Letter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 4 (
National Park Service
Item Details
TitleLetter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 4 (
This resource is part of a series
This resource is part of a series
CreatorRumsey
Dates
Date Created
Descriptive Information
LanguageEnglish
Letter to Gillmore from Rumsey containing a proposal for building a spy boat. Rumsey's proposal includes detailed plans for a narrow metallic vessel, including the propelling power, ballast, doors, and roof. Gillmore responded that this plan is to be examined & reported upon by Major Brooks. Major Brooks wrote that the boat described is deficient in two ways, and he suggested that Rumsey be sent for and examined in reference to scouting duty.
Transcriptionoff with a short gun, or revolver and be quite safe himself as he has an advantage in position which they have not. his greatest danger lies in being run down, and he is to avoid this by every art in his power. After the boats have came within a certain distance he can use hand granades [grenades], or small shells, to advantage. If he sees that it is impossible to get out of the way, he closes the doors and waits untill [until] he is struck, as soon as he finds himself under the surfice [surface] he can commence to row, and thus gain an advantage in distance by which to commence the fight again. If in rowing a great ways the men get tired in one of their arms, they can change places each with his neighbor, and where they used the left arm they could use the right and vice versa. The boat could be made to run with a siren, worked with the hand and aided by a heavy fly wheel, but all things considered, I like the paddle the best. As I said befor [before], I may be wrong in sending this to you befor [before] sending it to Washington but I rely on you [your] judgement and knowledge in the matter, knowing that you are the only person who can rightly estimate the advantages of such a craft on this coast. If you approve of the plan set forth by this model,
TopicsSouth Carolina--History
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Fort Sumter National Monument (Agency : U.S.)
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Fort Sumter National Monument (Agency : U.S.)
Physical Descriptions
Mediumcommercial correspondence
TypeStill Image
Formatimage/jpeg
Contributing Institutions
Identifiers
Digital Identifiersmt_brooks498_069_007
Permanent Linkhttp://purl.clemson.edu/3C6B3718190385137C73DE1408D832E6
Batch ID20180328174717