A USS Monitor Christmas-- Part 4: "Black Eyes, Bloody Noses, & Battered Faces"

However, despite the good Christmas eating, the sound of war resonated across Hampton Roads, Virginia.  Not far from the Monitor, the air was filled with smoke from the reports of cannons from American, British and French ships.  No, they weren't engaged in fighting each other, this was because of salutes to each other and target practice.

Some of the Monitor's crew were fortunate to have leave to go ashore where they encountered men from the British vessels.  At first they enjoyed each others' company, but eventually that came to a close. "The parties got too much whiskey [and] a fight would have to decide who was the best man of the two," wrote Paymaster Keeler.  "There seemed to be a sort of general mass, black eyes, bloody noses, & battered faces  seeming to predominate."

Union soldiers quickly came and took the "drunken fighting sailors" to cells at Fort Monroe.

A Drunken Brawl.  --Old B-Runner

The Shenandoah's Single Most Successful Day-- Part 2: 38 Ships

Waddell then bonded the ship James Murray and the bark Nile then placed his 336 prisoners on board for passage to San Francisco.  The latter whaler was selected for this mission because her master had died, leaving a widow and two small children on board; "the poor widow had the remains of her husband in board preserved in whiskey".

Waddell stripped the vessels of supplies and recruited nine men.  He noted that their enlistment was "evidence that if they had heard any report of the military failure of the South, they had considered it unreliable".

Waddell put the torch to the ships Hillman, Nassau, Brunswick, Isaac Howland and barks Waverly, Martha, Favorite, Covington and Congress and recorded in his memoirs that "the horizon was illuminated with a fiery glare presenting a picture of indescribably grandeur, while the water was covered with black smoke mingled with flakes of fire."

This field day against American commerce climaxes a very successful cruise in which the Shenandoah captured a total of 38 American vessels valued at $1,361,983.

Lighting the Skies.  --Old B-Runner

Naval Action Late November '64: Whiskey and Opium

NOVEMBER 29TH, 1864:  A ship's boat from the USS Elk captured an unidentified small craft with cargo of whiskey and opium near Mandeville, Louisiana.  Can't let THAT get through the blockade, you know.

NOVEMBER 39TH, 1864:  Boat expedition from the USS Midnight landed at St. Andrew's Bay, Florida, and destroyed a salt work and took prisoners.

USS Itasca seized British blockade-running schooner Carrie Mair off Pass Cavallo, Texas.

--Old B-R'er