Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series 1, Volume 8. Page: 68
xix, 970 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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NORTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Acting Rear-Admiral Lee, U.S.
Navy, transmitting information regarding Confederate affairs in James
River.
NAVY DEPARTMENT, September 15, 1862.
SIR: Your No.10 was received, enclosing a copy of your letter to Gen-
eral Mansfield, asking information respecting the rebel naval force at
Richmond, etc.
As Commodore Wilkes had made himself acquainted as far as possi-
ble with matters in James River and about Richmond, a copy of your
questions was transmitted to him. His reply with charts* referred to
therein is herewith sent to you.
I am, respectfully,
GIDEON WELLES,
Secretary of the Navy.
Acting Rear-Admiral S. P. LEE,
Norfolk, Va.
[Enclosure.]
U. S. S. WACHUSETT,
Navy Yard, Washington, September 12, 1862.
SIR: In reply to your letter of enquiry, respecting information of the
James River which may be in my possession, I submit the following,
viz:
1st. The names of the vessels at or near Richmond are the Richmond
(Merrimack No. 2), ironclad, Yorktown, Raleigh, Patrick Henry, Nanse-
mond, Beaufort, and Hampton.
2d. The ironclad has four 8-inch shell guns, two placed at either
end and two in the center, three ports on a side; the forward and after
guns pivoted for three ports.
3d. The time of ironclad being ready is very indefinite. It is ques-
tionable if she will be finished for some time to come. My latest
advices report that they were now making but slow progress on her.
She has about half the iron on. It is to be in two layers, each layer 2
inches thick, laid at right angles to each other, in bands 8 inches wide,
horizontal and vertical on the roof. The roof is fiat on top, of cast-
iron grating, very massive, about 8 feet wide. Her roofing and timber
projecting is about 6 feet at the water's edge, made solid and cased
with 4-inch iron. Around the vessel is a guard of 5 feet wide, which
projects both forward and aft. (See the enclosed tracing.)t A heavy
beak, or prow of iron, is intended to be put on the bow, 6 feet below the
water's edge, but I very much question its being fitted, now that she
is launched. The machinery of the old Arctic is to be put into her,
with new boilers; the latter are not finished and they have great diffi-
culty in procuring boiler iron for this purpose.
It is thought that Captain Buchanan will again command. Captains
Pegram, Lee, Davidson, Minor, and others, the smaller vessels.
The Yorktown is but half ironclad; thickness 3.1 inches, and on the
forward part, like the Mississippi boats. She is to mount four side guns
and two pivot guns, 30-pounder rifles.
* Not found.
tThis drawing is substantially the same as the drawings in Series I, volume 7,
pages 590 and 620.68
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United States. War Department. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series 1, Volume 8., book, 1899; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth192843/m1/95/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.