Saturday, November 17, 2012

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: November 25th to 30th, 1862-- It's a Coal Thing

NOVEMBER 25TH AND 26TH

The USS Kittaninny captured b-rs both days.  The Matilda was bound from Havana to Matamoras, Mexico.  The next day, the Diana was bound from Campche, Mex. to Matamoras.  Matamoras was right across the Rio Grande River from Brownsville, Texas, and a favorite b-r port.


NOVEMBER 27TH

Admiral Farragut is not happy that he has nothing to do at New Orleans: "I am still doing nothing, but waiting for the tide of events and doing all I can to hold what I have., & blockade Mobile.  So soon as the river rises, we shall have Porter down from above, who now commands the upper squadron, and then I shall probably go outside...We shall spoil unless we have a fight occasionally."  Farragut was not happy that he could not get troops to support an attack on Mobile.


NOVEMBER 29TH

In late November, Captain H.A. Adams, was ordered to special duty in Philadelphia as coordinator of coal supply.  All coal used in the US Navy at the time was anthracite and came from the eastern district of Pennsylvania, being forwarded to Philadelphia by rail or barge down the Schuylkill River.  Then it is loaded into coal schooners and sent to the various blockade stations.

Squadron commanders were having great difficulty keeping their ships supplied with coal and often had to borrow from the Army.  To give an idea of how much coal was needed, in mid-December, Du Pont notified the Navy Department that it took 950 tons of coal a week to keep his South Atlantic Blockading Squadron operating.

USS Mount Vernon captured b-r Levi Rowe off New Inlet, NC.


NOVEMBER 30TH

CSS Alabama captured and burned bark Peter Cook off the Leeward islands in the Caribbean.

Old B-Runner

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