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The reader may well wonder at the several preceding pages; the proclamation and the refutation at such length.
The first-named shows that however able and brave the officers were who signed it, they did not limit their devotion to fighting for the Confederacy; they were willing to go far beyond that.
The refutation is inserted somewhat maliciously, to embarrass such persons as either believe what they choose, or assert a belief in what is absurd in itself.
In the face of the character of the blockading force off the bar at that time, with three exceptions so entirely destructible by such vessels as the rams, it seems unaccountable that they did not remain outside of the bar during the day at least.
These Confederate rams never ventured out again, although Flag-Officer Ingraham states in his report that they were not struck by a projectile during the raid.
The construction of such vessels at Charleston must have been imperfect from a lack of plant of suitable materials, and of skilled workmen.1 The wonder is, that under so man disadvantages, they should have ventured to construct any vessels.
In every case the labor was without compensating result, if we except the structure on the hull of the frigate Merrimac, known as the Virginia to the Confederates, which, after the destruction of the sailing frigates Congress and Cumberland at Newport News, was soon after consigned to the flames as a result of the fall of Norfolk.
1 Since writing the above, one of their former lieutenants, whose opinion and statements may be relied on, states: ‘They were well-constructed vessels, covered with four inches of iron, and would steam about seven knots. They drew twelve to thirteen feet, and were each armed with two Brooke rifled 80 pounders, and two 64-pounder shell-guns.’ He has no recollection as to where the enginery was made. From the experience in the capture of the Atlanta, it may be regarded certain that their casemates would not have resisted Xv-inch shells.
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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