MCCWRT May Meeting: Charles Rivers Elett, the Queen of the West and the Sinking of the Indianola-- Part 1

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table met on May14, 2024, and Ed Urban gave a talk on this oft overlooked aspect of the Civil War involving situations around Vicksburg as the Union Army and Navy attempted to subdue the Confederate stronghold and open the Mississippi River.

The Union forces launched four attempts at capturing Vicksburg.  The first was in May 1862, then June 1862, November 1862 and Sherman's attack on Chickasaw Bluffs.  The May attack was bungles, the June was derailed by the CSS Arkansas and November by the Confederate attack on Holly Springs.

Confederates still maintained control of the Mississippi River between Vicksburg southward to Port Hudson.

The Mississippi Ram fleet was the brainchild of Charles River Ellet.  Even though this involved ships, it was not a part of the Navy because Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles turned him down, but Secretary of War Stanton didn't.  As such, the Ram Fleet was technically a part of the Army.

(I have always been somewhat confused on this point.)

--Old B-Runner

U.S. Navy Medal of Honor Recipient John Gordon Morrison

Still RoadTrippin'.  These men were alswo buredin Cypress Ho;;s Cemetery along with Alban Stimers.

From Find-A-Grave.

BIRTH:  3 November 1842, Ireland

DEATH:  9 June 1897 (aged 54)  New York, New York

BURIAL:  Cypress Hills Cemetery, New York

Civil War Union Navy Medal of Honor recipient.

His citation reads:  "Served as a coxswain on board the USS  Caronolet,  Morrison was commended for  meritorious conduct in general and especially for his heroic conduct and his inspiring example to the crew in the engagemnt with the rebel ram Arkansas, Yazoo River, 15 July 1862.

"When the Carondolet was badly cut up, several of her crew killed, many wounded, and others almost suffocated from the effects of escapred steam, Morrison was leader when boarders were called on deck and the first to return to the guns and give the ram a broadside as she passed.

"His presence of mind in time of battle or trial is reported as always conspicuous and encouraging."

--Old B-Runner

CSS Mississippi: Leeds and Patterson Ironworks Bidding

From the February 23, 2021, Weapons and Warfare blog.

Patterson Ironworks agreed to furnish the engines and boilers after talks with Leeds had failed because the company was already  occupied with manufacturing and  the shafting for the CSS Arkansas and the never completed Tennessee at Memphis.

Leeds's asking price  for constructing the engines was  $65,0000 plus a build time of no less than four months.  Patterson, on the other hand,  offered to construct them for$45,000 plus a bonus if the work was completed  in 90 days.  They received the contract.

But, after necessary changes took place, the Patterson Ironworks  added $20,000 in price for building the engines and $8,000 for boilers.

--Old B-Runner

John J. Guthrie-- Part 3: CSS Chattahoochee, Blockade Runner Advance and CSS Albemarle

The previous commander of the CSS Arkansas, William McBlair? and John Guthrie were detached from the Arkansas and ordered to the east.

Following his removal from the CSS Arkansas project at Yazoo City (Greenwood, Ms.)  Guthrie served at the Richmond and Wilmington naval stations.

On February 4, 1863, he was posted to Chattahoochee, Florida, and commanded the CSS Chattahoochee.  Following the boiler explosion aboard on May 27, 1863, he commanded the initial voyage of the North Carolina state-owned  blockade runner A.D. Vance (also known as the Advance) in February 1864.

Guthrie was then sent  to superintend the Halifax, North Carolina, Navy Yard, where he assisted with the material requirements of then famed ironclad CSS Albemarle.

After the loss of the Albemarle to William Cushing's famed "torpedo," he returned to blockade running.  On March  23, 1865, he was appointed military aide to North Carolina governor Zebulon  B. Vance.

--Old B-R'er

John Julius Guthrie Biography-- Part 2: Early Service in Confederate Navy, New Orleans to Island No. 10 and CSS Arkansas

Upon returning to the United States, Guthrie  found out that his home state had joined the Confederacy and now he had to chose which side to serve.  Despite  a plea from a good friend, Captain Andrew H. Foote, he resigned his Federal commission  and was appointed a CSN lieutenant  on July 13, 1861.

Posted to New Orleans, on November 7, he was given command of the steamer CSS Red Rover (which was captured and turned into the Union hospital ship USS Red Rover).  On December 11, he also assumed command of the floating battery New Orleans, formerly the Pelican drydock.

Early in March 1862, he took both vessels up to Island No. 10, but once there was detached from them and sent to Memphis to assist in the outfitting of the new Confederate ironclad ram CSS Arkansas.  To prevent her capture, the Arkansas was moved up the Yazoo River to Greenwood, Mississippi, but then very little more work was done on her until early May when the dynamic Lt. Isaac Newton Brown was ordered to make her ready for battle.

John Guthrie and the ship's commander, William McBlair were transferred elsewhere.

--Old B-Runner

CSS Arkansas-- Part 2: Lt. Brown Puts a Rush On Completion

Nevertheless, with great energy to overcome shortages and difficulties of every nature, Lt. Brown completed the Arkansas, reinforced her bulwarks with cotton bales, and mounted a formidable  armament of 10 guns.

Lt. George W. Gift, CSN, who served in the ship later recorded that "within five weeks from the day we arrived at Yazoo City, we had a man-of-war (such as she was) from almost nothing -- the credit for all that belongs to Isaac Newton Brown, the commander of the vessel."

A number of Army artillerists volunteered to cat as gunners on board the ram.

--Old B-R'er

May 26, 1862: Lt. Brown, CSN, Ordered to Take Command of CSS Arkansas-- Part 1

MAY 26TH, 1862:  Lt. Isaac N. Brown, CSN, ordered to take command of the CSS Arkansas and "finish the vessel without regard to expenditure of men or money."

Captain Lynch after inspecting the unfinished ram reported to Secretary of Navy Mallory that:  "the Arkansas is very inferior to the Merrimac[k] in every particular.  The iron with which she is covered is worn and indifferent, taken from a railroad track, and is poorly secured to the vessel; boiler iron on stern and counter; her smoke-stack is sheet iron."

--Old B-Runner

Not Too Much on the Yazoo City Confederate Navy Yard

Yesterday, I wrote about the capture of Yazoo City, Mississippi, and destruction of its navy yard. 

I looked it up and wasn't aable to find out much about it.

It was established in 1862 and the ironclad CSS Arkansas was launched there July 14, 1862.  It was burned and destroyed by Lt. Isaac Brown and occupied May 21, 1863.  The vessels Mobile and Republic were seized (I had also read that these two ships had been burned).  No other mention of the "monster ship" being built there.

I also saw mention that the Yazoo City Navy Yard had been moved there from Memphis before that city fell.

That's About It.  --Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: May 21st to 22nd, 1863: What Was That Monster Ship?

MAY 21ST

Union ships push up the Yazoo River from Haynes' Bluff to Yazoo City, Mississippi.  As they approached, Cmdr. Isaac N. Brown, CSN, who had commanded the CSS Arkansas, was forced to destroy three "powerful steamers, rams" and a "fine navy yard, with machine shops of all kinds, sawmills, blacksmith shops, etc..."

Admiral Porter noted that the Confederate steamers destroyed were the Mobile, Republic and "a monster, 310 feet long and 70 feet beam."    Had the latter been completed, "she would have given us much trouble."  I wonder what the name of this behemoth would have been?

Farragut wrote Captain John R.  Goldsborough, commanding the blockade off Mobile and congratulated him on the number of captures made off that port.


MAY 22ND

Early in the morning, Union ship sengaged Vicksburg's hill batteries and temporarily silenced the works.  Then other gunboats attacked the water batteries, getting to within a quarter mile of them.  When it became apparent there would be no Union Army assault, Porter withdrew.

The gunboats were hit numerous times, but no major damage and were about out of ammunition.

Union Army steamer Allison destroyed schooner Sea Bird with a cargo of coal near New Bern, NC.

Old B-Runner

Confederate Naval Officer Isaac Newton Brown

From the July 13, 2012, Corsicana (Tx) Daily Sun "Saturday ceremony to honor Confederate officer."

Isaac Newton Brown, a career U.S. Navy sailor and later a Confederate naval officer, is buried at Corsicana's Oakwood Cemetery.

On Saturday, July 14th, the Sons of Confederate veterans, Order of Confederate Grays and United Daughters of the Confederacy gathered to honor his memory and the and 150th anniversary of his victorious fight with the Union Navy at Vicksburg.

Union Admiral Farragut almost took Vicksburg a year before General Grant did.  Lieutenant Brown commanded the powerful ironclad CSS Arkansas.  Earlier, he had been od\rdered to finish the ship on the banks of the Yazoo River.

Still unfinished, on July 15, 1862, Lt. Brown took a makeshift crew and no trial run, to the Mississippi River and fought off 30 Union ships to get through to Vicksburg.  Farragut's inability to defeat the Arkansas caused him to withdraw July 24th.

As a result, Brown was promoted to commander and later received the Confederate Medal of Honor.  Later, he commanded the ironclad CSS Charleston.

After the war, Isaac Brown came to Corsicana when his stepson moved there.  He remained in town until his death September 1, 1889.

A Confederate Hero.  --Old B-Runner

Isaac Newton Brown, CSN, Honored

From the July 13, 2012, Corsicana (Tx) Daily Sun "Saturday ceremony to honor Confederate officer."

Isaac Newton (wonder where they got that name) Brown is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Corsicana, a good distance from any water that might a float ship.  After leading a career in the U.S. Navy, he became a Confederate naval officer.

On July 14th, the local SCV honored him with a ceremony.The Union Navy came close to capturing Vicksburd a year before Grant accomplished the feat, but thanks to brown, were unsuccessful.  In late August 1862, Farragut attacked the fortress city on the Mississippi River.

Lt. Brown had been given the unenviable job of completing the CSS Arkansas with nonexistent machinery, iron and inexperienced men.  He accomplished the near impossible and July 15th, with a crew having little or no experience on ships, much less an ironclad,, blasted his way through Union ships guarding the confluence of the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers.

He then fought off Farragut's ships and anchored under the guns of Vicksburg.

For his heroics, he was promoted to the rank of commander and later earned a Confederate Medal of Honor.

And Hardly Anyone Remembers Him Today.  --Old Secesh

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: August 5th to August 7th, 1862: Loss of the CSS Arkansas

AUGUST 5TH

U.S. Naval forces aide Army in defense of Baton Rouge and defeat Confederate attack.


AUGUST 6TH

The CSS Arkansas, under temporary command of Lt.Henry Stevens, became unmanageable after engine failure while advancing to support the Confederate attack on Baton Rouge.  Stevens ordered it destroyed to prevent capture.  Regular Arkansas commander Brown had become ill and was not on the ship at the time, knew that critical repairs were needed on the ship and had ordered Stevens not to move her until his return.

However, Confederate General Earl Van Dorn had ordered the Arkansas into battle to ensure the success of his attack on Baton Rouge which would have reopened the important Red River supply line to the Confederates.


AUGUST 7TH

President Lincoln and Secretaries Seward and Stanton visited Captain Dahlgren at the Washington Navy Yard for a two hour demonstration of the "Rafael" repeating cannon.  Later, Dahlgren took the group on board a steamer to cool off and rest.

CSS Florida departed Nassau under Wilmington, NC, native Lt. John Newland Maffitt.

Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: July 21st to 22nd , 1862

JULY 21ST

US steamers carrying troops arrive to protect Evansville, Indiana, at request of the states's Governor Morton.  Confederate guerrillas had captured Henderson, Kentucky, across the Ohio River, and were now driven away. These coordinated Army-Navy attacks help keep Confederates from reoccuppying positions along the interior rivers.


JULY 22ND

USS Essex and Queen of the West attack the CSS Arkansas which was at anchor with a disabled engine at Vicksburg.  Many of the Confederates on board the Arkansas were ashore sick and wounded from the action of July 15th.  Queen of the West rammed the Arkansas, but with little effect and the Essex exchanged close quarter gunfire.  Both Union ships were badly damaged.

Confederate commander Brown described one of the Essex's broadsides from twenty feet away  like "nothing that I had ever heard before....We were so close that out men were burnt by the powder of the enemy's guns..."

President Davis telegraphs Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus that the CSS Arkansas desperately needs boatmen and with the blockade becoming more effective, there has to be a lot of them out of work and wants the governor to find some.

Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 years Ago: July 15th to 17th, 1862: Lots of Big Stuff Happening

JULY 15TH

USS Carondolet, Tyler and Queen of the West engage ironclad CSS Arkansas on the Yazoo River and are forced to withdraw with two ships partially disabled.  The Arkansas then runs through the Union fleet and anchors under the guns of Vicksburg.


JULY 16TH

David Farragut, in recognition of his victory at New Orleans, is promoted to Rear Admiral, the first officer in the history of the US Navy to hold that rank.

The measure passed by Congress to create the rank also revamped the command structure to include Commodore and Lieutenant Commander and established the number of rear admirals at 9, Commodores at 18, Captains at 36, Commanders at 72, and the remainder through Ensign at 144 each.

Rear Admirals were to rank with Army Major Generals.

Congress approved bill transferring the western gunboat fleet from the War department )Army) to the Navy Department


JULY 17TH

Congress passed an act establishing that every officer, seaman, or Marine disabled in the line of duty should receive for life or duration of the disability, a pension according to the nature and degree of their disability, not to exceed his monthly pay at the time of the injury.

Old B-R'er

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: May 19th to May 28th, 1862: No More Spirits

MAY 20TH

Union gunboats occupied the Stono River above Cole's Island, SC

MAY 22ND

The USS Mount Vernon captured the steamer Constitution attempting to run the blockade at Wilmington.

MAY 26TH

Lt. Isaac N. Brown, CSN ordered to take command of ironclad CSS Arkansas and finish it regardless of cost.  Captain Lynch inspected the ship and considered it very inferior to the CSS Virginia.  But Brown was able to finish it and make improvements.

US ships bombarded Grand Gulf, Mississippi as Union forces moved northward.

MAY 28TH--

USS State of Georgia and USS Victoria captured steamer Nassau near Fort Caswell, NC.

In a move sure to anger sailors, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (US) wrote to Senator Grimes asking him to add a proviso to the naval bill "abolishing the spirit ration and forbidding any distilled liquors being placed  on any vessel..."  Congressinal Act approved  14 July 1862 abolished the spirit ration.

Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: April 25, 1862-- New Orleans Captured

APRIL 26TH

Farragut's fleet silenced Confederate batteries at Chalmette en route to New Orleans.  High water allowed the ships to be able to fire over the levees into the city.  The largest and wealthiest city and seaport in the Confederacy surrenders.

Now Union ships can steam up the Mississippi River and conduct operations with those coming southward.

The CSS Mississippi, launched  on April 19th and described by Confederate officers as "the strongest...most formidable war vessel that had ever been built," was destroyed to prevent capture.  Had the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond been able to finish her shaft in time, it might have been a different story.

Commander Charles H. McBlair, CSN, notified the Navy department that because of the passage of the forts below New Orleans, he was going to take the unfinished ironclad Arkansas, building at Memphis, up the Yazoo River to complete.  He also had ordered the Tennessee to be destroyed on the stocks if Memphis fell.

Too bad for the CSS Mississippi.  --Old B-R'er