MID-JULY 1862--
After assuming command of the submarine, Lt. Thomas O. Selfridge traveled to the New York Navy Yard to recruit volunteers from the receiving ship USS North Carolina (the old ship-of-the-line). Expecting no success, he is surprised when so many volunteer and has to choose from among them.
AUGUST 6, 1862
Selfridge and crew take the Alligator on its first voyage. The results of this and others are included in Selfridge's critical report, which ends his association with the Alligator. He is given command of the uSS Cairo of the Mississippi River Squadron. His fourteen hand-picked crewmen accompany him.
The Alligator's biggest problem according to Selfridge was its oar propulsion system. De Villerei's adoption of oars was odd, since the original submarine he sailed down the Delaware River used a screw propeller.
Most Folk Don't Know the US Navy Had Its Own Submarine. --Old B-Runner
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