Year: 1864

... FORT GAINES, ALA, aug. IL, loO4.


The rebel ram Tennessee, in the extraor-
dinary fight with nearly half our entire
fleet, which took place inside the harbor of
Mobile, proved herself one of the most for
midable crafts for harbor defense which has
ever been constructed, and an inspection of
her, which have been permitted to make,
shows with what justice the rebel Admiral
Buchanan claimed that she was able to sink
an entire fleet.


Her hull was originally intended for a
man-of-war, and is put together in the most
stanch and substantial manner in which it
is possible to build vessel. Her length is
about one hundred and eighty feet.


In form she varies from the old Merrimac,
though evidently a modification of that un-
fortunate and shortlived craft. .


Her armor consists of two and halfinch
iron in bars eight inches wide crossing each
other and bolted down with one and three
quarter inch bolts, making five inches of
solid iron. This again is backed by two
feet Of solid oak throughout the entire por-
tion of the boat above the water line, and
extending some feet even below that. From
her forward casemates forward, including
her pilot house, an additional inch of iron
is given her, making six inches Of plating,
and an additional foot, making three feet of
wooden backing at this part Of the boat.


Her gun room, if that is the proper term
to use, occupies about two-thirds of her
length, and is constructed with flat top,
composed of two and half by eight inch
iron bars, crossed and bolted together,
forming close lattice work above her gum
ners, and affording ventilation while in
action. The sides are inclined like those
of the old Merrimac, and as before stat
cd, are composed of five inches of
iron plating, backed with two feet of
solid oak backing, through which, in
the fight with our fleet, no ball succeed
ed in piercing. Her ports, of which there
are two on either side, and one fore and
aft, are closed by means of iron shutters,
which revolve upon pivot in the center of
one side, and are worked by means of cog
wheel on the inside in avery simple and eX-
peditious manner. They are liable, how
ever, to arrangement, and in the engage
ment with our fleet two were actually so
deranged as to prevent their being opened,
while third the after one, was shot away
entirely, the pivot on which it revolved
being broken Off and it was through this
that the fragment of shell entered which
wounded the rebel Admiral, as he was stand
ing near directing gunner to clear away
some splinters with which it had become
filled.


1t is curious and interesting proof of
the excellence of our gunners that some ten
shots struck in close contiguity to this port
which it was early discovered it was impos-
sible for her crew to close, and in fact this
really became the heel OF Achilles to the
fated Tennessee. Somewhere between forty
and fifty shots struck her during the fight
in nearly every part of the boat but not
one penetrated her impervious armor. One
fifteen-inch shell from the Monitor Manhat-
tan, as is supposed, made a deep indentation
which must have caused her to stagger, but
bounded off from her ribs of steel. The
impaction of the blow, however, stove
through her two feet of wooden backing,
and produced inside all the evidences Of
the missiles having come through. The
splinters flew promiscuously in all direc-
tions in the neighborhood, inside. The ram
is armed with two seven and an eight
inch rifled guns of the Brooks pattern, fore
and aft, and with four of the same siX-inch
guns in her broadsides.


These effective weapons have been turn
ed since her capture towards Fort Morgan,
and will doubtless, as old friends, be highly
appreciated in the fort by her garrison
Some eighty superior muskets were also
captured along with the ram in complete
order. Nothing, in fact, which could rem
der her more complete in her appointments
in any respect was spared by Admiral Bu-
chanan in fitting her out; and as she has
been some two years building, she was
about as thoroughly appointed as it was
possible for her to be.