Friday, October 12, 2012

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: October 12th to 15th, 1862-- Maury Knows

OCTOBER 12TH

Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury, on board the blockade-runner Herald, departed Charleston for England to buy vessels for the Confederacy.

The captain of the herald was new and got lost finding Bermuda.  Maury come to his aid and took a location fix and they found the island.

Lack of funds and under close scrutiny by Union agents caused only limited success.  But maury did purchase the CSS Georgia the following spring.


OCTOBER 15TH

CSS Alabama captured and burned bark Lamplighter southeast of Nova Scotia.

Boats from the USS Rachel Seaman and Kensington destroyed the Confederate railroad bridge at Taylor's Bayou, Texas, preventing the transportation of heavy artillery to Sabine Pass.  Also burned schooners Stonewall and Lone Star, and barracks.

This constant pressure by attacks all along the Confederate coast drained resources.

Some were unusual for sailors, such as another expedition where 1,500 head of cattle were captured and transported to New Orleans with great difficulty.

Boat crews from USS Fort Henry reconnoitering the Apalachicola River, Florida and captured the sloop C.L. Brockenborough with cargo of cotton.


Old B-Runner

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