USS Montgomery-- Part 18: Ships John Montgomery Commanded Which Were in the Civil War

Three of the ships John B. Montgomery commanded at one time or another also participated in the Civil War.  They were the USS Portsmouth during the Mexican War, the USS Roanoke before the Civil War and the USS Lancaster in the early part of the war.

I will write about the Civil War service of each one.

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USS Portsmouth

(1843-1878)

The second ship to bear the name USS Portsmouth.  Built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, across from Portsmouth, New Hampshire.   Launched in 1843 and commissioned in 1844 with John Berrien Montgomery commanding.

It was a sailing wooden sloop of war.

It was 151 feet 10 inches long, had a beam of 37 feet 3 inches and a crew of 227.  Armament consisted of  eighteen 32-pdrs. and two 64-pdr shell guns.

--Old B-Runner

USS Nantucket, Monitor-- Part 2: A Long Career After the War

On September  15, 1863, the Nantucket captured the  British steamer Jupiter at sea.  (Monitors were fairly slow.  I'd sure like to know how that happened.)

The Nantucket again fought the Charleston forts on May  14, 1864 and remained on blockade duty until the end of the war.

Decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on June 24, 1865, she remained in ordinary for a decade.  Renamed the Medusa  15 June 1869, she took back the name Nantucket 10 August 1869.  (A lot of U.S. ships changed their names during that period.  Again, I wonder why?)

Transferred to the Portsmouth Navy Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, in 1875, the Nantucket was twice briefly recommissioned 29 July to 12 December 1882 and 16 June to 6 October 1884, and operated along the northern east coast of the U.S..

Sher again lay in ordinary in New York until turned over to the North Carolina Naval Militia in 1895.  During the Spanish-American War the ship was stationed at Port Royal, South Carolina.

After being condemned as no longer fit for service, the Nantucket was sold at auction in Washington, D.C., on 14 November 1900.  A total of five bids were received for the vessel, with the winning bid of $13,111 made by Thomas Butler & Co. of Boston.  

The auction was said to have drawn a lot of interest because of the historic nature of the vessel.

--Old B-Runner

Two Other Navy Medals of Honor: John E. Jones and Lewis Horton

It is not surprising to find that many Navy Medals of Honor buried in cemeteries around Portsmouth, New Hampshire because, of course, it is a major port on the U.S. Atlantic Coast, so naturally sailors would tend to concentrate there.

While looking up more information on John Jones and his Medal of Honor, I came across two other Navy personnel who received Medals of Honor, but were not buried in cemeteries around Portsmouth.

They were John E. Jones of the USS Oneida and Lewis Horton of the USS Rhode Island.  

At first I thought John E. Jones was John Jones with his middle name, but he wasn't.  A totally different man.

Then, I found that Lewis Horton was one of the men in the USS Rhode Island rescue boat with John Jones.  Obviously, if John Jones received a Medal of Honor, anyone else in that boat would receive one as well.

--Old B-Runner

New Hampshire Elks Honor Union Sailor Recipients of Medal of Honor-- Part 5: Robert Anderson

ROBERT ANDERSON

(1843-1900)

Union Navy Civil War

Interred at Cavalry Cemetery

All five of these Union sailors are buried in cemeteries around Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Pictures of each of their graves accompany the article.

Anderson served aboard the USS Crusader and the USS Keokuk during various actions in these vessels.

Carrying out his duties skillfully while serving aboard the Crusader, Quartermaster Robert Anderson, on all occasions, set forth the greatest  intrepidity and devotion.

During the attack on Charleston, while serving on board the USS Keokuk, Robert Anderson was stationed at the wheel of the ship when shot penetrated the ironclad and with the scattering of iron from it, shielded  the body of his commander with his body.

He survived.

--Old B-R'er

N.H. Elks Honor Navy Medal of Honor Recipients: Mark Ham

MARK HAM  (1820-1869)

Union Navy Civil War

Interred at Harmony Grove Cemetery (South Cemetery)

Ham served on the USS Kearsarge when she sank the Confederate raider CSS Alabama off Cherbourg, France, on June 19, 1864.

Performing his duties  intelligently and faithfully, Ham distinguished himself in the face of bitter enemy fire and was highly recommended by his divisional officer.

--Old B-Runner

New Hampshire Navy Medal of Honor Recipients Honored on Memorial Day-- Part 1: John Sullivan of USS Monticello

From the June 4, 2021, Seacoastonline "Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Elks honor Medal of Honor recipients on Memorial Day"

The Portsmouth Lodge of Elks No. 97 purchased wreaths to place on the graves of  five veterans  over memorial Day weekend.

JOHN SULLIVAN (1839-1913 Union Navy Civil War.  Interred at Harmony Grove Cemetery (South Cemetery)

Sullivan served as a seaman on the USS Monticello during  the reconnaissance  of the harbor and water defenses of Wilmington, North Carolina, June 23-24, 1864.  This would have been under the command of Lt. William Cushing.

The reconnaissance took part over  two days and nights.

Sullivan courageously carried out his duties during this action, which resulted in the capture of a mail carrier and mail, the cutting of telegraph wire and the capture of a large group of prisoners.

Although in immediate danger  from the enemy at all times, Sullivan showed gallantry and coolness throughout this action which resulted in the gaining  of much vital information on the rebel defenses.

His Medal of Honor was issued December 31, 1864.

--Old B-Runner

From Tea Clipper to Slaver to U.S. Warship, The USS Nightingale-- Part 2: An Extreme Clipper

The Nightingale was designed and built and the Hanscomb Shipyard in Eliot, Maine, in 1851 by Samuel Hanscomb, Jr.,  receiving its final fit out in nearby Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

She was what was referred to as an Extreme Clipper type of ship whereby cargo room was sacrificed for speed.  The bow was lengthened above the water, drawing out the sharpening of the forward body with the greatest beam further aft.  Extreme clippers were built for speed and most constructed between 1845 and 1855.

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STATISTICS:

TONNAGE:  1066 tons

DRAFT:  36 feet

LENGTH:  177 feet

BEAM:  36 feet

PROPULSION:  Sails

--Old B-Clipper

Capture of the Slaver Nightingale-- Part 2: Cargo of Slaves

The Nightingale is a clippership, of 1,100 tons burden, built at Portsmouth, N.H., and intended for the Baltic and Australian trade, but as the builders did not fulfill the contract, she passed into other hands.  She sailed hence Sept. 13,  with a load of grain for Liverpool, and arrived  there Oct. 6, where she discharged cargo and was up for the East Indies.

Sailed from Liverpool Dec. 2, and was on the 14th January anchored at the island of St. Thomas, W.C.A. (probably West Coast of Africa)  "So states her log."

On the 22nd January, she was boarded off the Congo by the English steamer Archer, and the United States steamer Mystic, when she proceeded up the Congo River  and remained there until the first day of April, where she was fallen in with the Saratoga and boarded.  

Her papers being found  all right, she was allowed  to proceed, but on the 22nd April was captured as  above.

--Old B-Runner

USS Nipsic-- Part 1: Launching and Duty Station

From Wikipedia.

Was a ship in the Union Navy, laid down at Portsmouth Navy Yard on 24 December 1862 and launched  15 June 1863, commissioned  2 September 1863 with Lt. Cmdr. George Bacon in command.  179 feet long,  30-foot beam.

Armament:

one 150-pdr. rifle
one 30-pdr. rifle
two 9-inch Dahlgren smoothbores
two 24-pdr. howizers
two 12-pdr. guns

Arrived off Morris Island, Charleston, S.C., on 5 November 1863 and served Charleston blockade for the rest of the war.

--Old B-R'er

USS De Soto-- Part 11: Yellow Fever Outbreak

After those repairs, the De Soto patrolled off the east coast of Florida in Mid-March 1864 and then again to Key West for coaling and repairs.  (It sure seems like this ship needed a lot of repairs.)    Then, it was back to her regular patrolling grounds southeast of Mobile Bay.

Beginning in April or May, members of the crew began coming down with yellow fever and the ship was sent north to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where it arrived 6 June 1864.  As per normal practice, the De Soto was decommissioned and the crew quarantined until the fever broke.

Once the yellow fever was gone, the ship went to Baltimore, Maryland, for the installation of new boilers.  The De Soto was there when the war ended.

--Old B-R'er

USS Santee-- Part 1: Construction Started 1820, But Not Launched Until 1855

From Wikipedia.

Since I had never heard of the USS Santee, I had to inquire further into its history.

It was a three-masted, wooden hulled sailing frigate. and one of the last sailing frigates in active service.  In the Civil War it was crewed by 480 and fitted out with an array of heavy guns.

It did blockade duty and later served as a training ship for the USNA.

It was rated for 44 guns and construction on the Santee began at Portsmouth Navy Yard in 1820, but lack of funds lef to it not being launched until 16 February 1855, but was not commissioned until 9 June 1861, with Captain Henry Eagle in command.

--Old B-R'er

Fire on the Water: USS Kearsarge vs. CSS Alabama

From the May 5, 2011 Seacoastonline.com "Fire on the Water exhibit at Athenaeum observes the 150th anniversary of the Civil War."

The new exhibit is called "Fire on the Water:  Portsmouth's Kearsarge Sinks the Deadly Confederate Raider Alabama" opened May 6th.

There were thousands of onlookers watching the 90 -minute battle off Cherbourg, France.

The Kearsarge, named for a New Hampshire mountain,  was a Mohican-Class Sloop-of-War and was built at Portsmouth Naval Yard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  They are loaning the original construction plans of the three-masted, steam-powered Kearsarge and a sailor's hat.

The CSS Alabama had sunk 55 ships when Captain John H. Winslow docked at Flushing, Holland and learned that the Alabama was at Cherbourg undergoing a much-needed overhaul.  On June 14, 1864, Winslow anchored outside French territorial waters.

On June 20, the Alabama came out and the battle was on.  The Confederate raider lost 30 crew members killed or drowned and was sunk, while the Kearsarge had 3 wounded.

Roll, Alabama, Roll.  --Old B-R'er