Civil War Navy Books by William N. Still

From GoodReads site.

Iron Afloat:  The Story of  the Confederate Armorclads

Confederate Shipbuilding

The Confederate Navy:  The Ships, Men and Organization

Ironclad  Captains:  Commanding Officers of the USS Monitor

Raiders and Blockaders

Monitor Builders:  A Historical  Study of the Principal Firms and Individuals Involved inthe Construction of the USS Monitor.

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Books he coauthored:

Two Years on the Alabama

Admiral of the New Empire:    The Life and Career of George Dewey. (Dewey was a navalofficer during the war and at Fort Fisher.

Captain  James Carlin:  Anglo-American Blockade Runner

Quite a Lengthy List.  --Old B-Runner

Some More on Charles V. Gridley-- Part 1

Back in June, I was writing about Charles V. Gridley and his service in the United States Navy, including the Civil War.  He was probably most famous as being the recipient of George Dewey's command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley." at the Battle of Manila Bay which was a huge American victory during the Spanish-American War.

I have come across some more information on his Civil War service and will include it here.

From "The Spanish-American War Centennial Website, Capt. Charles V. "Steve" Gridley.

He was just 16 when appointed to the USNA and graduated in 1864 in the bottom half of his class, which also included future notables Robley Evans and  Charles Sigsbee (who was in command of the USS Maine when it blew up in Havana Harbor).  Both of these men were at the Battles of Fort Fisher.

His first assignment was on the USS Oneida in Farragut's fleet where he got his baptism of fire at the Battle of Mobile Bay.  He would not  experience such a large action again for thirty-four years, at Manila Bay.

--Old B-Runner

Find-A-Grave: Charles Vernon Gridley From Mobile Bay to Manila Bay

CAPTAIN CHARLESVERNON GRIDLEY

BIRTH:  24 November 1844,  Logansport, Indiana

DEATH:  5 June 1898, Kobe, Japan

BURIAL:  Lakeside Cemetery, Erie, Pennsylvania

United States Naval Officer.  Am 1864 graduate of the USNA. (which had temporarily moved to Newport, Rhode Island during the Civil War for safety), he served as acting ensign on board the USS Oneida at the August 5, 1864, Battle of Mobile Bay.

By the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898, he had risen to the rank of captain, and was in command of the USS Olympia during the May 1, 1898, Battle of Manila Bay.  The Olympia served as the American Asiatic Squadron's commander  George Dewey's flagship.

At the start of the battle, he  commanded Captain Gridley to commence his bombardment on the Spanish ships with the words: You may fire when ready, Gridley."  The phrase, widely reported in American newspapers, became a popular catch-phrase of the time.

Captain Gridley would die a month later after an illness on board a different ship while it was anchored off Kobe, Japan.

--Old B-Runner

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 3: His Send-Off After the Battle

Several weeks after the Battle of Manila Bay, Charles Gridley was sent home.  One crewman described what happened:

"He came up out of his cabin dressed in civilian clothes and was met by the rear admiral (Dewey) who extended him a most cordial hand.  A look of troubled  disappointment flitted across the captain's brow, but vanished  when he stepped to the head of the gangway and, looking  over, saw not the launch, but a twelve-oared cutter manned entirely by the officers of the Olympia.

"There were men in the boat who had not pulled a stroke  for a quarter of a century.  Old Glory was at the stern and a captain's  silken coach-whip at the bow; and when Captain Gridley, beloved alike by officers and men, entered the boat, it was up oars,  and all that,  just as though they were common sailors who were to row him to the Zafiro.

"When he sat down upon the handsome boat-cloth that was spread for him,   he bowed his head, and his hands hid his face as Lieutenant Reese, acting coxswain.  ordered, 'Shoveoff; out oars; give away!'  

"Later in the day,  the lookout on the bridge reported, 'Zafiro under way sir,' and the deck officer passed on the word until a little twitter  from Pat Murray's pipe  brought all of the other  bo's'ns  around him, and in concert they sang out, 'Stand by to man the rigging!'  Not the Olympia alone, but every ship in the squadron dressed and manned, and  the last we ever saw  of our dear captain he was sitting in a chair out on the Zafiro's quarter-deck, apparently  listening to the [Olympia's] old band play."

--Old B-Runner

Charles V. Gridley-- Part 2: 'You May Fire When You Are Ready, Gridley'

From 1871 to 1875, he was stationed on the only U.S. Navy vessel on the Great Lakes, the USS Michigan which was home based at Erie, Pennsylvania.  While stationed there, he married Harriet, the daughter of Judge John Vincent and they had three children.  Harriet was also the cousin of Civil War hero  Brigadier General Strong Vincent, who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Gridley was promoted to commander in 1882 and served as an instructor at the Naval Academy and the Cruiser Training  Squadron.

March 14, 1897, he was promoted to captain and ordered to the Asiatic Squadron where on July 28, 1897, he received command of the USS Olympia, Commodore  George Dewey's famous flagship in Yokohoma, Japan.

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SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR

During the Battle of Manila Nay in the Philippines on 1 May 1898, Gridley commanded the Olympia from inside the vessel's armored conning tower, an uncomfortably  hot station in the relentless Philippine sun.

Dewey gave his famous command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley."  What resulted was a very one-side American victory over the outmatched Spanish fleet.

At the conclusion of the battle,  Gridley was not in condition to celebrate as he was suffering from dysentery and what appears to have been liver cancer.  The heat and stress of the conning tower had further weakened him.  Dewey would have relieved him of his command had not Gridley protested.

George Dewey had been at the Battles of Fort Fisher.

--Old B-Runner

Charles Vernon Gridley of the USS Oneida: Was He Dewey's 'When Ready' Guy?

In the last post, I wrote that C.V. Gridley was an officer on the USS Oneida when it fought at the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864.  As a result of this engagement, eight members of the ship's crew received Medals of Honor.

Now, the man's last name struck a memory with me.  A memory of the Spanish-American War in which a famous order was given.  One that went, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley."

The man whom uttered that was the famous Commodore Dewey.  Hero of the Battle of Manila Bay.

Was the Gridley ordered to do so, the same Gridley from the USS Oneida?

The answer is, yes he was.

--Old B-Runner

Was the Agawam At Donaldsonville, Louisiana?

From Wikipedia.

I have the Agawam as being launched 21 April 1863, but not commissioned until 9 March 1864.  If it was launched in April 1863, it might have been, but not if it had no active duty until 1864.

Plus, there is no mention of the Agawam being in the Mississippi River.

As such, I am not sure the Agawam was at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, on July 7, 1963.

America's Navy site has the ships Dewey served on 1861 ti 1867 as follows:  USS Mississippi, USS Brooklyn, USS Agawam, USS Colorado, USS Kearsarge, USS Canadiagua, and back to the USS Colorado.

--Old B-Runner

George Dewey At Battle Where Abner Read Killed

From Wikipedia.

The future Spanish-American War hero George Dewey was at the engagement where Abner Read lost his life.

George Dewey was a young Union officer in 1863 and really making a name for himself on the Mississippi River.  He was highly complimented by his superior officers and Farragut himself.  Farragut made Dewey the executive officer on the USS Agawam, a small gunboat that the admiral often used to carry dispatches and he would be on it when he personally reconnoitered.

Because of its movements, the ship was often under fire by Confederate sharpshooters and temporary batteries.

In July 1863, there was a small engagement at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which resulted in the death of the USS Monongahela's commander, Abner Read and the severe wounding of its executive officer.

Dewey was present and so distinguished himself for conspicuous gallantry that he was recommended for promotion.  He was given temporary command of the Agawam.

Dewey would later be at the Battles of Fort Fisher.

--Old B-Runner