The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

The State of the Union Navy, October 1860-- Part 2

Here we were just, as it turned out, a little over six months from the Civil War, and there obviously were no major preparations for war on the part of the US Navy.

This was evidently a Navy report, perhaps to the Secretary of the Navy, Isaac Toucey who held the position from March 7, 1857 to March 4, 1861.


PHILADELPHIA NAVY YARD

$15,000 funded.

Corvettes JAMESTOWN and SARATOGA. Four hundred men working at the yard.

ST. LAWRENCE, the flagship of the Brazil Squadron and streamer PRINCETON there as well.


NORFOLK NAVY YARD

$69,000 funded, the most of any yard.

The RICHMOND, PENSACOLA and GERMANTOWN afford work for a fair-sized force.

The steamer MERRIMACK and line-of-battle-ships COLUMBUS, NEW YORK (not Launched), PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE were all in ordinary. (I'm figuring that means drydock.)

Also frigates RARITAN and COLUMBIA in port.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

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