El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-29

W WASHINGTON. D. C, Nay "a
M Memorial day honOrs the men
who fought on ships in the ctvil
war equally with those who fought on
land. Yet, in the present generation,
few people remember the extraordinary
difficulties under which, more especial
" on the Confederate side. the naval
forces employed in that great conflict
were built up.
The naval blockade killed the Con-
federacy, The lost cause" was not
destroyed by Sherman's march TO the
sea: not by Lees surrender; not. in
deed by any disaster to the Southern
arms. Il was slain by the blockade
which cut off the south from supplies
Of food. clothing. guns and ammunition.
L. :. Had Greatest Navy.
At the close Of the civil war the
United States had navy that was by
far the most powerful in the world,
comprising no fewer than 500 fighting
ships OF all classes But its merchant
marine which had carried half the cont
merce Of the globe. was gone The
Alabama and a few other ships en-
ployed by the COnfederates as commerce
destroyers had literally baniShei the
flag Of the Union from the high seas
LL mas AENE NNAAAC ns4NA IT A-4A NAla
injury thus inflicted the country has
not recovered, even measurably, in half
q century.
The armies of.the Confederacy killed
a good many men. but the north old not
suffer in consequence 10 any important
extent either commercially or indus
trially. It was the navy Of the south
that did deadly mischief TO the Union
And yet as will b. remembered. the
Confederacy at the beginning OF the
war lad no navy. It possessed only one
navy yard, at Norfolk, which the gov
eminent burned before abandoning -
Sources Of iron and coal supply were
shut off from the south when the con-
fhct started. Nevertheless. under dit
fiCulties that seemed well nigh insU-
perahie, the COnfederacy soon managed
to create a respectable and even form
liable maritime force
RattleshIps Built in CornfieIds-
She had the advantage OF the services
Of q large number of officers who had
resigned from the Federal navy They
proved themselves most resourceful,
converting river craft and other such
uuprOmising material into warships.
and directing the hewing Of timber
even gathering up scrap iron wherever
il could be found-fOr the construction
of fighting vessels. The Albemarle and
Arkansas were both Of them built in
cornfields. and actually launched from
cOrnfields-
The Albemarle afterwards blown up
by Cushing) undertook 70 encounter,
when only half-finished- half-a-dozen
Federal gunboats, and fleet Of iron
clads and war sloOps ran through them
and, maxine her way TO N1cksburg,
was eventually destroyed by her own
crew. 10 prevent her from falling into
the hands OF the enemy.
In the meantime the United States
government was eXerting its utmost
efforts. and utilizing all Of its enormous
resources, for the augmentation of its
l.. A. al eH.s.
ports having been decided upon. YES
sells of every kind that could be
utilized for the purpose were cOmman-
deered Any sort Of craft that would
float a gun could be made TO serve,
where the lesser ports were con -erned /
and in this way were employed ferry
boats. excursion steamers. and even !
yachts.
What the Confederacy lacked IN ma
terial advantages was made up TO some /
extent by enthusiasm and determine I
tiou. Thus, for example, at Charles. !
ton two irOnclads We're built IN the Z
spaces between wharves, which were /
utilized I'm lieu Of drydOcks. When I
these formidable vessels had attacked |
the Federal fleet and driven IL off. II I
was claimed that the blockade was I
broken. and recognition OF this fact by I
and other powers was de /
This gave the North for a time !
anxiety
Merrimnc Causes Big Scare.
But fl was the Merrimac that caused !
the big scare Iuvulnerable to gunfire ]
as she seemed, it was feared that she !
alone would break the blockade and ]
open every Southern port to foreign /
commerce.
1t seems astonishing that so much /
Of the future of the worlds affairs /
should hang upon one ship. II the Alcr-
rimac had been as formidable as was /
supposed. she alone might have brought I
all this TO pass And yet she was or /
iginally a vessel of the United states !