Letter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 2
National Park Service
Item Details
TitleLetter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 2
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.
Transcription[Letter, continued] are to have the propelling power as near as possible to the center of the boat, and also to offer as little resistance as possible to the water. It is plenty wide enough for one man to work easily. The door is situated in the center of the roof equidistant from both ends. The depth from the door to the keel is fourty two inches the keel with the ballast takes up one foot, or twelve inches leaving thirty inches to it upright-in. The ballast can be so placed as to accomidate the legs, and feet, of the rowers. The ballast that keeps the boat on an even keel is firmly fastened to the keel on the inside, and is never moved. The boat has but one door in the top, and this is composed of two slides, made to fit tight, and meet in the center. They are made of iron, half an inch thick, and they slide both ways from the top, one or both of these are open, at the will of the commander, and he directs the boat by the opening in the top. The propelling power is four paddles, two on a side. These are made of iron blades with wooden handles. The blades are an eighth of an inch thick, eight inches long, and as many broad. The corners are made rounding, and the blade slants from the center to the sides and bottom, leaving the edges sharp to cut through the water rapidly, and is slightly concave to hold the water. The handle is a straight-piece of
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_002
Permanent Linkhttp://purl.clemson.edu/934D3F40BA7403224FE1E78467369B17
Batch ID20180328174717