Chapter 2

APPOINTED A COMMANDER IN THE VIRGINIA NAVY--IN CHARGE OF THE DEFENSES OF JAMES RIVER--TRANSFERRED TO THE CONFEDERATE STATES NAVY--PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE _Patrick Henry_--FITTING OUT UNDER DIFFICULTIES--FIRST PARTIALLY ARMORED AMERICAN VESSEL. LIEUTENANT POWELL'S PLAN FOR ARMORED GUNBOATS--OFFICERS OF THE _Patrick Henry_--GUARDING JAMES RIVER--SCALING THE GUNS--"NAVAL SKIRMISH"--A FLAG WHICH WAS NOT PRESENTED--BATTLE OF HAMPTON ROADS. SINKING OF THE _Cumberland_; AN AMERICAN _Vengeur_--BURNING OF THE _Congress_--COMBAT BETWEEN THE _Virginia_ AND THE _Monitor_--FLAG-OFFICER TATNALL TAKES COMMAND OF THE CONFEDERATE SQUADRON--SALLY INTO HAMPTON ROADS--PLAN FOR CARRYING THE _Monitor_ BY BOARDING--EVACUATION OF NORFOLK--TOWING UNFINISHED GUNBOATS TO RICHMOND--FEDERAL SQUADRON ENTERS JAMES RIVER--CREWS OF THE _Patrick Henry_, _Jamestown_ AND _Virginia_ MAN THE NAVAL BATTERIES AT DREWRY'S BLUFF--ACTION AT DREWRY'S BLUFF--THE _Galena_; A WELL-FOUGHT VESSEL. REPULSE OF THE FEDERAL SQUADRON--TUCKER ORDERED TO COMMAND THE IRON-CLAD STEAMER _Chicora_ AT CHARLESTON--SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON THE BLOCKADING SQUADRON--TUCKER POSTED AND APPOINTED FLAG-OFFICER OF THE CHARLESTON SQUADRON--COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE CHARLESTON SQUADRON--DUPONT'S ATTACK ON CHARLESTON--CONFEDERATE TORPEDO-BOATS AT CHARLESTON; DAMAGE DONE BY THEM--CHARLESTON NAVAL BATTALION SERVING WITH THE ARMY--EVACUATION OF CHARLESTON--ONE BATTALION OF THE CHARLESTON SQUADRON SERVES WITH THE ARMY AT WILMINGTON--TUCKER, WITH THE CHARLESTON SQUADRON BRIGADE, MARCHES THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA AND ARRIVES AT RICHMOND--TUCKER ORDERED TO COMMAND AT DREWRY'S BLUFF--CONFEDERACY AT ITS LAST GASP--EVACUATION OF RICHMOND--TUCKER NOT INFORMED OF THE INTENTION TO EVACUATE RICHMOND--SUCCEEDS IN JOINING HIS BRIGADE OF SAILORS TO MAJOR-GEN. CUSTIS LEE'S DIVISION--ACTION AT SAYLOR'S CREEK; DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE WHIPPED, THOUGHT THE FIGHT HAD JUST BEGUN--SURRENDER--PRISONER OF WAR--RELEASED ON PAROLE--EMPLOYED BY THE SOUTHERN EXPRESS COMPANY 23