It Was Murder, Not a Duel, the Death of William Andrews, CSN

From Confederate Navy Trivia by Terry Foenander.

***  At least one murder is known to have been committed on an officer of the Confederate Navy by a fellow officer.  On October 15, 1862, Acting Master's Mate Joseph Goodwin Hester fired three shots at his commanding officer, Master's Mate (Acting Midshipman)  William Andrews of Georgia, with a pistol, aboard the CSS Sumter, while that vessel was anchored  off Gibraltar.

Andrews died almost instantly, and, after an inquest was held, his remains were laid to rest on October 17, at Gibraltar, attended by members of the Sumter as well as several officers of the One Hundredth Canada Regiment, stationed at the rock.

Hester was under suspicion by Andrews of pilfering  articles from the vessel,  but after arrest for  the murder, Hester tried to vindicate his crime by claiming that Andrews had intended to commit treason by delivering the vessel into the hands of the US authorities.

However, the crew of the Sumter in a letter to the Confederate commissioner in London, James M. Mason, noted that the claim was without foundation, and that Andrews was beloved and respected by all who knew him, especially his crew.

Hester was held by British authorities at Gibraltar, and, after some correspondence with the Confederate authorities, the British sent him aboard the Shannon, to Bermuda, where it was hoped he would be brought through the blockade, for trial in the Confederate States.

However, permission was denied, and he was permitted to go free in Bermuda.

So, That's the Story.  --Old B-Runner

Albert Gallatin Hudgins, CSN

From Texas History  "Register of Officers of the Confederate States Navy, 1861-1865)

ALBERT GALLATIN HUDGINS

Born and appointed from Virginia.  Resigned as acting midshipman, U.S. Navy, March 11, 1861.  Acting master , September 24, 1861.  Lieutenant for the war, February 8, 1862,   Second lieutenant September 8, 1862. Second lieutenant, October 23, 181862, to rank from October 2, 1862.

First lieutenant Provisional Navy, June 2,  1864, to rank from January 6, 1864.

*************************

Served on the CSS  Sumter, 1861, wounded and captured while in charge of prize brig  Cuba, July   8, 1861; exchanged  at Aiken's Landing, Virginia, August  5, 1862.

CSS Baltic, Mobile Squadron, 1862-1863.  Drewry's Bluff, Virginia, 1863.  Participated in the expedition for the capture of  U.S. steamers Satellite and Reliance,  August 23, 1863.  Johnsons Island  expedition, 1863.

C.S. steamers  Raleigh and Arctic, Wilmington Station,  1863-1864.

Special duty, 1864.  CSS Bombshell; captured in Albemarle Sound, May 5, 1864, ; paroled at Charleston, South Carolina, December  15, 1864.

C.S. steamers  Virginia (No. 2) and Richmond, James River squadron, 1865.

Semmes Naval Brigade 1865.  Paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina,  April 28, 1865.

--Old B-Runner

Confederate Navy Officers: Richard Fielder Armstrong (At Fort Fisher)

Born in Georgia.  Appointed from Georgia.

Resigned as Acting Midshipman, U.S. Navy, January 30, 1861.

Midshipman April 17, 1861.

Acting master September 24, 1861.

Lieutenant for the war, February 8, 1862.

Second lieutenant, October 23, 1862, to rank from October 2, 1862.

First lieutenant Provisional Navy, June 2, 1864, to rank from  January 6, 1864

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Served on the CSS Sumter 1861-1862.  (He probably would have been there when J.T. Hester murdered William Andrews.)

CSS Alabama, 1864

Assisted in the defense of Battery Buchanan in the Union attack of Fort Fisher, December 23-25, 1864; gallant conduct commended.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, January 17 and 18, 1862: The CSS Sumter Captures Two More Union Ships

JANUARY 17TH, 1862:  The USS Connecticut, Commander Woodhull, captured blockade running British schooner Emma off the Florida Keys.

JANUARY 18TH 1862:  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured and burned the bark Neapolitan, with cargo of fruit and sulphur, in the Straits of Gibraltar, and captured and bonded the bark Investigator with cargo of iron.

The USS Kearsarge was ordered to Cadiz, Spain, in an effort to track the Sumter down.  This ship would later become a real big problem for Semmes.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, December 8, 1861: CSS Sumter Strikes Again

DECEMBER 8TH, 1861:  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured and burned the American bark Eben Dodge in the mid-Atlantic, equipped for a whaling  voyage to the Pacific.

**  The USS Rhode Island, Lieutenant Trenchard, seized British blockade runner Phantom with cargo off Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, December 3, 1861: The Sumter Destroys Another American Ship

DECEMBER 3RD, 1861:  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured and burned at sea the American ship Vigilant, bound from New York to the West Indies.

**  The USS Santiago de Cuba, Commander Ridgely, captured the British blockade running schooner Victoria.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, November 25, 1861: First Armor Plate for the CSS Virginia

NOVEMBER 25TH, 1861:  The first armor plate for shipment to the  CSS Virginia (ex-USS Merrimack) is accepted by Confederate Secretary of Navy Mallory.

**  The USS Penguin, Acting Lt. Thomas A. Budd, captured blockade running schooner Albion near North Edisto, S.C., with a cargo of arms, munitions and provisions.

**  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured American brig Montmorenci off the Leeward Islands.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, November 26, 1861: Engagement at Savannah

NOVEMBER 26TH, 1861:  The CSS Savannah, Commodore Tattnall, and three steamers sortied against the Union fleet at Cockspur Roads, Savannah; unsuccessful in effort to draw blockading vessels within range of Fort Pulaski's guns.

**  CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured and burned American schooner Arcade  north of the Leeward Islands.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, November 23, 1861: The CSS Sumter Escapes

NOVEMBER 23RD, 1861:  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, evaded the USS Iroquois at Martinique and steamed on a course for Europe.

**  Confederate gunboat Tuscarora accidentally destroyed by fire near Helena, Arkansas.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, October 26, 1861: CSS Sumter Destroys Another American Ship

OCTOBER 26TH, 1861:  The USS Conestoga, Lt. S.L. phelps, transported Union troops to Eddyville, Kentucky, for an attack on Confederate cavalry at Saratoga.

**  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured and burned the American schooner Trowbridge in the Atlantic after removing a five months' supply of provisions.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, September 25, 1861: Semmes Still At It

SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1861:  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes,  captured the American ship Joseph Park off the northeast coast of South America; three days later burned her at sea.

**  The USS Jacob Bell, Lt. Edward M. McCrea, and USS Seminole, Lt. Charles S. Norton, engaged a Confederate battery at Freestone Point, Virginia.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: CSS Sumter Captures Another Prize

JULY 27TH, 1861:  CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured American bark Joseph Maxwell off Venezuela.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Balloon Observation Begins at Fort Monroe

JULY 25TH, 1861:  John LaMountain began balloon reconnaissance ascensions for the Union at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

**  CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured schooner Abby Bradford in the Caribbean Sea and, denied the right to enter Venezuela with Confederate prizes, dispatched her to a Southern port.

**  USS Resolute, Acting Master W. Budd, brought two schooners and one sloop into Washington, D.C..

--Old B-R'er

155 Years Ago: Cuba Releases CSS Sumter's Prizes

JULY 19TH, 1861:  The Captain-General of Cuba released all the vessels brought into Cuban ports by the CSS Sumter.  See the July 6th entry for names.  This set the precedent for no nation allowing Confederate raiders to bring in captures.

JULY 20TH, 1861:  The USS Mount Vernon, Commander Oliver O. Glisson, seized the sloop Wild Pigeon on the Rappahannock River in Virginia.

**  The USS Albatross, Commander George A. Prentiss, recaptured the Enchantress off Hatteras Inlet.  The Enchantress had been captured by the privateer Jefferson Davis on July 6.

--Old B-Runner

John Pope, USN-- Part 1: Served from 1816 to 1861

From Wikipedia.

Yesterday I mentioned that George N. Hollins had defeated Union Captain John Pope at the Battle of the Head of the Passes on October 12, 1861, which resulted in what is called "Pope's Run."  The only John Pope I knew was a Union general, so I did some more research on this Naval John Pope.

Born 17 December 1798.  Died 14 January 1876.  Born in Massachusetts and appointed a midshipman from  Maine 30 May 1816.  Served with the Mediterranean, West Indian, Brazil, Africa and East Indians squadrons

From 1 July to 24 October he was attached to the West Gulf Squadron and commanded the USS Richmond.  He participated in the search for the CSS Sumter in the West Indies and the blockade of the Passes near the mouth of the Mississippi River.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Du Pont Writes About Confederate Privateers

JULY 15TH, 1861:  Captain Du Pont wrote:  "The Department are [sic] worried about privateers increasing so.  Lieutenant Semmes  has sent ... [vessels] into Cuba, but the Captain General ordered them to be immediately restored to their commanders."

Du Pont also noted that the privateer Jefferson Davis, "which has ventured so far north," was also causing concern.

Confederate privateers struck out boldly against Northern commerce and generated distress among shipping interests.  However, as the naval blockade tightened and ports and coastal havens were seized by amphibious assault and other naval actions, operations of Confederate raiders became increasingly difficult and restricted.

Money to ne Made.  --Old B-R'er

155 Years Ago: Semmes Has Captured Seven Union Ships

JULY 6TH, 1861:  The CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, arrived at Cienfuegos, Cuba, with seven U.S. vessels taken as prizes--  Cuba, Machias, Ben Dunning, Albert Adams, Naiad, West Wind and Lewis Kilham.

Semmes appointed a Cuban agent for custody of the prizes, expressing to the Governor there that he had entered that port "with the expectation that Spain will extend to cruisers of the Confederate States the same friendly reception that in similar circumstances she would extend to the cruisers of the enemy...."

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Blockade Initiated at Galveston, Semmes Sinks His First Ship

JULY 2ND, 1861:  The USS South Carolina, Commander James Alden, initiated blockade at Galveston.

JULY 3RD, 1861:  CSS Sumter, Commander Semmes, captured and burned the American ship Golden Rocket near Isle of Pines, off the coast of Cuba.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: CSS Sumter Runs Blockade Off Mississippi River

JUNE 30TH, 1861:  The CSS Sumter, Commander Raphael Semmes, ran the blockade at the mouth of the Mississippi River and escaped to sea through Pass a l Outre, eluding the USS Brooklyn, whereupon the crew "gave three hearty cheers for the flag of the Confederate States, thus ... thrown to the breeze on the high seas by a ship of war."

This launched Semmes' famous career as a commerce raider.

**  USS Reliance, Lt. Mygatt, seized and destroyed the sloop Passenger in the Potomac River.

Semmes At Sea, Welles Worst Nightmare Come True.  --Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Mallory Wants Commerce Cruisers

APRIL 26TH, 1861:  Confederate Secretary of the Navy Mallory reported:  "I propose to adopt a class of vessels hitherto unknown to naval services.  The perfection of a warship would doubtless be a combination of the greatest known ocean speed with the greatest known floating battery and power of resistance ... agents of the department have thus far purchased but two [steam vessels], which combine the requisite qualities.

"  These, the Sumter and McRae, are being fitted  as cruisers... Vessels of this character and capacity cannot be found in this country, and must be constructed or purchased abroad."

Mallory discussed naval ordnance:  "Rifled cannon... having obtained a range and accuracy beyond any other form of ordnance ...  I propose to introduce them into the Navy ...  Small propeller ships, with great speed, lightly armed with these guns, must soon become as the light artillery and rifles of the deep, a most destructive element of naval warfare."

And, Mallory had great success with his commerce cruisers as we all know.

--Old B-Runner