Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Confederate Torpedo Boat St. Patrick Attacks USS at Mobile Bay: Grabbing the 'Stack

JANUARY 28TH, 1865: Confederate torpedo boat St. Patrick, Lt. John T. Walker, struck USS Octorara, Lt.Cmdr. Low, but her spar torpedo failed to explode.  Although attacked by ship guns and small arms fire, Walker was able to bring St. Patrick safely back under the Mobile batteries.

A Northern correspondent wrote: "The intrepidity of the captain of the after-guard is worthy of the highest of the highest praise.  Though all expected momentarily to be blown up, this man, seeing how readily they could gain an advantage over the enemy by prompt action, grasped her smoke-pipe  as it came by the guards of the ship, at the same time crying out lustily for a rope to make the devil fast with.

"The remaining sailors, acting under different impulses, recoiled to the opposite side of the deck.Several shots were fired at this brave man, and as his exertions were hardly sufficient to retain his hold upon the hot pipe, he preferred to let go rather than be dragged overboard."

Who Was That Brave Man?  --Old B-Runner


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