150 Years Ago: Blockade-Runner Lilian Captured Off Wilmington

AUGUST 24TH, 1864:  The USS Keystone State, Commander Peirce Crosby,  and USS Gettysburg, Lt. R.H. Lamson, captured the blockade-runner Lilian off Wilmington with cargo of cotton.  Both ships fired on the Lilian and when she finally hove to she was in sinking condition.

Crosby managed to repair the damage and sent her to Beaufort. She was later purchased by the Union Navy and assigned to the squadron under the same name.

--Old B-Runner

Special James River Torpedo Unit Established

MAY 12TH, 1864:  150 Years Ago.  Rear Admiral Lee, prompted by the recent losses of the USS Commodore Jones and Shawsheen on the James River, ordered Lt. Rosweell H. Lamson to command a special "torpedo and picket division" on that river.

The force would include the side-wheelers USS Stepping Stones, Delaware and Tritonia.  In addition to patrolling and reconnoitering the river banks and dragging the river itself for torpedoes, Lee directed  Lamson: "By night keep picket vessels and boats ahead and underway with alarm signals to prevent surprise from rebel river craft, rams, torpedo 'Davids,' and fire rafts."

The Confederates Had a Lot of New and Old technology to Worry About.  --Old B-R'er

End of the Career of the Blockade Runner Margaret and Jessie

This date 150 years ago, the blockade runner Margaret and Jessie was captured at sea east of Myrtle Beach, SC, after a prolonged chase by Army transport Fulton and USS Nansemnd, Lt. R.H. Lamson.

The chase had started the previous evening by the USS Howquah near Wilmington, NC. The Howquah kept the steamer in sight all through the night. The USS Keystone State joined the chase in the morning and was on hand when the capture was made.

The Margaret and Jessie had run the blockade 15 times, one of the more successful runners. The steamer was then bought by the Navy and renamed the USS Gettysburg.

--Old B-R'er

USS Nansemond-- Part 1: A Fast Ship

From Wikipedia.

Yesterday, I wrote about this Union ship chasing the blockade-runner Venus ashore and later burning it. So, I looked it up to find out more about the ship.

The Nansemond was a sidewheel steamer built in 1862 in Williamsburg, New York as the James F. Freeborn, but purchased by the U.S. Navy on 18 August 1863, and commissioned in Baltimore 19 August under Lt. Roswell H. Lamson.

It was a fast ship, able to go 15 knots, 146 feet long with a 63-man crew and mounting one 30-pdr. Parrot rifle and two 24-pdr. guns.

It joined the North Atlantic Blockading Fleet 24 August 1863 and chased the Douro ashore near New Inlet 11 October and destroyed the blockade-runner with a cargo of cotton, turpentine, tobacco and rosin. The Douro, as I previously mentioned earlier this month, had been captured earlier by the USS Quaker City and had been condemned and sold and found itself back in the blockade running business.

Two Times Not the Charm. --Old B-Runner