March 13, 1863: Naval Engagement at Fort Pemberton, Yazoo Pass

MARCH 13TH, 1863:  The USS Chilcothe, Lieutenant-Commander J.P. Foster, USS Baron De Kalb, Lieutenant-Commander J.G. Walker and a mortar schooner, reengaged the Confederate works at Fort Pemberton as the Yazoo Pass Expedition attempted to move down the Tallahatchie River to Greenwood, Mississippi.

In action described by Walker as "severe,"  Chillicothe sustained 38 hits in an exchange of fire lasting about an hour and a half.  her ammunition exhausted, the Chillicothe retired; the De Kalb continued to engage the fort for some 3 more hours before withdrawing.

Lt. Col.  James H. Wilson, USA, remarked:  "The rebel position is a strong one by virtue of the difficulties of approach ...."  The gunboats were unable to bring their full fire power to bear on the works, and the Army was unable to render effective assistance.  Thus, though the fort was damaged by the attack, the follow up operations could not be pressed to make the Confederates withdraw.

--Old B-R'er

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: March 12th to 13th,1863: Thinking Charleston-- Part 1

MARCH 12TH

Farragut arrives at Baton Rouge to make final preparations for attack on Port Hudson.


MARCH 13TH

Union ships engaged Confederate Port Pemberton in the Yazoo Pass Expedition.  The USS Chillicothe hit 38 times and exhausted its ammunition.  The Union ships withdrew.


Du Pont wrote Professor Alexander D. Bache of the Coast Survey about the planned attack on Charleston:  "We are steadily preparing for the great experiment, to see whether 20 guns, counting one broadside of the Ironsides, can silence or overcome some hundreds [referring to Confederate guns in Charleston Harbor]."  He also wrote that he had tried out four ironclads "against a live target in the shape of Fort McAllister.

"Then Dahlgren writes the life of his fifteen inch [gun] is 300 [firings].

Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: March 3rd to 5th,1863

MARCH 3RD

Ironclads USS Passaic, Nahant and Patapsco and other ships again engage Fort McAllister for six hours.  Du Pont is still wanting to put the monitors through the stress of battle before the attack on Charleston.

The Yazoo Pass expedition is  encountering huge difficulty on the Coldwater River which is extremely low.

Rear Admiral Porter writes from above Vicksburg that "There is a delightful concert here between the Army and Navy.  Grant and Sherman are aboard  almost everyday....We agree in everything...."


MARCH 5TH

The Yazoo Pass expedition is nearing the junction of the Coldwater and Tallahatchie River and making better time, but not much.  Wasn't the Tallahatchie where Billy Joe McAllister threw something off the bridge?

Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: February 4th to 6th, 1863-- Seizing the Cotton

FEBRUARY 3-8TH

The USS Tyler, patrolling the Yazoo River, seized 113 bale of cotton.  This was keeping with Porter's directive to seize all Confederate cotton for the dual-purpose of preventing it from being run through the blockade and to protect the vessels of his Mississippi Squadron.  They were placed around the boilers of the wooden ships.


FEBRUARY 4TH

Rear Admiral Porter wrote that one problem with his ironclads was the absence of all means to make signals (meaning masts I suppose).  He wanted to use Army code (hand-held) and proposed having some of his officers trained in how to use it.


FEBRUARY 6TH

Porter appointed Lt. Cmdr. W. Smith to command the Yazoo Pass expedition.

Lt. Cmdr. Thomas O. Selfridge of the USS Conestoga, reported that reconnaissance showed the Confederates had no heavy guns in the river up to Little Rock and since the capture of Arkansas Post, people in that city feared Union gunboats would show up anytime.

The Confederate ram Pontchartrain didn't have steam yet and no guns either.  He wants an immediate attack on Little Rock before the ram can be finished.  (And he hadn't sunk the Conestoga yet.)

Old B-Runner