River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-29
A GRAND WAR SCENE.
Burning the Norfolk Navy Yard.
Philadelphia Times.

folk Navy Yard and of the greater part
of the shipping lying abreast of that
place on the night of April 20, 1861,
furnished one OF the most beautiful
pyrotechnical displays ever witnessed
on this continent, and the waste of prop
erty involved was as needless and I'M
called-for, by actual exigencies, as the
manner of it was beautiful. 1t was,
too, by the merest chance that any one
of the thousand or more souls who par
ticipated in that hazardous expedition
ever lived TO tel the particulars of it,
as will be fully shown in the course OF
this narrative.
Just after twilight the "Pawnee" cast
loose from the pier at Fortress Monroe,
and soon thereafter left SewelPs Point
behind as she steamed up the Elizabeth
river. The nature of the expedition
was still kept secret from the men,
who lay upon the deck almost as close
ly packed together as sardines in box,
and listened to the peculiar singing and
ringing announcement of the sailors
who were taking frequent soundines.
Occasional rockets could be seen far
above the angle of the eye with the
bulwarks, which were sent up inland on
on either side by the secessionists to in
form their friends that something unu-
sual was on the tapis.
THE WORK OF DESTRUCTION.
The "Pawnee" being made fast at the
navy yard no time was lost in arranging
the details for the work of destruction.
So,ado IF ~, on, uora aSe5ooo1 ~ - :.
particular duty, and for the more dan
erous portions of the work volunteers
were asked for and quickly obtained,
Where powder trains were to be laid an
officer of the navy accompanied the
detail. 1t was arranged that rocket
from the "Pawnee," to be sent up at
about O'Clock in the morning, should
be the signal for all hands to 90 on
board with the greatest possible dis
patch, and men were stationed at con-
venient points 10 warn those engaged
in the spoliation of the approach of the
specified time. Sentinels~ were also
posted at the boundaries of the yard to
watch the movements, so far as they
could, Of the secessionists, and it was
understood that everything should be
not be otherwise ruined when the sig
nal to go on board should be given. The
details were many and scattered over
a wide area. In less time than it takes
to write it the navy yard, from one end
to the other, presented terribly ear
nest and busy scene. The marines,
whose duty it was to spike and other
wise render useless the long rows of
guns. were playing a reveille thereon
with hammers and spikes. the noise of
which would have drowned that made
by dozen Gilmore's bands as it rever-
berated among the ship-houses, where
in men were engaged in the work of de-
structiOn, Lines of men, like busy
ants, were running to and from the
river, dumping therein thousands of
shot and shell, looking more like
gnomes at some internal pastime than
anything else. Powder trains were laid
and the magnificent steam-frigate
"Merimac," which was lying at the mall
not have stones throw from the
"Pawnee," was being prepared for sacri-
fee. as also the "Pennsylvania"-the
line-of battle ship-the sloous.of-war
Germantown" and plymouth" the
brig Dolphin and some other smaller
craft.
The detail to which the writer belong
ed was under the charge of two naval
officers, and sent farthest from the
"Pawnee" for the purpose Of preparing
the powder train intended to blow to
pieces the great dry dock. There the
work was vigorously prosecuted until
the last moment allotted for remaining
at the place had arrived. 1t was
fruitless undertaking, however, for the
fuse which was cut to burn three
quarters of an hour and carefully ar
ranged beneath basin so as not to at
tract immediate attention after we had
left, never ignited the train at all. Why
it failed may always be mystery, but
the inference among the officers at the
time was that the watchful enemy had
rushed in and removed the fuse as soon
as the "Pawnee" started down the river
on her return trip. If they really did
that, with about thousand pounds at
the end of that train, and surrounded
by fire and other explosives, it was one
of the most daring deeds of the war,
and butternut coat should not prevent
my giving them due credit for the
pluck the act required.