some protection to the walking-beam of that side-wheel

steamer.

The Jamestown, the sister-ship of the Yorktown, became the Thomas Jefferson, but was always known by the name of the Jamestown. The Jamestown, the Patrick Henry and the Teaser, a river tug mounting one gun, composed the C. S. James River squadron, which was under the command of Capt. John R. Tucker. However much may have been hoped for from this little fleet, its possibilities of usefulness were limited more by the discretion and dash of the commander than by the fighting power of the ships. The iron shield of the Patrick Henry was a protection, but the vulnerability of the ship was but little helped by the thin shield of iron over her engines and boilers. Capt. Tucker, however, was not the man to accept the excuse of the weakness of his fleet for not seeking the enemy. So, on the 13th of September, he steamed down to Newport News to feel the enemy and put a limit to gunboat excursions up James River. Off the point lay the U. S. steamer Savannah, the U. S. sloop Cumberland, the U. S. steamer Louisiana, and on the land the heavy batteries of the enemy as well as a battery of light artillery on the banks of the stream. Capt. Tucker had, on the 7th of the month, taken position, at Gen. Magruder's request, off Mulberry Island Point, where Harden's Point battery on the south closed the river to the enemy. Of this naval skirmish there is no report by Capt. Tucker, but the New York Herald correspondent gives the following "facts":

"On the afternoon of Friday, the 13th inst., the Yorktown came down James River, and, choosing her distance, opened fire upon the fleet, the shots striking near the Savannah, which ship returned her fire from her large guns-the shot, however, falling a long way short. She also threw shells from her lower-deck guns, which burst in the air not more than one-third of the distance to the steamer. The Cumberland sloop-of-war fired two or three times, but, finding the shot fell short, ceased firing. The Sawyer gun in our battery on shore was fired too, but the shot struck from a quarter to half a mile ahead of the steamer. In the meantime, the U. S. steamer Louisiana got under way and advanced about threequarters of a mile towards the Yorktown and opened an effective fire upon her, which was continued for more than an hour, the Yorktown directing all her fire at the Louisana, none of the shot, however, striking her, although several came very near.

"The Yorktown was finally forced to retire by a cross-fire from the Louisiana and Lieut. Cooke's battery of light artillery, which had gone up the bank of the river until the steamer was in range.

The gunboats from Newport News and Fortress Monroe, together with armed tugs, had become annoying in the James River, and Capt. Tucker, learning that they were in the habit of ascending the river at night and withdrawing in the morning, was induced to take the first favorable opportunity to surprise and attack them. The morning of the 2d of December, being dark and suitable for the enterprise, he left his

anchorage, off Mulberry Island, at 4 A. M., and proceeded cautiously down the river, all lights carefully concealed. At early daylight he discovered four steamers anchored in line. near the side of the frigates, but in supporting distance of them and the battery at Newport News. He rounded-to at a supposed distance of a mile, and commenced the attack with his port battery and pivot guns, which was returned by the steamers and the battery on shore from rifled and other guns. Many of the rifled shells came near and over the Patrick Henry, and one struck her, going through the pilot-house and exploding in the starboard hammock nettings, producing slight injury, and wounding one of the pilots and a seaman very slightly by the splinters. The engagement lasted two hours, when he returned to his anchorage, the enemy evincing no disposition to advance either during the engagement or afterwards. He expended twenty-eight shells and thirteen solid shot, some of which must have struck, but with what injury to the enemy he was unable to say. At the request of Gen. Magruder, the Patrick Henry and Jamestown remained between Mulberry Point and Harden's Bluff batteries.

By Act of Congress of December 24th, conferring army rank upon such officers of the navy as were commanding batteries on shore, Commander R. F. Pinkney, commanding Fort Norfolk, Commander Charles F. McIntosh, commanding Fort Nelson, and Commander W. L. Maury, commanding Sewell's, were appointed lieutenant colonels; and Lieuts. George W. Harrison, commanding Penner's Point battery, R. R. Carter, commanding Pig Point battery, were appointed majors, and B. P. Loyall, assigned to Roanoke Island, was appointed captain.

The three batteries at Cedar Point, Barrel Point and Pagan Creek, were in charge of Commander R. L. Page until he was relieved and sent to Gloucester Point. Gen. Huger says the batteries at Dog's Point and Harden's Bluff were also under the command of naval officers.

The months of January and February, 1862, witnessed no naval movements or engagements in the waters of Hampton Roads and James River, but the time was used to strengthen the defences on shore and to complete the work on the Merrimac or Virginia. The correspondence of Union officers show very accurate information of the kind of change being made in the Merrimac, as well as the progress towards her completion. Gen. McClellan advised Gen. Wool, on February 21st, that "the iron-clad steam monitor and a large frigate will be at Hampton Roads within the time you specify"; to which Gen. Wool replied, that "five days" was "the time

1 Brevet Capt. J. S. Taylor, formerly a lieutenant in the U. S. navy, but who had not been appointed in the C. S. navy, but to a second lieutenancy in the army, was commanding Lambert's Point battery. Gen. Huger recommended him for

promotion "as a most valuable artillery officer." Another naval officer holding commission in the army, was Brevet Capt. Jas. E. Milligan, signal officer he was in the revenue service, resigned, and took service under the State of Virginia.

stated when the Merrimac, Yorktown and Jamestown would attack Newport News." The information received of the Virginia by the U. S. Navy Department was such that Secretary Welles wrote to Capt. John Marston, March 7th, to "send the St. Lawrence, Congress and Cumberland immediately into the Potomac River; use steam to tow them up. I will also try and send a couple of steamers from Baltimore to assist. Let there be no delay." The order came too late. The Virginia had done her work upon the Congress and Cumberland so effectually that their sailing days were over forever.

T

CHAPTER VIII.

THE FIRST IRON-CLAD.

HE honor of having planned a vessel so novel in form, and so effective in battle, was early the subject of discussion in the Confederacy; and ever since has remained unsettled and disputed. In the March, 1884, number of the Century, Lieut. John Taylor Wood, of the late C. S. navy, awards the honor to "Lieut. (George) John M. Brooke, an accomplished officer of the old navy," who he says proposed to Secretary Mallory to make and rebuild this ship (the Merrimac) as an iron-clad. His plans were approved, and orders were given to carry them out."

Commander John M. Brooke testified before the Investigating Committee of the Confederate Congress that:

"The Secretary and myself had conversed upon the subject of protecting ships with iron-cladding very frequently, and at last I proposed to him a plan. That was early in June, 1861, just after the Secretary came here from Montgomery. He approved of the plan, and I asked him to send to Norfolk for some practical ship-builder to draw out a plan in detail. He sent for one, and one of the employees of the yard, whose opinion then I did not favor, except that I heard he was a regular constructor there, was sent up. He said he knew nothing of drafting, and although he approved of the general plan, he could not make the drawing. This was what I wanted done chiefly. He was here a few days, and complained of being made sick by the water, and was therefore permitted to return to Norfolk. I then determined to go on with the drawing myself, but asked the Secretary to send for the naval constructor at Norfolk, and naval engineer, so that they might be consulted in relation to the vessel. They came up, and this constructor brought with him a model. I should have said that the name of the constructor was J. L. Porter. This model is now one of the models in the Secretary's room. It consisted of a shield and hull, the extremities of the hull terminating with a shield, forming a sort of box or scow upon which the shield was supported. The Secretary directed the constructor, Chief Engineer Williamson, and myself to meet him at my office here. We met there and this model was examined by us all, and the form of the shield was approved. It was considered a good shield, and, for ordinary purposes, a good boat for harbor defence. The Secretary then called the attention of Mr. Porter and Mr. Williamson to the drawing, giving a general idea of the vessel I proposed. The difference between the model and my drawing consisted in the one I proposed,

having the ends prolonged and shaped like those of any fast vessel, and, in order to protect them from the enemy, were to be submerged two feet under water, so that nothing was to be seen afloat but the shield itself. The object of having these parts of the vessel submerged was to gain speed and to have buoyancy without exposing the hull, and to avoid increasing the draft of water. Mr. Porter and Mr. Williamson, after looking at the drawing, approved of it, and the Secretary directed us to get up a vessel on that plan. Mr. Porter's shield and the one I proposed were almost identical. Mr. Porter, being a draftsman, immediately drew a plan of such a vessel of comparatively light draft. I think she was to draw something over eight feet of water. Mr. Williamson and myself went to look for engines. We went to the Tredegar Works and inquired there, but there were no suitable engines to be had. Mr. Porter completed the draft and it is now in my office. Mr. Williamson subsequently stated that the engines of the Merrimac could be repaired and made valuable, but that they could not be used well in any other vessel unless she had equal draft of water, or nearly equal. Mr. Williamson proposed to put the shield on the Merrimac. Mr. Porter and myself thought the draft too great, but were nevertheless of the opinion that it was the best thing that could be done, with our means; and Mr. Porter was ordered by the Secretary to Norfolk to make the plan of the vessel in accordance with the plan which we had approved, and which I mentioned before as having been submitted to the Secretary. Mr. P. did so. He sent up drawings which were after same general description as those he made before in accordance with my suggestion. Mr. Porter was directed to perform all the duties of constructor in connection with alteration of the ship. Mr. Williamson was directed to attend to the engines, and I was directed to attend to having iron prepared at Richmond for her, and the work was then prosecuted with all the energy possible, in my opinion. It was a difficult matter to get iron from Richmond to Norfolk, there being over 700 tons of iron sent down in the course of her construction. After the vessel was launched, Mr. Porter stated to me that he had accidentally omitted in her calculations some weights which were on board the ship, in consequence of which she did not draw as much water when launched as he anticipated."

Secretary Mallory, in a report to the Confederate Congress, of date March 29th, 1862, says: that on the 10th day of June, 1861, Lieut. John M. Brooke, C. S. N., was directed to aid the department in designing an iron-clad war-vessel, and framing the necessary specifications:

'He entered upon this duty at once, and a few days thereafter submitted to the department, as the results of his investigations, rough drawings of a casemated vessel, with submerged ends and inclined iron-plated sides. The ends of the vessel and the eaves of the casemate, according to his plan, were to be submerged two feet; and a light bulwark or false bow was designed to divide the water and prevent it from banking up on the forward part of the shield with the vessel in motion, and also to serve as a tank to regulate the ship's draft. His design was approved by the department, and a practical mechanic was brought from Norfolk to aid in preparing the drawings and specifications.

This mechanic aided in the statement of details of timber, etc., but was unable to make the drawings; and the department then ordered Chief Engineer Williamson and Constructor Porter from the navy-yard at Norfolk to Richmond, about the 23d of June, for consultation on the same subject generally, and to aid in the work.

"Constructor Porter brought and submitted the model of a flatbottomed, light-draft propeller, casemated battery, with inclined ironcovered sides and ends, which is deposited in the department. Mr. Porter