Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-17
THE REBEL RAM MANASSAS.
How tle Fret OF the Kind Ever Used
in Naval Warefare was
Built

Built
New York World.
The history Of the ran MaIassaa
and of her protector aud commander
should be placed upon record before 1t
Ia too late TO get the truth. John A.
Stevenson, a wealthy retired sea cap
taln, was living in New Orleans at the
breaking out Of the civil war, and the
Manassas was wholly his conception
and invention, and 1t was pat sl )at
entirely at his cest and expense. Be.
fore the battle Of Ball Run he pur.
chased the Enoch Train, which had
been constructed in Boston and used
aD tow-bcnt on the Mississippi river.
She was q double propeller, with two
engines and powerful machinery, 19O
feet long, 90 feet beam, 8 feet hold
and about 06 tons burden. lie took
of her houses, cut her to her plank
shears and then first put on IN arched
deck OF heavy timber, completely
covering her from stem to stern In the
shape OF q turtles back, finally plat.
Ing the whole with two thicknesses q
railroad Iron, bent and fitted SO as to
form a smooth surface over the whole
outside Of the waters edge. Two
short smoke-stacks alone protruded
above the even surface of the whole
outside. The prov was constructed
with heavy Iron projecting In front
about 8 feet, 81 feet under water.
She was steered by o wheel entirely
covered under the deck, In CASE she
should be boarded by the enemy, 1t
was so arranged that hot water could
be thrown In streams upon the board.
Ing party. The construction of such
q novelty ct New Orleans attracted
public attention. 1t was visited by
many hundreds of people, was called
the "Nondescript," and was very gen.
etally ridiculed by the public. But
Stevenson was streng-minded, had
faith, had money, and was encouraged
by his friend, Captain Charles vii.
liam Austin, now a resident of Sc.
vannah, Ga, who superintendent In
her construction. 1t is from him
that all the facts herein mentioned
were obtained. When completed,
which was o after the battle of Bull
Run, the next thing was to obtain a
crew. Federal gunboats, heavily
armed, were lying at the mouth of the
Mississippi, and it was these which 1t
was intended she should attack. Com.
modore Holl!ns, the confederate
naval commander at New Orleans, re.
fused to detail men for service Ia her,
but gave consent to Captain Austin to
obtain volunteers. If he could, from
out the navy. Nineteen were OBJ
tanned. With these the Manassas
proceeded to Fort Jackson, twenty.
two miles above the blockading squad.
ron. Commander Hollins allowed
Stevenson and Austin the use OF his
dispatch boat Iva with which to re.
connoitre the enemy In the afternoon,
preparatory for a night attack. They
to a point just out OF
range. There lay the steam sloop
Richmond next to the east bank OF
the river, with twenty-five guns; then
the sloop ,of-war PEBBLE, with four.
teen guns, and next the steam sloop.
of-war Water Witch, with ak guns.
They all lay abreast, across the MIG
tissippi river at the head of the passes,
and headed up stream, with their
springs out, guns shottsd and all
ready for action at a moments notice.
These four federal boats, Nigh, y
power for the single NondescrIpt, with
nineteen heroes and no guns, to at
tack. Some of the confederate nava
officers had said that the Nondescript
would DO blown out of water.
Leaving Fort Jackson at about s
o'clock on the morning of October IL
1861, with Captain Austin, her com
mander, as the only man on deck ant
each of his men at his proper plact
below, the ram proceeded to and ar
rived at the scene of action about ;
o'clock In tho morning. The Rich
mond had been selected by Captain
Austin In the afternoon as the fed
eral boat first to be attacked. Near
ing the Richmond the Nondescr!p'
was got under the utmost hesdwsy
and not until she was too near tn,
Richmond, and until i. vas too lat,
to withdraw without discontinue
perhaps disaster, was 1t discovered
that a schooner was lying alongsid,
the Richmond on the side CT the at
tack. The ram proceeded all steam
on, and striking the schooner first Gu
her In two and raj the Iron PROV O
the Nondescript clear into the Rich
mond. The ram then hsuled off
The schooner sank. The Rlohmonc
discharged her broadside of guns q
the ram, but without effect. TIL
Richmond found herself disabled ant
leaking, and withdrew, giving signal
OF danger to the other boats, and tn,
blockading squadron all dlsap
peared down the passes. The blov
which the ram struck the schoone
and the Richmond produced such
conclusion upon the ram az to disabl
one of her engines and render her I'm
fit to attempt further aggresslons, bu
1t did not destroy Captain Austin
footing on the deck. The ram wa
not aided or followed by any fire
RATS, or any steamers or propelle'
astern of her, nor were any shell
thrown or guns fred at the Fedora
fleet, as some Federal accounts hsv
described. The ram was taken bacl
to New Orleans and repaired, wa
adopted by the Confederate suthorl
ties, and Mr.. Stevenson was fully CON
pensated for her. The Nondescrip
was named the Manassas by Steven
son soon after the battle of Bull Run
Afser her victory, the ConfederAc,
having been thus taught by Mr.
Stevenson how to build effective wa
vessels, then, and not until then, be
ran changing the MerrImac into q,
iron-clad'ram at Norfolk, Va.
MIR. Stevenson, In building tn
Manassas, builded greater than h
lnn- . l. ..okt. ,. 49,,