Read Online 1862 by Robert Conroy - Free Book Online

inquired.
    Welles was ready with the answer. “Only after a great deal of time and expense. After which, we would have old ships that are either underpowered, undergunned, or both. No, we are far better off with newer ships like the
New Ironsides,
or even the
Monitor.”
    The
New Ironsides
was a steam frigate with a wooden hull that would be sheathed in armor. She was scheduled for launching that coming May. The
Monitor was
a small ironclad of radical design that had been under construction in New York since late October. She was built in response to the reports that the Confederates were making an ironclad out of the burned hull of the Union frigate
Merrimack.
They had renamed the ship the
Virginia,
but everyone still used the old name.
    John Hay saw the dismay on Lincoln’s face. Only a handful of ships would be able to confront the British. Welles continued. “Any of our steam sloops that we can contact have been ordered to sea as commerce raiders.”
    “Privateers?” Secretary of War Cameron asked. The question brought him a scathing look from Welles.
    “The world’s civilized nations signed a treaty saying we would not use privateers, which are, of course, little more than legitimized pirates. Not even the rebels have countenanced privateers. No, we will use regular navy ships as commerce raiders, although,” he grinned uncharacteristically, “we may just use quite a number of them.”
    Lincoln smiled and Hay caught the feeling of relief. Swarms of American “navy” ships would be commissioned and sent against the British. The English would squeal as much as the American merchants were going to. It would help keep large numbers of Royal Navy warships busy. The United States was not quite helpless at sea against the British monolith.
    Welles continued. “Our coastal cities will be in grave danger, so I must emphasize the need for strong defenses. Shore batteries must be built and quickly.”
    “Dear God,” said Cameron, a look of panic on his face. “British ships could sail right up the Potomac and bombard us. We must make plans to evacuate Washington.”
    Welles glared at Cameron before responding. “If you hadn’t noticed, very few ships came up the Potomac before the war, and those that did were relatively small. That is because the river is fairly shallow. I assure you that no major British ships will bombard Washington, and that the defenses, which General McClellan has caused to be built, are more than adequate to stifle any aggression on the part of the smaller British ships. No, I think we should be more concerned with Boston, Baltimore, New York, Hartford, and, since the British have ships everywhere, San Francisco.” A thought appeared to strike him. “Good lord, they could even send ships up the Mississippi to St. Louis!”
    Later, John Hay related all of this to Nathan Hunter over an early dinner at Willard’s Hotel. There were few people in the dining room and they were placed so they could speak in normal tones without being overheard. To anyone observing them, they were two friends enjoying a meal and a glass of wine. No one knew who Nathan was. and Hay wasn’t that much of a celebrity.
    Hay sat back in his chair and picked a piece of steak from between his teeth with a toothpick. “After determining that a British thrust up the Mississippi as far as St. Louis was unlikely, we then got to the army’s role in future events. And when we were done. President Lincoln informed me that I should tell you all that transpired so that you could tell General Scott.”
    Nathan pretended casualness. “I take it General McClellan was not enthusiastic about fighting England along with the South?”
    “An understatement,” Hay said.
    McClellan had informed the group that he’d had two offensives in the planning stages and that both of them required naval support. One was an attack on New Orleans, and the second was a major thrust against Richmond by way of the Chesapeake Bay and the James River