Affidavit of Charles Prentis., this 29th day of August, 1863

Affidavit of Charles Prentis.

I, Charles Prentis, of New London, Connecticut, at present in Liverpool, formerly a master mariner, and now a merchant, in business at New London, aforesaid, make oath and say, as follows :

1. I was formerly, for ten years, master of merchant vessels, and also of whaling vessels, and I have seen and examined many vessels-of-war, both of wood and iron. I have also examined the construction of several of the iron-clad vessels-of-war lately built by the United States government.

2. On the 28th day of the present month of August I visited the yard of Messrs. Laird Brothers, at Birkenhead, and inspected two iron-clad vessels in course of construction there. One of the said vessels is in the wet dock, and has three masts, the fore and main masts being square-rigged. She has a round overhanging stern, and is propelled by a screw. Her bow is wedge-shaped. The cut-water is almost perpendicular nearly down to the water-line, when it comes outward, so as to form a large projecting ram under water. She has also, about amidships, a turret capable of carrying a very large gun. I verily believe that the said vessel is an iron-clad war vessel, of the most formidable character, armed with a ram or piercer, constructed for the express purpose of sinking and destroying other vessels.

3. The said vessel, lastly before mentioned, appeared to be in such a state of preparation, that, in my opinion, she could be sent to sea at a few hours’ notice.

4. The other of the said two iron-clad vessels was on the ways. She is finished from the keel to the upper deck, and her bulwarks are partly erected. She resembled the other of the said vessels which was in the wet dock, in size and construction, so far as I could judge from looking at her on the ways, and she was armed with a similar ram or piercer on her stem. I have no doubt, whatever, that she also is intended for an iron-clad vessel-of-war.

CHARLES PRENTIS.