Letter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 4
National Park Service
Item Details
TitleLetter, 1863 December 14, Rumsey to Gillmore, with a review by Major Brooks, page 4
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] wood, which fits into a socket in the blade and is riveted fast, it is a foot long, and has a strap at its upper end which passes round the arm below the elbow and is made fast. The man then grasps the handle near the blade with his hand, and moves the paddle with his arm instead of his wrist. One end of the paddle (the handle) is put into a water-tight-sack. The mouth of the sack is then securely fastened close to the blade of the paddle. A hole is made in the side of the boat, large enough for a man's arm to work easily. The other end of the sack is fastened to the inside, after first passing thru the hole in the side. The sack is made small and fits the arm tightly. The paddles as well as the arms are under water when the boat approaches the coast, not more than six inches of the boat is seen above the surface, but when out of danger the boat can be raised so that the arms are out of the water enough to make it a great deal easier rowing. After the men have taken their places in the boat it is then sunk as low as is desired by letting water into boxes prepared for it. There are two of these boxes, one on each side of the platform on which the blade sits. The boxes are made 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_004
Permanent Linkhttp://purl.clemson.edu/2A4939D84A3C919DDBC435D6B3086861
Batch ID20180328174717