Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-15

OF the roof.) II was 100 feet In length
and built of oak and pine TO a thickness
OF two feet. This wooden shield was then
covered With two courses of iron platns
Two inches thick and about SIX inches
WIDE. The FIRST course was placed hori-
zontai. the second perpendicular. making
/ -four inches of iron laid on two feet of
wood backing. Nearly all, If not all. of
ms IRON plate was rolled at the Tredeear
Works OF Richmond and shipped 10 Nor
folk to DO placed upon this vessel.
nATTERY AND ouNs.
The roof thus shielded with IRON an.
closed her battery of guns, giving entire pro.
tection against shot or shell, save whore her
armature was pierced for portfolios
through which to Ere her battery. The
length OF the vessel being about 275 feetand
tne house or casemate OF iron being 100 feet.
about. fifty feet at tEe bow and stern Law
outside the casemste, but as these unar-
mored parts Of the vessel were ONLY few
inches above the water-line the vessel was
so weighted Gust before going into action)
~ 70 bring bow and stern Just awash of tho
water and present no vulnerable surface TO
the action Of shot or shell. In this condition
the Merrlmac presented tho appearance Of
an angular house-root floating on the
water. A cast-iron PROV with which she
sunk the Cumberland) weighing 800
pounds was placed upon her bow about
two feet under water. Her battery Of guns
consisted of four Brooke six and seven.
inch rifles and six nine-inch Dahlgreen
guns. Her steam-engsnes were the same
she had when commissioned az the United
States frigate Merrimac. From the first
they were found 10 be radically defective.
and time and service,had made no improve
ment in them whom they came into Con-
federate hands.
10 g 10 l., L.
raj feet on March 8, 1852 and the Monitor
March 9, 1862, demonstrated the effective
ness of the herrimaes armature Nearly
all the she'll and solid shot which struck
her sides took the angle of inclination and
went up in the air. Her armature was in
no instance pierced, and the chief damage
done was by solid shot striking in her
ports and breaking of the muzzles of her
guns, IN some cases close up to the trun-
MONS.
OUR FLEET.
The vessels forming the Confederate
feet in these actions were the Merrmac
Captain Buchanan. the Beaufort Gap
tain William II. Parker. and the Raleigh
Captain AleXander). subsequently added
10 about the time the Cum berland was
sunk 10y the James-rlver feet, consisting
of the Patrick Henry Captain John Il.
Tucker, the jamestown Captain Barney,
taAtA tho ANho'A ACoAtaAh "NbOl IL Abi'
time to render most effective and gallant
service during the day.
To such of your readers as may desire to
see full and circumstantial account of
these memorable days l beg leave 10 refer
them 20 Recollections of a Naval Off
Ger" by Captain William Harwar Parker
The book IS most agreeably written, full of
the incidents of life in many climes, and re-
plete with humorous recollections of SER
vice in the United States and Confederate
States navies. Critics, whose opinion
must claim favorable reception, regard it
as a notable contribution TO works of this
class and as one which should be IN every
private library, especially those of the
South.
KILLED AND WOUNDED.
II may be supposed that as the armature
of the MeIrimac was shOt-prOOf she had no
killed and wounded. The following list of
casualties may give some idea of the stress
of the action:
MtfIiindt -
Iatrlck henry
Beaufort.
Raleigh Q4ieut Tayloe and Mdship'n Tayloe). 2
The percentage of loss on the other YES
sells was greater than on the Merrimac, be-
cause they were unprotected wooden yes
sells: especially on the Beaufort, which in
boarding the Congress came under the fire
of the land battery and musketry at New
port News at a distance less than 100 yards.
Very truly yours, VmGINIUs NEWTON.