Year: 1861

ever formidable their armament We have no


doubt that Com. Hollins, or some other officer OF


the government, will Immediately have another


ram fitted up, after the same model, to look after


the Lincoln gunboats above Memphis.
/ When the Manassas went down the river as
private enterprise, under Capt. Stevenson, plan
was drawn up for an equitable sharing of any
prize money she might win, among all who were
{ on board. But at the forts Com. HOllins took
: possession of her in the name Of the government,
and detached Lieut.. Marley from the McRae, to
= take charge of her. Capt. Stevenson resigned


his command and went ashore with tears in his


eyes. Lieut.. Marley read his authority to the


crew, and then informed them that according to


the navy regulations and usage, all prize money
{ gained would be divided among the whole feet,


whether won by the Manassas or any other


vessel


This created considerable dissatis faction, par


ticularlv as it was believed that the navy reguia-


tions provided for the division of prize money


only among commissioned officers, and gave no
shares to the men. Although the majority were
resolved to stay by her, whether rewarded or not,


some fourteen took their effects and went ashore.


LieUt. Warley then passed word for volunteers


to fill their places from the men on board the


other vessels, and found no difficulty in getting


the required number There were thirty-two
souls an told on the Manassas when she finally
started on her experimental trip. Lieut. Warley


had command, Charles Austin was his first Off
Ger, and William Hardy was the engineer.
Three more resoute or determined men cannot


be found anywhere, and they were selected for


their posts not only for their courage but for their
cOolness.


Lieut. Marley had orders from Commodore
Hollins to run ahead of the whole expedition and
make a trial of the nam under any circumstances
and at all hazards Her nine inch gun was not
to be used at all, and in fact she only had
dozen cartridges for it in her magazine. The
port hole forward was closed down, and so was
the after hatch. The forward hatch alone was
opened four inches, so as TO permit the steersman
and pilot TO have a good view ahead. Mr.. Aus


tin, who knows every inch of the river, piloted


her himself the pilot having left her at the fort.


1t was peculiar hazard this-tO try Il new


invention without precedent on which to form
even a conjecture as to the result, and to run


boldly into the midst of an enemy's feet on the


literal principle Of victory or death" The


men aboard of her were not frightened, or they
would not have deliberately made the venture


but they would not have been human if they had
not felt the oppression of an awful suspense.
Shut up in that iron-bound case they knew that
| in a short time it might be their coffin.


1t was pitch dark A better night could not
have been selected for the purpose, and the ram
| glided noiselessly down the current. Never be-
! fore had she run so we'll Ten miles an hour
was supposed to be her maximum speed, but she
was making at least thirteen knots The water
ran up over her bow and split off on each side
with beautiful play, making a gentle and really
musical ripping sound She had left the other
| boats far behind, but still she swept on her
/ swift course.


All of a sudden Austin discovered the dim
outline Of a ship right ahead. He sang out TO
the engineer: " Let her out, Hardy let her out
now" Instantly the tar, tallow, and sulphur
that had been prepared was thrown into her fur
mace, and the hand Of her steam-guage ran up to
the highest point How much pressure on the
| boilers were given can never be known, but it
was far avove her allowance.
| Now she was discovered by the watch on the |
enemy's decks and they gave the alarm, and |
sent up a blue light from the Richmond, proba- |
| bly private signal 10 the Niagara below. Aus
| tin made out the bow of the vessel she was aT- |
preaching and steered her for it so As to strike
between her hog chains and main chains. The |
aim was a true One the momentum of the ram
was terrific and the crash, as she drove her PROV
twenty feet deep into the ships hull was truly |
fearful. Every man aboard the Manassas was |
knocked down by the violence of the concus-
| sOn and the whole boat vibrated like an aspen |
The engines We're at once reversed and she |
backed right out, bringing off on her PROV
whole sheets of the Preble's eappering, and bic /
splinters Of her solid, lve-oak bow. /


The dismay, the CONSERVATION, the panic of |
horror that ensued upon the deck of the stricken /
Preble may be imagined but II cannot be pic
tured in words Most of the crew, aroused from
slumber, rushed frantieally about, crazy with /
fright. Some Of them must have been wounded |
and mangled by the sharp Prov of the Manassas,
Judging from their piercing, agonizing shrieks.
A few Of them Were seen to leap overheard into
the river, and upon deck perfect saturnaa of |
frenzied terror Tcigned. They knew not what
was TO follow, and could not understand what |
had occurred. In the Manassas their yells were 1
distinctly heard, with snch cries as We're sink /
ing! She's going to blow up! We're all lost |
Oh, my GOd!'


The Richmond, Vincinnes, Preble and Water |
Witch at anchor in the line Of a V, with spring /
cables, and steam up on the two steamers As |
the Manassas backed off from the Preble. her |
officers saw the Richmond lying right before |
them with her full brOadside exposed Here was |
a splendid opportunity, and they had no doubt |
from their success against the Preble, that they |
would cut her in two. Not a single shot had |
been fred at them vet, and such was the cOnfu-
sion on board all the ships, that they commenced /
ringing their fog bells, which proved that even /
yet they were so confused and ignorant of the /
nature of our attack, that some of them supposed /
it to be an accidental collision, caused by the /
extreme darkness, and rang the fog bells so as /
TO show the Manassas their position and enable /
her to a5Oid them.


Again, Mr.. Austin sang out to the engineer
" Now let her out, Hardy, and give it TO her." |
II was at this moment that Mr. Hardy discover |
ed that one Of the eOndensers had been broken |
by the shock OF the conclusion in striking the !
Prebe, which rendered one Of her engines use-
less, and he knew she had not power enough in |
the other TO run into anything else. lie, there
fore, passed the word up that the machinery was
disabled and all she could do would be to haul
off as best she could. Bitter was the dsappout-
ment TO Lieut.. Marley as he saw the full side of
the Richmond right before him, B,lt there was no
help for it and it might even be a critical matter
to escape.


Working one engine she made circuit around
to head up stream, and this brought her right
under the Richmond and the Yincennes. By
this time the officers on board those vessels had
| recovered their presence of mind sufficiently to
| comprehend that this extraordinary collision was
no accident, but a very cool and audacious as
sault by the enemy, and that the long, low black
looking object floating right before them was the
cause Of their danger and alarm. Then they
manned their guns, which were already shotted |
and now the invulnerability of the Manassas
WAS fairly tested. First came the whole broad
side Of the Richmond, and directly after the en-
tire broadside of the Vincennes, followed by the
] eight-inch shells Of the Water Witch. The roar
/ of cannon was tremendous, and it seemed to
those cooped up in the little ram as if all the
thundeTbOts of JOve were rained upon them
The flagstaff and one of the chimney-stacks
of the Manassas were cut off as clean as if by
knife, but the guns of the ships had not been
sufficiently depressed, and all their balls, except
two or three went over her. She has but one
indentation, near the bow, in her iron armor, to
show that she struck at ALL but it is believed
that other shots reached her and glanced off
without leaving perceptible mark of their visit
Now the confidence of all on board returned


and after having passed through such a volley
unscathed, they knew they were safe and sound


According to the directions of Commodore


HOllins, a rocket was to be sent up from her the
moment Of her making the attack, as signal


for the other boats to come up, but she had come
| upon the PTeble so unexpectedly there was no
| chance until now to obey the order But after
the broadsdes were fred at her the after hatch


was thrown open and the midshipman who had
charge Of the rockets lighted one of them. In
! the excitement Of the moment he held fast 70
the stick, so that the fire burned his hand and
few down the hatchway. A number of men
were close by it below and thought it was
she'll from the enemy. The way they rolled
over and piled into corners is Joke they will
never forget in their lives.


! Three rockets were sent up, as the signal of a
successful attack and the Manassas kept on up
the river, although making very slow time in
comparison with her velocity down stream, just