The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-06
VIRGINIA. s GREAT
f |GHT ON WATER
True History of the Battles OF til
First Ironclad War
Vessel.
FROM FIvEAsH's HISTORY
Lieutenant Jones's Report to Con
iederate Naval Authorities
Corroborated by Enemy.


Ti,a article of Mr. Joseph G.. Fiveasll,
~. co,oo, of the Virginia
u - ,.t,., ,,,,,r,
or Merrlmac' lle Htst 'o't,i''
to naval warfare, and published III luI
I'm the Norfolk Landmark some weeks
ago. has attracted great deal OF atter-
ton.
Several interesting extracts from 1t
have been published in this column ana
correspondents have asked for more.
Mr.. Eivcash says:
The work of transforming the Merit
mac into an ironclad WAS all performed
while the vessel was in the dry dock. ana
when the time came to let water into
the dock and float her. by direction OF the
Senfederate Secretary ct , ,ns MGFs' MI
IN sat,,rioy nnrGb ISIS, under the
,o,,,,,o,,d ns MA, Orc, 1sr,nt,lir an
cba,,an sh,, sta,tea for uomptnn Roads
~, hor trial trfn ana boforn ,,tgt,t she
IA ,.,,.,,t,,+tl,,,i.,os 49,, ,,sresrc ,,,1 ,eh
eroa in ,l,.s or, or iror,iaae nor massacre
,hro,,gb tba har,,o,. ga dn,,,,, 20 the
poads ,.ity,essc,t 1,,. ,fo,,sar,,s NJ Git
zans ana eoldiors a,,I ,,,,,o, .fta,. isri.
She returned ia tl,c reit,i,l,or,,nos of Sew.
els Point and frarsfarrad IN ono oF
the small e,,nloo,s t,v[, ~ nor r,,f,,,. VINO
had been killed and tbrea ofHrers ma
five of the crcvy vim ina bac,, y,o,,nde,,
the frigate Cumberland had beer destroy
ed, the Congress had benn set nm fire
after surrender!ng the Minnesota had
been injured and was aground. and the
st. Lawrence and Roanoke had returned
to the protection of the guns of Fortress
Monroe. The terrible news had caused
panic throughout the North that was
distressing, indeed; but while matters
at that time appeared very critical, the
ciiciai records show that the Virginia
WAS not then capable of doing a fraction
OF the damage credited to her. She drew
twenty-five feet OF watr, was incapable
of going TO sea in her then condition ana
was lacking in protection for eight OF her
ten guns.
Second DAVIS Fioh+
I,l,+t,.a - 80 So
-bat ~ uarct et,, 49,. o's 100
r,,e ~, $50, i,y9 ~ ~ " otf
The fail,,,o ~ Iio,,+n,. -ts'' ~, yl,'
,h 1yinnneot .,e,a,. +I,a ,f.,,,i, ~
shalIow watar .r ta,ta,,,,,, - ~
was tncapactta+eGl IN, . .tnt &c, t,,. ~
virgini, enabled c,ain1s 10 ba ,,,o,1s t st,r
Tho Monte. ,.hicI, rot s.,istat,,a, w.,
official records II ,s trna tbs+ those Who
had become ,.ar.f.-strjcl;en when tha ~,
verse Of tbe St'-.,r.,s rIasbe, q, ma, No.,
good reason Ia ,eisicn that ,ba virpi,,ia
had moi the Ayonitor i, corfit.t o., tti.'t
tha MINNESOTA mad MOI heeY ass,roSf' ,,,
,ha former ne vos avnsce5 ,c,,1 W., W ~, ~
CASE or tha ,.,ose ~ 49,,
tba sth Int e. doea M i''stis,. IL, ,,1s
mat canno- Ia s,,staira9 ~. ~, -
,rha stul,art ~ t,'' ,a1. III, a. ~.
eeo'us WI mug 'i.al
tba NonitN,. aa a,, 49, it,,'o5 ~
wern not fo1nda,, ,,no, 49, 90, ~,
q,neor st,aers &c ti,a Mn. ,ottsr
Ia Commodore Iosenh e,n,ItI, ,,,,foc as,a
Of 1Tarc i7tI5 ., $50. ~ W., 49,, 49,
nothing but solid nast-ron S5n+ ana Me-, ,non
We 80 ,1,Toc,I, 800 sl',' ni.e''
mac and hit her our shot went right
through mr. Assistant Secretary Of the
Navy G. Y, Fox, in n telegram to Major
General George b. Mcclellan, at Fairfax
Courthouse, dated Navy Department,
March 18th. page lDO, SAYS:
The Monitor is more than Il match
Tor the Merrtmac, but she might be dis.
abled In the next encounter. The
Monitor may, and | think Will, destroy
Tie Me'rifnac In the next fight, but this
Is nope not certainty Despite these eS
pfesslohs %liich are about tie Strongcs
that are t. be found III the volume o
records, the claim is here made that
]. The Monitor on the 9Th OF March
1867, WAS the first 10 retire from tn
engagement With the Virginia,
>. That the Monitor and all of the YES
sells near Old Point ana tic Rip rsaps de
clined the Virginia. offer Of battle Oh
The l1th OF April 1866, when three trans
Iorts We're taken from under the gun
OF Fortress Monroe and towed 10 Nor