Ironclad USS Osage Sunk By Torpedo

MARCH 29TH, 1865:  The USS Osage, Lt.Cmdr. William H. Gamble, upped anchor and got underway inside the bar at Blakely River, Alabama.   Gamble was doing this quickly as he was trying to avoid a collision with the ironclad USS Winnebago, which was drifting alongside in a strong breeze.

Suddenly a torpedo exploded under the monitor's bow, and, Gamble reported, "the vessel immediately commenced sinking."

The Osage lost four men and had eight wounded in the explosion.  She was the third ship to be sunk in the Blakely River during March and the second in two days as torpedo warfare cost the North dearly even though its ships controlled the waters near Mobile.

--Old B-Runner

First Use of a Periscope In Action?-- Part 2

APRIL 12TH, 1864: //// Of course, the use of the periscope in warfare really came into use during the age of submarine warfare in World War I and II. //// The high banks of the Red River posed a great difficulty for the Union gunners in aiming their cannons from water level. Doughtry's ingenius invention helped solve that problem. //// Selfridge wrote that: "On first sounding to general quarters....[I] went inside the turret to direct (he was the Osage's commander) its fire, but the restricted vision from the peep holes rendered it impossible to see what was going on in the threatened quarter, whenever teh turret was trained on the loading position. //// In this extremity I thought of the periscope, and hastily took up station there, well-protected by the turret, yet able to survvey the whole scene and to direct an accurate fire." //// Thus was the periscope, a familiar sight on gun turrets and on submarines brought into the Civil War use on the Western waters. //// New Technology. --Old B-Runner

First Use of Periscope in Action?-- Part 1

APRIL 12TH, 1864: The engaement between Porter's ships and dismounted Confederate cavalry at Blair's Landing, Louisiana, also featured what may have been the first use of a periscope in action. //// It had been developed by Chief Engineer Thomas Doughtry of the ironclad USS Osage and later described by Lt.Cmdr Thomas O. Selfridge as "a method of sighting the turret from the outside, by means of what would now be called a periscope...." In other words, he could peer through it from the safety of inside and sight his guns. //// --Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago-- March 13-16th, 1864: Red River Campaign

I'll be going ahead this month with 150 years ago as I will be out of town most of the rest of the month. //// MARCH 15TH, 1864: Ironclads Benton and Essex remained at Fort De Russy to support the Army detachment destroying the fort. Porter's fleet then convoyed the main part of the Army upriver toward Alexandria, Louisiana. // Three ships went ahead to try to capture fleeing Confederate ships, but arrived too late at the rapids. One Confederate steamer, the Countess, had grounded and was destroyed by its crew. //// MARCH 16TH, 1864: Nine Union vessels arrived at Alexandria by morning and a landing made. Lt.Cmdr. Selfridge in the USS Osage occupied the town prior to the arrival of Porter and the Army. Waited there until Banks' Army arrived, delayed by rain. //// --Old B-Runner

The Selfridge Curse Strikes Again-- Part 2

MARCH 8TH, 1864: Thomas O. Selfridge had been aboard the USS Cumberland during her engagement with the CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads on 8 March 1862, which resulted in her sinking and had commanded the USS Cairo when she struck a torpedo and sank instantly in the Yazoo River on 12 December 1862. //// Rear Admiral Porter, upon hearing of his young officer's latest mishap, replied: "Well, Selfridge, you do not seem to have much luck with the top of the alphabet. I think that for your next shop I will try the bottom." //// Selfrisge's next command was the paddle wheel monitor USS Osage and after it grounded (but did not sink) in the Red River, he went on to command the new gunboat USS Vindicator-- even further down the alphabet. Of interest, the USS Osage also sank, but Selfridge was not in command at the time. (Must have been a curse carry-over.) //// Good thing that Selfridge obviously was a favorite of Porter. //// It's Who You Know Sometimes. --Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago-- Feb. 29 to March 5th, 1864: Preliminary Red River Campaign Action

FEBRUARY 29TH TO MARCH 5, 1864: Prior to launching the Red River Campaign, Rear Admiral Porter sent a reconnaissance mission under Lt. Cmdr. Ramsay to the Black and Ouachita rivers. The force included the paddle wheel monitor Osage and gunboats Ouachita, Lexington, Fort Hindman, Conestoga and Cricket.

Met resistance on the Black River March 1st. March 2nd, entered Black River where the Osage's turret was disabled by Confederate artillery. Shelled Harrisonburg, Louisiana, March 2nd and the Fort Hindman took 27 hits and her starboard engine was disabled, forcing the ship to drop back. Ramsay transferred his command to the Ouachita which took three hits but silenced Confederate firing from shore.

Ramsay proceeded as far as Catahoula Shoals and Bayou Louis without further incident. Reported that the rivers were falling.

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: October 7, 1863: Red River and Louisiana

OCTOBER 7TH

An expedition from the USS Osage captured and burned steamers Robert Fulton and Argus in the Red River. Union forces traveled overland with difficulty through undergrowth from the Mississippi to the Red River.

**  Boat crew from USS Cayuga boarded and destroyed blockade-runner Pushmataha which it had chased ashore off Calcasieu River, Louisiana. Carried gunpowder and one keg set afire, but Ordinary Seaman Thomas Morton threw it overboard.

--Old B-R'er