The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-09
liz r1,edoes III the I. James

ss Sir,-4Ecclhg IN few 1nysf,l 20 IN 8aft
M soirt pnIsdT =, resnra 'a ssins
lt liz q civil ,Var Witch Was not STRICTLY
correct In detniS md lalvng served \; l,,i-
l,,nser Dayidso NJ lh,fe sn,
lad Dis Ter
the history t,9hrredn h5v1sSs
su,iaintedfwitil'th beginning OF that mods
2of warfafe whicl, was iiia,isurhted first Ms.
BY tile C.6nfcderntcs oh James * YER dur
5,nadoS bSS captal 1llinlcr 12ayldss.o3n, on
|si Sove s. buts ass sSs s aaa
tended byg q. tug That was lust bafo 2 !,
& et t iSo hS5 sffyso Dui
side was sar, eyo witness to WHIT 4nl'.
tile river. aid knowing where the torp.n.
ssSs srs as e! SEA ~od'a fhs'
the torpedo It iyns discharged lsp,fe,nt I.
sssoha Y5s ppb,St 10 ssdsf a
ihrowii,g !ut,Sa columns fire md water
ovsr"ons hundred Rec &. !, bs g
n minute later or less l,o boat %oG ",
less. rs much Dana gcd the had 10 Pc !,
towed down the river by tho Tug men y g,
It. Mr. d James q Kin s ah q,
William ritton were In charge if 81 q lne
4 Tic next attempt 10 destroy boa was
made tue cumberlana y 1a niaea
mnnded by Captain Dayidson hiinss u;
who ran on IT. IN tho night The 3 sl ls.
the sRa e rfa1
5of the torpedo. Captain Davidson, suc !,
eesaed IN reasig tho ana
go q, away before he was discovered With
out my trouble. The third and last at.
tempt was nado S5 on the "commodoree
Ben I, Buffers fleet, In connection with
the landing OF his army and ady =, on
an the spring q 1854. she WIS
9 'gct th s,,c riyss
Tho boat was blown CONF letely o9 1, q
The wnter, md all TO pieces. aud az on O.,
hoard were killed except the conlm,asnder.
into TIA ter and rescued by al tug along
with The fleet as published irl. ~ NORTH.
ern paper at tho time. Peter Smith ana
Jaryis q. bS
Of shlps' crewss. hut Tom Eritton, who had
charge OF tho battery that exploded the
torpedo, attempted TO get away. an /, M, va
to search tho vicinity. l3ritton mace ,. ~
fort TO got 70 ne nag n dant1y
the bend for eaca pc. ZIG WIS 3eY IuE,u.lSy
utter being shot or overtaken;; v
the othcrs two ,.ycrc ot& XII . ~
Iii your article hcs naval Ice rs
fcring and commanding that tyiiey 9 ,S
mndn@prisoners n. u. "a i {. u,
u was sent to the last named atat "
TO watch tho movement of the fleet tita Z
had retired down tho river tLvo or M !i ee
miles after the eXplosion. seeing st ,ilt
QUITE Ara It. 81 II timhers md the PILOT
house were d. lont, held BY I he boo rG
/ went out to- lt.8and foiind IN the piillt,s
house tho ship s pupers. whicll sta Led mat
sh4 had ak guns and sixty men. IS also
found there two dollar 4 reenbnc
the first5I had ever secu. The fleet re-
NAMED Mt the distance named Z. bcldvv3
t'Deep Bottom" about two week and
}then moved 4fup tito river td88 he 4 10y
side 81 Dutch Gap y there I, remaned
General Butler I'm the meanwhile a bel being rs
:engA ged "A inP.the greatest JOKE OF t,tIs
war; cutting through Dutch Gar WlllcH
llc was never able to complete. owing 70
the Confederate batteries on the Chester
field side. =,
before the torpedo service was inaugu,
rated, n Yankee gunboat and tug NAG
proceeded as far up Us Chains Hluti.'
not then fortified. and given battle tor
"a short time at Drewry's3 Bluff 'Chese'
boats soon retired down the river gai ";
and escaped without much GAmA1s or
difficulty. Thosa, . q E = ~
|Chcst or Va u March, e 1904. sIf