MARCH 26TH
Asst. Secy of Navy Fox notified Admiral Du Pont, "We have sent you down the semisubmarine boat 'Alligator' that may be useful in making reconnaissances. " The Alligator was designed by the French inventor Brutus de Villeroy and built for the government in Philadelphia, was 46 feet long, 4.5 feet in beam and carried a crew of 17 men.
Originally designed to be propelled with folding oars, that had been replaced by a hand-operated screw propeller (like the Hunley's).
One of its earlier commanders during trials was none other than Thomas O. Selfridge, the sinker of ships. The Alligator later sank off Cape Hatteras on its way to Du Pont, but Selfridge was not on the ship at the time.
MARCH 27TH
The USS Hartford passed and engaged Confederate batteries at Warrenton.
MARCH 28TH
CSS Florida, Lt. Maffitt, captured bark Lapwing with cargo of coal. He transferred a howitzer and ammunition to it and renamed it Oreto to be used as a tender.
You Almost Never Hear of Submarines Other Than the Hunley. Well, the North Had One As Well. --Old B-Runner
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