Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-03
IN HAMPTON ROADS.
ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE viR-
cryrs ,rERRrMAc) AND MONITOR.
4 DETEILED ACCOUNT.
Nv. csptain Catesby Ap II. Jones, of
che Confederate states. Navy, VINO
WINS "a Participant fin This Great
Naval Affair.

Tho following account by Captain Ca
tesby Ap II. Jones, Of the engagement be-
tween the Virginia Cderrimac) and the
monitor Is reprinted from the Southern
Historical Papers. Its reproduction Is
timely. in view Of the revival of the dis
cussion Of that fights
When, on April Il, 1851. tho Virginians
took possession Of the abandoned navy
yard at Norfolk, they found that the Mer-
.imac had been burned and sunk. She
was raised, and on June 23d following
The Hon. s r. Mallory, Confederate Sec
yetary OF the Navy, ordered that she
Should be converted into an ironclad ON
theplan proposed by Lieutenant John NJ.
Brooke, Confederate States navy. The
hull was go feet long. About $50 feet Of
the central portion was covered by q
roof Of wood and iron. inclining about IS
Negroes. The wood was feet thick; it
consisted Of oak plank inches by u
inches. laid up and down next the iron,
hnd two courses of pine-one longitudinal
OF 8 inches thickness, the other II inches
thick.
The intervening space on top was closed
iron az inches apart, leaving openings
for four hatches one near each end, and
one forward and one abaft the smoke
stack. The roof did not project beyond
the hull. There was no l1nuckle, as in the
ATLANTA, the Tennessee, and other IRON
clads OF later and improved construction.
The ends OF the shield were rounded.
The armor was four inches thick. IT
was fastened TO its wooden backing by
one and three-eighths-inch bolts, coun-
tersunk, and secured by iron nuts and
washers. The plates were eight inches
wide. / Those first made were on inch
thick, which was as thick as we could
then punch cold iron. We succeeded soon
IN punching two inches, and the remain
ing plates, more than twO-thirds, were
Two inches thick. They were rolled and
punched at the Tredegar Works, Rich
mond. The outside course was up and
down, Che next longitudinal. Joints were
broken where there were moro than two
courses.
The hui, extending two feet below the
roof, was plated with one-inch iron; 1t
was intended that it should have had
three inches.
The PROV was of cast-iron, wedge
shape. 5and weighed 1900 pounds. 1t was
about two feet under water and project
ed two feet from the stem; 1t was not
well fastened. The rudder and propeller
were unprotected.
The battery consisted of ten guns. four
single-banded Brooke rifles, and six 9-inch
Daflgren shell guns. Two of the rifles,
bow and stern piyots, were Z
inch, of 1860 pounds; the other
two were G.l-inch 0hrty~two pounds
callbre), OF 5000 pounds, one on
each broadside. The 9-inch gun ON each
%
Gring hot shot. A few 9-inch shot, with
extra windage. were cast for hot shot.
No,otAer solid shot were on board during
the Aght.
The engines were the same the yes-
sci had while In the United States navy.
They were radically detective and had
been condemned by the United States
Government. Some changes had been
made, notwithstanding which the emil
rears reported that they We're unreliable
They performed very well during the
fight, but afterward failed several hihes'
once while under fire. r.0t
There were many vexatious delays at
tending the fitting and equipment or the
shin. Most OF them arose from the want
of skilled labor and lack of proper tools
and appliances. Transporting the iron
from Richmond. also, caused much delay;
the railroads were taxed to supply the
army,
The crew, 800 in number, were obtained
with great difficulty. With Jew eXeep-
tons they were volunteers from tne
army: most OF them were andsmen. Their
aa6cjsneies Were as much as possible
overcome by the zeal and intelligence
OF the officers. In the fight one or the
s-inch guns was manned by detachment
81 tina Norfolk United Artillery.
Tho vessel was, by the concentrates
rallied the Virginia. she was put IN
commission during the last week o.
February, but continued crowded with
mechanics until the eve OF the fight.
she was badly ventilated, very uneom-
Portable, and very unhealthy. There
was an average OF fifty or sixty ut the
hospital, in addition TO the sick-list on
board.
Ths f,ag-oHlcer, Franklin Buchanan,
was detained In Richmond in charge OF
an important bureau, from which he
was ouly relieved few days before the
fight. There was no captain; the ship
Was commissioned and equipped by the
executive and ordnance officer, who had
reported for duty in November. He
had. by special order, selected her bat
terry, and was also made responsible tor
SIS efficiency.
A trial was determined upon al
though the vessel was in an incomplete
condition. The lower part of the shielc
forward was only immersed q few
inches. instead OF two feet. as was in
tended: and there was bat one inch OF
iron ON the hull. The port shutters.
etc, were unfinished.
Tho Virginia was unseaworthy, her
engines were unreliable. ana her
draught-oyer Twenty-Five feet-pre-
vented her from going 10 Washington.
Her field Of operation was. therefore, re-.
sfrieted 10 the bay and its immediate
vicinity; there was no regular concert
ell movement with the army.C0
The frigates Congress and Cumberland
e. There was, however. an informal un-
Outstanding between General Magruder,
who commanded the confeder2fe forces
on the Peninsula. end tho executive Off
Ger. 10 the eject that General Magruder
should be kept advised by Us, In order
that his command might be concentrated
Near Hampton when our attack should
10 made. The movement was prevente
consequence OF q large portion OF n 4
umand having been detached just be
fisc frlf-