The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1899-06-08

of the Pawnee, which, it was said,
would be sent with a regiment of Mas
sachusetts troops on board to assist in
the destruction and bear us away. l
learned that the administration had
been Informed that it was impossible to
hold the yard with the force at hand.
On this very day a delegation from
the 1000 employees of the yard called
upon the Commodore and pledged
themselves to stick by the government
and protect its property. They asked
for arms, offered to do guard duty, and
even to enlist But the Commodore
evidently would not trust them. He
broke off all communication between
the city and the yard and the ships and
the shore. Sentinels were trebled. The
orders were to shoot suspects on sight.
Armed boats patrolled the river day
and night, and ropes were sunk and
stretched across above and below the
yard to prevent the passage of any kind
of craft. Then the work of destruction
began.
Captain Sinclair. ranking as Lieuten-
ant Commander, and the executive Off
Ger, Lieutenant PoindeXter, came
aboard the Pennsylvania at daybreak,
and in the presence of the crew resign
ed from the navy. Captain Sinciair's
eyes filled with tears when he an
nounced that as his State. Virginia, had
seeded he felt his resignation neces-
sary. Lieutenant Poindexter spoke in
the same strain. They then shook
hands with the crew and left the ship.
This turned the Pennsylvania over to
the command of the bOatswain's mate.
Parties of sailors and marines were
sent in squads, some to spike guns,
others with sledges to disable machin-
cry in the various buildings, and others
to destroy rifles and small arms, and
cast them into the river. We got pow
der from the magazines to lay trains in
the yard. The powder that was not
used was put on board the Pawnee
upon her arrival. There were between
1000 and 5000 heavy guns lying
around the yard and the island Of St
Helena opposite. Our ship lay between
the yard and the island, and command
ed both with her guns. We could have
undoubtedly held the place at least
long enough to secure and take away
much of this material of war. There
were five ships mOOred fast fore and
aft in the middle of the river, and all
their noses pointed down stream
Among them were the frigates Raritan,
Columbia and United States Told Iron
sides), the Pennsylvania, and the pow
erful frigate Merrimac lay alongside
the dock The sloOp-Ofwar Germantown
was under the shears ana ready for
sea. There were two ships on the
ways, the 74-line-of ship New
York being unfinished and in the ship
house. l think there were all told
twelve men of-war at the station. but
none in commission except the Penn
Sylvania, whose guns were spiked last
OIL the fourth afternoon of destruction.
Orders were given to place great
quantities of powder in the holds of all
the ships, and to lay trains thereto.
This was religiOusly done in the case
of the old ships, but it was not done
with the Merrimac. This vessel. as
well as the big dry-dock, was saved.
Being Il youngster, l was not assigned
to any of the parties in the work of de-
struction. roamed Mt will around the
yard, and watched the progress of the
havoc. 1t seemed to me an unnecessary
and frightful waste and an outrage to
destroy so much property, and l no.
ticed with good deal of satisfaction
at that time that some Of the machin-
cry was not touched.
On the last day at the yard, the great
shears hanging over the SlOOp-ofwar
Germantown were cut adrift and fell
athwart her amidships, breaking her
back, and cutting her literally In half.
This was unnecessary, as the powerful
ocean tug, Live Yankee, lay Immediate
ly at her bows ready to tow her and
the Merrimac out The Germantown
was fully equipped for sea, and could
easily have been saved. She and the
Merrimac and several other vessels
could just as well as not have been
towed out The Merrimac was light,
had no battery aboard, and could have
got to sea under her own steam; got
away by slipping her hawser, at
tached to the dock. The Confederates
had no trouble in raising the ship and
running her into the saved dry-dOck.
She made q formidable ram, and the
world knows the damage she did. 1t IL