The Naval Forces At the Battle of Tuliffiny

In my other Civil War blog, Saw the Elephant, I am writing about the Battle of Tuliffiny in South Carolina in December 1864.  It was a part of Sherman's March to the Sea.  Of interest, it featured the cadets of Charleston's Citadel playing a big role in the battle.

From the Civil War Times 1864-12-6 Tuliffiny.

This was a Union amphibious assault of the Navy, Marines and Army.

Navy ships involved in it from the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren:

USS St. Louis  (the only ship of this name in the Civil War I could find was an ironclad on the Mississippi River)
USS Pawnee
USS Canandaigua

USS Flag
USS New Hampshire
USS Sonoma

USS Mingoe
USS Pontiac
USS Saratoga

USS James Adger
USS Cimarron
USS Donegal

Not all of these ships were at the actual battle.  This appears to be a list of ships of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron based at Hilton Head, S.C..

Commander George H. Preble commanded the Naval Support Brigade ashore.

--Old B-Runner

George Henry Preble-- Part 8: Postwar Service and Death

After the war, Preble commanded the steamer USS State of Georgia and rescued 600 passengers from the wreck of the steamer Golden Rule.  From 1865 to 1868, he was at the Boston Navy Yard where he was promoted to captain March 16, 1867.  Then he commanded the screw steamer USS Pensacola until 1870.

Promoted to commodore in 1871 and commanded the Philadelphia Navy Yard 1873-1875.  Became rear admiral September 30, 1876, and retired in 1878.

He was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (an organization of former Union officers) and in 1873 was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society.  He died in Boston, Massachusetts March 1, 1885 and is buried near his famous uncle at Eastern Cemetery in Portland, Maine.

--Old B-Runner

George Henry Preble-- Part 6: The CSS Florida Makes Its Escape

Preble fired a 4th shot at the fleeing unknown vessel, but missed.  At that time the Florida lowered the English ensign it had been flying and made for the protection of Fort Morgan.  It was not until then that Preble was sure that the vessel he was after was Confederate.  It turned out to be the Confederate raider CSS Florida under command of John N. Maffitt.

A major reason the Florida escaped was that one of the Oneida's boilers was down.

During the chase, Preble had fired at the Florida for 29 minutes.

There were also reports of visibility issues as well.

After he was reinstated to naval service, Preble commanded the sailing sloop USS St. Louis.  Sad for him, though, while off Madeira, the CSS Florida again escaped from him.

That Doggone Florida.  --Old B-Runner

George Henry Preble-- Part 5: Chasing the CSS Florida

The Winona was not on station at the onset of the Florida chase as it had been sent out in a chase of a blockade runner.  It was returning as the Florida chase began.

One of Preble's Oneida's boilers was shut down for repairs so just one was in operation.  This significantly slowed Preble's ship.

Preble placed the Oneidai n front of the fast-moving Florida.  At 6 p.m., he ordered shots fired across the Florida's bow (still not knowing what kind of ship he was facing).  And then another across the unknown ship's forefoot.  All three shots were fired just as soon as the Florida was within range.

The Florida did not stop.

--Old B-R'er

George Henry Preble-- Part 4: In Defense of the CSS Florida Escape

However, Preble had his supporters in the incident.
Even the commander of the CSS Florida, John Newland Maffitt, testified that it was his ship's superior speed that enabled him to run into Mobile Bay.

Other Oneida officers testified that Preble had done no wrong.

The CSS Florida appeared around 5 p.m. on September 4, 1862, flying the ensign of an English warship to confuse the blockaders.  Preble was in command of the Mobile blockade at the time in  his USS Oneida along with the the USS Winona because the other blockading ships were away for repairs.  So instead of the usual six ships, there were just two.

--Old B-Runner

George Henry Preble-- Part 3: Confederate Cruiser Florida Eludes Him

George Preble commanded the steam gunboat USS Katahdin with Farragut on the Mississippi River.  Promoted to commander July 16, 1862, he was given command of the steam sloop Oneida blockading Mobile Bay, Alabama.

As a result, Preble was dismissed from the Union Navy

He received a lot of support for overturning the dismissal and he was reinstated.

--Old B-R'er

George Henry Preble-- Part 2: Life Leading Up to the Civil War

He was in the Seminole War in Florida in 1841, as well as on the USS St. Louis when it circumnavigated the world 1843-1845,  It landed the first American force ashore in China.  In the Mexican war, he participated in the capture of Alvarado, Veracruz and Tuxpan.

Preble became master in 1847 and lieutenant in 1847.  While serving on the USS St. Lawrence, he went with Commodore Matthew C. Perry to Japan in 1853 where he surveyed various Far Wast harbors.

After that he spent a period as a lighthouse inspector and at Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston and then was on the USS Narragansett from 1859-1861.

--Old B-Runner

George Henry Preble, USN-- Part 1: Wrote About Him In My Not So Forgotten Blog

From Wikipedia.

Last week, I wrote about his capturing a Chinese pirate's flag in battle back in the 1840s in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog.  He also was an officer in the Civil War.

February 25, 1816 to March 1, 1884

American naval officer and writer.  Notable for his book on the American flag and he took the first photograph of the Fort McHenry flag which inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner."  Wikipedia has the picture of the flag Preble took the photo of where you can get an idea of its size because of the soldier standing in front of it.

He was born in Portsmouth, Maine, to a seafaring family which included an uncle by the name of Commodore Edward Preble, famous for his Barbary Wars exploits.

George Preble entered the Navy as a midshipman December 10, 1835, and served on the War of 1812 ship, the frigate USS United States until 1838.

--Old B-R'er