The Death of Abraham Lincoln

Yesterday (14 April) and today mark the 150th anniversary of the assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth. Here is an interesting illustration, showing Columbia (??) mourning over the President's casket, and in the upper corners, a soldier grieving, representing the sorrow of the Army (on the upper left), and a sailor sobbing into his hands next to his gun, representing the sorrow of the Navy (upper right) for their commander-in-chief.

Prepared Remarks of SECNAV Mabus; Video Links Posted

USS Monitor Interment Ceremony

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus

Remarks as Prepared

I’d like to begin by acknowledging the family members who made a special trip to join us.    As the families of USS Monitor’s crew you know, as all Sailors know, that the crew of a warship is a lot like an extended family.  We thank you for being with us today to help us honor the two Sailors we inter today, and the 14 others who perished so long ago aboard the Monitor.

But in a larger sense, this ceremony also honors every individual who ever put to sea in defense of our country.  From the Marblehead men who rowed Washington across the Delaware, to these brave souls, to those who serve today in nuclear-powered carriers and submarines, Sailors have always been the same; they are at heart risk-takers—willing, even eager, to brave the unknown to peer past distant horizons.

It is fitting that we hold this ceremony today on the 151st anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads, where the Monitor engaged the Virginia for control of the James River and Southern Chesapeake Bay. Though the outcome that day was a draw, the battle enshrined each ship in naval immortality.  As our guest James McPherson wrote in his book War on the Waters, “Naval warfare would never again be the same after history’s first battle between ironclads.”

Nine months later, Monitor ended her short, storied career.  South of Cape Hatteras, in the area known as the graveyard of the Atlantic, Monitor and USS Rhode Island were swept up in a perilous winter gale.  As the night of December 30, 1862, progressed and the storm worsened, Monitor began to take on water.  As her pumps failed the 62-man crew decided it was time to abandon ship.  William Keeler, one of the 46 survivors, wrote to his wife once safely ashore saying, “The heavy seas rolled over our bow, dashing against the pilot house, and, surging aft, [and] would strike the solid turret with a force that would make it tremble . . . Words cannot depict the agony of those moments as our little company gathered on top of the turret . . . with a mass of sinking iron beneath us.”  Crews from Rhode Island ventured into the storm in their lifeboats to save the men of Monitor, Sailors struggling to save other Sailors.  At one o’clock in the morning, in the pouring rain and pitch black darkness, Monitor slipped below the raging seas.  Sixteen men went with her.

Naval tradition holds that the site of a sunken vessel is a sacred burial ground, and that Sailors who go down with their ships belong together.  But eleven years ago, when a team from the U.S. Navy, NOAA, and the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News raised the turret of USS Monitor from the depths, they were surprised to the remains of two crew members.  We began the process to try and identify these men, but too much time had passed to match these two Sailors to their names. 

However, having raised their remains, we brought them here, to the national military cemetery founded during the same great conflict for which they gave, in President Lincoln’s words, their “last full measure of devotion,” to provide these two Sailors with a final resting place.

This may well be the last time we bury Navy personnel who fought in the Civil War at Arlington. But we do not hesitate to keep faith and to honor this tradition, even more than 150 years after the promise was made.  Our nation honors our fallen Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen because we do not want their sacrifice, however distant, to be unremembered.  We are joined, as Lincoln again reminded us, by “the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone.”

In a coincidence of history, today also marks the 124th anniversary of the death of Monitor’s designer, Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson.  The Monitor was a brand new type of ship, all steel construction; with heavy armor, heavy guns in a rotating turret, a deck barely above the waterline and screw propeller.  Ericsson’s design was yet another example of American naval innovation, from Joshua Humphrey’s Fast Frigates, to the Monitor, to the ships of today, the most complex platforms the world has ever known.  As it was in Ericsson’s time, so has it always been in the Navy: pioneering new materials, revolutionary weapons, innovative means of propulsion, creating a technological edge we maintain to this day.

On, above, and below the sea, our United States Sailors have always braved great danger.  In times of peace, as in times of war, it is a dangerous profession.  Today is a tribute to all the men and women of the sea, but especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, and an opportunity to once again pay our respects and offer our somber and deeply held gratitude for that sacrifice.

Thank you.

VIDEO LINKS:

For those of you who were unable to attend the ceremony, CHINFO has released a short video of the Chapel Ceremony.  You can view it on Youtube or stream it here on this blog:



 Interview with Lee Duckworth, HRNM Director of Education:

 

 A special thanks to LT Lauryn Dempsey and CHINFO for coordinating the news media/PR for this event.

US Navy Patrols on the St. Johns River, Florida

The take-over of the Confederate battery on St. Johns Bluff opened the St. Johns River to US Navy forces to conduct patrols up the river. This they did, destroying or taking possession of every small boat, scow, or barge they could find in order to impede the ability of Confederate troops and supplies to be ferried across the river. In 4 October 1862 the USS Cimarron, Water Witch, and E. B. Hale made an expedition up the river. Cdr. Woodhull of the Cimarron reported that 200-300 small vessels were destroyed.

Arriving off Palatka on 5 October, Woodhull reported that he met aboard Water Witch with former Florida Gov. Moseley and a unionist named Blood. During this meeting, a party of armed horsemen were spotted approaching the town by lookouts in the tops of the gunboats. Woodhull signaled for his boats to return to the ships and ordered Snell in the Hale to open fire on the mounted party. The fire was accurate and deadly, apparently killing 3 or 4 of the horsemen. The fire of the gunboat forced the mounted party to retreat back into the adjoining forests and swamps. Blood and his family and the families of black pilots who had assisted the Navy ships with navigation on the river were evacuated for their safety.

A cutting out expedition set out on 6 October to capture the Confederate steamer Gov. Milton, and another steamer. It was known that the Milton was responsible for ferrying Confederate troops and guns to the fortifications on St. Johns Bluff, and that it was also important in conveying supplies run through the Blockade to Confederate forces. Under the command of Lt. Cdr. E. P. Williams, the recently captured Confederate steamer Darlington (rechristened a US ship with the same name, and armed with two 24 pdr boat howitzers) steamed upriver, accompanied by the gunboat Hale. At the entrance to Lake George, shallow depths wouldn’t allow Hale to proceed further, so the Darlington continued upriver through Lake George, leaving Hale to patrol the entrance to the Ocklawaha River, nearby.

At Hawkinsville, 168 miles upstream of Jacksonville, Williams and his men found indications that the Milton was in the area. Taking a party of sailors and soldiers of the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteer Rgt., Williams proceeded up a small creek in ships boats and found the Milton, manned by only two engineers. They took possession of the steamer and reconnoitered up the creek further in search of the other steamer, then out into the St. Johns River as far up as Lake Beresford. When the steamboat could go no further due to river depths, running low on rations, and deep in Confederate territory, Williams decided to proceed back downriver to rejoin the Hale and return to his base. Along the way up and back down river, numerous small vessels and other enemy property was destroyed or confiscated by the Union expedition.

Florida Lighthouses in the Civil War

Jupiter Inlet Light (designed and built by Lt. George Gordon Meade):

Florida ranks seventh among the states in the number of lighthouses/light stations it has along its coast (33 total: “lighthouse” refers to the tower itself with the light, “light station” is the tower plus any accessory structures such as the keepers’ residences, workshops, etc.). Many of us know George Gordon Meade as the Union’s “hero of Gettysburg”, as he commanded the Union armies at that epic engagement. Prior to the war a younger Lt. Meade served in the U.S. Army Engineers where he designed, supervised, and/or was otherwise involved in the construction or modification of seven Florida lighthouses (Carysfort Reef, Sand Key, Seahorse Key, Cape Florida, Sombrero Key, Jupiter Inlet, and the first light on Rebecca Shoal). Meade was one of the creators of the screw pile method of anchoring the Florida Keys lights (including Carysfort Reef, Sombrero Key, and Sand Key) in which the foundations for the metal tower were embedded deeply within the limestone of the coral reefs to enable the structure to withstand the force of hurricanes.

Many of today’s Florida lighthouses were in existence at the start of the Civil War (20 plus one light ship). Before the war, all lighthouses were federal property, administered by a local Superintendent under the Treasury Department. After the southern states’ secession and the formation of the CSA, the Confederate Congress created a Confederate Lighthouse Bureau, to be commanded by a senior officer in the Confederate Navy (Captain or Commander). Partly because he happened to be in Montgomery, Alabama at the time (the capital of the CSA at the start of the war), Raphael Semmes was appointed to command the Confederate Lighthouse Bureau; prior to this he served as the naval secretary to the U.S. Light House Board until resigning his naval commission to join the Confederacy. Semmes’ tenure in this post was about 1 week, ending on April 18 (after the firing on Ft. Sumter), when he departed to begin fitting out the commerce raider CSS Sumter. Seven lighthouses (mainly the ones in the Florida Keys and off Key West) remained in Union hands throughout the war and continued in operation.

Thomas Martin succeeded Semmes as Clerk of the Lighthouse Bureau. By the latter half of 1861, he was overseeing the systematic effort to extinguish all Florida lighthouses under Confederate control and sequester critical components (mainly the lenses and the fuel that fired the light), with the optimistic hope they could be retrieved and reinstalled following the war to guide Confederate commerce. Florida lighthouses witnessed a number of naval actions during the war. The lights at Seahorse Key, Mayport Mills, and Egmont Key (off the mouth of Tampa Bay) were captured by Union Navy forces in early 1862. The tower at Pensacola was struck by Union shells a few times during the massive artillery duel in November 1861. The St. Marks lighthouse was engaged by Union gunboats in June 1862 (in retaliation for an attack on a Union shore party a few weeks earlier), and served as a landing site for army forces in 1865 in what eventually was the Battle of Natural Bridge. Seahorse Key and Egmont Key both served as important secondary bases for the East Gulf Blockading Squadron.

There are several nice resources on Florida lighthouses during the Civil War (both in print and on-line), so feel free to contact me if you want to see those. Illustrations are from the Florida Dept. of State on-line photo archives.

USS Mohawk off St. Marks lighthouse (note Confederate flags flying from the tower and the works to the left):

CWN History Announcement

The Museum of Florida History, in Tallahassee, is "the" official Florida history museum. From 1 May to 5 August of this year they are featuring a display focusing on the maritime and naval history of the Civil War in Florida, in commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the CW. Check out the link on their web site at Museum of Florida History. I have not had the opportunity to see this exhibit, but if I can make my way over to Tallahassee this summer to check it out, I will definitely put together a post on this blog. If you are in the Tallahassee area this summer, check it out !!!

St. Johns River Steamboats in the Civil War

Confederate steamboat Darlington, captured by Union forces near Fernandina and converted into a Union gunboat of the same name:

Here's a post to keep you tuned to Florida events as we transition from observing the Battle for New Orleans to the Battle of Drewry's Bluff.

The St. Johns River, running along the east coast of Florida, served as a main route of transportation for centuries. It was used by Native Americans, by French, Spanish and English colonists, and by the US after Florida became a state. As the northeast coast of Florida developed, the St. Johns was “the Interstate Highway” of the time. A thriving steamboat traffic developed on the river, transporting mail, freight and passengers from Jacksonville to Enterprise (near Lake Monroe), reaching a high point just prior to the start of the Civil War. After secession, many river steamboats (and their owners/captains) were converted into blockade runners, either running contraband goods between Florida and the Bahamas or “coastal blockade running” between ports in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

As Union forces occupied Fernandina, Florida, in March 1862, Commander C.R.P. Rogers pushed up a small creek near the town in a ship’s launch and captured the Confederate steamer Darlington, captained by Jacob Brock. Brock was a well-known steamboat captain on the St. Johns River prior to the war, who cast his lot with the Confederacy after Florida seceded. He initially refused commands to heave to, forcing the Union bluejackets to fire on the steamer, which eventually did stop and surrender. After boarding, the Union Navy officers were enraged, as there were a number of women and children aboard, who had been begging the captain to surrender as they were fired upon. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Capt. Jacob Brock, probably after the Civil War:

Perhaps in retaliation, Brock was arrested and sent to prison (even though he was not a member of the Confederate military), and his ship confiscated. In addition to the refugees, the steamer contained “military stores, and wagons, mules, forage, etc.” and a surgeon in the Confederate Army. The captured steamer was converted into the gunboat USS Darlington, and was a participant in an expedition up the St. Johns River in October 1862 (more on that to come this fall).

Another role played by the St. Johns River steamboats during the war was part of the “inside blockade running” (as described by George Buker in an article in “North and South” magazine, Vol. 4, No. 2). When the Union blockade closed down Fernandina, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine, blockade runners from the Bahamas ran their cargoes into Mosquito Inlet (present day Ponce De Leon Inlet, north of Cape Canaveral). The cargo was then transported overland by wagon or rail to points along the St. Johns River, where steamboats carried the goods to other rail points for shipment north to areas of the Confederacy where they were needed. Some of these steamboats were built by Mr. Hubbard Hart for his pre-war tours on the Ocklawaha River (a major tributary of the St. Johns River), which included the James Burt and the Silver Springs, along with Jacob Brock’s other boat, the Hattie.

After the war, Capt. Brock was paroled and was able to reacquire the Darlington and resume his occupation running steamboats on the St. Johns River. Mr. Hart resumed his Steamboat Line on the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers, and many other entrepreneurs and industrialists rebuilt the steamboat trade on the St. Johns to its pre-war height. Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant both took trips on St. Johns River steamboats after the war. The rise and development of the railroads eventually doomed the river steamboats, and they faded into history by the mid-1900’s.

Steamboat Hattie at a wharf (possibly after the war). Illustration sources – Florida Dept. of State archives:

St. Andrews Bay Salt Works Raid Event 21-22 April 2012

Salt works kettle/boiler display:

Salt works historic marker:

During the Civil War, St. Andrews Bay, Florida, was an immensely important area of salt production for the Confederacy along the Florida Gulf Coast. The second annual living history event commemorating Union Navy raids on Confederate salt works in St. Andrews Bay was held this weekend (21-22 April). The event is put together by the City of Panama City, the Panama City Historical Society, and the Steam Sloop Pawnee Marine Guard (a member organization of the CWN150 Blog). Participating organizations include the Port Columbus National Museum of Civil War Naval History, the USS Fort Henry Living History Association (both member organizations of the CWN150), and the USN Sea Cadet Corps. The event recalls and informs about the importance of salt making to the Confederacy and the Union efforts to disrupt these efforts during the Civil War.

Day 1 (Saturday, 21 April) began fair and cloudy and progressively degenerated into waves of strong rain squalls pushing onshore from the Gulf of Mexico. The day was scrubbed, with some activities in the morning, but no beach landing and assault in the afternoon due to the weather and safety concerns (lightning and strong winds).

Day 2 (Sunday, 22 April) dawned breezy and cloudy, but the sun was out in force by mid-morning. We had a complete day today, doing living history stuff in the morning, and in the afternoon a beach landing of marines and sailors on the Port Columbus Museum’s steam launch. The landing included pyrotechnics planted in the beach (to simulate bombardment from Union gunboats offshore); as we were about to hit the beach they went off, drenching the landing party with sand, detritus and water. Our objective was to destroy a Confederate salt works and withdraw back to our ship. After landing, the marines advanced and set up a defensive perimeter against Confederate home guard. On orders from our landing party officer, I advanced, protected by a contingent of seamen armed with pistol/cutlass and musket, set charges against the main salt works, and after orders from the landing party CO to ignite, we withdrew to the beach and watched the works blow.

I’ll be doing some posts on actions against salt works at St. Andrews Bay later this year as we hit the 150th Anniversary of these events.

US Navy steam launch landing marines and sailors to assault salt works last year (2011). Photo by Paige Creel:

Drewry's Bluff Commemoration

Today, Laura Orr and I traveled to Drewry's Bluff to talk about some recent developments brewing with the National Park Service for the 150th anniversary commemoration.  Needless to say, we had a wonderful time walking the site and talking about the strategic importance of the battle itself, both for the Navy and the Marine Corps.  

Stay tuned for more updates and posts about Drewry's Bluff in the upcoming weeks in preparation for the anniversary.  CWN 150 staff will be there at the event.  Also, many of you may be wondering where our posts are about New Orleans.  We are in the process of doing some posts with the Civil War Monitor online blog very soon.  Keep coming back for updates!

Be sure to come to the Richmond area on May 12 and 13 to enjoy the MANY activities provided that weekend. Check out the details on the PDF at the website below. More information to come soon! (in this photo: the view of the James River from Fort Darling, taken today.)

http://www.nps.gov/rich/planyourvisit/upload/RICH-150th-Schedule-as-of-20120328-public.pdf

Looking forward to the next couple of weeks!

Commander Walke Runs the Gauntlet

The Union Navy was busy during the early months of 1862.  With commanders Andrew Hull Foote and Major General John Pope fresh off recent success, Union forces looked to Island No. 10 as their next step to securing the Mississippi River. 

Flag Officer Foote was against the idea of running past the batteries at Island No. 10, as his gunboats from the flotilla were still wounded from the repulse at Fort Donelson earlier in the year.  Foote himself already revered service on the Western rivers as "anomalous," as he never fully felt comfortable with the Navy under the direction of the War Department (this did not change until later in the year - at the time, all Western theater operations were under the orders of Henry Halleck).  Despite his apprehension, the gunboats sailed downriver from Cairo in the middle of March to make preparations for their attack at New Madrid and Island No. 10, complete with additional mortar rafts for a siege. 

Foote and Pope could not agree on a successfully strategy for the siege.  Foote, always calculated and methodical, laid up the fleet in the river bend just above Island No. 10.  Pope requested that the separated forces join together by running past the batteries at Island No. 10.  Foote, still dealing with the injuries inflicted at Fort Donelson, declared the idea foolish.  He did not feel his gunboats were capable of running the myriad batteries along the low bend in the river.  Thus, the next few weeks saw bombardment, not movement of the fleet downriver.  The mortars were less than satisfactory, however.  Something else had to be done to defy the batteries at Island. No. 10.  Union forces created a canal in haste to allow transports and supplies to flow downriver out of sight from the guns.  It was not deep enough for the gunboats to move past.  Pope demanded gunboat projection, which was communicated to Foote from General Halleck.  Foote would have to go against his own judgement and run past the batteries.

Commander Henry Walke volunteered his ship, the Carondelet, to run past the batteries.  Walke retrofitted the ship with anything available to help it stay together, including rope and chain.  He also went to great lengths to dampen the sound of the ship itself, diverting exhaust steam from the smokestacks to make it as silent as possible. The ship was made dark enough to blend in the water as it sought the opportunity of pitch black night to aid its escape from the batteries. 

On the unusually dark night of April 4, 1862, Walke found that chance to act.  Moving downriver, everything seemed to be going smoothly until it was spotted near the second battery. A fire ignited from the buildup of the diverted smokestacks, giving away her position.  Thankfully, the fire from shore was highly inaccurate and the ship was able to escape without major damage.

The Carondelet, accompanied by the Pittsburg two days later, spent the next few days firing at Confederate shore batteries below New Madrid.  They also took the opportunity to spike the guns on the rebel shore batteries at Watson's Landing.  This allowed Pope's Army of the Mississippi to move up the rear of Confederate forces, cutting them off completely from outside contact.  It was only a matter of time before the surpised troops surrendered. 
 

U.S. GUNBOAT CARONDELET,
April 7, 1862.

Maj. Gen. JOHN POPE, Commanding U. S. Forces, New Madrid.

        SIR: Agreeably to your instructions of the 6th instant, I proceeded down the Mississippi about 6.30 this morning. Attacked, silenced, and spiked all the guns of the rebel batteries opposite your batteries. The lower one made a desperate resistance. It consisted of two 64-pounder howitzers and one 32-pounder gun. Two were dismounted and the other disabled by our shots. I then took and spiked temporarily a 64-pounder howitzer about half a mile above, and a quarter of a mile above that found a 64-pounder spiked. I took on board a man who reported himself to me as a spy, whom I send to you. The rebels had set fire to a house on the shore.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. WALKE,Commander, U. S. Navy.

Hampton Roads is Over, Now What?

 Okay.  So the Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend is over.  It was a great series of events.  Now that its over, let's do a little deductive reasoning:

• The Battle of Hampton Roads is likely to become the biggest event for the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial
• The CWN 150 prides itself at being the one stop source for the flow of information, events, and activities surrounding the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial.

Drawing back from my scarce knowledge of If-Then statements, one might assume that the Sesquicentennial as a whole is over.  No more huge events that could rival that of Gettysburg, Antietam, Vicksburg, etc. 

WRONG. It's 2012 and we are just getting warmed up!

For one, there is an upcoming Flags Over Hatteras conference coming up in the Outer Banks.  Will you be there?  I would also be remiss if I didn't mention one last post about the weekend from Laura June Davis, contributing editor for The Monitor.   She had some very nice things to say about the weekend and the CWN 150.  Thank you again, Laura. 

So, what is on the radar for the CWN 150, you ask?  Here is a little taste:

More LEGOs:
That's right.  Back from popular demand from the Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding program at HRNM, we are going to be offering FREE designs for several more Civil War ships (including the CSS Virginia in the very near future).  All designs will be located on the Hampton Roads Naval Museum website, the HQ for the CWN 150. 

More Posts, More Information:
We want to ensure that you are coming to the CWN 150 blog for the best possible information available on the events, activities, and information surrounding the sesquicentennial.  That being said, we will continue providing readers with timely posts on commemorative events and aspects of the navies during the Civil War.  

More contests, more prizes:
I think the title says it all.  More fan-focused contests and ways to get YOU involved in the CWN 150.  Win cool prizes for participating and joining in on the conversation!

More Videos:
If you haven't noticed, our Youtube page is rather lacking.  I would like to rectify that with some more videos for the CWN 150.  These will include educational pieces as well as some commentary on the CWN 150 and its relevance in an ever-increasing social media world. 

Want to be part of the CWN 150? "Enlist" your blogging talents!
We are still looking for more writers for the CWN 150!  If you have an interest in social media or blogging about the Civil War navies, please send an email to matthew.t.eng@navy.mil for more information.  This commemoration is for everybody, so why not get everybody involved!  Like us on Facebook, follow our Twitter feed, or just keep reading.  Have an idea for the CWN 150?  Don't be afraid to email us with a message.  You might be surprised what happens! 

To take from the famous poster you see all over the place:

- Matthew T. Eng

In Case You Missed It: Watercolor Contest Winners!

Over the past weekend, there was a lot of interest generated about the Battle of Hampton Roads Watercolor Contest.  For its first time around, it was a great success.  I hope everyone that saw the original art on the evening of 8 March enjoyed it as much as we did.  In case you didn't get to see the art on the 8th or are not a fan of either the CWN 150 or Hampton Roads Naval Museum on Facebook (and you SHOULD BE!), here is the link to the HRNM Facebook site with ALL of the participants scanned in for your viewing pleasure.  We have reproduced the three age group winners below.  With your continued support, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum can make the watercolor contest an annual event!



Olivia Eicher - Age 5-10 Winner

Nathan Cowfer - Age 11- 13 Winner

Sarah Howland - Age Adult Winner

Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend Recap

CWN 150 Bloggers Unite! (Matthew Eng, Sarah Adler, Craig Swain, Seaman Rob)

Although we have already posted several posts on this past weekend's Battle of Hampton Roads festivities, I would be hard pressed if I didn't say a few words to wrap up the fantastic event.

NHHC Director Jay Deloach at Descendant's Breakfast

From start to finish, the Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend (March 8-11) was a success.  Beginning with My Hayley's talk on the Treason of Mary Louvestre and ending with the final talk I had the pleasure to give with Anna Holloway on the Civil War in Public Memory, the event was marvelous.  Everything in between: the descendant's breakfast, the reenactors, the living history day crafts and activities - all of it was fantastic.

Unveiling of Monitor Facial Reconstruction

Above all, I was most impressed with the interest from visitors coming to visit the HRNM booth.  It warms my heart to see the hard work put into this commemoration is paying off - either for this commemoration, museums like HRNM and the Mariners', or for enthusiastic individuals who do amazing work online and in print like Craig Swain and Laura June Davis. 

The talks I attended were great.  To be honest, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum booth was swamped.  The only talks that I went to were Dr. Holzer's great discussion of Civil War art on Friday night and the ones HRNM staff presented at.  Either way, fellow blogger Seaman Rob can fill you in with that information from previous posts.

Laura Orr talks with visitors

I want to personally thank Anna Holloway for all her kind words this weekend.  The Mariners' Museum has been a wonderful ally and friend in getting the word spread that the Civil War Navy matters.  For new individuals we met this weekend - welcome.  It is a pleasure to meet you.

This commemoration, no matter what somebody might tell you otherwise, is yours.  It is up to YOU the readers and followers of Civil War history to pass the torch and keep the conversation going.  Without your help, the information provided here or other sites set up in commemoration of the war will all be for nothing.  We are all here to provide you with the most up to date information on events and activities surrounding the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial.  We clearly saw this weekend that the message is out there and you are responding - we had over 800 people come up to our booth (Hampton Roads Naval Museum) and take our literature, admire the Monitor and Virginia LEGOs, and just talk and interact with us. 

So, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for reading this blog and keeping the fire alive.  Let's keep the momentum going.  Tell somebody about the site, talk about Civil War history, visit a maritime/naval museum, or just remember that you were a huge part in the memory of the 150th anniversary just by remaining an active member of the public perception of this country's most trying time.

Full Speed Ahead,

Me, Gideon Welles, and Seaman Rob

Matthew T. Eng
Coordinator
Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial

Union occupation of Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida

US Navy Base at Mayport Mills, Florida, St. Johns River (Fla. Dept. of State on-line photo archive):


After taking Ft. Clinch and the Town of Fernandina on 3-4 March 1862, elements of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, along with transports carrying US Army troops, arrived off the mouth of the St. Johns River, Florida on 8 March 1862. After reconnoitering the bar at the river mouth, and after repeated attempts to cross, Lt. Thomas H. Stevens of the gunboat USS Ottawa took the ship’s helm himself, ordered “full speed ahead,” and scraped across the bar on 11 March, along with the gunboats Seneca, Pembina, and Ellen. Ottawa, Seneca, and Pembina were all “Unadilla” class (“90-day”) gunboats, and Ellen was a converted New York ferryboat. Lighter draft ships had penetrated upriver prior to that and captured Ft. Steele, a small Confederate fortification near the mouth of the river built of palmetto logs and armed with 7 guns. The Confederates had abandoned the fort a few days earlier after sighting the arrival of the Union flotilla off the river mouth.

On 12 March, the first occupation of the City of Jacksonville occurred, as companies of the 4rth New Hampshire Infantry Regiment were landed. Jacksonville had a fairly large proportion of pro-Union folks, who were overjoyed to see the Union occupation of the city. To their dismay and horror, by the end of the month, Army forces were ordered withdrawn from the city. Officers on the Union Navy vessels were aghast at this action. In an effort to provide some assistance, the Navy established a permanent base of operations at Mayport Mills, three miles upstream of the river mouth and about 6-7 miles downstream of Jacksonville.

On 10 March 1862, the USS Wabash hove to off the mouth of St. Augustine Inlet, south of the St. Johns River mouth. Shallow depths in the inlet and the harbor did not allow the huge Wabash to enter, and heavy weather that day restricted the use of ship's boats to cross the bar in the Inlet. The next day, 11 March, Commander C.R.P. Rogers entered the inlet in a ship's boat with an unarmed landing party, arrived at the harbor, and accepted the surrender of Ft. Marion (the present-day Castillo de San Marcos National Monument) and the adjacent Town of St. Augustine, Florida. In the span of barely two weeks, the Union Navy and Army had secured a strong foothold in a big chunk of northeast Florida, securing fortifications, land, and secure harbors. This formed the basis for subsequent operations in this area of Florida.

Fort Marion, St. Augustine (Fla. Dept. of State on-line photo archive):

Battle of Hampton Roads Day 2 - Seaman Rob's Report

The second day of the BOHR event dawned with some frost on the ground, which is totally unheard of in March for a Floridian!! I attended the morning free lecture by Dr. John Quarstein on “The Men of the CSS Virginia”. Dr. Quarstein’s talk was an animated overview of the design and building of the CSS Virginia from the hulk of the USS Merrimack and the effort to find a crew to man her. Along the way he offered history and observations on the officers and men who crewed this revolutionary warship and he made the very interesting point that many of the men who served on the Virginia went on to serve in many important positions in the Confederate Navy, even after the ship was destroyed. I purchased a copy of Dr. Quarstein’s book “The Monitor Boys” and was fortunate to get him to sign it with a hearty “Huzzah” to Seaman Rob!! In addition, I met fellow CWN150 Guest Bloggers Sarah Adler and Andrew Duppstadt and I was “drafted” as an unofficial Hampton Roads Naval Museum volunteer to man the HRNM Booth while staffers Matt Eng, Laura Orr, and Gordon Calhoun were in a panel presentation at the Naval History Conference. Because I was not an attendee at the Conference, I am going to depend upon all of them to give an update on the content of their presentations and assessment of how it went. I enjoyed meeting many CW re-enactors (army, navy and marine) from the Virginia area and found them very friendly, informative, and I learned a lot from them. Thanks guys (and gals)!! All-in-all, this was an incredible weekend and I felt it was worth the drive up from Florida.


Images are from the Naval History and Heritage Command web site. Top photo is Adm. Franklin Buchanan, the first commander of the CSS Virginia, and the bottom photo is Catesby ap Roger Jones, the XO of the Virginia.

Battle of Hampton Roads Day 1 - Seaman Rob's Report

Map of blockade runner routes into the Atlantic Coast. Source: http://www.nccivilwar150.com/maps/fisher/Blockade.pdf


Craig Symonds’ plenary talk at the Civil War Navy Conference here at the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, VA was free and open to the public this morning, so I had the opportunity to attend. Dr. Symonds talked about the Atlantic Blockade and gave a good, synoptic overview of this blockade effort and how it fit within the larger scope of the Navy’s efforts in the Civil War. There were a few nifty “tidbits” of information that I learned; for instance the North Carolina Sounds behind the barrier islands had long served as a haven for raiders, privateers and etc. The infamous pirate Blackbeard operated out of the area and was killed in Pamlico Sound by US Navy forces. He also reiterated what many historians have concluded about the blockade; although it was never “airtight”, it was a definite contributor to the eventual defeat of the Confederacy by the Union and shortened the War by doing just enough to prevent the export of trade and the import of needed materials. I had the chance to ask a question and asked about the relative importance of taking the Port of Fernandina, Florida. Dr. Symonds felt that it was important, but that it was a matter of resources; DuPont took Port Royal first, then was able to allocate ships and manpower to moving southward to take additional ports. Later on I met and talked with fellow CWN150 Guest Blogger Craig Swain, and he noted that it was largely a question of “real estate”; the three most important words being “location, location, location”, and that this was a factor in deciding between Port Royal and Fernandina. I spent much of the day hanging out with the Hampton Roads Naval Museum folks and their nifty display. All in all a cool first day at the Battle of Hampton Roads Event; looking forward to tomorrow !!!

The Cumberland by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Cumberland at rest today (NOAA/HRNM/NHHC)

At anchor in Hampton Roads we lay,
On board of the Cumberland, sloop-of-war;
And at times from the fortress across the bay
The alarum of drums swept past,
Or a bugle blast
From the camp on the shore. Then far away to the south uprose
A little feather of snow-white smoke,
And we knew that the iron ship of our foes
Was steadily steering its course
To try the force
Of our ribs of oak.

Down upon us heavily runs,
Silent and sullen, the floating fort;
Then comes a puff of smoke from her guns,
And leaps the terrible death,
With fiery breath,
From each open port.

We are not idle, but send her straight
Defiance back in a full broadside!
As hail rebounds from a roof of slate,
Rebounds our heavier hail
From each iron scale
Of the monster's hide.

"Strike your flag!" the rebel cries,
In his arrogant old plantation strain.
"Never!" our gallant Morris replies;
"It is better to sink than to yield!"
And the whole air pealed
With the cheers of our men.

Then, like a kraken huge and black,
She crushed our ribs in her iron grasp!
Down went the Cumberland all a wrack,
With a sudden shudder of death,
And the cannon's breath
For her dying gasp.

Next morn, as the sun rose over the bay,
Still floated our flag at the mainmast head.
Lord, how beautiful was Thy day!
Every waft of the air
Was a whisper of prayer,
Or a dirge for the dead.

Ho! brave hearts that went down in the seas!
Ye are at peace in the troubled stream;
Ho! brave land! with hearts like these,
Thy flag, that is rent in twain,
Shall be one again,
And without a seam! 

More News for the Monitor Faces (and one for Virginia)

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! 

We are endeavoring to bring to you the latest and greatest news about the recent release of the two unidentified Monitor sailors as it comes in.  Here are some of the latest links for your reading pleasure.  Stay tuned to hear more about this interesting saga in American naval history as it unfolds here at the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial. 

Could These Be the Faces of the Monitor?
Daily Press Article online HERE.

Lost At Sea: Do You Know These Civil War Sailors?
Vermont Public Radio broadcast HERE. 

UPS Delivers History to U.S. Navy Memorial
Atlanta Business Chronicle article HERE.

Names and Faces Suggested for Monitor Sailors
National Geographic Article HERE.

Faces of Civil War Sailors to Aid in Search for Their Identities
WBDJ7 Article HERE.

Facial Reconstruction Brings Drowned Civil War Sailors to Life
LiveScience article HERE.

//---------------------------
...and one for the CSS Virginia

The Battle of Hampton Roads: Constructing CSS Virginia
Daily Press Article HERE.

 

 

How to catch a train with a gunboat

During the occupation of Fernandina, Florida, in early March 1862, one the weirdest events of the Civil War involving a US Navy ship transpired, perhaps the only occurrence of an incident like this in the history of the US Navy.

As the USS Ottawa, Lt. Thomas H. Stevens commanding, approached Fernandina, they discovered a train departing the town with Confederate troops and refugees, one of whom was rumored to be former Florida US Sen. David Levy Yulee. As the track ran along the Amelia River for a distance, the Ottawa went steaming up the river after the train, firing at it in the pursuit, which went for 2 miles. Stevens fired on the train because he believed that it was only carrying military personnel. One shell struck the last car on the train, killing two young men sitting on the pile of material stacked on the car. The car was detached and the train made its getaway.

The illustration above is an old map of the region showing Ft. Clinch (at the northern tip of Amelia Island), old Fernandina and the route of the cross-Florida railroad out of the town. The illustration below is a current aerial photo with some of the same features labeled and the possible route of the Ottawa as she chased the departing train. Upper illustration is from the Florida Dept. of State and the current aerial photo, below, is from the St. Johns River Water Management District.


A detailed account of the Ottawa escapade is on the USS Ft. Henry website at: http://www.ussforthenry.com/USSFHpdf/LastTrainFromFernandina.pdf

Navy Nurses in the Civil War

USS Red Rover on the Mississippi River

The Civil War was a time of many "firsts" for the Navy.  Now that it is the first day of Women's history month, it would seem poignant to talk about the historic first contributions of females in the Navy.  Like African Americans, these minority members of sea service exemplified the three tenets of the U.S. Navy: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. 

Although nurses were not recruited in high numbers during this time period (especially for the Navy), effective clinicians would eventually become integral to the health and stability of any military.  It is no surprise then that disease, not combat, was the greatest killer of the American Civil War. 

Mother Mary Ann Bickerdyke

According to Susan H. Godson, the influx of nurses in the United States (Union) military grew early on as a result of  "the growing carnage on the battlefields."  Efforts were increased from newly created organizations like the Women's Central Association of Relief and the U.S. Sanitary Commission.  When fighting began on Virginia's peninsula in the spring of 1862, steamboats were converted into floating hospitals to transport the evacuated wounded.  The U.S. Sanitary commission paid for the staffing of these ships with surgeons, dressers, and now male and female nurses.  Female nurses "prepared food, stocked shelves, and made the inform as comfortable as possible."   One of the more famous eastern transporters, the City of Memphis, was led by Mother Mary Ann Bickerdyke, perhaps the most famous nurse of the war. 

USS Red Rover

In the West, ships did not have the luxury of swift transport to a shore hospital, so floating hospitals like the Red Rover were commissioned.  Commissioned on 26 December 1862, the Red Rover served with the Mississippi River Squadron for the remainder of the war.  The medical personnel included four nuns of the Sisters of the Holy Cross as well as five black women - Alice Kennedy, Sarah Kinno, Ellen Campbell, Betsy Young, and Dennis Downs, who assisted the nuns.  These women were the very first women to serve on a U.S. Navy ship, and the predecessors to the Navy Nurse Corps of the 19th century. 

Source: 
Godson, Susan H.  Serving Proudly: A History of Women in the U.S. Navy.  Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute Press, 2001.