| From the New Bern {N. C.} Progress |
| August 9, 1862 |
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| The Railway Merrimac |
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| The latest Richmond papers to
hand contain the following account of an iron-clad battery, mounted on
seven sets of wheels and propelled by an ordinary locomotive, and which,
if we may credit the rebel journals, did considerable execution in the
recent battles. |
| Several released prisoners
have reported the fact of such a battery being seen near Richmond, but
this is the first account of her movements we have yet seen recorded. |
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| Adventures of an Infernal Machine --
Curious Developments |
| [From the Richmond Examiner,
July 26th] |
| For weeks before the opening
of the recent bloody battles before Richmond, hundreds of citizens daily
flocked to look upon and wonder at an iron clad railroad battery that
was being swiftly but mysteriously constructed on the railroad near the
{Richmond &} York River depot. Many were
the speculations as to the special purpose for which it was designed,
and not a few were the predictions that it would prove a failure. Some
persons, indeed, conceived so low an opinion of its usefulness as to
predict that it would be "taken prisoner" on the first trip. Unchecked
by ominous predictions the work went on and the battery was completed.
Lest our enemies should borrow the idea, we refrain from giving a minute
description of the work. It is an iron-clad battery, mounted on seven
sets of wheels, and carrying one large rifle gun. The whole machine was
propelled by an ordinary locomotive. |
| Lieut. James Barry, of the
Norfolk United Artillery, was assigned to the command of the novel
craft. His crew consisted of Sergeant Daniel Knowles and thirteen men,
all members of the same artillery corps. Mr. N. S. Walker, one of the
engineers of the York River Railroad, volunteered to run the engine
which was to push the battery into action. Owing to the breakage of one
of the timbers supporting the gun, the first trip of the battery down
the railroad proved a failure, and it was necessary to bring it back to
the city for repairs. These were soon effected and on Saturday evening
it again got under way and bore down towards the Yankees at Fair Oaks.
It was halted that night at our last entrenchments, between five and six
miles from Richmond. Sunday morning the engine attached to the battery
got up steam, and Lieut. Barry prepared for action and awaited orders. |
| The men were in exuberant
spirits and anxious for the fray. At ten o'clock, A. M., having received
orders from Gen. Magruder, Lieut. Barry proceeded down the road a mile,
when his further advance was obstructed by the Yankee fortification
which crossed the track. About two hours were consumed in reopening the
track, when the battery advanced steadily down the road. About twelve
o'clock, the battery being seven miles from Richmond, Lieut. Barry came
in sight of several thousand Yankees moving at a double-quick down the
road in front of him, in the direction of Savage's. He was about to open
into the flying mass, when he was stopped by Gen. Magruder, who
suggested that they were our own troops in pursuit of the enemy. Just as
the troops disappeared round a curve, one of the enemy's batteries,
stationed in the woods, in front of Savage's house, opened upon our
forces, who were in the woods to the left of the railroad, and about
seven miles from Richmond. |
| The first gun of the enemy
killed General Griffith of Mississippi. Lieutenant Ramsay was ordered to
engage this battery, which he did with such effect that the second shell
from his gun silenced it. He then continued for some time to shell the
woods near and around the spot from which the Yankee battery had
retreated. At four o'clock he was ordered to proceed down the railroad
abreast of our skirmishers, and to fire into anything and everything he
saw ahead. As he turned the curve and entered Savage's field, he saw, a
half mile in advance of him, a party of Yankees engaged in setting fire
to a train on the track. Having fired two shot into this train, a white
flag was raised on it, and General Cobb coming up at the moment, ordered
him not to fire into it again, as he had information that the train was
loaded with sick. |
| Immediately afterwards Gen.
Magruder rode up, and seeing the enemy drawn up in line of battle in the
field in front of Savage's house, ordered Lieut. Barry to go a quarter
of a mile nearer and open into his ranks. On the bursting of the second
shell the enemy fled in confusion to the cover of the woods to the right
of the battery, and from that point poured on it and the engine a
perfect hail of rifle bullets. Kemper's battery now opening on the enemy
from a position in the rear of the battery, Lieut. Barry was obliged to
withdraw in the direction of Richmond. As he was receding up the
railroad, his battery drew the whole fire of the enemy, but fortunately,
though the narrow escapes were innumerable, not one of his men were
struck. A Minie ball passed within an inch of the engineer's head, and
struck in the railroad embankment. |
| As the battery drew back to
Fair Oaks, the Third South Carolina, supported by other regiments dashed
across the railroad, and charging into the woods in which the enemy had
taken shelter from the rifle shells of Lieut. Barry, drove them in the
direction of Bottom's Bridge, with great slaughter. It was estimated by
General Magruder at the time that the loss of the enemy in this
engagement was between eight hundred and a thousand in killed and
wounded. How important a part was played by the railroad battery in this
engagement may be conjectured by the statement of a prisoner who was
captured on the occasion. He informed Lieut. Barry that the second shell
thrown into the ranks drawn up in the field just in front of Savage's
house killed and wounded one hundred men and thirty horses. It is
believed, also to have done great execution in the woods, and
contributed, by the terror inspired by its immense missiles, to the easy
rout of the entire division of the enemy. |
| Since that battle, the enemy
having left the track of the railroad, the battery has seen no service.
It has performed handsomely all it has undertaken, and must, therefore,
be pronounced a complete success. But had the enemy, after the fight at
Cold Harbor, retreated towards the White House, on the Pamunkey, instead
of towards James river, in protecting our advance, and annoying the
enemy, and destroying his tins, it would have been of incalculable value
to our cause. As it is, its period of usefulness may not have
terminated. We have hopes of its playing a conspicuous part, either at
Drury's Bluff or Westover. |
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