Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-16
THE RAM ALBEMARLE
A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW SHE
WAS BUILT.
A LESSON IN PERSEVERANCE.
CornfeId Turned Into a shipyard-
Great Dimcuities Overceme-Hax-
ardOus Undertaking.
written for the DlsnafchN

N. C.,
about twenty miles below Weldon, on a
farm owned by James N. Smith. ESQ.,. a
prominent. highly-respected, and pa
triotic citizen of that county. The vessel
was constructed under a contract with
the Confederate Navy Department by Gil
bert Elliott. who employed the carpenters
and Iaborers and furnished the materials
and equipped the boat, under the super
vision Of Commander James w. Cooke.
OF the Confederate States navy. native
OF North Carolina. Gilbert Elliott, the
son OF Gilbert and Sarah A. Elliott, was
born in Elizabeth City, N. c.. on the 10th
Of December, 1s43 When the war COM
menced, in 1861, he was a clerk In the
law office OF william +. Martin, who. in
addition to his law practice. owned
ship-yard and a number OF negro ship
carpenters, slaves Of himself and family.
Mr.. Martin took a contract with the Con-
federate States Government to build three
wooden gunboats at Elizabeth City, but
he was soon elected colonel Of the Seventh
Regiment Of North Carolina Volunteers.
went TO the front, and was captured at
the fall of Hatteras. Meantime he had
left Gilbert Elliott to look after the bust
ness MANAGEMENT of his ship-yard, with
lanes +. Smell as the boss carpenter. In
February, 1862. the Federal feet captured
Elizabeth City. The three wooden gun
boats were burned on the stocks. and
Gilbert Elliott took all the tools, equip
ment and carpenters to a point on tho
Frizan meth river, near Norfolk, and COM
menced the construction OF another wood
| on p,,nboat there. Norfolk soon fell into
the hands Of tho enemy, and Elliott
moved his plant and carpenters to North
| Carolina
! His friend, Colonel Martin, released from
prison, recognized his command, whlch
was now called the Seventeenth Regiment
North Carolina troops He appointed Gill
| bert Elliott his adjutant. The carpenters
were hired out for other work In the IN
| tecior and the youthful navy contractor
went TO the front with the army. But ne
had not long been in camp at petersburg
when he was urgently solicited by Secre-
tary Mallory, OF the Confederate navy
DEPARTMENT, who had formed very hlgn
| oninion of Elliott's business capacity ano
| enerqv TO undertake the building OF
| another gunboat, this time to be an IRON
clad ram, as the career OF the Merri
| mac-Virgtnia had revoluuonlzed HhVa
! warfare Upon Mr.. Mallorys requesh
the Confederate States war Department
s-onted Lieutenant Elliott a two years
! furlough. and he was renewed ot tr'
| duties Of adjutant, returned to Norti
| Sano1iro gathered I'D the tools. and tn
carpenters, and began his new venture
| at Tarboro', on Tar river, ". O. Bu
| the Federal troops occupying New Bern
made a caid TO Rocky Mount on the VIII
r,inqton and Weldon railroad, burned IN
railroad bridge. and returning via Tar
boro'. destroyed young Elliotts sunDoa'
"No T." Although at this time only l
wars Of age. his energy and persistence
were displayed by the removal OF VIVA
was left of his ship-building plant 10
more secure position on the ROANOKE
where the keel was laid for the Iamou
ram. ,,u,..
In personal appearance Ghbert Ei'Io'
was slender, with brilliant eye ana III
features, but having a full Dark pedre
The Secretary of the Navy did not sus
pect that he was contracting with youL
not 21 years Of age, when the Aloemarl
,,,os finished after one year Of almos
sunerhuman effort, under great oiflcu
tics Elliott had not been taught IN
trade Of ship-building, but IL may not Z
ont of place to mention that his matern'
grandfather, Charles Grice, was shil
builder in the early part or the cehtur
at Elizabeth City, n. c., and that Franc
Grice a nephew OF Charles Grice, was
distinguished constructor or the Unite
; states navy. living at Portsmouth va
and afterwards at Philadelphia, ana %
sides other vessels. constructed the mrs
class frieate Niagara at the Philade
phia navy-yard, in 1886.
PLANS DRAWN BY PORTER.
r The nlans of the Albemarle were draw
nv Naval-Constructo John l. Porter,
the Norfolk navy-yard, modelled soHi
what after the Virginia. and, as beio
mentioned. the actual putting together
r tho vessel was the work or James
! SMELL and among the carpenters we
the faithful gang of negro slaves WI
s worked as cheerfully as the white me
A citizen of Halifax-Peter h. Smit
{ Eso.-now a resident OF Scotland Nee
+ in that county. became associated WI
/. Elliott and rendered efficient service ~
p son of a planter. and planter hlilSe
+: educated at the University of North Car
] lima. Mr.. Smith was Dom ineNH'"'0 :"
genius in that art. =,
= When the time came 10 put on the IL
pl.tes the work was found TO be We
I. tedious. as the boring had 10 be done WI
r. an old drill from the Norfolk naVy-yai
q Under this necessity Smith invented a
, nuf into operation a drill which c
through the iron like ar anger through
., oaken plank, and the plating was IN
4, sneedily and effectively done. When I
d" war ended. Smiths friends induced n
=, IN applv TO the Washington GoVernme
: for a patent on his useful invention .
y no found that about the same time "a
y he had made his drill some .ngenlo
I" Yankee had invented one exactly slhli
! ON the other side OF the line, and AREA
. had his patent for H.
- The history Of the Albemarle. her &C
str1ctlon. her famous battles. and J
a. destruction by a torpeso, are secorded
Or the Century War Papers by Federal d
nj Confederate contributors, and other IA
TX are given in a lecture delivered by Z
5. bert Elliott. i'm the city OF 81. Louis in j
p bur the narrative omits mention or
er service rendered by himself. as alue
her commander Cooke. in her hrst
r counter with the enemy al Piymou
a. before reaching that town. Cooke ieari
a. that a line of torpedoes had been stret
Il. ed across the river 10 blow hole IN
?. bottom Of his craft. and ne came 10
y. Choir.
g. A HAZARDOUS UNDERTAKING.
,. During the night Elliott suggested
IS -x.-,z.,,-----s 1893
q. MA.bRIEI AND TYPHOID FEVE!