The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10

Virginia In a short time your executive
officer. Lieut.. Jones. is' said 10 have
fought the ship most efficiently, ana ne
is thoro..hy informed about her. Your
wrought-iron shot will not fail. l think.
nj the distance Of fifty or one hundred
yards 10 penetrate the Monitors shield.
On the 2sth OF March Capt. Lee Is or
| dered to pack carefully and get ready for
| Transportation all the fuel. machinery.
and tools not needed at the Norfolk Navy,
ward as an additional Workshop Is TO be
established Secretary Mallory adds tina,
| can't. Lee will be informed as TO their
TRANSFORMATION. The Goth OF March comes;
the ''ironclad gunboat' Is not yet COM
pIAted. and Capt. Lee receives the follow
ing letter:
You are specially requested TO urge on
the completion OF the ironclad gunboat In
course OF construction. The engines and
boilers should be In place. her ordnance
and ordnance stores ready, her crew ship
ped and exercised. and the vessel prepar-
ed for action without the loss OF an hour.
| All the preparations should progress
| simultaneously.
| Advertise for mechanics in ~. Carolina
| IL you need them and employ one hun
bred, or thousand or more IL necessary,
| but push on the work.
You are also specially directed TO urge
| with all possible despatch the compile
ton OF the small ironclad gunboat de-
| signed for the n. Carolina waters, and
| 10 go through the Albemarle Canal. Call
| upon Constructor Porter. get his plans
| and specifications, and set him at work,
| by contract or otherwise, upon them i'm
| mediately. Say eight such vessels to
carry at least two heavy guns, and not
| TO draw when ready for service over IL
| or 6 feet Proceed TO work without the
| loss Of a day. Chief Engineer Williamson
| will furnish the motive power. Stimulate
| your work by every means in your power
| and Il you want more officers. or desire
| the detachment OF any you have for the
| good OF the service, you are requested 10
| suggest them. The department desires 10
| do all in its power TO develop the iuIi
| powers Of the yard.
| The reputation gained by the Monitor
| at Hampton Roads has made the Confed-
| crate forces anxious TO discover the Vui-
| nerable spot. if she possesses one, as the
| letter 10 Flag officer Tatnall, written
| April !. shows
The enclosed note sent 10 me py
| friend from Baltimore will inform you OF
| some interesting points about the Mohi-
| tor. This vessel has achieved hleh re-
| putation by her recent combat with the
| Virginia; and the enemy. no less than
| our own people, look forward to a re-
| newal Of IL as a matter of course. ana
| with very deep interest. | confess to
! very deep interest In your success over
her. for am perfectly convinced that the
results Of such victory may be some
millions of money. and perhaps thousand
or lives and hence / cannot avoid com
muuicating to you matters relating 10 the
Monitor. which may perhaps have but
little infiuerce in determining the mode OF
assailing her.
The Scientific American In recent
| number publishes neat WOOD cut OF me
vessel and gives some data OF her con-
struction. She has, ] perceive, forward,
two foursided vcntilators about three feet
diameter and tree feet high. which, II
is alleged slide down even with the deck
when In action. But little preparation 10
resist boarders exists 1t would seem. ana
a wet sail thrown over her pilot house
would effectualy close the steersman's
eyes
Her grated turret, her smokestack' ven
tilators. and airholes invite attack with
inflammables or combustibles, and 1t
would seem that twenty men thus pro-
vided. once upon her deck, as her turret
is but nine feet high, might drive every
man out Of her.
You will leave your ship and fleet TO at
tack the enemy when In your Judgement II
may seem best; and | need not add That
have every confidence that you VIII &C
complish all that man with such means
can Please telegraph me when you VIII
probably leave, and to avoid the leaky
telegraph you can say that capt. Shltn
will leave here at--o'clock.'
Good fearless pilots are all important,
and | suggest that before you sail you
confront them with the chart. Their re-
fusaI to place the Virginia closer than one
mile to the Minnesota, Notwithstanding
Buchanan's earnest appeals, induces me
to say this.
This was evidently the high-water mark
of expectation as to the Merrimac. On
April hope begins 10 waver:
Your telegraph of this date, that you
are out of iron for the Virginia-expected
a load down last night, not arrived, want
it immediate ly," Is received.
! am surprised at the information. 1t
was the constructors business TO advise
the department of the iron and the guam
tity he required and sufficiently In adj
vance to guard against the least delay,
and the delay OF the ship for single
hour for the want of the iron is serious
responsibility.
Enclosed | send you a copy Of conf
munication from Gen Magruder, received
this day complaining of the criminaf
hardness in putting on the iron and al
though he speaks of matters about which |
he is uniformed. I deem it necessary |
that you should furnish me with informa- |
ton as TO the statement he makes upon |
the manner in which the work on the |
Virginia has been conducted since she |
went into dock.
1t has been the departments orders |
that the ship should be made ready for |
sea in the shortest possible time. ] must
presume that no effort has been spared |
TO comply with il.
You will please. however, without rely
ing upon any other authority, urge on the
work in the yard i'm the most effective |
manner, and especially upon the Nir-
ginia and the other ironclad ships, and
you will not hesitate to report promptly
any officer, or TO get rid of any man who
fails to put forth every effort TO meet the |
demand upon us.
The crisis demands the extraordinary |
exertions OF all loyal men, and If your
fail from lack of zeal or alb
ilty, we must supply their places at once.
on April 10 the Virginia did get out OF
the navy yard for a short time, and on
the llth Flag officer Tatnall sent word
that he had captured three small YES
sells and twelve prisoners but that was
the Nirginia's last effort. She went back
TO Norfolk TO protect that place. Secre-
tary Mallory, in his letter 10 Capt. Tat
nall acknowledging the latter's despatch
1.-The Monitor and her consorts
are probably expecting the Mystic. an
iron-clad boat from New York, and hence
did not assail you"
Now things began TO look dark for Sec
rotary Mallory. On April y he wrote
that the safety of Norfolk depends. IN
my judgement. upon the immediate com
pletion of the Richmond. The Virginia |
must soon be withdrawn. and the Mon