The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-30
HISTORIC WATERS OF VA.
Tie Battle 10 Hampton Roads as Viewed
by an Eye Witness.
TIE MOVEMENTS OF 7BE EERRIhAC.
Another Interesting Paper by tI.Gov~rnoi
Camsron-rae Jnprovissd confed-
crate Naval llsei.


Hirat,,cc. importance. The Fcdcrais re-
fainei the.r hold upon Fortress Monroe
vnicn. under the then existing conditions
o. ordnance ana OF naval architecture
practically controlled the entrance 10
Chesapeake BAY and Hampton Roads
while heavy batteries at Newport news,
~ the mouth OF James River, piohibfted
communication by water between the con
lederate forces al Richmond and Nor
loik The COnfcdcrates on the 0theF
naI1. mounted guns at Lovclis Point ana
Craaey island. 70 protect Norfolk. Ports
mouth and thc Gosl navy Nard nom
hostile approach. and the passage 20
Richmond was INSTRUCTED against rcd
eral marine by batteries At Fort Pow
hatan, llcwry's Bluff. Days Neck mar
d,n's Blum Mulberry Island. Jhnc slo"h
and other dcecns!blc points on James
River.
such was the situation or affairs I'm the
carly spring OF NJ. me fcdcrais hd"'
however. made previous descent upon me
coast Of North Carolina with powcriul
armada under Genera Burnside, ana nav
INK captured Roanoke Island, alieT a Sal-
Isut though hopeless resistance 10y me
combined land and naval forces OF Cen
eral Henry 4. Wise ana commodore
Lynch were making heavy demonstla-
tj0ns at the back door Of Norfolk. while
General Mcclellan. having determined on
a camuafm against Richmond via the
peuIusula between tho James ana orK
rivers. vas urging naval occupation oil
those streams ~ an essential protection
20 the hanks OF an army executing mat
movement.
To guard against the occupation Of
these waterways tas well as in prosccu-
ton Of cherished scheme I'm dominating
the mouth Of the Mother of waters, de-
stroyng the Federal shipping IN Hamp-
ton Roads. isolating and perhaps starving
OF the garrison AT Fortress Monroe ana
ultimately obtaining Tree insreSs ana
egre.s via the capoS for ships OF war and
commerce. the CorfcdcrateS had spent
the previous winter IN httnS up at the
captured navy yard marin" structure
Of such impcrvious strength and destruc-
I've armane at as 10 Justify The most oN-
rdvacant ropes. For this purpose the
United states steam trisatc Merrimac,
which had been abandoned by the Fed
rlsis when they hastily evacuated the
Elizabeth River i'm April 1861. was util-
zsd she WAS cut down, heavily armor-
q with railroad iron laid on a stout and
J}iHE deck roof. was provided with a
steel snout or ram for offensive purposes
and carried ten guns OF a caiibre hitherto
unknown in naval warfare. She was
re-christenel THE Virginia ana entered
upon her brief but glorious career under
ne IlE bl At4ilill IL Iidihll lpu'nhidns
multaneously the Confederate Govern
inent had improvsed frop the scant ma
srlals at hand what was known as the
James River heet--the Patrick Henry and
Jamestown d formerly plying as freight ana
passenger steamers between New York
and Richmond, aud caught in southern
waters at the commencement OF hOstii-
ties); the former under Commander John
X. Tucker. carrying twelve guns of mod
crate force; the latter under Lieutenant
Barney, with a battery Of two heavy
pieces: and three tugs metamorphosed
into gupboat:s and carrying a single gun
each: the TNdzer the beaufort and the
Raleigh. corpmanded respectively by Lieu
tenants W. 4. webb. W. II. Parker and
!. w. Alexander. Early i'm March these
vessels made rendezvCEs at harbor In
the lower James convenient for com
municstion with Norfolk, and on the 9TH
OF that month the senior oii.cer was noti-
fed 10 be In readiness for action on the
follow ing dey--a day to he ftreVeF memo
rable n naval annals,
The events are Yet fresh in mind
which was filled with pride and enthusi-
sm W hjle witnessing them. but i'm this
lttsmIF Ia reproduce tire leading features
shall verify and enlarge my rccollcc-
on by liberal use OF the official reports
ri Z the irticiPants on either side of the
rcrOiC struggle
ne ni- Nv bftbl' Nlf UhtNlt a Nhl0I'i
vent thro ugh the scattered camps of Hu-
~or's dvis ION. from Sewclrs Point to Suf-
ok like n Gle t.ric shock: THE Virginia
= Colng ort to-morrow, II was one OF
nose secrets which tclepathy betrays,
and which once abroad take unto them
elves the wings of the mind. The It'd.
ngS found me serving a tour OF guard
duty en- the intTcnGhcd line at Harrison's
Narm east az Norfolk. hut an eager petit
IL Ixs1t ta.le~ etftf1
long before dawn a trio of excited boys
rad reached bis's Point and hired a boat
with two stalWar ursmen TO convey them
10 an adVantaG eous point of view What
hours OF overweight expectancy those
were, while. with beating hearts and
straihinC ewes. We waited for the on
siaught Of the marine monster upon her
predestned victims! They seemed in
,erninablc. And yet the picture spread
before our eyes vas fair enough 10 ill
tho interval with interest The fair OK
panse of sparkling water was barely ruf-
fed by the morning breeze. and off 10 the
north the Federal shipping lay at anchor.
with the red em'slnkments of Newport
News and the graz batUements of Fort
Monroe ard the RiphdpS as back
grounds The tan masts of the Congress
and Cumberland stood out against the
sky IN bold relief each cord OF the com
pick r.gCinG distinct In traceTy. and the
tiny bunting at their peaks dipping ldzfv
at each undulation of the swinging huls
or Hamilton bar there rose forest of
masts and smOkestacks. among which the
lofty spars Of the Minnesota the ST.
Lawrence and she Roanoke doomed grand
" hcaVcnwaId. while their great black
sides dwayfed into insigniicanCc the
TRANSPORTS and smaller craft which lay
around ard about them. The scene was
beautiful in its mere suggestion of re-
pose: but of 10 the lef'. behind DAYS
Point "A thin line 81 smoke behind the
trees limited AZ eicmerrs Of disturbance
hiding their time 10 brow a storm upon
these peaceful waters. for there. ike
bioodhounds Ia leash with bc8ks already
turned towards their p,ey. with engines
Ike angry hearts itnpatt>ntly painting for
the FRAY. were the Lean racers OF Tuck
er's squadron on the lockout Tor the
signal gun.
AS time wore on al apprehension lest
the enemy might have received notice OF
the impending attack was d.spellcd by
the continuing absence Of stir on board
their ships and within their lines on
shore Every moVom9nt on the former
was plainly disccrnble through our field
.fasses boats swinging alorgside or PASS
fra 10 and from the beach. while the
sailors' wash" floated in the ropes OF the
vessels. and the men lounG"d idly about
~ decfs on The plains behind the
b1u~ al Newport News drills were Ia pro-
,ress among the troops, ana we could
foilow with distinctnCss tie exercises or
:. battery OF artillery going through the
. -. % war IL must nave been