The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-05-25
CONFEDERATE Navy
AND ITS EXPLOITS.
MEMORIAL DAY PRIZE ESSAY
BY HILLS PHILLIPS OF KINGS
TREE HIGH SCHOOL.

PeSSS
ry, we cannot help but admire the
spirit with which the South defend
edwhat it considered to be the only
right and just stand for the good of
its people. And nowhere in the his
tory of warfare can We find a more
brilliant or determined contest than
that waged by the Confederate navy
against the great and powerfully
equipped navy of the United States.
The opening of the war found the
South unprepared for the struggle.
for it did not believe that the FEEDER
al Government would resort to such
extreme measures to keep the States
in the Union. Had the true situation
been comprehended the South, no
doubt, would have been better pre-
pared for the mighty struggle which
followed.
The beginning of the hostllities
found the South with nothing in the
shape of a navy. 1t had not a single
ship of war. 1t had no abundant
fleet of merchant vessels from which
to draw reserves. 1t had no seamen.
for its people were not given to sea-
faring pursuits. Its only shlpyards
were Norfolk and Pensacola; Nor
folk, with its immense supply OF ord
nance and equipment. was indeed
valuable, but though the three hum
dred Dahlgren guns captured in the
yard were of a permanent value. the
yard itself was lost before the war
was one-fourth over. 1t had no roll
ing mills or machine shops capable
of turning out armor plate, or any
naval machinery or any of the man.
ufactures necessary for naval equip
rnent. The timber needed for ship
building stood in the forest. and the
iron for armor plate was still un.
mined. Neither did the South have
q large force of skilled mechanics.
and such as it had were early called
10 the army.
The Southern officers, who resign
ed from the United States navy be-
cause they believed that allegiance
was due their States, carried no ships
with them to the Confederacy. In
fact some of the Southern officers
were at the beginning of the war in
command of United States vessels on
foreign stations, and upon being or
dered home, these officers honorably
carried their ships to Northern ports
and then, giving up their commits
sions, joined the South.
South Carolina seeded December
20, 1860, and was quickly followed by
the other loyal Southern Ststes.
Then followed the evacuation of Fort
'Moultrie by Major Anderson and the
capture of the United States ships in
Charleston harbor by the State of
South Carolina. Thus few tenders.
the cutter VIM Aiken and the Gray, a
small steam cutter purchased by this
State, comprised what was after.
wards known as the Confederate
navy.
As the different States seeded.
other ships were seized. and these
ships, about ten in number, remained
in possession of the State by which
they were captured until the adop.
ton of the constitution Of the Con-
federate States at Montgomery, Ala.
March II, 1861. This constitution
empowered Congress to provide and
maintain a navy and made President
Davis "commander-in-chief" of the
army and navy.
President Davis appointed Hon
Stephen H Mallory Secretary of the
Navy, and Congress at once appro-
priated millions of dollars for the
construction or purchase of gunboats
or cruisers. Mr. Mallory entered into
innumerable contracts for these
boats, but owing to the lack of ma
terial and labor, they were slow in
completion.
The first boats to be completed
were the Sumter and the Mississippi.
Just as they were being launched,
however, an accident happened to
the Mississippi, which caused her to
be returned to New Orleans, where
they were built, for repairs, and the
Sumter was sent out upon the high
seas alone to destroy the commerce
of the enemy. The Sumter destroyed
from fifteen to twenty hostile boats
and did great deal of damage to
Northern commerce. She was finally
sold at Gibraltar. being unable to OBJ
tain supply of coal.
After the burning of the Norfolk
nsv, yard the Confederates raised
the Me, ,~rimac. aburned Federal frlg-
80 ed her with iron plate and