New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-18
THE NAHANT'S RECORD.
CAPTAIN RIcKrR's COPY OF THE FAMOUS MON
TORS LOG

Buffalo April II (SpeciaD-Capta!n Charles G.
Kicker formerly third officer OF the famous
old monitor Nahant, Is now a resident Of
Buffalo. and has at hts home transcript Of
the log Of that vessel from the time when II first
went into commission nearly 10 tho end Of his
eighteen months service with tho Nahants crew.
The selection Of the Nahant one OF the monitors
to he put in commission for inside defence yes
sci at New-York gives the record Of the old battle
ship a sudden and freshened interest
The Nahant was built at South Boston. and was
launched in the fall Of 1862. The rapidy with
which she was prepared for service is evidenced by
the fact that she slid of the In the early part
Of November. ard went into commission for active
service on December .. six weeks later.
She has an iron hull, and her turret and side
armor consists of eleven inches o. iron. built UP
OF one-inch plates bolted. or rather rivcied. to-
gcther with long rivets. Her armament consists Of
one l5-inch and one r-inch pondorous srooth-bore
cannon mounted In her trrret. She had no sec
ondary battery. These huge smooth borc guns were
tremendously powerful weapons In their time and
had an effective range Of two three miles. They
would stil do serious damage TO an unarmored
cruiser. torpedo-boat or even 70 some Of the pro
tected cruisers But her guns would be Of little
effect against modern armor and the eleven inches
Of iron plating on her sides turres and pilothouse
would be Of small protection against tho heavier
class even Of rapid-nre. modern rifes
Captain Kicker was assigned TO tho Nahani before
her first crew when she went Into commission on
December % 1862 The first complement Of officers
Of the Nahant appears in the logbook as follows:
Commander, John Downcs; lieutenant
D. b armany acting nss ,ir '" ao,nc c cnf'en
e. T.. Clark; assistant paymaster' Ed"ln fhthaf :
assistant surgeon L. Elery siedman senior engi-
nce-. f. J. Lowering: assistant engineers !. II.
Boardley. Abraham Mchener and W. $ Neal. T.,
loving N daS D 5oon G 20 and January 1853
started for her first vsit to Nc"-York Harbor
rug. and had rather hard time making me run
to New-York; not however. because Of any lack ~
monitor had 70 put in under cape cod. had to
to anchor of the northern coast II Martha 5
Bay aad lay of Newport for several days, waiting
for the fogbanks TO clear away; -
The Nahant reached the Brooklyn Navy Yard on
January 9, ana was warmly welcomed as she was
regarded powerful addition TO the ironclid
fleet. She visited by great number OF people.
hn kent in m. 1arbor for the defence OF New-Yorl
But the Government had too much need OF her IN
After week ) stay the Nahant started for
HAMPTON Roads and there joined the monitors
Weeha vixen, Patapsco and Sangamon. In Febru-
March the Nahant started for her hrst night. In
company with the Paiapsco and Passac, she went
DAYS later engaged Confederate earthwork there.
The Lex records tina thiriy-iour OF ne l,-ncn
also remarks that the Confederate guarers did not
hit the monitor once during the several hours OF
the engagement. and that the b"inbarrHeht % INC
monitors did not dis.odRc the ercny
THAT was = KIND II fIlal UP ] inll-K SdNH 'dI,,
tain Kicker They dd not eXpcc' that we sho ne;
do much. and We did not dsappoint mem we
were recalled by orders to Port Royal the neXt day
The reason were not hit was Simply pad gun
neey. The shots went over US ana aiouiid U.s. p"'
|, was in the siege Of the forts Of Charleston
Iarbor, however dhat he &ahsn' TTcesGd act
assembled North Ediso River between Mar 1sn
. and April 1913 Reside he NahSn' were me
co. Mon,auk Passaic ana the much-heraldcd bui
iu-fate1 Keokuk On April me ir9nclads IN i1osc, y
J,..d al
The N9bant opened fire at eighteen hundred
Yards on Fort Wagner and at ono time ran up 20
DAVIS attack ONLY lasted from 3 o'clock to o'clock
choragc the marks Of forty-nine Ms were doH an
had struck the heavy cast ring Of the pilot
metal which formed the union between ne p'i ,h
turret Hself and fourteen on the deck ~ glhncans
blows. Eight shots had struck the sse ar'np Cd
rhree the armorcd part Of the srn9kestack; ana a
f5irr the unarnored part. The whistle ana me
actstaff were shot away but the flagstaff. though
~ and in ali It's fights thereafter the flag Of the
Nahant never came down. even by acciden'' ~, IN.
Naha1t one man was killed ana three rec, were s6n,
WOUNDED BY nyins boltheads Mnem ht Inv bow
would snap some Of the bolts that bound the com.
bonadds 6ew Of with force enough to do serious
damage Edward Cobb, signal l,rn wIS
s Ssi T. '.', ,, 1.u.. -. coast 70 Port
The Nahant dropped doWn inc ephsl ~
ROYAL for repairs and when she returned TO ne ne
arct was sent to Wassaw Sound. in company win
he Wcehawkcn 10 look out for a dangerous rencI
ram the Atlanta on June u NE TWO ihohiIo, - j,
gu her ma onencd fire She replied. ana a snort
ensasement-less than half an kourSsuii nee 10
disab The Confederate vessel so far thar she was
i,ianT ~ s,rilr her nac The Atlanta was an IRON
clad and carried two finch ana Two s-n a9 fos oi
a.. 80 tm charge Of Comma ndcr w. a Webb;
hfior this exploit the Nahant retnth t no .o
aimost daily bombardments Of Wagner. sumter
and MouItre which gradually reduced these io ,
1"1,,~ns IN ruins After the evacuation or Charles,
tor the Nahant remained on guard duty there untii
the close OF the war.
THE sHAWMUT ORDERED TO BOSTON
Portsmouth. ~ H.. April 1.-THE steamer Shaw
mutt which has discharging coal here. mas
haen ordered 10 the Boston Navy Yard TO be con-
verted into an auxiliary cruiser The steer 'h ~,