There Is a Book "Defending South Carolina's Coast' by Rick Simmons

I came across a book written about the Fort Randall, Fort Ward area by Rick Simmons titled "Defending  South Carolina's Coast:  The Civil War from Georgetown to Little River."  It is an Arcadia book and Simmons, an area native, relates the often overlooked stories of the Upper South Carolina Coast during the war.  (Obviously a whole lot has been written about the Charleston area.)

As a base of operations for  more than three thousand  troops early in the war and the site of more than a dozen forts, almost every inch of  the coast was effected by  and hotly contested during the Civil War.

From the skirmishes at Fort Randall in Little River to repeated Union naval bombardments of Murrells Inlet to the unrealized  potential of the massive  fortifications at Battery White and the sinking of the USS Harvest Moon in Winyah Bay, the region's colorful Civil War history is unfolded here at last.

This book would also contain information about John Collins,the USS George Mangham and USS Fernanandina which I have been writing about a lot lately.

I Just Might Have to Get Me a Copy.  --Old B-Runner

USS Fernandina-- Part 2: Action with NABS and SABS

Upon commissioning, the ship was orederd to join the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron at Hampton Roads, Virginia, which she did on 2 December 1861 and then south to Wilmington, North Carolina,  to blockade that port.

On 13 December 1861, she  scattered an encampment of Confederates at Little River Inlet, South Carolina.  Twelve days later, she captured the prize William N. Northrup, running the blockade with a cargo of  drugs and coffee.

Next, the Fernandina discovered the  schooner Kate out of Nassau, Bahama, aground on 2 April 1862.  After taking her papers, the Kate was burned as they were under fire of Confederates ashore

The Fernandina was transferred  to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron on 11 June and joined it off Charleston, South Carolina,   Aside from the summer of 1863, when she sailed north for repairs, she was  at St. Simons, Georgia and at St. Catherine's, Georgia, and in the Ossabow Sound.

She captured the sloop Annie Thompson 16 January 1864 after it had run aground.

Detached from the squadron 3 April 1865 and sent north, she was decommissioned  at Philadelphia 29 April 1865 and sold 2 June 1865.

--Old B-Runner

USS Fernandina-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

In the last post, I wrote about the USS Fernandina and its encounter with Confederates onshore at Little River Inlet in South Carolina.

The USS Fernandina was a sailing bark obtained by the Union Navy during the war purchased 29 July 1861 in New York City as the Florida and renamed Fernandina with Acting Volunteer Lieutenant G. W. Browne in command.

It was commissioned 16 November 1861.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Displacement:  297 tons

Length: 115 feet

Beam:  29 feet

Draught:  10 feet

Complement:  86

Armament:  six 32-pounder cannons

--Old B-Runner

 

Fort Randall at Little River Neck-- Part 3: Naval Action There

The fort was named after Thomas Randall on whose property it was built.

On December 14, 1861, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant George W. Browne, commanding the bark USS Fernandina reported off Wilmington that on the previous night (13th) off Little River Inlet, that he had spotted a lot of fires on the beach.  Forty of them were concentrated in one area and the others spread 1 to 2 miles apart farther along the coast.

Closing on the shore, he saw groups of men which caused him to believe this to be a Confederate encampment.  He burned a prepartory signal but received no reply and opened fire on the beach with his starboard battery.

At this time he was just 700 yards off the beach in four fathoms of water.  After firing three rounds from the starboard, he tacked and turned around and fired one round of shot and one of shell from the port battery.

By this time, the fires had been mostly extinguished, so he left the area.  He now believed that the fires were signals for some vessel running the blockade.

Much confusion existed among Union forces as to whether Little River was in North or South Carolina.  The North Carolina border is just a short way from the mouth of the Little River Inlet.  Browne reported the site as being in North Carolina.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago, December 25, 1861: Blockade Runner Captured Off Cape Fear

DECEMBER 25TH, 1861:   The USS Fernandina, Acting Lt. George W, Browne, captured schooner William H. Northrup off Cape Fear, North Carolina.

--Old B-Runner