The times., 1901-04-21
VESSELS OF THE old NAVY
The Floating Forts of the Sixties
Relegated to the Rear.
What Has Become of the Warsbips
That Figured Prominently i'm the
Civil Wur-Many Now Used by the
Naval Militia of Various states.

Every American DOy ana girl Knows
something about our new navy. The
pictures Of the modern battleships and
cruisers which We're published in news
papers and periodicals In profusiOn during
the war with Spair have been the chief
means of bringing the navy prominently
before the average American citizen
While we are justly proud of the achieve
mcnts of our modern naval fighting ma
chimes, it is of interst to look back
little and note what has become of the old
navy which forty years ago fought and
won battles. In those days people were
as enthusiastic over the navy as they are
today.
Of the men-of-war which belonged to
the United States Navy at the time of the
breaking out of the civil war only twenty
nine remain. They are the Canonicus.
CatskilI, Constellati ton, Lancaster, Lehigh,
Mahopec, Manhattan, Michigan, Mon
ocacy, Monongahela, Passaic, Pensacola,
Portsmouth, Richmond, 81. Louis, Sara
toga, Vermont, Wabash, Wyandotte,
Yantic, Dale. Hartford, independence,
Iroquois, jamestown, Montauk. Nahant,
New HomDshire and Minnesota The
Canonicus was built in 1862 as a single
turrot monitor. Her displacement was
2 100 tons, with a battery of two 15-inch
smooth-bore guns and 12-pounder how
tiers. This vessel engaged the battery
at Howletts, James River, in 1864, ana
bombarded Fort Fisher In lS6f-6o. she
was struck thirty-six times during the
first days fighting at Fort Fisher ana
badly cut up. The Canonlcus participated
I'm the capture of the prizes Beatrice, NO
vember a. 1864: the Celt, January, 1870,
ami the Deer, February, 1865, off Charles
ton. She is now at anchor at the navy
yard at Philadelphia.
The Catskill, another single turret monl-
bIltlt N tons
ment She was equipped with a battery
of two 15-inch smooth bore guns one
was engaged against the forts IN
Charleston Harbor under Admiral Du-
pont She attacked Forts Morgan ana
Morris Island July 10, 1863, and was hit
sixty-four times These forts were at
tackled a number of times, in each OF
which the Catskil participated, and she was
present at the time of their evacuation:
Commander Rogers was killed on board
now nc iiet at the PhiIadeIphia Navy Yard
The Constellation, built at Baltimore IN
1897, is a wooden sailing sloop OF l.ls6 tons
displacement Her active service during
the civil war was confined TO searching
the waters of the Mediterranean for Con-
federate privateers. The sioop IS now
used as a training ship at Newport X; l.
The cruiser Lancaster, 3250 tons ms
placement built in 1855 twelve guns Is
a wooden vessel, now stationed as a train
| ing ship at the Pacific station. While on
Panama in 1864 her crew seized a party or
Confederate officers who were on board
| the steamer Salvador.
The Lehigh, single turret monitor.
| 1875 tons displacement. was built IN lSeZ
| and was armed with main ana second
airy battery, the former consisting or two
/ l5-inch smooth bore guns, and the latter
| of two 12-pouuder howitzers- During the
| civil war she was assigned TO the South
| Atlantic Squadron. She was engaged in
| the bombardment of Fort SUMTER cover
| ing the landing OF a party attacking the
| fort on the night of September =, 1868.
| The monitor assisted in the destruction
| of the Presto at Suliivan's Island, and
/ also did picket duty off Charleston She
| is now at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
The Mahopec, another single turret
| monitor, was built in 1862. and is of 2,103
| tons displacement. This monitor was ac
! tive in the James River. attacked Fort
! tion of Charleston. Her armament was
the same as that of the Lehigh:
| The Manhattan, a sister monitor to the
/ last two named, saw service as a part of
| the Mississippi Squadron. She was en-
| gagged in the attacks upon the forts at
! Mobile, and with Farragut received the
| surrender of the ram Tennessee; was en-
gagged against Fort Morgan, and was pres
| ent at the time of it's surrender. She is
| now at Philadelphia.
The Minnesota a cruiser of 400 tons
! displacement, nine guns, was not actively
| engaged in the civil war. She is now
! turned over to the use OF the Massachu-
! setts Naval Reserves.
| The MOnocacy, an iron steamship, l.3fJ
! tons. is a two-masted schooner and had
| an armament of 37-mm. Hotchkiss revolv-
| ing cannon. She is now with the Asiatic
Squadron. Sne has no civil war record.
! The MOnongahela, 2,100 tons, d screw
! propeller steamer, six guns, is now used
! as a training ship for naval cadets Dur
] ing the civil war she was assigned 10 the
| West Gulf Squadron. She attempted, with
| FarragUt. TO pass the batteries at Port
| Hudson, on the night Of March AIS. 1863.
! She became disabled and badly cut up. In
! this engagement six of her crew were
! killed and seventeen wounded, including
! her captain. McKinstry. She became later
! Farragut's flagship Admiral Schley was
| a lieutenant on her at the time. Her
! commander. Abner Read. was wounded in
| an attack upon her from the batteries at
| Nine. Winchesters s plantation, near Don
! aldsOnville. in 1863. The MonOngahela also
took an active part in the engagements at
! Mobile.
The monitor Montauk. single turret. 1875
tons displacement, was assigned to the
| South Atlantic Squadron and took part
| in the first and second attack on Fort
| McAlIister. destroyed the Confederate
| stores at Nashville, and was hit forty-siX
| times She was injured by the explosion
| of torpedo under her port boiler while
| returning from the destruction of the mil
itary stores at Nashville. She attacked
| Fort Sumter and succeeded IN snenctng
| Fort Wagner She is now lying at the
! Philadelphia Navy Yard.
The monitor Nahant is now at Philadel-
! phia With the Weehawken she captured
! the Confederate ram Atlantic in Nassau
| Sound in 1863 and participated in the en-
| gagements IN Charleston Harbor.
The monitor Nantucket is offered for
| sale by the Government She was struck
| fifty-one times in the Charleston HarbOr
enga agements and helped capture the Brit
! ish steamer Jupiter at sea. She is also at
| Philadelphia.
The wooden sailing ship New Hamp-
shire did not engage in active service IN
| the civil war. but was used a store
| ship at Port Royal She is now at dock
| in New York and has been turned over
! to the State naval militia.
The Dale is a slOop of war, built in 1873,
| 675 tons. In 1891 she was turned over to
| the State of Maryland for the use of its
naval militia. During the civil war the
| Dale cruised in search Of the Confederate
priVateer jeff Davis. She captured the
Confederate sChoOnerS Specie and Mabel.
Afterward she was used as a store and
suardship at Port Royal She went out
of commission at Philadelphia in 1862, but
was rcCOmmiSSiOned as ordnance snip al
Key West Fla. during the Spanish war.
The steamer Franklin is 4 revenue ship,
now at Norfolk. Va.
The Hartford has a record during the
! civil war so well known as to need no
further telling She is a first class slOou
Of war ship rugged, and was built in 1858
She is now on her way TO Venezuela. Sne
has an armament of thirteen guns.
The Independence sailing vessel OF
wood. built in 1897. 3250 tons displacement
is used as temporary barracks for marines
at Mare Island, Cal.
The Iroquois. 1915 tons. is now In the
Marine Hospital Service. She was in aC-
tive service in the lower Mississippi before
! the passage of the forts. She h0mbaTded
Forts jackson and St philips. and was In
the general engagements in that section.
| She tOWed fire RATS ashore and protected
| the mortar boats She passed the forts at
| New Orleans, and her officers hOtsted The
flag over the United States arsenal az
! Baton Rouge.
The screw steamer Pensacola. 1909 tons
! ,,-ste b15iIt " IS5N and is now at he train