Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-02-24


vessels, with an aggregate ef 2,l7s gus, all
under tie guidance Of naval men knd saamen
whose professional Rttainm5Eis and nautical
skill were unsurpassed. The eneny's vast na-
val resources, great commercial school for sea-
men, numerous Rrtizsus and vast WORKSHOPS,
enabled him 70 augment this formidable f9rce
with rapiditY unsquallsd in naval hlsllny
while tho naval resources of the world W5Io also
opened 10 him. It would have inquired many
years, even under the ost..isyorabie cireumsian-
css, for us to have built and equipped as many
and such vesseis IS the enamY began tds waf
with.
Tbs committee make shese observations. not
msrely in justice to the Secretary Of the Nvy.
but 10 correct tho public Judgment, which hss
baen founded, ST lsssi IN part, upoH an exzgzsF-
sted estimation Of our means, or uBdeseived
disestnation Of tho Secretary, or Of naval rff-
cers, OF Of contractors with the Department.
The testimony does not furnish any sufficient
grounds for imputing th9 shortcomings, fall
ures and disasters of eur navy TO the Secretary.
On the contrary, It shows thar be has been Fig-
liant, industrious and energetic, in employing
the means within his power to purchase and %
build navy. Oae Of his 6gst acts, after enter-
ing upon his duties, WAS to csll the attention. OF
Congress TO the Tspid and radical ohsnget in
naval warfare which had taken place within
few years, in displacing the wooden walls"
thSt had been relied on for attack or deieaBe,
with gigantic iron-clads. He early tn0k mesus
for constructing an iron-elad navy. An off5esr
was sent throughout the Confederate States to
examine and report tho means Of mRnuisc.ur-
ing and preparing iron arnor ard heavy ma
ehineTy. OtheTs were sant 10 the Unitsd STATES,
to Canada and Europe, to purchase or build
suitable vessels for immediate use.
The building of arInoTsd vessels was begun
in the hope of eompenssting by their ndividusl
strength for our great inferiority to the enemy
IN the number OF var Vessels and of seamen and
marines. The time, labor and material neces-
gary to construct single hes7Y sTmoTsd yes.
sci may be judged Of from tho following exam
ples The MerTimae, One of the chips sunk and
partially destroyed by the enemy on abandoning
Norfolk, WAS raised, and although the msin
point Of the hull and tae boilers and material
parts Of The machinery were uninjaIed, eight
months OF uninterrupted labor Of a. many work
men as could be sdYsnfageously employed, aid
cd 5y tho workshops Of Richmond, were neess-
sary 70 get heT in fighting condition - an iron-
clad. Work upon her, Hnder orders from the
Navy Department, was commenced On tho ] III
Of July, 1861 and she fought the memorable
bsttie of Hampton roads-a battle which at
once reVoludonized naval Wariars-on the 9Th
of March, 1862, before she was entirely CON-
plsted
And yet Constructor Porter says. "the yard
at Norfolk was worked up to IFS fullest capacity
Everything was properly organized, and the
officers were constantly On tha spot directing
operations and pushing forward the work. The
Secretary Of the Navy IN order to stimulate one
rations, offered Inducements By way Of addi-
tional pay or rewards to work after dark and on
Sundays. In short, he offered every encourage
mcnt that was calculated to excite them % more
zeal and energy" By letters and hY telegrsmg
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 eom-
pleting gunboats, preparing ordnance stores and
getting ready 70 attack or to meet the enemy.
The eredi! OF the Navy Department. at New Or
lesns wss impaired for short tims for The want
of money but this is not imputsbs to Mr. MEl-
lory. His acquisitions were made upon she
treasury ia due time 70 have supplied ell itut
demands against the department..
The causes of this financial embarrassm ent
are explained ia the correspondence belwesn
himself aud the Secretary of the Trossuiy,
which is embodied IN The testimony It does
net appear by the testimony that work on any
vessel, or for she navy ct any time or place, Was
delayed or suspended BY the deiaultCf The Sac
rotary Of the Navy. He has ordered courts OF
inquiry ia every instance where there was pIo-
bsDle canse for attriDutng our defeat or disaster
70 he deficiency or delinquency OF an officer OF
the navy. He invited contracts for bailding
gunbOais wherever they could be soonest a'ld
best built, and most Sdvautsgs0usly snploY,d.
His contracts seem to have been jHdici0us and
to have been properly enforced. Contractors
have in some cases failed to o0mplete their work
within ths time stipulaiedi whereby ihs sXpee-
tations Of the Secretary have beea disappointed
and his plans defeated. But, on inquiry, it has
been shown that they failed 10 comply with thsir
engagements in consequence Of unforeseen eau
sea beyond their control, and not through sily
iBfdelity or want Of diligence.
I1asmueh as there las 5een much misrepIe-
sontations and elimination of The Secretary OF
the Navy, and Of the Messrs. Tiff, because oil
their failure to complete and 70 save the Mssis-
sppi, il is but sheer lustice to say tina! these
gentlemen are not related by blood or marriage, il
any degree, TO &F. Mallory; that they undertook
70 construct their vessel without pee1niary ro-
ward, and prosecuted the work on it with rare
industry and energy and with extraordinary
| dispatch; that their loyalty, patriotism and in
tegrity are ung1esii0ns5le, snd that neither
they Aor the secretary are eensursble for the in
completeness of that vessel when the ensmy
/ reached New Orleans, or Tor iS destruction.
/ Their operations were delayed from q want o
iron, which the Navy Department could no
| possibly supply as fast IS it was demanded
| Indeed, neither the Government nor the peopl
/ have been sble to meet snd gstisiy tho great de
malds Of the army and navy for iron. TIL
Navy Depsrtment has, for 3 long time psal
employed agents in many psIis Of The couRtg,
to gather scrap iron IL cities and on plsntstio8l
| to relieve, ia some InessuIe, its necessities
Tae reports of the SserataTy Of the Navy hav
not been published, from motives Of scum
| policy, aud hence tho operations Of that depaEi
ment arc not generally Known. It's not deeme
proper now to publish ali the facts which shout
be presented IN order to q full knowledge AM
Just appreciation Of the management of n
Navy Department. But it is not improper 3
state shst the department hse erected powde
mill, which suppes All The powder repaired b.
our navy; two engine boilers and machine shop
I and five ordnance work shops. Il has sstsh
lisAed eighteen yards for building war yossel1
rope yarn to a nine inch cable and espabla Q
turning out & 600 per month.
OF vessels not iTOn-elsd. the department
hss purchased and otherwise acquired
aud converted to war vessels ---------- ID
Has built and completed as war vessels -
Has partially constructed and destroyed to
save irOm the snenly ------------ 10
And has now under construction 3
OF iron-clsd vessels it has completed and
has now in commission --..--------- -
Has completed and destroyed or lest by
Bas in progress of construction, and ia
vATioas stages Of forWsrdness- ss-----.---- 20
It has, also, one ironcIGd floating battery, pr
sented to the ConiodoFs.e States BY the ladies'
Georgia, and one ironelsd ram, partially cox
pleted and turned over 70 the Coniederacy b
the State Of Alabama.
Taking into consideration the poverty Of ou
means, aud the formidable naval power an
boHndless resources Of our enemy st the begin
ming Of this war, our people have no sufieier
esaBO for shaTas OK Encouragement IN the peri
sions Of our navy. What las been, and Is b
ing done, to resist Che enemy on the waters
our rivers and the sea should inspifs confdene
and excite strong hops ihHt our navy viii y
prove an efficient and worthy SLY Of cur mob
aImies in achieving oar Independence. Il hs
already won the admiration and applause
nsutrsI nations for its gallant and gloriog
achievements. And if We should succeed
getting into service the war vessels complete
and in progress Of construction, the eommilss