81st Anniversary of Pearl Harbor: Herbert Jacobson-- Part 3: His Parents Married on December 7, 1919

"My grandmother [Mabel], who lived to be 84-years old, never really could get a handle on her son being identified as MIA and presumed dead," Brad McDonald [nephew] said.

"It was really hard on her.  ...The day, Dec. 7, and the name Bert were kind of lost to her forever.  It was a double whammy for her.  The final irony is we are burying Bert on September 13, which was my grandmother's birthday."

Brad McDonald's mother, Norma, was very close to her brother Bert.  In fact, it was Bert who introduced Norma to her husband and Brad's father, Orville "Mac" McDonald, also a member of the U.S. Navy.  The two sailors had met while training together at Naval Station Great Lakes, and Bert brought Orville home for a visit.

"Without Bert, I wouldn't be here, Brad McDonald said.  "He played Cupid."

Bert Jacobson arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, at the age of 21, only 57 days after finishing his training at Great Lakes.  He was on duty the night before the attack and believed to be sleeping aboard the ship when the attack took place.

"He may have died before he even knew there was a war going on," McDonald said.  "Of course, there's no way to know that."

Continued in my Down Da Road I Go blog.

Charles V. Gridley's Family: 'You May Fire....'

I have been writing about this Civil War naval officer in my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog.  He made his greatest fame, however, in the Spanish-American War, when he commanded the USS Olympia when George Dewey gave his famed order:  "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley!"

Charles Gridley also had two other relatives involved in the Civil War.  His brother, Lucius Gridley, was a musician in Company A, 2nd Michigan Infantry and his mother, Ann Eliza Sholes Gridley was a Civil War nurse.

You can read about these three people in my Running the Blockade blog from last and this week.  Just go to My Blog List to the left of this and click on that blog.

--Old Secesh

Edward Bragg's Family-- Part 1: A Commodore in the U.S. Navy

Edward S. Bragg married Cornelia Colman Bragg ((1830-1914) and they had three daughters ab d a son.  The son, William Kohl Bragg (1856-1878) died young at age 21.   The oldest daughter, Kate Colman Bragg Henry (1854-1895) married Clarence W. Henry.  All three of these people are buried at Rienzi Cemetery in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Two daughters married military men.

Margaret Bragg Sherman (1859-1937) married Francis H. Sherman.  She and her husband are buried at Mount Mora Cemetery in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

U.S. Navy Commodore.  He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy as a midshipman in 1871 and served as an officer in the Navy.

During the Spanish-American War in 1898, he was a lieutenant-commander in the North Atlantic Squadron in command of the monitor USS Passaic.

After the war, he served as Captain on the Navy Flag Staff and retired as one of the Navy's last commodores.

--Old Secesh

Galvanized Yankees at Rock Island Prison-- Part 1

From the April 6, 2021, WVIK MPR Quad Cities  "Galvanized Yankees" by Roald Tweet.

We were just talking about the Rock Island Confederate prison camp at Rock Island at the McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table discussion group at the end of March.

In August 1863, Union troops arrived at Rock Island to build a prison camp for Confederates.  Beginning with 468 Confederates captured at the Battle of Lookout Mountain, who arrived in December 1863 the camp eventually housed  more than 12,000.  Author of "Gone With the Wind," Margaret Mitchell,  called it the "Andersonville of the North."

It was set up like other Union prisons, only this one also had  a Union Recruiting Office that was set up in the prison in 1864.  A Union naval officer  arrived in January and within a week had 660 former Confederates enlisted in the Navy.

One unrepentant Confederate wrote in his diary that they were "664 traitors to our country."  But, serving on a Union ship was seen by some Confederates as being better than living under the horrible prison conditions.  Plus, the Union Navy always faced manpower shortages.

In September 1864, the recruiting officers began getting prisoners enlisted to fight out West.  A large part of the prison was set up for these brand new Yankees.  Prisoners remaining loyal to the Confederacy derisively dubbed these men "Galvanized Yankees."

--Old Secesh

Black Service in the Civil War-- Part 2: 175 Regiments USCT, 20% of Union Navy

Existing volunteer black units  were converted into the United States Colored troops (USCT).  By the end of the conflict, there were 175 regiments of USCT, containing 178,000 enlisted soldiers making up approximately 10% of the Union Army.

Sixteen USCT soldiers earned the nation's highest honor, the Medal of Honor.

In addition, more than 18,000 black men and 3 women served in the U.S. Navy.  That number comprised  20% of all sailors in the war.

Black regiments were formed  in every Union state.  While mostly made up of black soldiers, other minorities  served including Indians and Asians.

--Old Secesh

The Answers to the 'Frank' Questions-- Part 1: Cmdr. Maxwell Woodhull

As I said in the last post, McHenry County Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) member Frank Crawford always has, or sends in if he is not there, some VERY difficult questions for us discussion group members to ponder and finally, most of the time anyway, give up and ask for the answer.  They almost always are about some person from the war.

1.  Who was Cmdr. Maxwell Woodhull, USN?

Killed by accident in Baltimore while inspecting defenses of that city when a 32-pdr. cannon fired a 32-pdr. right as he drove by and he took the full brunt of the impact.  Died instantly.

And, I should have known about him, but didn't.  I have written about him in my Running the Blockade :  Civil War Navy blog in the past.  Like they say, the first thing to go as you get older.  Go to the Running the Blockade blog, click on the Woodhull label and find out more about him and his accidental death.

Talk About Being In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time.  --Old B-Runner

More Mascots-- Part 3: Then There Was Bruin the Bear of the 12th Wisconsin

The Confederates had dogs as mascots as well.  But, there were not too many Navy dogs.

Bruin the Bear was with the 12th Wisconsin.  The bear was about one third grown when he joined Company E and was housed in a large crate at Camp Randall during training and kept on a long rope which allowed him to climb up to a 12-foot perch.

When the regiment left for the South in January 1862, the bear boarded the train with his comrades.  When they had to move between train stations, the bear would be at the head of the the column.  In Quincy, Illinois, the bear was perfectly comfortable sleeping in the snow while his comrades shivered the night away.

When they reached St. Joseph, Missouri, he was quite the target of attention from local slaves.

But, because they were going to march to Texas, the bear was sold in Leavenworth, Kansas, and that was the last known for him.

--Old Secesh

The Battle of Shiloh-- Part 1: USS Tyler, USS Lexington and Brig. Gen. William H.L. Wallace

As far as my research for the discussion group on this battle, I concentrated on several aspects of the battle.
**  The first was the role played by the two U.S. Navy ships, the USS Lexington and the USS Tyler.  I am writing about those two ships in my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog.

**  I also did some research on William H.L. Wallace (July 8, 1821 to April 10, 1862)  since he was from Illinois.  Of course, he was one of the two Wallaces commanding divisions at  the battle (the other one was Lew Wallace who wrote "Ben Hur" after the war).

W.H.L. Wallace was the original commander of the 11th Illinois Volunteer Infantry regiment which had suffered over 60% of its strength at the Battle of Fort Donelson.  His gallantry was noticed and with it a promotion from colonel to brigadier general.

A lawyer by trade, he had enlisted in the regiment as a private but was elected its colonel by the time it mustered in on July 30, 1861.

--Old Secesh

Answers to the Battle of Shiloh Quiz

I wrote down by quiz questions for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group in my last two posts.  Here are the answers:

1.  USS Lexington and USS Tyler

2.  Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Ohio were the Union ones.  The Confederate one was the Army of Mississippi.

Side Question:  Union Armies named after Rivers and would be the Army of the Tennessee.  Confederate named after regions, so their would be the Army of Tennessee.

3.  Southwest

4.  Strike Grant before Buell's troops arrived.

5.  Hornet's Nest

6   Corinth, Mississippi

7.  W. H. L. Wallace and Lew Wallace

Frank Question   William Hervey Lamar Wallace.

Second Frank Question.  Lew Wallace commanded the 11th Indiana and W.H.L. Wallace the 11th Illinois.

Did Ya' Pass?  Yaw'l.  --Old Secesh

Sackets Harbor in the Civil War-- Part 2: Sons of Union Veterans

Sackets Harbor became a major recruiting site where thousands of men entered federal service.

Visitors also learned about the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and their efforts to perpetuate the memory of Civil War veterans.

Tours of the Commandants House will be offered as well as what the Navy Yard looked like in 1861.

The Navy Shipyard operated until 1874 and built   the USRC (U.S. revenue cutter) Active in 1843.

--Old Secesh

Congress Gives Thanks-- Part 3: Union Naval Officers

Congress also gave its thanks to these Union naval officers:

**  Admiral David G. Farragut

**  Admiral David D. Porter

**  John L. Worden, who commanded the USS Monitor in its epic battle with the CSS Virginia.

**  Captain John A. Winslow, commanded the USS Kearsarge in its battle with the CSS Alabama.

--Old Secesh

McHenry Civil War Round Table Discussion Group Meets Saturday, July 29: Topic Is the Twenty Most Significant Events Of/Affecting the Civil War

The McHenry Civil War Round Table will be meeting Saturday, July 29, 2017, at the Panera Bread Company in Crystal Lake, Illinois, at US-14 and Main Street.

The meeting will go from 10: a.m. to noon.

This month's discussion is a good one and should get a lot of input.  It is "The Twenty Most Significant Events of / Affecting of the Civil War."

I have my list already prepared and will give some of them.  The rest will be next week.

1.  The enlistment of blacks into the Union Army.

2.  Northern industry.

3.  Collapse of the Southern will to fight.

4.  Advances in Naval architecture:  growth of steam power, bigger guns, ironclads and turrets.

5.  Special use warships and blockade-runners.

Looking forward to hearing what others have to say.

Should be a Good One.  See You There.  --Old Secesh

"Cotton" Reynolds' Civil War Collection Gone in a Matter of Hours-- Part 2

James Carlos "Cotton" Reynolds was a renowned historian and story teller and was considered a walking encyclopedia of the Civil War who could tell specific stories behind each and every artifact in his collection.

The biggest item was the clothing and equipment that had belonged to Union Naval Captain William Turner which went for$4,700.  It was sold to collector Mayo Cameron, who plans to display it as his museum in North Carolina.

Some items sold for less than $10 while others brought in thousands.  A sword owned by W.J. McEloy, an officer from Georgia, went for $3,250.  (It is stamped CS, W.J. McEloy, Macon, Georgia.)  Another sword
 from the Confederate 1st Cherokee Regiment went for $2,350.

A highlight of the auction was a rare collection of John Primble knives that went for $7,500.

Reynolds' stories about the artifacts were also included in the purchase.

--I Would Have Liked To Have Had the Money to Bid.  --Old Secesh

The Cushing Brothers-- Part 2: Milton Cushing

Three of the four sons of Milton Birmingham and Mary B. Cushing achieved fame in the Civil War and beyond.

The oldest brother, Milton, born in 1837 in Ohio served in the U.S. Navy, as did brother William, during the war as a paymaster from August 1864 into 1866.  he died in 1877 in Dunkirk, New York.  Buried at Forest Hill cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.

The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps gives this information on Milton Cushing:

Born Ohio.
Appointed from New York Aug. 20, 1864
Entered service as Acting Assistant Paymaster
Attached to steam gunboat USS Seneca, North Atlantic Blockading Squadron 1864-1865.  The USS Seneca was one of the 90-Day Gunboats built in that amount of time in 1861 and took part if the attacks on Fort Fisher in 1865, when Milton Cushing was on board.  I imagine at some point he got together with brother William while on station off Wilmington.
Assigned to steam gunboat USS Chicora, Gulf squadron 1865-1866
Appointed Passed Assistant Paymaster, U.S. Navy July 23, 1865.
Assigned to steamer USS Suwanee, North Pacific Squadron 1866-1868
Commissioned Paymaster in 1869.

It's a Navy Brother.  --Old Secesh

The Smith Briggs Again

ACW: On This Day.

OCTOBER 4TH, 1864

Federal expedition from Yorktown to Matthews County, Virginia. Navy gunboats USS Commodore Jones, Putnam, Stepping Stone and Army gunboats Flora Temple, C.P. Smith, Smith Briggs, General Jessup, Sam Ruatan, Young Rover and transport Maple Leaf destroyed over 150 small boats and sloops and captured beef cattle en route to Richmond.

The expedition reported that the countryside was full of forage, corn, fodder, oats, sheep, poultry and cattle.

--Old Secesh

Lt. Charles Henry Swasey, USN

From the Oct. 3rd Tannton (Mass.) Daily Gazette "Who Lies Here--A lieutenant's family."

The grave of Charles Henry Swasey, Lt. USN, is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in the family plot. The monument has a concrete naval cannon atop it.

Swasey was born June 21, 1839, and appointed as a midshipman at the US Naval Academy Sept. 29, 1854. Upon commissioning, he went to the East Indies on the USS Hartford.

On August 31, 1861, he was commissioned lieutenant and became the executive officer on the USS Varuna. He and his ship served with distinction at the Battle of New Orleans where the Varuna was lost after being rammed two times each by the CSS Governor Moore (which also fired a hole through its own bow to hit the Varuna when it could depress its bow gun sufficiently) and the CSS Stonewall Jackson.

Eight sailors on the Varuna received the Congressional medal of Honor for their roles in the action.

He then became executive officer on the USS Sciota and served in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.

On Oct. 4, 1862, the Sciota battled Confederate forces near Donaldson, Louisiana. Lt. Swasey was wounded by the first shot of the battle at 1:30 pm. A 12-pdr. rifled shot hit him in the right hip and took off his right hand. He was dead at 3 pm.

Reportedly his last words were, "Tell mother I tried to be a good man." Just 23 years old.

Two destroyers have been named after him.

Not Forgotten. --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

Garrett J. Pendergrast, USN

From Wikipedia.

From Dec. 5, 1802. Died November 7, 1862. One of the oldest officers in the Union Navy during the war.

He was a flag officer on the USS Cumberland during the action at Gloucester Point and it was under his orders that Lt. Thomas O. Selfridge reconnoitered the Confederate defenses. He was the uncle of Austin Pendergrast, the hapless commander of the USS Water Witch when it was captured.

During the Mexican War, Pendergrast commanded the USS Boston He was also the commanding officer of the USS Merrimack (which later became the ironclad CSS Virginia) when it was commissioned.

Starting April 24th, the Cumberland and supporting ships began seizing Confederate ships and privateers off Fort Monroe in the Chesapeake Bay, capturing 16. The first major blockade operation of the war.

When the Cumberland was sunk by the CSS Virginia, Pendergrast was no longer the ship's commander.

In July, 1862, Pendergrast became a commodore and was assigned to the command of the Philadelphia Naval Yard where he died November 7, 1862, of a paralytic stroke.

He is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. Find-A-Grave shows a large obelisk with an anchor on it. It also says that Austin Pendergrast is buried at the same spot and that Garrett was his father.

I had Never Heard of Him. --Old B-Runner

It's a Naval Thing

From This Day in Naval History.


AUGUST 25th

1843-- The steam frigate USS Mississippi arrives in Gibraltar after completing the first trans-Atlantic crossing by a US steam-powered ship. Steamers played a big role in the war.


AUGUST 26th

1839-- The brig USS Washington seizes the slaver Amistad near Montauk Point, New York. Quite a few US naval vessels were involved in stopping the illegal African slave trade before the war.

1861-- Union amphibious force lands near Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina. The first of many land-sea operations during the war, the largest of which was at Fort Fisher.

1865-- The Civil War ends with the following Naval strength: 58,500 men and 600 ships.


AUGUST 29th

1861-- The US Navy captures the forts guarding Hatteras Inlet, NC.

Sure Helped Union Morale After the First Battle of Bull Run. --Old B-Runner

USS Granite City: Confederate/Union/Confederate

Back on August 17th, I was writing about the USS Penguin (kind of an unlikely name for a naval warship if you ask me) which had been responsible for destroying the first blockade-runner off the Cape Fear/Wilmington area in 1861.

Later in the war, it captured a Confederate blockade-runner called the Granite City off Texas. It seemed to me that I had heard of a USS Granite City, maybe even written about it, so it was to good old Wiki I went.

This blockade-runner had a very interesting career, and, I had been right, at one time it was the USS Granite City.

It had started out as a blockade-runner and had been captured. After condemnation in prize court, the US Navy bought it and turned it into a warship.

Later, the Confederates captured the ship and it was converted into a blockade-runner and then run ashore by the Penguin.

Not Your Usual Ship's History. --Old B-Runner