Evening journal., 1912-03-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
An IrlShmaR and the Iron
clad MerrimaC
By Holland

i
Gideon Welles, who was secretary OF
the navy in the cabinet of President
Lincoln, was Gustayus Vasa Fox ana
his achievements as assistant secre-
tary of the navy were of such very
high order that his name has passed
into tradition with that of Secretary
Welles in connection with the bril-
liant work done by the Federal navy
during the Civil War.
Some ten or twelve years after the
close of the war, Mr.. Fox was asked
10 prepare a magazine article telling
the story of the battle between the
Monitor and the Merrimac fifty years
ago this month. In that article Mr..
Fox said that tho administration at
Washington was not taken by surprise
at the appearance of the Merrimac in
Hampton Roads with intent to destroy
the United States frigates then at an
chor in the Roads and. having done
that, to proceed nOrtherly for the pur-
pose OF attacking one or more OF the
! large coast cities. But Mr.. Fox did
not explain that the administration at
Washington had learned Of this pur-
pose. That part of the story was pri-
vately told years afterwards by Col
onel LeGrand 3, Cannon of Burling-
ton, Vermont, who at the time of the
battle between the Merrimac and the
! Monitor was on the staff of General
John f. Wool, then in command at
Fortress Monroe.
"One morning." said Colonel Can
non, there appeared TO the sentry
posted Just outside the fort man who
seemed to be completely tired out. He
demanded admittance TO the fort and
the sentry having called the guard Of
ficer the man was taken into the fort
and brought TO me. I saw that he
was greatly excited, indeed, for lit
tie while he was unable to express
himself.
Who are you and whom do you
want to see? / demanded of him.
90 L want to see the gineral, he re-
piled, his speech backing up my i'm
preston that he was an Irishman. he
had an honest face, with clear blue
eyes, and there was something about
his manner that caused me TO trusi
him and 10 believe that he was sincere
But / said to him that he could moi
see General Wool
Sure, must sec the gineral,' hC
replied
If you will tell me what you
want to see the general for. then
will know whether you ought to sc,
him or not I replied
After some hesitation the man saiC
he would tell me if there were no ont
else around to hear what he said
took him into one of the easements
and having assured him that ther'
was no one except myself within
hearing, he astonished me by saying
Have you got a sharp knifeT
What do you want Of knife?'
asked, and he replied in a whisper
To cut open my coat sleeve
in moment had ripped open hi
coat sleeve at the point he indicates
and ! found sewed in there a com
munication from a workman at tn
Norfolk navy yard.
"The lrishman told me that he ha
walked all the way from Norfolk by
rounabout path and had come acros
Hampton Roads in a little rowhoa
The concealed message which h
brought told us that the workmen a
the Norfolk navy yard had put raj
road iron and other iron upon IN
hull of the frigate Merrimac and ths
she was launched the day before an
drew twenty-fOur feet of water. Ful
thermpre, IL stated that the enginee
in charge felt thatthis was not enoug
weight. so that the vessel was 20 b
replaced in dry dock and addition;
weight put upon her. After that wa
done and the vessel was fitted OF
with her guns. she was to start on
and having destroyed the Cumbei
land and the Congress, then lying 4
anchor at Hampton Roads. was to pas
by Fortress Monroe and procee
northerly.
"The communication was so impoI
tant that General Wool instructed m
TO take il TO Washington. did so an
laid il before Secretary Stanton an
Secretary Welles as we'll as the as
sistant secretary Of the Navy Depart
ment II enabled the government Z
make certain preparations for the dc
Tense of some of the seacoast cities
but il was the opportune and unex
pected arrival Of the Monitor the da
after the Merrimac sailed from Nor
folk that solved the dangerous prob
lem for the government"
Copyright. 1912. by + J Edwards
All rights reseryed.)
Tomorrow Mr Edwards will tell n