When ready for a trial trip, with all weights on board, the _Merrimac_ drew twenty-two feet six inches of water. Her crew numbered 320. She was commanded by Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan, and Lieut. Catesby Ap R. Jones was chief officer. Another lieutenant was John Taylor Wood, and both of these lieutenants have written accounts of the ship. They agree in saying that the engines were in wretched order, and that the great draft of the ship was a serious disadvantage in the waters where she was to be used is manifest. Nevertheless, for smooth water she was the most powerful ship afloat. She was named the _Virginia_, and should have been called so in history, for she was a rebuilt ship; but it is too late to change history now. Of course, the government heard about the building of a floating battery on the _Merrimac_ hull. The spy service of the government was never as good as that of the Confederates, and the news obtained was not always appreciated. Porter tells of seeing a mechanic who had fled from the Norfolk Navy Yard ill-treated when taken on board the government flagship to tell what he knew. This matter is referred to, not to make an ill-natured criticism of a government officer, but to show how important it is in time of war to make a full and just estimate of the power of the enemy. [Illustration: The _New Ironsides_ in Action. _From a photograph, of a drawing, owned by Mr. C. B. Hall._] The Confederates began the work of converting the _Merrimac_ in June, 1861. There were several frigates in the Union navy that might have been converted, with Northern resources, into more powerful ironclad batteries than the _Merrimac_ was, but nothing was done until Congress met, and on August 3d made an appropriation for ironclads. Then designs were called for, and three were selected for acceptance after long consideration. One of these proved a failure as an ironclad. One proved a great success a year or so later (she was called the _New Ironsides_), and, fortunately, the third was of a design that might be built quickly and yet prove efficient. This ship was from the brain of John Ericsson, who had already revolutionized the navies of the world by introducing the submerged screw propeller; and the name which he gave to the marvel he produced, at once became generic. Although Congress appropriated the money for ironclads on August 3d, the board appointed to consider plans did not convene until the 8th. It took them until September 8th to make up their minds, and it was not until October 4, 1861, that the final contract with Ericsson was signed. This was a needless delay, and this fact is worth emphasizing because it is not unlikely that similar delays will be experienced whenever the nation is again unexpectedly plunged into war. [Illustration: The Giant and the Dwarfs; or John E. and the Little Mariners. [From a Swedish caricature, February 10, 1867.]