LSP - Miscellanea: Louis M. Goldsborough to Gideon Welles Corespondence [dated 4/22/1862]

N^o 214

U.S. FlagShip Minnesota
Hampton Roads, Va.
April 22^d, 1862

Sir:

       Three white men, (one of them accompanied by his wife & two children), were picked up last night by the "Baltimore". They were in a boat, & had, as they say, escaped from Norfolk. One of them has been working, for a long time past, in the Gosport Navy Yard. He described the "Merrimac" as being off the Yard, with a large gang of men working upon her, day & night, fitting shutters to all her ports. She has always had them, he says, to her end ports. He also informed me that four new wooden gun-boats have been completed at the Norfolk Yard, and a fifth over in Norfolk, & that all are now ready for service. Furthermore, that, at, the Norfolk Yard, they are building rapidly a vessel to be just like the "Merrimac", in every respect, except in size, which is only to be about a thousand tons; that she is already far advanced toward completion in her woodwork, & has even the wood=work ~~upon~~ of her covering, or house, finished. Neither her engines, nor any of her [page 2] iron=plates have yet been put in place.
       It is expected that she will be ready for sea in about a month or so. This, he says, is the only vessed to be plated, that the enemy is preparing at Norfolk. Besides, the above five gun=boats, they are now building there four more.
       I am perfectly satisfied of the truth of all these statements.

I am, very respectfully,
Y^r Ob^t Serv^t
(signed) L. M. Goldsborough
Flag Officer
Com^g N. At. Block^g Squadⁿ

Hon. Gideon Welles }
Secr^y of the Navy: }

N.B. By a late Norfolk paper, which I forward to the Department, to=day, it appears that a fight came off last Friday, near Elizabeth City, between some of Gen. Burnside's men & the enemy, & that the latter were driven half way to Norfolk. The object of the attack on our part was, I knew, to destroy the lock of the Dismal Swamp Canal, at "South Mills", which, I have no doubt, has been accomplished effectually. With this lock destroyed, & the Currituck link of the [page 3] the Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal kept choked, no iron=clad or other gun=boats can go from Norfolk, to the sounds of North Carolina. No vessel drawing over three, or three & a half, feet of water, can pass through Currituck Sound from Norfolk, and so get into Croatan & Pamlico Sounds. I speak from positive information on this point, for I had the experiment tried in effect by Lieut. Jeffers, when he was dispatched by me, in charge of an Army stern-wheel boat, drawing only three feet or so of water, to destroy some salt=works at Old Currituck Inlet.
Could Gen. Burnside be promptly reinforced with a body of 40,000 men, I am convinced that he could possess himself of Norfolk in a fortnight after their arrival at Roanoke Island. This idea I have entertained ever since that island surrendered to our arms, & the more I think of it, the more I am confirmed in my belief. With the force the General would then have, he would, undoubtedly, use the roads leading from Powel's Point, Winton, & Gatesville, -all three of which are good & practicable, & hold Roanoke Island and Winton, as bases of operation. These considerations may be of moment before a great while, if they are not so now.

Most Respectfully
L.M.G.

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