536 



NOKFOLK. 



at the mouth of the harbor, had sunk them, to 

 prevent the removal of the vessels of war from 

 the navy-yard. 



On the 19th Gen. Taliaferro and staff arrived 

 at Norfolk. He had command of all the Vir- 

 ginia troops in that section, and was waited on 

 shortly after his arrival hy the captains of the 

 several military companies of the city and 

 vicinity for the purpose of reporting their 

 strength, condition, &c., and receiving orders. 



On Saturday, the 20th, the greatest excite- 

 ment prevailed in the city. It was reported 

 that the Cumberland was about to sail from the 

 navy-yard, and preparations were made to pre- 

 vent her. At twelve o'clock an officer came 

 from the yard hearing a flag of truce, and was 

 conducted to Gen. Taliaferro's head-quarters, 

 where a consultation was held, which resulted 

 in a promise from Com. Macauley, the com- 

 mandant of the yard, that none of the vessels 

 should be removed, nor a shot fired except in 

 self-defence. 



This quieted the excitement ; but it was re- 

 newed at a later hour, when it was ascertained 

 that the Germantown and Merrimac had been 

 scuttled, and that the heavy shears on the 

 wharf at which the Germantown was lying had 

 been cut away and allowed to fall midships 

 across her decks, carrying away the main top- 

 mast and yards. It was also perceived that 

 the men were busily engaged in destroying 

 and throwing overboard side and small arms, 

 and other property, and boats were constantly 

 passing between the Pennsylvania, Cumber- 

 land, and other vessels. (See NAVY, U. S.) 



About midnight a fire was started in the 

 yard. This continued to increase, and before 

 daylight the work of destruction extended to 

 the immense ship-houses known as A and B, 

 (the former containing the entire frame of the 

 New York, 74, which had been on the stocks, 

 unfinished, for some thirty-eight years,) and 

 also to the long ranges of two-story offices and 

 stores on each side of the main gate of the 

 yard. The flames and heat from this tremen- 

 dous mass of burning material were set by a 

 southwest wind directly towards the line of 

 vessels moored on the edge of the channel op- 

 posite the yard, and nearly all of these, too, 

 were speedily enveloped in flames. 



The scene, at this time, was grand and terri- 

 fic beyond description. The roar of the confla- 

 gration was loud enough to be heard at miles' 

 distance ; and to this were added occasional 

 discharges from the heavy guns of the old 

 Pennsylvania, ship-of-the-line, as they became 

 successively heated. 



"When the destruction of the ship-houses was 

 certain, the Pawnee, which arrived on Satur- 

 day, and had been kept under steam, was put 

 in motion, and, taking the Cumberland in tow, 

 retired down the harbor, out of the reach of 

 danger, freighted with a great portion of valu- 

 able munitions from the yard, and the com- 

 modore and other officers. The ships pro- 

 ceeded as far down as the barricades at the 



narrows, where the Cumberland was left at an- 

 chor, and the Pawnee continued on to Fortress 

 Monroe. The Cumberland subsequently passed 

 out. 



It afterwards appeared that the ship Penn- 

 sylvania was burnt, and the Merrimac, Colum- 

 bus, Delaware, and Karitan, Plymouth, and 

 Germantown were scuttled and sunk, and a 

 vast amount of the machinery, valuable en- 

 gines, small-arms, chronometers, &c., had been 

 broken up and rendered entirely useless. Be- 

 sides the ship-houses and their contents, the 

 range of buildings on the north line of the 

 yard, (except the Commodore's and Command- 

 er's houses,) the old marine barracks, and some 

 workshops were burnt. Much of value, how- 

 ever, was not destroyed. The great dry-dock 

 was uninjured. The large number of 2,500 

 cannon, of all kinds and sizes, fell into the 

 hands of the State of Virginia ; also shot, shell, 

 and other warlike missiles to a very large 

 amount. Besides these, the machinery of the 

 yard was generally uninjured. A collection of 

 ship-building and outfitting material, large and 

 valuable, including a number of steel plates 

 and iron castings, was found ready for use, and 

 capable of being turned to account. 



Old Fort Norfolk, used as a magazine, was 

 taken by the Virginia authorities without resist- 

 ance. Within were three thousand barrels of 

 powder, containing three hundred thousand 

 pounds ; also, a large number of shells and other 

 missiles, loaded, and for that reason necessary 

 to be kept in magazines. 



The value of the property destroyed was es- 

 timated at several millions. The cost of the 

 immense and magnificent ship-houses and their 

 contents formed a considerable item in the ac- 

 count, and so did that of the Pennsylvania. 

 " It brings tears into our eyes," said a citizen 

 of Norfolk, " when we realize the destruction 

 of this noble ship, so long the ornament of our 

 harbor and the admiration of thousands from all 

 parts of the country who visited our waters." 

 That splendid specimen of naval architecture, 

 the new and beautiful frigate Merrimac, and 

 four or five other vessels, were given to the 

 flames, or with their valuable armament to the 

 deep. 



On the same day an order was issued by 

 Gen. Taliaferro, prohibiting the collector of the 

 port from accepting any draft from the United 

 States Government, or allowing the removal of 

 deposits, or any thing else, from the custom- 

 house. The collector, being informed that on 

 his refusal to 'obey the order a file of men 

 would be sent down to occupy the premises, 

 acquiesced. 



To relieve the pecuniary embarrassment, and 

 to provide an equivalent for cash for immediate 

 purposes, the City Council immediately issued 

 a considerable amount of small notes. The 

 lowest denomination authorized was twenty- 

 five cents. 



On the 20th the Kichmond Grays, a fine 

 company numbering one hundred rifle muskets, 



