James Crosby Long, CSN-- Part 2: Service

Served on:

C.S.R.S.  (Confederate States Receiving Ship) United States 11861

CSS Curlew 1861-62

CSS Virginia; participated in the Battle of Hampton Roads, Va., March 8-9, 1862

Drewry's Bluff, Va. 1862

CSS Steamers Richmond and Patrick Henry, James River Squadron 1862-63

CSS Savannah, Savannah Squadron, 1863-64

CSS Albemarle, 1864

Blockade Runner Owl, 1865

Old B-R'er

Henry Discher, CSN

A couple posts ago I wrote that Henry Discher had gotten excited and accidentally fired his revolver alerting the Union crew on the mailboat Fawn that something was afoot.

Here's his service record according to the Register of Confederate Navy Officers:

HENRY DISCHER

Appointed from Missouri.  Third Assistant Engineer Provisional  Navy, June 2, 1864.

Serve on:

CSS Richmond, James River Squadron, 1864

CSS Albemarle, 1864

Confederate steamers Virginia No. 2 and Torpedo, James River Squadron, 1865.

Paroled April 23, 1865, Burkesville, Virginia.

--Old B-Runner

Another Confederate Officer Named Charles Mallory

While looking up information on midshipman Charles K. Mallory in the register of Confederate Naval Officers, I found another Charles Mallory.  Only this one was Charles H. Mallory.

He was appointed acting master in 1861, Acting Gunner on February 9, 1862, and Gunner.

He served on the Acquia Creek batteries, CSS Richmond, the Richmond Station 1861-1862.

The Mobile Station 1862-1865.

CSS Morgan in 1862.

He surrendered May 4, 1865, and was paroled  May 10, 1865.

I have not been able to find any more information on him.

--Old B-Runner

In Honor of the USMC's Birthday Today: The Confederate States Marine Corps

The official birthday of the USMC on November 10, 1775.  On this day, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines.  All across the world, Marines, current and retired, will be celebrating today.

There was also a little-known second Marine Corps and that was the CSMC, The Confederate States Marine Corps from 1861 to 1865.  It was set up the same way as the USMC.

I was preparing a list of Confederate States Navy and Marines captured at Fort Fisher from Richard Triebe's book "Confederate Fort Fisher: A Roster 1864-1865"and will list some of the Marines today.

**  Ranson J. Adcock, private, Co. B, CSMC.  Duty on CSS Tallahassee.

**  James Barrett, Co. E, CSMC.  Duty on CSS Savannah  (Sailors and Marines from the Savannah Station were transferred to Wilmington after that city fell to Sherman)

**  Michael Bow, private, Co. B, CSMC, Duty on CSS Richmond and CSS Tallahassee.  Wounded in breast and bowels.  Not sent to prison.  Died of wounds at Fort Fisher Jan. 17, 1865.

--Old B-Runner

Talking About the CSS Richmond

From the December 27, 2019, Augusta Free Press "CSS Richmond steams into Pamplin Park."

Pamplin Historical  Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier will welcome speakers Bill Walldrop and Mike Nusbaum Thursday, January 2 at 7 p.m..  They will be speaking before the Petersburg Civil War Round Table about the Confederate ironclad CSS Richmond.

They are divers and underwater archaeologists who have explored the remains of shipwrecks from the American Revolution and Civil War.  Both faced risks while exploring the wreck of the CSS Richmond in the James River by Richmond.

Ironclads revolutionized naval warfare and the CSS Richmond followed the famous CSS Virginia as a Confederate warship.    It was designed by naval architect John L. Porter and was launched May 6, 1862, and immediately had to leave Gosport Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia, for its namesake city, Richmond before Federal forces occupied that navy yard.

It was completed at Richmond and joined the Confederate Navy's James River Squadron where it saw action in 1864 and 1865.  The Union breakthrough at Petersburg on April 2, 1865, caused the evacuation of that city and Richmond.  The fate of the Richmond was sealed the next day when she and the other Confederate ships were burned and sunk to prevent capture.

The two speakers have an hour-long video on the internet about their efforts with the CSS Richmond.

I would sure like to be at this meeting.

Well Worth Watching.  --Old B-Runner

William Henry Ward, CSN-- Part 2 Ironclad and Cruiser Duty

Captured at New Orleans in April 1862 and sent to Fort Warren as a prisoner for the second time in two years.

Exchanged after two months and proceeded to the Richmond Station for service aboard the CSS Richmond.

Applied for more active service and sent to Charleston Station to report for duty on the CSS Palmetto State in 1863.

Returned to the Richmond Station and shortly afterwards was sent to the Wilmington Station.

Next served as executive officer under Lt. John Taylor Wood on the cruiser CSS Tallahassee in 1864.

Subsequently transferred to the command of the cruiser CSS Chickamauga, December 1864.

--Old B-Runner

Alexander M. DeBree, CSN-- Part 15: Treble-Banded Brooke Rifles

From Seacoast Artillery.

Three treble-banded Brooke guns produced at Tredegar Works in Richmond.  One, No. 1597, cast on June 13, 1862, installed on the CSS Richmond in November 1862.  Before that, it was successfully tested by its designer John M. Brooke and Lt. Alexander DeBree.

It appears that the other two were shipped to Charleston, South Carolina.  No. 1706, cast Dec. 6, 1962 was destined for the CSS Charleston but probably diverted by General Beauregard for harbor defense.

--Old B-R'er

CSS Arctic-- Part 2: Union Ship/Confederate Ship?

Another person wrote some information that I have seen in several places concerning the CSS Arctic.

Flt. Btry: 3 guns  (Floating battery)

Built in Wilmington 1863, as ironclad floating battery and additional duty as a receiving ship for Flag Officer Robert F. Pinckney's Naval Forces Station Cape Fear River from 1862-1864 with Lt. C.B. Poindexter, CSN, in command.

Her machinery removed in the latter part of 1862 for ironclad CSS Richmond then completing in Richmond.

With threat of First Attack on Fort Fisher, it was sunk 24 December 1864 to obstruct the Cape Fear River channel.

Another person commented that the Arctic's engine was removed in 1859 and was providing power to a sawmill when the CSS Richmond was commissioned with engines built by Naval Ironworks in Richmond, Virginia.

--These are some conflicting accounts Indeed.  --Old B-Runner

The End of the Confederate James River Squadron-- Part 2: Destruction of the Ironclads

Mallory's orders to destroy the squadron were carried out by Semmes.  After outfitting his men with arms and field equipment, the admiral burned and scuttl;ed his three formidable ironclads, CSS Virginia No. 2, Fredericksburg and Richmond near Drewry's Bluff.  By 3 a.m. on 3 April the ironclads were well on fire, and Semmes placed his 400 men on wooden gunboats.

Semmes later wrote:  "My little squadron of wooden boats now moved off up the river [to Richmond], by the glare of the burning iron-clads.  They had proceeded far before an explosion, like the shock of an earthquake, took place, and the air was filled with missiles.

"It was the blowing up of the Virginia, my late flag-ship.  The spectacle was grand beyond description.  Her shell-rooms had been full of loaded shells.  The explosion of the magazine threw all of these shells, with fuses lighted, into the air.

"The fuses were of different lengths, and as the shells exploded by twos and threes, and by dozen, the pyrotechnic effect was very fine.  The explosion shook the houses in Richmond, and must have waked the echoes of the night for forty miles around."

I can't understand why the ships did not attempt to go down the James River and attack City Point and perhaps go on out to sea, regardless of obstructions and Union ships.

They Had Nothing to Lose.  --Old B-Runner

Semmes Assumes Command of Confederate James River Squadron--

FEBRUARY 18TH, 1865:  Rear Admiral Semmes assumed command of the Confederate James River squadron.  "My fleet," he wrote, "consisted of three iron-clads and five wooden gunboats."

The ironclads, each mounting four guns, were the CSS Virginia No. 2, Richmond and Fredericksburg.  The wooden ships included the CSS Hampton, Nansemond, Roanoke, Beaufort and Torpedo; all mounted two guns except the torpedo which had just one.

Semmes also noted: "The fleet was assisted, in the defence of the river, by several shore batteries, in command of naval officers...."

I wonder what had happened to the CSS Patrick Henry?

--Old B-Runner

Confederate Attack Down the James River-- Part 2: Grounded Out

JANUARY 23-24, 1865:  This serious Confederate thrust, however, came to naught when both the Virginia No. 2 and the Richmond ran aground while passing the obstructions at Trent's Reach and were brought under heavy fire from Union sore batteries.  Gunboat CSS Drewry and torpedo boat Scorpion also went aground.

The Drewry was shattered by an explosion resulting from a mortar shell penetrating her magazine, and the Scorpion, thought to be damaged by that nearby explosion, was abandoned.

The USS Onondaga, flagship of Parker's squadron, returned to Trent's Reach the following morning and took the stranded Confederate ironclads under fire.  Her 15-inch Dahlgren guns spoke with devastating effect, and the damaged Virginia No. 2 and Richmond withdrew upriver as soon as they were refloated.

Although Parker was severely criticized for failing to engage the Confederates at once, the war's last battle of ironclads ended favorably for the North.  Grant's supply line remained unbroken and he could move inexorably toward Richmond.  Control of the James and Potomac Rivers was of inestimable value to the North.

--Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: July 1st, 1863

JULY 1ST

  Major General Rosecrans asked for gunboats for operations on the Tennessee River to halt Confederate attempts to set up bases along it.

Commander Caldwell reported to Farragut that "From the 23 of May to the 26 of June, theer followed a succession of bombardments" at Port Hudson. From his ship, the USS Essex, he had fired 738 shells and the mortar ships another 2,800 XII-shells.

James M. Tindall wrote Cpnfederate Secretary of State Judah P. benamin concerning the capture of the  Union's Pacific Mail Steamers operating on the Pacific coast.

J.B. Jones noted in his diary that President Davis had announced that the obstructions below Richmond in the James River would not be opened for the ironclad CSS Richmond until anotehr ironclad to accompany it was ready.

Old B-Runner