MAY 6TH, 1864: It seems that a lot of ships on both sides were being captured or destroyed during this period of time.
On this date the steamer USS Granite City and USS Wave, a tinclad, were captured by Confederate troops in Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana. They had been dispatched to to receive refugees on April 28 and were engaged in this when Southern artillery and about 350 sharpshooters from the Sabine Pass garrison overwhelmed the landing party and opened fire on the ships.
The Granite City was hit in the boiler and surrendered and the Wave did the same a short time later.
Unaware of their surrender, the USS New London arrived on the scene on May 10th and sent a boat over to the Granite City which did not return. On the 11th, it sent another one which saw the Confederate flag flying from her mast. The boat attempted to shoot it down, but its commander, Acting Ensign Henry Jackson was killed in return fire.
Once Farragut heard about the captures, he immediately started making plans for recapture, but didn't have enough light draft vessels to do it at the time.
--Old B-Runner
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