USS Roanoke-- Part 22: Sister Ship of USS Merrimak and At Battle of Hampton Roads

The USS Roanoke was named after the Roanoke River in Virginia and North Carolina.  She was laid down in Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia  in May 1854 and launched in December 1855.  It had an inauspicious start when it sank during the launching and had to be refloated.

She was commissioned  on 4 May 1857 with Captain John B. Montgomery in command.  One of her early duties was to transport  William Walker and his fillibuster men back from Central America.  After that, she returned to Central America to await  the arrival of the first Japanese embassy to the United States.

At the start of the Civil War, the Roanoke was assigned to the  North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and made some captures of blockade runners off Lockwood Folly Inlet, N.C. and off Charleston, S.C.

It was at the Battle of Hampton Roads where her former sister ship, the  USS Merrimack had been turned into the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia.  But her  deep draft prevented her from engaging.  After the battle, she ferried survivors of the USS Congress and USS Cumberland to New York City.

Upon arrival, she was decommissioned  and reconstruction began to convert her into a monitor.

--Old B-Runner

Maybe This Is the Blockade Runner Dan?-- Part 1

Again, finding out about this blockade runner is not easy.  However, I came across this entry in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and the parameters seem to fit the hapless steamer Dan.

Page 224

Report of Acting Master John Collins, Jr., U.S. Navy, commanding  U.S.  schooner  George Mangham, regarding  the destruction of a blockade runner at Lockwood's Folly Inlet, January 7, 1864.

On the afternoon of the 7th, a sail was spotted and the George Mangham got underway and discovered it was a blockade runner being closely pursued by the  U.S. steamers Aries and Montgomery and that it had run ashore.  The U.S. ships sent  boats  in after her.  These boats lost a number of men, including one boat from the Montgomery.

The next moring, the George Mangham was requested to cover a second landing at the blockade runner with the purpose of bringing her off the beach.  The Mangham anchored close in and shelled the beach and rebel steamer at intervals during the morning.

--Old B-Runner

USS Montgomery-- Part 3: Destroying and Capturing Blockade Runners

**  JANUARY 7, 1864

The USS Montgomery, Lieutenant Edward H. Faucon, and USS Aries, Lieutenant Edward F. Devens, chased blockade runner Dare.  The steamer, finding escape impossible, was beached at North Inlet, South Carolina, and was abandoned by her crew.

Boat crews from both the Montgomery and Aries boarded but, failing to refloat the prize, set her afire.

**  FEBRUARY 16, 1864

The USS Montgomery, Acting Lieutenant Faucon, seized blockade running British steamer Pet off Lockwood's Folly Inlet, North Carolina.

**OCTOBER 10, 1864

The USS Montgomery, Lieutenant Faucon, captured blockade running British steamer Bat near Wilmington with cargo of coal and machinery.

Getting Some Prize Money.  --Old B-Runner

USS Montgomery-- Part 2: Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean

**  OCTOBER 8, 1862

Steamer Blanche, anchored off Havana, was set afire to prevent seizure by the US Montgomery, Commander C. Hunter.  (This became somewhat of an international incident.)

**  OCTOBER 28, 1862

USS Montgomery, Commander C. Hunter, captured blockade running steamer Caroline near Pensacola.

**  NOVEMBER 20, 1862

USS Montgomery, Commander C. Hunter, captured sloop William E. Chester near Pensacola Bay.

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

**JANUARY 3, 1864

USS Fahkee, with Rear Admiral Samuel P. Lee embarked, sighted steamer Bendigo aground at Lockwood's Folly Inlet, North Carolina.  Three boat crews were sent to investigate; after it was discovered that the blockade runner had been partially burned to prevent capture and that there was seven feet of water in the hold, Lee ordered the Bendigo destroyed by gunfire from the USS Fort Jackson, Iron Age, Montgomery, Daylight and Fahkee.

--Old B-Runner

 

Action in North Carolina, Feb. 8-29: USCT, Blockade Runners and Cushing

FEB.  8

35th  U.S. Colored Troops-- redesignation from the 1st N.C. Infantry, African Descent.
36th U.S. Colored Troops--  redesignation from the 2nd N.C. Infantry, African descent.
37th U.S. Colored Troops--  redesignation from the 3rd N.C. Infantry, African Descent.   The 37th USCT was at both battles of Fort Fisher.

FEB.9--  Reconnaissance towards Swansborough.

FEB. 10--  Destruction of blockade runners Emily and the Fanny and Jenny near Masonboro Inlet.

FEB. 16--  Affair at Fairfield.

FEB. 16--  Capture of blockade runner Pet off Lockwood's Folly Inlet, Cape Fear.

FEB. 29--  Boat expedition under Lieutenant Cushing into the Cape Fear River.

That Sneaky Old Cushing.  --Old B-Runner

Action in North Carolina January 1864

Most of these actions occurred along the coast of the state.

From the N.C. Civil War  Sesquicentennial site.

Jan. 3--  Destruction of blockade runner Bendigo.

Jan. 4--  Action at Lockwood's Folly between U.S. Navy and Confederate batteries.

Jan. 7--  Destruction of blockade runner Dare at Lockwood's Folly Inlet, Cape Fear.

Jan. 10--  Loss of USS Iron Age near Lockwood's Folly, Cape Fear.

Jan. 11--  Destruction of Ranger and Vesta.

Jan. 18-Feb. 10--  Operations around  New Bern.

Jan. 22-- Skirmish at Harrellsville.

Jan. 27--  Expedition to Lake Phelps.

Jan. 28-Feb. 4--  Confederate expedition from Wilmington to Newport Barracks.

Jan. 29--  Expedition up the Roanoke River.

Jan. 30--  Skirmish at Windsor.

Jan. 30--  3rd North Carolina Infantry, African descent (Union) organizd at Norfolk, Va..

--Old B-Runner

Lockwood Folly Inlet and River-- Part 2: Two Stories As To How It Was Named

There are two folklore stories as to how this name came to be:

1.  A man by the name of Lockwood was building the "boat of his dreams" on the river.  He worked tirelessly, but when finished it, he discovered that his boat's draft was too deep for it to cross the bar at the mouth of the river.

All he could do was to leave his ship to rot.  Locals began calling it "Lockwood's Folly" and eventually that name was applied to both the river and inlet.

2.  The second story revolves around a man named Lockwood who tried to build a colony along the river but did not bring enough supplies and got into a dispute with a local Indian tribe and the colony had to be disbanded.

The name appears on a 1671 map making the name one of the oldest named rivers in North Carolina.

--Old B-Runner

Lockwood's Folly River and Inlet-- Part 1: An Inlet to a Short Tidal River

Since I was writing so much on the USS Iron City and the blockade runners which sank at this place, I did some more research on it.

From Wikipedia.

I have seen it spelled both Lockwood and Lockwood's.  Over the last couple weeks I have been writing about the Civil War shipwrecks at Lockwood's Folly Inlet.  It is near Wilmington, North Carolina.

LOCKWOOD FOLLY RIVER

A short tidal river in Brunswick County, North Carolina, that runs from near Supply, N.C., southbound to the Atlantic Ocean.

LOCKWOOD FOLLY INLET

Connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Intercoastal Waterway and was once the mouth of the Lockwood Folly River prior to the construction of the Intercoastal and natural sand shifting.  It separates the barrier islands of Oak Island and Holden Beach.

--Old B-Runner

Some More on the USS Iron Age

One source I found said that the Iron Age and the USS James Adger captured the famous blockade runner CSS Robert E. Lee, but I can only find other sources saying that it was just the James Adger who captured the Lee.

The Iron Age ran aground while trying to get the blockade runner Bendigo off or to at least take off cargo by Lockwood's Folly Inlet, NC.  The other Union ships tried to get it off, but were driven off by Confederate guns including a battery of 30-pdr. guns.

--Old B-R'er

Blockade Runner Elizabeth

From the July 8, 2015, FaceBook  "This Is Oak Island."

The remains of the blockade runner Elizabeth are above water at low tide.  It was previously named the Atlantic and was a 216 foot long, 623 ton sidewheel steamer.

The Atlantic was seized in New Orleans by Brigadier General Mansfield and had made eight successful runs through the blockade before running aground.

The remains are owned by the State of North Carolina and is listed on the NRHP as part of an archaeological region.

Until 1954 the paddle wheel could be seen from the shore, but Hurricane Hazel destroyed it.  Now you can only see what is left of the smokestacks.

Do not attempt to swim out to it.

--Old  B-Runner

USS Iron Age-- Part 4: The Iron Age Also Runs Aground and Is Destroyed

The USS Iron Age and Daylight were ordered to refloat the Bendigo on 9 January 1864.  On January 10, the Iron Age ran aground while attempting to do so.  Efforts to get the Iron Age off failed.

The ship was burned at 0400 11 January 11 and destroyed when one hour and 40 minutes later, the fire reached the magazine and the Iron Age exploded.

Several days later, locals rowed out to the Iron Age wreck and tried to recover anything of value.  Neil Holden of the famous family from the area (there is a Holden Beach by the inlet) recovered the Iron Age's captain's razor and it has been in the family ever since.

--Old B-R'er

USS Iron Age-- Part 3: Blockade Runners Elizabeth and Bendigo Run Aground At Lockwood's Folly Inlet

In late 1863, the blockade runner Elizabeth ran aground off Lockwood's Folly Inlet.  In January 1864, the blockade runner Bendigo, coming in from Nassau saw the wreck of the Elizabeth and thought it to be a blockading Union ship.

Standard practice at this point was the blockade runner to attempt passing between the Union ship and the shore, which was what the Bendigo attempted to do.  Of course, the Eliazabeth was aground and there wasn't much chance of passing by it.

The Bendigo ran aground  Hard aground with no chance of getting off.

Locals helped salbage some of the cargo.  The ship was set afire and abandoned.

--Old B-Runner

Lockwood Folly Inlet Civil War Wrecks-- Part 3: Elizabeth, Bendigo and the USS Iron Age

The inlet is called by two names:  Lockwood Folly Inlet and Lockwood's Ferry Inlet.

The USS Iron Age is the main problem with boats in the inlet.

The Elizabeth is west of the current channel and visible at low tide.  Is this the one the man took pictures of with his drone?    The Iron Age is southeast of the Elizabeth and the Bendigo is northwest of the Elizabeth.

There are at least four Civil War wrecks at the inlet.  A map also shows one called the Lisa Marie  there in the inlet shallows.

--Old B-Runner

Lockwood Folly Inlet Civil War Wrecks-- Part 2

The captain of the Bendigo saw what he thought was a blockader as he skirted the shore, but it was actually the blockade runner Elizabeth.  In evasive action, which required passing to the shore side of the other ship, the Bendigo ran hard aground.

The blockading ships USS Fort Jackson, Iron Age, Montgomery and Daylight came to investigate.  Once they determined they could not refloat the Bendigo, they riddled the ship with gunfire.  The Montgomery and Iron Age themselves ran aground.  The Montgomery was able to get off, but not the USS Iron Age.

--Old B-R'er

Lockwood Folly Inlet and the Civil War Wrecks

From the January 31, 2004 Saltwater Central.com .

Several local boats have been damaged on the Civil war wrecks and there has been one indirect loss of life from them.  According to locals, the main culprit is the USS Iron Age.

The blockade runner Elizabeth was on its 8th run of the blockade at Wilmington.  It was 216 feet long, 623 ton sidewheel steamer which had left Nassau September 19, 1863.  Some twelve miles from Fort Caswell, guarding the Old Inlet approach to the Cape Fear River and Wilmington, N.C., when it ran aground at Lockwood Folly Inlet and was set on fire when it was determined they couldn't get it off.

The blockade runner Bendigo cleared Wilmington and ran the blockade on December 16, 1863.  It was its second trip through the blockade.  The Bendigo 178 tons, iron-hulled sidewheel steamer.  It was 162 feet long, 20.1 foot beam and drew 10.9 feet  of water.  It may have been called the Milly at one time.

--Old B-Runner

About That Shipwreck at Lockwood Folly Inlet

On April 6, I wrote about the wreck of the ship at Lockwood Folly Inlet (Also called Lockwood's Folly Inlet) which was videoed by the drone.

From the August 7, 2015, Carolina Sportsman  "Have a wreck in Lockwood Folly Inlet and catch plenty of black drum" Brian Cope.

The boat is next to two Civil War wrecks.  recent dredging by the Army Corps of Engineers has made it more difficult to find the boat, but parts are visible at low tide.

When no visible, it is easy to find with a depth finder, and, of course, a good fishing spot.

--Old B-Runner

N.C. Beachgoer Captures Drone Footage of Civil War Shipwreck

From the April 4, 2018, Fox News  "N.C. beachgoer captures drone footage of Civil War-era shipwreck"  Madeline Farber.

Brent  Garlington, 42, flew a drone over Lockwood Folly Inlet, N.C., near Holden Beach and Oak Island.  It was a real low tide because of the full moon.  He walked out to the beach sandbar and sent his drone skyward.

What he got were very sharp pictures of the outline of the ship as well as two smokestacks partially above the water.

His brother had spotted the wreck from a helicopter last year.

In 2016, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources found this shipwreck, believed to be one of three Civil war blockade runners sunk in the area.

You can see the impressive video at WWAY TV.

--Old B-R'er

Ships Sunk Off the North Carolina Coast During the Civil War in January

From the NC Wreckdiving site.   B-R stands for Blockade-Runner.

JANUARY 1865: B-R's Cape Fear and North Heath lost in the Cape Fear River. Probably destroyed after the fall of Wilmington or Fort Fisher.

**  During 1864, in the space of seven days, three B-R's were wrecked: Jan. 4th-- Bendigo at Lockwood's Ferry; Jan. 10th-- Vesta at Tubb's Inlet and Jan. 11th-- Ranger at Lockwood's Folly.

JANUARY 14, 1863: USS Columbia lost in Masonboro Inlet

JANUARY 15, 1862: City of New York, federal transport, lost off Hatteras

JANUARY 15, 1865: CSS Tallahassee, near Cape Fear.

--Old B-Runner

Action at Lockwood's Folly Inlet, SC

JANUARY 11TH, 1864: The USS Minnesota, Daylight, Aries, Keystone State and Governor Buckingham intercepted the Confederate blockade-runner Ranger, Lt. George W. Gift, CSN, and forced her ashore at the Western Bar of Lockwood's Ferry Inlet, N.C., near Wilmington.

Confederate sharpshooters ashore precluded salvage and since the ship was carry cargo on government account, it was destroyed.

**  The USS Aries also investigated a fire observed between Tubb's and Little River Inlets and found the "fine-looking double propeller blockade runner" Vesta beached and in flames. The Vesta had been sighted and chased the night before by the USS Keystone State, Quaker City and Tuscarora.

Two More Blockade-Runners Gone. --Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago-- January 1-3, 1864

JANUARY 1, 1864:

The USS Huron sank blockade-running schooner Sylvanus in Doboy Sound, Georgia with cargo of salt, liquor and cordage. Now, that's what I call alcohol abuse.

JANUARY 2ND, 1864:

Major General Hurlburt, Army commander at Memphis, wired Secretary Welles: "The Tennessee at Mobile will be ready for sea in twenty days. She is a dangerous craft. Buchanan thinks more so than the Merrimack...."    And Buchanan would know, having been on both ships.

JANUARY 3RD, 1864:

Union ships discovered steamer Bendigo aground at Lockwood's Folly Inlet, SC. Boat crews discovered it had been partially burned and had seven feet of water in the hold and was destroyed by gunfire.

Old B-Runner