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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
subsequent encounter with the ‘Tennessee ’ from tbe same causes were not as effective 
as could have been desired. 
“ The ‘ Winnebago 5 steers very badly, and neither of his turrets will work, 
which compelled him to turn his vessel every time to get a shot, so that he could 
not fire very often. 
“ The ‘ Manhattan 5 appeared to work well, though she moved slowly. Com¬ 
mander Nicholson delivered his fire deliberately, and, as before stated, with one of 
his 15-inch shot broke through the armour of the ‘Tennessee,’ with its wooden 
backing, though the shot itself did not enter the vessel. No other shot broke 
through the armour, though many of her plates were started, and several of her port 
shutters jammed by the fire from the different ships.” 
The following is the report of a survey of the ‘ Tennessee,’ made by Officers of the 
Federal Navy after the engagement in Mobile Bay. 
DESCRIPTION OF TENNESSEE’S HULL. 
“ The hull of the vessel appears to be exceedingly strongly built in every part, 
the materials being oak and yellow pine, with iron fastenings. Length from stem 
to stern on deck, two hundred and nine feet. Greatest breadth of beam on deck, 
forty-eight feet. Mean average draught of water, about fourteen feet. 
“The deck is covered fore and aft with wrought-iron plates two inches thick. 
“ The sides of the vessel are protected by an overhang, sponsoned and covered 
with two layers of two-inch wrought-iron. 
“ This overhang extends about six feet below the water-line. 
“ The sides of the vessel below the deck are believed to be eight feet thick, and 
the distance from the knuckle, or outside of the overhang on deck, to the base of 
the casemate on either side, is ten feet. 
“The vessel is provided with a strong beak or prow, which projects about two 
feet under water, formed by the continuation of the sponsoning, and covered with 
wrought-iron plates. 
CASEMATE. 
“ The casemate of the vessel is very strongly built. It is seventy-eight feet eight 
inches long, and twenty-eight feet nine inches wide inside, the sides of the vessel 
extending ten feet from it on either side at the greatest breadth of beam. 
“The framing consists of heavy yellow pine 
beams, thirteen inches thick, and placed close 
together vertically. Outside planking of yellow 
pine, five and a half inches thick, laid on hori¬ 
zontally, and outside of this horizontal planking 
there is a layer of oak timber four inches thick, 
bolted on vertically, upon which the iron plating 
is secured. 
“ The plating or armour of the casemate forward Section of Tennessee, 
is six inches thick, consisting of three two-inch iron 
plates, of about six inches wide each, and abaft and on the sides five inches thick, 
consisting of two two-inch and one one-inch iron plates of the same width. 
“ The yellow pine framing of the casemate is planked over inside with two and a 
half inch oak timber laid on diagonally. 
“ The whole of the armour plating is fastened with through-bolts, one and a 
quarter inch diameter, with washers and nuts inside. 
“ The casemate is covered on top with wrought-iron gratings, composed of bars 
two inches thick and six inches wide, laid flat, and supported on wooden beams 
