NORFOLK NAVY YARD

Marcus W. Robbins, Historian & Archivist
Copyright. All rights reserved.

Recollections of William H Peters of Facts and Circumstances Connected with the Evacuation of the Navy Yard
at Portsmouth, Virginia, First by the Federals, April 1861, and Second by the Confederates, May 1862.

Portsmouth, VA
October 1891

To the end that at least a few of the notable events of the War Between the States should be preserved, Stonewall Camp has invited comrades to record for the archives of the Camp their recollections of prominent occurrences of which they were personally cognizant.

The writer of these lines, himself a comrade, deeming it of sufficient importance to preserve for future reference the facts and circumstances connected with the abandonment and attempted destruction of the Portsmouth Nary Yard, first by the Federal authorities on the night of April 20th, 1861, and second by the Confederates on the 20th of May 1862, submits the following as his recollections, supported by written memoranda, of those two events.

At about 2 p.m. on April 20th, 1861m the late Mr. William H. Spooner came to my place of business in Portsmouth and said the Navy Yard gate had been closed and that none but those having special permits were allowed to enter the Yard. He also said it was rumored that the authorities of the Yard were making preparations to destroy that establishment with fire.

To satisfy ourselves as to the truth of these rumors, Mr. Spooner and myself procured a boat and sailed in it up to and in front of the Yard as far as the Timber Dock.

We saw enough to satisfy us of the truth of all we had heard. We found that the ships alongside the wharves had been scuttled and were slowly sinking.

Men were engaged in cutting away the standing rigging of the Sloop of War Germantown. Her upper masts were tottering. It was seen that a force of workmen were at work breaking off the trunnions of cannon.

On our return in passing the Brig of War Dolphin and Receiving Ship Pennsylvania, we observed small guns on the poop decks of those vessels, which, no doubt had been recently mounted there to repel some apprehended attack.

Our people, already much excited, became alarmed at the situation of affairs at the Navy Yard, and the reported impending destruction of the naval establishment. It was feared that the burning of the Navy Yard would involve the destruction of Portsmouth. A meeting of the citizens was at once called to consider what was best to be done in the circumstances.

At this meeting, a committee composed of Captain Samuel Watts, Captain James Murdaugh and myself was appointed to wait on the Commandant and endeavor to prevail on him to abandon his purpose of firing the Yard.

This committee proceeded to the Main Entrance, but were refused admittance. While awaiting at the gates, a reply to our written request for an interview with the Commandant, General George Blow, then in command of the state militia of this district, Lieutenant John S. Maury and Paymaster John DeBree came out at the gates. The two last named officers having resigned from the U. S. Navy had just left their ship, the frigate Cumberland and lying abreast of the Navy Yard.

These gentlemen said to us that we need not wait, that Commodore McCawley declined to see us; and then added that it was useless to ask any question of them as to what was going on inside as they were not at liberty to talk on the subject.

The Navy Yard at Portsmouth, Virginia, was fired and abandoned that night, April the 20th, 1861, by the Federal forces, the story of which and the folly of the act are told in history.

Happily a few homes only in the City, and those of but little value, took fire and were burned.

On April 21st, 1861, Captain Robert B. Pegram, then just resigned from the U. S. Navy and commissioned a Captain in the Virginia Navy, appeared and acting under authority from the Governor, assumed command of the Navy Yard in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

On April 22d, 1861, Commodore French Forrest, who had also just resigned from the U. S. Navy and commissioned a Commodore in the Virginia Navy, relieved Captain Pegram of the command of the Navy Yard and station.

On the same day, viz. April 22d, 1861, the writer, who had been commissioned a Paymaster, Virginia Navy and appointed to duty at the Navy Yard, reported and took charge of the "Provisions" and "Pay" departments. His official connection with the Yard in this and other capacities continued until the evacuation by the Confederates on May 10th, 1862. The statements contained in this paper may therefore be accepted as facts, of which the writer has personal knowledge.

The condition of the Navy Yard at Portsmouth as it appeared on the 21st of April, 1861, was melancholy to look upon.

On the morning of the 20th of April 1861, this establishment was the best equipped and in all respects the most complete Naval Dock Yard in the country.

On the morning of the 21st April, 1816, it was almost a mass of ruins. The extensive row of buildings on the north front of the Yard which contained large quantities of manufactured articles and valuable materials were totally destroyed, together with their contents.

The two ship houses "A" and "B", which were immense structures, and in one of which was the "Line of Battleship New York" on the stocks, were also burned, as were also other buildings.

The destruction of the Stone Dry Dock was attempted, but was not successful. Twenty-six barrels of powder, a quantity sufficient to have destroyed not only the Dry Dock but every building at the south end of the Yard, were found distributed in the culvert on its north side and across the head of the dock. These barrels of powder were connected by a train, which continued on to the inner steps at the bottom of the dock, where, it is supposed, slow matches were placed for ignition at a prearranged moment. The plan, however, was happily discovered in time to frustrate it. Lieutenant C. F. M. Spotswood to whom the discovery was reported early in the morning of the 21st, promptly directed the gates to be opened, when the dock was flooded and those saved from destruction.

The destruction of every ship at the Yard, except the old frigate United States was attempted and in great part accomplished.

The Line of Battleship Pennsylvania, the frigate Columbia and the Brig Dolphin were burned to their floor heads.

The frigate Raritan was burned and sunk out of sight.

The steam frigate Merrimac was sunk and burned to her copper line, and down through to her berth deck, which, with the spar and gun decks, were also burned.

The Sloop of War Germantown was sunk and burned to her bulwark, on the port side.

The Sloop of War Plymouth was scuttled and sunk.

The Line of Battleships Delaware and Columbus were scuttled and sunk at their moorings.

Many heavy cannons were spiked and for the time rendered useless. Some had their trunnions broken off.

The abandonment of the Portsmouth Navy Yard and its partial destruction by the Federal authorities was a most unaccountable procedure. It was hard to believe that such a step was in contemplation, even after it was known late in the day of April 20th, 1861, that some of the ships at its wharves had been scuttled and were sinking. Virginia, it is true, had just passed the Ordinance of Secession, but had not yet joined the Confederate States of the South; which latter it is not denied was in a state of quasi was with the Federal Government. Virginia had not, nor as a matter of fact, had the Confederate Government the means of capturing, or of even seriously menacing the Federals in their possession of this vast establishment, ___ for ___ let it be remembered that the frigate Cumberland, with a full crew and fully equipped; and also the Receiving Ship Pennsylvania, with batteries and men sufficient to work them, lay abreast the Yard in position to effectually protect it, and to destroy the City of Portsmouth in case of an attempt to capture, on the slightest demonstration against the Yard.

The total destruction of the Navy Yard at Portsmouth, though attempted, was not accomplished owing doubtless to the haste with which the Federals left. Some of the storehouses and other buildings were consumed together with large quantities of valuable stores, materials, etc. But many buildings remained intact, and very large quantities of costly materials, naval supplies, etc., were found uninjured.

The writer of this paper, by direction of the Governor of the State, made and "Inventory" and report of all public property in the Port of Norfolk and Portsmouth taken on the 21st April, 1861, in the name of Virginia. His report, which is embodied in "Public Document No. 25 of the Proceedings of the Virginia Convention of 1861, shows the number and description of buildings that were left unharmed. Among these were the Commandant's dwelling; the Commander's, Surgeon's, Lieutenant's and Master's dwellings; the "Foundry" and its dependencies; the Machine Shop, and its adjuncts; five large stores used for the storage of naval supplies; several substantial structures used as work shops; and other buildings. These enumerated buildings, together with the Dry Dock, Timber Dock and Quay Wharves, cost, as shown in that report, $2,944,800.

The Ordnance left by the Federals in their hurried departure consisted of 1085 pieces of heavy cannon, with gun carriages, breechings, blocks and tackle; a large number of shells and stands of grape; and various other articles of ordnance equipment and stores in large quantities, including 250,000 lbs. of powder; in all costing, as shown in that report, $341,000.

Of provisions left there were 11,089 lbs. of bread; 991 bbls. pork; 674 bbls. beef, flour, rice, sugar, coffee, tea, etc.. costing $38,763.

Of clothing and small stores there were pea jackets, round jackets, trousers, jumpers, shirts, blue flannel, Barnsby sheeting, etc., which cost $56, 269.

General naval supplies and materials of various kinds and descriptions in large quantities and of great value in time of war were found in the store houses. Their cost of reported at $1,448,223. Among these valuable supplies there were huge quantities of timber and timber materials of all kinds; copper in sheets and in bolts; iron in sheets and bars; anchors and chains; canvas and a vast amount of miscellaneous articles in great variety and of inestimable value.

On July 1st, 1861, Virginia having by compact become one of the Confederate States of America, Governor Letcher directed the transfer of the Portsmouth Navy Yard with everything therein and thereto belonging to the Confederate Government, and this was accordingly done as of July 1st, 1861.

In the interval between April 21st, 1861m and July 1st, 1861; that is to say, during the period Virginia exercised control of the Navy Yard, the expenditures of supplies were very large, especially in ordnance and ammunition, as will be seen by reference to the "inventory Report" above referred to.

I consider it proper to record these expenditures; and in doing so I deem it best to give the same in detail rather than in gross, because it may be interesting to future readers to know the particular points in the State and elsewhere that were fortified with guns sent from the Portsmouth Navy Yard. The "Inventory Report" shows that during the period the Navy Yard was officered and controlled by Virginia, viz., from April 21st to July 1stm, 1861, there were sent from that Yard the following ordnance and ordnance supplies, viz: -

To Battery at Naval Hospital

Five 32-P'd'rs of 51 CWT          } with carriages and other equipments and ammunition. Ditto for all below.
Eight 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT          
Two 8-inch Guns of 55 CWT     

To Battery at Craney Island

Four 32-P'd'rs of 51 CWT     } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Eight 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT         
Ten 8-inch Guns                         
Seven 9-inch Guns                     
One 10-inch Guns                      

To Battery at Naval Magazine, Port Norfolk

Eight 9-inch Guns of 91 CWT } with carriages, etc., complete

To Battery at Point's Bluff

Five 32-P'd'rs of 42 CWT } with carriages, etc., complete

To Battery at Pinners Point

Seven 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT     } with carriages, etc., complete

To Battery at Pig Point

Four 32-P'd'rs of 42 CWT    } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Six  32-P'd'rs of 55 CWT  
Two 8-inch Guns of 57 CWT

To Richmond

Ten 9-inch Guns of 91 CWT      } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Four 8-inch Guns of 63 CWT
Forty-two 32-P'd'rs of 33 CWT
Two 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT
Six 9-inch Guns of 91 CWT
Two 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT
Twelve 42-P'd'rs of 27 CWT      
Six 8-inch Guns of 63 CWT
Fifteen 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT
Two 9-inch Guns of 91 CWT
Two 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT
Thirteen 32-P'd'rs of 47 CWT
Six 9-inch Guns of 91 CWT
Fourteen 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT

To Richmond for General Beauregard

Three 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT  } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
One 32-P'd'rs of 42 CWR
Five 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT   
One 32-P'd'rs of 47 CWT
Four 32-P'd'rs of 91 CWT
Five 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT

To Captain R. G. Robb at Fredericksburg

Four 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT } with carriages, etc., complete

To Captain R. P. Pegram at Fort Powhatan

6 32-P'd'rs of 51 CWT } with carriages, etc., complete

To Kempsville

One 12-P'd'rs Brass Gun  } with field carriages and ammunition. Ditto for below.
Two 9-P'd'rs Brass Gun     

To Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad

One 27-P'd'rs of 32 CWT   } with carriages, etc., complete

To General Beauregard at Charleston, S.C.

Twelve 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT    } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Twelve 43-P'd'rs of 8000 ths               
Twelve 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT
Three Old English Guns, 10304 ths

To Savannah, Georgia

Ten 32-P'd'rs of 33 CWT  } with carriages, etc., complete

To Pensacola

Ten 32-P'd'rs of 8000 ths   } with carriages, etc., complete

To Captain Thomas at Baltimore

Twenty 24-P'd'rs of 33 CWT   } with Shot, shell, etc. Ditto for all below.
Twenty 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT 

To R. F. Pugh at Memphis

Five 32-P'd'rs of 33 CWT   } with carriages, etc., complete

To Commodore Rousseau at New Orleans

Eight 8-inch Guns                      } with carriages, etc., complete Ditto for all below.
Eight 32-P'd'rs of 47 CWT
Two 9-inch Dalghren Guns
Five 32-P'd'rs of 47 CWT

To Tennessee

Thirty-two 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT   } with carriages, etc., complete

To Lieut. George T. Sinclair, and by him sent to Army South

Eight 8-inch Dalghren Guns of 63 CWT  } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
One 9-inch Dalghren Gun of 91 CWT
Six 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT
Ten 32-P'd'rs of 62 CWT
Nine 42 -P'd'rs of 70 CWT

To General Gwynn and taken to North Carolina

Four 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT          } With carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Two 32-P'd'rs of 42 CWT
Twenty 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT
Ten 32-P'd'rs of 46 CWT
Four 24-P'd'rs of 31 CWT
Ten 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT
Ten 8-inch Guns of 63 CWT

To Norfolk City

Three 32-P'd'rs with fixtures and ammunition

To Battery at Sewells Point

Six 9-inch Guns                      } With carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Five 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT
Three 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT

To Battery at Lambert Point

?    32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT with carriages, etc., complete

To General Gwynn to be taken to North Carolina

Thirteen 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT
Twenty-nine 32-P'd'rs of 4100 ths - Shubrick Guns
One 42-P'd'rs of Numbered 90
One 32-P'd'rs of Numbered 6
One 32-P'd'rs of No Mark

To General Gwynn to be taken to Fort Macon

Ten 32-P'd'rs Shubrick Guns    } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Six 32-P'd'rs of 51 CWT
One 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT
One 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT

To General Gwynn to be taken to North Carolina

Seventy-three 32-P'd'rs of 61 CWT  } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto for all below.
Six 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT
Ten 32-P'd'rs of 47 CWT
One  8-inch Guns 63 CWT

To Battery at Burwells Bay

Five 32-P'd'rs of 57 CWT  } with carriages, etc., complete. Ditto below.
One 9-inch Gun

To Battery at Pagan Creek

Four 32-P'd'rs of 27 CWT with carriages, etc., complete

To Battery at Powells Bay

Four 32-P'd'rs of 42 CWT with carriages, etc., complete

To City Point

Six 32-P'd'rs of 51 CWT with fixtures, etc., complete

 

THE EVACUATION BY THE CONFEDERATES

On or about April 30th, 1862, Captain Sidney Smith Lee, C. S. Navy, who had succeeded Commodore Forrest in the command of the Portsmouth Navy Yard, notified me that the Secretary of the Navy, accompanied by the Secretary of War would arrive from Richmond on that day at about 1 P.M.

At about 2 P.M. a message that the Secretary wished to see me came from the Commandant. At that time I occupied the position of C. S. Naval storekeeper, and as such had in charge all the naval supplies in the Yard except ordnance and ordnance stores.

I met the Secretary of the Navy, Hon. Stephen R. Mallory, at the door of the Commandant's dwelling and on his invitation proceeded with him to a private room in the Commandant's house, when the Secretary at once communicated to me the startling intelligence that it had been determined to evacuate Norfolk, Portsmouth and the Navy Yard, adding that his visit here was for the purpose of communicating this important fact to Captain Lee and myself and to consult as to the removal of the Naval supplies, etc., to some place of safety.

The Secretary stated that the evacuation of Norfolk became necessary because of the movements of the two great confronting Armies in the Peninsula. General McClellan in command of the Federals had assembled a large army in front of General Johnston, who commanded the Confederates and whose forces were in numbers greatly inferior to McClellan'sl that on this account, and also for strategic reasons, General Johnston had decided to fall back slowly to within a few miles of Richmond, and would begin his retrograde movement on that day - viz., April 30th.

The Secretary, continuing, said General Johnston calculated that in about three weeks McClellan would reach a point on the James River when he could easily throw a force across on the south side of the river and thus effectually cut off Norfolk. General Huger's troops, 15,000 strong, were stationed at and around Norfolk and Portsmouth. They would be needed by Johnston in the battle he proposed to make with General McClellan when the proper time arrived. It was necessary, therefore, that Huger should retire before the movement of McClellan across the James River could be accomplished and thus save his army for service with Johnston.

In the meantime, that is to say, from that day, 30th April and the day on which Huger, under orders from Johnston, should retire from Norfolk, he wished the naval supplies of the station, or as many of them as could be removed, sent forward to some safe place in the interior. He stated that both General Huger and the Commandant of the Yard would afford me all the transportation facilities at their command.

For obvious reasons, Charlotte, North Carolina, was selected as the place for the storage of these supplies and for the distribution of the same as needed at other points in the south. Shipments to Charlotte of these supplies were immediately begun and were continued day and night; care being taken to ship first such articles as were considered essential in time of war, and of which the Confederates stood most in need.

On the 10th of May 1862 the Confederates were forced to anticipate the time fixed by General Johnston's plans for the evacuation and on that day, viz., May 10th, 18612, the last train of cars containing naval supplies, and also the Officers of the Yard, left the outer depot at Portsmouth. The officers proceeded via Weldon to Richmond and the writer continued on in the supply train to Charlotte.

The incident that compelled the evacuation on May 10th, 1862, is know to history. Briefly stated, it is as follows: Early in the morning, before sunrise, James Byers, Master of the Steam Tug J B White, a boat that had a short time previously been employed by Major Milligan, C. S. Signal Corps, deserted, with the tug to the enemy at Fortress Monroe. Byers, it was not doubted, would reveal the situation of affairs in and around Norfolk to the enemy, who, seeing his opportunity, would be sure to lose no time in landing troops at some advantageous point and proceed to capture Norfolk, Portsmouth and the Navy Yard. General Huger, the Commanding General, in anticipation of such a movement by the Federals, and realizing the fact that he was then in no condition to successfully resist an attack, concluded to evacuate with all possible dispatch. Order to this effect were accordingly given, and, as before stated, the last train of cars with naval supplies left Portsmouth on that day, viz., May 10th, 1862. And thus the evacuation by the Confederates began on April 30th and was ended May 10th, 1862.

Respectfully submitted
William H. Peters

Portsmouth, VA
October 1891

 

At the beginning of the Civil War (1861-1865) eleven warships at the Gosport Navy Yard were lost by the U. S. Navy. Federal forces burned and evacuated the Yard on the night of 20 April 1861, resulting in the loss of the following ships then stationed here:

1. Ship of the line Pennsylvania, 120 guns, burned
2. Ship of the line Delaware, 74 guns, scuttled
3. Ship of the line Columbus, 74 guns, scuttled
4. Ship of the line New York, 74 guns, burned on stocks
5. Frigate Raritan, 44 guns, burned
6. Frigate Columbia, 44 guns, burned
7. Sloop of war Plymouth, 22 guns, scuttled and burned
8. Sloop of war Germantown, 22 guns, scuttled and burned
9. Brig Dolphin, 6 guns, scuttled and burned
10. Frigate United States, 44 guns, captured by Confederate State Navy, renamed Confederate States and used as Receiving Ship at this Yard during the Confederate occupation
11. Steam frigate Merrimac, 40 guns, scuttled and burned to the waterline, engines undamaged, captured by Confederate States Navy, rebuilt in drydock No. 1 as the ironclad Virginia
12. The sloop of war Cumberland, 22 guns, the only vessel to leave the Yard at the Federal evacuation, was later sunk by the Confederate ironclad Virginia on the first day of the celebrated battle of Hampton Roads, 8 March 1862.