The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-19
THE STONEWALL.
The Reason the TalIapoosa's Sailors Did NJ
Get Prize-MOney.

TN recent number OF IHE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE l read very interesting ac
count of the career of the rebel ironclad
ram Stonewall. / we'll remember the
ram Stonewal, as / had the honor to serve on
one of the vessels that caused her surrender III
the harbor of Havana, Cuba.
During the Winter of 1864, while on duty
along the Gulf Coast of Florida, the U. s. S
Tallapoosa burst her forward 100 FOUNDER
PARROT gun, and had been ordered to Key
West to replace it. We had procured new gun
coaled ship, and were lying at the wharf III
Key West waiting for orders Our Captain be-
ing away on leave of absence, we had as com
mandng officer at the time Lieut. Comd'r 0. T.
Stanton, who had been Executive Officer of the
Powhatap. He came OH board one evening in
great hurry, with orders to get up steam and
proceed Immediately to sea under sealed orders
Getting out of the hafbor the Captain opened
and read his orders, and we then learned that
the ram Stonewal had arrived at Havana, and
we had been ordered there to, if possible, capt.
ure her.
On arriving off Havana we found there the
u. s. sloop- war POwhatan and the bark
Aries The vessels took position off the har.
Dor about three miles from land. which posi-
ton they retained all day and the following
night to prevent the escape of the Stonewall.
The following morning the dispatch boat
Sunfower arrived from Key West with large
squad of marines, but as Onr Captain wished
no marines they were placed on the Powhatan.
After consultation between the Captains oil
the Powhatan and Tallapoosa it was decided to
send the Sunfower into Havana with a chal-
lenge to the Stonewall to come out and fight US
The Sunfower departed on her mission and re-
turned with the information that the Captain
of the Stonewall had accepted our challenge
and would be out at sunrise the following
morning We Immediately began to make
preparations to properly receive the ram; top
masts were lowered, solid shot placed near the
guns, small arms overhauled. etc. All night
we kept vigilant watch on the harbor.
At an early hour the following morning all
hands were called and break tasted, and the
ship placed in proper order for the expected
battle, while all hands remained in readiness
to be called to quarters at moments notice
Our Captain took position on the starboard
paddle box, which position he retained the en-.
tire morning, watching the entrance to the har.
bor Sunrise came, and the morning wore
slowly away, keeping the crews of the
vessels in state of suspense, and, as
the ram failed to make her appear
ance by the early afternoon, it was de-
cided to send the dispatch boat again into the
harbor to ascertain the cause OF the non-ap-
pearance of the ram. She returned with the
information that the Stonewall had surrendered
to the Spanish authorities. On receiving this
information, the Powhatan and Sunfower left
for Key West to report to the Admiral leaving
the Tallapoosa to guard the harbor and wait
for orders. The Sunflower returned from Key
West with orders to the Tallapoosa to ter the
harbor and take possession of the Stonewall.
We entered the harbor, dropped anchor saluted
the Spanish flag, and our Captain. Chief Engi.
neer, and PaymasteT entering the boat, OF which
was Coxswain, we pulled for the Stonewall
which lay at the Government wharf some dis.
lance up the harbor. On approaching the
Stonewall we found her in possession of some
Spanish soldiers, who at first refused to allow
us on board, but, disregarding their threatening
bayonets, l sprang on deck and assisted the
Captain and other officers on board when we
proceeded to make thorough inspection of the
ram, which we found very formidable vessel
In her bow was built strong ironclad room,
from the forward port of which protruded the
muzzle of 300 FOUNDER Armstrong gun, on the
breech of which was the inscri ption. Sir John
Armstrong, Newcastle-on-T yne-300.p FOUNDER
Directly under the gun was built an enormous
iron ram. which projected from the bow some
ID or 20 feet Near the stern of the vessel was
built an iron turret containing two 70-poundel
Armstrong guns bearing the same legend as the
300 FOUNDER. This turret also contained g
| number of handles connected with bells in the
engine room and the steering wheel below, or
| the lower deck. which were manipulated by
| the commanding officer in the turret during
| exposed On descending to the lower deck We
| found it securely braced by iron bars and
| stanchions in every conceivable direction. We
| found her in all respects most powerful YES
| sci. and had she appeared in answer TO oul
challenge she would have given the United
| States wooden vessels pretty severe fight.
Having finished our inspection We returned
to the Tallapoosa, which proceeded immedi
ately to Key West. where our Captain reported
| the case to the Admiral who at once notified
| the authorities at Washington of the facts in
| the case.
Our Government Immediately began CORE
spondence with the Spanish authorities which
resulted in few weeks in the delivery of the
| Stonewall to the United States authorities BY
| whom she was subsequently sold to Japan fol-
! 100000.
| While in Havana met several of the crew
of the Stonewall, and | asked them why, aftel
accepting our challenge to fight, the Stonewal
| had not made her appearance. They informed
me that on the arrival of the Stonewall a
| Havana large number of the crew had de
serted, and upon receiving our challenge theil
! Captain had accepted it, thinking he could en-
| list full crew in Havana by offering bounty
of $50 man. He succeeded by this means il
procuring some men, but not sufficient mum
| Der to properly man and fight his chip, and h'
| did not wish to engage two United States yes
| sells shorthanded and as the Spanish authori
ties refused to allow him to remain longer il
Havana, the only alternative was to surrender
and instead of leaving the harbor and sur
rendering to the United States vessels he de
livered his ship to the Spanish authorities
| thus depriving the crews of the Powhatan ant
| Tallapoosa of the prize money to which the,
| would otherwise have been entitled.--GEoRGl
w. brewer, u. s. S. Tallapoosa, East Gul
Bockading Squadron; Past Captain. Farragu
Association U. s. Naval Veterans, 5l3 Colleg
Ave, New York City.