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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/34068-h.zip b/34068-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..35c246e --- /dev/null +++ b/34068-h.zip diff --git a/34068-h/34068-h.htm b/34068-h/34068-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..35bc98b --- /dev/null +++ b/34068-h/34068-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1687 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en"> +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> + + +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Brief Sketch of the Work of + +MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY During the War 1861-1865, BY RICHARD L. MAURY</title> + + <style type="text/css"> + +body {font-size: 1em; text-align: justify; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + + +h1 span, h2 span, h3 span { display: block; text-align: center; } + + + + +p { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .5%; margin-bottom: 1%; + } + + +.blockquot {margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 5%; + margin-top: .5%; + margin-bottom: 1.5%; + } + + +.center {text-align: center; + margin-top: 5%; + } + + +.noindent { text-indent: 0em; + } + +.ralign5 { margin-right: 5%; + text-align: right; + } + + + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A brief sketch of the work of Matthew +Fontaine Maury during the war, 1861-1865, by Richard L. Maury + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A brief sketch of the work of Matthew Fontaine Maury during the war, 1861-1865 + +Author: Richard L. Maury + +Release Date: October 14, 2010 [EBook #34068] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORK OF MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY *** + + + + +Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<h1><span >A Brief Sketch of the Work</span> +<span >of</span> +<span >MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY</span> +<span >During the War 1861-1865</span> +<span >BY HIS SON</span> +<span >RICHARD L. MAURY</span></h1> + +<div class="center"> +<p class="noindent"><big>RICHMOND</big></p> +</div> +<div class="center"> +<p class="noindent">Richmond</p> +<p class="noindent">WHITTET & SHEPPERSON</p> +<p class="noindent">1915</p> +</div> +<div class="center"> +<p class="noindent">COPYRIGHTED, 1915, BY</p> +<p class="noindent">KATHERINE C. STILES</p> +</div> + + +<h2><span>INTRODUCTION</span></h2> + +<p>When I took charge of the Georgia Room, in +the Confederate Museum, in Richmond, +Virginia in 1897, I found among the De +Renne collection an engraving of the +pleasant, intellectual face of Commodore +Matthew Fontaine Maury, so I went to his son, Colonel +Richard L. Maury, who had been with his father in all +his work here, and urged him to write the history of it, +while memory, papers and books could be referred to; +this carefully written, accurate paper was the result.</p> + +<p>At one time, when Commodore Maury was very sick, +he asked one of his daughters to get the Bible and read +to him. She chose Psalm 8, the eighth verse of which +speaks of "whatsoever walketh through the paths of the +sea," he repeated "the paths of the sea, the paths of the +sea, if God says the paths of the sea, they are there, and +if I ever get out of this bed I will find them."</p> + +<p>He did begin his deep sea soundings as soon as he +was strong enough, and found that two ridges extended +from the New York coast to England, so he made charts +for ships to sail over one path to England and return +over the other.</p> + +<p>The proceeds from the sale of this little pamphlet +will be used as the beginning of a fund for the erection +of a monument to Commodore Maury in Richmond.</p> + +<p class="ralign5">KATHERINE C. STILES.</p> + + + + +<h2><span >TORPEDOES</span></h2> + + +<p>Torpedoes as effective weapons in actual +war were first utilized by the Confederate +navy, and Captain Matthew F. Maury introduced +them into that service, and continually +improved and perfected their use until +they had become the mighty engine of modern warfare +and revolutionized the art of coast and harbour defense. +He, it was, who in 1861 mined James River, who, in person +commanded the first attack with torpedoes upon the +Federal fleet in Hampton Roads, and it was the development +and improvement of this plan of defense which held +the enemy's ships throughout the South at bay, and +caused the loss of fifty-eight of the ships, and the Secretary +of the United States Navy to report to Congress in +1865 that the Confederates had destroyed with their torpedoes +more vessels than were lost from all other causes +combined. Their use was soon extended from James +River to the other Southern waters by eleven young +naval officers, active and alert, who planted, directed and +exploded torpedoes wherever there occurred favorable +opportunity, and with a daring and coolness never surpassed; +officers whose ability was abundantly shown by +the remarkable inertness of the United States Navy after +they had left that service in response to the call of their +States to come and help protect their invasion.</p> + +<p>Hardly had Captain Maury arrived in Richmond than +his active mind was directed to the problem of protecting +the Southern coasts. The South had not a single +vessel of war, and but scanty means of making, equipping +or manning one; the North had all the old navy +fully armed and equipped, with unlimited means for making +more.</p> + +<p>Penetrated as the country is by innumerable navigable +waters, and save at the entrance of a few of her largest +rivers, altogether unfortified, he urged that the only +available defense was to mine the channel ways with torpedoes, +floating and fixed, which should be exploded by +contact or by electricity, when the enemy attempted to +pass. At that time there was nothing save a few shore +batteries to prevent any ship whose captain was bold +enough to run past their fires from ascending James +River to Richmond, or from reaching any other maritime +town in the South. Fortunately there were but few bold +enough for the attempt.</p> + +<p>In the beginning there was much prejudice against +this mode of warfare, which, notwithstanding, has since, +under Captain Maury's instruction, become the chief reliance +of most maritime nations. It was considered uncivilized +warfare thus to attack and destroy an unsuspecting +enemy, and the United States, and many of her +naval officers were specially loud in their denunciations +of those who resorted to it. There was official apathy +too, and opposition of friends, but regardless of such, he +proceeded to experiment and demonstrate, and with such +success that in time the nations of Europe became his +pupils, and there were hosts of followers and fellow-workers +at home, and the Confederate Congress appropriated +six millions of dollars for torpedoes.</p> + +<p>His initial experiments to explode minute charges of +powder under water, were made with an ordinary tub +in his chamber at the house of his cousin, Robert H. +Maury, a few doors from the Museum in Richmond, Va. +The tanks for actual use were made at the Tredegar +Works, and at the works of Talbott and Son on Cary +Street; the batteries were loaned by the Richmond Medical +College, which also freely tendered the use of its laboratory. +In the early summer of 1861 the Secretary of +the Navy, the Governor of Virginia, the chairman of the +Committee of Naval Affairs, and other prominent officials +were asked by him to witness a trial and an explosion +of torpedoes in James River at Rocketts.</p> + +<p>The torpedoes were composed of two small kegs of +rifle powder, weighted to sink a few feet below the surface. +They were fitted with hair triggers and friction +primers, and thirty feet of lanyard attached to the triggers +connected the keys. When in use they were to be +set afloat in the channel way as near as possible to a +vessel and to drift down with the current until the connecting +lanyard fouled the anchor chain, or the bow of +the vessel and the kegs swung around against her side +when the tightened lanyard would fire the trigger and +cause the torpedo to explode. So the Patrick Henry's +gig was borrowed, with a couple of sailors to pull, and +the torpedo having been embarked, with the trigger at +half-cock, Captain Maury and the writer got on board +and were rowed out to the buoy just opposite where the +James River Steamboat Company's wharf now is, where +the invited spectators stood to witness the explosion. +The triggers were then set, the kegs carefully lowered +into the water, taking great care not to strain the lanyard, +all was cast off, the boat pulled clear, and we +waited to see the torpedo float down until the buoy was +reached, the lanyard foul strain and explode the torpedo. +But there was delay, the lanyard fouled the buoy all +right, the kegs floated past and strained the lanyard, but +there was no explosion. Impatient we backed water to the +buoy and the writer leaned over the stern and caught the +lanyard to give the necessary pull, but in the very act +the explosion took place, a column of water went up +twenty feet or more, and descending, gave us a good +wetting and filled the surrounding water with stunned +and dead fish. The officials on the wharf applauded and +were convinced, and that the experiments might continue +Governor Letcher loaned power, and shortly after +the Naval Bureau of Coast, Harbour, and River Defense +was organized with ample funds for the work, and the +very best of intelligent and devoted young officers as +assistants and an office was opened in Richmond at the +corner of Ninth and Bank Streets, where Rueger's now is.</p> + +<p>In a few months he had mined James River with fixed +torpedoes to be exploded by electricity should the enemy +attempt to pass, and a means thus indicated to protect the +city. During the summer and fall attacks were made +upon the Federal squadron at Fortress Monroe, under +the personal command of Captain Maury from Norfolk. +The first of these was early in July, 1861, from Seawell's +Point, at the mouth of the James River, and was directed +against two of the fleet there—the "Minnesota" and the +"Roanoke." Friday and Saturday night he sent an officer +in a boat to reconnoitre, but there was a steam +picket on watch, Sunday as he was spying them through +a glass, noting their relative positions, he saw the church +flag on two of them, a white flag bearing a cross displayed, +flying just a little above the ship ensign. When +he thought that those men were worshipping God in +sincerity and truth, and, no doubt, thinking themselves +in the line of their duty, he could but feel for them +when he remembered how soon he might be the means +of sending many of them into eternity. That night the +attacking party in five boats set off about ten o'clock. +Captain Maury was in the first boat with the pilot and +four oars. Each of the others manned by an officer and +four men carried a magazine with thirty fathoms of rope +attached. These magazines were oak casks of powder +with a fuse in each. Two joined by the rope were +stretching across the ebbtide and when directly ahead +of the ships were let go, and floating down the rope +caught across the cable, the torpedo would drift and the +ship strain the trigger, ignite the fuse and explode. "The +night was still, calm, clear, lovely." Thatcher's comet +was flaming in the sky. We steered by it, pulling in +the plane of its splendid train. All the noise and turmoil +of the enemy's camp and fleet was hushed. They had +no guard boats of any kind, and as with muffled oars we +neared them we heard seven bells strike. After putting +the torpedoes under one ship the boats that carried them +went back, and Captain Maury with the other two, +planted the other torpedoes. They then rowed away and +waited, but the explosion did not come and the enemy +never knew of the attempt. Lieut. R. D. Minor, one of +his skilful and daring assistants, commanded the second +expedition which he thus describes:</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="ralign5">C. S. S. Patrick Henry,</p> + +<p class="ralign5">Mulberry Point, October 11th, 1861.</p> + +<p>Sir,—Owing to an unexpected delay in the completion +of the magazine I was unable to leave Richmond +before the morning of the 9th, and did not reach this ship +until yesterday about 8 A.M. when I laid your plan +of the intended attack on the United States ships at +anchor off Newport News before Commander Tucker, +who with Lieutenant Powell, the executive officer, placed +every facility at my disposal for carrying it into execution. +Acting Master Thomas L. Dornin and Midshipman +Alexander M. Mason, having volunteered to accompany +me, the evening was passed in preparing the magazine +and in explaining in detail to the officers the manner of +handling and working them. In filling the tanks I found +that I would have 392 pounds to operate with, instead of +400, which I had calculated upon; and to insure them +from sinking I had some cork attached to the buoys, +which subsequently proved of great advantage. The day +was a stormy one, with a fresh breeze from the northward +with rain and mist well suited for our operations against +the enemy. About sunset Commander Tucker got underway +from his anchorage off this place, and with lights +shaded steamed slowly down the river on a strong ebbtide +till the ships were seen ahead of us, when we came +to within a mile and a half of the point, dropping the +anchor with a hawser bent on to it to prevent noise from +the rattling of the chains. The boats were then lowered, +the magazines carefully slung, buoys bent on at intervals +of seven feet, and when all was ready the crews armed +with cutlasses took their places, and were cautioned in +a few words by me to keep silent and obey implicitly the +officers. Acting Master Dornin with Midshipman Mason +took the left side of the channel, while I took the right +with Mr. Edward Moore as boatswain of the ship to +pilot me. Pulling down the river some 600 or 700 yards +the boats were then allowed to drift with the rapid ebbtide, +while the end of the cork line was passed over to +Mr. Dornin, and the line tightened by the boats pulling +in opposite directions. The buoys were then thrown +overboard, the guard lines on the triggers cut, the levers +fitted and pinned, the trip line made fast to the bight at +the end of the lever, the safety screws removed, the magazine +carefully lowered in the water, where they were +well supported by the buoys, the slack line (three +fathoms of which was kept in hand for safety) thrown +overboard, and all set adrift within 800 yards of the ship, +and 400 yards of the battery on the bluff above the point. +So near were we that voices were heard on the shore +and Mr. Moore reported a boat about 100 yards off, +which, however, I did not see, being too much engaged in +preparing the magazine for its service. Pulling back a +short distance and hearing no explosion we returned to +the ship which we found cleared for action and ready to +cover us in event of being attacked, and the boats had +just been hoisted up when signal lights were observed +flashing in the vicinity of the point with considerable +rapidity, indicating a suspicion on the part of the enemy +that an attack of some kind was intended. Leaving +our anchorage, we steamed rapidly up the river and took +up our former position off this place about 12:30 at night. +On going to the crosstrees this morning two ships were +seen at anchor off the point, and later in the day when +seen from Warwick River, where Commander Tucker +and I went to get a better view of them, they were apparently +unharmed, and I concluded that the magazine +could not have fouled them, though planted fairly and in +good drifting distances and with an interval between of +some 200 feet, perhaps somewhat less as the line became +entangled slightly while playing out.</p> + +<p>I have thus minutely described to you, sir, the whole +operation, believing, as its originator, it would be interesting +to you, and, perhaps, serve as a guide in the further +prosecution of this mode of warfare.</p> + +<p>I beg leave to return my sincere thanks to Commander +Tucker, Lieutenant Powell and other officers and +men of the "Patrick Henry," for their hearty co-operation, +and I particularly desire to call your attention to the +coolness and bravery of acting Master Dornin and Midshipman +Mason, and the boat crews associated on duty +with me.</p> + +<p>I am, sir respectfully your obedient servant,</p> +<p class="ralign5">R. D. MINOR, <br /> +Lieutenant C. S. Navy.<br /> +Commander M. F. Maury, C. S. Navy,<br /> +Fredericksburg, Va.</p> +</div> + +<p>The torpedoes used by Captain Maury in his attack +upon the "Minnesota," at Fortress Monroe, and by Lieutenant +Minor upon the "Congress," off Newport News, +were as follows: They were in pairs connected by a span +500 feet long. The span was floated on the surface by +corks, and the torpedo, containing 200 pounds of powder, +also floated at a depth of twenty feet. Empty barregas, +painted lead color, so as not readily to be seen, serving +for the purpose.</p> + +<p>The span was connected with a trigger in the head of +each barrel, so set and arranged that when the torpedo +being let go in a tideway under the bows and athwart +the hawser had fouled, they would be drifted alongside, +and so drifted would tauten the span and set off the +fuse, which was driven precisely as a ten second shot +fuse, only it was calculated to burn fifty-four seconds, +because it could not be known exactly in which part of +the sweep alongside the strain would be sufficient to +set off the trigger. That they did not explode was attributed +to the fact that the fuse would not burn under a +pressure of twenty feet of water, which conjecture was +confirmed by after experiments, when it was found that +the fuse would very surely at a depth of fifteen feet but +never at twenty. Sometime after these torpedoes were +found down the bay by the enemy. Spans, barrels, +barregas and carried to Washington—thus the enemy +forewarned, forestalled further attempts of this character +by dropping the end of his lower studding sail +boom in the water every night, and anchoring boats, or +beams ahead.</p> + +<p>To obtain insulated wire, of which the South had +none, an agent was sent secretly to New York, but without +success, and as there was neither factory nor material +for its manufacture in the Confederacy, the difficulties of +preparing electrical torpedoes, to which Captain Maury +attached the most importance and greatly preferred, +seemed insuperable, until by a remarkable piece of good +fortune, in the following spring, it happened that the +enemy, attempting to lay across Chesapeake Bay were +forced to abandon the attempt and left their wire to +the mercy of the waves, which cast it upon the beach +near Norfolk, where, by the kindness of a friend, it was +secured for Captain Maury's use. With part of this he +connected his mines in James River, below the obstructions, +with the shore stations, which afterward destroyed +the "Commodore Barney," and later the "Commodore +Jones," and with part enabled other Southern ports to +be similarly protected.</p> + +<p>Of his James River torpedoes, Captain Maury thus +reported to the Secretary of the Navy:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="ralign5">Richmond, June 19th, 1862.</p> + +<p>Sir,—The James River is mined with fifteen tanks +below the Iron Battery at Chaffin's Bluff. They are to +be exploded by means of Electricity. Four of the tanks +contain 160 pounds of powder, the eleven other hold 70 +pounds. All are made of boiler plate.</p> + +<p>They are arranged in rows, as per diagram, those of +each row being thirty feet apart. Each tank is contained +in a water-tight wooden cask, capable of floating +it, but anchored, and held below the surface from three +to eight feet, according to the state of the tide. The +anchor to each is an eighteen inch shell and a piece of +kentledge so placed as to prevent the barrels from fouling +the buoy ropes at the change of the tide. Each shell +of a row is connected with the next one to it by a stout +rope thirty feet long, and capable of lifting it in case the +cask be carried away. The casks are water-tight, as are +also the tanks, the electric cord entering and returning +through the same head. The wire for the return current +from the battery is passed from shell to shell and along +the connecting rope, which lies at the bottom.</p> + +<p>The wire that passes from cask to cask is stopped +aslack to the buoy rope from the shell up to the cask to +which it is securely seized, to prevent any strain upon +that part which enters the cask. The return wire is +stopped in like manner down the buoy ropes to the shell, +and then along the span to the next shell. At 4 the two +cords are rapped together, loaded with trace chains a +fathom apart and carried ashore to the galvanic battery. +For batteries we have 21 Wollastons, each trough containing +18 pairs of plates, zinc and wire, 10 x 12 inches. +The first range is called 1: the second 2: the third 3, and +the wires are so labelled. Thus all of each range are exploded +at once.</p> + +<p>Besides these there are two ranges of two tanks each, +planted opposite the battery at Chaffin's Bluff. When +they were planted it was not known that a battery was +to be erected below. These four tanks contain about +6,000 pounds of powder. The great freshets of last +month carried away the wires that were to operate the +first pair. Lieut. Davidson, who, with the "Teaser" and +her crew, has assisted me with the most hearty good +will, has dragged for the tanks, but without success, they +rest on the bottom. Could they be found it was my +intention to raise the four, examine them and if in good +condition, place them lower down.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Wm. L. Maury, assisted by Acting Master +W. F. Carter, and R. Rollins, was charged with the duty +of proving the tanks and packing them in casks. There +are eleven others, each containing 70 pounds of powder. +When tested in the barrels and found ready for use, they +will be held in reserve in case of accident to those already +down. A larger number was not prepared for +want of powder. There are a quantity of admirably +insulated wires, a number of shells for anchor or torpedoes +and a sufficient quantity of chains for the wires +remaining. They will be put in the navy store for safe +keeping.</p> + +<p>The galvanic batteries, viz.: 21 Wollaston and one +Cruickshank (the latter loaned by Dr. Maupin of the +University of Virginia), with spare acids are at Chaffin's +Bluff in charge of Acting Master Cheeney. He has also +in pigs a sufficient quantity mixed to work the batteries, +and ready to be poured in for use.</p> + +<p>It is proper that I should mention to the department, +in terms of commendation the ready and valuable assistance +afforded by Dr. Morris, president of the Telegraph +Company, and his assistants, especially Mr. Goldwell.</p> + +<p>My duties in connection with those batteries being +thus closed, I have the honor to await your further +orders.</p> + +<p>Respectfully, etc.,</p> + +<p class="ralign5">M. F. MAURY,<br /> +Commander C. S. Navy.<br /> +Hon. S. R. Mallory,<br /> +Secretary of the Navy, Present.</p> +</div> + +<p>Shortly after, Captain Maury was ordered to London +on secret service for the Navy Department, and that he +might avail himself of laboratories and workshops for +experiment and improvement of his new science, in which +he was now regarded as supreme authority. He was +to report progress and improvement in this new means +of making successful war from time to time to the Navy +Department, which was constantly done during the next +two years, and thus the result of his labours and inventions +communicated to the officers in charge of the torpedo +stations now established along our Atlantic Coast. +His devices and inventions, which have not since been +surpassed and some of which are still in use, had reference +chiefly to exploding the torpedo; to determining +with certainty from a distance the moment when a ship +should enter within explosive range, and at all times +to test its condition and to verify its location.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Hunter Davidson, his valued assistant, succeeded +him in charge of the James River batteries, +and in time extended the mines some distance below. +During the two years when he was in charge he +planted many electrical torpedoes in the channel of the +river, to be fired from concealed stations on shore. +Some of these contained 1,800 pounds of powder.</p> + +<p>In August, 1862, the Federal steamer "Commodore +Barney" was badly disabled by one of these, and in +1864 the "Comm. Jones" was totally destroyed, with +nearly all on board, the first fruits of Maury's electrical +torpedo defense. The first vessel destroyed by a submarine +torpedo was the gunboat—ironclad—"Cairo," in +the Yazoo River. The torpedo was a demijohn of powder +enclosed in a box sunk in the river and fired by a +string from the shore. Lieut. Beverley Kennon claimed +the credit for this but Masters McDaniel and Ewing did +the actual work.</p> + +<p>Early in 1864 Davidson, in a steam launch, specially +constructed for him, called "The Torpedo," having made +120 mile run down James River, all within the enemies' +lines, exploded a torpedo against the flagship "Minnesota," +at anchor off Newport News. The river swarmed +with the enemy's vessels, and the guard boat was lying +by the "Minnesota," but her captain had allowed his +steam to go down. Davidson hit the great ship full and +fair, causing great consternation on board, but the torpedo +charge was only fifty-three pounds of powder and +it failed to break in her sides, although considerable +damage was done. Davidson suffered no injury and returned +to Richmond without incident.</p> + +<p>On August 9, 1864, there was a great explosion in +Grant's lines at City Point, on the James, caused by a +torpedo with a clock attached which caused it to explode +at a given hour. With daring unexcelled John Maxwell +and R. K. Dillard, of the torpedo corps, made their way +into the lines, carrying the machine neatly boxed with +them, which Maxwell handed aboard one of the boats +lying at the wharf, saying that the captain had directed +him to do so. In half an hour there was a terrible explosion, +killing and wounding fifty men and destroying +much property and many stores besides, injuring many +nearby vessels, which brave John Maxwell quietly witnessed +seated upon a log upon a hillside close by.</p> + +<p>Lieut. Beverly Kennon was also most active in this +system of defense and personally planted many torpedoes +in the Potomac, Rappahannock and the James. +He and Lieut. J. Pembroke Jones succeeded Lieutenant +Davidson in charge of the torpedo defense of the James. +A defense in itself equivalent to a well appointed fleet +or army, since, as is well known, it served to keep the +enemy out of Richmond till the close of the war, and +converted them into earnest advocates of its use.</p> + +<p>General Raines, chief of the Army Torpedo Bureau, +had early adopted as the best form of torpedo, the beer +barrel filled with powder and fitted with a percussion +primer at each end. They were set adrift in pairs down +the river by the hundred to be carried by current and +tide against the enemy's ships below. Though many +necessarily failed and drifted out to sea, if but a single +one in a great number succeeded the Confederacy was +well repaid. At times as many as a hundred a day were +caught by the enemy's netting set out for that purpose +in the James River alone.</p> + +<p>Captain Francis D. Lee, of General Beauregard's +staff, recommended the spar torpedo, which was very +successfully used, especially in the waters around Charleston. +It was a case to contain seventy pounds of powder +set on the end of a twenty foot spar and rigged on +the bow of a boat. It was exploded by contact on the +side of the vessel attacked.</p> + +<p>In 1862 Dr. St. Julien Ravenal, Mr. Theodore Stoney +and other gentlemen of Charleston, after consultation +with Captain Maury, designed and had constructed a +semi-submarine torpedo boat, the first of its type. It +was called the "David," for it was intended to attack +the Goliath of the federal blockading fleet. After its +remarkable experience and success, its name was used +as the name for its type and the Confederacy had many +"Davids" on the stock when the war ended. It was +cigar shaped, twenty feet long, five in diameter at the +center. The boiler was forward, the miniature engine +aft, and between them a cuddy hole for captain and +crew. The torpedo was carried on a spar protruding +fifteen feet from the bow, and could be raised or lowered +by a line passing back into the cuddy hole. It was of +copper containing 100 pounds of rifle powder and provided +with four sensitive tubes of lead, containing explosive +mixture. A two bladed propellor drove the craft +at a six or seven knot rate. When ready for action the +boat was so well submerged that nothing was visible +save the stunt smoke-stack, the hatch combings and the +stanchion, upon which the torpedo line was brought aft. +The torpedo was submerged about six feet. Lieutenant +W. T. Glassel, of the Confederate Navy of Virginia, one +of the bravest of the brave, volunteered to take charge +of her. He says Assistant Engineer J. H. Toombs volunteered +his services, Major Frank Lee gave me his +zealous service in fitting a torpedo. James Stuart, or +Sullivan, volunteered to go as fireman, and the services +of J. W. Cannon as pilot were secured. I had an armament +on deck of four double-barrel shotguns, and as +many navy revolvers; also four cork life preservers had +been thrown on board to make us feel safe. On the fifth +of October, 1863, they left Charleston a little after dark, +bound for the federal fleet outside, and especially for +the "New Ironsides," the most powerful ship afloat. He +thus graphically describes what occurred: "We passed +Fort Sumter and beyond the line of picket boats without +being discovered. Silently steaming along just inside +the bar, I had a good opportunity to reconnoiter the +whole fleet at anchor between me and the camp fires on +Morris Island.</p> + +<p>"The admiral's ship, 'New Ironsides,' lay in the midst +of the fleet, her starboard side presented to my view, I +determined to pay her the highest compliment. I had +been informed through prisoners lately captured from +the fleet, that they were expecting an attack from torpedo +boats and were prepared for it. I could hardly, +therefore, expect to accomplish my object without encountering +some danger from riflemen, and, perhaps, a +discharge of grape or canister from the howitzers. My +guns were loaded with buckshots. I knew that if the +officer of the deck could be disabled to begin with, it +would cause them some confusion, and increase our +chance of escape, so I determined that if the occasion +offered I would commence by firing the first shot. Accordingly, +having on a full head of steam, I took charge +of the helm, it being so arranged that I could sit on the +deck, and work the wheel with my feet. Then directing +the engineer and fireman to keep below, and give me all +the speed possible, I gave a double-barrel gun to the +pilot, with instructions not to fire until I should do so, +and steered directly for the monitor. I intended to strike +her just under the gangway, but the tide still running +out carried us to a point nearer the quarter. Thus we +rapidly approached the enemy. When within 300 yards +of her a sentinel hailed us. Boat ahoy! repeating the +hail several times very rapidly. We were coming toward +them with all speed and I made no answer but cocked +both barrels of my gun. The officer of the deck next +made his appearance and loudly demanded, 'What boat is +that.' Being now within forty yards of the ship and with +plenty of head way to carry me on, I thought it about +time the fight should commence and fired my gun. The +officer of the deck fell back mortally wounded (poor +fellow), and I ordered the engine stopped. The next +moment the torpedo struck the vessel and exploded. +What amount of direct damage the enemy received I +will not attempt to say. My little boat plunged violently +and a large body of water, which had been thrown up, +descended upon her deck, and down the smoke-stack and +hatchway.</p> + +<p>"I immediately gave orders to reverse the engine and +back off. Mr. Toombs informed me then that the fires +were put out, and something had been jammed in the +machinery, so that it would not move. What could be +done in this situation? In the meantime the enemy, recovering +from the shock, beat to quarters and general +alarm spread through the fleet. I told my men I thought +our only chance of escape was by swimming and I think +I told Mr. Toombs to cut the water pipes and let the +boat sink. Then taking one of the cork floats I got into +the water and swam off as fast as I could.</p> + +<p>"The enemy in no amiable mood poured down upon +the bubbling water a hailstorm of rifle and pistol +shots from the deck of the 'Ironsides,' and from the nearest +monitor. Sometimes they struck very close to my +head, but swimming for life I soon disappeared from +sight and found myself alone in the water. I hoped that +with the assistance of the flood tide I might be able to +reach Fort Sumter, but a north wind was against me, and +after I had been in the water more than an hour I became +numb with cold and was nearly exhausted. Just +then the boat of a transport schooner picked me up and +found to their surprise that they had captured a 'rebel.' +I was handed over next morning to the mercy of Admiral +Dahlgren, who ordered me to be put in irons, and +if obstreperous, in double irons. When on the flagship +I learned that my fireman had clung to her rudder chains +and been taken on board.</p> + +<p>"Engineer Toombs started to swim towards the +'Monitor,' with the intention of catching her chains, but +changed his mind when he saw that the 'David' was +afloat, and had drifted away from the frigate. Swimming +to her he found Pilot Cannon, who not being able +to swim, when the fires were extinguished jumped overboard +and clung to the unexposed side of the 'David.' +After drifting about a quarter of a mile he got back on +board and seeing something in the water he hailed and +heard, to his surprise, a reply from Toombs, who soon got +on board. Finding the boat uninjured, though a bull's +eye canteen afforded a mark to the Federal cannoneer, +they fixed the engine, started up the fires, got up steam +and started back to Charleston, reaching the Atlantic +dock about midnight."</p> + +<p>As the result of this most daring feat it was found +that the torpedo had exploded under three feet of water +and against four and one-half inches of armour, and +twenty-seven inches of wood backing. The ponderous +ship was shaken from stem to stern, and was docked for +repairs until the attack on Fort Fisher, while the +"David" and her crew were uninjured. Captain Rowan +reported that the ship was very seriously injured and +ought to be sent home for repairs, and Admiral Dahlgren +informed the Secretary of the Navy that, "Among the +many inventions with which I have been familiar, I +have seen none that acted so perfectly at first trial. The +secrecy, rapidity of movement, control of direction and +precise explosion, indicate, I think, the introduction of +the torpedo element as a means of certain warfare. It +can be ignored no longer. If sixty pounds of powder +why not 600," and the Secretary of the Confederate Navy +reported: "On the evening of the 5th of October Lieutenant +W. T. Glassell, in charge of the torpedo boat, +"David," with Assistant Engineer Tomb, Pilot Walker +Cannon, and Seaman James Sullivan, left Charleston to +attempt the destruction of the enemy's ship, 'New Ironsides.' +Passing undiscovered through the enemy's fleet, +he was hailed by the watch as he approached the ship +and answering the hail with a shot, he dashed his boat +against her and exploded the torpedo under her bilge. +The fires were extinguished, and the boat was nearly +swamped by the concussion and the descending water, +and Lieutenant Glassell and Sullivan, supposing her to +be lost swam off and were picked up by the enemy. Engineer +Tomb and Pilot Cannon succeeded in reaching +Charleston with the boat.</p> + +<p>"Although Lieutenant Glassell failed to accomplish +his chief object, it is believed that he inflicted serious +injury upon the 'Ironsides,' while his unsurpassed daring +must be productive of an important moral influence, as +well upon the enemy as upon our own naval force."</p> + +<p>The annals of naval warfare record few enterprises +which exhibit more strikingly than this of Lieutenant +Glassell the highest qualities of a sea officer.</p> + +<p>At this time there were sixty officers and men on torpedo +duty at Charleston alone.</p> + +<p>The most remarkable career in all torpedo history +was that of a little boat built in Mobile Bay, and operated +upon the fleet off Charleston. She was the pioneer of +all submarine torpedo boats, as she was the first to +achieve success.</p> + +<p>She was built in 1863-4 at Mobile by Mr. Horace L. +Hundley, at his own expense. She was made of boiler +plate, was shaped like a fish twenty-four feet long, five +feet deep, three feet wide; she had fins on each side, +raised or depressed from the interior; her motive power +was a small propeller worked by manual power of her +crew seated on each side of the shaft; she was provided +with tanks which could be filled or empitied of water +to increase or dimish her displacement; but had no provision +for air storage. The captain stood in a circular +hatchway well forward and steered the boat, and regulated +the depth at which she should proceed. When she +dived all was made tight until she rose again. She had +no ventilation. She was designed to tow a torpedo +astern, dive under the vessel attacked, dragging the torpedo +after; she would then rise to the surface on the +other side, when the torpedo would explode by contact +with the bottom of the vessel, and the torpedo boat +make off in the darkness and confusion. General Maury +states that on her trial trip, which he saw, she towed a +floating torpedo, dived under a ship, dragging the torpedo, +which fairly exploded under the ship's bottom, +and blew the fragments one hundred feet into the air; and +that not being able to use her in Mobile, he sent her, and +her crew to Charleston. It is said that during another +trial in Mobile she sank and all on board perished before +she was raised.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Payne, of the Navy, volunteers to take her +out, and secured a volunteer crew of sailors. She was +named the "H. L. Hundley." While tied to the wharf +at Fort Johnston, whence it was to start at night to +make the attack, a steamer passing close by, filled and +sank it, drowning all hands save Payne, who was at the +time standing in one of the manholes. She was promptly +raised, but was again sunk, this time at Fort Sumter +wharf, when six men were drowned, Payne and two +others escaping. When she was brought to the surface +again. McKinley and a trained crew came from Mobile, +bringing with him Lieutenant Dixon, of the Twenty-first +Alabama Infantry, to fight the boat. He made repeated +descents in the harbour, diving under the receiving ship +again and again successfully. But one day, when Dixon +was absent from the city, Mr. Hundley, wishing to +handle the boat himself, unfortunately made the attempt; +it was readily submerged but did not rise again +and all on board perished, from asphyxiation. When the +boat was discovered, raised and opened the spectacle was +indescribably ghastly, the unfortunate men were contorted +into all kinds of attitudes horrible to see; some +clutching candles, evidently endeavouring to force open +the manholes; others lying on the bottom tightly grappled +together; and the blackened faces of all presented +the expression of their agony and despair.</p> + +<p>The "Hundley" had thus cost the lives of thirty-three +brave men, but nevertheless, there were still found volunteers +to risk theirs for their country—and Lieutenant +Dixon found no difficulty in enlisting eight more heroes +to attack the Federal steam sloop of war, "Housatonic," +a powerful new vessel of eleven guns, lying on the north +channel, opposite Beach Inlet, off Charleston. General +Beauregard had refused to let it be used again, but +Lieutenant Dixon, having undertaken to use the boat +with a spar torpedo in the same manner as the "David," +consent was given and preparations for the attack were +again made.</p> + +<p>Dixon was a Kentuckian and was moved by the highest +principle and patriotism in making this venture. He +had taken an active part in the construction of the vessel, +and had caused other men to perish in her by dangers +he had not shared, now bravely demanded this opportunity. +His crew were Arnold Becker, C. Simpkins, +James A. Wick, T. Collins and —— Ridgeway, of the +Navy, and Corporal J. F. Carlson, of the artillery. All +knew the fearful risk they ran—and all were willing to +sacrifice their lives for their country, counting the cost +as nothing if thereby they could procure the destruction +of the "Housatonic."</p> + +<p>Everything being ready at twilight on the 17th of +February, 1864, these devoted heroes took their places +in the boat at Sullivan's Island, and set off upon their +perilous adventure. This time she got away successfully, +but that is the last that we hear of her save the official +report from the enemy, that about 9 o'clock an object +like a plank was seen approaching, which in a moment +more struck the ship with a great explosion, blowing up +the after part of the ship, causing her to sink immediately +to the bottom, drowning five men and injuring +many more.</p> + +<p>The "Hundley" was never heard of again till several +years after the war, divers sent down to wreck the +"Housatonic," found her little antagonist lying on the +bottom near by.</p> + +<p>Admiral Dahlgren reported to the Secretary of the +U. S. Navy, as follows:</p> + +<p>Sir, I much regret to inform the Department that +the U. S. S. "Housatonic," on the blockade off Charleston, +S. C., was torpedoed by a rebel "David" and sunk +on the night of February 17th, about 9 o'clock.</p> + +<p>From the time the "David" was seen until the vessel +was on the bottom, a very brief period must have elapsed, +as far as the executive officer can judge, it did not exceed +five or seven minutes.</p> + +<p>The officer of the deck perceived a moving object on +the water quite near and ordered the chain to be slipped: +the captain and the executive officer went on deck, saw +the object, and each fired at it with a small arm. In an +instant the ship was struck on the starboard side between +the main and mizzen masts. Those on deck near were +stunned, the vessel began to sink, and went down almost +immediately.</p> + +<p>The Department will readily perceive the consequences +likely to result from this event: the whole line +of blockade will be infested with these cheap, convenient +and formidable defenses, and we must guard every +point. The measures of prevention are not so obvious. +I am inclined to the belief that in addition the various +devices for keeping the torpedoes from the vessels, an +effectual prevention may be found in the use of similar +contrivances. * * *</p> + +<p>I have attached more importance to the use of torpedoes +than others have done, and believe them to constitute +the most formidable of the difficulties in the way +to Charleston. Their effect on the "Ironsides" in October, +and now on the "Housatonic," sustains me in the +idea. And thereupon he makes application to be furnished +a number of torpedo boats made upon the model +of the "David," a sketch of which is submitted, and +also a quantity of floating torpedoes, and suggests that +as he has information that the Confederates have a number +of "Davids" completed and in an advanced state of +construction, the Department would do well to offer a +large reward of prize money for the capture or destruction +of any of them, say $20,000 or $30,000 for each, adding, +"they are worth more than that to us."</p> + +<p>About the same time Admiral Farragut, who had +little faith in torpedoes at first, and who like other naval +officers had denounced their use by the Confederates, +and ordered that no quarter should be shown those captured +operating them, also applied to be furnished them, +saying, "Torpedoes are not so very agreeable when used +on both sides, therefore, I have reluctantly brought +myself to it. I have always deemed it unworthy +of a chivalrous nation, but it does not do to give +your enemy such a decided superiority over." And the +Government of the United States, who had savagely +denounced the Confederates for using them, now invited +plans from inventors and mechanics for their construction, +and operation, and soon supplied them abundantly +to Army and Navy—adopting generally the Confederates +as the best.</p> + +<p>In August, 1864, the Federal fleet advanced upon +Fort Morgan at the entrance of Mobile Bay, the line +being led by "Tecumseh," the newest and most powerful +of the enemy's ironclads, which was completely destroyed +by a torpedo planted under the direction of General +Raines, Chief of the Confederate Army Torpedo Bureau. +She sunk in a moment, carrying down with her her entire +crew of one hundred and forty souls, save about +fifteen or twenty who escaped by swimming to Fort +Morgan.</p> + +<p>This was the greatest achievement of a single torpedo +during our war and served to stimulate the Confederate +authorities to renewed vigour. Thenceforward, the Bay +of Mobile and adjacent waters became the chief scenes +of torpedo operation. Genl. Maury stated that he had +caused to be placed 180 in her channel and waterways, +that they held the powerful fleet of Admiral Farragut for +ten months at bay, and destroyed fully a dozen United +States vessels, of which six were gunboats and four were +monitors. Regular torpedo stations were established +in Richmond, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah and +Mobile, at which sixty naval officers and men were on +duty, preparing these new engines of war. The channel-ways, +rivers and harbours were protected by them from +Virginia to Texas. Sometimes a hundred were taken out +of James River in a single day, and when the Southern +seaports fell hundreds of torpedoes were found floating +in their waters ready to explode upon the first contact. +At first the older Confederate officers who regarded them +with disfavour, as Captain Wm. H. Parker says he did, +were now "torpedo mad." "Commodore Tucker and I," +he said, "had torpedo on the brain," and the destruction +of the enemy's vessels increased so rapidly that in the +last ten months of the war forty or fifty were blown up, +and in the last three weeks ten or more were destroyed. +Its possibilities became better and better appreciated +every day. Think of the destruction this machine affected, +and bear in mind its use came to be fairly understood +only during the last part of the war. During that +period, when but few Federal vessels were lost and +fewer still severely damaged by the most powerful guns +in use, we find this long line of disasters from the Confederate +use of this new and in the beginning despised +comer into the arena of naval warfare. Our successes +have made the torpedo a name spoken of with loathing +and contempt by the self-sufficient Yankee, a recognized +factor in modern naval warfare, and now we see on all +sides the greatest activity and genius in improving it.</p> + +<p>The wonderful inventive genius and energetic action +of the Confederate officers, and engineers astounded the +world by their achievements in the unknown and untried +science in naval warfare. They not only made it most +effective for sea coast and harbour defence, but terrible +as an agency of attack on hostile ships of war. Not only +that, but they brought the system to such a high state of +perfection that little or no advance or improvement has +since been made in it, and within a short period of the +inception of the design a system was formed so perfect +and complete as that the advance upon the water by the +enemy was materially checked. They startled naval constructors +and officers in the civilized world by the +rapidity, audacity and novelty of their original methods, +and will be known through all ages for their wonderful +achievements. Maury, Buchanan, Brook, Jones and their +assistants are the central figures around which revolve to +the present day the changes from the old to the new in +naval warfare.</p> + +<p>Meantime Captain Maury was most diligently employed +in London, under the order of the Navy Department +in developing and improving his system, afforded +by the workshops and laboratories there for experiment +and construction. Here he continued during 1863 and +1864, pursuing these researches, perfecting many valuable +inventions, and instruments with signal success. He +reported to the Secretary of the Navy at home, so far as +it was safe to do so, by whom results were passed on to +officers in charge for their instruction and guidance and +shipping continuously to the department supplies of insulated +wire, exploders, and other inventions and devices +whose object was to increase the destructiveness of the +torpedo and to test it continually without removing it. +In the spring of 1865, he sailed for Galveston with the +most powerful and perfect equipment of electric torpedo +material ever assembled. Great results were confidently +expected from this armament, but before he reached +Havana news arrived of General Lee's surrender.</p> + +<p>But his experience and study and his scientific renown +had now made him the leading authority in this new +weapon of war mainly perfected by him. He was also +now relieved from the seal of secrecy hitherto imposed +upon him, so that when a year afterwards he returned to +Europe he felt himself at liberty to impart to the +sovereign there the secret of his discoveries concerning +his new made science. Most of the European powers +sent representatives to his school of instruction—and all +of them have built upon his beginnings, the most powerful +branch of their naval armaments.</p> + +<p>To France he first imparted his secret and the Emperor +witnessed the experiment and himself closed the +circuit and exploded a torpedo placed in the Seine, near +St. Cloud, to the perfect satisfaction of all. Russia, +Sweden, Holland, England and others soon also received +his instructions and they, too, have since built up a new +method of defence second to none.</p> + +<p>My own experiments, Captain Maury says, show +that the electrical torpedo, or mine has not hitherto been +properly appreciated as a means of defence in war. +It is as effective for the defence as ironclads and +rifled guns are for the attack. Indeed, such is the +progress made in what may be called this new Department +of Military Engineering that I feel justified in the +opinion that hereafter in all plans for coast, harbour and +river defences and in all works for the protection of +cities and places whether against attacks by armies on +land or ships afloat, the electrical torpedo is to play an +important part. It will not only modify and strengthen +existing plans, but greatly reduce the expense of future +systems.</p> + +<p>These experiments have resulted in some important +improvements and contrivances, not to say inventions +and discoveries which as yet have been made known only +to the Confederate Government. They are chiefly as +follows:</p> + +<p>First. A plan for determining by cross bearing +when the enemy is in the field of destruction, and for +"making connections" among the torpedo wires in a certain +way and by which (the concurrence of two operators) +becomes necessary for the explosion of any one or +more torpedoes. This plan requires each operator to be +so placed, or stationed that a line drawn straight from +them to the place of the torpedoes may intersect as nearly +as practicable at right angles, and it requires the connections +to be such that each operator may put his station +in or out of circuit at will. When the torpedoes are +laid, a range from each station is established for every +torpedo or group of torpedoes. When either operator +observes an enemy in range with any torpedo he closes +his circuit for that torpedo. If the enemy before getting +out of this range should enter the range for any torpedo +from the other station the operator then closes his circuit, +and discharges the igniting spark.</p> + +<p>Consequently if the range belongs to the same torpedo +its explosion takes place. But if not there will be +no explosion; hence, here is an artifice by which explosion +becomes impossible when the enemy is not within +the field of destruction, and sure when she is.</p> + +<p>Second. The "Electrical Gauge," a contrivance of my +own, by means of which one of the tests which the igniting +fuse has to undergo before it is accepted, is applied. By +means of it the operators can telegraph through the fuse +to each other without risk to the torpedoes, and by which +the torpedoes, may without detriment to their explosibility +be tested daily, or as often as required. And thus +the operator can at all times make sure that all is right.</p> + +<p>Third. A plan for planting torpedoes where the +water is too deep for them to lie on the bottom and explode +with effect, by which they will not interfere with +the navigation of the channel, and by which when the +enemy makes his appearance they may, by the touch of +a key be brought instantly into the required position and +at the proper depth.</p> + +<p>These contrivances are all very simple; they are +readily understood from verbal instruction, they require +neither models or drawings, and enable the operator +chiefly to use the self same wire for testing his torpedoes +daily after they are planted, and then to explode them +at will.</p> + +<p>Though these torpedoes, owing to the lack in the +Confederacy of the proper materials and appliances for +their construction and use, were make-shifts, yet so effective +had their use become, especially during the last year +of the war, that the Secretary of the American Navy, in +his annual report of December, 1865, to the President +of the United States, thus testifies to their efficiency: +"Torpedoes always formidable in harbours and internal +waters, have been more destructive to our naval vessels +than all other means combined."</p> + +<p>Since 1862, finding myself in reach of the facilities +afforded in England, I have made the study of Electrical +torpedoes a specialty, and the results are such, to say +the least, as to show that it is capable of doing quite as +much for the defence as ironclads and rifled guns are +likely to do for the attack.</p> + +<p>These results consist in improvements and discoveries +which enable the adept in that new department of military +engineering to explode his torpedoes whether buried +on land or submerged in the water, singly or in groups, +instanteously and at any distance to transmit through +them without the risk of explosion, orders and commands, +and as readily as through the ordinary line of telegraph. +To determine with unerring certainty when the enemy is +in the field of destruction of this or that torpedo. To +render its explosion impossible, unless he be in such field, +even though the igniting spark should be discharged; +and so to set an electrical current to watch it, as to make +the injuring of it without his knowledge impossible, and +the removal of it by an enemy, if not impossible, extremely +difficult and dangerous.</p> + +<p>Electrical torpedoes are also available for the defense +of mountain passes, roadways and fortified positions on +land.</p> + +<p>I am not aware that electricity was used at all in the +Confederate war for springing mines on land. Shell cast +for this purpose should be used but in an emergency, tin +canisters, or other perfectly water-tight cases, will answer. +These shells should be one-fourth of an inch thick +to one inch, according to size and probable handling in +transportation. They should be spherical only instead of +a hole for the fuse as in a hollow shot they should have +a neck like a bottle, with a cap to screw over, not in the +neck. The case should be charged through the neck, and +the wires let in through two holes counter sunk diametrically +opposite, the counter sinking being for the purpose +of receiving pitch or other resinous matter, to keep +the water out. The fuse being adjusted to the wires +should be held in place by a string through the neck while +the wires drawn out taut and sealed within and without. +Having proved the fuse, first fill and then drive in the +peg. Then fill the space between it and the screw-cap +with red lead and screw down so as to make water-tight. +Now secure the tails of the wires so that they will not +be chafed or bruised, and the mine is ready for transportation.</p> + +<p>They are general to be used in stone fougasses, the +wire being buried at convenient depths and all marks of +fougasses and trenches removed as completely as possible. +Any number not exceeding twenty-five or thirty +may be arranged in a single circuit for the Ebonite; but +if the magnetic exploder of Wheatstone be preferred, and +the ground be perfectly dry, hundreds may be planted in +a latter circuit.</p> + +<p>The operator may be at any distance from these +primas when he explodes them, provided only he has +established some mark or point which on being seen +by the enemy should serve as a signal. The area of destruction +of fougasses properly constructed with a charge +of twenty or thirty pounds of powder may be assumed to +be that of a circle seventy-five or eighty yards in diameter. +Twenty mines would therefore serve for a mile. +Several miles may be planted in a night and the assailants +may be enticed, or invited out in the morning. +Passes before an invading army may be mined in advance +and thus if he cannot be destroyed, his progress may be +so retarded by dress mines or sham mines as almost +literally to dig his way.</p> + +<p>The power to telegraph through these torpedoes is +of little consequence, in as much as there need be but +one station and one operator. Using the testing fuse +manufactured by Abel and a weak voltaic current, the +operator can at any time satisfy himself as to continuity. +Thus "bridge" and "gulfs" or "breaks" are not required +for the land as they are in sea-mining. Ebonite has the +further advantage on land that it takes but a single wire.</p> + +<p>Forts may be protected against assault and your own +rifle pits from occupation by an enemy simply by a proper +distribution of these new engines of war. They may be +planted line within line and one row above another, and +so arranged that volcanoes can be sprung at will under +the feet of assaulting columns. And these improvements +and discoveries enable the engineer at small cost, and +short notice effectually to defend any roadstead, or block +any river, harbour or pass against the land and naval +forces of an enemy without in the least interfering with +the free use of the same by friendly powers.</p> + +<p>To this admirable state of efficiency was the new and +terrible science of war perfected, chiefly by the Confederate +Navy, and mainly through the instrumentality of +its faithful, and devoted officer Captain Matthew F. +Maury, and his brave and daring young assistants, Minor, +Davidson, Kennon, Dixon, Glassel, and many others, and +those crews of the "Hundley," who moved by the lofty +faith that with them died, volunteered for enterprise of +extremest peril in the defense of Charleston Harbour, in +which they all perished, in this desperate service, of whom +the names of but the following are known: Horace L. +Hundley, George E. Dixon, Robert Brookland, Jos. Patterson, +Thomas W. Park, Chas. McHugh, Henry Beard, +John Marshall, C. L. Sprague, C. F. Carlson, Arnold +Beeker, Jos. A. Wicks, C. Simpkins, F. Collins, Ridgway, +Miller, whose monument erected by the ladies of Charleston, +stands upon the battery there in perpetual memory +and honour.</p> + +<p class="ralign5">RICHARD L. MAURY,</p> + +<p class="ralign5">Army Northern Virginia.</p> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A brief sketch of the work of Matthew +Fontaine Maury during the war, 1861-1865, by Richard L. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A brief sketch of the work of Matthew Fontaine Maury during the war, 1861-1865 + +Author: Richard L. Maury + +Release Date: October 14, 2010 [EBook #34068] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORK OF MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY *** + + + + +Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +A Brief Sketch of the Work + +of + +MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY + +During the War 1861-1865 + + +BY HIS SON + +RICHARD L. MAURY + +RICHMOND + + +Richmond + +WHITTET & SHEPPERSON + +1915 + + + + +COPYRIGHTED, 1915, BY + +KATHERINE C. STILES + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +When I took charge of the Georgia Room, in the Confederate Museum, in +Richmond, Virginia in 1897, I found among the De Renne collection an +engraving of the pleasant, intellectual face of Commodore Matthew +Fontaine Maury, so I went to his son, Colonel Richard L. Maury, who had +been with his father in all his work here, and urged him to write the +history of it, while memory, papers and books could be referred to; this +carefully written, accurate paper was the result. + +At one time, when Commodore Maury was very sick, he asked one of his +daughters to get the Bible and read to him. She chose Psalm 8, the +eighth verse of which speaks of "whatsoever walketh through the paths of +the sea," he repeated "the paths of the sea, the paths of the sea, if +God says the paths of the sea, they are there, and if I ever get out of +this bed I will find them." + +He did begin his deep sea soundings as soon as he was strong enough, and +found that two ridges extended from the New York coast to England, so he +made charts for ships to sail over one path to England and return over +the other. + +The proceeds from the sale of this little pamphlet will be used as the +beginning of a fund for the erection of a monument to Commodore Maury in +Richmond. + +KATHERINE C. STILES. + + + + +TORPEDOES + + +Torpedoes as effective weapons in actual war were first utilized by the +Confederate navy, and Captain Matthew F. Maury introduced them into that +service, and continually improved and perfected their use until they had +become the mighty engine of modern warfare and revolutionized the art of +coast and harbour defense. He, it was, who in 1861 mined James River, +who, in person commanded the first attack with torpedoes upon the +Federal fleet in Hampton Roads, and it was the development and +improvement of this plan of defense which held the enemy's ships +throughout the South at bay, and caused the loss of fifty-eight of the +ships, and the Secretary of the United States Navy to report to Congress +in 1865 that the Confederates had destroyed with their torpedoes more +vessels than were lost from all other causes combined. Their use was +soon extended from James River to the other Southern waters by eleven +young naval officers, active and alert, who planted, directed and +exploded torpedoes wherever there occurred favorable opportunity, and +with a daring and coolness never surpassed; officers whose ability was +abundantly shown by the remarkable inertness of the United States Navy +after they had left that service in response to the call of their States +to come and help protect their invasion. + +Hardly had Captain Maury arrived in Richmond than his active mind was +directed to the problem of protecting the Southern coasts. The South had +not a single vessel of war, and but scanty means of making, equipping or +manning one; the North had all the old navy fully armed and equipped, +with unlimited means for making more. + +Penetrated as the country is by innumerable navigable waters, and save +at the entrance of a few of her largest rivers, altogether unfortified, +he urged that the only available defense was to mine the channel ways +with torpedoes, floating and fixed, which should be exploded by contact +or by electricity, when the enemy attempted to pass. At that time there +was nothing save a few shore batteries to prevent any ship whose captain +was bold enough to run past their fires from ascending James River to +Richmond, or from reaching any other maritime town in the South. +Fortunately there were but few bold enough for the attempt. + +In the beginning there was much prejudice against this mode of warfare, +which, notwithstanding, has since, under Captain Maury's instruction, +become the chief reliance of most maritime nations. It was considered +uncivilized warfare thus to attack and destroy an unsuspecting enemy, and +the United States, and many of her naval officers were specially loud in +their denunciations of those who resorted to it. There was official +apathy too, and opposition of friends, but regardless of such, he +proceeded to experiment and demonstrate, and with such success that in +time the nations of Europe became his pupils, and there were hosts of +followers and fellow-workers at home, and the Confederate Congress +appropriated six millions of dollars for torpedoes. + +His initial experiments to explode minute charges of powder under water, +were made with an ordinary tub in his chamber at the house of his +cousin, Robert H. Maury, a few doors from the Museum in Richmond, Va. +The tanks for actual use were made at the Tredegar Works, and at the +works of Talbott and Son on Cary Street; the batteries were loaned by +the Richmond Medical College, which also freely tendered the use of its +laboratory. In the early summer of 1861 the Secretary of the Navy, the +Governor of Virginia, the chairman of the Committee of Naval Affairs, +and other prominent officials were asked by him to witness a trial and +an explosion of torpedoes in James River at Rocketts. + +The torpedoes were composed of two small kegs of rifle powder, weighted to +sink a few feet below the surface. They were fitted with hair triggers +and friction primers, and thirty feet of lanyard attached to the +triggers connected the keys. When in use they were to be set afloat in +the channel way as near as possible to a vessel and to drift down with +the current until the connecting lanyard fouled the anchor chain, or the +bow of the vessel and the kegs swung around against her side when the +tightened lanyard would fire the trigger and cause the torpedo to +explode. So the Patrick Henry's gig was borrowed, with a couple of +sailors to pull, and the torpedo having been embarked, with the trigger +at half-cock, Captain Maury and the writer got on board and were rowed +out to the buoy just opposite where the James River Steamboat Company's +wharf now is, where the invited spectators stood to witness the +explosion. The triggers were then set, the kegs carefully lowered into +the water, taking great care not to strain the lanyard, all was cast +off, the boat pulled clear, and we waited to see the torpedo float down +until the buoy was reached, the lanyard foul strain and explode the +torpedo. But there was delay, the lanyard fouled the buoy all right, the +kegs floated past and strained the lanyard, but there was no explosion. +Impatient we backed water to the buoy and the writer leaned over the stern +and caught the lanyard to give the necessary pull, but in the very act +the explosion took place, a column of water went up twenty feet or more, +and descending, gave us a good wetting and filled the surrounding water +with stunned and dead fish. The officials on the wharf applauded and +were convinced, and that the experiments might continue Governor Letcher +loaned power, and shortly after the Naval Bureau of Coast, Harbour, and +River Defense was organized with ample funds for the work, and the very +best of intelligent and devoted young officers as assistants and an +office was opened in Richmond at the corner of Ninth and Bank Streets, +where Rueger's now is. + +In a few months he had mined James River with fixed torpedoes to be +exploded by electricity should the enemy attempt to pass, and a means +thus indicated to protect the city. During the summer and fall attacks +were made upon the Federal squadron at Fortress Monroe, under the +personal command of Captain Maury from Norfolk. The first of these was +early in July, 1861, from Seawell's Point, at the mouth of the James +River, and was directed against two of the fleet there--the "Minnesota" +and the "Roanoke." Friday and Saturday night he sent an officer in a +boat to reconnoitre, but there was a steam picket on watch, Sunday as he +was spying them through a glass, noting their relative positions, he saw +the church flag on two of them, a white flag bearing a cross displayed, +flying just a little above the ship ensign. When he thought that those +men were worshipping God in sincerity and truth, and, no doubt, thinking +themselves in the line of their duty, he could but feel for them when he +remembered how soon he might be the means of sending many of them into +eternity. That night the attacking party in five boats set off about ten +o'clock. Captain Maury was in the first boat with the pilot and four +oars. Each of the others manned by an officer and four men carried a +magazine with thirty fathoms of rope attached. These magazines were oak +casks of powder with a fuse in each. Two joined by the rope were +stretching across the ebbtide and when directly ahead of the ships were +let go, and floating down the rope caught across the cable, the torpedo +would drift and the ship strain the trigger, ignite the fuse and +explode. "The night was still, calm, clear, lovely." Thatcher's comet +was flaming in the sky. We steered by it, pulling in the plane of its +splendid train. All the noise and turmoil of the enemy's camp and fleet +was hushed. They had no guard boats of any kind, and as with muffled +oars we neared them we heard seven bells strike. After putting the +torpedoes under one ship the boats that carried them went back, and +Captain Maury with the other two, planted the other torpedoes. They then +rowed away and waited, but the explosion did not come and the enemy +never knew of the attempt. Lieut. R. D. Minor, one of his skilful and +daring assistants, commanded the second expedition which he thus +describes: + +C. S. S. Patrick Henry, + +Mulberry Point, October 11th, 1861. + +Sir,--Owing to an unexpected delay in the completion of the magazine I +was unable to leave Richmond before the morning of the 9th, and did not +reach this ship until yesterday about 8 A.M. when I laid your plan of +the intended attack on the United States ships at anchor off Newport +News before Commander Tucker, who with Lieutenant Powell, the executive +officer, placed every facility at my disposal for carrying it into +execution. Acting Master Thomas L. Dornin and Midshipman Alexander M. +Mason, having volunteered to accompany me, the evening was passed in +preparing the magazine and in explaining in detail to the officers the +manner of handling and working them. In filling the tanks I found that I +would have 392 pounds to operate with, instead of 400, which I had +calculated upon; and to insure them from sinking I had some cork +attached to the buoys, which subsequently proved of great advantage. The +day was a stormy one, with a fresh breeze from the northward with rain +and mist well suited for our operations against the enemy. About sunset +Commander Tucker got underway from his anchorage off this place, and +with lights shaded steamed slowly down the river on a strong ebbtide +till the ships were seen ahead of us, when we came to within a mile and +a half of the point, dropping the anchor with a hawser bent on to it to +prevent noise from the rattling of the chains. The boats were then +lowered, the magazines carefully slung, buoys bent on at intervals of +seven feet, and when all was ready the crews armed with cutlasses took +their places, and were cautioned in a few words by me to keep silent and +obey implicitly the officers. Acting Master Dornin with Midshipman Mason +took the left side of the channel, while I took the right with Mr. +Edward Moore as boatswain of the ship to pilot me. Pulling down the +river some 600 or 700 yards the boats were then allowed to drift with +the rapid ebbtide, while the end of the cork line was passed over to Mr. +Dornin, and the line tightened by the boats pulling in opposite +directions. The buoys were then thrown overboard, the guard lines on the +triggers cut, the levers fitted and pinned, the trip line made fast to +the bight at the end of the lever, the safety screws removed, the +magazine carefully lowered in the water, where they were well supported +by the buoys, the slack line (three fathoms of which was kept in hand +for safety) thrown overboard, and all set adrift within 800 yards of the +ship, and 400 yards of the battery on the bluff above the point. So near +were we that voices were heard on the shore and Mr. Moore reported a +boat about 100 yards off, which, however, I did not see, being too much +engaged in preparing the magazine for its service. Pulling back a short +distance and hearing no explosion we returned to the ship which we found +cleared for action and ready to cover us in event of being attacked, and +the boats had just been hoisted up when signal lights were observed +flashing in the vicinity of the point with considerable rapidity, +indicating a suspicion on the part of the enemy that an attack of some +kind was intended. Leaving our anchorage, we steamed rapidly up the +river and took up our former position off this place about 12:30 at +night. On going to the crosstrees this morning two ships were seen at +anchor off the point, and later in the day when seen from Warwick River, +where Commander Tucker and I went to get a better view of them, they +were apparently unharmed, and I concluded that the magazine could not +have fouled them, though planted fairly and in good drifting distances +and with an interval between of some 200 feet, perhaps somewhat less as +the line became entangled slightly while playing out. + +I have thus minutely described to you, sir, the whole operation, +believing, as its originator, it would be interesting to you, and, +perhaps, serve as a guide in the further prosecution of this mode of +warfare. + +I beg leave to return my sincere thanks to Commander Tucker, Lieutenant +Powell and other officers and men of the "Patrick Henry," for their +hearty co-operation, and I particularly desire to call your attention to +the coolness and bravery of acting Master Dornin and Midshipman Mason, +and the boat crews associated on duty with me. + +I am, sir respectfully your obedient servant, + +R. D. MINOR, + +Lieutenant C. S. Navy. + +Commander M. F. Maury, C. S. Navy, + +Fredericksburg, Va. + +The torpedoes used by Captain Maury in his attack upon the "Minnesota," +at Fortress Monroe, and by Lieutenant Minor upon the "Congress," off +Newport News, were as follows: They were in pairs connected by a span +500 feet long. The span was floated on the surface by corks, and the +torpedo, containing 200 pounds of powder, also floated at a depth of +twenty feet. Empty barregas, painted lead color, so as not readily to be +seen, serving for the purpose. + +The span was connected with a trigger in the head of each barrel, so set +and arranged that when the torpedo being let go in a tideway under the +bows and athwart the hawser had fouled, they would be drifted alongside, +and so drifted would tauten the span and set off the fuse, which was +driven precisely as a ten second shot fuse, only it was calculated to +burn fifty-four seconds, because it could not be known exactly in which +part of the sweep alongside the strain would be sufficient to set off +the trigger. That they did not explode was attributed to the fact that +the fuse would not burn under a pressure of twenty feet of water, which +conjecture was confirmed by after experiments, when it was found that +the fuse would very surely at a depth of fifteen feet but never at +twenty. Sometime after these torpedoes were found down the bay by the +enemy. Spans, barrels, barregas and carried to Washington--thus the +enemy forewarned, forestalled further attempts of this character by +dropping the end of his lower studding sail boom in the water every +night, and anchoring boats, or beams ahead. + +To obtain insulated wire, of which the South had none, an agent was sent +secretly to New York, but without success, and as there was neither +factory nor material for its manufacture in the Confederacy, the +difficulties of preparing electrical torpedoes, to which Captain Maury +attached the most importance and greatly preferred, seemed insuperable, +until by a remarkable piece of good fortune, in the following spring, it +happened that the enemy, attempting to lay across Chesapeake Bay were +forced to abandon the attempt and left their wire to the mercy of the +waves, which cast it upon the beach near Norfolk, where, by the kindness +of a friend, it was secured for Captain Maury's use. With part of this +he connected his mines in James River, below the obstructions, with the +shore stations, which afterward destroyed the "Commodore Barney," and +later the "Commodore Jones," and with part enabled other Southern ports +to be similarly protected. + +Of his James River torpedoes, Captain Maury thus reported to the +Secretary of the Navy: + +Richmond, June 19th, 1862. + +Sir,--The James River is mined with fifteen tanks below the Iron Battery +at Chaffin's Bluff. They are to be exploded by means of Electricity. +Four of the tanks contain 160 pounds of powder, the eleven other hold 70 +pounds. All are made of boiler plate. + +They are arranged in rows, as per diagram, those of each row being +thirty feet apart. Each tank is contained in a water-tight wooden cask, +capable of floating it, but anchored, and held below the surface from +three to eight feet, according to the state of the tide. The anchor to +each is an eighteen inch shell and a piece of kentledge so placed as to +prevent the barrels from fouling the buoy ropes at the change of the +tide. Each shell of a row is connected with the next one to it by a +stout rope thirty feet long, and capable of lifting it in case the cask +be carried away. The casks are water-tight, as are also the tanks, the +electric cord entering and returning through the same head. The wire for +the return current from the battery is passed from shell to shell and +along the connecting rope, which lies at the bottom. + +The wire that passes from cask to cask is stopped aslack to the buoy +rope from the shell up to the cask to which it is securely seized, to +prevent any strain upon that part which enters the cask. The return wire +is stopped in like manner down the buoy ropes to the shell, and then +along the span to the next shell. At 4 the two cords are rapped +together, loaded with trace chains a fathom apart and carried ashore to +the galvanic battery. For batteries we have 21 Wollastons, each trough +containing 18 pairs of plates, zinc and wire, 10 x 12 inches. The first +range is called 1: the second 2: the third 3, and the wires are so +labelled. Thus all of each range are exploded at once. + +Besides these there are two ranges of two tanks each, planted opposite +the battery at Chaffin's Bluff. When they were planted it was not known +that a battery was to be erected below. These four tanks contain about +6,000 pounds of powder. The great freshets of last month carried away +the wires that were to operate the first pair. Lieut. Davidson, who, +with the "Teaser" and her crew, has assisted me with the most hearty +good will, has dragged for the tanks, but without success, they rest on +the bottom. Could they be found it was my intention to raise the four, +examine them and if in good condition, place them lower down. + +Lieut. Wm. L. Maury, assisted by Acting Master W. F. Carter, and R. +Rollins, was charged with the duty of proving the tanks and packing them +in casks. There are eleven others, each containing 70 pounds of powder. +When tested in the barrels and found ready for use, they will be held in +reserve in case of accident to those already down. A larger number was +not prepared for want of powder. There are a quantity of admirably +insulated wires, a number of shells for anchor or torpedoes and a +sufficient quantity of chains for the wires remaining. They will be put +in the navy store for safe keeping. + +The galvanic batteries, viz.: 21 Wollaston and one Cruickshank (the +latter loaned by Dr. Maupin of the University of Virginia), with spare +acids are at Chaffin's Bluff in charge of Acting Master Cheeney. He has +also in pigs a sufficient quantity mixed to work the batteries, and +ready to be poured in for use. + +It is proper that I should mention to the department, in terms of +commendation the ready and valuable assistance afforded by Dr. Morris, +president of the Telegraph Company, and his assistants, especially Mr. +Goldwell. + +My duties in connection with those batteries being thus closed, I have +the honor to await your further orders. + +Respectfully, etc., + +M. F. MAURY, + +Commander C. S. Navy. + +Hon. S. R. Mallory, + +Secretary of the Navy, Present. + +Shortly after, Captain Maury was ordered to London on secret service for +the Navy Department, and that he might avail himself of laboratories and +workshops for experiment and improvement of his new science, in which he +was now regarded as supreme authority. He was to report progress and +improvement in this new means of making successful war from time to time +to the Navy Department, which was constantly done during the next two +years, and thus the result of his labours and inventions communicated to +the officers in charge of the torpedo stations now established along our +Atlantic Coast. His devices and inventions, which have not since been +surpassed and some of which are still in use, had reference chiefly to +exploding the torpedo; to determining with certainty from a distance the +moment when a ship should enter within explosive range, and at all times +to test its condition and to verify its location. + +Lieut. Hunter Davidson, his valued assistant, succeeded him in charge of +the James River batteries, and in time extended the mines some distance +below. During the two years when he was in charge he planted many +electrical torpedoes in the channel of the river, to be fired from +concealed stations on shore. Some of these contained 1,800 pounds of +powder. + +In August, 1862, the Federal steamer "Commodore Barney" was badly +disabled by one of these, and in 1864 the "Comm. Jones" was totally +destroyed, with nearly all on board, the first fruits of Maury's +electrical torpedo defense. The first vessel destroyed by a submarine +torpedo was the gunboat--ironclad--"Cairo," in the Yazoo River. The +torpedo was a demijohn of powder enclosed in a box sunk in the river and +fired by a string from the shore. Lieut. Beverley Kennon claimed the +credit for this but Masters McDaniel and Ewing did the actual work. + +Early in 1864 Davidson, in a steam launch, specially constructed for +him, called "The Torpedo," having made 120 mile run down James River, +all within the enemies' lines, exploded a torpedo against the flagship +"Minnesota," at anchor off Newport News. The river swarmed with the +enemy's vessels, and the guard boat was lying by the "Minnesota," but +her captain had allowed his steam to go down. Davidson hit the great +ship full and fair, causing great consternation on board, but the +torpedo charge was only fifty-three pounds of powder and it failed to +break in her sides, although considerable damage was done. Davidson +suffered no injury and returned to Richmond without incident. + +On August 9, 1864, there was a great explosion in Grant's lines at City +Point, on the James, caused by a torpedo with a clock attached which +caused it to explode at a given hour. With daring unexcelled John +Maxwell and R. K. Dillard, of the torpedo corps, made their way into the +lines, carrying the machine neatly boxed with them, which Maxwell handed +aboard one of the boats lying at the wharf, saying that the captain had +directed him to do so. In half an hour there was a terrible explosion, +killing and wounding fifty men and destroying much property and many +stores besides, injuring many nearby vessels, which brave John Maxwell +quietly witnessed seated upon a log upon a hillside close by. + +Lieut. Beverly Kennon was also most active in this system of defense and +personally planted many torpedoes in the Potomac, Rappahannock and the +James. He and Lieut. J. Pembroke Jones succeeded Lieutenant Davidson in +charge of the torpedo defense of the James. A defense in itself +equivalent to a well appointed fleet or army, since, as is well known, +it served to keep the enemy out of Richmond till the close of the war, +and converted them into earnest advocates of its use. + +General Raines, chief of the Army Torpedo Bureau, had early adopted as +the best form of torpedo, the beer barrel filled with powder and fitted +with a percussion primer at each end. They were set adrift in pairs down +the river by the hundred to be carried by current and tide against the +enemy's ships below. Though many necessarily failed and drifted out to +sea, if but a single one in a great number succeeded the Confederacy was +well repaid. At times as many as a hundred a day were caught by the +enemy's netting set out for that purpose in the James River alone. + +Captain Francis D. Lee, of General Beauregard's staff, recommended the +spar torpedo, which was very successfully used, especially in the waters +around Charleston. It was a case to contain seventy pounds of powder set +on the end of a twenty foot spar and rigged on the bow of a boat. It was +exploded by contact on the side of the vessel attacked. + +In 1862 Dr. St. Julien Ravenal, Mr. Theodore Stoney and other gentlemen +of Charleston, after consultation with Captain Maury, designed and had +constructed a semi-submarine torpedo boat, the first of its type. It was +called the "David," for it was intended to attack the Goliath of the +federal blockading fleet. After its remarkable experience and success, +its name was used as the name for its type and the Confederacy had many +"Davids" on the stock when the war ended. It was cigar shaped, twenty +feet long, five in diameter at the center. The boiler was forward, the +miniature engine aft, and between them a cuddy hole for captain and +crew. The torpedo was carried on a spar protruding fifteen feet from the +bow, and could be raised or lowered by a line passing back into the +cuddy hole. It was of copper containing 100 pounds of rifle powder and +provided with four sensitive tubes of lead, containing explosive +mixture. A two bladed propellor drove the craft at a six or seven knot +rate. When ready for action the boat was so well submerged that nothing +was visible save the stunt smoke-stack, the hatch combings and the +stanchion, upon which the torpedo line was brought aft. The torpedo was +submerged about six feet. Lieutenant W. T. Glassel, of the Confederate +Navy of Virginia, one of the bravest of the brave, volunteered to take +charge of her. He says Assistant Engineer J. H. Toombs volunteered his +services, Major Frank Lee gave me his zealous service in fitting a +torpedo. James Stuart, or Sullivan, volunteered to go as fireman, and +the services of J. W. Cannon as pilot were secured. I had an armament on +deck of four double-barrel shotguns, and as many navy revolvers; also +four cork life preservers had been thrown on board to make us feel safe. +On the fifth of October, 1863, they left Charleston a little after dark, +bound for the federal fleet outside, and especially for the "New +Ironsides," the most powerful ship afloat. He thus graphically describes +what occurred: "We passed Fort Sumter and beyond the line of picket +boats without being discovered. Silently steaming along just inside the +bar, I had a good opportunity to reconnoiter the whole fleet at anchor +between me and the camp fires on Morris Island. + +"The admiral's ship, 'New Ironsides,' lay in the midst of the fleet, her +starboard side presented to my view, I determined to pay her the highest +compliment. I had been informed through prisoners lately captured from +the fleet, that they were expecting an attack from torpedo boats and +were prepared for it. I could hardly, therefore, expect to accomplish my +object without encountering some danger from riflemen, and, perhaps, a +discharge of grape or canister from the howitzers. My guns were loaded +with buckshots. I knew that if the officer of the deck could be disabled +to begin with, it would cause them some confusion, and increase our +chance of escape, so I determined that if the occasion offered I would +commence by firing the first shot. Accordingly, having on a full head of +steam, I took charge of the helm, it being so arranged that I could sit +on the deck, and work the wheel with my feet. Then directing the +engineer and fireman to keep below, and give me all the speed possible, +I gave a double-barrel gun to the pilot, with instructions not to fire +until I should do so, and steered directly for the monitor. I intended +to strike her just under the gangway, but the tide still running out +carried us to a point nearer the quarter. Thus we rapidly approached the +enemy. When within 300 yards of her a sentinel hailed us. Boat ahoy! +repeating the hail several times very rapidly. We were coming toward +them with all speed and I made no answer but cocked both barrels of my +gun. The officer of the deck next made his appearance and loudly +demanded, 'What boat is that.' Being now within forty yards of the ship +and with plenty of head way to carry me on, I thought it about time the +fight should commence and fired my gun. The officer of the deck fell +back mortally wounded (poor fellow), and I ordered the engine stopped. +The next moment the torpedo struck the vessel and exploded. What amount +of direct damage the enemy received I will not attempt to say. My little +boat plunged violently and a large body of water, which had been thrown +up, descended upon her deck, and down the smoke-stack and hatchway. + +"I immediately gave orders to reverse the engine and back off. Mr. +Toombs informed me then that the fires were put out, and something had +been jammed in the machinery, so that it would not move. What could be +done in this situation? In the meantime the enemy, recovering from the +shock, beat to quarters and general alarm spread through the fleet. I +told my men I thought our only chance of escape was by swimming and I +think I told Mr. Toombs to cut the water pipes and let the boat sink. +Then taking one of the cork floats I got into the water and swam off as +fast as I could. + +"The enemy in no amiable mood poured down upon the bubbling water a +hailstorm of rifle and pistol shots from the deck of the 'Ironsides,' +and from the nearest monitor. Sometimes they struck very close to my +head, but swimming for life I soon disappeared from sight and found +myself alone in the water. I hoped that with the assistance of the flood +tide I might be able to reach Fort Sumter, but a north wind was against +me, and after I had been in the water more than an hour I became numb +with cold and was nearly exhausted. Just then the boat of a transport +schooner picked me up and found to their surprise that they had captured +a 'rebel.' I was handed over next morning to the mercy of Admiral +Dahlgren, who ordered me to be put in irons, and if obstreperous, in +double irons. When on the flagship I learned that my fireman had clung +to her rudder chains and been taken on board. + +"Engineer Toombs started to swim towards the 'Monitor,' with the +intention of catching her chains, but changed his mind when he saw that +the 'David' was afloat, and had drifted away from the frigate. Swimming +to her he found Pilot Cannon, who not being able to swim, when the fires +were extinguished jumped overboard and clung to the unexposed side of +the 'David.' After drifting about a quarter of a mile he got back on +board and seeing something in the water he hailed and heard, to his +surprise, a reply from Toombs, who soon got on board. Finding the boat +uninjured, though a bull's eye canteen afforded a mark to the Federal +cannoneer, they fixed the engine, started up the fires, got up steam and +started back to Charleston, reaching the Atlantic dock about midnight." + +As the result of this most daring feat it was found that the torpedo had +exploded under three feet of water and against four and one-half inches +of armour, and twenty-seven inches of wood backing. The ponderous ship +was shaken from stem to stern, and was docked for repairs until the +attack on Fort Fisher, while the "David" and her crew were uninjured. +Captain Rowan reported that the ship was very seriously injured and +ought to be sent home for repairs, and Admiral Dahlgren informed the +Secretary of the Navy that, "Among the many inventions with which I have +been familiar, I have seen none that acted so perfectly at first trial. +The secrecy, rapidity of movement, control of direction and precise +explosion, indicate, I think, the introduction of the torpedo element as +a means of certain warfare. It can be ignored no longer. If sixty pounds +of powder why not 600," and the Secretary of the Confederate Navy +reported: "On the evening of the 5th of October Lieutenant W. T. +Glassell, in charge of the torpedo boat, "David," with Assistant +Engineer Tomb, Pilot Walker Cannon, and Seaman James Sullivan, left +Charleston to attempt the destruction of the enemy's ship, 'New +Ironsides.' Passing undiscovered through the enemy's fleet, he was +hailed by the watch as he approached the ship and answering the hail +with a shot, he dashed his boat against her and exploded the torpedo +under her bilge. The fires were extinguished, and the boat was nearly +swamped by the concussion and the descending water, and Lieutenant +Glassell and Sullivan, supposing her to be lost swam off and were picked +up by the enemy. Engineer Tomb and Pilot Cannon succeeded in reaching +Charleston with the boat. + +"Although Lieutenant Glassell failed to accomplish his chief object, it +is believed that he inflicted serious injury upon the 'Ironsides,' while +his unsurpassed daring must be productive of an important moral +influence, as well upon the enemy as upon our own naval force." + +The annals of naval warfare record few enterprises which exhibit more +strikingly than this of Lieutenant Glassell the highest qualities of a +sea officer. + +At this time there were sixty officers and men on torpedo duty at +Charleston alone. + +The most remarkable career in all torpedo history was that of a little +boat built in Mobile Bay, and operated upon the fleet off Charleston. +She was the pioneer of all submarine torpedo boats, as she was the first +to achieve success. + +She was built in 1863-4 at Mobile by Mr. Horace L. Hundley, at his own +expense. She was made of boiler plate, was shaped like a fish +twenty-four feet long, five feet deep, three feet wide; she had fins on +each side, raised or depressed from the interior; her motive power was a +small propeller worked by manual power of her crew seated on each side +of the shaft; she was provided with tanks which could be filled or +empitied of water to increase or dimish her displacement; but had no +provision for air storage. The captain stood in a circular hatchway well +forward and steered the boat, and regulated the depth at which she +should proceed. When she dived all was made tight until she rose again. +She had no ventilation. She was designed to tow a torpedo astern, dive +under the vessel attacked, dragging the torpedo after; she would then +rise to the surface on the other side, when the torpedo would explode by +contact with the bottom of the vessel, and the torpedo boat make off in +the darkness and confusion. General Maury states that on her trial trip, +which he saw, she towed a floating torpedo, dived under a ship, dragging +the torpedo, which fairly exploded under the ship's bottom, and blew the +fragments one hundred feet into the air; and that not being able to use +her in Mobile, he sent her, and her crew to Charleston. It is said that +during another trial in Mobile she sank and all on board perished before +she was raised. + +Lieutenant Payne, of the Navy, volunteers to take her out, and secured a +volunteer crew of sailors. She was named the "H. L. Hundley." While tied +to the wharf at Fort Johnston, whence it was to start at night to make +the attack, a steamer passing close by, filled and sank it, drowning all +hands save Payne, who was at the time standing in one of the manholes. +She was promptly raised, but was again sunk, this time at Fort Sumter +wharf, when six men were drowned, Payne and two others escaping. When +she was brought to the surface again. McKinley and a trained crew came +from Mobile, bringing with him Lieutenant Dixon, of the Twenty-first +Alabama Infantry, to fight the boat. He made repeated descents in the +harbour, diving under the receiving ship again and again successfully. +But one day, when Dixon was absent from the city, Mr. Hundley, wishing +to handle the boat himself, unfortunately made the attempt; it was +readily submerged but did not rise again and all on board perished, from +asphyxiation. When the boat was discovered, raised and opened the +spectacle was indescribably ghastly, the unfortunate men were contorted +into all kinds of attitudes horrible to see; some clutching candles, +evidently endeavouring to force open the manholes; others lying on the +bottom tightly grappled together; and the blackened faces of all +presented the expression of their agony and despair. + +The "Hundley" had thus cost the lives of thirty-three brave men, but +nevertheless, there were still found volunteers to risk theirs for their +country--and Lieutenant Dixon found no difficulty in enlisting eight +more heroes to attack the Federal steam sloop of war, "Housatonic," a +powerful new vessel of eleven guns, lying on the north channel, opposite +Beach Inlet, off Charleston. General Beauregard had refused to let it be +used again, but Lieutenant Dixon, having undertaken to use the boat with +a spar torpedo in the same manner as the "David," consent was given and +preparations for the attack were again made. + +Dixon was a Kentuckian and was moved by the highest principle and +patriotism in making this venture. He had taken an active part in the +construction of the vessel, and had caused other men to perish in her by +dangers he had not shared, now bravely demanded this opportunity. His +crew were Arnold Becker, C. Simpkins, James A. Wick, T. Collins and ---- +Ridgeway, of the Navy, and Corporal J. F. Carlson, of the artillery. All +knew the fearful risk they ran--and all were willing to sacrifice their +lives for their country, counting the cost as nothing if thereby they +could procure the destruction of the "Housatonic." + +Everything being ready at twilight on the 17th of February, 1864, these +devoted heroes took their places in the boat at Sullivan's Island, and +set off upon their perilous adventure. This time she got away +successfully, but that is the last that we hear of her save the official +report from the enemy, that about 9 o'clock an object like a plank was +seen approaching, which in a moment more struck the ship with a great +explosion, blowing up the after part of the ship, causing her to sink +immediately to the bottom, drowning five men and injuring many more. + +The "Hundley" was never heard of again till several years after the war, +divers sent down to wreck the "Housatonic," found her little antagonist +lying on the bottom near by. + +Admiral Dahlgren reported to the Secretary of the U. S. Navy, as +follows: + +Sir, I much regret to inform the Department that the U. S. S. +"Housatonic," on the blockade off Charleston, S. C., was torpedoed by a +rebel "David" and sunk on the night of February 17th, about 9 o'clock. + +From the time the "David" was seen until the vessel was on the bottom, a +very brief period must have elapsed, as far as the executive officer can +judge, it did not exceed five or seven minutes. + +The officer of the deck perceived a moving object on the water quite +near and ordered the chain to be slipped: the captain and the executive +officer went on deck, saw the object, and each fired at it with a small +arm. In an instant the ship was struck on the starboard side between the +main and mizzen masts. Those on deck near were stunned, the vessel began +to sink, and went down almost immediately. + +The Department will readily perceive the consequences likely to result +from this event: the whole line of blockade will be infested with these +cheap, convenient and formidable defenses, and we must guard every +point. The measures of prevention are not so obvious. I am inclined to +the belief that in addition the various devices for keeping the +torpedoes from the vessels, an effectual prevention may be found in the +use of similar contrivances. * * * + +I have attached more importance to the use of torpedoes than others have +done, and believe them to constitute the most formidable of the +difficulties in the way to Charleston. Their effect on the "Ironsides" +in October, and now on the "Housatonic," sustains me in the idea. And +thereupon he makes application to be furnished a number of torpedo boats +made upon the model of the "David," a sketch of which is submitted, and +also a quantity of floating torpedoes, and suggests that as he has +information that the Confederates have a number of "Davids" completed +and in an advanced state of construction, the Department would do well +to offer a large reward of prize money for the capture or destruction of +any of them, say $20,000 or $30,000 for each, adding, "they are worth +more than that to us." + +About the same time Admiral Farragut, who had little faith in torpedoes +at first, and who like other naval officers had denounced their use by +the Confederates, and ordered that no quarter should be shown those +captured operating them, also applied to be furnished them, saying, +"Torpedoes are not so very agreeable when used on both sides, therefore, +I have reluctantly brought myself to it. I have always deemed it +unworthy of a chivalrous nation, but it does not do to give your enemy +such a decided superiority over." And the Government of the United +States, who had savagely denounced the Confederates for using them, now +invited plans from inventors and mechanics for their construction, and +operation, and soon supplied them abundantly to Army and Navy--adopting +generally the Confederates as the best. + +In August, 1864, the Federal fleet advanced upon Fort Morgan at the +entrance of Mobile Bay, the line being led by "Tecumseh," the newest and +most powerful of the enemy's ironclads, which was completely destroyed +by a torpedo planted under the direction of General Raines, Chief of the +Confederate Army Torpedo Bureau. She sunk in a moment, carrying down +with her her entire crew of one hundred and forty souls, save about +fifteen or twenty who escaped by swimming to Fort Morgan. + +This was the greatest achievement of a single torpedo during our war and +served to stimulate the Confederate authorities to renewed vigour. +Thenceforward, the Bay of Mobile and adjacent waters became the chief +scenes of torpedo operation. Genl. Maury stated that he had caused to be +placed 180 in her channel and waterways, that they held the powerful +fleet of Admiral Farragut for ten months at bay, and destroyed fully a +dozen United States vessels, of which six were gunboats and four were +monitors. Regular torpedo stations were established in Richmond, +Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah and Mobile, at which sixty naval +officers and men were on duty, preparing these new engines of war. The +channel-ways, rivers and harbours were protected by them from Virginia +to Texas. Sometimes a hundred were taken out of James River in a single +day, and when the Southern seaports fell hundreds of torpedoes were +found floating in their waters ready to explode upon the first contact. +At first the older Confederate officers who regarded them with +disfavour, as Captain Wm. H. Parker says he did, were now "torpedo mad." +"Commodore Tucker and I," he said, "had torpedo on the brain," and the +destruction of the enemy's vessels increased so rapidly that in the last +ten months of the war forty or fifty were blown up, and in the last +three weeks ten or more were destroyed. Its possibilities became better +and better appreciated every day. Think of the destruction this machine +affected, and bear in mind its use came to be fairly understood only +during the last part of the war. During that period, when but few +Federal vessels were lost and fewer still severely damaged by the most +powerful guns in use, we find this long line of disasters from the +Confederate use of this new and in the beginning despised comer into the +arena of naval warfare. Our successes have made the torpedo a name +spoken of with loathing and contempt by the self-sufficient Yankee, a +recognized factor in modern naval warfare, and now we see on all sides +the greatest activity and genius in improving it. + +The wonderful inventive genius and energetic action of the Confederate +officers, and engineers astounded the world by their achievements in the +unknown and untried science in naval warfare. They not only made it most +effective for sea coast and harbour defence, but terrible as an agency +of attack on hostile ships of war. Not only that, but they brought the +system to such a high state of perfection that little or no advance or +improvement has since been made in it, and within a short period of the +inception of the design a system was formed so perfect and complete as +that the advance upon the water by the enemy was materially checked. +They startled naval constructors and officers in the civilized world by +the rapidity, audacity and novelty of their original methods, and will +be known through all ages for their wonderful achievements. Maury, +Buchanan, Brook, Jones and their assistants are the central figures +around which revolve to the present day the changes from the old to the +new in naval warfare. + +Meantime Captain Maury was most diligently employed in London, under the +order of the Navy Department in developing and improving his system, +afforded by the workshops and laboratories there for experiment and +construction. Here he continued during 1863 and 1864, pursuing these +researches, perfecting many valuable inventions, and instruments with +signal success. He reported to the Secretary of the Navy at home, so far +as it was safe to do so, by whom results were passed on to officers in +charge for their instruction and guidance and shipping continuously to +the department supplies of insulated wire, exploders, and other +inventions and devices whose object was to increase the destructiveness +of the torpedo and to test it continually without removing it. In the +spring of 1865, he sailed for Galveston with the most powerful and +perfect equipment of electric torpedo material ever assembled. Great +results were confidently expected from this armament, but before he +reached Havana news arrived of General Lee's surrender. + +But his experience and study and his scientific renown had now made him +the leading authority in this new weapon of war mainly perfected by him. +He was also now relieved from the seal of secrecy hitherto imposed upon +him, so that when a year afterwards he returned to Europe he felt +himself at liberty to impart to the sovereign there the secret of his +discoveries concerning his new made science. Most of the European powers +sent representatives to his school of instruction--and all of them have +built upon his beginnings, the most powerful branch of their naval +armaments. + +To France he first imparted his secret and the Emperor witnessed the +experiment and himself closed the circuit and exploded a torpedo placed +in the Seine, near St. Cloud, to the perfect satisfaction of all. +Russia, Sweden, Holland, England and others soon also received his +instructions and they, too, have since built up a new method of defence +second to none. + +My own experiments, Captain Maury says, show that the electrical +torpedo, or mine has not hitherto been properly appreciated as a means +of defence in war. It is as effective for the defence as ironclads and +rifled guns are for the attack. Indeed, such is the progress made in +what may be called this new Department of Military Engineering that I +feel justified in the opinion that hereafter in all plans for coast, +harbour and river defences and in all works for the protection of cities +and places whether against attacks by armies on land or ships afloat, +the electrical torpedo is to play an important part. It will not only +modify and strengthen existing plans, but greatly reduce the expense of +future systems. + +These experiments have resulted in some important improvements and +contrivances, not to say inventions and discoveries which as yet have +been made known only to the Confederate Government. They are chiefly as +follows: + +First. A plan for determining by cross bearing when the enemy is in the +field of destruction, and for "making connections" among the torpedo +wires in a certain way and by which (the concurrence of two operators) +becomes necessary for the explosion of any one or more torpedoes. This +plan requires each operator to be so placed, or stationed that a line +drawn straight from them to the place of the torpedoes may intersect as +nearly as practicable at right angles, and it requires the connections +to be such that each operator may put his station in or out of circuit +at will. When the torpedoes are laid, a range from each station is +established for every torpedo or group of torpedoes. When either +operator observes an enemy in range with any torpedo he closes his +circuit for that torpedo. If the enemy before getting out of this range +should enter the range for any torpedo from the other station the +operator then closes his circuit, and discharges the igniting spark. + +Consequently if the range belongs to the same torpedo its explosion +takes place. But if not there will be no explosion; hence, here is an +artifice by which explosion becomes impossible when the enemy is not +within the field of destruction, and sure when she is. + +Second. The "Electrical Gauge," a contrivance of my own, by means of +which one of the tests which the igniting fuse has to undergo before it +is accepted, is applied. By means of it the operators can telegraph +through the fuse to each other without risk to the torpedoes, and by +which the torpedoes, may without detriment to their explosibility be +tested daily, or as often as required. And thus the operator can at all +times make sure that all is right. + +Third. A plan for planting torpedoes where the water is too deep for +them to lie on the bottom and explode with effect, by which they will +not interfere with the navigation of the channel, and by which when the +enemy makes his appearance they may, by the touch of a key be brought +instantly into the required position and at the proper depth. + +These contrivances are all very simple; they are readily understood from +verbal instruction, they require neither models or drawings, and enable +the operator chiefly to use the self same wire for testing his torpedoes +daily after they are planted, and then to explode them at will. + +Though these torpedoes, owing to the lack in the Confederacy of the +proper materials and appliances for their construction and use, were +make-shifts, yet so effective had their use become, especially during +the last year of the war, that the Secretary of the American Navy, in +his annual report of December, 1865, to the President of the United +States, thus testifies to their efficiency: "Torpedoes always formidable +in harbours and internal waters, have been more destructive to our naval +vessels than all other means combined." + +Since 1862, finding myself in reach of the facilities afforded in +England, I have made the study of Electrical torpedoes a specialty, and +the results are such, to say the least, as to show that it is capable of +doing quite as much for the defence as ironclads and rifled guns are +likely to do for the attack. + +These results consist in improvements and discoveries which enable the +adept in that new department of military engineering to explode his +torpedoes whether buried on land or submerged in the water, singly or in +groups, instanteously and at any distance to transmit through them +without the risk of explosion, orders and commands, and as readily as +through the ordinary line of telegraph. To determine with unerring +certainty when the enemy is in the field of destruction of this or that +torpedo. To render its explosion impossible, unless he be in such field, +even though the igniting spark should be discharged; and so to set an +electrical current to watch it, as to make the injuring of it without +his knowledge impossible, and the removal of it by an enemy, if not +impossible, extremely difficult and dangerous. + +Electrical torpedoes are also available for the defense of mountain +passes, roadways and fortified positions on land. + +I am not aware that electricity was used at all in the Confederate war +for springing mines on land. Shell cast for this purpose should be used +but in an emergency, tin canisters, or other perfectly water-tight +cases, will answer. These shells should be one-fourth of an inch thick +to one inch, according to size and probable handling in transportation. +They should be spherical only instead of a hole for the fuse as in a +hollow shot they should have a neck like a bottle, with a cap to screw +over, not in the neck. The case should be charged through the neck, and +the wires let in through two holes counter sunk diametrically opposite, +the counter sinking being for the purpose of receiving pitch or other +resinous matter, to keep the water out. The fuse being adjusted to the +wires should be held in place by a string through the neck while the +wires drawn out taut and sealed within and without. Having proved the +fuse, first fill and then drive in the peg. Then fill the space between +it and the screw-cap with red lead and screw down so as to make +water-tight. Now secure the tails of the wires so that they will not be +chafed or bruised, and the mine is ready for transportation. + +They are general to be used in stone fougasses, the wire being buried at +convenient depths and all marks of fougasses and trenches removed as +completely as possible. Any number not exceeding twenty-five or thirty +may be arranged in a single circuit for the Ebonite; but if the magnetic +exploder of Wheatstone be preferred, and the ground be perfectly dry, +hundreds may be planted in a latter circuit. + +The operator may be at any distance from these primas when he explodes +them, provided only he has established some mark or point which on being +seen by the enemy should serve as a signal. The area of destruction of +fougasses properly constructed with a charge of twenty or thirty pounds +of powder may be assumed to be that of a circle seventy-five or eighty +yards in diameter. Twenty mines would therefore serve for a mile. +Several miles may be planted in a night and the assailants may be +enticed, or invited out in the morning. Passes before an invading army +may be mined in advance and thus if he cannot be destroyed, his progress +may be so retarded by dress mines or sham mines as almost literally to +dig his way. + +The power to telegraph through these torpedoes is of little consequence, +in as much as there need be but one station and one operator. Using the +testing fuse manufactured by Abel and a weak voltaic current, the +operator can at any time satisfy himself as to continuity. Thus "bridge" +and "gulfs" or "breaks" are not required for the land as they are in +sea-mining. Ebonite has the further advantage on land that it takes but +a single wire. + +Forts may be protected against assault and your own rifle pits from +occupation by an enemy simply by a proper distribution of these new +engines of war. They may be planted line within line and one row above +another, and so arranged that volcanoes can be sprung at will under the +feet of assaulting columns. And these improvements and discoveries +enable the engineer at small cost, and short notice effectually to +defend any roadstead, or block any river, harbour or pass against the +land and naval forces of an enemy without in the least interfering with +the free use of the same by friendly powers. + +To this admirable state of efficiency was the new and terrible science of +war perfected, chiefly by the Confederate Navy, and mainly through the +instrumentality of its faithful, and devoted officer Captain Matthew F. +Maury, and his brave and daring young assistants, Minor, Davidson, +Kennon, Dixon, Glassel, and many others, and those crews of the +"Hundley," who moved by the lofty faith that with them died, volunteered +for enterprise of extremest peril in the defense of Charleston Harbour, +in which they all perished, in this desperate service, of whom the names +of but the following are known: Horace L. Hundley, George E. Dixon, +Robert Brookland, Jos. Patterson, Thomas W. Park, Chas. McHugh, Henry +Beard, John Marshall, C. L. Sprague, C. F. Carlson, Arnold Beeker, Jos. +A. Wicks, C. Simpkins, F. Collins, Ridgway, Miller, whose monument +erected by the ladies of Charleston, stands upon the battery there in +perpetual memory and honour. + +RICHARD L. MAURY, + +Army Northern Virginia. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A brief sketch of the work of Matthew +Fontaine Maury during the war, 1861-1865, by Richard L. 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