Swords from Battle of Mobile in Question-- Part 1

From the Sept. 30th Macon.com (Georgia) "Man wants Civil War artifacts back from Cannonball House" by Joe Kovac, Jr..

This is the article that cost me so much time last week. But, I didn't know anything about the people or that aspect of the battle.

A lawsuit was filed Sept. 29th over a Confederate Naval officer's sword captured at the Battle of Mobile Bay by a man who wanted it back from the Macon museum. Also, the sword of Captain James E. "Fighting Jim" Jouett, who later became a rear admiral in the US Navy.

In the late 1800s, Jouett gave his sword and that of Confederate Navy Captain Peter U. Murphrey, who died in 1876, to Murphrey's daughter. Murphrey had surrendered his sword to Jouett when his vessel, the CSS Selma was captured by the USS Metacomet.

The suit was brought by Murphrey's great-great-great grandson, Michael H. Dunn of Atlanta. He contends that a flag, the two swords and other artifacts loaned to the Cannonball House decades ago should be returned to him. Some of them are in bad shape and others lost by the Friends of the Cannonball House.

The swords and artifacts were passed down for generations in the Mumphrey family until 1967, when they were loaned to the local United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter for display in the house.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

Why It Takes So Long To Do This Blog

Earlier today, while looking at the Civil War Interactive site, I came across an article about a family suing the Cannonball House in Macon, Georgia, to retrieve items lent to the place. Two of the artifacts were the swords of a Union and Confederate naval officer, Captain James "Fighting Jim" Jouett, USN, and Captain Peter U. Murphrey, CSN. I had never heard of either man.

The Confederate sword had been surrendered to the Union officer at the Battle of Mobile Bay when the USS Metacomet forced the CSS Selma to surrender.

Evidently, the museum, which i have heard of, wasn't taking very good care of the items.

Well, then, I had to look up the two men. James Jouett went on to become a rear admiral after the war. Murphrey, a former US Navy officer, was wounded at the battle, but recovered and eventually returned to Mobile to live until drowning in it at the home of friend Paul Ravesies, who I also had to look up.

This ended up taking over two hours.

I Will be Writing About It. --Old B-Runner

Retracing the CSS Neuse's Career

All 25-miles of it.

From the May/June Confederate Veteran Magazine.

There was a picture of compatriots Scott Huddle and Chris Mitchell of the 47 Regiment NC Troops Camp 166, Wake Forest, NC, standing in front of the remains of the CSS Neuse's hull in Kinston.

They paddled the same 25-mile route that the vessel took down the Neuse River from Whitehall (now Seven Springs) to Kinston.

And, that was about it for the ship's career.

Because of Union sea power, several Confederate naval bases were moved inland along rivers for protection. This particular ironclad was built in what was a cornfield near Goldsboro before the war.

Had the Neuse River been a bit deeper, the ship a little less draft and had it been completed sooner, it might have had a more interesting career.

The remains of the hull were dredged up from the river at Kinston in the 1960s and today housed in an open pavilion where the ship is fast deteriorating. Plans are in the works for an enclosed site. A 100% scale replica of the ship, the CSS Neuse II, is located in Kinston.

Ramming Speed!! --Old B-Runner

Wings Over the Neuse II

From the August 12th Kinston.com.

Darn, I missed out on it again as it was held this past Friday. Two of my favorite things came together, bbq wings and the Confederate Navy in Kinston, North Carolina. I've written about it before. Maybe next year.

This was a fundraiser put on by the CSS Neuse II Foundation, a group of volunteers responsible for the full-size replica of the original CSS Neuse, whose hull is nearby.

The wings were served from 10:30 am to 6 pm or until run out and for $5 you get 5 wings, celery, carrots and dipping sauce. The good stuff could be picked up or eaten on the CSS Neuse II grounds. They plan to cook 5,000 wings in a tomato-based, mild, sweet, but not spicy. What? No Carolina bbq sauce?

The first Wings Over the Neuse was in 2009 to raise money for a memorial to Ted Sampley who was the driving force for the full-sized replica of the original ship. He had died earlier that year.

The second was for Alton Stapleford, the man responsible for designing and building the ship. This last one was to raise money to finish the Stapleford memorial and improve the landscaping on the grounds. Stapleford's memorial will be dedicated October 8th at another even called Breakfast on the Boat.

Eatin' and Supportin'. --Old B-R'er

Naval Affairs 150 Years Ago: Eads Ironclads, More River Help and Confederate Raiders

From the Civil War Naval Chronology.

August 7, 1861-- The War department contracted with J.B. Eads of St. Louis for construction of seven shallow-draft inronclads. The Eads ships, named after river cities: Cairo, Carondolet, Cincinnati, Louisville, Mound City, Pittsburg and St. Louis, were the core of Union Naval forces operating in western waters.

Constructor Samuel M. Pook, USN, assisted in their construction and the ships were sometimes referred to as "Pook's Turtles."


AUGUST 12, 1861-- Gunboats USS Tyler, Lexington and Conestoga, procured and fitted out by Commander J. Rodgers, arrived at Cairo, Illinois, to protect the strategic position at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.


AUGUST 13, 1861-- Commander Bulloch, CSN, wrote from London to Confederate Secretary of the Navy Mallory that he had inspected available vessels in England and had not come up with any that would be of service to the new country. Very few wooden ships in the British service "...and their iron ships, though fast, well-built, and staunch enough for voyages of traffic, are too thin in the plates and light in the deck frames and stanchions to carry guns of much weight. I therefore made arrangements to contract with two eminent builders for a gun vessel each...."

One of these would be the CSS Alabama.

Lots Going on Back Then. --Old B-Runner

Best Civil War Naval Commander Voting

I went to the http:civilwarnavy150.blogspot.com site today.

Voting continues into the semi-final round and is set up in brackets.

There are seven days left to vote if you're interested.

UNION NAVY:

D. D. Porter-- 83%
William Cushing-- 17% (I voted for him.)

Both of these men were at Fort Fisher. Dixon commanded the fleet during both attacks. Cushing was in the naval attacking column and went on various expeditions in the area.

CONFEDERATE NAVY:

Raphael Semmes-- 75% (Probably because of his mustache.)
Matthew Maury-- 25% (I voted for him.)

Kind of a Neat Idea to get Folks Stirred Up for the 150th. --Old B-R'er

Who Was the Greatest Union Naval Officer?

The Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial site has been running a vote on who readers consider to be the greatest-ever Union Naval officer.

In the first round of voting from October 10, 2010, you picked from:

John Worden
David G. Farragut
David Dixon Porter
Louis Goldsborough

I voted for Porter as he was at Fort Fisher.

The second round, October 17, 2010:

Samuel P. Lee
William Cushing
Charles Wilkens
John Winslow

I voted for Cushing as he was at Fort Fisher also.

Makes You Think. --Old B-R'er

North Carolina Confederate Marine and Sailor Roster

From the August 15th News 14 Carolina "Historian to create Confederate Marine and sailor roster" by Andrea Pacetti.

Generally, very little is known about the Confederate Navy and Marines, but Sion Harrington, a historian with the North Carolina Department of Archives and History is making a complete roster of all North Carolinians who served in the two branches.

He figures around 2,500 out of the 135,000 to 140,000 were from the state.

One was Lt. Francis Hawkes Cameron of Hillsborough who later became North Carolina's Adjutant General.

The Archives and History department has what is considered to be the largest collection of enlisted Confederate Marine correspondence in the world written by two Washington County brothers.

One said he was going to be put in the Marines and he didn't even know what they were. He further even misspelled it "mariens." He considered serving in it a better deal as he got better clothes and food.

There were many transfers from the Army to the Navy because it was less strenuous. Some had been wounded and could no longer endure rigorous marching.

Even though the Confederate Navy and Marines were tremendously outsized by the Army and their Union counterparts, they still participated in many operations and battles.

If anyone has any information, they are urged to contact Harrington at 1-919-807-7310.

Making a Little-Known Aspect of the War More Known. --Old B-Runner

Thomas L. Wragg, CSN and Army

I came across the mention of the book "A Confederate Chronicle: The Life of Civil War Survivor" by Pamela Chase Hain, University of Missouri Press.

It concerns Confederate veteran Thomas L. Wragg who served in both the Confederate Army and Navy. he was also captured and held prisoner. Ms. Hain uses his letters to tell the story.

Wragg was wealthy when he left home at age 18 to join the Army and fought at the Battle of Bull Run.

In 1862, he joined the Navy and trained on the CSS Georgia before transferring to the ironclad CSS Atlanta. When that ship was captured, he became a prisoner and was sent to Fort Warren Prison in Boston.

Sounds Like a Very Interesting War Experience. --B-R'er

Naval Burials in Wilmington's Oakdale Cemetery

JOHN N. Maffitt

EUGENE ANDERSON MOFFIRR-- served on the CSS Arkansas.

JAMES SPRUNT-- Served on blockade-runners and wrote the book "Chronicles of the Cape Fear. Helped Emma Maffitt write a book on her husband.

MARSDEN BELLAMY-- assistant paymaster on the CSS Richmond.

COMMANDER JOSEPH PRICE-- served on the CSS Georgia. Commanded CSS Sampson and CSS Neuse.

ROSE O'NEAL GREENHOW-- Confederate spy. Drowned on the blockade-runner Condor.

BENJAMIN W. BEERY-- Builder of the CSS North Carolina. Grave in Section b, lOT 53.

JAMES CASSIDY-- Builder of the CSS Raleigh. Buried Section B, Lot 21.


A Lot of Navy Here. --Old B-Runner

How Much is That Civil War Item in the Window?

Two Civil War flags captured from the CSS Tennessee, by Lt. Cmdr. G.H. Perkins and later gifted to his friend Captain Noyes as a New Year's present are at auction and expected to bring between $15,000 and $25,000 for the pair. They are accompanied with a card reading:

Signal Flags
Captured from the Rebel
Ram Steamer Tennessee
Mobile Bay August 5, 1864
By the Monitor "Chickasaw"

DESCRIPTION:

One is made of white muslin with the main panel appliqued with three navy blue crosses. stencilled with CSS Tennessee on back. 18 by 55 and a half inches.

The second one is 18 by 40 inches and made of tree alternation red and white vertical muslin panels.

You can view the flags at www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Sure Would Look Nice in My Civil War Room, But Not at That Price. --Old B-Runner

Museum of the Confederacy Considering Fort Monroe Satellite Location

From the May 19th Daily Press in Virginia.

Richmond's Museum of the Confederacy is considering opening a satellite unit at Fort Monroe by the Chesapeake Bay where it will have a focus on their naval artifacts. The famous battle between the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor took place near here. Two other locations are being considered at Appomattox and Fredericksburg which will have other emphasis.

The museum has a large naval collection of swords, uniforms and models currently in storage because of lack of viewing space. On group of interest is the uniform, documents and effects of Robert Dabney Minor who was on the CSS Virginia but wounded the first day of battle against the wooden ships, March 8, 1862. His uniform if blue and gray, the blue from his days in the US Navy before the war.

The museum also has belongings of Matthew Fontaine Maury, the famous cartographer, historian and astronomer of the Confederate Navy.

Another item of interest is the battle flag of the CSS Shenandoah which carried on the war after the South surrendered.

With Fort, or Fortress, Monroe soon to be turned over to Virginia from the US military, this would be a great way to exhibit these artifacts, so hoping the plan goes through.

Hopefully, certain groups won't be antagonized about the possibility of people seeing more Confederate stuff.

A Museum By Any Other Name. --Old B-Runner

The USS Underwriter

From Wikipedia.

Yesterday, I wrote about the capture of the USS Underwriter by John Taylor Wood.

Here's some information about the USS Underwriter:
341 tons, 170 feet long, 23'7" beam, built 1852 and mounted two cannons.

The US Navy bought it August 23, 1861 and sent it to serve in the Potomac River Flotilla before joining the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron where it operated in the sounds and rivers because of its shallow draft. It assisted in the capture of New Bern, NC March 13-14, 1862.

After its destruction, it was found that the boilers and engine was in good shape and was salvaged. Its exact wreck site was located in 1964.

Now, You Know. --Old B-Runner

John Taylor Wood, CSN and the USS Underwriter

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

Confederate Ironclad at Tarboro, NC

I had an alert from the HMdb about the Union assault on Tarboro, NC, in 1863. The enemy force destroyed a Confederate ironclad on the stocks where it was being built. I had never heard of this one.

Doing some research, I found out that it was to be a sister ship to the CSS Albemarle with similar dimensions. It might have been named the CSS Pamlico had it been completed.

There was another one being built in Tarboro but it was destroyed to prevent capture in April 1865.

Of course, I am familiar with the CSS Neuse, CSS Albemarle, CSS North Carolina, CSS Raleigh and CSS Wilmington which were all North Carolina-built ironclads.

There was another one being built at Edward's Ferry which was to be an improved and larger version of the CSS Albemarle and to mount four guns, but it was destroyed to prevent capture April 7, 1865. The author of the Civil War Ironclads and Blockade Runners site believes it might have been named the CSS Roanoke had it been completed.

Most info from the Civil War Ironclads and Blockade Runners site.

Some Stuff I Didn't Know. --B-R'er

Hawaiians Serving in the Civil War

The May 11th Honolulu Advertiser had an article that I never thought about, but according to one group, there were people from Hawaii who served in the Civil War. "Group seeks funds for memorial honoring Island sons in the Civil War."

The Hawaii Sons of the Civil War Memorial Committee is looking for money to purchase a bronze plaque mounted on a granite base to honor those from the state who served. It will be placed at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Hawaii's Civil War Round Table says the exact number in service is difficult to determine because native Hawaiians were given names when they went to sea with whaling ships that went to join Union and Confederate navies.

Some Hawaiians known to have served:

** JAMES BUSH-- Native Hawaiian served in the US Navy.

** Twelve Hawaiians who served aboard the CSS Shenandoah.

** SAMUEL CHAPMAN ARMSTRONG-- son of Hawaiian missionaries who became a Union brigadier general and founded Hampton University.

Sure Never Thought of Hawaiians As Serving in the Civil War. --B-R

Master Thomas L. Wragg, CSN

Today, a new marker will be dedicated at the Eastern Cemetery in Quincy, Florida, for Master Thomas L. Wragg. A member of the Civil War Navy and Marine Forum on Yahoo posted it.

I looked up his name on the internet, but couldn't find anything so asked the group about it.

A member said he served on the CSS Richmond and was captured on the CSS Atlanta. After release, he served on other Confederate ships. After the war, he moved around a lot until finally settling and practicing medicine in Quincy, Florida.

he was murdered (that has to be an interesting story as well) and buried in Eastern Cemetery.

Of interest, his great uncle Christopher Gadsden created the famous Gadsden Flag during the Revolutionary War. It was yellow with a coiled rattlesnake and the words "Don't Tread on Me." Christopher was a major leader of the patriots in South Carolina. I remember carrying one during our strike in 1994. Kind of sums up my feeling at the time.

A Tip of the Hat to the Florida SCV for Remembering History. --Blockade-R

Sailor and Marine Re-enactment in North Carolina

WNCT Radio in Greenville, NC, reports that there will be a Civil War sailors and Marines re-enactment at the CSS Neuse State Historic Site on the Neuse River in Kinston November 15-16th.

Members of the several North Carolina and Virginia re-enactment groups will be demonstrating aspects of naval life including navigational techniques, daily shipboard living, and other nautical skills.

A highlight of the two days will be a rare night time artillery firing demonstration. Visitors are asked to bring flashlights to get to the demonstration area.

Sure Would Have Liked to See This Since My Major Civil War Interest is Naval. --Old B-R'er

CSS Jackson Photo

Dale Cox, in his January 2nd entry on his Civil War Florida blog had a rare photo of the CSS Jackson shortly after its launch at Columbus, Georgia. It was captured in April of 1865.

Also, the CSS Chattahoochee was constructed on the river with the same name. A third vessel, the CSS Viper was operational at the time of Columbus' capture and was designed to ram a torpedo into the side Union ships. It was hoped to be used in an attack on Union ships off Apalachcola.

The wrecks of the Jackson and Chattahoochee are at the Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga..

The Viper was captured, but was lost in a storm while being towed to Key West.

Now, You Have Some Information of the Confederate Navy on Inland Waters. --B-Runner