The Shasta courier., 1868-08-15
COURIER.
The First Monitor.

The Troy Times publishes brief biogra-
ply of Hon. John A. Griswold, the Repub-
lican candidate for Governor of New York,
from which we gather the following inter
esting facts about the first monitor
The fame of the Warrior and of the French
Gloire having induced the belief that wooden
walls were to be superseded, led Congress,
by an act approved August 3, 1861, to make
an appropriation of 81 500, ,00G for the con-
struction of one or more armored, or iron or
steel-clad steam ships or floating steam bat
teries. A few weeks later, c. s. Bushnell,
of New Haven, Mr.. Griswold and John f.
Winslow, of Troy, were at Washington en-
gagged in closing contract with the Govern.
ment for clothing q wooden vessel with iron.
This business having been concluded, these
gentlemen called the attention of the Navy
Department and the Navy Board to a model
of an iron clad vessel made by John Ericsson,
which they had brought with them, and sug-
gested the propriety of building a vessel
after his plans. The suggestion at that time
was not received with much favor, but no
conclusion was reached. These gentlemen
subsequently had interviews with President
Lincoln, who manifested great interest in the
ideas presented. Taking up the model, he
examined it closely and critically; comment
ed in his shrewd and homely way upon the
principles involved in the construction of
vessel upon such model, spoke favorably of
the design, and proposed that they should
meet him with the model at the Navy De-
partment. This meeting, suggested by Mr.
Lincoln himself, was held, he being present
In their report, which was made soon after
this meeting, the Naval Board, composed of
Commodores Joseph Smith and ii. Paulding,
and Captain C. ii. Davis, recommended that
an experiment be made with one battery of
the description presented by Captain Fries
son, with guarantee and forfeiture in case
of failure in any of the properties and points
of the vessel as proposed. The contract as
stipulated was for the completion Of the bat
terry within one hundred days from the sign
ing of the contract, which wasion October 5th,
1861, and the extraordinary provision was
introduced, that the test of the battery upon
its acceptance by the United States Govern
ment depended, should be its withstanding
the fire of the enemy's batteries at the short
est ranges, the United States agreeing to fit
out the vessel with men, guns, etc.
The building of the battery was begun in
October, 1861. For her construction S275,
900 was advanced by the contractors. She
was built at the Continental Works, Green
point, IL. l., Dy MT. D. T. poWlauu, uHuer
the direct supervision of Captain Ericsson.
The plating of the vessel and portions of her
machinery and other iron work were manu-
factured at Troy, at the Rensselaer, Iron
Works. On January 30,h, 1862, which was
the one hundred and first working day from
the time the contract for building her was
entered into, she was launched at Green
point, was named the Monitor, and was de-
livered to the Government March 5th, 1862
Her subsequent history is well known. =
Formidable in appearance, and unconquer-
able as she proved herself to be, she showed
herself at Fortress Monroe at ten o'clock on
the evening of Friday, March s, 1862 On
the following day, in the conflict with the
rebel ironclad Merrimac in Hampton Roads.
she compelled her antagonist to retire in
disabled condition, and saved Fort ess Mon
roe from capture. preserved millions of ship
ping and public property, and thousands of
lives, put an end to all the plans and expect
ations of the rebel authorities based unon
their experimental vessel and gave us pres.
tige abroad, the worth of which to us as a
nation was inestimable. Speaking of the
views that obtained concerning this vessel
before and after that celebrated sea fight of
March g. 1862, one of the writers well said
Never was greater hope placed upon ap-
parently more insignificant means, but never
was great hope more triumphantly fulfill
ed" The thanks of Congress were officially
returned to Captain Ericsson. the designer Of
the Monitor, and President Lincoln and his
Cabinet personally awarded the contractors
the position of public benefactors.