The National tribune., 1891-09-17

ing OF % inches Of oak and pine The plat
ing was continued on the hull for five feet be-
/ low the waicl-iiuc. aud also covered ram,
which was "a very strong clonEation oi the bow.
She was finished aua ready for her crew about
Nov. /, 1862. Her battery consisted of two
niuc-nCh smoolhhOro guns and l0ur rhcd a2-
4 Founders. She was a three bladod screw pro-
4 polor and required nearly 800 tons Of iron for
4 her plating, which There was considerable Qlih-
I Guilty experienced in securing. Her actual
cost when completed was S263-92. Capt J. H.
j Tucker was assigned 10 command her lie was
4 dismissed from the United States Navy April
4 l-. 1861. Some delay was experienced IN
securing q crew, and il was not until January,
4 1863 that Can't. Tucker reported has vessel
/ ready for aggressive hostilihcs.
ON tho Both of that month he cot under way
I ah0ut II p. M. and steamed slowly out Of the
4 larbor and crossed the bar about n. m. The
following morning, just outside the bar, the
4 III. s.. steamer Keystone State, Commander
4 Leroy, was lying NJ anchor. This vessel was
struck by the ram and considerably injured,
and in the engagement which followed, at
short range, about 20 of the crew of the Key
stone State were killed. The ram then returned
TO Charleston and reported that the entire
bockading squadron, Of some dozen vessels
were an destroyed The rebel authorities
fooishly credited this ridiculous report aud
issued proclamation, Of which the following
Is copy:
A DoNRksTIc PRoCLAMAT1oN.
HEADQUARTERs LAND AND NAVAL FoEcEs, !
CHARLESTON, s. a., Jan. 81, 1868.
AZ o'clock th- morning the Confederate states
naval forces on tins station attacked The United
states biuckadiug fleet OF the har50r Of the thy
oi Charleston and sunk, dispersed on drove on and
ont Of sight for Time the entire hostile hecL
Therefore we. the undersigned commanders re-
speciively Of the Confederate States naval aud
land forces in this quarter do hereby formally de-
clare ie blockade 10y lie United states 81 the SAID
City OF Charleston. - c. 10 be raised by superior
force Of the Confederate States from aud afier this
a. r. REAURsGhFD. General Commanding.
ID. ~ INGRAM, Flag Onicer, Commanding Naval
Forces
Copies Of this absurd and foolish proclama-
tion were sent to the English, French and
Spanish Consuls in Charleston, but in less than
"a hours after being issued very valuable
blockade runner was captured ii attempting TO
enter the harbor with cargo Of arms for the
CUuiederacy.
Shortly after this event the Chcora partic-
pated in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the
Il. S. steamer New Ironsidcs. Early in lsGf
Capt Tucker was relieved from command OF the
ram. His succes sor was Thomas Hunter, who
was dismissed from the United States Navy
April % 1851. The ram participated in the
defense Of Fort Sumter, and when the enemy
were compelled to evacuate Charleston in
March, l-65, she was set on fire by her officers
and totally destroyed.
THE ATLANTA.
This ironclad ram was formerly tho British
steamer Fingal, bought on the Clyde Scotland
September, 1861, by the Confederate agent
Capt. James ID. Bullock. When purchased she
was in good order and nearly new capable Of
making at least l3 knots. Iu October, 1861, she
sailed from GreenOck Scotland loaded with
arms Tor the Confedcracy. She arrived at ST.
Georges, Bermuda, Nov. 2, 1861. There the
crew were fully armed and informed Of the
true character Of the vessel and an experienced
pilot engaged for the purpose Of running the
blockade. Nov. ~ she reached Savannah, Ca,
and her cargo OF arms were duly forwarded TO
the rebel Capital
Tho Fingal WIS loaded with cotton FOR the
express purpose OF again running the blockade
which she attempted 10 do on the night Of
Dec. % 1903 Her commander was Capt. q.
j. Sinclair. An extra force Of gunbOats had
meantime been detailed TO watch the Fingal
and prevent her escape 10 sea, aud ali the APP
prnaches TO and from Savannah were strongly
guarded. Capt Sinclair found escape impos-
slble. About The latter part Of January, l.G2,
he gave mp al hopes of going 20 sea, and 50 Te-
ported 20 the Confederate authorities.
Available no longer as a blockade runner the
Iingal was converted into an ir0nclad Of the
familiar type followed IN all the Confederate
armed ships. Her extreme length was 2Ol feet,
breadth Of beam Al feet draft Of water > feet.
She was cut down 10 the main-Gccls. which was
wiicued amdships and 0verlaid with foot Of
wood and iron plating, and upon this fouuda-
ton was built the ca5gmate the sides and ends
inclluIng NJ an angle OF about - degrees. The
top OF the easemat8 was fat, aud tie pilot
house rose about three feet above the roof
The sOping sides and ends Of the casemgte
were covered with four inches Of iron plates iu
two layers, secured % a back ing OF three inches
Of oak and ID inches Of pine. ram was at
tachcd to the bow, which was also fitted wit a
spar TO carry percussion torpedo. Her arma-
mcnt consisted Of two scvcn-inch Brooke rifles
on bow and stern pivOts, and two guns on each
side. When completed she was renamed the
Atlanta, and it was reported that the
LADIES OF sAyhNSAH
made voluntary contributions toward the ex-
pense Of her reconstruction. Lieut. G. IT, Nc
Blair was ordered 10 command the Atlanta, aud
her trial trip was made on JHy 81, 1902. IL took
place in the vicinity Of Fort Pulaski, and
demonstrated the fact that the Atlanta in her
altered condition was slow, unreliable, aud de.
iectlye ia her steering apparatus She under
went some changes, which, however, failed TO
remedy her defects, and for several months she
remained entirely useless az Savannah. About
Jan. j, l-63, Lieut.. McBiaiT was removed from
command, and bis successor was Lieut.. w. A.
Webb. lie was a Mid6hipman in the United
states Navy, but resigned therefrom May ~,
l50L lie assumed command Of tho ram with
the understanding that something should be
done, and be prepared for active service, his
intention bong TO capture or destroy the block
aiding squadron. Webb left Savannah before
daylight on the morning Of june II, 1863 aud
on reaching Warsaw Sound encountered the
y. 5. Monitors Aahaut Capt. DOwncsl and
NeehaBken Capt. EOdgerBl The engagement
which took place resulted in the capture Of the
Atlanta and it's entire crew Of I45 persons The
DaIcers were sent to Fort Lafayette The e.tI-
mated value Of the ram was $3.50 -2J2G She
was repaired az the Philadelphia Nayy-yard in
February 1864 and was attached % the North
Atlantic Squandr1H, under Commander L. J.
Woodward UHiicd States Navy.
ITO De coutiHucdl