The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-05-17
THE MANASSAS.
A Rebel Ram That Was the Progenitor of the
Mefrmae


MerriRae.
The history of the ram Manassas aud of her
protector and commander should be placed
upon record before it is too late to get the truth
John A Stevenson, wealthy retired sea cap
tain, was living in New Orleans at the breaking
out of the civil war, and tho Manassas was
wholly his conception and invention, and it
was put afloat entirely at his cost and expense
Before the battle of Bull Run he purchased the
Enoch Train, which had been constructed in
Boston and used as a tow-boat on the Missis-
sippi River. She was double propeller, with
two engines and powerful machinery, $50 feet
long, p feet beam, 8 feet hold, and about 96
tons burden. He took off her houses, cut her
TO her plank-shears, aud then first put ON an
arcked deck of heavy timber, completely coy
ering her from stem TO stern in the shape of a
turtles back, finally plating the whole with
two thickneSscs of railroad iron bent and fit
ted so as TO form a smooth surface over the
whole outside TO the waters edge. Two short
sInoke-stacks alone protruded above the even
surface Of the whole outside. The PROV was
constructed with heavy iron projecting in front
about . feet. 81 feet under water. She was
steered by 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 boarding party.
The construction of slch a novelty at New
Orleans attracted public attention. 1t was
visited by many hundreds of people, was called
the T" Nendescript," and was very generally
ridiculcd by the public. But Stevenson was
strong-lninded, had faith had money, and was
encouraged by his friend, Captain Charles
William Austin, now resident of Savannah,
Ga, who superintendent IL her construction
1t is from him that all the facts herein men,
toned were obtained. When completed which
was soon after the battle of Bull Run. the next
heavily armed, were lying at the mouth Of the
Mississippi, and it was these which it was in
tended she should attack. Commodore Hol-
Inns, the Confederate naval commander at New
Orleans refused TO detail men for service in
her, but gave consent TO Captain Austin to OBJ
tain volunteers, if he could, from out the navy
Nineteen were obtained. With these the Ma
masses proceeded TO Fort Jackson, twenty-five
miles above the blockading squadron. Com
modore Hollins allowed Stevenson and Austin
the use OF his dispatch-boat Ira with which to
reconnoiter the enemy in the afternoon, pre-
paratory for a night attack They approached
TO a point just out Of range. There lay the
steam -sioOp Richmond next to the east bank
OF tile river with twenty-five guns: then the
sloop-of-war Vineennes. with fourteen guns:
next the sioor-of-war, Prcble, with fourteen
guns, and next the steam sloop-of-war Water
witch. with six guns They all lay abreast,
across the Mississippi at the head Of the passes,
! headed up stream, with their springs out, guns
| shotted and all ready for action at moments
notice. These four Federal boats, with fifty-six
guns, and well manned, was mighty power
for the single Nondescript, with nineteen he
roes aud no guns to attack. Some of the Con-
/ federate naval officers had said that the Nom
/ descript would be blown out of the water
/ Leaving Fort Jackson at about o'clock on the
morning of October l2 1861 with Captain Aus
| tin, her commander, as the only man on deck
.nft Il. l..
| the RAIN proceeded to and arrived at the scene
Of action about 3 o'clock in the morning. The
! Richmond had been selected by Captain Austin
| III the afternoon as the Federal boat first to be
attacked. Nearing the Richmond. the Monde
| script was got under the utmost headway, and
not until she was too near the Richmond and
until it WAS too late to withdraw without dis
comfture, perhaps disaster was it discovered
that a schooner was lying alongside the Rich
mond On the side of the attack. The ram
! proceeded. all steam on, and, striking the
schooner first, cut her in two and ran the iron
| PROV Of the Nondescript clear into the Rich
mond. The ram then hauled off The sooner
| sank. The Richmond discharged her broadside
OF gums at the ram, but without effect The Rich
mond found herself disabled and leaking and
withdrew, giving signals of danger to the other
| boats and the blockading squadron all disap-
peared down the passes. The blow which the
ram struck the schooner and the Richmond
] produced SUCH conclusion upon the ram as to
disable one Of her engines and render her unfit
10 attempt further aggressions, but it did not
destroy Captain Austins footing on the deck
The ram was not aided or followed by any fire.
RATS, or any steamers, or propeller astern OF
her, nor were any shells thrown or guns fired
at the Federal fleet, as some Federal accounts
have described. The ram was taken back to
New Orleans and repaired, was adopted by the
Confederate authorities, and Mr.. Stevenson was
fully compensated for her. The Nondescript
was named the Manassas by Stevenson soon
after the battle of Bull Run. After her victory
the Confederacy having been thus taught by
Mr.. Stevenson how to build effective war YES
sells, then, and not until then, began changing
the Merrimac into an iron-clad ram at Norfolk
Va.
Mr.. Stevenson, in building the Manassas
builed greater than he knew, for in practical
way he gave TO the public new ideas as to car
rying on naval warfare, which have sine.
been adopted and developed in different forms
in all the nayies of the globe.-N. Y. World
DR.. Pierce's "Pellets )" little liver pill
sugar coated purify the blood, speedily cor
rect all disorders Of the liver, stomach, and
4 RU ri nrnU