The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-21
Captain EggIeston's Narrative,
The Great Battle Of the Merimac

Beiug ole of the licuteuauts OF the
Virginia tMcrrimac) during tile whole
Of her career under the Confederate
flag. ! give the following account from
my own knowledge or what took place
in that famous naval battle Of The Con
federacy, FOR il is as fresh ia my mind
Us II it happened yesterday
When the fcderals evacuated the
Norfolk Navy Yard Immediately after
the passage by Virginia % tho ordi-
nance OF secession. they set fire Ia thc
public property there. This included
the largest battlcship then iu the
world, VIZ. the Pennsylvania, OF 40
guns, used as u receiving ship, and sew
cral valuable vessels lying ia ordinary
that is, stripped OF their rigging and
Spars and rooted over and put in
charge OF catetakers. Among These
was the frigate United states, which.
under command of Decatur had cap
tured the British irigate Guerrero. ara
the then modern steam lriEate Mcrri-
mac. For some reason tho FedcTals
Gid not set fire 10 the old friEate. and
when tho Confcdcrates aftcrwurd tried
to sink her as an obstruction I'm tho
channel below Norfolk. it " : found
Impossible To cut through her hard live
oak tirnbers. shall tell later what
use we made Of her.
The Mcrrimac, with her sister ships,
tho Minnesota, the Colorado. tie Roa
aoNc and the wabash. represented the
highest tire Of naval architecture
reached at that time she WAS Il fun
rugged sailing vessel and steamer com
hned. of about 1000 tons displacement,
ind carried 4 battery OF forty nine
inch DahlEren guns.
sunk, but Hull Rniscd.
Before she had been completely de-
stroyed by the fire lit by the rctrcating
J'ederals, tho Confcderntes succeeded
in sinking her in order to save what
was left subsequently the hull was
raised and converted into the formida-
blc ironclad destined to revoiut,onize
naval architecture and tactics
The following description OF the COM
pletcd ironclnd IL from the pen of her
executive officer, Lieutenant Catcshy
Jones:
."rhe hull was 9i5 feet long About
lGo feet OF tho central portion was
covered by root OF wood and iron, in
cliuing about 81 degrees. The wood
was two feet thick. IL consisted OF oak
blank four Inches by twelve laid UP and
down next the iron. and two courses OF
pine. one longitudinal of cisht-inch
thickness the other twelve inches
thick The intervening space on top
was closed by permanent gratings OF
two-inch square iron, two and one-haii
inches apart leaving openings for four
matches, ono near each end ana one
forward and one abaft the smokestack.
The roof did not project beyond the
hull.
The armor. consisting Of two
courses of two-inch scliI iron plates,
was bolted 10 tho wooden backing, The
inner course longitudinally, the out
side course up and down, making tho
thickness OF armor four inches Tho
hull, extending two feet below the roof,
was plated with one-inch iron.
The prov was Of cast iron, wedge
shaped, and weighed 1,5o0 pounds. 1t
was about two feet under water. and
projected about two feet from the
stem. 1t was not well fastened. The
rudder and propeller were unprotcct-
cd
The battery consisted OF ten guns.
four e;nglc- barrsled Brooks rifos ana