Confederate Congress Gives Thanks to Naval Officers

The Confederate Congress also awarded thanks to their naval officers:

JOHN T. WOOD for his operations in the Chesapeake Bay.

EBENEZER FARRAND  for action at Drewry's Bluff

ISAAC N. BROWN for his actions at Vicksburg

RAPHAEL SEMMES, the CSS Alabama, of course.

Also, JOHN LANCASTER    He was the Englishman who used his personal yacht to rescue Semmes and his crew after the Alabama was sunk by the Kearsarge.

--Old B-Runner

Union Congress Give Thanks to Naval Officers During the War

From the November 24, 2017, Coastal Point "Civil War Profiles--  Congress gives thanks during the Civil War" Tom Ryan.

Union Navy Officers given thanks of Congress:

Admiral David G. Farragut

Admiral David D. Porter

John L. Worden--  commanded the USS Monitor in its fight with the CSS Virginia.

--Old B-Runner

USS Mahaska-- Part 3: Armament

The Mahaska was commissioned 5 May 1862 under Lt. N.H. Farquhar.

On 20 February 1863, it captured the schooner General Taylor in the Chesapeake Bay

It participated in the joint Army-Navy operation to Jacksonville, Florida, 5 February to 4 April 1864.

It captured the schooner Delia near Bayport, Florida, 17 February 1865.

The steamer was 228'2" long, had a 33'10" beam and 10'4" draft.

Its armament consisted of one 100-pdr. Parrott rifle, one 9-inch gun and four 24-pdr. guns.

--Old B-Runner

Back to Greenville, N.C.-- Part 1: A Success

I was writing about this back on November 14.

Report of Acting Lt. R.T. Renshaw, USN of the USS Louisiana, on the Greenville, N.C.,  Expedition.

The colonel at Washington, N.C., was going to send the steamer North State up the Tar River for forage and Renshaw proposed to him to let Asst. Engineer Lay go along to capture the town of Greenville.

This was arranged, and when they returned, they had prisoners, horses, mules and wagons.

One of the Marine artillerymen was killed while landing with a flag of truce to demand the surrender of the town.  A bridge was destroyed.

--Old B-Runner

USS Mahaska-- Part 2: Service Off Florida.

While operating off Florida waters, it took part in operations against Jacksonville and St. Marks.  It was overhauled in Boston in 1864.

The Mahaska operated off Florida for the remaining years of the war.  Unlike so many other U.S. warships after the war, it continued in service for another three years until decommissioned September 1868 and sold in November.  After that, it became the merchant  vessel Jeannette.

--Old B-Runner

USS Mahaska-- Part 1: Served in Virginia Waters and Odd Charleston

In the last post, I wrote about the USS Mahaska in an Army-Navy expedition against salt works in Virginia.

It was a 1070 ton Sebago-class double-ender built at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, New Hampshire, and commissioned May 1862.

During 1862-1863 it was active in the Virginia Rivers and Chesapeake Bay.

It joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Charleston, S.C., in 1863 and participated in the attacks there in August 1863.

From February to August 1864, it served off the east coast of Florida.

--Old B-Runner

November 22-24, 1862: Joint Army-Navy Expedition in Virginia

NOVEMBER 22-24, 1862:  Joint Army-Navy expedition to the vicinity of Matthews Court House, Virginia, under Lt. Farquhar and Acting Master's Mate Nathan W. Black of the USS Mahaska destroyed numerous salt works together with hundreds of bushels of salt, burned three schooners and numerous small boats, and captured 24 large canoes.

--Old B-Runner

Jacob Zeilen, USMC-- Part 3: Commandant

Jacob Zeilen was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1867, becoming the Marine Corps' first general officer.

During his time as commandant, Zeilen defended the Corps from its many critics.

In 1868, he approved the design of the "Eagle, Globe and Anchor" of the USMC emblem.

He retired from the Corps on November 1, 1876 after 45 years of service to "Semper Fi."

Death came November 18, 1880, in Washington, D.C., and he was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

--Old B-Runner

Jacob Zeilen, USMC-- Part 2: Civil War Service

Jacob Zeilen was stationed at Norfolk and later commanded the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. and then served aboard the USS Wabash.

In the early part of the Civil War, he commanded the Marine Barracks at Philadelphia and Washington, D.C..  On July 21, 1861, he commanded the Marine detachment at the First Battle of Bull Run and was slightly wounded.

In 1863, he was given command of the battalion of Marines with the mission to capture Charleston, S.C., but had to return to Washington because of sickness.  Then it was garrison duty at the Marine Barracks at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Then back to sea with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and then back to Portsmouth.

On June 10, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and became the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

--Old B-Runner

Jacob Zeilen, USMC Commandant-- Part 1: Long Career

From Wikipedia.

In yesterday's post on The USMC after the Civil War, I mentioned its Commandant Jacob Zeilen.  I had never heard of him, so more research was necessary.

July 16, 1806-November 18, 1880.  (He died on tomorrow's date.)

Jacob Zeilen was the Marine Corps' first non-brevet brigadier general and 7th Commandant from 1864-1876.  he attended the USMA at West Point from 1822-1825 but dropped out due to low grades.

He was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the Marines on October 1, 1831, and served ashore and on the USS Erie, USS Columbus and USS Congress.  During the Mexican War he commanded the Marine Detachment on the Congress and was brevetted to major for gallantry at San Gabriel River, Los Angeles and the Battle of La Mesa.

After the war, he was stationed at Norfolk and New York and accompanied Commodore Matthew C. Perry on the famous opening of Japan expedition.

November 16, 1862: Stopping Contraband in Maryland

NOVEMBER 16, 1862:  The USS T.A. Ward, Acting Master William L. Babcock, captured the sloop G.W.Green and an unnamed seine boat at St. Jerome's Creek, Maryland, attempting to cross to the Virginia shore with contraband.

--Old B-Runner

U.S. Marine Corps After the War-- Part 2: "Marine Corps Hymn" and Enblem

For the remainder of the 19th century, there was some confusion as to the Corps' mission.  The Navy's transformation from sail to steam power brought forth the question of whether Marines were actually needed aboard warships.

Even so, the Marines continually saw service intervening in foreign countries and protecting American interests.overseas.

Marines took part in 28 separate interventions in the thirty years after the Civil War.

Under Commandant Jacob Zeilen, Marine customs and traditions took shape and the Marine Corps emblem was adopted 19 November 1868.  Also, the "Marine Corps Hymn."

Around 1883, the current motto "Semper Fidelis" (Always Faithful) was adopted.

--Old B-Runner

Tar River, N.C.-- Part 2: Union Prisoners Discover Why the River Is Called That

In June, three months later, 400 Union prisoners of war were sent from Salisbury, N.C., to Washington, N.C., to be exchanged for Confederate prisoners.  Arriving at the Tar River, they asked for and received permission to bathe their stench off in the water.  Heavily guarded, they stripped and went into the water where the Confederates had dumped the barrels earlier.

They stirred up the river bottom so much that they were soon covered with tar smeared all over their bodies.  They came out and got ahold of sticks to remove the sticky mess.

One Confederate yelled derisively at them, "Hello boys, what's the matter?"

A disgruntled Yankee replied,"We have heard of a Tar River all our lives but never believed that there really was any such place, but damned if  he we haven't found it.  The whole bed is tar!!"

A Pretty Good Story.  --Old Sectar

Tar River, N.C.-- Part 1: Washington, N.C., Evacuated

From Wikipedia.

The towns of Louisburg, Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Greenville and Washington, North Carolina are located on it.

When the Confederates prepared to evacuate Washington in March 1862  squads of soldiers were sent up and down the Tar River to destroy all cotton and naval stores.  At Tafts store they found 1,000 barrels of turpentine and tar.

This was too large to burn for fear of setting nearby buildings on fire.  So the barrels were rolled into the river where the hoops were cut and the contents dumped into the water.

--Old B-Runner

Yankee Hall on the Tar River in N.C.

The Union force stopped at Yankee Hall on its way back from capturing Greenville, N.C..

Yankee Hall is a plantation by the Tar River built in the late 1700s.  Today it hosts wedding and parties.

From History of Yankee Hall by Roger Kammerer.

Also known as Pactolus Landing and Perkins Wharf.  Located on the north side of the Tar River, 10 miles east of Greenville.

Reports from July 1862 had it that the Union gunboat Picket and other artillery launches made a reconnaissance up the Tar River and at Yankee Hall fired a shell into the house that nearly took its roof off.  At the time, four or five Confederates were inside the house with their horses tied up in front.  reportedly they scattered in great confusion.

During the war, it was a rendezvous for Confederate pickets and bore distinct marks of shot and shell endured from Yankee encampments in the yard and patrol boats coming up the river.

A Yankee Hall in North Carolina.  --Old B-R'er

The Capture of Greenville, N.C.-- Part 2: Flag of Truce Disregarded

They encountered Confederate cavalry on a bridge near town, but they fled.  Second Engineer Lay then ordered E.A. McDonald to take the launch and a howitzer and position it so as to guard the bridge.He then landed the rest of his force and marched to Greenville under a flag of truce whereupon the mayor surrendered the town.

Shots were heard from the bridge area and Lay brought his howitzer to bear on it and fired several stands of grape shot in that general direction.  One Union man was killed.  Since his flag of truce had been disregarded, he ordered McDonald to destroy the bridge.

They Union force took ten prisoners and returned to the steamer North State and reached Yankee Hall on the Tar River at 10 p.m. where they remained for the night, making preparations for defense and an anticipated Confederate attack further downriver at Boyd's Ferry.

Lay also made a report on the Tar River and said that ships drawing 5 or 6 feet of water could ascend the river as far as Yankee Hall, nine miles above Washington, N.C..  He also made careful observations of the banks of the Tar River.

--Old B-Runner

The Capture of Greenville, N.C.-- Part 1: Joint Army-Navy Expedition

From the Official Records Navy.

Report of Second Assistant Engineer John L. lay, USN on the surrender of Greenville, North Carolina.  he was ordered to go to Greenville by the commander of the USS Louisiana, Acting Lt. R.T. Renshaw.

He had with him the steamer North State which had a 24-pdr. howitzer manned by six men from the Marine artillery, a launch with one 12-pdr. howitzer and 17 men from the steamer Chasseur, a flatboat and 17 men of the 1st N.C. Regiment commanded by Lt. John B. McLane and 14 men from the USS Louisiana under E.A. McDonald, gunner.

They left Washington on Nov. 8 and arrived at a dock one mile from Greenville on the 9th at 9 a.m. and couldn't take the steamer further because of the shallowness of the Tar River.  The men and guns were transferred to the flatboat and launch.

--Old B-Runner

National Cemeteries in Illinois: Veterans Day 2017

From the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Here is a list of National cemeteries in Illinois.  Anyone of these would be a good place to visit today or any day to pay your respects to those who fought, died or risked their lives in defense of your freedom.

Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery--  Elwood  (on Route 66)

Alton National Cemetery

Camp Butler National Cemetery--  Springfield

Danville National Cemetery

Mound City National Cemetery

Quincy National Cemetery

Rock Island National Cemetery

And here are three cemeteries administered by the Veterans Affairs:

Confederate Mound, Oakwood Cemetery, Chicago

North Alton Confederate Cemetery

Rock Island Confederate Cemetery

There are also Confederate soldiers buried at Camp Butler

That's right, Confederate soldiers ARE AMERICAN SOLDIERS!!

Something to Think About the Next Time You Desecrate a Confederate Cemetery or Statue.  --Old B-Runner

USMC After the Civil War to 1900-- Part 1: "Marine Corps Hymn" and Emblem

From Wikipedia.

After the Civil War, the USMC declined in strength and there came to be some confusion as to its mission.

The Navy's transition from sail to steam even brought forth the question of whether the Marines were even needed on ships.

The Marines continued to intervene and protect American interests overseas.  In the years after the Civil War until 1900, the Marine Corps was involved in 28 different interventions.

Under Commandant Jacob Zeilin, Marine customs and traditions took shape and the Marine Corps emblem was adopted 19 November 1868.  The "Marine Corps Hymn" was first heard around this time and in 1883, the current motto "Semper Fidelis" (Always Faithful) was adopted.

--Old B-Runner

Greenville, N.C. in the Civil War-- Part 2: Confederate Service

From the North Carolina Civil War Monuments.

Greenville has a Confederate Soldiers Monument at the Pitt County Courthouse at 100 W. Third Street.  It was dedicated November 13, 1914.

How long certain people will allow it to remain is to be seen.

The Genealogy Site.

Men from Pitt County served in the 8th N.C. Infantry, 17th NC (Co. C) and 2nd Regiment, N.C. junior reserves (Co. H)

There was also a Battle at Tranter's Creek fought nearby on June 5, 1862 with about 40 casualties on both sides.

--Old B-Runner

Greenville, N.C., in the Civil War-- Part 1: Raided Several Times

From the VisitGreenville site.

During the Civil War, Greenville's location on the Tar River made it a target for both Confederate and Union forces.  It was overrun and raided by Union forces several times and several skirmishes occurred in and around it.

The town was surrounded by earthworks and had several Confederate hospitals run by female citizens.

--Old B-R'er

November 9, 1862: Surrender of Greenville, North Carolina

NOVEMBER 9, 1862--  Greenville, North Carolina surrendered to a joint Army-Navy landing force under Second Assistant Engineer J.L. Lay of the USS Louisiana.

I lived in Greenville for a year and a half.

The USS Louisiana was blown up off Fort Fisher, N.C. in December 1864 in an effort to knock the sand fort down.

I will do some more research on this.

Home of ECU.  --Old B-Pirate

Action in North Carolina November 1862-- Part 2

NOVEMBER 11--  Demonstration on New Bern.

NOVEMBER  17--  Destruction of British schooner J.W. Pindar at Masonboro Inlet.

NOVEMBER 18--  Skirmish at Core Creek.

NOVEMBER 23-25--  Naval expedition on New River to Jacksonville  (Cushing)  This resulted in the capture and destruction of the USS Ellis.

NOVEMBER 29--  Capture of the schooner Levi Rowe.

--Old B-Runner

Action in North Carolina, November 1862-- Part 1:

NOVEMBER 1-12--   Expedition from New Bern (through Washington to Wilmington and toward Tarboro), including skirmishes at Little Creek and Rawls' Mill (destruction of property at Hamilton, slaves freed)  (Naval cooperation)

NOVEMBER 2--  Acrion at Rawles' Mill, Little Creek

NOVEMBER 4--  Capture of British bark Sophia

NOVEMBER 8-9--  Naval expedition to Rose Bay and Greenville.

NOVEMBER 11--  Demonstration on New Bern

--Old B-R'er

Action In North Carolina October 1862

From the North Carolina Civil War 150 site.

OCTOBER--  Confederate salt works at Bogue and Currituck Inlets destroyed.

OCTOBER 11--  Action at the Cape Fear River.  Engagement between battery and Union ships near Fort Caswell.

OCTOBER 21--  Reconnaissance at New Topsail Inlet and destruction of schooner Adelaide.

OCTOBER 22--  Capture of British brig Robert Bruce.

OCTOBER 39-NOVEMBER 9--  Naval expedition to Hamilton.

--Old B-Runner

More Action at Cedar Keys, Florida-- Part 2

The USS Somerset captured the blockade runner Curlew off Atsena Otie Key in June 1862 and in October destroyed salt works on James Island near Depot Key.  Some 2,000 bushels of salt were destroyed along with the salt works.  They also captured many civilian workers, slaves and horses.

In 1868, the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company built a lumber mill on Atsena Otie Key to supply wood for its pencil factory in New Jersey.

--Old B-Runner

Battle of Cedar Key (Florida) -- Part 1: Destruction of Railroad and Harbor

Continued from October 9, 2017.

The Battle of Cedar Key 7 January 1862.

The USS Hatteras landed sailors and Marines and attacked the railhead and Station No. 4.  At first they were repulsed by a company of Florida state cavalry and local civilian workers, but they succeeded in destroying tracks, engines and buildings before returning to their ship.

Then the Hatteras boarded and either sank or burned seven blockade runners in the harbor at Depot Key and landed a small force to burn the harbor facilities.  This was a small, but important event known as the Battle of Cedar Key.

--Old B-R'er

Fort Fisher

Major Charles Patterson Bolles supervised the first construction of fortifications of what eventually became Fort Fisher.  It became a part of the fort and was referred to as Battery Bolles.

The Wilmington area was under command of Confederate Generals Theophilus Holmes (for whom Fort Holmes on Smith island was named) and W.H.C. Whiting.  Whiting was Bolles' brother-in-law.

Fort Fisher was built by Confederate soldiers and slaves, of whom some 500 were from neighboring plantations.

Some Native Americans, mostly Lumbee Indians, were also impressed to build the fort.

--Old B-Runner

Army-Navy Cooperation October 1862-- Part 2: Action in Arkansas and South Carolina

OCTOBER 21--  The USS Louisville escorted the steamer Meteor which embarked Army troops at Bledsoe's Landing and Hamblin's Landing, Arkansas.  Both towns were burned in reprisal for Confederate guerrilla attacks on the mail steamer Gladiator on October 19.

OCTOBER 22--  A Naval battery of three 12-pdr. boat howitzers from the USS Wabash supported Union troops at the Battle of Pocotaligo, South Carolina.

The Wabash's battery took part in many amphibious operations along the South Atlantic coas--Old B-R'er

Army-Navy Cooperation October 1862-- Part 1" Capture of Jacksonville, Florida

Civil War Naval Chronology

This past Saturday, the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group met to talk about Army-Navy cooperation in the Civil war.

There was a lot of that as I have seen in my blog entries from those pages.

I went back and took a look at just the ones listed as joint cooperation for October 1862.

OCTOBER 3--  Joint expedition and engaged Confederate battery at St. John's Bluff, Florida, guarding Jacksonville.  This resulted in the capture of that city.

OCTOBER 7--  Sailors and troops in the Army transport Darlington captured the steamer Governor Milton on the St. john's River.

--Old B-Runner

Charles William MacCord-- Part 2: Involved in Construction of the USS Monitor

Stevens Institute of Technology

The library has three linear feet of Mr. MacCord's papers (and in this case including plans to the USS Monitor).

  The documents span 1860 to 1865.

It was the designer, John Ericsson who named his ship the Monitor.

The USS Monitor was laid down by the Continental Ironworks in New York City on October 25, 1861 and launched exactly 100 days later on January 30, 1862.

Charles William MacCord joined the Delamater Ironworks, New York City, and became chief draughtsman for John Ericsson from 1859-1868.  He drew at least 34 of the drawings for the Monitor.

After the war, he was the first chairman of the Mechanical Drawing Department at the Stevens Institute of Technology when it opened in 1871.

After the famous battle with the CSS Virginia, the Navy canceled all plans for construction of wooden warships according to the site, but I'm not sure about this.

--Old B-R'er

Push for Robert Smalls Statue in South Carolina

There is a push in South Carolina to erect a statue to Robert Smalls, the black man who seized the Confederate transport Planter in Charleston Harbor during the Civil War, sailed it out and surrendered to the Union Navy blockading the port.  he later commanded the fort.

This was quite a feat of heroism and two state senators, Greg Gregory and Darrell Jackson want it to be erected on the grounds of the state house in Columbia.

I would agree that it is a fitting statue to someone who showed such courage.

However, there are Confederate statues on the grounds and they should be allowed to remain.

--Old B-Runner

November 2, 1862: CSS Alabama Captures a Whaling Ship

NOVEMBER 2ND, 1862: The CSS Alabama, Captain Semmes, captured and burned the whaling ship Levi Starbuck, near Bermuda.

One of Many.  --Old B-Runner

Charles William MacCord-- Part 1: Ericsson's Chief Draftsman

From the Oct. 10, 2010 Dead Confederates blog.  The Monitor's Screw.

Back on October 30, I wrote about this man when I came across his name and what he did in the Stevens Institute student newspaper.

It is surprising, that with over 100 patentable inventions on the USS Monitor that no one in authority bothered to preserve the ship's construction drawings..  The Navy didn't, the Continental Ironworks who built it didn't, nor did the ship's inventor, John Ericsson.

But, these drawings were saved by Charles William MacCord, described as the "cantankerous chief draftsman, of John Ericsson.

MacCord was later on the faculty of the Stevens Institute of Technology when it opened and this is where the drawings are preserved.

Thanks Mr. MacCord

Pirates, Revolution and Ironclads-- Part 2: The CSS Georgia, Water Witch and Rattlesbake

The CSS Georgia ironclad was sunk in 1864 to prevent capture by General Sherman's Union forces.  It was relatively forgotten until the 1960s when Savannah River dredging revealed the remains.  In 2013, a portion was recovered and that continued to 2015.  However, none of the ship is currently on display.

The USS Water Witch was captured by the Confederate Navy and the Rattlesnake, passenger ship turned into a gunboat and then a blockade-runner.  Both were sunk just south of the Savannah River.

The Water Witch was sunk by Confederates to avoid capture.  The Rattlesnake was sunk in a battle with the ironclad Monitor USS Montauk.  This ship served as a temporary prison for six of the Lincoln assassination conspirators.

Artifacts from the Water Witch and a full scale model of it can be seen at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia.

--Old V-Runner