The National tribune., 1907-09-12
mac ashore, landed all her crew, ant
set match to explode her magazine.
Comm mos!ere Tatnalrs Account.

| HIsit dSIlOIe, idIutu dlI HtI crew, anu
set match to explode her magazine.
Commodore TatnalI's Account.
Commodore Josiah Tatnall, C. s. A,
commanding the Merrimac, was bit
terly blamed by the Southern newspa-
! pers for the destruction of the Merri-
mac. He made an official report May
IA, 1862, in which he said that he had
been ordered from Richmond to take
a position in James River to prevent
the Union vessels ascending. Ge.:.
Huger protested against this order, as
| it would leave him without support for
his fortifications on Craney Island and
Sewell's Point. The order was modi-
| fled 50 that the Merrimac would go
into a position where it might help
both to blockade the James and pro-
tect the forts. She remained on this
duty until May 10, when Commodore
TatnaH says:
.On the next day, at 10 a. M, we
| observed from the Virginia that the
flag was not flying on the SewelTs Point
battery, and that it appeared to have
| been abandoned. / dispatched Lieut..
]. p. Jones, the Flag Lieutenant, to
Craney Island, where the Confederate
| flag was still flying, and he there learn
T, ed that large force of the enemy had
| landed on the bay shore and were
rapidly marching on Norfolk, that the
Sewell's Point battery was abandoned,
and our troops were retreating. / then
dispatched the same officer to Norfolk
4 to confer with Gen. Huger and Capt.
Lee. He found the Navy Yard in
flames, and that all the officers had left
by railroad. On reaching Norfolk he
found that Gen. Huger and all the
officers of the army had also left; that
the enemy were within half a mile
from the city, and that the Mayor was
treating for its surrender.
"On returning to the ship, he found
that Craney Island and all the other
batteries on the river had been aban-
| doned.
1T was Z O'Clock in the evening, and
this unexpected confirmation rendered
prompt measures necessary for the safe
ty of the Virginia
'Ihe pilots had assured me that they
could take the ship, with draft of Is
feet, to within 40 miles of Richmond.
| This the Chief Pilot, Mr.. Parrish,
and his chief assistant, Mr.. Wright, had
asserted again and again, and or the
afternoon of the 7th, in my cabin, in
the presence of Commodore Hollins and
Capt. Sterrett, in reply to a question of
mine, they both emphatically declared
their ability to do so.
"Confiding in these assurances, and
after consulting with the First and
| Flag Lieutenants, and learning that of
| lhcers generally thought 1t the most judi
cious course, / determined TO tighten
the ship at once, and run up the river
for the protection of Richmond.
| "All hands having been called on
deck, / stated to them the condition OF
things. and my hope that by getting up
the river before the enemy could be
made aware of our designs we might
capture his vessels, which had ascended
| it, and render efficient aid to the de-
fense of Richmond, but that to effect
| this would require all their energy in
Tightening the ship. They replied with
three cheers, and went to work at once
THE pilots were on deck, and heard
this address to the crew.
| being quite unwell, L had retired to
| bed. Between / and o'clock in the
morning the First Lieutenant reported
to me that after the crew had worked
for five or six hours and lifted the ship
SO as to render her unfit for action, the
pilots had declared their inability to
carry 18 feet above the jamestown
| Flats, up to which point the shore on
each side was occupied by the enemy.
"On demanding from the Chief Pilot,
Mr.. Parrish, an explanation of this
paipable deception, he replied that Is
| feet could be carried after the preva-
lence of easterly Winds and that the
winds for the last two days had been
westerly.
| II had no time to lose The ship
was not in a condition for battle even
with an enemy of equal force, and their
force was overwhelming. l therefore
determined, with the concurrence of
the First and Flag Lieutenants, to save
the crew for future service by landing
them at Craney Island, the only road
for retreat open to us, and to destroy
the ship to prevent her falling into the
hands of the enemy. I may add that,
altho not formally consulted. the course
was approved by every commissioned
officer in the ship. There was no dis
senting opinion. The ship was accord
ingly put on shore as near the main
land in the vicinity of Craney Island
as possible, and the crew landed. She
was then fired. and after burning fierce
] ly fore and aft for upwards Of an hour