A Quick Follow Up on James Alden and Did I See the Words Fort Fisher?

Yesterday, I wrote about this man's grave being at Portland, Maine's Eastern Cemetery, something I discovered while going through a list of American Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil War veterans buried at this historic cemetery.

Since he was also a Navy guy, that naturally piqued my interest.  It is more than just a gravestone, actually more of a 4-sided monument to him with four sides that towers over the other gravestones nearby.

It has four panels.

**  The first one also has a rendering of his face as well as birth/death dates and where they took place.

**  The second panel has a rendering of  a mariner's sextant and the  words:

Intrepid Explorer  /  Skillful Hydrographer  /  Cartographer  of the West Coast / Of the United States.

**  Panel 3:   Rendering of the Seal of the United States Navy

Entered the Navy April 1, 1828 / Commissioned Rear Admiral June 19, 1871.

**  Panel 4:  Rendering of sail warships in combat.

Mexican War / Civil War / New Orleans / Vicksburg / Port Hudson / Mobile Bay /  Fort Fisher.

Wait a minute, did I just see the words FORT FISHER?  Plus, that sure was a lot of major Civil War naval battles.

Well then, that sure makes my day, doesn't it?

And, then there's that famous Alden name.  I wonder if....   Could he have been related to that Pilgrim Alden?

So Happy.  --Old B-Runner

Quite the Discoveries Today: James Alden USN Civil War

Back on Feb. 22 I had two great discoveries as I was doing a different blog than this.

While I was going through a list of War of 1812 soldiers and sailors buried at Portland, Maine's Eastern Cemetery, there were also American Revolution and Civil War soldiers in the list.  The very first one was of a Civil War veteran of the U.S. Navy named Rear Admiral  James Alden.

It had this to say from his monument.

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Rear Admiral

James Alden

Born in Portland  March  31, 1810

Died in San Francisco  Feb. 6, 1877

Intrepid explorer, skillful hydrographer,  Cartographer of  west coast of  United States

Entered  the Navy April 1, 1828

Commissioned Rear Admiral  June 19, 1871.

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Obviously with this blog I am greatly interested in anything Civil War Navy.  So, I'll have to do more research on him.

Always Neat When I Find Something New While Working on Other Blogs.  --Old B-Runner

So, What About That Jenny Lind Figurehead?-- Part 1

 During this Jennymania/rage  people named towns, babies and furniture after her.  There is a Jenny Lind, North Carolina, according to stories, she sang a song under a nearby tree.  At least four ships were named after her, including the Nightingale that I have been writing about.  Many consider this Nightingale to be one of the fastest clipper ships ever built.

In 1851, the same year Jenny arrived in Boston, the Nightingale (originally to be named  Sarah Cowles) was built in Eliot, Maine.  The owners planned to use the ship to take wealthy passengers to London for the World's Fair in 1851 ($125 round trip).  The idea fell through, but a figurehead of a woman bearing the likeness of Jenny Lind was made and attached to the front of the ship.

Having difficulties paying the cost of the ship, this was when it turned to bringing slaves to the Americas.  Of interest, the Nightingale was captured by the USS Saratoga, which had been built in 1842 at the nearby Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine.

After its capture, the Nightingale became a U.S. warship during the Civil War and afterwards went through owner after owner before being abandoned off Norway in 1894.

By this time, both Jenny Lind and P.T. Barnum were dead.  Jenny died in 1887 after a long self-imposed retirement.  

What Next?  --Old B-Runner

Okay, the Nightingale Sank, But a Part of It Remains, Is There a Mystery?

Here are some clues:

Eliot, Maine

A  clipper ship

A Swedish Singer

P.T. Barnum

A slave ship

A U.S. warship

A merchant ship

Norway

Start thinking hard.

There is a clue to the right of this.

What Part Remains.  --Old B-Runner

From Tea Clipper to Slaver to U.S. Warship, The USS Nightingale-- Part 2: An Extreme Clipper

The Nightingale was designed and built and the Hanscomb Shipyard in Eliot, Maine, in 1851 by Samuel Hanscomb, Jr.,  receiving its final fit out in nearby Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

She was what was referred to as an Extreme Clipper type of ship whereby cargo room was sacrificed for speed.  The bow was lengthened above the water, drawing out the sharpening of the forward body with the greatest beam further aft.  Extreme clippers were built for speed and most constructed between 1845 and 1855.

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STATISTICS:

TONNAGE:  1066 tons

DRAFT:  36 feet

LENGTH:  177 feet

BEAM:  36 feet

PROPULSION:  Sails

--Old B-Clipper

From Tea Clipper to Slaver to U.S. Navy Ship: The Tale of the Nightingale-- Part 1

I have been writing about this ship in my last four posts and in connection with Lt. John Julius Guthrie, USN, of North Carolina, who commanded the Nightingale's prize crew on its way back to the United States.  Guthrie later was a Confederate naval officer after the war started.

From Wikipedia.

The USS Nightingale (1851) was originally a   tea clipper before becoming a slave ship until captured by the USS Saratoga in Africa in 1861; the U.S. Navy then purchased her and it became a warship.

During the war, it served as a  supply ship and collier (carried coal) for Union blockading ships.  After the war she was sold and went on to a long career in Arctic exploration  before foundering in the North Atlantic in 1893.

Built by Samuel Hanscomb, Jr. of Eliot, Maine.  Cost $43,500, in 1851.

As tea clipper, her route was China to London to New York.  Carrying passengers, she went  from Boston and New York to Australia.

--Old B-Runner

In Honor of Veterans Day: My Experience at the USS Constitution

The last two days I have been writing about five places you can visit to appreciate the service of our veterans in my Not So Forgotten:  War of 1812 blog.

One of them was the USS Constitution and I visited it, well went to it, but did not board it.

We were on a trip along the New England Coast from Boston through Maine and decided to go to this historic ship and tour it.  That is one beautiful ship.  All that rigging and tall masts.  We are fortunate that this ship was preserved for future generations.  And, I especially like the fact that it is still manned by active duty Navy personnel and is the oldest still-commissioned warship in the world, still capable of sailing under its own power.

And, it was still commissioned during the Civil War.

Sadly, however, the line was way too long and we just enjoyed looking at it.

Maybe, another time.

So, I Didn't Get To Go On It, But Saw It.  Beautiful Ship.  --Old B-Runner

Maine's Fort Scammell-- Part 1

I have been writing about this fort in my War of 1812 blog, but its use continued into the Civil War and beyond.

From Fort Wiki.

This fort was built to protect Portland, Maine.

During the Civil War, stone bastions were erected on the east and west sides of the island with major earthworks connecting them.  It was to mount 71 guns, including seven mortars, but the post was never fully armed or garrisoned.

Work continued after the war and modifications were made to mount 10-inch and 15-inch Rodman cannons.

A funding freeze in the 1870s stopped work altogether.  By 1903 Fort Scammell was listed as unarmed and not garrisoned.

Two 3-inch anti-aircraft guns were put in place in 1917, but it is not known whether they were ever employed.

--Old B-R'er

CSS Florida Commotion in Maine

JULY 18TH, 1864:  Governor Samuel Corry of Maine wrote Secretary Welles regarding the exploits of the CSS Florida.  He was gravely concerned about the captures made by the Confederate cruiser had been recently been making along the Atlantic coast.

He asked that one or two gunboats be constantly on patrol along the coast, and stated:  "We are at war with a brave, energetic adversary, fruitful in resources, ready to strike at any exposed point, and which, with one or two piratical cruisers, besides destroying a great amount of tonnage, has driven a large share of our commerce under the protection of flags of other nations."

Secretary Welles was well aware of the Florida's cruise and had sent ships in pursuit.

--Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: June 26-27th-- Lt. Read Attacks Portland, Maine

JUNE 26TH-27TH

Lt. Charles Read, the intrepid Confederate raider in his new ship, the CSS Archer (his third ship in just a few weeks time, made the Portland Light and tricked two fishermen who piloted them into Portland Harbor.  He learned that the U.S. Revenue Cutter Caleb Cushing and passenger steamer Chesapeake were there as was the steamer Forest City.  Two gunboats were also being built..

Read immediately made plans to eneter the harbor and seize the revenue cutter and steamer.

At sunset, he sailed in, past the forts, anchored and discussed the plan with his crew.  His engineer said he doubted he could get the steamer's engines going without assistance from another engineer so decided to go after the Cushing.

At 1:30 AM, the morning of the 27th, Read's crew boarded and captured the Caleb Cushing "without noise or resistance."  Luck and time was running out for Read, however.  Incoming tide and light breeze left the Cushing still under the fort's guns at daybreak.

By midmorning, the Caleb Cushing had managed to get twenty miles off the harbor when Read saw "two steamers and three tugs...coming out of Portland."  He cleared for action and opened fire on the lead steamer, the Forest City, with his pivot gun, but found after five shots that he was out of projectiles.

About to be caught in a crossfire and now defenseless, Read ordered the cutter destroyed and men to the lifeboats.  "At 11:30 I surrendered myself and crew to the steamer forest City."  At noon, the Caleb Cushing blew up. 

Thus ended the gallant cruise by Charles Read and his crew.  From his first capture to the destruction of the Caleb Cushing, they had captured 22 oprizes.

The Confederacy needed More Charles Reads.  --Old B-Runner

Adelbert Ames, Rockland's Medal of Honor Winner-- Part 2

During the rest of the war, he commanded both artillery and infantry regiments. One of these was the famous 20th Maine. He also was on staff duty and was continually promoted until he held the rank of major general at the end of the war.

In case you're wondering why an Army man would be in this naval blog, Ames commanded troops of his father-in-law, General Benjamin Butler, at Fort Fisher.

In 1868, he was appointed governor and later US senator from Mississippi and in 1876 began his business career. On occasion, he exchanged heated words with another Fort Fisher veteran, Gen. Newton Curtiss.

In 1898, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in the Spanish-American War and fought in Cuba. He died in 1933, the last surviving general of the Civil War.

Quite the Interesting Life. --Old B-R'er

Adebert Ames, Rockland's Medal of Honor General-- Part 1

From the February 21, 2012, Knox Village (Maine) Soup.

The Union Historical Society held its first-ever meeting and Rockport's David Sulin gave a presentation on Rockland's favorite son: sailor, soldier and politician Adelbert "Del" Ames.

Born in 1835 and the son of a sea captain. He spent much of his early life at sea and then went to the US Military Academy at West Point where he was still a cadet when the war began. On May 6, 1861, he graduated fifth in his class and was commissioned second lieutenant in the artillery.

Eight days later, he was promoted to 1st Lt. in another artillery regiment.

In July, he was at the Battle of Bull Run and breveted to the rank of major and was awarded the new Congressional Medal of Honor which read, "Remained upon the field in command of a section of Griffin's Battery directing its fire after being severely wounded and refusing to leave the field until too weak to sit upon the caisson where he had been laced by the men of his command."

More to Come. --Old B-Runner