Confederate Torpedo Boat Squib Strikes the USS Minnesota-- Part 3

APRIL 9TH, 1864. //// Little damage resulted. Nevertheless, Confederate Secretary of the Navy Mallory later said of the attack: "The cool daring , professional skill, and judgement exhibited by Lieutenant Davidson in the hazardous enterprise merit high commendation and confer honor upon the service of which he is a member." //// Actually, like the Hunley a shorrt time earlier, the Squib also was almost lost. As the Minnesota reeled under the blow the seven Confederates on the Squib had their own lives imperilled. The Squib was sucked under the Union ship's port quarter. As the Minnesota rolled back to port, however, John Curtis reported, "the pressure of the water shoved us off." But so close to the Union ship they were that Curtis leaped on the torpedo boat's forward deck and pushed against the Minnesota to get the small craft clear. //// --A True Daring Feat. --Old B-Runner