Letter from Henry Marshall to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; December 29, 1862

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Letter from Henry Marshall to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; December 29, 1862

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People

Beauregard, G. T. (Gustave Toutant), 1818-1893 Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Fulton, Robert, 1765-1815 Hall, T. P.Marshall, Henry Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Provost, Charles F.

Military Units

United States. Navy

Organizations

Confederate States of America--War Department Confederate States of America--War Department. Ordnance Department Post offices

Occupations

Engineers Shipbuilders

Places

Louisiana--De Soto Parish Mississippi--Alcorn County. Corinth Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Warren County. Vicksburg

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[image: sketch of proposed submarine]

Harpoon

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The win is made fast and light in the tube The spool and tube are consolidated so that they revolve as one body, The win has to be insulated a coating of India rubber is best, Sealing wax dissolved in spirits of wine, a gum shellac dissolved in alcohol it is likely will answer the purpos, The win can then be wrapped with blue n green silk and coated so as to be impervious to water, Men skillful in science and mechanics will direct in this as in other things connected with the building of the boat.

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Plan of a Submarine Boat to destroy the war vessels & transports of the Enemy by Torpedoes.

Take a steam boat boiler say 16 feet long and (3 ¹/₂ ft) three feet and a half, in Diameter. Multiply the num=ber of cubic feet contained in the boiler and cap measuring from outside to outside by 62 ¹/₂ the weight of a cubic foot of water (salt water is more) and subtract from that sum the weight of Boiler, men machinery and other outfit. and the remainder will be the weight required barely to sink the boiler or Boat, The Ballast and other weight should be distributed uniformly ^as equely in each end^ The former should be heavy metal and fastened to the bottom so that it cant move except that a portion near the middle is to be movable backwards or forward ^by a screw^ so as to keep the boat in a horizontal position or elevate other end at pleasure. For greater security some portion also of the ballast can be attached to the outside by a screw from the inside so that it can be dropped in case of extremity.

On the forend of the boiler is a sliding cap (say 18) eighteen inches long surmounted by a cone two (2) feet in altitude. The Cap is air tight and movable by a screw. passing though the center of the boiler head. By means of this cap, the boat can be ex=panded or contracted, that is the specific gravity can be diminished or increased at pleasure and of course ^the boat^ can be made to float or sink at ~~the~~ will of There must be a small orifice in the lower part of the boiler head for the passage of air or water.

On top of the boiler and about midway is a circular door raised about six inches or higher if you choose one large enough to admit the men and covered by a plate of iron air tight. By expanding the boat it can be run ordinarily with the top out of water and the men can be supplied with fresh air from the door. But when they attack the enemy

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or want to get out of his sight the door is closed and the boat sunk below the surface by con=tracting the cap. They are then supplied with air by a tube let into the lower part of the boiler and fas=tened to a cork or buoy above. There is a pump con=nected with this tube that can force the air in and by the aid of a valve keep the water out in case the cork happens to be submerged. Another tube from the top of the boat with a valve also will carry off the [vitialid?] air, If you like M^r. Fultons plan better you can condense a sufficient quantity of air and take it aboard to last the men several hours. There will be needed a compass spirit level ^galvanic Battery^ and a water barometer or some other instru-ment to measure the depth of the boat below the surface, A pump will also have to be placed in the back part of the boat, for the prow will in gen=eral (especially when running) be a little elevated. (To omit nothing of importance) There can be a privy connected with this pump to be used and in case of necessity. The boat is moved by a propellor (screw) the shaft of which passes into the stern of the centre and runs in a box inside. The shaft of the driving wheel is in the same plane with this shaft and at right angle to it and have a crank at each end or if you prefer one long crank to two short ones, one can be placed near the centre. By means of long handles extending forward having knobs to them the men can sit facing the stern and turn the driving wheel and propel the boat forwards or backwards by reversing the motion, Cast bevel gearing may be the best. If the boat is lying with the stern on the bottom under water & the prow a little elevated and the power is

applied by turning the wheel the boat will move off and use as it goes according to the velocity So there is no difficulty in moving either at the surface or under the water. The stern of the Rudder is an iron rod passing in at the stern in a vertical direction with a cross bar in the end of it like a T to each end of which the rope is attached passing forward so that the man in the bow can steer Just behind the cap is an opening large enough for a man to stand in covered over with a submarine armor made of india rubber or water proof leather. The armor is two feet and a half high. has an iron plate on top and is raised or lowered by a screen running up through the boat just behind it with an arm reaching from the upper end of the screw to the center of the plate the armor is kept from collapsing by strong wire hooks, has a glass in front to look through and two arm holes for the man to run his arms and hands into. The armor is just below but should revolve on a pivot above. Next in order is the manner of attaching the torpedo, Take an iron rod, say 8 or 9 ft long one inch in diameter, let it be encased except the ends in wood three inches in diameter and banded securely, Fasten one end to the bottom of the boat by a bolt and large plate so that the other end will extend two feet ahead and so that it will swing under the boat from side to side like a crane by means of a rope held by the man in the armor, The harpoon which is 6 or 8 inches long is made sharp pointed at one end at the other end is of the same size and shape of the rod. The Har=poon is connected to the rod by a snugly fitting collar that extends two inches over the rod

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and two over the harpoon A section of the collar reaches still farther along the harpoon almost to the point, On the underside of the harpoon and two inches & a half from the big end is a ring and staple to which the torpedo is attached by a ^short^ chain having a hook with a spring so that it may be detached if desired The force of the boat in motion in the right direction will drive the harpoon in, and draw the collar back on the rod so as to disengage the harpoon instantly. The man in the armor having a rope fastened to the chain pulls it if he finds the torpedo firmly attached he lets go, and backs out If not he pulls the torpedo up, unhitches it and hooks it on to another harpoon that has a gimlet point, inserts the harpoon in the end of his instrument shaped like an augu and bores the harpoon into the vessel This harpoon has a ring in which it turns and to which the torpedo is attached, If the side or bottom is impenetrable to a harpoon. he takes a small copper receiver with a border of india rubber on the mouth and wiht a small pump ap=pended. He attaches the torpedo to the receiver, holds it to the side of the ship, & pumps out the water It will stick like a leach Behind the armor is placed the rest in spool on which the win is wound. Through the center of the spool goes a strong iron tube down into the boat, The hollow is just large enough to admit the two wires which are passed through the tube and wound round the spool. The other ends are thin con=nected with the short wires in the torpedo

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P S. I am authorized by M^r Provost to say further that if deemed necessary he will go to Vicksburg or Jackson and superintend the construc=tion of the boat and take the command when completed provided his necessary expen=ses are paid,

T P. H,

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[seal]

Black Jack P. O. Dec 25th
De Soto Par La 1862

Governor Pettus

Dear Sir

Enclosed you will find a plan of blowing up the unions gunboats invented by Charles F Provost of this Parish, There is nothing new in it but it is a new combination of principles in science and mechanics that are well known and tested by experience The plan has been examined and highly approved by some of our ablest engineers among whom is Col Clark chief of Ordnance under Beauregard at Corinth., It recommends itself by its [chrassness?] and if it does

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succeed will prove a most efficient weapon for driving the enemy out of all our rivers and away from our harbors & sea coast. From you know energy and zeal in the country^s defence I have strong hopes you will put it in operation immediately in your state There is no time to be lost. If you will solicit com=petent men to superintend the work men who will study the plan thoroughly and get a clear idea of the thing in all its details the boat can be built in three or four weeks, It will strike terror and consternation into the hearts of the enemy, [gap] Very Respectfully

Your Ob^t, Ser^vt,
T, P, Hall

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De Soto La—Dec, 29^th 1862

Gov‚ Pettus

Sir

I enclose you a commu-nication from M^r T. P. Hall which relates to a subject of general interest—Mr Hall is a well educated man, a neighbor of mine, who is much interested in procuring a trial of Mr. Provost'^s invention—

Very Respectfully your &

Henry Marshall
M. C, from La—