I should mention that the USS Gettysburg was one of many captured blockade-runners which became Union blockaders of Southern coasts. What better way to capture a blockade-runner than to use a former one? It was the Margaret and Jessie which was captured off Wilmington, NC, Nov. 5, 1863.
Roswell Lamson was mustered into the Navy after the outbreak of war and before he graduated from the Academy, completing his studies at sea.
Lamson commanded the USS Wilderness which towed the powdership USS Louisiana, just before midnight of Christmas Eve, 1864, to within 300 yards of Fort Fisher before cutting her loose. Lt. Samuel Preston was aboard the Louisiana setting fuses. He graduated first in the Class of 1862, the reason Lamson was #2.
The next day, the two lieutenants had breakfast with Admiral Porter aboard the flagshup USS Malvern, another captured blockade-runner.
(I didn't find mention elsewhere of Preston being on the Louisiana, which was commanded by Cmdr. A. C. Rhind who set the fuses to blow up the 215 tons of gunpowder aboard the ship. No damage was done to the fort.)
The Battle Next. --Old B-Runner
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