Operations on Western Waters-- Part 2: Defective Fuzes

"The battery just below Eastport, consisting of two guns, then opened upon us.  Their shot fell short.  I stood up just outside of their range and threw three or four 20 [second] shell at that battery, none of which exploded, owing to the very defective fuze (army).

"The rebels did not respond.  I have made no regular attack on their lately constructed batteries, as they are of no importance to us, our base of operations being so much below them.  I have deemed it my duty, however, to annoy them, where I could with little or no risk to our gunboats....

"The Lexington, Lieutenant Commanding Shirk, will cruise down the river from this point.  The Tyler will cruise above."

Were the defective fuzes from the Army?  And here I was thinking fuzes for projectiles were spelled fuses.

--Old B-R'er

March 24, 1862: Operations on the Western Rivers-- Part 1

MARCH 24RD, 1862:  Lieutenant Gwin, USS Tyler, reported the typical ceaseless activity of the gunboats:  "...since my last report, dated March 21, I have been actively employed cruising up and down the river.  The Lexington arrived this morning.

"The Tyler accompanied by the Lexington, proceeded up the river to a point two miles below Eastport, Mississippi, where we discovered the rebels planting a new battery at an elevation above the water of 60 (degrees), consisting of two guns, one apparently in position.

We threw several shells into it, but failed to elicit a reply."

The Tyler and the Lexington were two really busy gunboats.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago:Engaging the Confederates

JULY 29TH, 1861:  The USS Yankee, Commander T.T. Craven, and USS Reliance, Lt. Mygatt, engaged Confederate battery at Marlborough Point, Virginia.

**  Four U.S. steamers engaged Confederate battery at Aquia Creek, Virginia, for three hours.

--Old B-Runner

Confederate Defenses on Sullivan's Island in November 1863, Charleston, SC

From the November 23, 2013 To the Sound of Guns Blog by Craig Swain. Mr. Swain made a great map showing all the Confederate positions on the island and said these batteries benefited from the relocation of guns from Fort Sumter during the summer.

Of interest, I found that BATTERY BEE had five 10-inch Columbiads and one 8-inch Columbiad in March 1863. By November, one of the 10-inch Columbiads was replaced by an XI-inch gun taken from the monitor USS Keokuk which had sunk.

FORT MOULTRIE's armament by November had increased to four 10-inch Columbiads, two 8-inch seacoast howitzers, two 8-inch rifle and banded Columbiads, three 32-pdr. rifles, four 24-pdr smoothbores, and two 10-inch seacoast mortars. Two other 32-pdr smoothbores were at the fort, but not mounted.

Other batteries on Sullivan's Island were, Marion, Brooke, Rutledge, Beauregard, Marshall. Mr. Swain tells the armament of all of these batteries.

--Old B-Runner