The First Iron-Clad Naval Engagement in the World

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Excerpt from The First Iron-Clad Naval Engagement in the World: History of the Facts of the Great Naval Battle Between the Merrimac-Virginia, C. S. N. And the Ericsson Monitor, U. S. N. Hampton Roads, March 8 and 9, 1862 Were the present a period of war between the States, the reader could readily appreciate the occasion for this publication. In that event, the novelty of the new instrument of destruction - the Iron-Clad - would intensely interest the military student, and the skill and courage manifested by the combatants would stir the enthusiasm and call forth the patriotism of the reader. This is, however, an era not of strife, but of peace. It is a time of goodwill. No conflict between the sections now exists. The former former are brethren. The alarms and woes of battle have all passed away. Peace smiles upon a united people, and hallows the Star Spangled Banner, the common flag of an undismembered country and an unruptured union. What, under such conditions, is the propriety of a discussion like the present? Certainly we do not purpose breeding discord between the lately contending communities. As citizens of a government which has aptly and happily been described as an "indissoluble union of indestructible States" we may contemplate historic battles of our Civil War as most impressive manifestations of the patriotism, valor and wonderful resources of the participants therein. And in a recital of their details we can find something to inspire love of country and admiration for and confidence in the communities that make up the composite people of our great nation. The principal value of my book is that I purpose stating what occurred under my own observation, and my description of this historic naval engagement will be the story of both a witness and a participant. As far as opportunity made me a competent witness, and my memory has preserved the integrity of the facts, the description will be trustworthy. I have introduced in my description some elements that are personal to myself, which seemed to me to add to the value of the statement in some measure to be necessary to it. My command, the City Light Guard, of Columbus, Ga., arrived in Portsmouth, Va., Monday morning, April 21st, 1861.The Navy Yard was burned and destroyed April 19th, two days before our arrival. We were quartered at the Naval Hospital, and on the day of arrival I visited the Navy Yard and there looked upon the smoking, smouldering remains of the "Merrimac, " upon whose hull was subsequently erected the great naval wonder of the world, the Iron-Clad "Virginia." That you may more intelligently consider the subject of this issue, I give, briefly, the history, dimensions and other particulars of this famous ship. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.