As I said in the last post, whenever I'm doing a story about a ship, I like to see of there have been other ships by that name.
Wikipedia is an excellent quick source of information, because by the ship's name, they have a spot for "Other ships with the same name." Click on it and a list will come up.
Even though I had never heard of a ship on the U.S. Navy by the name of Montgomery, I found that the new USS Montgomery (LCS-9) is actually the sixth ship to bear that name. Those names stretch back to the American Revolution and cover much of the country's history.
And there was one from the Civil War, which is why I was making the presentation in a series of Civil War talks.
And, as part of the RoadTrip experience, I will take a look at each of the USS Mongomerys. I will look at the ship's history, and I am also very interested in for whom or what the ship was named.
--Old B-Runner
When you go RoadTrippin' Through History, you start with one thing and then how many other things you can attach to it. What can you find out?
So, we're going to take a trip through history and it starts with a current U.S. warship, the USS Montgomery (LCS-8). I came across a picture of this ship and information on the December 2021 Paralyzed Veterans of America calendar. I'd never heard of it, nor had I ever heard of any ship in the U.S. Navy by that name.
The first thing I had to do was find out what LCS stood for. I am aware of many Navy designations for ships. For example, (DD) means destroyer, (BB) means battleship, (CV) means aircraft carrier and (SS) means submarine. But what does LCS stand for?
It stands for Littoral Combat Ship. Next step was to find out what littoral meant. That was not a word in my general vocabulary. Looking it up I found that littoral meant something to do with coastal or shallow waters. The combat ship was easy. So, this is a ship meant for operating up close to the enemy in shallow coastal waters.
--Old B-Runner
Often when I'm doing all these blogs, I go ahead from the story I'm on and find out, as Paul Harvey would call it, "The Rest of the Story." I start digging a little deeper into it to see what I find. It is kind of like looking for buried treasure. Kind of like all the hype back when Geraldo Rivera went into Al Capone's vaults. You never know if you'll find something or not.
I call this "RoadTrippin' Through History" as you don't even know if you'll stay, as in this case, with the Civil War. You just keep following leads. Sometimes you get nowhere, others, like this, you sure do go places.
This takes in another one of the things I'm nuts about, old roads and trips on them. Today. most vacations are all about the destination, not what you can see and do on the way. Now, I realize most people don't have a lot of time on vacations and I'm fortunate enough to be retired.
My late wife, Liz, and I got hooked on old roads in 2002. And, that road was Route 66 which we took from Chicago to St. Louis over spring break. We got hopelessly hooked.
Plus, Illinois is fortunate to also have two of the other major old roads, the Lincoln Highway and the National Road.
--Old B-Runner
From my presentation "RoadTrippin' Through History: The Continuing Saga of the USS Montgomery" that I gave January 19, 2023.
Some of this is written in this blog and other parts are in my Cooter's History Thing and Tattooed on Your Soul: World War II blog. I am putting it all together in this one now.
I am a history nut. I love my history and have loved it since I was a young lad of seven in 2nd grade and my dad took me to a Civil War fort in North Carolina called Fort Fisher. We were living in North Carolina at the time (I lived there for most of my first ten years). I did not know anything about the Civil War.
My dad explained to me that the war was fought between the North and the South. I told him, "Then we were for the North." He said we weren't. But, how could that be? I knew we lived in North Carolina and that South Carolina was right by us. As such, the Civil War must have been between North and South Carolina.
Dad said no. Those weren't the two sides.
I had paid attention at school in geography class and knew there was a South America and we lived in North America. As such, then we would still be for the North.
Dad said no.
Now, you had a confused young man. When I got back to school, I checked out a kid's book "The Civil War" by Fletcher Pratt from the library and read and reread several times and started getting an idea about this war.
Well, as they say, the rest is history. In the 2nd grade I knew I wanted to be a teacher so I could teach history. And, I was for 33 years. See what Dad and Fletcher Pratt started.
And Fort Fisher Is Still My Favorite Civil War Battle. --Old B-Runner
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.
*********************************
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
While at East Carolina University, he founded and served as the Director of the Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology Program.
He was also instrumental in numerous underwater archaeological projects such as those on the USS Monitor, CSS Alabama and Confederate submarine Hunley.
"Doc," as he was often known to his graduate students, was a mentor, advisor and friend.
When he retired from East Carolina in 1994, he and his wife relocated to Hawaii.
He authored or co-wrote dozens of books and publications focused on naval history from the Civil War to World War II.
Up until two weeks before his death, he was actively researching and writing the last installation of his series for the Secretary of the Navy that began with "Crisis at Sea and Victory Without Peace," focused on U.S. naval forces withdrawal following World War I.
Mr. Still was the recipient of many honors in the book field
He and his wife returned to Greenville, N.C., in 2008, but continued spending winter months in Hawaii and summer in North Carolina.
--Old B-Runner
From the Daily Reflector mewspaper, Greenville, North Carolina.
One of the best Civil War Navy authors died January 8, 2023. I have his "Iron Afloat" book and enjoyed reading it. Plus, he taught at East Carolina University, a school near and dear to me as both my parents graduated from there and have a scholarship. Also, two of my cousins are ECU graduates.
DR. WILLIAM NORWOOD "BILL" STILL JR.
(1932-2023)
Passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 8.
He was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and got his bachelors degree from Mississippi College and doctorate from the University of Alabama. He spent two years in the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain.
He began his teaching career at the Mississippi State College for Women and moved to Greenville, North Carolina, in 1968 to be a history professor at East Carolina College (now University).
--Old B-Runner
The Passaic then spent 1893-1896 at Boston on loan to the Massachusetts Naval Militia. The next two years were spent with the Georgia Naval Militia at Brunswick, Georgia.
Recalled for action during the Spanish-American War in 1898, she cruised southward from May 6 to September 11. At that time she was finally decommissioned at the Pensacola Navy Base.
On October 10, 1899, the old warrior was sold to Frank Samuels of Philadephia who broke her up for scrap.
Writing in his journal on June 3, 1865, Admiral Dahlgren said of the Passaic, "a steady worker for two-and-one-half years, and the first monitor in commission after the Monitor.'
In a letter written to the Army and Navy Journal of April 24, 1864, Commander Simpson said, "The Passaic was the worst hit of all the monitors."
Yes, the Passaic earned the title of "The Fightingest Ship in Mr. Lincoln's Navy" and deserves to be remembered with pride by all who live in the river valley (Passaic, New Jersey) from which she received her name.
--Old B-Runner
Following extensive repairs, she was sent to Wassau Sound under the command of Lt. Commander Fillebrown and served on the blockade for the rest of the war.
The Passaic received a great honor on April 14, 1865, when she was ordered to Charleston to take part in the ceremony of raising the U.S. flag over Fort Sumter, exactly four years to the day after Anderson had surrendered the fort.
On June 18, 1865, the Passaic was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
It was laid up at League Island Navy Yard in Philadelphia until 1875, when she returned to duty as part of the North Atlantic Squadron, serving as a receiving ship at the Washington Navy Yard
She cruised with the fleet from September 1, 1882, until the November 18th when she was assigned duty with the Naval Academy at Annapolis, remaining there for the next ten years.
--Old B-Runner
In a report to Admiral Dahlgren, who had replaced Du Pont, Commander Simpson related that the Passaic went into action eleven times between July 29 and September 8th. During that time, she fire two hundred and twenty-six shells against the enemy and took in return one hundred and thirty-five hits from Confederate guns.
Typical of her work was the September 8th engagement. During the attack on Sullivan's Island, she was ordered to go well in front of the rest of the fleet to engage Battery Bee at close range.
The Confederates concentrated all their guns on the Passaic and she was hit fifty-one times. She managed to fire off forty-nine of her own shells.
Her last action in 1863, took place on November 16th, when Admiral Dahlgren used her as his flagship during an attack on Fort Moultrie. In this engagement, the USS Lehigh ran aground and was rescued by the Passaic while both vessels were under heavy fire.
--Old B-Runner
At 11 am and 2 pm, Curator of History Ray Flowers will present "The Sword of Fort Fisher" in the visitor center audtorium. This is about Major Reilly's sword, the one used to surrender the fort. Seating will be limited.
Due to the construction of the new visitor center, parking will be limited to the Battle Acre and the temporary parking lot located immediately south of the museum. Signs will assist motoerists.
ADA/handicapped parking is limited to two spaces north of the museum.
Located at 1610 Fort Fisher Boulevard, Kure Beach, N.C., Fort Fisher is a part of the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
--Old B-Runner
From the January 8, 2023, Port City News (Wilmington, North Carolina) "158th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Fisher reenacts Civil War times."
History comes alive this coming weekend with the 158th anniversary of the fall of Fort Fisher.
It is free and open to the public and the theme is "With Artillery, War Is Made" and will be held January 14 from 10 am to 4 pm. The living history program will focus on the artillery used at Fort Fisher during the Civil War.
There will,be demonstrations of the 32-pounder banded and rifled seacoast gun, 12-pound Parrott gun at 10 am, noon, 1:30 and 3 pm.
--Old B-Runner
Now that West Point is divesting itself of any and all things Confederate, I'm thinking that the 150-pdr. Armstrong gun at Trophy Point that was captured at Fort Fisher which was a CONFEDERATE FORT by the way, should be "divested" back to our fort.
In addition to the fortifications protecting Charleston Harbor, the channel had been heavily mined and filled with cables and obstructions to prevent passage of enemy ships.
In all, the Confederates had massed more than 300 guns.
It was into this inferno of fire that the Union fleet advanced to attack on April 7, 1863. In the 45 minutes in which the action lasted, the Confederates fired 3,500 shots and shells and repelled the attack.
The ironclad USS Keokuk was sunk and all the others hit several times. The object of the attack, Fort Sumter was only slightly damaged.
During the short battle, the Passaic had fired thirteen shots and hit thirty-four times. As a result, she was sent to New York for repairs and recommissioned on July 19, 1863. Lt. Commander Edward Simpson replaced Captain Drayton in command.
Arriving back in the blockade off Charleston, the Passaic took part in every engagement against the city and its defenses until the end of the war.
--Old B-Runner
At this stage of the Civil War, Charleston had become a comparatively unimportant point in the overall strategy of the war. However, the Federal government felt that the reduction of Fort Sumter, where the war started, and the capture of Charleston would be a great moral victory in a struggle that wasn't going so well for the North at this juncture.
Du Pont was ordered to attack the Charleston defenses with a fleet of nine ironclads and five wooden ships. After the Confederate guns were silenced, an army of 4,000 troops commanded by General Truman Seymour would proceed to attack the city itself.
However, during the two years after the attack on Fort Sumter, the Confederates had turned Charleston into one of the most protected Southern ports. Forts Moultrie and Sumter had been rebuilt, a strong position named Fort Wagner had been constructed on Morris Island, directly opposite of Sumter.
Battery Bee had been erected on Sullivan's Island and numerous other fortifications had been built along the banks of Charleston's two rivers.
--Old B-Runner
The Passaic was made the flagship of the small squadron and Captain Percival Drayton in charge of the operation against Fort McAllister.
Drayton was a member of an old and distinguished South Carolina family, but had chosen to remain in the U.S. Navy. He had faced a brother, Confederate General Thomas F. Drayton earlier in the war at the Battle of Port Royal.
The Passaic led the small Union fleet into action and into position just 1,200 yards from the guns of the fort. From 8:40 am to 3:30 pm, the Passaic fired 52 projectiles at the fort and was his 34 times. In his report of the action, Captain Downes of the monitor USS Nahant, said that all of the fort's guns were concentrated on the Passaic.
The attack was not successful in capturing the fort, but, the Passaic had proved beyond a doubt that monitors were capable of withstanding heavy fire which would have sunk any wooden ship.
--Old B-Runner
Fort Fisher Interpreter and Education and Outreach Coordinator Kaitlin O'Connor will lead tours of the fort Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.. She will talk about Blacks and Indians who built the fort as well as the contributions of Blacks at the battle itself.
The tour lasts for about half an hour and covers less than half a mile of paved trail. Tickets are $5 at the door.
In the exhibit hall there will be a tabletop display from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with staff to talk about some of the aforementioned topics.
On January 8, she will present "Tis Grand to Know: People of the Wilmington Campaign" at the Main Branch of the New Hanover County Library at 3 p.m.. The free presentation will offer a fresh overview of the Wilmington Campaign through an examination of the diverse people caught up in it.
--Old B-Runner
From the December 29, 2022, WECT (Wilmington, N.C.) "Education and outreach series to include guided tours of Fort Fisher, presentation at New Hanover Co. library."
The series is called "Dwell with Gratitude and Pride: New Perspectives on the Wilmington Campaign." This will include a tour of Fort Fisher on Saturday, January 7.
The series will feature weekly educational events at various lcations throughout the county and will explore the diverse experiences of people swept into the Union's campaign to capture Wilmington after the fall of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865. Wilmington fell on February 22, 1865.
Black, white, Asian, Indigenous and Hispanic people were involved. Participants can learn about those experiences through guided tours, speakers and costumed interpretation programs according to the North Carolina Department of Natiral and Cultural Resources.
--Old B-Runner
This is continuing with my RoadTrippin' Thru History with Edward Simpson who commanded the ship during the fighting at Charleston, S.C., in 1863.
Boiler problems along the way from New York caused a stop at the Washington Navy Yard for repairs. While there, President Lincoln and his cabinet inspected the ship on December 6, 1862. On December 29, she sailed from Hampton Roads in the company of the original USS Monitor.
They encountered rough weather off Cape Hatteras and the USS Monitor sank. The Passaic survived the storm and reached Beaufort, S.C., safely on January 1, 1863.
Her first assignement was to patrol off Wassau Sound, Georgia, where she captured the schooner Glide, a blockade runner loaded with cotton.
By now, the other Passaic-class monitors had been completed and joined the Passaic at Wassau Sound. Admiral DuPont decided to test the ability of the monitors agains enemy fortifications and ordered an attack on Fort McAllister, Georgia.
--Old B-Runner
From the Passaic County Historical Society "USS Passaic" by Alfred P. Cappio.
The monitor USS Paissaic was commanded by Edward Simpson in the 1863 attack on Charleston and Fort Sumter.
The USS Passaic was named after the Passaic River in New Jersey.
"It is doubtful that any other ship in the Union Navy fought in more actions, fired more shells at enemy fortifications, or was hit more often by enemy fire than the Passaic. Truly this ship might well be called "The Fightingest Ship in Mr. Lincoln's Navy."
After the success of the USS Monitor, nine more monitors were ordered from John Ericsson at his Greenpoint (now Brooklyn) shipyard. The first to be completed was the USS Passaic, launched on August 30th and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on November 25, 1862.
Two days later, under the command of Captain Percival Drayton, she sailed to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Admiral DuPont at Port Royal, South Carolina.
--Old B-Runner
