The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-13

vented. and caveated, with the patent
Office archives.
The contract for the building of the
original Monitor" was awarded the late
Captain John Ericsson, who, with
three associates, became known as the
Ericsson syndicate" The late Hon.
John A. GriswoId, then president of the
Troy City Bank. and the late John F.
/ Winslow, Esq, partner of the firm of
Messrs. Corning, Winslow & Co., also
of Troy. N. Y, were members of, and
the financial managers of the syndicate.
The late Cornelius S. Bushnell, Esq, of
New Haven, Conn, and the late Cap
tain Ericsson, completed the quartatte
of the syndicate. The bondsmen on the
contract were the late Daniel Drew,
Esq, and gentleman now Connect
| icut representative in congress.
| 1t is true, as stated in the Sunday
! Herald article, that the two gentlemen
of Troy furnished a large proportion of
the funds to carry on the construction;
and while I do not say so authorita-
/ lively, l believe it is also true, that
they furnished about all of the money
4S4NALSNJ Saw SOSAA ROIbtOti I44CACOI d.
was advanced to the syndicate from
time to time, in payments on account,
as the work progressed, by the United
States government.
The story so often related in newspa-
per publications of bygone days, as to
the fearful responsibility assumed by
the gentlemen who became bondsmen
upon Captain Ericssons contract, has
always seemed to me to be indicative of
the yeriest type Of 'moonshine' notori-
ETY., for I positively know that either
one of the gentlemen whom I have
mentioned as the financial managers of
the syndicate, could without very ma
terially disturbing the amount of their
capitalization, have built and paid for
half dozen Monitors and, therefore,
these bondsmen would never have been
called upon to make up any deficiency.
But returning to the story of Mr..
Timby's claim. Soon after March 9,
1862, he presented himself to Captain
Ericsson, who was well aware that the
turret invention was neither Mr.. Tim
by's nor his own, and probably the cap
tain, with his well-known terseness of
manner, turned the claimant over to
the Financial managers Of the syndi-
cate. The late Hon. John A. Griswold
evidently considered it impolitic to
have any discussion upon the subject of
invention, just at a time when the zen
it'll of glory had been attained by the
Monitors success; therefore, he person.
ally assumed the negotiation of the
matter, and learned from Mr.. Timby
that he had made application for pa
tent, or had filed caveat for his inven-
ton of the revolving turret, which pa
tent had either been rejected or the ca
veat was still in the seeretsarchives Of
the United States Patent office There
upon he negotiated an agreement with
Mr. Tinby, which, In general terms,
was an arrangement to assist him in
obtaining some sort of patent, or pa
tents, and they were successful in OBJ
tanning the issues alluded to.
It was commonly reported and be- 4
lieved at the time, that Mr.. Griswold
agreed to pay Mr.. Tinby five Thousand
dollars per turret, for. all such construc-
ton the Ericsson syndicate should de-
eide to use, and I always believed that
gentleman performed his part of the
contract. If Mr.. Tirnbyj did not receive
the five thousand dollars then am
because always regarded
Mr. Griswold "a 9 IA man of the highest
and one who always did pre-
cisely as he agreed to, for received
hundreds of thousands Of dollars from
him, in payment of contracts, and such
was my experience In dealing with him.
This is about all have to say at
present; but before concluding, / wish
to record protest for myself and my
assistant, Mr.. Warren e. Hill (the only
two persons, known to me at present as
being still alive, who had anything to
do with the construction of tsthe origi-
nal Monitor"), against the numerous
claimants for unearned notoriety in
connection with the conception or the
building of that ironclad vessed, and
also my opposition to large sums Of
being paid to impecunious per-
sons, or public monuments erected, as
to anybody, for services
which were not performed.
Faithfully yours,
THOMAS FITCH ROWLAND.