Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-21
CIVIL WAR SHIPS OF LINE
FIVE ARMORED VESSELS II
FLEET OF SIXTY CRAFT.
Four Were Monitors and One an
1ronclad - Steam an
Auxiliary Power.

In this day of floating steel fortresses
it is interesting to look back on the time
when both steel and steam were expert
ments in the navy and when there was
a great fleet assembled in all the pride
and power of the nation that had only
five armored vessels out of a total Of
sixty ships.
The reinforced North Atlantic squadron
destined for operation in 1864 against
Fort Fisher was such a sea force 1t was
the most powerful fleet to that time ever
| assembled under the American flag. But
it would not have lasted fifteen minutes
against modern battleship
1t is probable that the old Oregon, after
her record-breaking trip around Cape
Horn, could have walked through the
fleet and whipped it in sections like a
bear shaking off the attack of pack of
terriers.
the most formidable vessels from the
viewpoint of that day We're the monitors.
OF these there were four. the Canonicus,
the Sagus. the Mahopac and the Mon
adnock. The other armorclad was the
New Ironsides. practically one Of the old
broadside battleships covered with iron
sheathing.
The value of the monitor type had been
proved in the first battle of the ironclads
in Hampton roads, where the original
Ericsson Monitor met the Confederate
Merrimac and forced her out OF the
fight after not very decisive action.
The United States was proud Of'the first
monitors. The type was soon taken up
abroad and developed into the present
steel battleshiD.
Steam at that time was also question
able experiment. There were some side
wheel gunboats and d few screw vessels.
But steam was still auxiliary power.
and sails were relied on as the real mo-
tive power for warship.
1t was only i'll after years that sails
were relegated to the place of the aux
Hilary power They were not entirely dis
carded till the advent of the new navy
under Secretary Chandler.
Some steam vessels in she feet were the
great screw frigates Colorado Minnesota
and Wabash, and the screw sloops Brook
lyn, Shenandoah, Ticonderoga, Juniata,
Tuscarora, Michigan, Kansas Shawnee.
Nyack, Pequot and Yantic. The paddle
wheel vessels were represented by the
Powhatan and the Susquehanna
Indian names were much in favor in
these days for warShips. There were the
auxiliary steam eunboats Chippewa
Huron, Sen ca and Unadilla. and the dou-
BILE enders. now unknown tyre. the Isco,
the Maclnac, the OSceOld, the PautuXet.
the Pontiac. the Sassacus and the Tacony
These leaders of the fleet We're accom-
panied by host of less formidable yes
sells mounting in all GO guns. The broad
side from the whole fleet however would
not have been as effective as the fire from
, the main battery of single one of the
present battleship squadron.
1t was at first intended to give the COM
mand Of this formidable fleet to Farragut
He was physically worn out, and needed
rest. So he declined the command. and
it was passed to admiral Porter. after
whom one of the fleet destroyers of the
present navy is named.
The fleet assembled in Hampton roads
during November. 1864. and sailed south
November Is, almost the date forty-tive
years later that the present battleship
fleet started on its trip around the world
from the same point 1t had been in
tended TO keep the number of the fleet a
secret.
1t was given out to the papers as a mat
ter of news by clerk in the NAVY De-
partment: He was forthwith imprisoned
In the old Capitol for his indiscretion.