy department, was common
ced on the lh of July, 1861 and she fought
the memorable battle Of Hampton Roads-a
battle which al oEce revoutionizod naval war
fare-on the 9Th OF March, 1862 before she
was entirely completed. And yet Constructor
Potter says, he yard at Norfolk was worked
up TO Its fullest capacity. Everything was
properly organized and tie officers were con-
stantly on the spot directing operations and
pushing forward the work The Secretary of
the Navy IN order to stimulate ope -atons.
suffered inducements by way of additional paw
or rewards to work after dark and on Sun
days. In short, he offered every encourage
ment that was calculated to excite them 10
more zeal and energy" By letters and by
kilograms he urged the officers Of the Navy at
New Orleans and other important points to
spare neither men nor money, and to work
day and night in completing gunboats, pre-
pairing ordnance stores and getting ready to
attack or to meet the enemy. The credit of
the Navy Department at New Orleans was
impaired for a short time for the want of
money to pay the employees; but this is not
lmputable to Mr. Mallory. His raousitions
were made upon the Treasury in due time to
have supplied all just demands agains, the
Department. The Causes of this 6nacial en-
barrassment are explained in the correspon-
-dox,co lot. l;.a...olc IL