Year: 1863

The publication of the documents &C.
companying the report of the Secretary
of the Navy, already puts us in position to
form an intelligent Judgment of the quail
tiles of the monitors, so far as they were
tried in the great ordeal of the attack on
the defenses of Charleston by Admiral
Dupont, in April last But for final
verdict it viii be proper to wait until
Secretary Welles shall have responded
to the resolution of the Senate, demand
ing the production of the papers relating
to all the actions in which the iron-clads
have ever been engaged.


Nevertheless, the action in Charleston
harbor remains the grand crucial test OF
the monitors against forts; and the re-
ports of the several commanders of the
iron fleet, detailing the experience and
fortunes of their respective vessels, are
in the highest degree valuable. We sub
join extracts from the testimony of each
Of the Captains bearing on the point of
the injury received by their vessels.
Capt. Drayton, of the Passaic, reports:


AT the fourth shot from 11-inch gun,
| was struck in quick succession in the
lower part of the turret by two heavy
shot, which bulged in the plates and
beams, and forcing together the rails
on which the ll-inch carriage worked,
and rendered it wholly useless for the
remainder of the action, several hours
being necessary to put it again in work
ing order. Soon after, it was discovered
that there was something the matter
with the,turret itself, and on examination
it was found that part of the brass ring
underneath it had been broken off, and
being forced in-board, had jammed; on
clearing this the turret could again be
moved, but for some time irregularly.


A little after very heavy rife shot
struck the u per edge of the turret, broke
all of its eleven plates, and then glanc-
ing upward took the pilot house, yet
with such force as to make an indenta-
tion of two and half inches, extending
nearly the whole length of the shot The
blow was too severe as to considerably
mash in the pilot house, bend it over,
open'the plates and squeeze out the top,
so that on one side it was lifted up three
inches above the top on which it rested,
exposing the inside Of the pilot house,
and rendering it likely that the next shot
would take off the top itself entirely


Captain John Rodgers of the Weehaw-
ken, reports:


Two or three heavy shots struck the
side armor near the same place. They
have SO broken the iron that it only re-
mains in splntered fragments upon that
spot; much OF 1t can be picked of by
hand, and the wood is exposed.


The deck was pierced so as to make a
hole, through which water ran into the
vessel; but it was not large Thirty-six
bolts were broken in the turret, and a
good many in the pilot house; but as
these are concealed by an iron lining, l
have no Hsasns of knowing how many.


At one time the turret revolved with
difficulty in consequence of shot upon
its junction with the pilot house, but it
worked well again after few turns had
been made with higher steam.


Captain Worden, of the Montauk, re-
ports:


desire to say that experienced Sc
rious embarrassment in manevering my
vessel in the narrow and uncertain chan
mel, with the limited means of obserVa-
ton afforded from the pilot house, under
the rapid and concentrated fire from the
forts, the vessels of the fleet closed around
me, and neither compass nor buoys to
guide me. after testing the aoeiqht Of
the enemys .Jire, and observing the o6-
structions, l am led to belieUe thai
j Charleston cannot be taken by the naral
forces nolo present, and that had the at
tack been continued, al could not haze
failed TO result in disaster.


Commander Daniel Ammen, of the
Patapsco, reports:


Forty-seven projectiles of the enemy
struck the vessel No damage was done
which disabled her, although injurie.
tcere receired trhich, multiplied, qcoulc
do so. Forty bolts of the smoke stacl
were broken, and chain around will be
necessary to its continued security.
am indebted to Acting Master Vaughan
for valuable aid in avoiding collisions
as it is out of the question for one person
to observe properly from the various
light holes l think want of vision on,
of the most serious defects of this class
making it impossible to fight them advan
tageously, to avoid dangers, or to max
q satisfactory reconnaissance


Another question of great Importance
as relates to their efficient employment
is the character Of the battery. If it i
proposed to batter down forts With Is
inch gun, then it is quite plain that W


have to come within distances at whic


heavy ordnance, if employed in heav


batteries against US, cannot fail in tn


end to injure or perhaps disable US.
Commander G. W. Rodgers, of tn


Catskill, reports: s-


l was surprised to find, even with TIN


severe FIRE, that these vessels could be S


much injured in so short time, two c


three having passed me during the al


ton to which some disaster had happel


ed. This vessel was struck some twent


times, but without any serious injur,


except one shot upon the forward part


the deck, which broke both plates, tb


deck planking, and drove down. the iro
stanchion sustaining this beam about or
, inch, causing the deck to leak


Commander Fairfax, of the Nantuc
ct, reports:


Our fire was very slow, necessaril
, and not half SO observable upon ii