Thursday, June 21, 2012

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: May 19th to May 28th, 1862: No More Spirits

MAY 20TH

Union gunboats occupied the Stono River above Cole's Island, SC

MAY 22ND

The USS Mount Vernon captured the steamer Constitution attempting to run the blockade at Wilmington.

MAY 26TH

Lt. Isaac N. Brown, CSN ordered to take command of ironclad CSS Arkansas and finish it regardless of cost.  Captain Lynch inspected the ship and considered it very inferior to the CSS Virginia.  But Brown was able to finish it and make improvements.

US ships bombarded Grand Gulf, Mississippi as Union forces moved northward.

MAY 28TH--

USS State of Georgia and USS Victoria captured steamer Nassau near Fort Caswell, NC.

In a move sure to anger sailors, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (US) wrote to Senator Grimes asking him to add a proviso to the naval bill "abolishing the spirit ration and forbidding any distilled liquors being placed  on any vessel..."  Congressinal Act approved  14 July 1862 abolished the spirit ration.

Old B-Runner

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