George B. Livingston-- Part 2

"USS Despatch," special service, 1878-9;  "USS Enterprise," European Station, 1879-81; Torpedo  Instructor, 1881.

The USS Despatch was involved in the Virginius Affair.

Promoted to Lieutenant-Commander, October, 1881;  "USS Adams," Pacific Squadron, 1882-3:  R.S. "USS Colorado," 1883-4; store-ship "USS  Monongahela, 1883-4; commanding store-ship "USS Monongahela," 1885-6; Navy Yard, New York, 1889; Navy Yard, Norfolk, 1889-90.

--Old b-Runner

Some More on Henry Walton Grinnell-- Part 1: Distinguished Service in U.S. Navy During the War, Then, On to the Japanese Navy

From prabook.

Was born in New York on November 19, 1943.  He spent three years (1858-1861) at the New York Free Academy (later the College of the City of New York) and then entered the U.S. Navy where he was appointed a mate in June 1862.  Then acting ensign in November 1862 and acting master 1864 and acting volunteer lieutenant in 1865.

While on board the USS Monongahela in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, he took part in the Battles of New Orleans and Mobile.  On November 18,1863, he distinguished himself while commanding a landing party that helped army units ashore.

After the war, while serving on the USS Susquehanna of the Asiatic Squadron, he declined appointment as an ensign in the regular navy and was honorably discharged July 25, 1868.

He accepted instead, a commission as a captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy and began training seamen at the Heigo Naval School.

--Old B-Runner

Henry Walton Grinnell-- Part 3: Served on USS Monongahela

From PraBook.

Henry Walton Grinnell was born  in New York on November 19, 1843, the son of Henry and Sarah Minturn Grinnell.

He spent three years at (1858-1861) at the New York Free Academy (later  the College of the City of Nerw York).

After the three years there, he entered the U.S. Navy.  Appointed Mate June 1862;  acting ensign November 1862; acting master 1864; and acting volunteer lieutenant , 1865.

On board the USS Monongahela of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, he took part in the Battles of New Orleans and Mobile Bay.  On November 18, 1863, he distinguished himself by his command of a landing party which materially aided the army.

--Old B-Runner

July 7, 1863: Death of Abner Read, USN

From the Civil War Naval Chronology.

JULY 7, 1863:  The USS Monongahela, Commander Abner Read, and the USS New London, Lt. Cmdr. George H. Perkins, engaged Confederate field batteries behind the levee about twelve miles below Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

Read, characterized by Farragut as "one of the most gallant and enterprising officers in my squadron," was  mortally wounded in the action.

This should be accurate, so Abner Read was on and in command of the Monongahela at the engagement and was in the company of his former command, the USS New London.

--Old B-R'er

Sgt. Albert Husband, USMC

From Find-A-Grave.

Sergeant Albert Husband was also aboard the USS Monongahela on the action where Abner Read was mortally wounded.

Born 7 April 1837  Died 6 May 1921

USMC

Enlisted  7 July 1864
Mustered out February 1868

The enlistment was considerably after when Read was killed in 1863.  Perhaps Husband was in the Navy and transferred to the Marines.

Burial Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

USNH Plot 3  Row 9  Grave 8

This U.S. Navy Plot has many naval Medal of Honor winners buried there.  I'll have to write about it some time in the future.

--Old B-Runner

George Dewey At Battle Where Abner Read Killed

From Wikipedia.

The future Spanish-American War hero George Dewey was at the engagement where Abner Read lost his life.

George Dewey was a young Union officer in 1863 and really making a name for himself on the Mississippi River.  He was highly complimented by his superior officers and Farragut himself.  Farragut made Dewey the executive officer on the USS Agawam, a small gunboat that the admiral often used to carry dispatches and he would be on it when he personally reconnoitered.

Because of its movements, the ship was often under fire by Confederate sharpshooters and temporary batteries.

In July 1863, there was a small engagement at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which resulted in the death of the USS Monongahela's commander, Abner Read and the severe wounding of its executive officer.

Dewey was present and so distinguished himself for conspicuous gallantry that he was recommended for promotion.  He was given temporary command of the Agawam.

Dewey would later be at the Battles of Fort Fisher.

--Old B-Runner

Was Abner Read On the Monongahela or New London When He Was Mortally Wounded?

As I mentioned in the last two posts, there is some question as to which of these two ships Abner Read was on when he was mortally wounded, plus, the Wikipedia article on him has him dying the following day after the wound, July 8, 1863.

The Find-A-Grave site has his dying on July 12, 1863.  Also, he was commanding the USS New London at the time of his death.A page listing Union naval officer deaths accompanying the Find-A-Grave site has Abner Read dying on July 12, 1863 and having been on the USS Monongahela.

The Together We Served site on Melancton Smith has him commanding the USS Monongahela 1862-1863.  (He also commanded the frigate USS Wabash at both Battles of Fort Fisher.)

The USS Monongahela Wikipedia article has that ship, accompanied by the USS New London involved in the July 7, 1863 battle 12 miles below Donaldsonville, Louisiana, in which the Monongahela's new commander, Abner Read, was killed in action.

So, Go Figure.  --Old B-R'er

Abner Read, USN-- Part 7: Held in High Regard By Farragut "A Source Of Terror To the Rebels"

Regardless of what ship Abner Read may have been on: the USS New London or USS Monongahela,
he was wounded in both the abdomen and his right knee by a Confederate shell that crashed through his ship's bulwarks on the port quarter.

He was taken to a hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he died on the evening of the following day.

Farragut and the other officers of the fleet were lavish on the praise they heaped on their fallen comrade  Farragut said that Read  had "...perhaps done as much as any man in this war ....  The very mention of his name was a source of terror to the rebels."

On another occasion, Farragut said, "I know nothing of him prejudicial as a man, but I do know  that no Navy can boast a better officer and I deem him a great loss to both the Navy and to his country."

Legacy:  The destroyers USS Abner Read (DD-526) sunk by a kamikaze in World War II and USS Abner Read (DD-769), a planned ship that wasn't built because of the end of World War II, were named after him.

--Old B-Runner

Abner Read, USN-- Part 6: Wounded in Battle

While repairs were being made to the New London, Read was detached from her on 22 June and ordered to relieve Captain Melancton Smith, commander of the USS Monongahela.  Six days later, in command of his new ship, he headed up the Mississippi River to defend Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which was being threatened by Confederate troops.

The Confederates were desperately try to hold on to Vicksburg and Port Hudson on the river at the time.

At this point, it is not clear whether Abner Read was in command of the USS New London or the USS Monongahela and whether the USS New London was accompanying the Monongahela.

Anyway, Read was patrolling  the Mississippi River between Donaldsonville and New Orleans, when, on the morning of 7 July 1863, Confederates opened fire on the ship with field artillery and musketry.  A shell crashed through the port quarter of the ship and Read was wounded in the abdomen and his right knee.

--Old B-Runner

USS De Soto-- Part 13: Hit By a Tsunami

In 1867, the De Soto was part of a squadron including the USS Susquehanna and USS Monongahela as part of Secretary of State William H. Seward's plan to buy the Danish West Indies.

She arrived at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands on November 17, 1867.  The next day, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck and the resulting tsunami swept the De Soto from its moorings and onto a wharf.  Fortunately, the next wave lifted the ship off and sent her to deeper water.

However, the bottom was damaged severely and leaking badly.  The next two days were spent repairing the damage and pumping water.

The Monongahela was tossed completely ashore, but with a lot of work, she was able to get back in the water the following year.

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: Welles Reestablishes the West India Squadron

DECEMBER 4, 1865:  Secretary Welles announced that the West India Squadron was to be reestablished in that area "where we have so large a trade, and where, owing to the proximity of the islands to our shores, it is essential that we cultivate friendly relations."

Commodore James S. Palmer was designated to command this squadron with the USS Rhode Island serving as his flagship.  The eight additional vessels comprising the squadron were: USS  De Soto, Swatara, Monongahela, Florida, Augusta, Shamrock, Ashuelot,  and Monocacy.

--Old B-R'er

Battle of Mobile Bay-- Part 5: The Tennessee Takes a Battering

The battle between the Union fleet and Tennessee raged for over an hour.  The USS Monongahela rammed the Tennessee, but only succeeded in damaging herself.  The Lackawanna rammed at full speed, but, as Farragut described it, "the only perceptible effect on the ram was to give it a heavy list."

However, a shot from one of the monitor USS Manhattan's 15-inch guns made a big impression of the Tennessee's crew.  Lt. Wharton, CSN, reported"  "The Monongahela was hardly clear of us when a hideous-looking monster came creeping up on our Port side, whose slowly revolving turret revealed the cavernous depths of a mammoth gun.  'Stand clear of the Port side!' I shouted.

"A moment after a thunderous report shook us all, while a blast of dense, sulpherous smoke covered out port-holes, and 440 pounds of  iron, impelled by sixty pounds of powder, admitted daylight through our side, where, before it struck us, there had been over two feet of solid wood, covered with five inches of solid iron.

"This was the only 15-inch shot that hit us fair.  It did not come through; the inside netting caught the splinters, and there were no casualties from it.  I was glad to find myself alive after that shot."

Watch Out for Those 15-inchers!  --Old B-Runner

Disabling Mines in Mobile Bay

JULY 25TH, 1864:  Boats from the USS Hartford, Monongahela and Sebago, commanded by Rear Admiral Farragut's flag lieutenant, J.C, Watson, reconnoitered the Mobile Bay area in an attempt to discover the type and number of water torpedoes (mines) laid by Confederates off Fort Morgan.

Watson and his men located and cut loose many of the torpedoes; they were aided by the fact that a number were inoperative.

This hazardous work was indispensable to the success of the Navy's coming operations against Mobile.

Several other similar night operations were also conducted.

Get Rid of Those Torpedoes. Farragut Wants to Come Through.   --Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago-- November 29-30, 1863: Training Confederate Officers

NOVEMBER 29TH:

At the request of General Banks, a gun crew from the USS Monongahela went ashore to man howitzers in support of an Army attack on Pass Cavallo, Texas.

NOVEMBER 30TH: Confederate Secretary of Navy Mallory emphasized the importance of proper training for naval officers. He wrote: "The naval powers of the earth are bestowing peculiar care upon the education of their officers, now more than ever demanded by the changes in all the elements of naval warfare. 

Appointed from civil life and possessing generally but little knowledge of the duties of an officer and rarely even the vocabulary of their profession they have heretofore been sent to vessels or batteries where it is impossible for them to obtain a knowledge of its most important branches, which can be best, if not only, acquired by methodical study."

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago-- November 24-29, 1863: Ordnance and Another B-R Gets captured

NOVEMBER 24TH:

 The USS Pawnee and Marblehead protected Union troops sinking piles of obstructions in the Stono River above Legareville, SC.

NOVEMBER 25TH:

The Confederate Navy faced all sorts of problems during the war and one was getting ordnance. Secretary Mallory wrote this day that ordnance workshops had been established at Charlotte, Richmond, Atlanta and Selma, Alabama.

NOVEMBER 26TH:

The USS James Adger seized the British blockade-runner Ella off Masonboro Inlet, NC, with a cargo of salt.

NOVEMBER 28th:

The USS Chipewa escorted two army transports on a recon mission up Skull Creek, SC.

NOVEMBER 29TH:

USS Kanawha captured schooner Albert attempting to run out of Mobile with cargo of cotton, rosin, turpentine and tobacco.

**  Major General Banks got a gun crew from the USS Monongahela ashore to man howitzers to support his attack on Pass Cavallo, Texas.

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago-- November 16-17, 1863: Confederate Losses in the West Hurt Eastern Naval Operations

NOVEMBER 16TH, 1863: 

Union successes in the West were hurting Confederate naval operations in the east. Cmdr. John K. Mitchell, CSN, wrote Mallory that there was a serious shortage of fuels needed for manufacturing. "The occupation of Chattanooga in August has effectually cut off the supply from mines in that region, upon which the public works in Georgia and South Carolina and naval vessels in the waters of those states are dependent."

NOVEMBER 16-17: USS Monongahela escorted Army transports and covered the landing of 1,000 troops on Mustang Island, Aransas Pass, Texas.

NOVEMBER 17TH: Asst. Secretary Fox wrote Rear Admiral S.P. Lee praising the effectiveness of his squadron: "I congratulate you upon the captures off Wilmington. Nine steamers have been lost to the rebels in a short time, all due to the 'fine spirit' of our people engaged in the blockade. It is severe duty and well maintained and Jeff Davis pays us a higher compliment than our own people when he declares that there is but one port in 3500 miles through which they can get supplies."

Blockade Getting Serious. --Old B-R'er