Comments on: The Rise and Fall of CSS Virginia - Gallery http://www.historynet.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-css-virginia-gallery.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-rise-and-fall-of-css-virginia-gallery From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:15:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Ronald H. Bork http://www.historynet.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-css-virginia-gallery.htm#comment-340509 Ronald H. Bork Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:01:52 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681336#comment-340509 Dear Sirs: I am indeed impressed! What a wealth of information has come to me as a result of posting a comment on this web-site of yours. Thank you Mr. Tyson, and Mr. Wood for your kind assistance! As a boy, I heard the story that when Uri's men broke a drill bit, he had them start a new one on top of the broken one until they punched through. I assumed is was due to the thickness of the iron plates. Perhaps it could have been on the locating of the bolt holes in the old hull of the Merrimac riddled with nails, etc. My Mother just remembers that the plating proved to be a very frustrating undertaking for Uri. The man in question in the print, does it appear to you that he is wearing a hat? I have a photograph of Uri, circa 1900, with him, his beard, and a hat which I think might be called a Derby? Being Canadian, Uri is reported to have said, that he had nothing against the Northerners, and hid in the woods so as not to be pressed into the defense of Richmond. Now to see about viewing the print in person. Thank you very much. Dear Sirs: I am indeed impressed! What a wealth of information has come to me as a result of posting a comment on this web-site of yours.
Thank you Mr. Tyson, and Mr. Wood for your kind assistance!
As a boy, I heard the story that when Uri's men broke a drill bit, he had them start a new one on top of the broken one until they punched through. I assumed is was due to the thickness of the iron plates. Perhaps it could have been on the locating of the bolt holes in the old hull of the Merrimac riddled with nails, etc. My Mother just remembers that the plating proved to be a very frustrating undertaking for Uri.
The man in question in the print, does it appear to you that he is wearing a hat? I have a photograph of Uri, circa 1900, with him, his beard, and a hat which I think might be called a Derby?
Being Canadian, Uri is reported to have said, that he had nothing against the Northerners, and hid in the woods so as not to be pressed into the defense of Richmond.
Now to see about viewing the print in person. Thank you very much.

]]> By: M Tyson http://www.historynet.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-css-virginia-gallery.htm#comment-165593 M Tyson Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:42:39 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681336#comment-165593 Ah... I found out how to see the images here. The image is indeed NH4222 (picture 13 of 14 above). As I stated, I believe this is one of a series (sorry for the typo above) of copies of Ben Richardson's works. He copyrighted his images and fought to enforce his copyright, but sadly he wound up having to give the paintings to his lawyer to cover his legal fees. (The paintings are now owned by Chrysler Museum & last I knew some were on display at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.) The person on the plank in question is slightly changed from Richardson's painting. ERRATA: There are various errors in the captions associated with the images. Picture 11: This is NOT the original Monitor. (Note the rivet pattern and the size of the gun ports as compared to Picture 3 (which is the original Monitor)). The Library of Congress has the wrong info, which dates back to 1911. Picture 14 and 12: Captain Buchanan was NOT wounded in "the fight" (with the Monitor). He was wounded the day before by musket fire from shore, at which point he gave command to Lieut. Catesby ap Roger Jones. Buchanan was taken to the hospital about 6AM on the day of the battle with the Monitor and was not even on board the Virginia during the battle. Jones was in command throughout the battle with the Monitor. Picture 3: That is as seen from the stern, not the bow. Note the pilot house at the far end (bow) of the ship. Ah… I found out how to see the images here. The image is indeed NH4222 (picture 13 of 14 above). As I stated, I believe this is one of a series (sorry for the typo above) of copies of Ben Richardson's works. He copyrighted his images and fought to enforce his copyright, but sadly he wound up having to give the paintings to his lawyer to cover his legal fees. (The paintings are now owned by Chrysler Museum & last I knew some were on display at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.) The person on the plank in question is slightly changed from Richardson's painting.

ERRATA: There are various errors in the captions associated with the images.

Picture 11: This is NOT the original Monitor. (Note the rivet pattern and the size of the gun ports as compared to Picture 3 (which is the original Monitor)). The Library of Congress has the wrong info, which dates back to 1911.

Picture 14 and 12: Captain Buchanan was NOT wounded in "the fight" (with the Monitor). He was wounded the day before by musket fire from shore, at which point he gave command to Lieut. Catesby ap Roger Jones. Buchanan was taken to the hospital about 6AM on the day of the battle with the Monitor and was not even on board the Virginia during the battle. Jones was in command throughout the battle with the Monitor.

Picture 3: That is as seen from the stern, not the bow. Note the pilot house at the far end (bow) of the ship.

]]> By: M Tyson http://www.historynet.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-css-virginia-gallery.htm#comment-164891 M Tyson Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:26:57 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681336#comment-164891 I don't have access to the picture published here. However, most of these were drawn decades after the battle, so any resemblance to a person would have had been accidental or done from other images of the person. I thought the punching (vs drilling which was tried early) was done at Tredgar and not at the Navy Yard. The plates were two inches thick (two rows of them for a total of 4"). It would have been unusual for your relative to have been at the drydock. His name was not listed in this set of workers: http://cssvirginia.org/vacsn4/original/ff620111.html Re the image, see the set at http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-us-cs/csa-sh/csash-sz/virginia.htm NH58712 was probably painted in the late 1890s and published in 1906 (EV White's book). NH42222 was published in 1907 (Fiveash). NH314 is very similar to the image from Century Magazine (1884). NH314 was obviously not done in person (missing quarter gun ports). NH58712 was painted by a crewman (Richardson), but he would not have been witness to the construction before March 1862 (but was for the late March finishing of the plating). He clearly had forgotten some details by the time he painted it. I believe NH42222 may be one of a serious of copies of the Richardson paintings. There is no known photograph of the CSS Virginia. Many images have been published that are clearly inaccurate. Many images are slightly modified copies of others (to avoid copyright prosecution), making it difficult to figure out which came first and which are done by those that were actual witnesses. Mabry Tyson http://CSSVirginia.org I don't have access to the picture published here. However, most of these were drawn decades after the battle, so any resemblance to a person would have had been accidental or done from other images of the person.

I thought the punching (vs drilling which was tried early) was done at Tredgar and not at the Navy Yard. The plates were two inches thick (two rows of them for a total of 4"). It would have been unusual for your relative to have been at the drydock. His name was not listed in this set of workers:
http://cssvirginia.org/vacsn4/original/ff620111.html

Re the image, see the set at
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-us-cs/csa-sh/csash-sz/virginia.htm
NH58712 was probably painted in the late 1890s and published in 1906 (EV White's book). NH42222 was published in 1907 (Fiveash). NH314 is very similar to the image from Century Magazine (1884).
NH314 was obviously not done in person (missing quarter gun ports).
NH58712 was painted by a crewman (Richardson), but he would not have been witness to the construction before March 1862 (but was for the late March finishing of the plating). He clearly had forgotten some details by the time he painted it. I believe NH42222 may be one of a serious of copies of the Richardson paintings.

There is no known photograph of the CSS Virginia. Many images have been published that are clearly inaccurate. Many images are slightly modified copies of others (to avoid copyright prosecution), making it difficult to figure out which came first and which are done by those that were actual witnesses.

Mabry Tyson
http://CSSVirginia.org

]]> By: Nicholas Wood http://www.historynet.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-css-virginia-gallery.htm#comment-161232 Nicholas Wood Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:21:33 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681336#comment-161232 That's an interesting bit of speculation, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. Taking photographs wasn't the hobby then that it is today, and one of the traits of a good photographer was trying to get the principals into the pictures. But it's just so tiny, and we have no information on who the people might be. Sorry. That's an interesting bit of speculation, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. Taking photographs wasn't the hobby then that it is today, and one of the traits of a good photographer was trying to get the principals into the pictures. But it's just so tiny, and we have no information on who the people might be. Sorry.

]]> By: Ronald H. Bork http://www.historynet.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-css-virginia-gallery.htm#comment-123130 Ronald H. Bork Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:20:57 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13681336#comment-123130 Dear Sirs: Might I humbly ask your opinions? In the drawing of the C.S.S. Virginia under construction, (picture 316) you'll notice a man standing on the planks between ship and shore. Would you conclude from his clothing and movement or lack of, that he was a foreman or superintendant overseeing the work? Might you also conclude that he has a beard of light color? Perhaps grey or red? Could the items in his hands be blue-prints of the ships plating that is now being applied? If so, I 'm thinking that it might be the superintendant of Tredgar's rolling mill, Uri Haskins, my ancestor. He oversaw the production & mounting of her plates. His crew kept breaking their drill bits on her four inch plates. Dear Sirs: Might I humbly ask your opinions? In the drawing of the C.S.S. Virginia under construction, (picture 316) you'll notice a man standing on the planks between ship and shore. Would you conclude from his clothing and movement or lack of, that he was a foreman or superintendant overseeing the work? Might you also conclude that he has a beard of light color? Perhaps grey or red?
Could the items in his hands be blue-prints of the ships plating that is now being applied?
If so, I 'm thinking that it might be the superintendant of Tredgar's rolling mill, Uri Haskins, my ancestor. He oversaw the production & mounting of her plates. His crew kept breaking their drill bits on her four inch plates.

]]>