December 19, 1863: Raid On St. Andrew's, Florida

DECEMBER 19, 1863:  Expedition under Acting Master W.R. Browne, comprising the USS Restless, Bloomer and Caroline. proceeded up St. Andrew's Bay, Florida, to continue the destruction of salt works.  A landing party went ashore under the Bloomer;s guns and destroyed those works not already demolished by the Southerners when reports of the naval party were received.

Browne was able to report that he had "cleared the three arms of this extensive bay of salt works .... Within the past ten days," he added, "290 salt works, 33 covered wagons, 12 flatboats, 2 sloops (5 ton each) six ox carts, 4,000 bushels of salt, 268 buildings at the different salt works, 529 iron kettles averaging 150 gallons each, 105 iron boilers for boiling brine [were destroyed], and it is believed that the enemy destroyed as many more to prevent us from doing so."

--Old B-Runner

USS Rosalie-- Part 2: Captures A Blockade Runner

Of course, the Rosalie's size and shallow draft was of great help in navigating the smaller inlets along Florida's west coast.

The sloop Rosalie was was captured on 16 March 1863 by the USS Octorara while attempting to run from Bermuda into the Confederate port of Charleston, S.C.. and sent to Key West for adjudication.  Purchased by the Navy on 6 May 1863 and fitted out as a tender, commissioned June 1863 with Acting Ensign Charles P. Clark in command.

She was assigned to the Florida west coast as tender to the blockading ship off Charlotte Harbor.  On June 6, she spotted the schooner Ann and  small sloop and pursued the ships three days up Peace Creek (River).  Though frequently grounding, on the 7th, the Rosalie was joined by two cutters from the USS Restless.

On the 8th, the Union ships captured the Confederate ships with large cargoes of cotton.

--Old B-Runner

May 2, 1862: USS Restless Captures a Blockade-Runner

MAY 2ND, 1862:  The USS Restless, Acting Lt.  Conroy, captured British blockade runner Flash off the coast of South Carolina.

--Old B-Runner

March 29, 1863: Capturing Blockade-Runners

MARCH 29TH, 1862:  The USS R.R. Cuyler, Lt. F. Winslow, captured blockade-running schooner Grace E. Baker off the coast of Cuba.

**  A boat under the command of Acting Master's Mate Henry Eason from the USS Restless, captured schooner Lydia and Mary with a large cargo of rice for Charleston, and destroyed an unnamed schooner in the Santee River, South Carolina.

--Old B-Runner

February 14, 1862: Obstructions and the USS Galena

FEBRUARY 14TH, 1862:  An armed boat from the USS Restless, Acting Lt. Edward Conroy, captured and destroyed sloop Edisto and schooners Wandoo, Elizabeth and Theodore Stoney off Bull's Bay, South Carolina.  All the ships carried heavy cargoes of rice for Charleston.

**  Confederate ships sank obstructions in the Cape Fear River near Fort Caswell, North Carolina, in an effort to block the channel.

**  The USS Galena, an experimental sea-going ironclad, was launched at Mystic, Connecticut.

--Old B-Runner

Boat Expedition Destroys Salt Works in Florida

OCTOBER 5-6, 1864:  A boat expedition commanded by Acting Ensign Henry Eaton, USS Restless, destroyed large salt works on St. Andrew's Bay (Panama City), Florida, along with 150 buildings used to house the compound and employees.

Salt works providing as they did both foodstuff and an invaluable preservative, were a constant target for fast-hitting Union boat expeditions aimed at destroying the source of intended supplies for Confederate armies.
--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago-- January 20-22, 1864

JANUARY 21ST: USS Sciota and Granite City joined several hundred troops on a reconnaisance of Texas coast. Covered troops at Smith's Landing, Texas, and foray down the Matagordo Peninsula.

JANUARY 22ND: Rear Admiral Dahlgren wrote Welles from Charleston: "...do not suppose that I am idle because no battles are fought, on the contrary, the blockade by four monitors of such a place as this, and the determined intention of the rebels to operate with torpedoes, keep all eyes open.

**  Three men from the USS Restless led by Acting Ensign James R. Russell captured the blockade runner William A. Kain in St. Andrew's Bay, Florida (present-day Panama City). They originally were only going to reconnoiter, but after discovering and capturing the captain and several crewmembers ashore in the woods near the vessel, Russell determined to take the ship. He compelled his prisoners to row him out to the Kain and then captured the ship. Then he managed to sail the ship from Watson's Bayou out to the bay and under the restless' guns.

Quite the Daring Feat. --Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago-- December 19, 1863: Action At St. Andrew's Bay, Fla.

DECEMBER 19TH:

Expedition from USS Restless, Bloomer and Caroline proceeded up St. Andrew's Bay, Florida (current day Panama City), to continue destroying salt works. They destroyed works not already destroyed by Confederates when they heard they were about to be attacked.

Reported they had "cleared the three arms of the extensive bay of salt works....Within the past ten days 250 salt works, 35 covered wagons, 12 flatboats, 2 sloops (5 tons each), 6 ox carts, 4,000 bushels of salt, 268 buildings at the salt works, 529 iron kettles averaging 150 gallons each, 105 iron boilers for boiling brine, and it is believed that the enemy destroyed as many more to prevent us from doing so."

That is quite a huge salt making business going on there and, a lot of Union destruction.

--Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago-- December 2-3, 1863: Salt Works and Blockade Runners

DECEMBER 2ND:

Boat expedition from the USS Restless reconnoitered Lake Ocala, Florida. They found salt works in the area and destroyed them with the report: "They were in the practice of turning out 130 bushels of salt daily." 

Besides this, they destroyed the boilers and threw a large quantity of salt into the lake. Two large flatboats and 6 ox carts were demolished and 17 prisoners taken. These destructive raids took place continuously along the Southern coast and had a lasting negative effect on the Confederate war effort.

DECEMBER 3RD:

The USS New London captured the blockade runner schooner Del Nile near Padre Pass Island, Texas, with cargo of coffee, sugar and percussion caps.

--Old B-Runner