500 



NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



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 At- 

 lantic coast consisted of the steamer Brooklyn 

 of 25 guns, and the store ship Belief 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 pur- 

 pose at least 6 months ; and also that no orders 

 had been issued to put any of them in readi- 

 ness. 



Between the llth 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 re- 

 call of the vessels at distant stations. Such 

 was the condition of affairs when the new Ad- 

 ministration 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 de- 

 signed to carry, about 2,415 guns. Excluding 

 vessels on the stocks, those xinfinished, those 

 used as stationary storeships and receiving 

 ships, and those considered inexpedient to re- 

 pair, the available force was : 



1 ship-of-the-line 84 guns. 



8 frigates 400 



20 sloops * 406 



3 brigs 16 



3 storeships 7 



6 steam frigates 212 



5 first-class steam sloops 90 



4 first-class side-wheel steamers 46 



8 second-class steam sloops 45 



5 third-class screw steamers 28 



4 second-class side-wheel steamers 8 



2 steam tenders 4 



69 



1,346 



Of this force, the following were in commis- 

 sion, the remainder being in ordinary, disman- 

 tled, &c. 



2 frigates 100 guns. 



11 sloops 232 



3 storeships 7 



1 screw frigate 12 



5 first-class steam sloops 90 



3 side-wheel steamers 35 



8 second-class steam sloops 45 



5 third-class screw steamers 28 



3 side-wheel steamers 5 



1 steam tender 1 



42 555 



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 Cum- 

 berland, flag-ship of Commodore Pendergrast, 

 of the home squadron, arrived in the Chesa- 

 peake, and was detained by the Secretary of 

 the Navy at Norfolk, to await events that were 

 gradually developing in Virginia and the ad- 

 joining 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, more- 

 over, 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 dan- 

 ger whenever this might be necessary. A com- 

 mander and two engineers were detailed to pro- 

 ceed 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 pre- 

 pared 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 command- 

 ant 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, fire- 

 men, 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- 

 sels there, and at all hazards prevent the ships 

 and public property from passing into the hands 

 of the secessionists. "With troops just ar- 



