From the Civil War Naval Chronology, 145 years ago today.
Saturday, February 11, 1865-- Union ships Keystone State, Aries, Montgomery, Howquah, Emma and Vicksburg engage Half Moon battery, called battery Gatlin by Confederates) about six miles north of Fort Fisher. This bombardment pinned down General Hoke's division while General Schofield's troops advanced along the beach.
The weather got worse, preventing landing of pontoons and the Union troops withdrew to the Fort Fisher lines.
Porter's gunboats also engaged banks on the west bank of the river.
Union forces were continuing their march to Wilmington.
Half Moon Battery was built in 1862 on the west side of Myrtle Grove Sound in present day Carolina Beach, NC and mounted six guns. The site today is marked and preserved at the Forest-By-the-Sea condo complex. (From East Coast Forts).
When You Drop Half Trou? --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Major Reilly's Sword
The sword of Major James Reilly is on display at the Fort Fisher Museum. It was made in 1860 in Massachusetts and was used to surrender fort Fisher after both General Whiting and Colonel Lamb were wounded.
Reilly turned it over to Union Captain E. Lewis Moore who returned it in 1893. It has been in the possession of Reilly's descendants since then who have now loaned it to the state park.
The official surrender of the fort occurred on the night of Jan. 15, 1865 and was by General Whiting to Union General Alfred Terry.
Major Reilly was an enlisted man in the US Army before the Civil War and participated in the Seminole, Indian and Mexican wars.
Let's Hear it for the Major. --Old B-Runner
Reilly turned it over to Union Captain E. Lewis Moore who returned it in 1893. It has been in the possession of Reilly's descendants since then who have now loaned it to the state park.
The official surrender of the fort occurred on the night of Jan. 15, 1865 and was by General Whiting to Union General Alfred Terry.
Major Reilly was an enlisted man in the US Army before the Civil War and participated in the Seminole, Indian and Mexican wars.
Let's Hear it for the Major. --Old B-Runner
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Union Fort Warren
September 20, 2009 Boston Globe.
Construction on this fort by Boston began in 1833 and continued for decades. it still wasn't finished at the onset of the Civil War and by then was practically useless as a defensive position due to advances in artillery and tactics.
It never faced an enemy attack, but did house hundreds of Confederates as prisoners, including James M. Mason and John Slidell of the Trent Affair and Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens.
Union soldiers at the fort are credited with writing the "John Brown's Body" marching song which later was the basis of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
Don't Fence Me In. --B-R'er
Construction on this fort by Boston began in 1833 and continued for decades. it still wasn't finished at the onset of the Civil War and by then was practically useless as a defensive position due to advances in artillery and tactics.
It never faced an enemy attack, but did house hundreds of Confederates as prisoners, including James M. Mason and John Slidell of the Trent Affair and Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens.
Union soldiers at the fort are credited with writing the "John Brown's Body" marching song which later was the basis of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
Don't Fence Me In. --B-R'er
Eating On Union Ships
Back to Steve Hessons informative posts on the Civil War Navy and Marine Forum. Look back to the posts in September and October 2009.
Crews on both sides supplemented meals by hunting ( for the brown water Navy and fishing for both. This was true of Confederates as well. They could also purchase food from local vendors on "bum boats" and there were also licensed sutlers (like the Army).
Hot foods were often stews and soups. Rice and beans were a staple. Onions, carrots, potatoes or pork was also tossed in when available. There was also cold salt meat, cheese, the ever stand-by hard tack, soft bread and pickles.
Officers bought their own rations.
Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood. --Old B-Runner
Crews on both sides supplemented meals by hunting ( for the brown water Navy and fishing for both. This was true of Confederates as well. They could also purchase food from local vendors on "bum boats" and there were also licensed sutlers (like the Army).
Hot foods were often stews and soups. Rice and beans were a staple. Onions, carrots, potatoes or pork was also tossed in when available. There was also cold salt meat, cheese, the ever stand-by hard tack, soft bread and pickles.
Officers bought their own rations.
Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood. --Old B-Runner
Monday, February 8, 2010
Life in the Union Navy During the Civil War
From the Civil War Navy and Marine Re-enactor's Yahoo e-mail group website.
Last year, sigsaye2000 had quite a few postings that I found of interest. This person knows a lot about life in the navy during the war.
These are some of the things he had to say.
MEALS-- rations were seasonal and most ships had little stowage. Ships on blockade station received fresh provisions such as seasonal vegetables, meat and ice, every three days. Some ships even had primitive refrigeration stowage in the form of ice boxes insulated with straw and copper lines.
Ships operating on the rivers normally had army marching rations of salt pork and hard tack because they were not designed for sustained operations.
Sigsaye2000 wrote in much more detailed fashion, but I have shortened it considerably. I will returning to his postings in the future.
Eatin' High Off the Hog Out on the Blockade. --Old B-Runner
Last year, sigsaye2000 had quite a few postings that I found of interest. This person knows a lot about life in the navy during the war.
These are some of the things he had to say.
MEALS-- rations were seasonal and most ships had little stowage. Ships on blockade station received fresh provisions such as seasonal vegetables, meat and ice, every three days. Some ships even had primitive refrigeration stowage in the form of ice boxes insulated with straw and copper lines.
Ships operating on the rivers normally had army marching rations of salt pork and hard tack because they were not designed for sustained operations.
Sigsaye2000 wrote in much more detailed fashion, but I have shortened it considerably. I will returning to his postings in the future.
Eatin' High Off the Hog Out on the Blockade. --Old B-Runner
Death of Captain deRossett in 1910
The Wilmington (NC) Star News has a column every month where they look back at past issues and report on things going on at the time. The Feb. 3rd issue reported on an event 100 and 50 years earlier.
February 1, 1910, the death of Captain Armand LaMar deRossett, who had been hospitalized and whose death was somewhat expected, but still hurt the community deeply as he was well-liked.
He was born in Wilmington in 1842 and was attending Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut when the war broke out. He returned home and joined the Confederate Army. He served at Fort Caswell and Confederate Point, which later became Fort Fisher.
He became a lieutenant in the 3rd NC and served with his brother-in-law Col. Gaston Meares in most of the Richmond-area battles. he was badly wounded at the Battles of Antietam and again at the battle of Averasboro near Dunn, North Carolina.
A Confederate Hero. --Old B-Runner
February 1, 1910, the death of Captain Armand LaMar deRossett, who had been hospitalized and whose death was somewhat expected, but still hurt the community deeply as he was well-liked.
He was born in Wilmington in 1842 and was attending Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut when the war broke out. He returned home and joined the Confederate Army. He served at Fort Caswell and Confederate Point, which later became Fort Fisher.
He became a lieutenant in the 3rd NC and served with his brother-in-law Col. Gaston Meares in most of the Richmond-area battles. he was badly wounded at the Battles of Antietam and again at the battle of Averasboro near Dunn, North Carolina.
A Confederate Hero. --Old B-Runner
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Armstrong Gun at Fort Fisher, NC
Armstrong guns were developed by Englishman Sir William Armstrong (1810-1900).
He also established the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing empire. Both the Armstrong and Whitworth guns were very advanced examples of artillery and both used at Fort Fisher and the defense of the Cape Fear River. The Whitworths were especially useful in driving off blockaders when blockade-runners ran aground.
He first got involved in artillery during the Crimean War.
The company had problems building breech-loading cannons. In 1859, tests were conducted that showed breech-loading cannons were not powerful enough to penetrate iron.
Actually, I wasn't able to find too much on Sir William.
Make me a Big Gun. --Old B-Runner.
He also established the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing empire. Both the Armstrong and Whitworth guns were very advanced examples of artillery and both used at Fort Fisher and the defense of the Cape Fear River. The Whitworths were especially useful in driving off blockaders when blockade-runners ran aground.
He first got involved in artillery during the Crimean War.
The company had problems building breech-loading cannons. In 1859, tests were conducted that showed breech-loading cannons were not powerful enough to penetrate iron.
Actually, I wasn't able to find too much on Sir William.
Make me a Big Gun. --Old B-Runner.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
CSS Alabama's Gun to Alabama-- Part 2
The Alabama was launched in 1862, and, during 22 months before it was sunk, boarded 447 ships and captured 2,000 Union sailors. The inscriptions on the two cannons show that they were made in Liverpool, England.
Of the eight cannons on the ship, four have been recovered. One is still at the Hunley site in North Charleston, SC. I'm not sure where the other two are.
The ship's bell of the Alabama was discovered and as of 2005,was at the Museum of Mobile on loan from the US Naval Historical Center.
The wreck was discovered in 1984 by a French mine sweeper.
I'm not sure whether the Alabama ever put into port in Mobile.
From the Feb. 5th Thibodaux (La) Daily Comet.
Coming Home. --B-R
Of the eight cannons on the ship, four have been recovered. One is still at the Hunley site in North Charleston, SC. I'm not sure where the other two are.
The ship's bell of the Alabama was discovered and as of 2005,was at the Museum of Mobile on loan from the US Naval Historical Center.
The wreck was discovered in 1984 by a French mine sweeper.
I'm not sure whether the Alabama ever put into port in Mobile.
From the Feb. 5th Thibodaux (La) Daily Comet.
Coming Home. --B-R
CSS Alabama's Gun to Alabama-- Part 1
One of two recovered cannons from the wreck of the Confederate Raider CSS Alabama arrive in Mobile yesterday where it will be housed at that the Museum of Mobile, making that place a must-see for me the next time I'm there which may be at the end of the month.
The three-plus ton 32-pdr., so called because of the weight of the shell it fired, was recovered from 200 feet deep in the English channel off Cherbourg, France, where the vessel sank June 11, 1864, after its engagement with the USS Kearsarge.
According to Paul Mardikian, the top conservator of the Confederate submarine Hunley at whose lab the cannons were preserved, this process to stabilize the guns took six years of immersions in a sodium bicarbonate and sodium hydroxide solution. He figures this will be the last cannons he preserved in this old way as Clemson University in South Carolina is testing a new process using subcritical fluid methods which will cut the time down from six years to six months.
Human remains, including a jaw bone, were found in the gun's encrustation. These were buried in a ceremony in Mobile a few years ago.
Roll, Alabama. --Old B-Runner
The three-plus ton 32-pdr., so called because of the weight of the shell it fired, was recovered from 200 feet deep in the English channel off Cherbourg, France, where the vessel sank June 11, 1864, after its engagement with the USS Kearsarge.
According to Paul Mardikian, the top conservator of the Confederate submarine Hunley at whose lab the cannons were preserved, this process to stabilize the guns took six years of immersions in a sodium bicarbonate and sodium hydroxide solution. He figures this will be the last cannons he preserved in this old way as Clemson University in South Carolina is testing a new process using subcritical fluid methods which will cut the time down from six years to six months.
Human remains, including a jaw bone, were found in the gun's encrustation. These were buried in a ceremony in Mobile a few years ago.
Roll, Alabama. --Old B-Runner
Friday, February 5, 2010
Nutfield Naughtiness Neatly Nipped
Compliments of the good folks at Civil War Interactive Newswire who very often spotlight the overlooked Naval part of the war.
February 4, 1864 was on a Thursday and on this date the blockade-runner Nutfield ran aground by New River Inlet, North Carolina, and Lt. Cmdr Roe of the USS Secaucus couldn't get it off and was forced to burn it to the waterline after liberating its cargo of rifles and the all-important medicine quinine which was used for fighting malaria.
The name of Lt.Cmdr. Francis Asbury Roe's ship was actually the USS Sassacus. He later became an admiral in the postwar Navy and had two US destroyers named after him.
There are good stories connected to Roe and the Sassacus which I will write about later.
Go, Little B-R, Go. --Old B-Runner
February 4, 1864 was on a Thursday and on this date the blockade-runner Nutfield ran aground by New River Inlet, North Carolina, and Lt. Cmdr Roe of the USS Secaucus couldn't get it off and was forced to burn it to the waterline after liberating its cargo of rifles and the all-important medicine quinine which was used for fighting malaria.
The name of Lt.Cmdr. Francis Asbury Roe's ship was actually the USS Sassacus. He later became an admiral in the postwar Navy and had two US destroyers named after him.
There are good stories connected to Roe and the Sassacus which I will write about later.
Go, Little B-R, Go. --Old B-Runner
Thursday, February 4, 2010
How Many Died in the Civil War?
Of interest considering yesterday's mention of the 620,000 trees to be planted along US-15 between Gettysburg and Culpepper County Virginia, was another article in the Fayetteville (NC) Observer where someone asked how many died in the war.
The answer was at least 622,000, perhaps as many as 700,000.
Official records count 364,511 Union soldiers dying, with 110,070 in battle and the rest from other causes, most notably from disease. Another 281,881 received non-mortal wounds.
On the Confederate side, the total was 133,821 deaths: 74,524 killed in battle and 59,297 from other causes.
It is estimated that another 26,000 to 31,000 died in Union prison camps.
Big Numbers. --Old B-Runner
The answer was at least 622,000, perhaps as many as 700,000.
Official records count 364,511 Union soldiers dying, with 110,070 in battle and the rest from other causes, most notably from disease. Another 281,881 received non-mortal wounds.
On the Confederate side, the total was 133,821 deaths: 74,524 killed in battle and 59,297 from other causes.
It is estimated that another 26,000 to 31,000 died in Union prison camps.
Big Numbers. --Old B-Runner
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Running the Blockade: Bentonville-- Up in the Trees-- Devil's Den
Some New News About an Old War. From Civil War Interactive Newswire-- always a great source for any and all things Civil War.
1. BENTONVILLE-- Looks like I am really going to have to go out to Bentonville, North Carolina for the huge re-enactment being held March 20-21st. Around 3,500 re-enactors will be there, more than I've ever seen.
Tickets are $8 before March 1st and $10 afterwards. That'll give me a chance to visit with family as well.
2. UP IN THE TREES-- Culpepper County, Virginia has voted to place 620,000 trees along US-15 from there northward to Gettysburg to honor the 620,000 Americans, both Union and Confederate, who died during the Civil War. This will cover 180 miles and obviously involve many other governments and lots of money and volunteering.
This will be in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the war.
An admirable effort. Hope it succeeds. I'll volunteer.
3. DEVIL'S DEN-- The Gettysburg National Military Park will be removing a bathroom and the power lines running to it from this site in an effort to return it to its 1863 appearance. Good idea.
1. BENTONVILLE-- Looks like I am really going to have to go out to Bentonville, North Carolina for the huge re-enactment being held March 20-21st. Around 3,500 re-enactors will be there, more than I've ever seen.
Tickets are $8 before March 1st and $10 afterwards. That'll give me a chance to visit with family as well.
2. UP IN THE TREES-- Culpepper County, Virginia has voted to place 620,000 trees along US-15 from there northward to Gettysburg to honor the 620,000 Americans, both Union and Confederate, who died during the Civil War. This will cover 180 miles and obviously involve many other governments and lots of money and volunteering.
This will be in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the war.
An admirable effort. Hope it succeeds. I'll volunteer.
3. DEVIL'S DEN-- The Gettysburg National Military Park will be removing a bathroom and the power lines running to it from this site in an effort to return it to its 1863 appearance. Good idea.
Monday, February 1, 2010
More Confederate Monuments in Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
Along with a monument to South Carolina generals killed during the war and the H. L. Hunley crew, there is also a monument in Magnolia Cemetery dedicated to the Confederate ironclads defending Charleston Harbor: Palmetto State, Chicora, Charleston, Columbia.
There is also a 10-inch Columbiad cannon that was found at Fort Sumter after the war.
Unknown Confederate sailors also have a cemetery there.
Another monument salutes the defenses of the harbor including forts Sumter, Moultrie, Johnson and Pemperton. Also, batteries Wagner, Gregg, Rutledge, Marion, Bee, Simkans, Marshall, Haskell, Beauregard, Ironclad Battery, Floating Battery, Battery Lamor and Secessionville.
Honoring Those Who defended. --B-Runner
There is also a 10-inch Columbiad cannon that was found at Fort Sumter after the war.
Unknown Confederate sailors also have a cemetery there.
Another monument salutes the defenses of the harbor including forts Sumter, Moultrie, Johnson and Pemperton. Also, batteries Wagner, Gregg, Rutledge, Marion, Bee, Simkans, Marshall, Haskell, Beauregard, Ironclad Battery, Floating Battery, Battery Lamor and Secessionville.
Honoring Those Who defended. --B-Runner
OR and SHSP
The Feb. 1st NewsOK had an article about two important sets of Civil War books.
In 1866, a Joint Resolution of Congress authorized the publication of Civil War records in a set of books that finally numbered 128 volumes. Officially called "The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Records of the Union and Confederate Armies," but more commonly referred to just as "Official Records." They were published between 1881 and 1901 and consisted of reports sent to superiors along the chain of command.
In addition, ma separate set of Naval records was published. I have several originals and a complete reprint set of the ORN as I call them.
The South came out with their own set to balance the OR called the Southern Historical Society Papers. They were published from 1869 to the 1950s and ended at 52 volumes. It is shortened to SHSP.
A Great Source of Information. --B-R'er
In 1866, a Joint Resolution of Congress authorized the publication of Civil War records in a set of books that finally numbered 128 volumes. Officially called "The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Records of the Union and Confederate Armies," but more commonly referred to just as "Official Records." They were published between 1881 and 1901 and consisted of reports sent to superiors along the chain of command.
In addition, ma separate set of Naval records was published. I have several originals and a complete reprint set of the ORN as I call them.
The South came out with their own set to balance the OR called the Southern Historical Society Papers. They were published from 1869 to the 1950s and ended at 52 volumes. It is shortened to SHSP.
A Great Source of Information. --B-R'er
Blockade Runners Paying Off Captors?
The Civil War Interactive Newswire reported on January 29th that back on that date in 1864, a Union Lt. Cmdr. James Chaplin, USN, was morally outraged by an attempt by the captain of a blockade runner he had captured to pay him off with 800 British pounds worth $4000 American.
I had never heard of it,the old fifty or hundred dollar bill next to the drivers license but. It wouldn't surprise me, however.
But Occifer, I Wasn't Speeding. --Old B-Runner
I had never heard of it,the old fifty or hundred dollar bill next to the drivers license but. It wouldn't surprise me, however.
But Occifer, I Wasn't Speeding. --Old B-Runner
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