Sinking of USS Weehawken-- Part 4: Overconfidant To the Peril

As many others were rescued from the surging waves by the launches if the flagship, the South Carolina and the tugboats Dandelion and Iris.  Thirty perished.

All day the Weehawken had labored heavily  in the seas, which had kept her decks constantly submerged, and which frequently swept in huge volumes into her forward hatch.  Towards noon the crew commenced playing out chain, to ease her; but, as accustomed as they were, in every gale, to the shipping of such seas, it is believed that they had grown confident and careless of danger, and paid no hewed to the encroaching waters until it was too late to resist them.

They dreamed of no peril till the waves had fairly yawned to swallow them.  Then, when it was known for certainty that the vessel was to be lost, a panic if fright and fear benumbed them, and the terror-stricken crew below had little power to help themselves.

There were men in irons between  decks, and the sergeant at-arms rushed frantically away to release them.  Poor fellows, they all went down.

--Old B-Runner

USS Heliotrope-- Part 1

On May 2, I wrote about a house for sale on Long island, New York, that also had the grave of black Union sailor Thomas Jefferson Davis who had served during the war on the USS Heliotrope.  I'd never heard of it, so went to good old Wikipedia.

The USS Heliotrope was 239 tons, 134 feet long steamer armed with a 12-pdr. cannon which served as a tug.

It was originally the Maggie Baker before being bought in New York City and commissioned 24 April 1864.

It was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and proceeded to Hampton Roads, Virginia, where it served as a tug and ordnance ship.  It occasionally patrolled up the James River.

January 23, 1865, it was transferred to the Potomac Flotilla.

--Old B-Runner