Six More Questions on Fort Fisher-- Part 2

Answers below.

6.  The fall of Fort Fisher closed of what Confederate port?

7.  Who was the Confederate general in charge of the whole area who did not attempt to save the fort?

8.  Fort Fisher was built to protect Wilmington and help what kind of ship get into the harbor?

9.  What was the name of the famed Confederate naval officer  who commanded the CSS Albemarle, CSS Florida and also blockade runners?  

10.  Fort Fisher is often called the Malakoff Tower of the South."  In what war was the Malakoff Tower?

11.  Frank Crawford question.  (This means it is really hard.)  Fort Fisher was surrendered buy a Confederate major who had also surrendered Fort Johnston across the Cape Fear River to the Confederate earlier in the war.  What was his name?

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ANSWERS

6.  Wilmington, North Carolina

7.  Braxton Bragg

8.  Blockade Runners

9.  John Newland Maffitt

10.  Crimean War

11.  Major James Reilly

I got them all correct, but, of course, I'm a Fort Fisher nut.

--Old B-Runner

Alonzo Cushing Was Last Gettysburg Medal of Honor Recipient in 2014

Same source as last post.

When Pickett's Charge finally reached the famed "copse of trees" on Cemetery Ridge, Union canister continued blowing holes in their ranks.  1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing commanded one of the Federal batteries there.

He received a severe abdomen wound and two of his guns were knocked out.  Even so, he refused to be taken off the field and kept his men firing at the advancing Confederates.  Later, he was hit in the mouth by a Minie ball bullet and was killed.

One hundred and fifty-one years after the battle, he would receive his Medal of Honor from President Obama.

Personally, I think that Alonzo Cushing's brother, Navy Lt. William Cushing should also receive one for his daring deeds, including sinking the feared Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle with a small steam launch.

--Old Secesh

Was Howard Cushing the Inspiration for John Carter and Luke Skywalker?-- Part 3

Meanwhile, another of Howard Cushing's brothers, William, was a Union naval officer who gained fame by sinking the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle in a daring raid.  His other numerous exploits have him sometimes called "Lincoln's Commando."  He needs to be put up for a Medal of Honor in his own right.

"So, how does Howard Cushing, greatly outshone by two of his brothers, end up possibly inspiring Luke Skywalker  Through the imagination of Edgar Rice Burroughs, who dreamed up John Carter of Mars, which he serialized in a pulp magazine before creating Tarzan."

Jim Heinz said that Howard Cushing was the forgotten Cushing brother.  While he was researching his life, he found a fanzine for Edgar Rice Burroughs which said that Howard was the basis for the John Carter of Mars character.  After further research, he concluded that the fanzine was probably right.

--Old Secesh

The Smith Briggs at the Battle of Suffolk, Virginia

From Wikipedia.

The Smith Briggs was under the command of Captain Lee (I now know his initials were J.C. and that he was in Co. I of the 99th New York Infantry) at the Battle of Suffolk, Virgina, April 13-15, 1863. It was part of the Upper Nansemond Flotilla under the command of Lt. Roswell Lamson, USN, along with one other Army gunboat and five Navy ships.

The two Army gunboats: SMITH BRIGGS under Capt. J.C. Lee of Co. I, 99th NY.

WEST END, under Capt. F.A. Rowe (I believe he commanded the Smith Briggs at the Battle of Smithfield where he was wounded and captured), of Co. E, 99th NY. So both men were from the 99th New York Infantry (so that will be another story).

Of interest also is that the Lower Nansemond Flotilla at the battle, which consisted of four U.S. Navy ships, was commanded by Lt. William B. Cushing, who later went on to great exploits against the Confederates and the sinking of the CSS Albemarle.

The Battle of Suffolk, Virginia, was in cooperation with Confederate General D.H. Hill's advance on Washington, North Carolina.

Amazing How Much I'm Finding On This Ship. --Old Secesh

Flags and Bell Returning to North Carolina

From the Aug. 15, 2011, Worcester (Mass) Telegram & Gazette "Worcester sending Civil War artifacts south" by Bill Fortier.

The Worcester GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Board of Trustees voted to return three captured Confederate flags from the Battle of New Bern, March 14, 1862, to the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, NC.

In addition, the 50 pound, cast iron ship's bell of the CSS Albemarle is being sent to the Port O' Plymouth Museum in Plymouth, NC.

One of the flags is a 36-inch by 66-inch one with the words Freedom and Victory on it.

Two of the flags were captured by the Union's 21st and 25th Divisions.

The flags were presented to Worcester Mayor P. Emory Aldrich by Major Matthew McCafferty on April 21, 1862, at a huge gathering at Mechanic's Hall.

Twenty Massachusetts soldiers were killed in the four-hour battle and another 55 wounded.

A Mighty Nice Thing to Do.  Thanks Worcester.  --Old Secesh

Running the Blockade: Albemarle-- Water Witch-- Maine

Running the Blockade-- Some New News About an Old War.


1. ALBEMARLE-- April 12th WITN NBC News-- a group of Civil war re-enactors on board the replica CSS Albemarle heading for a re-enactment saved three people whose boat had capsized, but were unable to locate the fourth.

Fortunately for the boaters, the Albemarle was running behind schedule because of mechanical problems when screams were heard.


2. WATER WITCH-- A short film about this ship, produced by the University of Georgia, will be presented for the first time at Columbus, Georgia's River Blast in April. It will detail the capture of the ship by a band of Confederate commandos and will consist of interviews and animated sequences.

3. MAINE-- The efforts of Maine's Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee has led to a new website at http://www.maine.gov/civilwar/sentinels.html. which details every known Civil War statue and memorial in the state. One was erected in Bangor while the war was still going on. The last was put up in Lisbon in 1999.

Now, You Know. --Blockade-R


3.

USS Wyalusing Medals of Honor-- Part 2

A short bit of information on the five Wyalusing sailors awarded Medals of Honor.

ALEXANDER CRAWFORD-- born 1842, died March 17, 1886. Buried Cedar Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

JOHN LAFFERTY-- 1842 to Nov. 13, 19003. Buried Mount Moriah Cemetery Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of only 24 to ever win TWO Medals of Honor. The second one was aboard the USS Alaska off the coast of Peru, September 14, 1881, when he hauled the fires from the boiler after the rupture of a stop-valve which could have caused an explosion. Wikipedia, however, in its description of the USS Alaska did not mention the incident. His tombstone is listed as John Laverty, the name he used when he re-enlisted.

BENJAMIN Lloyd-- Coal Heaver-- Born in England 1839.

JOHN H. Lloyd-- born 1831 in New York, NY-- Coxswain.

Charles H. Baldwin-- Coal Heaver-- 1839 to January 22, 1891. Buried Christ church Cemetery, Price Georg's County, Maryland. The destroyer USS Baldwin (DD-624) was named after him.

An Interesting Story. --Blockade-R

USS Wyalusing Medals of Honor

Yesterday, I found out a first attempt in May to sink the Confederate ram Albemarle in 1864, before William Cushing was successful in October. I'd never heard of this incident, so did some research on it.

The USS Wyalusing was commissioned Feb. 8, 1864 and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in Albemarle Sound ten days after the CSS Albemarle had attacked the fleet, ramming two blockaders and chased them off, enabling Confederates to recapture Plymouth, North Carolina, on April 19, 1864.

The ship carried 154 crew and was 205 feet long, 35 feet beam mounting 14 guns.

On May 5th, the Wyalusing took part in a battle with the Albemarle. Over the next five months, efforts were made to sink the Confederate ironclad.


THE PLAN

The first originated with five sailors aboard the Wyasuling. On the 26th of May, they rowed up the Middle River with two 100-pound torpedoes. They landed and took the two torpedoes across the swampland that separates the Middle River from the Roanoke River on stretchers. They got to a point just above where the Albemarle was moored in Plymouth.

Coxswain John W. Lloyd and Coal Heaver Charles H. Baldwin swam the torpedoes across the river with a towline attached to them. The torpedoes were then joined together with a bridle and Baldwin guided them down the river toward the ram, hoping to place the bridle across her bow with the torpedoes making contact with the hull on either side.


THE EFFORT

He was then to swim clear before Lloyd detonated them with electricity. Unfortunately for them, a Confederate sentry caught sight of Baldwin and under a hail of musket fire, he was able to make his escape just a few yards from his target.

Three sailors returned to the Wyalusing on the 28th and the other two were rescued by the USS Commodore Hull and returned the following day.

All five were awarded Medals of Honor December 31, 1864.

A True Tale of Bravery. --B-Runner

An Earlier Attack on the Albemarle

I had never heard of this attack, but, while researching the Medals of Honor for Cushing's attack in October, I found the names of five naval men who also received Medals of Honor for an earlier attack on the formidable ironclad back in May 25, 1864.

They were Alexander Crawford, Charles H. Baldwin, Benjamin Lloyd, John W. Lloyd (were these two related?), and John Lafferty.

Obviously, this one did not succeed. I'll do some more research on it.

Always Finding Out New Stuff. --Old B-R

Medals of Honor for Sinking the Albemarle

I came across a blog about where famous people are buried. The author does it by date of death. Among those dying today, March 3rd, was one Henry Wilkes, born 1845, died March 3, 1888, a Landsman in the US Navy. He served aboard the US picket bot No.1 in action against the CSS Albemarle ironclad October 27, 1864.

This launch sank the Confederate ship and was destroyed in the ensuing action with many of the crew, including Wilkes, captured.

I looked up Medal of Honor recipients and found he was not the only one who received one. In addition, Lorenzo Denny, Daniel D. George, Richard Hamilton, Bernard Harley, Edward Houghton, and Robert H. King received them.

A Brilliant Operation Against Great Odds. --Old B-R