The Confederate Steamshi}! ^^ Patrick Henry." 127
had been executive officer of the Patrick He?iry, the Flag- Officer requested me to give him my recollection of the principal events connected with that vessel. The letter which follows is my reply to that request.
J. H. ROCHELLE. August 2J, 1886.
Confederate Steamship Palmetto State,
Charleston S. C, January jo, i86§.
Flag- Officer ]oYi^ R. Tucker,
Conunanding Afloat at Charleston, S. C:
Dear Sir, — I am glad to learn from you that Commodore Lynch has been directed by the Department to prepare a narrative of the memorable and gallant deeds of the Confederate Navy ; judging from the former works of the Commodore, I think we may congratu- late ourselves that the navy has fallen into good hands, and feel confidence that the proposed book will not only be a valuable contri- bution to the history of this giant war, but also a pleasant addition to the literature of the day. Hitherto there has been no effi)rt made to popularize the navy, our officers, trained in an illustrious and exclusive service, have looked with a feeling akin to contempt on both the praise and blame of the periodical press, hence the only records of the navy are to be found in dry and terse official dis- patches, exceedingly uninteresting to unprofessional readers, and un- intelligible to the great mass of the people. Let us hope that the forthcoming work will be popular with the people, remove many of the prejudices against our service, and assist the present generation to the just conclusion that the Confederate navy has done well its part, notwithstanding the almost complete lack in the Confederate States of all the necessary constituents of naval strength. Among the naval events that Commodore Lynch will be called upon to relate, the career of the Confederate steamship Patrick Henry will, per- haps, claim a prominent place, and if you think there is anything in this letter which will aid the Commodore to a fuller understanding of the services of that vessel, you are quite at hberty to send it to him.
The Patrick Henry,-A. side-wheel steamer of beautiful model and of about fourteen hundred tons burthen, was called the Yorktown before the war, and was one of the line of steamers running between Richmond and New York. She was considered a fast boat, and de-
