Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-20
The Reconstruction of the 6 Monitor,,
-Falstfying History.


From the Hartford Evening Press
MR. EDITOR: II is always lamentable
to see history falsifed, and the more so
when the facts in official form are before
the world. A historian is not justified in
adopting the fancies of his own brain or
the gossip of a newspaper when the truth
is or can be within his reach. To do so
stamps the author as a churlatan in. litera-
ture, and should make his productions
worth just exactly the market price for old
paper-no more.
In a History of the Civil Wat
America" by John s. c. EDbott 7 Ana
the following relative 10 the gency of the
department in the construction of
the monitor" Speaking of her arrival
at Hampton Roads and the e~ncountel,
with the Merrimac, page BAT, he says;
IA great sense of relief was experienced
in this opportune, proUidemtiai arrival Of
the Monitor. He who believes that not a
sparrow falls without our Fathers notice.
will recognize in this event the hand of
God. The government had not ordered,
or even as yet purchased the Monitor. A
private individual, and he q foreigner, had
devised the plan and private enterprise
had constructed the ship-the naval board
merely permitting the experiment to be
tried. Throughout the country generality
but little was known of the Monitor. )
On page 35l, the statement Is repeated
in the following form;
"The government, in consequence of
this want of preparation, lost two of our
finest frigates, including property to the
amount Of two or three millions of dollars,
nnA okOrrA krrA hVrp1nA1 I'LL IL
And but for the private enterprise which
devised and pushed forward the Monitor.
national disasters might have ensued
which can hardly be exaggerated.
As the facts relative to the construction
of the Monitor were fully stated in the re-
port of the Secretary of the Navy, and ac-
companying documents, in December,
1861, three months before the fight in
which she was engaged occurred, and
more than two years before the publica-
ton of this volume of history, it is charity
to call these statements inexcusable blum
ders The facts are as follows:
Congress, at the extra session in the
summer of 1861, appropriated a million
and a half of dollars for the construction
Of one or more iron-elad vessels, the plans
to be approved by a board of three naval
officers. The act was signed on the Sd of
August, and on the 9Th an advertisement
calling for plans was sent throughout the
country, and a board, consisting of the
present admirals, Smith, Paulding and Da-
Wis, was appointed to decide which should
be adopted.
Seventeen plans were presented, and of
the three selected one was the Monitor
designed by Captain Ericsson. A contract
for its construction was signed on the 4th
of 0ctober-on the part of the United
States by "Gideon Welles, Secretary of
the Navy" and on the part of the build
ers by J. Ericsson, John F. Winslow, John
A. Griswold and @. S. Bushnell" 1t con-
tanned stipulstions for payment of three
fourths of the cost as the work progressed,
reserving rs per cent. until the completion
(the usual provision in the construction of
vessels and steam engines,) which was
done, and the fight at Hampton Roads be-
ing considered a satisfactory test, the bal
ance was Immediately paid.
The contract time for the completion of
the vessel was the 18th of January, 1863. |
but unforeseen difficulties, as we'll as modi-
ieations of the original plan, caused de-
lay, Notwithstanding the exertions of the
contractors, and the vessel was not COM
pleted until March, and not in season to
prevent the first days disaster. The de-
partment was not ipsensihle to the i'm
portance of her presence in Hampton
Roads, as the would-be historian intimates.
and as early as the 3Oth Of January. in
to the announcement of her
successful launch, added Hhurry her for
sea, as the Merrimac is nearly ready at
Norfolk, and we wish to send her there
Mr.. Abbott's "history is also at fault
in giving the amount of loss. The yes
sells destroyed were not 1.-TWO Of the finest
but old sailing vessels, and their
value is not one sixth Of the sum stated.
Mr.. Ericsson himself had occasion, q
few weeks subsequent to the ieht at
Hampton Roads, to correct a Statement in
New York Herald relative to the
construction of the "Monitor.n His let
bears upon the point upon which Mr..
has blundered, and also shows the
promptness of the department in decid-
ing to build that vessel. 1t is as follows
NEW York, April %, 1862.
SIR: In your remarks on the admins
tration of the Navy Department in to-
laws Ua-1TI ro,, -