February 20, 1861; The Charleston Mercury
A glance at a map of the Southern States will be sufficient to impress the most superficial observer with the unprotectedness of our seacoast. Along a large portion of this shore line, extending from Cape Fear to the Rio Grande, and almost down to the first ripple of the ocean, our great staple is cultivated. Upon the banks of our many rivers the plough now furrows the earth for the summer’s crop.
To protect this seacoast becomes at once an imperative duty of the Provisional Government, and that method of protection should be resorted to which is the most speedy and economical, consistent with security. That we may protect and keep open our principal ports to the commerce of the world, a navy of some sort is necessary to us. But much more is it essential because our coast must be guarded so that we may in safety cultivate the soil, and by its production freight the fleets that come to us with exchanges and bear away the fruits of our labor to the markets of the world. We want a navy of defence.
A nation’s first duty is to protect the laborers of its soil, and to guard its sailors upon the ocean. Alone, and for this duty, do we desire to see created a naval equal to the task, and commensurate with the wealth and destined greatness of a Confederacy of which South Carolina is a sovereign State. The South has no aggressive policies to pursue against nations. She desires peace and security. To achieve these, war and its preparation may be necessary; when once secured, God grand her swords may sleep in their scabbards, and that her conquests may thenceforth be made with the axe and the plough.
The system of monopoly which was applied by the Government of the late United States for the advancement of Northern interests, was nowhere more pointedly illustrated than in the locations of the several navy yards and in the construction of its vessel of war. Had we been plunged into a war with England upon any one of the three questions which related to the northern boundaries of the States, and in which the interest of the South were remote, our entire seaboard would have been open to the ravages of British cruisers.
The navy of the United States is only fit to protect the commerce of the North. In the anxiety of the people of that section hitherto to serve only themselves, they have been rendered almost impotent now to inflict harm upon us. Today there is but one respectable war steamer within two thousand miles of Washington that could pass our bar with perfect safety, and even this one is a doubtful experiment. More, than, perhaps, to the inefficiency of his navy than to his goodwill may be attributed the course of Mr. BUCHANAN and his counsellors since the secession of this State from the United States.
In 1858 seven steamers of light draught were built for the ostensible purpose of protecting the Southern coast. To this end all previously constructed were utterly inadequate. Six of these seven were sent on completion to distant stations, the Pawnee, being now at Philadelphia. Not one of the seven is a success, and more than one are failures. Carrying eleven inch pivot guns, and thirty two pounders in broadside, the former are so placed as to prevent their being brought directly over the bow or stern. To make this blunder more disastrous, the boilers come hard out against the sides, and are exposed at least for two feet above the water line. Any officer, who has sailed in one of these steamers, can indicate the very spot where a shot should be driven to blow the ship into splinters. a thirty two pounder, planted on Morris Island, ought to do the business in three rounds.
New frigates, of the Wabash’s class have been launched within the last five years, and in 1858 five sloops were built, of which the Brooklyn is the largest draught. Since then, under the pressure of the Paraguay fizzle, the celebrated ‘Cromwell Steam Line’were converted by Mr. TOUCEY into… men of war, and subsequently have been employed in the Gulf and upon the coast of Africa as slave catchers. The Crusader, so recently flourishing about Key West and Tortugas, is one of this class.
After this hasty resume of the United States Navy, barring the present inconvenience of being without war vessels, we may reconcile ourselves to the loss of our share of the national ships. We are rid of a precious lot of old lumber, that decorates with high bows and sterns, and blistered sides, the several navy yards. Not one of the old line of battle ships has been sent to sea within the last twelve years, and even the steam frigates are driven into ordinary by the superior availability of the light steamers. There is not a frigate in the United States Navy that could stand against an iron clad ship armed with ten rifled cannon.
In creating a navy, as we will have to do, the question first to be determined is the kind of vessels we want; and, since we have to commence de novo, let us avail ourselves of the experience of the rest of the naval world. We may perhaps, be able to adapt the teachings of their experiments to our circumstances.
The seaboard of the Southern States, from Cape Henry to the mouth of the Rio Grande, is indented with numerous inlets guarded by shoals and bars. Among the best harbors on the Atlantic side, North Carolina has Beaufort, with 17 feet at mean low water. South Carolina has Bull’s Bay, with 18 feet; Charleston, with 10 feet; North Edisto, with 12 feet; and Port Royal, with 21 feet. Georgia has Tybee, with 19 feet; Ossabaw, with 12 feet; and Brunswick, with 18 feet. Of these Beaufort, Charleston, Cape Fear and Tybee are fortified. There are other bays, inlets and sounds with from twelve to six feet water on their bars. Port Royal has the deepest entrance, a mile wide, with a good anchorage inside. The English used it in their wars with us. On the Gulf coast, Key West, Tortugas and Pensacola have harbors of easy access, partially fortified. At Pensacola is a navy yard, and at Key West a half finished coal depot. There would be some danger in taking one of the large steam frigates over Pensacola bar except at very high tides and in smooth weather. The entrances to New Orleans and Galveston are both scant of water. A sloop of war coming up to Charleston bar, although of the smallest class, could not enter except at the highest pitch of the tide, and Port Royal is the only harbor on the Atlantic coast, south of Cape Henry, that a steam frigate could seek refuge in at half tide.
We would suggest then, first, that such unfortified entrances, of sufficient importance, but which cannot be protected by earth works on shore, should be guarded by iron clad floating batteries, made perfectly shot proof, and mounting heavy shell guns, to be used against wooden sided vessels. This armament could be changed for rifle cannon, when such guns are obtained. These batteries should be simple in their construction, and need cost no great outlay of money. They could be built in our own shipyards, and carried to such points as Port Royal, there to be anchored. These batteries to be commanded by officers of the navy, and the crews, after being trained as seamen gunners, could be transferred to vessels on active service, thus at once establishing schools of naval gunnery. Protected by these floating fortifications should be our coal and provision depots, whither steamers could go to replenish their stores. At Port Royal there should be a navy yard and in time proper permanent fortifications erected.
Having thus secured the entrances to our sounds and bays, we should look to the defence of our coast between these several points. For the Gulf of Mexico we will at all times require a squadron of efficient cruisers; but for the coast, gunboats swift and shot proof, are what we need. Four of these masted steamers, armed with rifle cannon, would effectually prevent the United States from interfering with the commerce of our port. We can imagine one of them sheltered by shoal water, darting its pointed shell into the sleek wooden sides of the Brooklyn. The Emperor of the French expects to put one hundred of these gunboats afloat by the Spring; and England is not idle, that she may retain her supremacy upon the ocean. So much is the attention of the English people centred upon this subject, that every periodical that comes to us from that side of the water has an article upon iron clad ships. In the Cornhill Magazine for October, in Blackwood for November and December, and in the London Quarterly for October, interesting papers may be found on this subject, which we commend to our readers. Detailed accounts of experiments may be found in the London Times of the 6th, 8th, and 10th August, 1860.
That we may be up with the march of improvement, Congress should at once send experienced officers to England, to contract for and supervise the building of such a number of steamers as it may think fit to order. It will be worse than folly to plod along on the beaten track, and to go on building such steamers as the United States Navy Possesses. It will be more expeditious and economical to contract for these vessels in England and Scotland, where men accustomed to the work are to be found. To have officers there ready to avail themselves of the improvements being hourly developed, will add to the chances of our obtaining first rate ships, armed with the very best ordnance. Time, too, which is so much to us, will be gained by going over the water, and there obtaining naval architects of established reputations. With these first vessels as models we can build others, with our own mechanics.