3 o
THE EARLY MONITORS.
The only event of importance during the re-mainder of Du Pout’s command was the captureof the Confederate iron-clad Atlanta . This vessel,formerly known as the Finyal, an English blockade-runner, had been converted at Savannah into anarmored ram of the Merrimac type, armed withsix heavy Brooke rifles and a spar-torpedo, andplaced under the command of Commander WilliamA. Webb. She was met on the 17th of June, in
Wassaw Sound, by the monitors Wechawken, Cap-tain John Rodgers, and Nahant, Commander JohnDownes. The Wechawken engaged her, firing fiveshots, of which four struck the Atlanta . The injuryinflicted by these was enough to show that a pro-tracted action would end in the demolition of theConfederate vessel, and she accordingly surren-dered. Siie was towed to Port Royal, where thedamages received were readily repaired.
I mpregnability, proved by capability to keep out get, the recorded number of hits marked splendidConfederate shot, being demanded by President practice on the part of the Confederate gunners.
Lincoln and promised by the constructor of themonitor fleet which was built during the early partof 1802, it will be proper to inquire how far theperformance accorded with the anticipation. Ad-miral Dahlgren, the distinguished naval artillerist ,commanding the blockading fleet at Charleston ,
reported to the Navy Department that from July18th to September 8th, 1803, a period of 52days, the monitors Wechawken, Patapsco, Montank,Nahant, Catskill, and Passaic engaged Forts Sum-ter, Moultrie, Wagner, Gregg, and the batteries onMorris and Sullivan’s islands, on an averago tentimes each, the Montauk going before the muzzlesof the enemy’s guns fifteen times during the statedperiod, ■while the Patapsco was engaged thirteentimes and the Wechawken twelve times. The num-ber of hits received by the six vessels mentionedamounted to 029 ; yet not a single penetration ofside armor, turret, or pilot-house took place. Ad-miral Dahlgren observes that the Montauk wasstruck 154 times during the engagements referredto, “ almost entirely,” he states, “by 10-inch shot.”Considering that the hull of the Montauk was nearlysubmerged, and hence presented a very small tar-
The report of the experienced commander con-cludes thus : “ What vessels have ever been sub-jected to such a test ? ” It merits special notice thatthe same monitors which Admiral Dahlgren foundto possess such remarkable power of endurancehad led the unsuccessful attack at Charleston three months before,— a circumstancewhich shows that difficulties presentedthemselves during that attack which hadnot been foreseen, or the magnitude ofwhich had not been properly estimated.The following facts rebut the allegationthat injudicious advice to certain officersinduced the Navy Department to adopthazardous expedients in connection withthe attack on Charleston . A letter fromthe Assistant-Secrotary of the Navy tome in reference to the contemplatedattack, written beforo the news of itsfailure had been received, contained thefollowing sentence:
“Though everybody is despondent aboutCharleston , and oven tlic President thinkswc shall lie defeated, I must say that I havenever had a shadow of a doubt as to our suc-cess, and this confidence arises from carefulstudy of your marvelous vessels.”
To this letter I sent the following replythe next day:
“ r confess that I cannot share in your con-fidence relative to the capture of Charleston .T am so much in the habit of estimating forceand resistance, that T cannot feel sanguine of success.If you succeed, it will not bo a mechanical consequenceof your ‘ marvelous vessels,’ but because you are mar-velously fortunate. The most 1 dare hope is, that thecontest, will eml without the loss of that prestige whichyour iron-dads have conferred on the nation abroad.A single shot may sink a ship, while a hundred roundscannot silence a fort, as you have proved on theOgeeehec. The immutable laws of force and resistancedo not favor your enterprise. Chance, therefore, canalone save you.”
The discomfiture of tho “marvelous” vesselsbeforo Charleston , however, did not impair theirfitness to fight other battles. It will bo recollectedthat the Wechawken, commanded by the lato Ad-miral John Rodgers, defeated and captured theConfederate ram Atlanta , in Wassaw Sound, June17th, 1803, ton weeks after the battle of Charles-ton , consequently previous to tho engagements in
INTERIOR VIEW OF THE TURRET OF A SEA-GOING MONITOR.
m;
The compact form of the gun-carriages, the simplicity of t-liemassive port-stoppers, and the enormous size of tho spherical pro-jectiles (15-inch diameter) were surprises to naval experts.—,T. E.