From the May 10th HMDB covering a Civil War Trails marker regarding Wood and the capture and sinking of the USS Underwriter by New Bern, North Carolina.
In January 1864, Lee wrote Davis that he thought a "bold party" could go down the Neuse River at night and capture a Federal gunboat and use it in an assault on New Bern that was to take place with 5000 Confederates and 16 cannons under Gen. Pickett.
On Jan. 31st, a Confederate Navy raiding party left Kinston and rowed along the river. John Taylor Wood, nephew of Davis and grandson of former President Zachary Taylor was in command. He had experience, having been on several other "cutting out" expeditions" that had captured US ships.
With him he had between 250 and 300 men 25 Marines and 35 officers on 14 boats.
They found the 186 foot long USS Underwriter mounting four cannons. Wood divided his force into two divisions. At 2:30 am, Feb. 2nd, Wood boarded the ship and captured it after ten minutes of brutal hand-to-hand fighting captured it.
Unfortunately, the fires were banked and the ship came under fire from Union forts Stevenson and Anderson and Wood had to destroy the ship. At 4:30 am, the ship blew up.
Confederate losses were 5 killed, 15 wounded and 4 captured. The Union lost 9 killed and 20 wounded.
Lt. Benjamin Loyall was later promoted to commander of the CSS Neuse. Just sixteen days after the attack, one enlisted man lost his life in the H.L. Hunley's attack on the USS Housatonic.
The wreck of the Underwriter still lies at the bottom of the Neuse River.
The marker was erected by the Lenoir County Battlefields Commission in Kinston.
Kinston is one town that has done a lot with its Civil War heritage.
A Tale of Bravery. --Blockade-R
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