Saturday, July 6, 2013

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: July 4th to 6th,1863: Another Confederate Loss

JULY 4TH

The USS Tyler assisted a Union garrison at Helena, Arkansas, in repulsing a Confederate attack.  The Southerners had heavy casualties.  The Union forces reported burying 380 of their dead and found evidence of many other graves.  Another 1,100 were captured.

I had never heard of this battle before, but will look it up.


JULY 5TH 

Rear Admiral S.P. Lee of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron wrote about measures for a successfull blockade.  "The blockade requires smart, active vessels to move about close inside, large vessels with heavy batteries, if ironclads cannot be got to protect the blockade and well armed swift steamers to cruise in pairs outside."


JULY 6TH

Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren relieved Rear Admiral Du Pont as Commander, South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, headquartered at Port Royal, SC.  Since April, when Du Pont's ironclads had been clobbered in their attack on Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor, Du Pont had wanted to explain why the reason for the failure, the weakness in the monitors cast-iron and wrought-iron parts.  But, he had remained quiet because it would have lowered opinion of the Navy's most-publicized weapon.

Du Pont's argument with Welles over this was a big reason for his being relieved.  Dahlgren didn't do any better taking Charleston, however.

CSS Alabama captured and burned ship Express off coast of Brazil.

Well, Finally One Small Success.  --Old B-R'er

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