THE NORFOLK NAVY YARD ABANDONED. 473 XXX. PROGRESS OF SECESSION. THE Convention of VIRGINIA, whereof a great majority had been elected as Unionists, was, nevertheless, bullied, as we have seen, at the hight of the Southern frenzy which followed the reduction of Fort Sumter, into voting their State out of the Union.' In order to achieve this end, it was found necessary to consent to a submission of the ordinance to a popular vote; and the 23d of May was appointed for the election. But, in utter mockery of this concession, the conspirators proceeded forthwith to act upon the assumption that the vote of the Convention was conclusive, and the State already definitively and absolutely out of the Union. Within twenty-four hours after the vote of the Convention to secede, and while that vote was still covered by an injunction of secrecy, they had set on foot expeditions for the capture of the Federal Arsenal, arms and munitions, at Harper's Ferry, as also for that of the Norfolk Navy Yard. So early as the night of the 16th, the channel of Elizabeth River, leading up from Hampton Roads to Norfolk, was partially obstructed in their interest by sinking two small vessels therein, with intent to preclude the passage, either way, of Federal ships of war. The number appears to have been increased during the following nights; while a 1April 17th, 1861. 2 That is to say: Capt. McCauley has never renounced the service, but still draws the pay of an officer of the U. S. Navy. 3 The Report to the Senate of its Select Com hastily collected military force, under Gen. Taliaferro-a Virginia brigadier who reached Norfolk from Richmond on the 18th-was reported to be preparing to seize the Navy Yard and Federal vessels during the night of Saturday, the 20th. The Southern officers of the Yard, having done the cause of the Union all the harm they could do under the mask of loyalty, resigned and disappeared in the course of that day. course of that day. The Navy Yard was in charge of Capt. McCauley, a loyal' officer, but a good deal past the prime of life. A young Decatur or Paul Jones would have easily held it a week against all the Virginian Militia that could have been brought within range of its guns, and would never have dreamed of abandoning it while his cartridges held out. No man fit to command a sloop of war would have thought of skulking away from a possession so precious and important, until he had, at least, seen the whites of "an enemy's eyes. For here were the powerful forty-gun steam frigate Merrimac, richly worth a million dollars even in time of peace, with the Cumberland, the Germantown, the Plymouth, the Raritan, the Columbia, and the Dolphin, beside the huge old three-decker Pennsylvania, the dismantled seventy-fours Delaware and Columbus, with nearly two thousand cannon, some thou 3 mittee, appointed to investigate this shameful transaction, made by Hon. John P. Hale, Apri 18th, 1862, says: "According to the returns received at the Ordnance bureau of the Navy Department, it appears that there were seven hundred and sand stand of arms, and immense | in peace, more than ten millions of quantities of munitions, naval stores, dollars, while its value at this time timber, etc.; the whole having cost, was absolutely incalculable. The Federal magazine, just below Nor- | had been broken open the night befolk, apparently left without a guard, fore by the Rebels, and robbed of guns at the Yard, and thinks he speaks within bounds when he puts the number of them at eighteen hundred; and he explains very satis sixty-eight guns in the Yard. Other evidence, however, taken by the Committee, goes to show quite conclusively that there were in the Yard at the time of the evacuation at least two thou-factorily the discrepancy between the account sand pieces of heavy ordnance, of which about three hundred were new Dahlgren guns, and the remainder were of old patterns. Captain Paulding walked about among them on the 18th of April, and estimated that there were between two and three thousand. Captain McCauley, who must be supposed to have had ample means of knowledge on the subject, thinks there were nearly three thousand pieces of cannon. James H. Clements, a reliable and intelligent man, testifies that he was familiar with the Mr. in the Ordnance bureau and the estimates of the witnesses already mentioned, and of others who appeared before the Committee, stating the number of guns variously at from fifteen hundred to three thousand. Upon the whole evidence, the Committee are forced to the conclusion that there were as many as two thousand pieces of artillery of all calibers in and about the Yard at the time of its abandonment, comprising the armaments of three line-of-battle ships and several frigates." THE NATIONAL DISGRACE AT NORFOLK. 475 over four thousand kegs of powder. | there, and to act as circumstances. should dictate; but, at all events, to save the public property from falling into the hands of traitors. He found the guns in the Navy Yard rendered useless by Capt. McCauley's orders, and nearly all the ships of war disabled-several of them already sinking. Among the scuttled was the Merrimac-alone worth all the rest-barely the Cumberland having been reserved to bear away the expectant fugitives. Still, Capt. Paulding might have held his position a week against all the traitors yet developed in Vir Capt. McCauley, with all these formidable ships of war, cannon, and munitions, had several hundred good and true men under his command. He had received, some days before, express orders to send the Merrimac forthwith to Philadelphia, and had had her fitted out for the voyage, under the direction of Chief Engineer Isherwood, who was sent thither from Washington on purpose; but, when she was reported all ready but her guns, he declined to order them on board-or, rather, gave the order, but very soon countermanded it-ginia; and that week would have excusing his vacillation or perplexity by his dread of exasperating the Rebels, and referring to the reported obstructions sunk in the channel, which the Merrimac, properly handled, would have crushed like an eggshell, and thus passed over without a check to her progress. Finally, on the evening of the 20th, he gave orders to scuttle all the ships but the Cumberland, preparatory to flightas if this were not the very course to preserve them for the future use of the Rebels. The steam frigate Pawnee, Capt. Hiram Paulding, left Washington on the evening of the 19th, and arrived, at 4 P. M. of the 20th, abreast of Fortress Monroe. Here she took on board Col. Wardrop's regiment of Massachusetts volunteers, 450 strong, raising her fighting force to some six hundred men. She now steamed cautiously and slowly up the river to the Navy Yard, which she reached soon after 8 o'clock. Capt. Paulding had instructions from the Secretary of the Navy, directing him to take command at Norfolk, on his arrival brought at least 30,000 men to his aid. But, without awaiting the firing of a shot, or even the appearance of a foe, he proceeded at once to transfer, with the utmost haste, books, papers, money, and some other of the most portable portions of the public. property, to the Pawnee and the Cumberland; not even saving the small arms, of which his Government stood in urgent need. The cannon he abandoned were (or had been) partially spiked; but so inefficiently, with nails, etc., that they were promptly and easily restored by the Rebels to a serviceable condition. The muskets, revolvers, etc., were broken, and, with great quantities of shot and shell, thrown into the water. Several hours were spent in this work-the marine barracks, in the center of the Yard, being set on fire, about midnight, to give light for its continuance. 4 Lieut. H. A. Wise had accompanied Capt. Paulding from Washington, and was detailed by him, on or before their arrival, to board the Merrimac and bring her out, if possible; and he was accordingly on her Since, of the Naval Ordnance Bureau. deck at the earliest moment. He the remaining vessels and all the found her partially filled with water, combustible property left behind. and rapidly filling a block, which | The Cumberland, drawing seventeen he threw from her lower deck into feet of water, grounded in passing one her hold, indicating by the splash of the vessels sunk in the channel, but that the water was already over her was got off, an hour or two afterward, orlop deck. He returned immedi- uninjured. No molestation was of ately, and reported the fact to Capt. fered them by the Rebels, who, very Paulding, who thereupon decided to naturally, thought themselves fortundesist from further attempts to save ate in so easily obtaining possession of her, but to mutilate the guns in the what was left behind. Most of the Yard, fire the vessels, ship-houses, vessels were destroyed; but the Merand other structures, and blow up rimac, the best of them all, though the (stone) dry dock. Some of the badly burned above the water-line, old and relatively worthless guns was saved by the Rebels, and, in due were dismantled by knocking off time, metamorphosed into the irontheir trunnions; but the new Dahl- clad Virginia, with which such memgren guns proved so tough that not orable havoc was wrought in Hampone of them was or could thus be ton Roads. A crowd from Norfolk rendered useless. Capt. Paulding and Portsmouth burst into the Yard, now recalled the order he had given so soon as our ships had fairly departLieut. Wise to blow up the dry dock, ed, and saved for the uses of treason and ordered trains to be laid instead, whatever they could, including the so that, at a signal, the ships might dry dock, which had been mined, but be fired. This was accordingly done; not fired, and was readily filled with but the previous partial submersion water. At 6 o'clock, a volunteer of the ships, under Capt. McCauley's company had taken formal possession unaccountable order to scuttle them, in the name of Virginia, and raised of course prevented their destruction. her flag over the ruins. By 7, the Thus, when the Plymouth was reached work of unspiking cannon had comin its turn by Lieut. Wise, she had menced; and, by 9, several guns had sunk below her upper deck, so flood- been planted along the dock, where ing the train that it could not be they might serve in resisting the refired. Lieut. Wise, who narrowly esturn of the Yankees under some more caped with a scorching from the in- intrepid leader than he who had just conceivably rapid combustion of the slunk away. It was said that Gen. upper portion of the Merrimac, when Taliaferro was drunk throughout the he fired his train while on board of night, and was with difficulty aroused her, pulled down the channel in his at 6 in the morning to hear that all small boat after the escaping vessels, was over. Two officers of the Pawand got on board the Pawnee below nee, who were left to fire the Navy Craney Island, when seven or eight Yard, were cut off or bewildered by miles on her way. The Pawnee, tow- the rapid spread of the conflagration, ing the Cumberland, moved slowly and compelled to cross, by skiff, to down the river at 4 A. M. (high tide), Norfolk, where they were instantly brilliantly lighted on their course by taken prisoners. No lives were lost. | HOW VIRGINIA WAS LOST. 477 Thus ended the most shameful, cow- | States, were turned over to said Con Many, perhaps most, of the Union delegates to the Virginia Convention left it directly after the passage of the Ordinance of Secession, feeling that they had no longer any business in such company. The residue proceeded, in utter contempt of their own vote directing the submission of the act to the people, to adopt and ratify the Confederate Constitution; and to enter into a convention with the Confederacy, through A. H. Stephens, whereby all the public property, naval stores, munitions of war, etc., acquired by their State at Norfolk and elsewhere, from the United 6 5 It is impossible to interpret the course of many officers of the Army and Navy in this and similar emergencies, save on the presumption that they were in doubt as to whether they ought, as loyal men, to stand by the 'Black Republican' rulers who had just been invested with power at Washington or side with the militant champions of that Slave Power which had somehow become confounded, in their not very lucid or intelligent conceptions, with the Constitution and the Union. At all events, it is certain that their indecision or pusillanimity potently aided to crush out the Unionism of the South, and came very near wrecking the Union itself. Mr. Hale's Report, already cited, says: "The aid which might have been derived from the workmen in the Yard, and other loyal citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth, is, in some degree, a matter of conjecture, and it is not proposed to introduce it as an element in the decision of this question. During the closing days of the United States authority at Norfolk, the revolt had acquired such strength, momentum, and confidence, that perhaps no material assistance of this kind was to be depended upon. It is proper to remark, however, that there was abundant evidence before the Committee that at least a majority of the citizens of both Norfolk and Portsmouth were on the side of the Union, and would have been warmly and openly so had the Government shown a strong hand and a timely determination to defend itself. An election for mayor was held in Portsmouth a few days previous to the federacy; and it was agreed that "the whole military force and military operations, offensive and defensive, of said Commonwealth, in the impending conflict with the United States, shall be under the chief control and direction of the President of said Confederate States, upon the same principles, basis, and footing, as if said Commonwealth were now, and during the interval, a member of said Confederacy." This agreement was approved and ratified by the Convention on the 25th; although, so early as April 20th, the movement of Confederate troops, from Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, to Richmond, had commenced. The treaty of offensive and defensive alliance negotiated by Vice-President Stephens did not, therefore, inaugurate that movement: it could but regulate and perhaps augment it. surrender, at which the Union candidate was elected by an overwhelming majority. A voluntary military association, considerable in numbers and influence, was formed in Norfolk for the exclusive purpose of assisting in the defense of the Yard against the insurgents, proffered their services, and offered such tests of their fidelity as should have at once secured their acceptance by the authorities of the Yard. How suicidal a policy was pursued, all know and remember. The Government exhibited such utter feebleness and irresolution, and the enemy so much vigor and fierce purpose, unencumbered by scruples of any kind, that it is not strange that the friends of the Union, finding themselves unsupported by the Government they were anxious to serve and protect, should finally yield to the tempest of treason and passion surging around them, and find, in a compulsory submission and in silence, at least a refuge from the insults and outrages of a ferocious revolutionary mob. But, so irrepressible was the loyal feeling of many of the citizens of Norfolk, that, on the evening of the 20th of April, they greeted the arrival of the "Pawnee" at the dock with cheer on cheer, under the supposition that she had come to reënforce and hold the Yard, and bring them deliverance from the perils and dishonor of a war against that Union which they loved. That hope was cruelly disappointed by the hasty attempt to destroy the Yard; and the Government afforded the loyal men at Norfolk-as, indeed, everywhere else at that time--every possible reason for the conviction that the Rebellion was the winning side, and that devotion to the Government could end only in defeat, loss, and death." 6 April 24th. |