The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-05-24
The Rebel Iron-Clads.

The bad luck of the rebels in their
attempts to create navy, seems to fol.
low them to the end. They have spent
immense sums Of money in the building
of rams and IRON clad batteries, and all
Of these engines Of destruction have met
with untimcly disasters. Except in the
vessels furnished them by England and
France, they have invested their money
10 little purpose. They began their c1.
pcrimcnts for the creation of.a home
iron clad navy with the ram Manassas,
which in October, 1861, attacked the
United States blockadins vessels at the
mouth Of the Mississippi river, and
frightened the Federal vessels much more
than it hurt them. This pioneer rebel
iroa.clad was sunk at New Orleans by
the United States frigatc Mississippi,
April 22nd, 1862.
The iron-platcd gunboat Eastport, fell
into our hands after the capture Of Fort
Henry.
The Merrimac, the most famous and
most successful of the rebel. iron.clads,
after sinking the United States frigatc
Cumberland, in Hampton Roads, and
capturing the frigatc Congress, in March,
1852, was driven of by the gallant little
Monitor, and was finally blown up on
the occupation Of Norfolk, May l /, 1862.
The great iron.clad steamer Louisiana,
which was designed to be the most pow
; ;erful vessel that ever Aoatcd, was blown
up by the rebels at Forts Jackson and
St. Philip. April 2S, 1862.
The rebel ircn.clad Arkansas came
out Of the Yazoo river, July Is, 1862,
and passed all the United States vessels
Of the Mississippi fleet, innicting con-
siderable damage upon them. The ca
rccr Of this vessel was closed by COM
mandcr D. D. Porter, Of the y. S. gum
boat Essex, whose solid shot and shell
went through the Arkansas, and blew
her up on the 9th Of August, 1852.
The rebel iron .clads Chicora and
Palmetto State, which vcnturcd out at
Charleston January 81, 1853, attacked
the bIockading fleet, and did small dam
ace comparatively, returned to the har-
bor, and there remained until they were
blown up upon the evacuation Of tic
city by the rebels.
The United States Monitor Tndianola,
which had been captured by the rebels
on the Mississippi river, was blown up
by them upon the appearance Of a sham
monitor. March 3, 1863.
The iron clad Hart, long spoken Of as
the great defense Of the Tcchc country,
was blown up by the rebels upon the
capture Of New Iberia, Louisiana, April
Is, 1863.
An iron.pIatcd ram, upon the stocks
at Iazoo City, was destroyed by Admiral
Porter in an expedition sent to that
place May 81, 1863.
The rebel iron-clad Atlanta was cap.
tured in Warsaw Sound, Georgia, BY the
monitor Wcchawkcn, June II, 1863
On the same day the rebel iron. clad Chat.
,ahoochcc burst her boilers and was
blown up at Chattahoocbcc, Florida.
The rebel iron. clad Albcmarlc made
its appearance near Plymouth; n, e.,
April IS, 1861, and sunk the United
States guuhuats Southiicld and Bomb.
shell, and then retired. This formidable
vessel was sunk by Lieutenant. Comman-
der Gushing, October 81, being blown
up ty torpedo. but was lately raised
for repairs,
The rebel ram North Carolina came
out Of Wilmington, n. G., May 6, 1864,
and made an unsuccessful attack upon
the United States guntoat Nanscmond.
She was driven off and blown up BY the
rebels shortly before the capture Of Will
mington.
The iron. clad ram Tennessee was cap.
,ureI in Mobile Bay, by the fleet under
Admiral larragut, August 5, 1851. On
the 25:h Of the same month tho iron
plated ram Nashville was blown up in
Mobile harbor by the crew Of the I. S.
gunboat Mctacomct.
The iron clad Savannah and Georgia,
powerful vessels, were blown up in De.
ccmber, upon the capture OF the clsy OF
Savannah by Sherman.
The capture of Richmond and Peters,
burg put an end to the rebel iron'clad
feet on the James river, and the Virgin.
ia and Fredericksburg were blown up,
besides some others which were upon the
stocks.
The untimcly fate of the Webb is the
last in this list Of disasters. She has
gone the same road as her predecessors.
The Alabama and Florida have been
destroyed. The Georgia went out OF
service, but was captured BY Federal
frigate. The Shenandoah, Rnppahan.
mock and Stcnewall arc British and
French gifts to the rebellion. They
will soon cease their piratical careers
irP rPhiLuiclphiu Enquirer.