90 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



was made by several vessels. This, however, seems to have produced 

 no effect except in preventing her from destroying any of the Federal 

 vessels. The monitors then closed upon her, and after some firing 

 she surrendered. The causes of the surrender were, 1st. The wound- 

 ing of her commander and the demoralization of the crew. 2d. The 

 uselessness of three guns, which could not be used on account of the 

 jamming of two port covers and the loss of a third. 3d. The carrying 

 away of the rudder chains, by which the vessel became partially unman- 

 ageable. 



The report of the Board of officers above referred to, concerning 

 the injuries received by the Tennessee, is as follows : 



"The injuries to the casemate of the Tennessee from shot is very 

 considerable. On its after-side nearly all the plating is started, one 

 bolt driven in, several nuts knocked off inside, gun-carriage of the 

 after pivot-gun damaged, and the steering-rod or chain cut near that 

 gun. There are unmistakable marks on the after part of the case- 

 mate of not less than nine 11-inch solid shot having struck within 

 the space of a few square feet, in the immediate vicinity of that port. 

 On the port side of the casemate the armor is also badly damaged. 

 On that side, nearly amidships of the casemate, and between the two 

 broadside guns a 15-inch solid shot knocked a hole through the 

 armor, and backing, leaving on the inside an undetached mass of oak 

 and pine splinters, about three-by-four feet, and projecting inside of 

 the casemate about two feet from the side. This is the only shot that 

 penetrated the wooden backing of the casemate, although there are 

 numerous places on the inside giving evidence of the effect of the shot. 



"There are visible between 40 and 50 indentations and marks 

 of shot on the hull, deck, and casemate, varying from very severe to 

 slight nine of the deepest indentations on the after part of the 

 ca.semate evidently being 11-inch shot, and the marks of about 30 

 of other calibers on different parts of the vessel. There are also a 

 few other marks, being, however, merely scratches or slight indenta- 

 tions of the plating. The smoke-stack was shot away, although it 

 is not improbable that the severe ramming the vessel had previously 

 received, facilitated its fall. There were no external visible marks or 

 evidences, however, of injury inflicted upon the hull of the Tennessee 

 by this ramming." 



It would thus appear, that the armor of this vessel, although in- 

 jured, was nevertheless sufficient to withstand without serious det- 

 riment all the steel shot from our rifled pieces, our 11-inch solid shot 

 from our ships of Avar, and 15-inch shell from the monitors, not one 

 of which penetrated her ribs of iron, while near 50 shots altogether 

 struck her in the engagement. The nearest approach to penetration 

 was from a 15-inch missile, which made a deep indentation in her 

 broadside, and by impaction stove through her oak backing, causing 

 the splinters to fly promiscuously inside. Though underway when 

 tliis struck her, she is said to have stopped as if a magic wand had 

 touched her. Her arrangement of port-shutters proved an element of 

 weakness. Two of t!i;^e had their system of ratchets and cogs de- 

 ranged during the action, and could not be afterwards opened. A 

 third (her alter one) V.MS shot away entirely, (lint is to say, the pivot 

 on which.it turned was thut off and. the shutter fell to the deck, leav- 



