Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 1.

[395] officers, were absent from roll-call, yet the day passed without any hostile demonstrations. But on Saturday, the 20th, Norfolk was fearfully excited by conflicting rumors. One was that the yard was to be attacked, when the Cumberland would doubtless fire on the town; another, that she was about to leave, with valuable property belonging to the Government, and that the other vessels were to be scuttled; and still another, that the yard was to be destroyed. The military companies of Norfolk and Portsmouth were called out and paraded under arms. Four companies of riflemen and infantry had arrived from Petersburg, numbering in all four hundred men, and on that day were joined by two hundred more. The Richmond Grays had also arrived that morning, bringing with them fourteen pieces of heavy rifled cannon, and an ample stock of ammunition. With these re-enforcements, Taliaferro felt certain of success. McCauley felt equally certain that he could not withstand an assault from the insurgent force, so large and so well armed, and at noon he sent Taliaferro word that not one of the vessels should be moved, nor a shot fired, excepting in self-defense. This quieted the people.

Not doubting that an immediate attack would be made upon the vessels, McCauley gave orders, on the return of his flag from Norfolk, for the scuttling of all of them, to prevent their falling into the hands of the insurgents. This was done at four o'clock in the afternoon. The Cumberland only was spared. This work had been just accomplished when Captain Paulding again appeared. As soon as the Secretary of the Navy heard of

Hiram Paulding.

the detention of the Merrimack--that “fatal error,” as he called it — he dispatched Paulding in the Pawnee with orders to relieve McCauley, and, with “such officers and marines as could be obtained, take command of all the vessels afloat on that station, repel force by force, and prevent the ships and public property, at all hazards, from passing into the hands of the insurrectionists.” Paulding added to his crew, at Washington, one hundred marines; and at Fortress Monroe he took on board three hundred and fifty Massachusetts volunteers, under Colonel David W. Wardrop, the first regiment detailed for service from that State, who had arrived that day. He reached Norfolk just as the scuttling of the vessels was completed. But for that act every vessel afloat might have been saved.

Paulding saw at a glance the fatal error, if error it was, of McCauley, and also that much more than scuttling must be done to render the ships useless to the insurgents. He also perceived that with only the Pawnee and Cumberland, and the very small land force at his command, he could not defend the Navy Yard; so, using the discretionary power with which he was clothed, he at once prepared to burn the slowly sinking ships, destroy the cannon, and commit to the flames all the buildings and public property in