USS Rosalie-- Part 1: Former Blockade Runner

This Union blockading sailing ship had  operations with the USS Gem of the Sea and Charlotte Harbor, Florida, which I have written about earlier.

From Wikipedia.

Was a captured blockade running sloop acquired by the U.S. Navy in prize court.

Captured  16 March 1863,  Acquired U.S. Navy 6 May 1863.  Commissioned June 1863.  Decommissioned June 1865.  Length 45 feet, 17 foot beam,   Armament:  one 12-pdr  smoothbore gun.

--Old B-R'er

USS Bermuda-- Part 5: Not Condemned for a Year and Union Service

The Bermuda arrived in Philadelphia on May 3, 1862,  and was arraigned before the U.S. District Court.  Proceedings began August 12.  Final arguments were heard four days later, but the steamer was not condemned until <arch 5, 1863, almost a year after her capture.

The Bermuda was then purchased by the U.S. Navy and fitted out in the Philadelphia Navy Yard for service as a supply vessel.  It was commissioned on May 13, 1863, with Acting Master J.W. Smith in command.  Later that day it steamed down the Delaware River with supplies for both of the Gulf Coast Blockading Squadrons.

Eight days later it arrived at the mouth of Indian River, Florida, and  issued supplies to the bark USS Gem of the Sea.  That began two years of service bringing provisions and supplies to blockading fleets.

--Old B-R'er

USS Gem of the Sea and Charlotte Harbor-- Part 2: The Nemesis of Charlotte Harbor

On June 11, 1864, the USS Gem of the Sea shared in the capture of the steamer Emma by her tender Rosalie, for violation of the blockade near Charlotte Harbor.

The Gem of the Sea remained at Charlotte Harbor until February 1865 when the Civil War came to an end.  It then went to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where it was decommissioned and later sold for $6500.

--Old B-Runner

The USS Gem of the Sea and the Blockade of Charlotte Harbor

Starting in 1863, the Union Navy began attempting to suppress the shipment of cattle and hogs from central Florida organized a blockade of Charlotte Harbor.    One of the ships assembled to do this was the USS Gem of the Sea, a wooden bark sailing ship commissioned October 5, 1861,  at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

From December  24 to 30, 1863,  small boats from the Gem of the Sea encountered signal fires and sporadic gunfire from local Southern sympathizers.  The USS Rosalie, sloop, arrived to provide  cover at a shelling position 200 yards from the Myakka's east shore.

--Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea Correspondence Book-- Part 6: A Possible Tender?

August 1, 1863

Charlotte Harbor, Fl. to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, reporting the capture of the British schooner Georgie abandoned, but less than six months old and in good condition.

Baxter asked for permission to keep her as a tender to the Gem of the Sea.

--Old B-R'er

USS Gem of the Sea Correspondence Book-- Part 5: Cut Us IN

March 6, 1863

At Anchor of Indian River, to Theordore Bailey, Commanding  E.G.N. Squadron, stating grievances of officers and crew relating to the expedition of  the U.S. gunboat Sagamore up the Indian River, which forced the Gem of the Sea to temporarily cease her own operations and traverse a treacherous sandbar in order to provide  provisions for the Sagamore's crew.

Baxter requests a portion of any of the Sagamore's prize money as she would  not have been successful without the aid of his crew.

Keeping Up With the Prize Money.  --Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea Correspondence Book-- Part 4: Intentionally Sank a 'Worthless' Blockade Tunner

Continued from September 10, 2018.

January 1, 1863:    At anchor off the entrance to Indian River to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, reporting the capture of  the blockade running sloop Ann bound for Nassau with four crew and a small cargo of salt and other provisions.

Baxter deemed her "old and leaky" and her cargo of insufficient value to be sent for  adjudication, so he destroyed her and much of her cargo., forwarded her papers to the commanding officer of the  East Gulf Blockading Squadron, and transferred her crew (four British subjects) to the gunboat USS Sagamore.

--Old B-Tunner

USS Gem of the Sea at the Myakka River Skirmish, Florida-- Part 2

Commanded by Acting Master's Mate Peter Coffin, the U.S. sloop Rosalie arrived to provide cover at a shelling position 200 yards from the Myakka's east shore, opening fire with a howitzer when clashes escalated on December 30.

Fifteen Florida refugee rangers led by ranger Captain Enoch Daniels had proceeded on a scouting mission over land to the northeast, and some witnessed the skirmish on their return.

Union forces retreated to their boats with , with one seaman injured.

The Myakka skirmish led Union leaders that thousands of regular troops would be needed to capture and  hold mainland Charlotte Harbor, so the area cattle continued to be driven north to feed the Confederate Army.

--Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea at Myakka River Skirmish-- Part 1

From the Charlotte County Portal.

Myakka River Civil War Skirmish.

During the American Civil War in late 1863, Union forces and "refugee rangers" encountered local combatants in a brief skirmish on the east shore of the Myakka River near today's El Jobean  It is the only recorded Civil war skirmish within the boundaries of present-day Charlotte County.

From December 24 to 39, Union military regulars commanded by Acting Ensign J.H. Jenks on small boats from the bark USS Gem of the Sea encountered signal fires and sporadic gunfire from local Southern sympathizers.

--Old B-Tunner

The USS Gem of the Sea and the Useppa Island Rescue

From the Useppa Island Historical Society "A History of 10,000 Years."

Back on September 6, 2018, I wrote about the USS Gem of the Sea escorting Florida Rangers off Useppa Island in Florida.

In 1863   Union soldiers encamp on Useppa Island.  Charlotte Harbor is blockaded to prevent beef shipments to the Confederacy.  The area is sparsely populated by hunters, fishermen and farmers.

Union sympathizers  find refuge on the island under the protection of the Union Army.  Some of them are active in the Union Florida Rangers cavalry unit.

--Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea-- Part 3: Those Monthly Reports

Selections from the correspondence copy book.

DECEMBER 24, 1861

Off Georgetown, S.C., to J.B. Marchand,  Cmding. USS James Adger, asking permission to destroy a schooner laying aground  at North Island, and requesting two boats from the James Adger to assist in the task.

JUNE 15, 1862

"Blockading off Georgetown (SC) addressed to Samuel F. Du Pont, Flag Officer Commanding, an 8.5  page report of everything the gem of the Sea had done between April 10 and June 16.  These were sent every four to ten weeks.

--Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea Correspondence Book-- Part 2: Captured a Lot of Blockade Runners

Like I noticed in the Wikipedia article, this ship, though only a sailing vessel instead of steam, still managed to capture a lot of blockade runners.  I imagine most of these were also powered by sails and probably were smaller.

The gem of the Sea captured four prizes while part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.  Then ,as a member of the East Gulf Blockading Squadron it captured at last a dozen more runners and smaller boats.

An example of what is in the book:

DECEMBER 6, 1861:  To Captain Ringgold of the U.S. Frigate Sabine describing the chase of a small sidewheel steamer which hoisted the Confederate flag once past them so the Gem of the Sea "gave her a shell as a compliment  to the hoisting of her flag."

Take That You Sneaky Sneak.  --Old B-R'er

USS Gem of the Sea Correspondence Book-- Part 1: At Auction

From Cowan's Auctions  Civil War Correspondence Notebook of the USS Gem of the Sea.

Eight-by 12.5-ich book with brown marbleized boards with reinforced buckram binding, 179 of 192 pages filled.

First entry dated  New York, USS bark Gem of the Sea, October 20, 1861.

This book contains all correspondence by Lieutenant Irvin B. Baxter, commanding the ship, to  to Flag Officer Du Pont, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, commanders of other ships, prize commissioners (and he sure had a lot of that) and other officials until January 19, 1864.

Cowan  estimate for the book:  $800 to $1200.

Price gotten, including Buyer's Premium, $840.

--Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea-- Part 4: Rest of Her Career

The Gem of the Sea spent the rest of her war career patrolling off Charlotte Harbor, Florida.  She joined her tender Rosalie in capturing the steamer  Emma off nearby Malco Inlet  11 June 1864.

She departed  Charlotte Harbor 2 February 1865 and arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on the 22nd.

She was decommissioned 24 February and was sold 6 May  1865 to  A.C. Purvis & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Anyone who served the whole war on this ship had to be rich from all that prize money the ship had accumulated.

Quite An Unknown Ship.  Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea-- Part 3: A Thorn In the Side of Confederates

British schooner George was taken in the Sanibel River 29 July 1863 and sloop Richard in Peace Creek on 31 August.

A few days later , in an expedition up the Peace Creek 4-5 September, she destroyed buildings and four boats of the noted blockade runner  Johnson.  This would be the expedition I wrote about a couple days ago.

On 30 September she captured the British schooner Director and the sloop Matilda 21 October.  From 24-30 December 1863, the Gem of the Sea was part of an expedition to the Myacca River, transporting refugee Florida Rangers from Useppa Island to the mainland.

--Old B-R'er

USS Gem of the Sea-- Part 2: A Blockade Runner's Worst Nightmare

On July 1, 1862, she possession of four  rice-laden lighters up the Waccamaw River.

The ship returned to Boston Navy Yard 18 October 1862, for repairs and then was ordered to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron and arrived at Key West  18 December 1862.

CAPTURING MORE BLOCKADE RUNNERS:  A very busy bark

It didn't take long before the Gem of the Sea added to her already long list of captures.    Twelve days later, 30 December 1862, she captured the sloop Ann off Jupiter Inlet.  Then, a small unidentified  schooner 12 January 1863, a small boat  28 January and the schooner Charm in the Indian River Inlet  23 February.

In the same vicinity, she captured the sloop Peter and the British blockade  runners Maggie Fulton and Inez.

For A Ship With That Small of A Crew, Even If These Were Relatively Small Blockade-Runners, They Must Have Been Rolling in the Prize Money.  --Old B-Runner

USS Gem of the Sea-- Part 1: Very Successful Capturing Blockade Runners

In the last post, i wrote about this ship launching an attack at Confederate positions on the Peace River in Florida.

From Wilipedia.

Was a bark acquired by the U.S. Navy.  Purchased in New York City 3 August 1861 and commissioned  15 October, under Acting Lt. Irvin B. Baxter.

Length 116 feet, beam 26.3 feet,  Complement 65, Armament six 32-pounder guns.  Propulsion by sail.

First appointed to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.  Ran the blockade runner Prince of Wales aground off Charleston  24 December.  Captured the blockade runner Fair Play 12 March 1862, schooner Dixie  15 April 1862 and schooner Mary Stewart 3 June.

Nine days later she took the schooner Seabrook off Alligator Creek.

Even With Just Sails.  --Old B-Runner

September 2-3, 1863: One of Those Small Operations You Don't Hear About, Peace Creek, Fla.

SEPTEMBER 2-3, 1863:  Boat expedition under Acting Ensign William H. Winslow and Acting Master's Mate Charles L. Edgcomb from the USS Gem of the Sea, Acting Lieutenant Baxter, reconnoitered Peace Creek, Florida.

The expedition was set in motion by Baxter because of "reliable information that there was a band of guerrillas, or regulators, as they style themselves, organizing in the vicinity of Peace Creek, with the intention of coming down the harbor [Charlotte Harbor] for the purpose of capturing the refugees on the islands in this vicinity and also the sloop Rosalie...."

The Union force destroyed buildings used used as a depot for blockade runners and a rendezvous for guerrillas as well as four small boats.

Baxter reported:  "I think this expedition will have a tendency to break up the blockade running and stop the regulators from coming down here to molest the refugees in this vicinity.

--Old B-Runner

June 3, 1862: USS Gem of the Sea and Montgomery Capture Blockade Runners

JUNE 3, 1862:  The USS Gem of the Sea, Lt. Baxter, captured blockade runner Mary Stewart at the entrance of the Santee River, South Carolina.

**  The USS Montgomery, Lt. C. Hunter, captured blockade running British schooner Will-O'-The-Wisp transferring powder and percussion caps to a lighter near the mouth of the Rio Grande River in Texas.

--Old B-Runner

March 12, 1862: Jacksonville, Florida, Occupied

MARCH 12TH, 1862:  Landing party under Lt. Thomas H. Stevens of the USS Ottawa occupied Jacksonville, Florida, without opposition.  This was all part of the Confederacy giving up all points along the coast that they felt could not be defended against the Union Navy.

**  USS Gem of the Sea, Lt. Baxter, captured British blockade runner Fair Play off Georgetown, South Carolina.

**  Gunboats USS Tyler, Lt. Gwin, and USS Lexington, Lt. Shirk, engaged a Confederate battery at Chickasaw, Alabama, while reconnoitering the Tennessee River.

--Old B-Runner