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turret, carrying two eleven-inch guns, the turret being six inches thick, butextending only a few feet above the deck of the vessel. I was very anxiousto construct these turrets after a plan which I had devised, quite differentfrom the Ericsson or Coles systems, and in which the guns should be oper-ated by steam. But, within a month after the engagement at Fort Donelson,the memorable contest between the Merrimac and the Monitor occurred,whereupon the Navy Department insisted on Ericsson turrets being placedupon these two vessels.
At the same time the department was anxious to have four larger vesselsfor operations on the lower Mississippi River , which should have two turretseach, and it consented that I should place one of my turrets on each of twoof these vessels (the Chickasaw and the Milwaukee) at my own risk, to be re-placed with Ericsson’s in case of failure. These were the first turrets in whichthe guns were manipulated by steam, and they were fired every forty-fiveseconds. The Osage and Neosho, with their armaments, stores, and everythingon board, drew only three and a half feet of water, and steamed about ninemiles an hour. While perfecting those plans, I prepared the designs for thelarger vessels (the Chickasaw, Milwaukee, Winnebago, and Kickapoo), andwhen these were approved by Captain Fox and the officers of the navy towhom they were submitted at Washington, Mr. Welles expressed the wishthat I should confer with Admiral Foote about them before proceeding tobuild them, inasmuch as the experience which he had had at Forts Henry andDonelson and elsewhere would be of great value, and might enable him tosuggest improvements in them. I therefore hastened from Washington toIsland Number Ten, a hundred miles below Cairo, on the Mississippi River ,where Foote’s flotilla was then engaged.
In the railway train a gentleman who sat in front of me, learning that Ihad constructed Foote’s vessels, introduced himself as Judge Foote of Cleve-land , a brother of the Admiral. Among other interesting matters, he relatedan anecdote of one of his little daughters who was just learning to read.After the capture of Fort Henry the squadron was brought back to Cairo forrepairs, and, on the Sunday following, the crews, with their gallant flag-officer,attended one of the churches in Cairo . Admiral Foote was a thorough Chris-tian gentleman and an excellent impromptu speaker. Upon this occasion,after the congregation had assembled, some one whispered to him that the min-ister was ill and would be unable to officiate; whereupon the admiral went upinto the pulpit himself, and after the usual prayer and hymn he selected asthe text John xiv. 1, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in Gfod,believe also in me.” Upon this text he delivered what was declared to be anexcellent sermon, or exhortation, after which he dismissed the congregation.An account of the sermon was widely published in the papers at the time,and came into the hands of the little niece just referred to. After she hadread it, she exclaimed to her father: “ Uncle Foote did not say that right.”“ Say what right ? ” asked the father. “ Why, when he preached.” “ Whatdid he say ? ” “ He said, ‘ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in