The Republican journal., 1883-05-03

Fort and Fleet.
THE GREAT FIGHT IN THE SOUND. THE con-
FEDERATE RAM ALBEMARLE. AND HER
ATTACK on A FEDERAL FLEET.
While the fight between the Monitor
| and Merrimac, Alabama and the Hattie
/ ras, kearsage and Alabama brought out
some terrific fighting and proved that
American pluck had lost none of its ar
dor since the days of Paul Jones, the af-
fair with the Confederate ram Albemarle,
of the mouth of the Roanoke river on the
9th of May, 1864, may be set down as the
/ bravest and most determined action be
tween vessels atlOat in any war for the
last two hundred years. Nothing in the
naval history of Europe approaches it,
and circumstances will never bring about
another such action on this side Of the
ocean.
BUILDING THE RAM.
When the keel of the AlbemarIe was
laid the Confedcracy was hard up for
money, had lost all hopes of foreign in
telNcnti0n, and thousands OF its soldiers
were discouraged The work of building
such craft at that time was an immense
undertaking, and even in semi official
circles it was not believed that she would
ever be finished.
First and last 1000 men were engaged
i'll her construction. Two of these men
now reside in Detroit, one in Cleveland,
three Or four in Cincinnati, and one or
more can he found in almost any city in
the South. Whatever faults had been
pointed out III other rams were avoided
i'll the AIhemarle. The one great diff
Guilty with the Confederate rams and
iron clads was in finding engines with
sufficient power to drive them at re-
spectacle speed For two years there
were two iron-clads in Charleston harbor
which could not be driven a foot when
both wind and tide were against them.
The engines provided for the Albemarle
were powerful enough TO give her speed
of twelve miles an hour, and she was cas-
lily handled with oTe man at the wheel.
The material for the ram was gathered
from all points of the Contederacy, and
outside of the work of detailed sol
diers and men furnished by the contract
ors, there were employed some of the
most skilled mechanics that gold could
induce to take hold. Instead OF hurrying
to get her atloat, the work progressed so
slowly that an official investigation was
demanded. However, when atloat and
armed, the Albemarle was, without a
doubt, the most perfect craft of the sort
ever constructed. There was no part
Of the hull above the water which was
not defended by thickness Of at least
twelve inches of iron and backing, and
at certain points there was an armor
eighteen inches thick.
HOW ARMED
The ram was armed with two of the
heaviest Brooke guns, so mounted that
each one constituted broadside. The
convenlences for serving these guns were
admirable, and in addition to gunners
and working crew she carried about fifty
ritlemen, who were so posted that their
fire could be trained into the ports of an
antagonist. Her screw wheel was sunk
so as to be out Of reach of shot, and her
stem was so stoutly constructed that she
would have been able to open a gap IN
the side of the stoutest iron-clad in the
Union Navy
GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
1t was expected Of the Albemarle that
she would destroy the Union fleet in the
Sound and then proceed to Charleston
and raise the blockade Under such a
commander as Gemmes she would have
accomplished much more than she did,
even If failing to carry out the programme
planned for her.
WAITING HER APPEARANCE.
There was a fleet of eight Federal gun
boats in the Sound, and the appearance
of the Albemarle was daily looked for long
enough before she hove in sight Desert
ers had reported her construction, arma-
ment, draught and power of engines, and
every preparation had been made for a
terrific tight. Admiral Lee had received
general Instructions from the Secretary
of the Navy, and had issued particular
instruc ions to his fleet.
1t is related of Brigadier- General
that he once sent ont two companies of
men on reconnaissance with instruc-
tiOns 'to develop Lees army and bag it."
Admiral Lee seemed to have an idea that
the Albemarle was coming down the
river on purpose to be bagged. One of
his instructions was for vessel to get on
either side Of the ram and hold her fast
and fire at the center of her ports. 1t
didn't occur to him that the ram might
object and he further suggested that it
would be good idea to throw some bags
OF powder or shell down the smoke
stacks. " The advantage Of getting
alongside" said the Admiral, '' and of
each side Of her is that you prevent her
from ramming and have a controlling fire
upon her roof and ports" He likewise
thought it would be good plan for some
OF the gunbOa to sink her by ramming,
or mount her ends and sink her" There
was one other funny thing in the Admi-
rails plan to overpoWer this monster
Each gunboat was provided with an
enormous tish-net or seine, which was to
be used at the proper time to foul the
wheel OF the Albemarle. 1t may be add
ed that the nets were used, and the
"tangled remains" found on the buckets
Of the wheels Of the gun-boats.
THE RAM APPEARS.
At 3 O'Clock in the afternoon the Abe
marie was discovered coming down for
the fleet. She had with her a tender
called the Bombshell, mounting one gun,
and river steamer from which she was
to draw coal and provisions in case of
winning victory and being in condition
to go to sea. The Federal fleet mmedi-
ately got under weigh and stood up to
meet the ram, and as soon as they came
within firing distance the fight opened.
The commander of the ram knew exactly
what he had to deal With, having the
name and armament of every steamer in
the fleet; while on the Federal side the
Albemarle was credited with having four
more guns than she really had, and to be
armed with spar and torpedo.
THE MATTABESETT.
This vessel led the Federal fleet, and
was the first to receive a shot. When
she had approached within 200 yards the
ram gave her shot which screamed past