The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-12

-
In ths early part OF the last century
the United states government. appre-
| eating tho advantages of Old Po1n,
comfort as a military reservation. cons
trolling as ii does the entrance to
! Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic
ocean. acquired possession of II by
grant from tho state OF Virginia. and
+ IN 1873 erected thereon Fortress Mon
roe at cost Of many millions OF dol
lars.
Fortress Monroe is an obtec, Of
much interest to visitors, with it9
/ strong granite walls. moat and draw
I bridges II was here that Jefferson
Davis. tho President of tho Southern
confederacy. was confined. Situated
at the entrance to Hampton Roads.
Old Point Comfor, enjoys the distinc-
ton of being the nations principal
/ rendezvous. and vessels of all nations
ars often anchored off the Point
! Hampton Roads is an inls, from
Chesapeake Bay. and covers an area OF
! about nifty squire miles. and could
easily afford anchorage for the navics
/ OF tho world The entrance is also
guarded by Fort Wool commonly
/ known as the RIP Raps." very
strong fortress built on an artificial
| isla nd
Norfolk. on Of our principal porte
- H'tHaNSp on tHe east D3HK n! the
4 Elizabeth River and about thirteen
miles from FORTRESS Monroe. i, was
settled in 1850. and received us name
| from tho Duke OF Norfolk. Many evil
h'nces or colonial days are stu in OK
: iFt'snce there. the most prominent
being old ST. Paul's Church, ersctcd
IN 1899. Sud is shrine to which all
/ visitors resort. A solid shot fred from
tho British fleet under Lord Dunmore
on the FIRST day of January. 1875. is
still ARMY limb cdded IN ITS walls.
Portsmouth is on the opposite bank
OF the same river. and they are called
, Tho Twin Cities" Together they
, constitute the largest naval station in
the United States. having an extensive
ana completely equipped navy yard.
Abandoned by the FedcrsIs.
When the Civil War was commenced
tho United States government was in
possession of all this territory. with
| Its splendid navy yard docks and vast
| quantities of military and naval stores
| On the night OF the goth. OF April. 1861
| Tor some unaccountable and une1-
| planned reason. they became panic
stricken apd abandoned it, after de-
stroyinE some OF the property and
setting firc TO and tcuttiing the
ships. among them the steam friEate
| Mcrrimac.
| Tho Confederate government inme
diatcly took possession of the aban-
| doned territory. with between four
| and lve million dollars worth of milf
thry ana naval supplies. which they
could never haze acquired so easily. II
al all. In any other manner All the
sunken vessels were raised. and the
| Merrimac was converted into an iron
clad and named the Virginia. but the
old name OF Mcrr!n1ac still clung to it
and by that name IL is generally
! known. She was forty-gun frigate
| of $500 tons. 216 feet long and "A
| speed OF less than eight miles an
hour. After being raised she WAS cut
| down TO her berth deck and a struct-
| urc OF oak wood % inches thick
| was erected on 100 feet OF the midsh'p
| section Of this deck and inclined at
an anGla of 80 degrees to an upper
| deck. which was about eight feet wide
| Then double plates of wrought iron,
| each two inches thick. were bolted
over this structure. making case
mate in which the crew and guns We're
protected The upper deck OF this
cascrnate was covered with an iron
| grating. for light and ventilation
| having four openings, or hatchways.
| Tor inisress and eeress. Her prov was
made o, cast iron and weighed 1.50o
| pounds. and was two feet under the
| surface OF the water. Her engines.
| which were never sufficiently powerful
| and hadn't improved any while being
sunk. were not cape bic of making "a
! speed of as much as five miles an hour
with the additional weight OF the
casenlate. Roth ends OF this case
mate were rounded to conform TO the
angle of the sides. which made II
| practically proof against shot and
shell
This sunerstructure has been err
roneousIy compared TO the roof of a
house. but TO my mind il was az little
like one as pineapple is like a
peanut.
The Confederacy, having no-merchant
F., marine and not enough sailors to man
| schooner. was up against 1t for a
| capable crew to handle the guns and
! sail the ship However. hundreds OF
| volunteers offered their services, and
| even begged for the privilege and
| honor or shipping on the Merrimac.
| notwithstand IL was an untried eX-
| pertinent. Not even a trial trip had
been made. and il wa sdoubtcd by
many 10 he anything but death trap.
| Even in Hampton Roads a strong cas-
| teriy wind would have been a menace
| to her. and outside in Chesapeake Bay
| she would have gone to the bottom in
| five minutes.
dangerous Game,
II certainly required a high order of
courage and n surpe rlstive degree OF
patriotism for men TO venture on her
! at ali, but hearts rf oak were plenti-
| fu! and crew of three hundred and
twanty--five bold hut inexperienced men
were selected TO sail and fighter her:
and right nobiy did they perform their
hazardous task Bravely they steam
cd her into Hampton Roads. heroical-
| Is fought the entire Union fleet and
;hore batteries. and with a courage un-
surpassed won a battle unprecedented
in the history Of naval warfare.
All honor to the Confederate soldier
and sailor whose ingenuity. skill and
valor changed In q nay the old-time
wooden man of-war Of all nations
| into the splendid 1roDciad battleship OF
| the present day.
AS have said my company was sta
toned on the bluff at. Sewell's Point,