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

Cushing's Raid on Smithville "...the General Was Not In When I Called"

FEBRUARY 29TH, 1864: Two boats from the USS Monticello led by Lt. William B. Cushing, landed at Confederate-held Smithville, NC, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River at night in an attempt to capture General Louis Hebert.

The daring Cushing and three men made their way to the general's quarters in the middle of town and within fifty yards of the Confederate barracks. Cushing found that the general had gone to Wilmington earlier in the day, but reported to Rear Admiral S.P. Lee: "I send Captain Kelly, C.S. Army, to you, deeply regretting that the general was not in when I called."

--Old B-Runner

Daring Confederate Raid: USS Underwriter Captured and Destoyed-- Part 1

FEBRUARY 2, 1864:

Early in the morning, a Confederate boat expedition planned and boldly led by Commander John Taylor Wood, CSN, captured and destroyed the 4-gun sidewheel steamer USS Underwriter, Acting Master Jacob Westervelt, anchored in the Neuse River near New Bern, North Carolina.

The boats used by the Confederates had been shipped by rail from Petersburg, Va., to Kinston, NC, and from there started down the Neuse. Wood, grandson of President Taylor and nephew of Jefferson Davis, silently approached the Underwriter about 2:30 a.m. and was within 100 yards of the gunboat before being spotted.

Underwriter's guns could not be brought to bear on Wood and his men quickly boarded and took her in hand-to-handcombat, during which, Westervelt was killed.

Definitely a Cushing Thing.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner