Happy Birthday USMC!! Role During the Civil War

Two battalions of Continental Marines were formed  on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as a branch on infantry troops able to fight on land or at sea.  This makes the proud organization 246 years old today.

The Marine Corps served a small role in the Civil War, mostly involved with blockade duty.  As more states seceded in the early days before war was fought,  about a third of the officer corps left U.S. service and started the Confederate States Marine Corps.

There was a battalion of Marine recruits performed poorly at the First Battle of Bull Run and retreated with the rest of the forces.

Blockade duty included sea-based amphibious operations to secure forward bases.  One of these occurred at Tybee Island, Georgia in late November 1861, when Marines and sailors from the USS Flag landed a reconnaissance in force to occupy the lighthouse and Martello Tower on the  northern end of the island .  

These positions were later used as the base of Army operations against nearby Fort Pulaski.

--Old Secesh

Marines in the Civil War

From Wikipedia.

The United States Marines were generally relegated to a minor role during the Civil War, most of their duty being on blockade duty.  As more and more Southern states seceded, the Corps lost a third of its officers who started the Confederate States Marine Corps.

A Marine company performed poorly at the First Battle of Bull Run and retreated along with the rest of the Union Army.

Blockade duty included sea-based amphibious landings.

In late November 1861 a group of Marines and sailors from the USS Flag landed in force at Tybee Island, Georgia and occupied the Lighthouse and Martello Tower at the northern end of the island.  It would later be an Army base for the bombardment of Fort Pulaski.

--Old SecMarine

48th New York Infantry-- Part 2: Coastal Operations and Fort Fisher

Continued from December 5, 2016.

The 48th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized in Brooklyn, New York, on September 10, 1861 under Col. James H. Perry.

They were primarily engaged in coastal operations.

First, they were in the Port Royal, S.C., expedition and then in the siege of Fort Pulaski and capture of Tybee Island in Georgia.  In 1863, they took part in the attack on Fort Wagner on Morris Island and later were at the Battle of Olustee in Florida.

Then, the went inland and were at the Siege of Petersburg and Battle of Drewry's Bluff in Virginia.

Though they were not at Fort Fisher, N.C., during the first attack, they were in one the second one in January 1865.  They then took part in the Cape Fear River operations leading to the capture of Wilmington: Sugar Loaf on Feb 11, Fort Anderson Feb. 18-20, Fort Strong on Feb. 21 and capture of Wilmington on Feb. 22.

--Old Secesh

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: Hot Time in Old Pensacola

END OF NOVEMBER 1861

WAY OUT WEST-- Nov. 14th-- US cutter Mary seized Confederate privateer Nova off San Francisco. I had no idea there was action out in California.

HOT TIME IN OLD PENSACOLA-- Nov. 22nd Two days of heavy bombardment began from USS Niagara and USS Richmond and Fort Pickens against Confederate Fort McRee, the Pensacola Navy Yard and the town of Warrenton. Confederate defenses damaged as well as USS Richmond.

Also on the 22nd, the USMC authorized to enlist an additional 500 privates and a proportionate number of officers.

TYBEE SEIZED-- Nov. 24th Landing parties from US ships take possession of Tybee Island, Georgia on the Savannah River. Wrote Flag officer DuPont, "This abandonment of Tybee Island is due to the terror inspired by the bombardment of Forts Walker and Beauregard and is a direct fruit of the victory of the 7th [capture of Port Royal Sound].

GETTING EXPENSIVE-- Nov. 26th Wrote DuPont "The flag is hoisted on the lighthouse and martello tower at Tybee...Shoes are $8 a pair in Charleston. Salt $7 a bushel, no coffee--women going to the interior--[Captain James I.] Lardner has closed the port so effectively that they can no longer get fish even." Well, that might be exaggerating just a bit.

It's a Navy Thing. You Wouldn't Understand. --Old B-Runner