CSS/USS Diana-- Part 5: Retaken By Confederates and At the Battle of Fort Bisland, Louisiana

The Diana was then towed up the Teche, the Diana was repaired and taken into the Confederate  River Fleet on April 5, 1863, to support the troops at Camp Bisland in Louisiana.  On April 11, under Lieutenant  Nettles of the Velverde Battery (who showed great skill in commanding his gunboat), the Diana's guns helped drive Union troops back on Bayou Teche and away from the vulnerable Camp Bisland.

Nettles' command of the Diana, however, proved to be very short.  Taken suddenly ill with  fever, he was relieved  on 13 April 1863 by Captain Oliver Semmes (Hmmmn, Semmes, I wonder) of the Artillery Unit.

The day he took command, thousands of Union troops moved in with their own gunboat support and launched a violent attack on Bayou Teche and Camp Bisland (also called Fort Bisland).  This engagement lasted until sundown.

I'd never heard of this Semmes fellow or Fort/Camp Bisland.  Perhaps some more research will be necessary.

--Old B-Runner

CSS/USS Diana-- Part 4: Captured By Union at New Orleans and Recaptured a Year Later

The Diana was reported to have escaped when the Union Navy under Admiral Farragut ran past forts Jackson and St. Philip on April 24, 1862, but was captured by the USS Cayuga on April 27th.

It was then used by Union forces at New Orleans on May 5 as a troop transport.  Then the Diana was assigned  to assist Federal ships at Berwick Bay before being sent to Grand Lake around March 28, 1863 to make a reconnaissance down the Atchafalaya River with two companies of infantry aboard
to Bayou Teche near Pattersonville.

Confederate shore batteries weer lying in ambush, however, and laid down a murderous fire from both artillery and sharpshooters.  The Diana had her tiller ropes shot away and her engine disabled.  This major damage caused the Diana to drift ashore where she was surrendered.

Also captured by the jubilant Confederates were 58 men from the 12th Connecticut and 20 from the 160th New York Infantry.

The Diana's commander, Acting Master T.L.  Peterson along with five other men were killed, and three  others were wounded in the two-hour action.

--Old B-Runner

CSS/USS Diana-- Part 3: Built in Pennsylvania, Ended Up In Texas

From the 290 Foundation  "CSS Diana"

The Diana was initially built  as a side-wheel steamer at Brownsville, Pennsylvania, on the Monongahela River in 1858.  Subsequently, along with steamers Bayou City and Neptune No. 2, she was offered for charter or sale at Galveston, Texas, in September 1861 by the Houston Navigation Company.

She remained listed as  a steamer of that company on 19 December 1861 when taking the seized Federal life boat Francis in tow for San Jacinto, Texas.  Under Captain Blakmen, she was tasked to carry the crew of the CSS General Rusk from Houston to Galveston on 20th January 1862.

Both the Diana and Bayou City were eventually fitted out as semi ironclads, increasing their displacements from 239 tons to 245 tons respectively before being used as gunboats by the Texas Marine Department for the defense of Galveston Bay.

One-inch of iron protected the Diana's bow and much of her deck was protected by tightly-packed cotton bales  She was fitted with five Parrott guns, also mounted on the forward deck.

The one picture I saw of the Diana with cannons, showed one aft and one forward.

--Old B-Runner

CSS/USS Diana-- Part 2: Captured at New Orleans, Then Recaptured in Louisiana

The Diana, a sidewheel merchant steamer was captured by the U.S. Navy  17 April 1862 at New Orleans, Louisiana, and turned over  on 7 May  to General Benjamin Butler, the Union Army commander in New Orleans.  She was used by the Union Army as a transport until November 1862, then returned to naval service, Acting Master Weeks in command.

During her short career in the U.S. Navy, the Diana assisted in the capture of two vessels with sugar and molasses on board on 6 December 1862.  Later, it took part in an attack on Confederate forces  in Bayou Teche, Louisiana, and the destruction of  the CSS J.A. Cotton 14 January 1863.

For the remainder of her Union service,the Diana assisted other Union gunboats and Army detachments in Berwick Bay, Louisiana,, until 28 March 1863, when she was recaptured by the Confederates while on a reconnaissance of Grand Lake and Atchafalaya River in Louisiana.

I know that it was at Galveston when it helped John N. Maffitt and his CSS Owl escape.

--Old B-Runner

CSS/USS Diana-- Part 1 Served Both Navies

From Wikipedia.  Listed under USS Diana, which it was for a short time.

Not much is known about this ship in regards to any general characteristics other than she was a sidewheel steam propelled vessel.

Laid down and launched are not known.  In service for Union Navy November 1862.  Out of service 28 March 1863.

Captured:  By Union forces  27 April 1862.  Fate:  recaptured by Confederate forces, 28 March 1863.

The USS Diana (1862) was a captured Confederate steamer acquired by the U.S. Navy in prize court and then began a career as a blockader for awhile.

--Old B-Runner

Road Tripping Through Civil War Naval History: From the CSS Owl, to Maffitt to the CSS Diana

This all started earlier this month when I had a blog entry featuring the blockade runner Owl, which had a picture of the ship running through the blockade at Wilmington, N.C..  It was a great picture, and I am currently using it at the top of this blog.  If anyone knows who painted this, please let me know so I can credit that person.

Then, I started my road trip with a confusing entry in Wikipedia on this ship, which I found out was actually owned by the Confederate government so correctly was the CSS Owl.  It didn't enter the war until near the end, but at the time was the best designed ship available to do the job it was supposed to do.

And, it was commanded at the end by a person I really admire, John Newland Maffitt.

The ship ran into Wilmington near the end and was headed there when news came that Fort Fisher had fallen.  Maffitt then tried to run into Charleston, S.C., Florida and finally Galveston.  It was helped out of a really tight place on that final run in by the CSS Diana, a ship I had never heard of before.  This ship will be my next area of research.  (And, I found out it was a Confederate ship, then a Union ship and went back to being a Confederate ship.  How's that for interest?)

After running out of that place, Maffitt sailed to England and turned the Owl over to authorities there.

So, Let's Go Road Tripping Through Some Civil War Naval History.  --Old B-Runner

On Maffitt's Final Run Through the Blockade-- Part 2: It Was Grand Theater

By this late date in the war, with all other Confederate ports closed, there were sixteen Union blockaders off Galveston.  Regardless, Maffitt ran that gauntlet, taking heavy fire.  he was so hard pressed, that at the entrance to the harbor, he ran aground on Bird Island Shoals.

Under heavy fire, Maffitt attempted to free the Owl.  The scene became grand outdoor theater as the people of Galveston heard the cannon fire and ascended the steps to their house tops to view the action.

A small Confederate fleet consisting of two gunboats and four transports wasn't much help, but one of the gunboats, the CSS Diana, with a volunteer crew under Captain James H. McGarvey, steamed out into the spray of shot and shell to assist the Owl.

There they found Maffitt "at his exposed post on the bridge of the steamer, calmly directing his men and displaying... the greatest bravery."

With the aid of the Diana, the Owl was soon floated and towed  out of danger to the rejoicing of the housetop audience.

So, the little-known Diana played a role on the last attempt by a Confederate blockade runner to enter a Confederate port.

--Old B-Runner

CSS Owl-- Part 5: The End of the Confederacy

On this last trip to Wilmington, the Owl was almost captured by a federal cruiser and had to jettison valuable mail as well as sustained 12 casualties.

When Maffitt tried to run into Galveston in May 1865, he grounded on Bird Island Shoals at the entrance to the harbor, within easy cannon range of sixteen blockaders.   Captain James H. MacGarvey, CSN, , of the CSS Diana, just barely got the Owl off in time before the Union ships got the range and Maffitt got into the port.

He later also successfully ran out of it.

There is some evidence that during the Owl's last  two runs through the blockade that it was doing so under the name of Foam.

With the end of the war and no more ports to run into, Maffitt took the Owl/Foam to Liverpool and delivered it to the firm of Fraser, Trenholm & Company and deciding to stay in England, Maffitt took the British Board of Trade examinations and  commanded British ships going between that island and South America.

--Old B-Runner