The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-05-26
THE FIRST REBEL RAM.
How the Manassas Was Built.
The First Attack on the Federal Fleet
Gives New Aspect to Naval
Warfare.
h $1,000
IFrom the New York World


IFrom the New York world.l
The history of the ram Manassas and
other protector and commander should
be placed upon record before It is too
late to get the truth. John A. Steven
son, wealthy retired sea captain, was
living In New Orleans at the breakin0 Q
out OF the civil war, and the Manassas
was wholly his conception and inYen-
tlOn, and 1t was put aflOat entirely at
MS cost and expense. Before the battle
or Bull Rua he purchased the EnOch
Train, which had been constructed In
Boston and used as a tOwbOat on the
Mississippi River. She was a double
propeller, 180 feet long, % feet beam, 8
feet hold and about 96 tons burden. He
took off her houses, cut her to her plank
shears and then hrst put on an arched
deck OF heavy timber, completely cover
ing her from stem to stern in the shape
or turtles back, finally plating the
whole With two thieknesses of railroad
iron, bent and fitted so as to form
smooth surface over the whole outside To-
the waters edge. Two short smoke
stacks alone prOtruded above the even
surfacesOt the whole outside. The PROV
was constructed with heavy iron pro
jeeting in front about feet, 34 feet
under water. She was steered by
wheel entirely covered by the deck. In
case he should be- boarded by the enemy
1t Wis so arranged that hot water could
De thrown IN streams upon the boarding
party. The construction of such a
novelty at New Orleans attracted public
attention. 1t was visited by many hun
dreds of people, was called the Monde
script, and was very generally ridlculed
by the public. But Stevenson was strong
minded, had money and was encouraged
by his friend, Captain Charles William
Austin, now a resident of Savannah,
Ca, who superintendent in her cOnstruc-
tlon. IL Is from him that all the facts
herein named were obtained. When
completed, which was soon after the
battle OF Bull Run, the next thing was
to obtain "a crew. FedeFaIqlgun- boats
heavily armed, were lying at the mouth
of the Mississippi. and it was these
which 1T was intended she should attack
Commodore HOllins, the Confederate
naval commander at New Orleans, 4 re-
fused 70 detail men for service In her,
but gave consent to Captain Austin TO
obtain volunteers, If he could, from out
the navy. Nineteen were obtained
With these the Manassas proceeded to
Fort jackson, twenty-tWo miles above
the blOckading squadron. Commander
HOlfins allowed Stevenson and Anstin
the use OF his dispatch boat, Iva, with
which ntOFec0nnoitef the enemy in the
afternOOngprepaFatf y for a night at
tack. They apprOaC hGi to point just
out OF range, There LAY the steamslOOp
Richmond next to the east bank Of the
river, with TWENTY-FIVE guns; then the
slO0pT0f-war Yincennes, with fourteen
guns; next the sloop-of-war Preble, with
fourteen guns, and next the steam sloOp-
Of-war Waterwitch,1 with six guns.
They all lay abreast across the Missis-
slppi at the head OF the passes, headed up
stream, with their springs out, guns
shOttedi and all ready for action at a
moments notice. These four Federal
boats, with fifty-six guns and well
manned, were a mighty power for the
single N0ndescript, with nineteen heroes
and no guns to attack. Some of the Con-
federatB naval officers had said that the
NOndescript would be blown out of
water. Leaving Fort jackson at about
3 O'Clock on the morning of October
12ths 1861, with Captain Austin, her
commander, as the only man on deck
and each Of his proper place below, the
ram proceeded to and arrived at the
scene of action about 3 O'Clock In the
morning. The Richmond had been se-
lected by Captain Austin in the after
noon as the Federal boat first to be at
tackled. Nearing the Richmond the Nom
deseript was got under the utmost
headway, and not until she was too near
the Richmond and until it was too late
to withdraw without discontinue, per-
o a
schooner was lying alongside the Rich
mOnd on the side of the attack. The
ram proceeded, all steam on, and strik-
ingst schooner first, cut her In two,
and ran the iron PROV Of the Monde
script clear into the Richmond. The
ram then hauled off. The schooner sank.
The Richmond discharged her broad
side of guns at the ram, but without
effect. The Richmond found herself dis
abled and leaking and withdrew, giving
signals of danger to the other boats and
the blOckading squadron all disappeared
down the passes. The blow which the
ram struck the schooner and the Rich
mOnd produced such cOncussiOn upon
the ram as to disable one of her engines
and render her unfit to attempt further
aggression, but 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
a5tern of her, nor were any shells
thrown, or guns fired as the Federal
accounts have described. The ram was
taken back to New Orleans and repaired,
was adopted by the Confederate authOri-
ties, and Mr.. Stevenson was fully COM
pensated for her. The NOndescript was
namedith Manassas by Stevenson soon
after the battle of Bull Run. After her
victory, the COnfederaey having been
thus taught by Mr.. Stevenson how to
build effective war vessels, then, and not
until then, began changing the Merri-
mac into an irOnclad ram at Norfolk,
Va" sAAa
Mr.. Stevenson, in building the Manas-
5as, builded greater than he knew, for
in apFaetical way he gave to the public
new ideas as to carrying on naval war
fare, which have been since adopted
and developed in different forms in all
the navies of the globe.