Hello Dennis,
I can't remember where I read about the netting. It was when I was searching through sites on google looking for stuff on the Tennessee. I wish I had've recorded what site it was on. But I think on Gary Mathews' post on this thread he quotes some things from the records, "After-Action" reports, etc. of others like the CSS Virginia and the CSS Richmond where they spoke of netting.

As for the construction of the CSS Tennessee's casemate gun deck and bulkheads of it, I asked a guy about the diagonally laid 2 1/2" oak boards on the facing of the inside bulkheads of the casemate. He said to remember the Tennessee was built in 1863 and that a lot of knowledge and trial and error learned wisdom went into her. For example her six inches of iron on her forward end of the casemate, five on its side and aft, and an inch or two of iron on its decks. The top of the casemate was protected by heavy iron ribs and grating. He also said they must have learned by then that diagonally laid bulkhead boards would absorb and displace the force of a blow much more so than verital boards. Below is the entire report and orders:
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REPORT OF ADM. FARAGUT & DESCRIPTION OF CSS TENNESSEE:

Report of Rear-Admiral Farragut, U. S. Navy, transmitting order and report in the matter of survey on the C. S. ram Tennessee.
No. 351.]
FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, August 16, 1864.
SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that on the 6th instant I ordered a survey to be made of the hull, armor, etc., of the ironclad Tennessee, and I herewith submit the report (order of survey and report marked Nos. 1 and 2), as well as a sectional view of the vessel made by
Second Assistant Engineer Isaac de Graff, of this ship, and a drawing in water colors by Second Assistant Engineer Robert Weir, of the Richmond.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
D. G. FARRAGUT,
Rear-Admiral, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron
Hon. GIDEON WELLES,
Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C
[Enclosures.]
FLAGSHIP HARTFORD,
Mobile Bay, August 6, 1864.
GENTLEMEN: You will please make a strict and careful survey on the rebel ironclad steamer Tennessee, captured in the engagement of yesterday, describing her hull, armor, machinery, armament, ammunition, the injuries to the vessel by shot, and those received when struck by the
Monongahela, Lackawanna, and Hartford.
You will also state the repairs necessary to be made to put her again in serviceable condition and the general internal arrangement of the vessel for light and ventilation, reporting to me in duplicate.
Very respectfully,
D. G. FARRAGUT,
Rear-Admiral, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
Captain T. A. JENKINS.
Captain JAMES ALDEN.
Commander W. E. LEROY.
Chief-Engineer THOM WILLIAMSON.

U. S. S. RICHMOND,
Inside of Mobile Bay, August 13, 1864.
SIR: In obedience to your order of the 6th instant, hereto appended, we have the honor respectfully to report that we have made a strict and careful survey of the ironclad casemated steamer. Tennessee, captured from the rebels in the engagement in this bay on the morning of the 5th instant by the fleet under your command, and submit as follows, viz:

Description of Tennessee's hull:
The hull of this vessel appears to be exceedingly strongly built in every part, the material being oak and yellow pine, with iron fastenings.
Length from stem to stern on deck, 209 feet. Greatest breadth of beam on deck, 48 feet. Mean average draft of water, about 14 feet.
The deck is covered fore and aft with wrought-iron plates 2 inches thick. The sides of the vessel are protected by an overhang, sponsoned and covered with two layers of 2-inch wrought iron. This overhang extends about 6 feet below the water-line. The sides of the vessel below
the deck are believed to be 8 feet thick, and the distance from the knuckle or the outside of the overhang on deck to the base of the casemate on either side is 10 feet.
The vessel is provided with a strong beak or prow which projects about 2 feet under water, formed by the continuation of the sponsoning, and covered with wrought-iron plates.

Casemate:
The casemate of the vessel is very strongly built. It is 78 feet 8 inches long and 28 feet 9 inches wide inside, the sides of the vessel extending 10 feet from it on either side at the greatest breadth of beam. The framing consists of heavy yellow pine beams 13 inches thick and placed close together vertically. Outside planking of yellow pine 5½ inches thick, laid on horizontally, and outside of this horizontal planking there is a layer of oak timber 4 inches thick, bolted on vertically, upon which the iron plating is secured. The plating or armor
of the casemate forward is 6 inches thick, consisting of three 2-inch iron plates of about 6 inches wide, each, and abaft and on the sides 5 inches thick, consisting of two 2-inch and one 1-inch iron plates of the same width.
The yellow-pine framing of the casemate is planked over inside with 2½-inch oak timber, laid on diagonally. The whole of the armor plating is fastened with through-bolts 1¼-inch diameter, with washers and nuts inside. The casemate is covered on top with wrought-iron gratings,
composed of bars 2 inches thick and 6 inches wide, laid flat, and supported on wooden beams 12 inches square and about 5 feet distant from each other. Some of these gratings are hinged and fitted to open from the inside. There are 10 gun ports in the casemate, two in broadside on
either side, three forward, and three aft. The forward and after ports to port and starboard are placed so as to enable the forward and after pilot guns to be used as broadside guns. The directly forward and after ports are on a line with the keel.
The ports are elongated and made just wide enough for the entrance of the muzzle of the guns in training, and only high enough to allow a moderate elevation and depression of the gun. The wooden backing is cut away on each side of the ports inside of the casemate to allow the guns to be trained about one point forward and aft. The gun ports are covered with wrought-iron sliding plates or
shutters 5 inches thick; those for the four broadside guns are fitted in slides. The sliding plates or shutters for the pivot guns are pivoted on the edge with one bolt that can be knocked out, detaching the shutter, if necessary, and are worked by a combination of racks and pinions.

Armament:
The armament of the Tennessee consists of six rifled guns, called by the rebels "Brooke rifles." The two pivot guns are 7 1/8-inch bore, and the four broadside guns are 6-inch bore. These guns are reinforced abaft by two wrought-iron bands 2 inches thick, respectively. Weight of
projectiles, 95 pounds and 110 pounds solid shot. The pivot guns are fitted on wooden slides, with a rack let into them. On an arm attached to the carriage there is a pinion for running out the gun, and by raising the arm the rack is thrown out of gear to allow the gun to recoil.
The arrangements for working the battery and the implements and machinery employed appear to be very good.

Quarters for officers and crew:
The cabin is large and comfortable for an ironclad vessel. The wardroom is situated immediately over the engine and is open to it, and although sufficiently commodious, we are of opinion that it would be impossible for officers or others to preserve their health or to live there
comfortably for any considerable length of time in the absence of a better and more perfect ventilation than is at present provided. The quarters of the crew are excellent and exceedingly comfortable for an ironclad vessel of her description. These quarters consist of a roomy berth deck, with rooms fitted up on either side for the junior officers. The berth deck communicates with the casemate by means of a large hatch, and is provided with two large ventilators through the deck outside of the casemate.
When in port and in moderately smooth sea, it is believed that the berth deck will be found to be sufficiently well ventilated to insure a reasonable degree of comfort to the crew; but when the ventilators are unshipped it is believed that the one blower now on board (and which is
also used for forcing the fires) is not sufficient to produce a proper circulation of fresh air.

Steering:
The steering arrangements appear to be very defective, and the accommodations for the pilot and helmsman bad. These defects can, however, be easily remedied and at a small cost.

Machinery:
The machinery of the vessel consists of two geared, noncondensing engines. Cylinders, 24 inches diameter and 7-foot stroke, with poppet valves arranged as is the usual mode on board of western river steamers.
These engines were taken out of the river steamer called the Alonzo Child. They are placed fore and aft in the vessel, geared to an idler shaft by spur gearing with wooden teeth, and from the idler shaft to the
propeller shaft by bevel cast-iron gear.

Boilers:
There are four horizontal flue boilers, 24 feet long, placed side by side, with one furnace under the whole of them; the products of combustion, returning through the flues, are delivered into one smoke
pipe. The engine and fire rooms are insufferably hot and very badly ventilated.
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I have files I created for several ships with pics and some info. If anyone is interesed I would be more than glad to share. I just collected pics from various sites and sources for the enjoyment of studying them.
Take care,
Dave