Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Confederate Ram CSS Webb

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From Wikipedia. Also referred to as the CSS William H. Webb. A 655-ton sidewheel steamship originally built in New York City in 1856 as he W...
Monday, July 1, 2024

The Fort Fisher Visitors Center and Me

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I even remember the very first Fort Fisher Visitors Center and Museum which was a maybe 60 by 60 foot metal shed located at Battle Acre by t...
Saturday, June 29, 2024

Pictures of the Old and New Fort Fisher Visitor Centers

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The June 25, 2024, Wilmington (NC) Star-News had pictures of the old and new Fort Fisher Visitors Centers.   The June 25 Wilmington NC WECT ...
Friday, June 28, 2024

A Sad But Exciting Time for Me and Fort Fisher: The Old Visitors Center Is Demolished

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From the June 25 WECT, Wilmington, N.C., News. It is the end of an era for a museum showcasing the history of our area. Crews are working as...
Thursday, June 27, 2024

CSS City of Vicksburg-- Part 3: Afterwards

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The Confederates removed the machinery from the Vicksburg and she remained at Vicksburg as a wharf boat, On 29 March 1863, Federal units wer...
Tuesday, June 25, 2024

CSS City of Vicksburg-- Part 2: Fighting the Queen of the West

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In early February 1863, the Vicksburg was tied up by landing of the City of Vicksburg and Union Admiral David Porter ordered one of his ship...
Monday, June 24, 2024

CSS City of Vicksburg-- Part 1

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Another ship involved with the saga of the USS Queen of the West was the Confederate ship named the CSS City of Vicksburg and also referred ...
Saturday, June 22, 2024

Era No.5

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From Military Wiki. One of the ships I mentioned in the talk given on the Queen of the West and Indianola. Shallow draft steamer built in 18...
Thursday, June 20, 2024

USS Indianola Epilogue

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From Wikipedia. The USS Indianola was built in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1862 and commissioned September 27, 1862.  It was a 174 or 175 foot case...
Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Queen of the West Epilogue

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From Wikipedia. After the CSS Queen of the West and CSS Webb forced the surrender of the USS Indianola on the Mississippi River below Vicksb...
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Charles Rivers Ellet Epilogue

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Charles Rivers Ellet (and I love his middle name considering his service) was not finished after his Queen of the West was lost. On March 26...
Monday, June 17, 2024

Charles Rivers Ellet, the Queen of the West and USS Indianola-- Part 5: The Black Terror Causes USS Indianola to Be Destroyed

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The chase was on.  The Indianola was moving up the Mississippi River, but slowly.  Even worse, the ship stopped to take cotton on board whic...
Saturday, June 15, 2024

Charles Rivers Ellet & the Queen of the West-- Part 4: Going After the Indianola

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Ellet and his men escaped to the DeSoto and Era No. 5 by floating downriver on cotton bales.  The Confederates took over the Queen of the We...
Friday, June 14, 2024

Charles Rivers Ellet & the Queen of the West-- Part 3

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A major reason for the Queen of the West to run past the Vicksburg batteries was to disrupt trade going on between Port Hudson and Vicksburg...
Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Charles Rivers Ellet and the Queen of the West-- Part 2: Running Past Vicksburg

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On February 2, 1863, Charles Rivers Ellet was ordered by Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter to make a run down the Mississippi River in the Que...