The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-04

The Pennsylvania (three ..
The Columbus ,..... so guns
The Delaware .......... "a guns
The New York ,.......... "a guns
The United States. .......... so guns
The Columbia so guns
The Raritan ............... so guns
The Plymouth .............. ~ guns
The Germantown .......... % guns
The Dolphin .,.,,... 4 guns
The Merrimac .............. 40 guns
OF these ships the giant old Pennsyl-
vania had been regarded as failure
from the time of her construction In
1887, and consequently counted for lit
tie. The Columbus. Delaware and New
York were ships of the line occupying
the same position that our battleships
do today. These were on the stocks
and far from completion. The Merri-
mac was steam frigate, built upon the
latest ideas, and supposed to be worth
more than all the others put together.
Her cost was placed at $1.000.000. an
immense sum for a war vessel In those
days.
1t was estimated that the Navy had
between 100000 and 100000
worth of property there. or greater
amount than would be represented by
500, 100000 at the present time. The
only protection there was for this prop
erty was a low wall running around
the yard. While large portion of the
officers stationed in the yard were tine
tured with secession, the people EN-
ployed In and around 1t were generally
loyal. and had Enthusiastically mani
tested this on several occasions until
they We're dragooned into secession by
military force.
Neglected mt Washington.
L. t. tya ovI m
Germantown alone was ready to go to
sea. The Merrimac needed some re-
pairs to her engines. and the others
were in Ill stages of unreadiness
shading. back to those which were
but half completed on the stocks
and those actually condemned. Com
modore Charles S. McCauley, a veteran
who had long and honorable career
in the Navy, but whose powers were
clearly weakening under the influence
of age and hard service, was in COM
mand of the station He wanted to do
his duty, but he sadly lacked energy,
courage and decision. The Buchanan
Administration had, of course. paid no
attention to him, and the Virginia au-
thorities had shrewdly made no move
to alarm the people at Washington.
No one outside the Navy comprehended
the Importance of the station, nor what
its loss meant to the Government. Ger
tain1y Lincoln and his advisers had lit
tie thot of it, and it was only incident
ally, while considering Fort Sumter and
Fort Pickess. that they bethot them
selves of the Gosport Navy Yard. and a
message was sent to Commodore Nc
Cauley to exertise extreme caution
and circumspectfon." April 10 he was
instructed TO put the shipping and
public property in condition to be
moved and placed beyond danger
should it Become necessary" At the
same time he was again admonished to
circumspecnon SO as not to arouse the
explosive s6.jcepfibilities of the Virgin
ians. 1t was marvellous how exceed
ingly solicit6us we then were as to the
emotional natures Of our Southern
brethren. These Instructions added to
the conclusion of the wooZy-headed
old Commander, and rendered him in
capable Of aiyqdecided action such as
was necessary 10 take.
While the people Of the North might
overlook the Navy Yard, those of Vir-
ginia kept yigilant eye upon it. AS
early as April is, two days before the
Virginia Convention adopted the Or
dinance of Secession, some of the hot
headed Seeessionists sank two small
vessels in the river to seal UP the Navy
Yard and prevent the escape of the
ships in the yard. Gen. Taliaferro, Of
the Virginia militia. had secured the
not reluctant consent from Gov. Letch-
er to start against the Navy YARD even
before the State had seeded, and
reached Norfolk with a considerable
force OF militia on April IS. ~.
McCauIey's Observation-Disclosures.
If McCauley had had a very small
leayen Of the spirit of Nathaniel Lyon,
U. S. Grant, Sheridan, Porter or Farra-
gut, he would have prepared very
serious reception for Gen. Taliaferro.
There was plenty of ammunition and
arms inside the walls, with heavy ar
tillery galore, and sailors trained to
work the guns. Besides this, so ear
nestly loyal were the people Of Ports
mouth, Gosport and other suburbs tina,
they only needed a leader and a rally
ing place to set their faces strongly
against secession. It was one of the
times when men are comparatively OF
no account and man is all important.
Commodore McCauley, alas. was not a
man in that sense of the word. Or, If
he had not wanted to fight he should
have taken the Merrimac and some, at
least, OF the other valuable property out
of the hands of the enemy to a place of
safety He neither fought nor ran,
however, with any skill or determine
ton. He reported to Washington that
it would take 80 days to get the Mer-
rimac in shape to put to sea. This was
so startling to the Navy Department
that Engineer-in-Chie B. +. sherwood
was sent to Norfolk to investigate the
matter, and found that the machinery
could be put In shape in few days by
working night and day. April II he
reported to McCauley that the engine
was ready for use. Capt. Paulding was
sent from Washington with orders TO
McCauiey to lose no time in arming the
Merrimac; to get the Plymouth and
Dolphin beyond danger; to have the
Germantown in condition to be towed
out, and to put the more valuable prop
erty-ordnance. stores, etc-on ship
board, so that they could at any mo-
ment be moved beyond danger. He
was also ordered to defend the vessels
and other property at any hazard. re-
Polling by force, il necessary, any and
all attempts to seize them whether by
mob violence. organized effort. or armed
authority Paulding saw that the frig-
ate Cumberland was brot out. of the
yard, with her, crew and guns on board,
and anchored SO as to command the
harbOr and the cities of Norfolk and
Portsmouth, when he returned to
Washington capt. sherwood was anx-
ious to light, the; fires in the Merrimac's
furnaces and start her out, feeling GER
tain that all. rpbstructions would be
crushed like eSg-shells. The Commo-
dore thot that the morning would be
time enough to light the fires. The