From the evidence furnished the committee by the naval department, of which the above is a summary, it appears that the entire naval force available for the defence of the whole Atlantic coast consisted of the steamer Brooklyn of 25 guns, and the store ship Relief of 2 guns. The former was of too great draught to enter Charleston harbor with safety, except at spring tides, and the latter was under orders to the coast of Africa with stores for the African squadron. The committee called attention to the extraordinarily defenceless state in which the coast was thus left, stating that the number of ships lying in port dismantled and unfit for service was 28, mounting in the aggregate 874 guns; that none of these could be repaired and put under sail short of several weeks' time, and many of them would require for this purpose at least 6 months; and also that no orders had been issued to put any of them in readi ness. Between the 11th of November, 1860, and the 24th of January, 1861, 56 officers of the navy had resigned, including 11 from the Naval Academy. Notwithstanding the urgent appeal made by the committee, and the very alarming state of national affairs, Congress adjourned without making any unusual appropriations for naval purposes, and without ordering the recall of the vessels at distant stations. Such was the condition of affairs when the new Administration came into power on the 4th of March. At that time, according to the report made by the Secretary of the Navy on the 4th of July, the total number of vessels of all classes belonging to the navy was 90, carrying, or designed to carry, about 2,415 guns. Excluding vessels on the stocks, those unfinished, those used as stationary storeships and receiving ships, and those considered inexpedient to repair, the available force was: These vessels had a complement, exclusive of officers and marines, of about 7,600 men, and nearly all of them were on foreign stations. The home squadron consisted of twelve vessels, carrying 187 guns and about 2,000 men. Of this squadron, only four small vessels, carrying twenty-five guns and about 280 men, were in northern ports. On the 23d of March, the sloop-of-war Cumberland, flag-ship of Commodore Pendergrast, of the home squadron, arrived in the Chesapeake, and was detained by the Secretary of the Navy at Norfolk, to await events that were gradually developing in Virginia and the adjoining States. The navy yard at Norfolk was at that time filled with arms and munitions, and several ships were in the harbor dismantled and in ordinary, and in no condition to be moved, had there been men to move them. Any attempt to withdraw these vessels, moreover, without a crew, was at that time deemed injudicious, as likely to arouse a more disturbed state of feeling at the South. The commandant at the yard, Commodore McCauley, however, was, early in April, cautioned to extreme vigil ance and circumspection; and on the 10th of April, he was ordered, without giving needless alarm, to put the shipping and public property in condition to be moved and placed beyond danger whenever this might be necessary. A commander and two engineers were detailed to proceed to Norfolk and put the machinery of the steam-frigate Merrimac in order, that she might move herself and tow out some of the other ships; and on the 12th of April, the depart ment directed that this vessel should be prepared to proceed to Philadelphia with the ut most despatch. It was stated in reply that four weeks would be required to put the engine in working order. The engineer-in-chief was then ordered at once to Norfolk, and the commandant was directed to lose no time in placing an armament on board the Merrimac, and removing her, together with the Plymouth, Dolphin, and Germantown, away from Norfolk, with as much of the public property, ordnance stores, &c., as could be saved. The engineer-in-chief reported the Merrimac as ready to be moved on the 17th, but Commodore McCauley at that time refused to have her fired up. The fires were, however, started early the next morning, the engines were working, and the engineers, firemen, and sufficient men were on board, but the commandant still refused to permit her to be moved, and in the afternoon gave directions to draw the fires. The Secretary of the Navy states that the cause of his refusal to move the Merrimac, has no explanation other than that of misplaced confidence in his junior officers who opposed it. Commodore Paulding was then immediately ordered to Norfolk with such officers and marines as could be obtained, and with directions to take command of all the ves 5 sels there, and at all hazards prevent the ships and public property from passing into the hands of the secessionists. With troops just ar 84 guns. 400 "6 66 406 16 7 212 90 " 46 "6 45 28 8 4 1,846 " Of this force, the following were in commission, the remainder being in ordinary, dismantled, &c. rived at Fortress Monroe from Massachusetts, and others, he reached Norfolk on the evening of Saturday the 20th, where he found that the powder magazine had already been seized, and that an armed force under Gen. Taliaferro had commenced throwing up batteries in the vicinity of the navy yard. The commandant of the yard, hopeless of extricating the ships, had just ordered them to be scuttled, and they were sinking on the arrival of Commodore Paulding. To render them useless, Commodore Paulding ordered them to be fired; and he also destroyed as much public property in the yard as he was able to do with his limited force. The Cumberland was then taken in tow, and the vessels returned with her down the river, notwithstand ing the obstructions that had been sunk in the channel for the purpose of preventing her removal. By this disaster, the disabled vessels of the navy yard, about 2,000 cannon, 300 of which were of the Dahlgren pattern, together with a great quantity of powder, were left in possession of the Confederates. In view of these acts, and of similar hostile demonstrations occurring at the same time in Baltimore, the Government was impelled to hasten at once the completion of all public armed vessels, and, moreover, to issue orders to the commandants of the navy yards in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, to purchase or charter and arm, equip, and man such steamers as might be found suitable for the public service. The whole naval force was required to carry into effect the proclamations declaring an embargo or blockade of the Southern ports which resisted the execution of the national laws; and on account of the great extent of nearly 3,000 miles of the coast along which these ports were situated, the force was divided into two squadrons, one for the Atlantic and one for the Gulf of Mexico. At Hampton Roads, notice was given of this blockade on the 30th of April by Flag-officer Pendergrast, in command of the home squadron; and it was soon afterwards made effective by Flag-officer Stringham, who arrived in Hampton Roads on the 13th of May, with his flag-ship, the Minnesota. The Niagara arrived at Boston from Japan on the 24th of April, and soon after proceeded off Charleston harbor, and thence to the Gulf of Mexico, to intercept, if possible, large shipments of arms and munitions of war from Europe destined for the. Gulf States. The Gulf squadron was under the command of Flagofficer William Mervine, who arrived in the Gulf on the 8th of June, in the steamer Mississippi, in advance of his flag-ship, the Colorado. The Secretary of the Navy, in his report of July 4th, presented the following statement of the vessels at that time in service: "Of the 69 vessels, carrying 1,346 guns, mentioned as available for service on the 4th of March last, the sloop Levant has been given up as lost in the Pacific; the steamer Fulton was seized at Pensacola; and one frigate, two sloops, and one brig were burnt at Norfolk. "There have been recently added to the navy, by purchase, 12 steamers, carrying from 2 to 9 guns each, and 3 sailing vessels. There have been chartered 9 steamers, carrying from 2 to 9 guns each. By these additions, the naval force in commission has been increased to 82 vessels, carrying upwards of 1,100 guns, and with a complement of about 13,000 men, exclusive of officers and marines. There are also several steamboats and other small craft which are temporarily in the service of the department. "Purchases of sailing ships have been made for transporting coals to the steamers that are performing duty as sentinels before the principal harbors. * ** * "The squadron on the Atlantic coast, under the command of Flag-officer S. II. Stringham, consists of 22 vessels, 296 guns, and 3,300 men. "The squadron in the Gulf, under the command of Flag-officer William Mervine, consists of 21 vessels, 282 guns, and 3,500 men. "Additions have been made to each of the squadrons, of 2 or 3 small vessels that have been captured and taken into the service. The steamers Pawnee and Pocahontas, and the flotilla under the late Commander Ward, with several steamboats in charge of naval officers, have been employed on the Potomac River, to prevent communication with that portion of Virginia which is in insurrection. Great service has been rendered by this armed force, which has been vigilant in intercepting supplies, and in protecting transports and supply-vessels in their passage up and down the Potomac. "The flotilla, on the 27th ultimo, met with a serious and sad loss in the death of its gallant commander, James H. Ward, who died at his post, while covering the retreat of his men from the assault of an overpowering number of rebel enemies. In the death of Commander Ward the navy has lost a brave officer, who has enriched it by military and scientific contributions, served it faithfully in varied spheres, and promised much for it in the future. "The squadron in the Pacific, under the command of Flag-officer John B. Montgomery, consists of 6 vessels, 82 guns, and 1,000 men. "The West India squadron is under the command of Flag-officer G. J. Pendergrast, who has been temporarily on duty, with his flag-ship, the Cumberland, at Norfolk and Hampton Roads, since the 23d of March. He will, at an early day, transfer his flag to the steam-frigate Roanoke, and proceed southward, having in charge our interests on the Mexican and Central American coasts, and in the West Indian Islands, "The East India, Mediterranean, Brazil, and African squadrons, excepting one vessel of each of the two latter, have been recalled. "The return of these vessels will add to the force for service in the Gulf and on the Atlantic coast, about 200 guns and 2,500 men." He also stated in his report that 259 officers of the navy had resigned their commissions, or been dismissed from the service, since the 4th of March; for which reason many of the vessels were necessarily sent to sea without a full complement of officers. Many, however, who had retired to civil pursuits, had promptly come forward in this time of their country's need, and voluntarily tendered their services, while many masters and masters' mates were also appointed from the commercial marine. So promptly did seamen present themselves at the naval rendezvous of all the principal seaports. under the authorized increase and abbreviated CLASS OF VESSELS. term of enlistment, that only one or two ships experienced any detention for want of a crew, and none beyond two or three days. Never, as the Secretary states, has the naval force had so great and rapid an increase, and never have our seamen come forward with more alacrity and zeal to serve the country. In the need of a substantial class of vessels suitable for performing continuous duty off the coast in all weathers, the department contracted for the building of 23 steam gunboats, each of about 500 tons burden, and made preliminary arrangements for several larger and fleeter vessels, in addition to taking measures for carrying out the order of Congress of the preceding session for the construction of 7 sloops of war, with the addition of one more. At each of the Northern navy yards, Portsmouth, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, two of this last class were directed to be built. The following table comprises a summary of the vessels purchased for naval service during the year 1861: Of side-wheel steamers, 9 were first-class steamships, all of them costing from $85,000 to $200,000 each, except one, the Alabama, which was bought for $23,000. Among the steamers were 18 ferry-boats and tug-boats, the former purchased from the Brooklyn and New Jersey companies. The Navy Department also purchased, after August 13th, a large number of old vesesls, for the purpose of loading them with stone and sinking them at the entrance of the ports of the Confederate States. These consisted of 20 ships, 22 schooners, 16 barks, and 1 brig, and their total cost was $160,205. A considerable number of vessels, mostly large steamers, were also chartered for the use of the navy, for which, between the middle of April and the middle of September, the department paid the sum of $39,305 05. The armed vessels were almost exclusively ordered, on entering into the service, to proceed to the Southern ports, for the purpose of enforcing their blockade, and the result of their operations is shown in the following summary of vessels, captured and destroyed from April 23 to November 15. These are 7 ships, 12 barks, 9 brigs, 115 schooners, 8 sloops, and 7 miscellaneous, the last including the steamer Salvor, loaded with arms, from Havana, and bound to Tampa Bay. Most of these vessels contained valuable cargoes, and three of them One schooner named the Chotauk, formerly the privateer Savannah, prize to the Perry, was purchased at marshal's sale for $1,250. 53 to 349 196 to 264 340400 16 (800 2410740 19,000 were privateers. A few were recaptured prizes, and were restored to their owners. The table on the next page presents a list of the vessels constructed at the navy yards, and contracted for the navy during the year 1861. Iron-clad Vessels.-At the close of the following table three vessels are introduced, belonging to a new class of war steamers. The year 1861 will always be famous in naval history for the material change then first fairly established in the construction of vessels of war, by rendering them as nearly impenetrable as possible to the heaviest shot, by means of a coating of iron plates. The superiority of a few guns of the heaviest calibre to the large batteries of the older ships was then first generally appreciated, and the whole system of ship-building in the navies of France and England, as also of some of the minor naval powers of Europe, underwent a more complete change than had followed the introduction of steam. The building of wooden vessels was entirely abandoned, except in some special cases where they were to be covered with plates of iron, and the day of old wooden frigates and line-of-battle ships was looked upon as having passed. But steam floating-batteries were then no new invention. They were recommended as long ago as 1813 by Robert Fulton, and one was built for the U. S. Government after his plans, and completed soon after the close of the war with Great Britain. An account of this and of other steam-batteries used by the English and the French in the Crimean war is given in the article BATTERY, in vol. ii. of the "New American Cyclopædia." The French were the first to fully appreciate the immense advantage to the naval power possessing the largest number of the strongest batteries of this class, and in 1860 engaged largely in their construction; launching in that year the battery named La Gloire, a wooden screw-steamer of 900 horse power, 253 feet long, 55 feet broad, and drawing 27 feet of water. To some depth below her load-water line her sides are covered with iron plates, 2 About 1,200 tons each, carrying about 7 guns each. feet wide and 4 inches thick. Her armament consists of thirty-four 54-pounders on her main deck, and two heavy shell guns forward, under an iron screen. Her ports are brought down within 6 or 7 feet of the water. So well approved was the plan that in 1861 the Government had as many as 20 batteries of this character upon the stocks or launched. The English, in order to maintain the superiority of their navy, were compelled to engage with great vigor in the same enterprise. In the course of the year 1861, they conducted a series of expensive experiments in firing from and upon an iron cupola, constructed upon a floating battery. Finding that it stood the most complete hammering with the heaviest shot without injury, the Admiralty decided upon Harrison Loring, Boston.. 48,000 Morgan Iron Works, New York. 50,000 Neptune 66 66 66 50,000 66 48,000 Vessel complete for.. 100,000 .... Merrick & Sons, Philadelphia... 48,000 Vessel complete for.. 100,000 50,000 Reany, Son & Archbold, Chester, Penn. 50,000 There were also building the Achilles, of 6,100 tons, 36 guns, 1,250 horse power, and the Valiant, of 4,000 tons, 32 guns, 800 horse power. Three others, of 60 guns each, were ordered, and three more were soon to be built, cased either with 41-inch iron on a teak wood backing, or built of 6-inch iron slabs without a wooden backing, the choice to be determined by the greater resistance to shot on trial made at Shoeburyness. Besides these 13 ships of iron, the construction of 5 wooden ships, expressly designed for being plated with iron, was rapidly pushed forward. The armament of each of these will consist of 40 guns of the heaviest calibre. The estimated cost of these 18 vessels is £8,000,000, or $39,000,000. The following is the general description of the Warrior, the first one completed of these vessels. She is a screw-steamer, 380 feet long between perpendiculars, (420 feet over all,) of 58 feet beam, 41 feet depth from spar-deck to keel, 26 feet draught of water, and of 6,177 tons burden, builder's measurement. She is built of iron throughout, and 205 feet of her length are protected by 44-inch plates of solid iron, backed with two layers of teak timber, one of 10 inches next the iron, and the inner one of 8 inches. The protection extends 9 feet below load-water line. At each end of this protected portion, iron bulkheads, 44 inches thick, backed with 18 inches of teak timber, complete the protection for the centre of the ship, and inner bulkheads extend all around this portion within 3 feet of the sides. The enclosed space is divided into 6 water-tight compartments, one being devoted to each of the two boilers. Her main-deck ports are about 8 feet above water at load-water line, and are 15 feet apart. She is bark-rigged with the spars and sails of an 80-gun ship. Her guns are 68-pounders for the main-deck, ten Armstrong 70-pounders on the spar-deck, and two pivot Armstrong 100-pounders, one at each end, in all 48 guns, which may be considerably added to. Mr. Donald McKay, the American shipbuilder, in calling the attention of our people to these startling facts in a letter from London of Dec. 3d, 1861, alludes to the inferiority of our navy, which ranks hardly with that of second-rate European powers, and to our un questioned ability to build and man a first-class fleet. He remarks: "It would be easy for us to build in one year, a fleet of 500 to 600 menof-war ships, from a gunboat to the largest class of iron-cased frigates. It is a well-known fact that we built in one year, the astonishing number of 2,034 vessels and steamers of all classes, measuring together 583,450 tons. Our * We would be able in our merchant yards alone to turn out in one year 583 ships of 1,000 tons each. In our six navy yards, where the choicest materials are stocked for building a fleet of 100 ships, 60 more might be built in one year, making a total of 643 men-of-war ships of all classes, varying in their armament from 3 to 60 guns. More than a hundred of our greatest engineering firms would complete all the machinery necessary to be put in these ships in less than a year. Our capabilities and facilities of building ships have not in the least suffered by the loss of the seceded States, which have never built one per cent. of the sea-going ships of the United States." As an evidence of the entire change that is taking place in the views of practical men as to the future character of vessels of war, Mr. McKay recommends, that in any great emergency our navy could be rendered much more efficient for defence by cutting down all our line-of-battle ships one or two decks, casing them with 5-inch iron plates, and arming them with 30 or 40 guns of the heaviest calibre. Our heavy frigates might be made shell-proof with iron plates, and the armament on the upper deck be dispensed with on account of the additional weight. merchant steamers and large clipper ships may readily be transformed into frigates, sloops, and gunboats of great efficiency and speed snperior to that of any men-of-war ships yet built. A very large number of our barks and brigs are well adapted for receiving an armament of from 8 to 20 guns, and more than a thousand large coasting schooners of 28 to 30 feet breadth of beam, of a class unsurpassed for speed by any sailing vessels, and having great stability and strength, can soon be transformed into men-of-war schooners, armed with a pivot gun, or a mortar of the heaviest description placed amidships, and two to four 22pounders at the ends. The subject came before Congress in 1861, and on the 3d of August an act was approved, directing the Secretary of the Navy "to appoint a board of three skilful naval officers to investigate the plans and specifications that may be submitted for the construction or completing iron-clad steamships or steam-batteries, and on their report, should it be favorable, the Secretary of the Navy will cause one or more armored, or iron or steel-clad steam-ships or floating steam-batteries to be built; and there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $1,500,000,” Commodores Joseph Smith and H. Paulding, with Capt. C. H. Davis, were appointed this board, and their report was presented of the date of Sept. 16. While considering iron-clad ships as without doubt formidable adjuncts to coast and harbor fortifications, the board questioned their advantages and ultimate adoption as cruising vessels, chiefly on account of the enormous |