Chronology
March
08
Saturday: Merrimack sinks Cumberland, destroys Congress
Watson
telegrams Renwick to assemble “think tank” to devise response to Merrimack
09
Sunday: Monitor battles Merrimack to stalemate
15
Saturday: O.S. Halstead calls on M.O. Roberts to “hire or purchase” Illinois for “an extra hazardous employment”
Roberts
meets with Fox in afternoon, can get no definite answer as to whether Navy wants
Illinois or not
Fox
evidently notifies Army that he wants Illinois, but does not tell Roberts
directly
Stanton
orders Col. Tompkins (AsstQMGenl, NYC) to turn Illinois over to AsstSecNav Fox
Tompkins
wires Fox to state Illinois under USN
control as of noon on 16 March
16
Sunday: Roberts is informed by Army that Illinois has been transferred to
Navy Dept
Roberts
turns to Moses Taylor for help, suggests Barton as captain (regular skipper
absent)
USN
assumes control of Illinois
17
Monday: M.O.Roberts signs charter with USN for use of Illinois
Illinois
departs NYC
Welles
wires Goldsborough to tell him of Illinois
and Arago charters; paperwork “in a
day or two”
18
Tuesday: Illinois arrives
Hampton Roads
19
Wednesday: Assumed departure of Arago
from NYC; chief engineer left behind
20
Thursday: Goldsborough instructs Barton (Capt, Illinois)
in best manner for using vessel to ram (Merrimack)
Barton
replies that upon informing his men of orders, all but 5 men refused
Goldsborough
commands Comm. Poor to assume command of Illinois
Stanton
accepts offer of Vanderbilt from
Vanderbilt, instructs to arm, crew, and provision vessel
21
Friday: Vanderbilt departs NYC
Goldsborough
instructs Gadsden (Capt, Arago)
in best manner for using vessel to ram
Arago
arrives Hampton Roads
22
Saturday: Barton asks that Goldsborough either give him receipt for Illinois or annul the charter
Goldsborough
informs Welles in disgust that he is sending Illinois back to NYC
Engineers
from Illinois discuss orders with
engineers from Arago
23
Sunday: Goldsborough instructs Lefevre (Capt, Vanderbilt)
in best manner for using vessel to ram (Merrimack)
Arago
Engineers refuse duty; firemen and crew willing to side with them
Gadsden
(Capt, Arago) sends ship’s purser to
NYC for volunteer engineers/firemen, expects crew will then serve
Vanderbilt
arrives Hampton Roads
24
Monday: Illinois arrives NYC
Major
General Wool turns Vanderbilt over to
Goldsborough
Navy
Dept. approves Goldsborough’s annulling of Illinois
charter party
25
Tuesday: Gadsden (Arago)
applies to Goldsborough for USN crewmen, as majority of his crew leaving as of
4p.m.
Welles
offers to charter Illinois from M.O.
Roberts provided he supplies officers/crew willing to ram Merrimack
26
Wednesday: M.O. Roberts informs Goldsborough that Illinois
is returning under new captain (Babcock)
Return
of Arago crew to NYC – convince 2nd
crew of Illinois to refuse service
27
Thursday: SecWar Stanton instructs Wool to retrieve Vanderbilt
from Goldsborough for service under War Dept
28
Friday: Illinois departs NYC
for 2nd time (under 3rd crew)
AsstSecWar
Watson informs Stanton that Vanderbilt desires his ship to stay with
Goldsborough
30
Sunday: Illinois arrives
Hampton Roads
Goldsborough
instructs Babcock (Capt, Illinois) in
best manner for using vessel to ram (Merrimack)
April
09
Wednesday: Ericsson departs NYC
11
Friday: Ericsson arrives
Hampton Roads
Goldsborough
instructs Lowber (Capt, Ericsson) in
best manner for using vessel to ram (Merrimack)
Goldsborough
puts all vessels in Hampton Roads on alert – cites civilian ships specifically
15
Tuesday: M.O. Roberts writes to Welles explaining circumstances of Illinois charter
May
11
Sunday: Merrimack scuttled
13
Tuesday: Arago discharged
21
Wednesday: Illinois and Ericsson discharged