Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: July 22nd to 23rd, 1863

JULY 22ND

Admiral Dahlgren ordered a four-gun naval battery to be placed on Morris Island "for the work against Fort Sumter."


JULY 23RD

Confederate General Ripley suggest the deployment of a fireship against the USS New Ironsides at Charleston.  It would be loaded with explosives and moved in close to the New Ironsides or another ship.  The explosuion should destroy the enemy ship.

He said some twenty Union ships generally were on blockade duty at Charleston.  Bearegard requested the Confederate navy's opinion and Commodire Ingraham said success would probably be at 5%. so Beauregard decided not to go through with it.

Of interest, Union General Butler tried a similar plan against Fort Fisher, NC,  in late 1864.  It didn't work.

Old B-Runner