The Other George F. Winslow (Not the One on the USS Marblehead)-- Part 1

As I said before, when I was writing about the action of the USS Marblehead in the Stono River in South Carolina at the Battle of Legareville on Christmas Day 1863, I came across the name of a Union officer named George F. Winslow, who received recognition for his actions that day from his commanding officer, Richard Worsam Meade III.

I decided to find out if I could find out any more about this man.  Especially since that last name, Winslow, is well known in Civil War narratives because of an officer named John Winslow, who commanded the USS Kearsarge in its famous fight with the CSS Alabama off Cherbourg, France.  Could this Winslow be related?

(Well, then also there was that Richard Worsam Meade III, with that famous last name.  I wonder?)

Let's find out.

The first thing I found was that there were two Union Naval officers named George F. Winslow.  That kind of complicated things.  

However, one was also a surgeon who had a long career in the service.  This one, however, was never listed as being on the USS Marblehead.

Famous Last Names All Over the Place.  --Old B-Runner

George F. Winslow of the USS Marblehead-- Part 2: Also Saw Service in the Spanish-American War

Them other George F. Winslow was probably the one from the Marblehead.

GEORGE F. WINSLOW

Mate 25 January 1863

Acting Ensign 23 May 1863

Acting Master  14 January 1864  (Perhaps for his gallantry at the Battle of Legareville on December 25, 1863?)

Honorably Discharged  5 January 1868

Lieutenant Spanish-American War 12 July 1898

Honorably Discharged 26 November 1898

So, he was a veteran of both the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.  I did not find any relation with John Ancrum Winslow, the hero of the CSS Alabama battle.

This was all I could find on him.

--Old B-R'er

George F. Winslow of the USS Marblehead-- Part 1: There Were Two George F. Winslows in the Union Navy

I wrote about this officer in my Battle of Legareville-- Part 3 post.  With the last name of Winslow, I was wondering if he  might be some relation to John Ancrum Winslow who commanded the USS Kearsarge in is fight with the CSS Alabama, so had to look him up.

I only found one mention of him in the U.S. Navy Officers 1798 to 1900

There were two Civil War-era George F. Winslows listed a naval officers.

The second one was:

Acting Asst. Surgeon 26 July 1862

Asst. Surgeon  28 May 1864

Passed Asst. Surgeon  14 June 1867

Surgeon  2 April 1875

Medical Inspector   21 August 1893

Medical Director  23 January 1898

This one was probably not the one from the USS Marblehead.

He has a carte de visit online at the Library of Congress taken while an assistant surgeon.

It says he was son of Captain Giles H. Winslow.  Served on steamer Morse 1863 and Osceola in 1864.  The USS Osceola took part in the attacks on Fort Fisher.

So, I Might Just Have a Fort Fisher Connection.  --Old B-Runner

Where Is Legareville? It's History and the Civil War-- Part 1

From Johns Island Conservancy  "Legareville"

Since I have been writing about this place and that battle so much this month, here is a little background.

The town is at the confluence of the Stono and Kiawah rivers in South Carolina, near Charleston.  It was a summer resort for plantation owners on Johns Island. and had two dozen  dwellings and two churches.  

At the beginning of the Civil War, the village was evacuated by order of Robert E. Lee, commander of the Department of South Carolina at the time.  The Union navy stationed gunboats off the village throughout the war, including the USS Marblehead , which, as you know, was surprise attacked by Confederate forces on Christmas Day, 1863.

Subsequently, Union forces landed at various times to dismantle the houses of Legareville to use for their camp at Folly Island.

--Old B-Runner

Battle of Legareville-- Part 4: A Confederate Withdrawal

After the attack on the USS Marblehead, other Confederate cannons opened fire on Union forces in Legareville.  The Confederates had an advantage at this time, their commander refused to advance his troops until the Marblehead was disabled.

Instead, he tried to get the small force to surrender.  But, by this time, the other two Union ships in the area, the USS Pawnee and USS C.P. Williams, were moving into action.  By 6:35, the C.P. Williams was enfilading the Confederate positions.  And when the Pawnee joined the fray, the Confederates  stopped firing as the tide had shifted.

Colonel Powhatan Robertson Page soon ordered the withdrawal of Confederate forces.  Two eight-inch howitzers were left on the scene of the battle.  A planned attempt to retake the guns failed under fire from the C.P. Williams.

--Old B-Runner

The Battle of Legareville-- Part 2: The Union Navy at the Battle

The USS Marblehead was under the command of  Lieutenant Commander Richard Worsam Meade, the nephew of Major General George Gordon Meade of Gettysburg fame.

The Marblehead mounted an 11-inch Dahlgren gun, two 24-pound smoothbore guns and one 20-pounder rifle.  Further down the Stono River, which ran along Johns Island past Legareville and into the Atlantic Ocean, two other gunboats were posted at the inlet.

They were the USS Pawnee, commanded by George Balch and had the firepower of  eight IX-inch Dahlgren guns, one 100-pounder Parrott rifle, one 50-pounder  Dahlgren rifle and two 12-pounder boat howitzers.  The other ship was the USS C.P. Williams, a mortar schooner that mounted a couple   8-inch mortars under the command of Acting Master F.N. Freeman.

--Old B-Runner

The Battle of Legareville-- Part 1: Supposed to Be a Surprise Attack

From Wikipedia.

This was the battle where Robert Blake received his Medal of Honor along with three other of his shipmates.  I'd never heard of it before, so you-know-what I had to do.

It was fought on December 25, 1863, when Confederate forces tried to surprise Union forces near Legareville, South Carolina, on Johns Island on the Stono River.  The attack failed and Union forces remained and the USS Marblehead was not destroyed, captured or driven away.

According to Confederate forces, they had erected five artillery positions to surprise the Federals.  The artillery batteries were under the command of Lt. Col. Delaware B. Kemper.  There were also several companies of Confederate infantry  in the area.

A small force of some 200 Union soldiers from the division of Brigadier General George Henry Gordon were in the vicinity of Legareville and had the support of one Union vessel, the USS Marblehead.

--Old B-Runner