Navy Medal of Honor Recipient Henry Schutes-- Part 4: Not One, But Two Medals of Honor

Henry Schutes received Medals of Honor for both actions.  This was a new honor created in1861.  t the time of the actions, Schutes was 58, making him the oldest Medal of Honor winner.

It is not clear when he left the Navy, but according to the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, a register of employees at the USNA showed him employed there as a civilian watchman in 1865.  At some point in the mid-1870s, he moved to Philadelphia to the Naval Asylum, which was a home and hospital for retired seamen.

He broke a leg in 1889, but "refused to keep his splint in place and grew increasingly belligerent about eating."  He died on September 10, 1889 and was buried at Mount Moriah.

The cemetery attributes his death to "general failure of willpower."

--Old B-R'er

RoadTrippin' Through Laurel Hill Cemetery: More Naval Officers and Marines

GARRETT J. PENDERGRAST  (1802-1862)--  Naval officer War of 1812, Mexican War and Civil War.

GEORGE C. REAAD  (1788-1862)--  Naval officer

WILLIAM RONCKENDORFF  (1812-1891)--  Naval officer in Mexican and Civil War.

PINKERTON R. VAUGHAN, USMC (1841-1866)--  Medal of Honor recipient on USS Mississippi during action at Port Hudson.

JACOB ZEILIN  (1806-1880)--  USMC Commandant and first Marine general.

--Old B-R'er

Road Trippin' Through History; About the Cemetery Where Sgt. Binder Was Buried

One thing I do when I di these blogs is take a road trip through history from time to time.  That is when I take a post and see where it takes me.  In this case, I'll be writing about the USS Ticonderoga, on which the good sergeant was serving and also do some research also on the cemetery where he was buried, West Laurel Hill,  and see if there is anyone buried there of interest.

 There is quite a long article in Wikipedia about this cemetery in Bela Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia.  It was established in 1869 and has 200 acres.  It is affiliated with the nearby Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Quite a few notable people and there is a long list of them.  I have heard of some of them and others are of definite interest.

There are several other Union soldiers who were awarded the Medal of Honor.

I will cover them in the next post.

--Old B-Runner

USMC Medal of Honor at Fort Fisher: Sgt. Richard Binder-- Part 2

After the war, Richard Binder was honorably discharged and received his Medal of Honor  on June 22, 1865, although the ceremony for it wasn't held until the 1890s.  Nine other men from the USS Ticonderoga received Medals of Honor at Fort Fisher.

In 1868 he married a woman named Fredericka who had immigrated from the same German city years prior.  They had a daughter and son.

He resumed cutting hair.  By 1890 he had four shops across Philadelphia and even expanded into tonics and toupees.  He was quite a cane collector and had 600 of them, including one that had been used by President Abraham Lincoln.

He died February 26, 1912, from heart disease and is buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.

For the Hairy Old.  --Old B-R'er

David Bass's Brother Alpheus Bass of the 32nd New York

The Find a Grave for David Bass listed him as having one brother, Alpheus Bass who was a Union soldier.

BIRTH:  1 June 1839, New York 

DEATH:  15 August 1862, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

BURIAL:  Philadelphia National Cemetery, Pennsylvania.

Enlisted  at age 22.

Mustered into Company C, 32nd New York Infantry.

Died of disease at Satterlee Hospital, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Admitted to the hospital from Harrison's Landing, Virginia. 

Originally buried Woodlawn, Pennsylvania.

--Old B-Runner

What About That CSS United States C.S.R.S.?

In the last post, I wrote that Sinclair was stationed on this ship as a surgeon.  Well, let's face it, a ship commissioned in the Confederate Navy with a name like the United States might seem a bit strange.  So, I did a little more research on it.

From Wikipedia.

USS UNITED STATES

This ship certainly had a long and distinguished history in the United States Navy and was one of the  six original frigates authorized by the USS Congress under the Naval Act of 1794.  This means she was a sister ship of the famed USS Constitution.

She was built in Philadelphia at a cost of $299,336 and launched on 10 May 1797.

She saw service in the Quasi War with France, but did not participate in the First Barbary War.  In the War of 1812, she had a famed battle with the HMS  Macedonian.

--Old B-Runner

J.R.M. Mullany-- Part 4: To the End of His Naval Career

He was commissioned commodore 15 August 1870 and was in charge of the Mediterranean Squadron  from October 1870 until November 1871.  From 1872 to 1874, he commanded the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

After receiving his rear admiral's commission 5 June 1874,  he commanded the North Atlantic Squadron until February 1876, during a part of which time he  cooperated efficiently  with General  William H. Emory and General Philip Sheridan, who were successively in command of New Orleans.

He was governor of the Naval Asylum in Philadelphia from 1876 to 1879, when he was retired from active service, and he made, to the close of his life, his home in Philadelphia, dying at one of its summer resorts.

"No government or people," says one who knew him well, "ever had a more gallant and faithful public servant; and he was as modest, as genial, as gentle, and as kind as he was faithful and brave."

--Old B-Runner

USS Baltimore-- Part 2: Built in Philadelphia and Captured By U.S. Army on Potomac River in 1861

From Wikipedia.

Sidewheel steamer.

Launched 1848.  Acquired by capture  April 21, 1861.  Commissioned April 186.1 Decommissioned May 22, 1865.  Sold June 24, 1865.

500 tons 200 feet long, 26.8 foot beam

Armament  one 32-pounder smoothbore gun.

The Baltimore was built in 1848 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and captured on the Potomac River between Aquia Creek and Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Army on April 21, 1861.

--Old B-Runner

The USS Louisiana's Navy Service-- Part 1: Civilian Ship Acquired By U.S. Navy

From Wikipedia.

I wrote about this ship being ordered November 20, 1864, to report to Beaufort, N.C., and then to Hampton Roads for conversion into Butler's Powder Ship for use in blowing up Fort Fisher, North Carolina.  I was always under the opinion the Louisiana was an older ship.  It wasn't.

It was built by Harlan and Hollingsworth, in 1860, in Wilmington, Delaware.  Its first owners were S. & J.M. Flanagan of Philadelphia.  Acquired by U.S. Navy at Philadelphia on 10 July 1861 and commissioned in August 1861 with Lieutenant Arthur Murray in command.

Steamer, 295 tons, 143.2 feet long, 27.3 beam, , 85 complement, armament: one 18-pdr. smoothbore Dahlgren, one 32-pdr. gun, one 12-pdr. Dahlgren rifle.

Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and until January 1862, it operated along the Virginia coast.  It also participated in the Battle of Roanoke Island on February 7-8, 1862 and the Battle of Elizabeth City on Feb. 10.

--Old B-Runner

USS Bermuda-- Part 5: Not Condemned for a Year and Union Service

The Bermuda arrived in Philadelphia on May 3, 1862,  and was arraigned before the U.S. District Court.  Proceedings began August 12.  Final arguments were heard four days later, but the steamer was not condemned until <arch 5, 1863, almost a year after her capture.

The Bermuda was then purchased by the U.S. Navy and fitted out in the Philadelphia Navy Yard for service as a supply vessel.  It was commissioned on May 13, 1863, with Acting Master J.W. Smith in command.  Later that day it steamed down the Delaware River with supplies for both of the Gulf Coast Blockading Squadrons.

Eight days later it arrived at the mouth of Indian River, Florida, and  issued supplies to the bark USS Gem of the Sea.  That began two years of service bringing provisions and supplies to blockading fleets.

--Old B-R'er

USS Bermuda-- Part 4: Cannons and Paper

The USS Mercidita's boarding party found discrepancies in the cargo manifest, but also a thousand tons of contraband cargo including:  "a battery of seven field pieces (rifled), with carriages and everything complete, a number of heavier cannon, 42,720 pounds of powder in barrels, and  one-half and one-fourth barrels. 70 barrels of cartridges, over 600 cases of shells. etc....."

The ship's log revealed she had run the blockade before and her commander admitted the cargo was destined for the rebel states.  As a result, Commander Henry S. Stellwagen of the Mercidita seized the ship and sent her to Philadelphia under Lt. Trevett Abbott and a 30-man prize crew.

Part of the cargo seized was a shipment of blank paper sheets that were intended for printing Confederate currency.  This was by far the most important part of the Bermuda's cargo.

--Old B-Runner

Aaron Anderson-- Part 6: His Life

Aaron Anderson was born in North Carolina and enlisted at the age of 52 (quite old for an enlisted man).  he lived in Philadelphia before and after the war.  But, the name confusion (Anderson or Sanderson) has made it difficult to track him in history.

He might have returned to Philadelphia and lived and worked in South Philadelphia as a laborer, cook, white washer and coachman.  Records show he died in January 1881.

The talk will be given February 24 from 10 to noon  "Kitchen Table Stories: Aaro Anderson, African-American Civil War Hero and Medal of Honor Recipient."

--Old B-Runner

Other Burials at Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery

David Conner, Naval officer War of 1812 and Mexican War  I wrote about him in my War of 1812 Not So Forgotten blog.

Isaac Hull, War of 1812.  Commanded the USS Constitution vs, HMS Guerriere.

Richard Dale, American Revolution naval officer.  1st. Lieutenant under John Paul Jones in Bon Homme Richard vs. Serapis "I have not yet begun to fight."

Levi Twiggs, USMC officer killed in the Mexican War

Johnathan Williams, Army officer and first West Point Superintendent.

--Old B-Runner

Civil War Burials at Philadelphis'a Laurel Hill Cemetery-- Part 2

Alexander Biddle, Union officer

Samuel Crawford, Union general

Frank Furness, Union officer, Medal of Honor recipient, architect.

Alexander Henry, Philadelphia's Civil War mayor

John C. Pemperton, Confederate general

Garrett J. Pendergrast, Union naval officer

Charles Ferguson Smith, Union general

Isaac J. Wister, Union general

--Old B-R'er

Civil War Burials at Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery-- Part 1

From Wikipdia.

While researching Jacob Zeiler, USMC, Commandant of the Corps 1864-1865 and beyond, I came across a long list of burials at the cemetery, many of them of Civil War interest.

Adolph E. Borie, Sec. of Navy after the war, Friend of Grant.

John A. Dahlgren

Henry Deringer--  gunsmith

Samuel Gibbs French, Confederate general

George Gordon Meade

Francis E. Patterson, Union general

More.  --Old B-Runner

Looking For Philadelphia Medal of Honor Graves

From the November 11, 2011, Philadelphia Inquirer. //// There are 104 Medal of Honor winners from the Civil War who had ties to Philadelphia. Only the graves of 94 have been found. //// Andy Barry is one of the people looking for graves without markers. //// Waskie and Kelly are looking for the grave of Navy Seaman George Moore, who nearly lost his life rescuing crewmen from the sinking Monitor during a gale off Cape Hatteras December 30, 1862. //// "During another rescue attempt, with giant waves crashing around them, Moore and others managed to survive 50 miles off the coast, when a schooner picked them up." //// Hope They Found Them. --Old B-Runner

A Navy: How to Get It-- and the Work Before It

From the July 22, 1861, Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to the paper at this early date in the war, the country's Navy Department had had: "a commendable show of action.  Measures are under way for the construction or purchase, or both, of a fleet of vessels sufficient in number and force not only to make the blockade effectual and to capture the piratical privateers now infesting our shores, but to throw land forces upon the exposed parts of the Southern coast."

The paper made three observations to Washington:

FIRST-- regarding vessels--  every step to suppress Rebellion involving money expenditure has to be overseen because of the  "opportunity for speculation. This prostitution of a sacred trust to mere personal aggrandizement"  is not acceptable.  It is happening in the Army.

"To the same cause is to be attributed the purchase and charter, at enormous rates, of poor unseaworthy hulks like the Cataline, the suspicious conflagration of which has possibly averted a more serious disaster.

Not a vessel should be brought that is not swift, strong, new, and in every way specially adapted to the service in which she is to be engaged, and then only when she is offered at her fair market value."

So, They Had Those Guys Even Back Then.  More to Come.  --Old B-Runner

USS Lodona: Back to Hell Gate

Back on my August 4th Naval Happenings I wrote that the USS Unadilla had captured the British blockade-running steamer Lodina at Hell Gate, Georgia, and that led to one of my famous two hour detours to find out more about that place, which I had never heard of before.

I also had never heard of a blockade-runner by that name.  Thanks to good old Wikipedia, I learned more.

The Lodona was a bark-rigged iron screw steamer built at Kingston-upon-Hull, England in 1862 and owned by Z.C. Pearson of London.  It was evidently captured very early in its career if not on its first attempt through the blockade. 

It was taken to Philadelphia under Lt. C.H. Greene and condemned, making for a nice payday for the Unadilla's crew.  Of course, the Navy saw that this would be a perfect new ship to pursue other runners and it was purchased in prize court 20 Sept 1862, and after renovation for blockade duty, commissioned as the USS Lodona in Philadelphia 5 Jan 1863.

Blockade-Runners Capturing B-R's, Who'd A-Thought?  --Old B-Runner