such an attempt. It is known that Powell
forwarded, during the summer of 1861, plans to the Confederate Navy
Department for converting river craft and canal boats into iron-clad
gunboats.

The armament of the _Patrick Henry_ consisted of ten medium
32-pounders in broadside, one ten-inch shell gun pivoted forward, and
one eight-inch solid-shot gun pivoted aft. The eight-inch solid-shot
gun was the most effective gun on board, and did good service both at
the battle of Hampton Roads and the repulse of the Federal squadron at
Drewry's Bluff. The captain of this gun was an excellent seaman-gunner
named Smith, who was afterwards promoted to be a boatswain in the
C.S. Navy. A few weeks before the battle of Hampton Roads two of the
medium 32-pounders were exchanged for two six-inch guns, banded and
rifled, a gun much used in the Confederate Navy, and effective, though
far inferior to the six-inch rifled guns of the present day.

The _Patrick Henry_ was rigged as a brigantine, square yards to the
foremast and fore-and-aft sails alone to the mainmast. At Norfolk,
when she was about to be employed in running by the batteries of
Newport News at night, it was thought best to take both of her masts
out in order to make her less liable to be discovered by the enemy.
Signal poles, carrying no sails, were substituted in their place.

No list of the officers of the _Patrick Henry_ at the time she went
into commission can now be given, but the following is a list of those
on board at the battle of Hampton Roads, so far as can be ascertained:

Commander John Randolph Tucker, commander; Lieutenant James Henry
Rochelle, executive officer; Lieutenants William Sharp and Francis
Lyell Hoge; Surgeon John T. Mason; Paymaster Thomas Richmond Ware;
Passed Assistant Surgeon Frederick Garretson; Acting Master Lewis
Parrish; Chief Engineer Hugh Clark; Lieutenant of Marines Richard T.
Henderson; Midshipmen John Tyler Walker, Alexander McComb Mason, and
M.P. Goodwyn.

The vessel, being properly equipped, so far as the limited resources
at hand could be used, proceeded down James river and took a position
off Mulberry Island, on which point rested the right of the Army of
the Peninsula, under Magruder. The time passed wearily and drearily
enough whilst the _Patrick Henry_ lay at anchor off Mulberry Island.
The officers and crew very rarely went on shore, the steamer being
kept always with banked fires, prepared to repel an attack, which
might have