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May
1 1862
Fortress Munroe
This morning we sailed
from Cheeseman Creek where we have
been quickly anchored since the 24th,
and reached here about 11a.m. The
main object of the trip is to get water
but we are going to make it as pleasant
an excursion as possible. Col. Howland
and his lady accompany us.Ship Point 2.
We returned from Fortress
Munroe this morning. Yesterday so far
as sight seeing [sic] goes was the pleasantest
and most interesting May day that
I ever passed. We visited the Fortress
were introduced to Genl. Wools a. a. G. +
examined the water battery. This is
a most formidable structure and it
fills one with awe to contemplate
it. I was reminded of the collection
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of statuary that would be seen
by entering the halls of some old
English castle—tall knights encased
in their steel armors standing in
long rows up and down the hall
motionless, grim and silent. It
is surely a sight worth seeing. For
the first time I understood the meaning
of casemate.[?]
Passing round this battery
at the right we come in sight of
the celebrated Union and Lincoln
guns that are mounted very near
the water’s edge. These are perfectly
astounding. No idea can be formed
of them without seeing. Weighing
50,000 lbs and throwing a ball that
weighs 432 lbs these twin monsters
stand alone and beyond everything
we have. They may soon be excelled,
and it would not surprise us
if they were; for the science of
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projectiles is making rapid strides.
Returning to the Fortress I pick
a few buttercups and wander off
to the entrance gate. Twenty minutes
afterward I was on board of the Spaulding enjoying the felicity of a bath. Col.
Howland’s candy had given me a
severe headache. A little sleep however
prepared me for dinner, when it was
decided how to spend the afternoon.
“How many can your sail-
boat carry” said I to the 1st. mate of
the S. R. Spaulding after dinner. “Oh! a
dozen” was his reply. Fifteen minutes
afterward and our little party were
tossing over the waves toward that-now-
-all-engaging-wonder of the world—the
Monitor. The curiosity of every one [sic]
was aroused. We were going to visit
the Monitor. And to us that was
pleasure enough to cancel a life-time
of discomfort.
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We were not long in reaching her
iron sides. The officers gave us a
hearty welcome and seemed to take
the highest pleasure in explaining.
Our attention was first called to the
Turret, + the eight plates of thickness a
section of which could be most
plainly seen at the port holes.
We observed the effect of the shot which
she received in her encounter with
the Merrimac. There was a dent
made by a hundred pound shot
at the distance of five yards. Can
it be possible? Here we see the
effect of a ricochet shot that tore up
the edge of the plates. Here is another
partly below water line. That is the
Pilot House and those are the two
holes for sight. So it was there that
Lieut. Worden received the injury to
his eyes, that came near depriving us of
one of our most valuable officers.
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Imagine a low square box made of
eight inch joice [?] and these joice [?] solid
iron and there you may get an idea
of the massive weight and strength
of the Pilot house. Since the fight
with the Merrimac they have made
it even stronger by means of an iron
plated support that extends all around.
The Turret and Pilot House
are all that attract ones [sic] attention
above deck, if we except the little
insignificant smoke stack; and so having
seen these we follow the officer below.
A descent of several steps, and we
are in the midst of the ship’s crew
some sitting unengaged, + others sewing
or reading—but all very quiet. Passing
to the left through this group we enter
the Turret, by ascending another flight
of steps.
The engineer first calls our
attention to the revolving of the Turret.
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He pushed a lever forward pretty much as
an engineer does on board one of
our locomotives, and immediately a
low continual rumbling begins. We are
unconscious of motion—cannot realize
it till, as directed, we sight along one
of the splendid hundred pounders through
the port hole and then we “see it.” The
whole horizon is swept entirely around
and every object passes swiftly before
us. The officer explained the manner
of working the guns. So soon as one
was discharged the Turret was made
to revolve away from the enemy
and so the gunners were unexposed
in loading.
I never saw more splendid
guns than these hundred pounders.
While in the Turret I spoke with
the seaman on duty there and he
gave me a piece of the timber of
the Monitor for a souvenir. Also one
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of the caps used in discharging the pieces.
I am preserving them carefully as relics
of the war.
Passing from the Turret below again,
the officer carries us into the cabin, which
we find to be the most splendidly furnished.
From there we go into the Pilot House and
see where the helmsman has to stand. Beneath
the Pilot House are arrangements for
raising the anchor.
Leaving the Monitor we visited
the Galena where Capt. Rodgers treated
us very kindly showing us everything
of interest.
Next we visited the Stevens
battery or the Saugatuck and
was very politely shown everything
of interest about her. |
