CSS Louisiana-- Part 5: The Battle

Because she was the Louisiana was tied to the Mississippi River bank, she couldn't fire  her stern or port guns.  Her exact role in the ensuing firefight between the forts and fleet is not known.  Confederate General Duncan stated that she may have fired as few as twelve shots.

Testimony form the Union side says she exchanged shots with at least one of the attacking ships, the USS Brooklyn (misidentified as the USS Hartford in Confederate reports).  Three shots from the Louisiana went all the way through the Union ship.  The Brooklyn's return broadside bounced harmlessly off the Louisiana's iron sides.

Only three aboard the Louisiana were killed, all in exposed positions, including her commander Charles F McIntosh.

--Old B-Runner

J.R.M. Mullany at Battle of Mobile Bay-- Part 2: The Tecumseh Hits a Mine and Sinks

Almost immediately, Farragut's ships ran into trouble passing Fort Morgan and as the Confederate ironclad CSS Tennessee came into view.

Led by the USS Brooklyn, his leading wooden vessel, and closely followed by the flagship, USS Hartford, began slipping beyond the screen of U.S. monitors.  Fearful that the wooden ships would be easy prey for the approaching CSS Tennessee,   Commander Tunis A. Craven, ordered his monitor, USS Tecumseh, to cut through the minefield and intercept the Rebel ship.

This gamble failed for at 7:30 am, the Tecumseh struck a Confederate mine and sank with Craven and 92 others within a matter of minutes.

The USS Brooklyn's captain then became hesitant to proceed after what happened to the Tecumseh, brought his ship to a stop, which also brought the entire wooden to stop while under heavy fire from Fort Morgan's 45 guns.

The Battle of Mobile Bay was up for grabs at this point.  The Union ship's couldn't remain where they were and there was big fear of proceeding because of what had happened to the Tecumseh.

--Old B-Runner

Civil War Service of Charles V. Gridley

From the Nation Cyclopaedia.

In 1860, he was appointed from Hillsdale, Michigan, to the United States Naval Academy  by Representative  Henry Waldron.  The opening of the civil War advanced the graduation of the Class of 1864, to which he belonged by one year; and on October 1, 1863, he was appointed ensign and assigned to the steam sloop-of-war USS Oneida, attached to the West Coast Blockading Squadron.

He was in a number of engagements, and while on the Oneida specially distinguished himself at the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864.  He was  favorably mentioned in the Oneida's official report of the ship's executive officer:  "The conduct of  acting ensign Charles V. Gridley is beyond all praise.  He had charge of the master's division and assisted in the conning the ship from the gallant forecastle."

At the end of the war,  he was ordered to the steam sloop  USS Brooklyn, flagship of the Brazilian Station.

--Old B-Runner

About Those Exploding 100-Pdr. Parrott Rifles at the First Battle of Fort Fisher-- Part 2: Killed & Wounded More Union Sailors Than the Confederates

The Navy looked on these large caliber Parrotts with much disdain.  They were prone to bursting.

In fact, when the Union Navy attacked Fort Fisher in North Carolina on December 24-15, 1864, several Parrott rifles burst, killing and wounding 45 sailors.

Confederate fire only killed 11 sailors in the engagement.

These tragic occurrences caused Captain James Alden of the USS Brooklyn to move his two 100-pdrs. to the side of the ship that was not facing the fort after that.

--Old B-Runner

January 13, 1865: The Beginning of the Second Battle of Fort Fisher-- Part 1

JANUARY 13TH, 1865:  Early on the morning of the 13th. the second amphibious assault on Fort Fisher was begun.  Read Admiral Porter took some 59 warships into action.  Major General Alfred Terry commanded 8,000 soldiers.  The naval landing party of 2,000 sailors and Marines would raise the assaulting force to 10,000.

Col. Lamb's valiant defenders in the fort numbered 1,500.

The USS New Ironsides, Commodore William Radford, led the monitors Saugus, Canonicus, Monadnock and Mahopac to within 1,000 yards of Fort Fisher and opened on the batteries.

A spirited engagement ensued.

Porter wrote Secretary Welles:  "It was soon quite apparent that the iron vessels had the best of it; traverses began to disappear and the southern angle of Fort Fisher commenced to look very dilapidated."

The USS Brooklyn, Captain Alden, and USS Colorado, Commodore Thatcher, led the heavy wooden warships into battle and the federal fleet maintained a devastating bombardment throughout the day until after dark.

--Old B-Runner

November 20, 1863-- Part 1: Farragut Needs More Ships for Gulf Blockade

NOVEMBER 20TH, 1862:  Rear Admiral Farragut, eager to return to sea duty in the Gulf, informed Secretary Welles from New York that the USS Hartford and USS Brooklyn "will not be ready for sea in less than three weeks, from the best information I can obtain.

"I particularly regret it, because I see that General Banks is in the field and my services may be required."

The Admiral noted that he had received a letter from Commodore Bell. commanding  in his absence, which indicated that there was not enough ships to serve on the Texas coast and maintain the blockade elsewhere as well.

--Old B-Runner

Was the Agawam At Donaldsonville, Louisiana?

From Wikipedia.

I have the Agawam as being launched 21 April 1863, but not commissioned until 9 March 1864.  If it was launched in April 1863, it might have been, but not if it had no active duty until 1864.

Plus, there is no mention of the Agawam being in the Mississippi River.

As such, I am not sure the Agawam was at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, on July 7, 1963.

America's Navy site has the ships Dewey served on 1861 ti 1867 as follows:  USS Mississippi, USS Brooklyn, USS Agawam, USS Colorado, USS Kearsarge, USS Canadiagua, and back to the USS Colorado.

--Old B-Runner

Black Sailors Receiving Medals of Honor-- Part 2: Three of Seven at Mobil Bay

WILSON BROWN--  Landsman--  USS Hartford--  Mobile Bay--  August 5, 1864

JOHN HENRY LAWSON--  Landsman--  USS Hartford--  Mobile Bay--  August 5, 1864

JAMES MIFFLIN--  Engineer's Cook--  USS Brooklyn--  Mobile Bay--  August 5, 1864

JOACHIM PENSE--  Seaman--  USS Kearsarge--  off France vs. CSS Alabama--  June 19, 1864

--Old B-R'er

Black Sailors Receiving the Medal of Honor-- Part 1

From Wikipedia  "African American Medal of Honor recipients."

AARON ANDERSON--  Landsman--  USS Wyandank--  March 17, 1865--  Mattox Creek, Va.

ROBERT BLAKE--  contraband--  USS Marblehead--  Dec. 25, 1863--  Stono River, S.C.

WILLIAM H. BROWN--  Landsman--  USS Brooklyn--  Aug. 5, 1864--  Mobile Bay

--Old B-R'er

January 29, 1863: Union Squadron Tests Galveston Fort

JANUARY 29TH, 1863:  The USS Brooklyn, Commodore H. H. Bell, with gunboats USS Sciota, Owasco and Katahdin tested Confederate batteries under construction at Galveston, Texas.  He learned that two of the fort's guns were capable of firing past the squadron -- more than 2 1/2 miles.

--Old B-Runner

February 19, 1862: Action At Winton, N.C.

FEBRUARY 19TH, 1862:  The USS Delaware, Commander Rowan, and USS Commodore Perry, Lt. Flusser, on a reconnaissance of the Chowan River, engaged Confederate troops at Winton, North Carolina.  The following day, Rowan's force covered the landing of Union troops who entered the town, destroying military stores and Confederate troop quarters before re-embarking.

**  The USS Brooklyn,  Captain T.T. Craven, and USS South Carolina, Lt. Hopkins, captured the steamer Magnolia in the Gulf of Mexico with large cargo of cotton.

--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: Confederates Building "Infernal Submarine Vessel" at New Orleans

JUNE 24TH, 1861:  USS Pawnee, Commander Rowan, and the USS Tomas Freeborn, Commander Ward, shelled Confederate batteries at Matthias Point, Virginia.

JUNE 25TH, 1861:  Secretary of Navy Welles received a report that "the rebels in New Orleans are constructing an infernal submarine vessel to destroy the USS Brooklyn, or any vessel blockading the mouth of the Mississippi ... a projectile with a sharp iron or steel pointed prow to perforate the bottom of the vessel and then to explode."

It was also reported that "a formidable  floating battery [is] being built at Mobile, to be mounted with large guns of immense size and range to drive away or capture the ships, by engaging them at long range."

JUNE 26TH, 1861:  The USS Minnesota, Flag Officer Stringham, captured bark Sally Magee off Hampton Roads.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Blockades Set at New Orleans and Mobile

MAY 25TH, 1861:  Commander Dahlgren, Commandant Washington Navy Yard, reported the capture of steamer Thomas Colyer by USS Pawnee, Commander Rowan, in Alexandria.

**  USS Minnesota, Flag Officer Stringham, seized bark Winfred near Hampton Roads.


MAY 26TH, 1861:  USS Brooklyn, Commander Charles H. Poor, set blockade of New Orleans and mouth of the Mississippi River.

**  USS Powhatan, Lt. D.D. Porter, set blockade at Mobile.

Setting a blockade required notifying the port and then giving a certain amount of time for ships to leave and for word to get around of the blockade to incoming vessels.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Union Ships Arrive Off Charleston, Fort Pickens Reinforced

APRIL 12TH, 1861:  U.S. steamship Baltic, under Gustavus Fox, USS Pawnee, Commander Rowan and Harriet Lane, Captain Faunce, USRM, arrived off Charleston to reinforce Fort Sumter.  But, as Fox observed, "war had commenced" and he was unable to carry out his mission.

**  Under secret orders from Secretary of Navy Welles carried by Lieutenant Worden, Fort Pickens was reinforced by landing troops from a squadron composed of USS Sabine, Brooklyn, St. Louis and Wyandotte.

--Old B-R'er

USS Macedonian and Brooklyn Heading for Pensacola

As mentioned in the previous post, Capt. Brannan at Fort Zachary mentioned that on January 31, 1861, the USS Macedonian had just sailed by Key West on the 30th and that the USS Brooklyn had arrived this day and was planning on leaving the next day.

The Macedonian, a sailing ship, had left Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 12 January 1861, to join the USS Brooklyn, a steam sloop of war.  The Brooklyn arrived off Pensacola on Feb. 9, 1861, as that harbor had been seized by Confederates.

--Old B-Runner

John H. Brannan Holding the Fort in Key West in 1861

From the Official Records War of the Rebellion.

Captain John H. Brannan, First U.S. Artillery, commanding Fort Zachary Taylor, Key West, Florida.

JANUARY 14, 1861:  This was four days after the State of Florida seceded.  Capt. Brannan had placed his entire command at Fort Taylor with plans of defending it.  However, he had just 44 men.

JANUARY 26, 1861:  He reported that no effort had yet been made to take the fort, but he expected one any day.  "If my company was filled up with a hundred men, and a sloop of war stationed in this harbor, there would be no danger of any successful attack."

JANUARY 31, 1861:  At this time, Capt. Brannan reported that he had about sixty men, mechanics and laborers who would defend the fort which was still under construction.  The USS Macedonian passed by the previous night and the USS Brooklyn arrived this morning and was going to depart tomorrow night.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: USS Brooklyn Arrives at Pensacola, Standoff Continues

FEBRUARY 9, 1861:  The USS Brooklyn, Captain Walker, arrived off Pensacola.  Troops were not landed at Fort Pickens in compliance with the order of 29 January, based on an interim agreement with Florida officials in which the status quo would be maintained (i.e., Forts Barrancas and McRee and Navy Yard remained in Confederate hands, while the Union held Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island).

The Brooklyn, Sabine, Macedonian and St. Louis remained off the harbor, but reinforcements were not put ashore at Fort Pickens until 12 April.

Attempting to Diffuse the Situation.  --Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Orders to USS Brooklyn and Louisiana Secedes

JANUARY 29, 1861:  The secretaries of the Navy and War ordered the Marines and troops on board the USS Brooklyn, Captain Walker, en route to Pensacola, not to be landed to reinforce Fort Pickens unless it was under attack by Confederates.

Louisiana, having passed the ordinance of secession on 26 January, Secretary of the Treasury John A. Dix wired Agent William H. Jones at New Orleans ordering him not to surrender the U.S. Revenue Cutter there and to defend the American flag with force if necessary.

The revenue Cutter Robert McClelland surrendered by Captain John G. Bushrod, USRM, to Louisiana authorities despite contrary command by Agent Jones.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: "A Bloody Conflict Seems Inevitable"

JANUARY 28, 1861:  Stephen R. Mallory, later Confederate Secretary of the Navy, hearing that the USS Brooklyn, Captain William S. Walker, was en route to reinforce Fort Pickens at Pensacola, wired John Slidell that, if attempted, "resistance and a bloody conflict seems inevitable."

--Old B-Runner