Letter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 3
National Park Service
Item Details
TitleLetter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 3
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] -ing [performing] all it represents. Spying has always been considered a very dangerous business, and those who act in the capacity as spies, need all the protection that can be thrown around them. The boat which the model represents would be a great help to them, for they could be landed on any part of the coast they wished, or brought away without any danger of discovery, which would be a great help to them. The boat is a narrow metallic vessel, (formed of quarter inch sheet-iron) with a covering of metal double that of the boat, its length is fifteen feet, its width is thirty inches, and its depth in its deepest place fourty two inches. Three feet of each end on the inside is partitioned off into airtight cells, leaving a little over eight feet in the center, in which the men sit to work the boat. The reason why I make the boat out of such thick iron is that it may stand being run into or even run down without injury, and also to withstand the best rifle ball. The covering or roof, is made slanting not only to shed balls, but to give more room to the inside, and to throw the two airtight and under the surface of the water for in case of accident to the body of the boat, these are what the crew depend upon to keep afloat. The reasons for having it so narrow
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_003
Permanent Linkhttp://purl.clemson.edu/E6F8D491092C734F80B841018364A5CF
Batch ID20180328174717