The USS William G. Anderson-- Part 1: Captured Privateer Beauregard

From Wikipedia.

Back to the story of the USS Beauregard. This is the ship that captured the then Confederate privateer Beauregard.

The USS William G. Anderson was a 149-foot bark built in 1859 at Boston, Mass. and acquired by the Navy 23 August 1861 and commissioned October 2, 1861. It mounted six 32-pounders and one 24-pdr. howitzer.

Joined the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and searched for Confederate privateers. On 7 November, it captured the Beauregard, seven days out of Charleston. It then cruised off Puerto Rico, Cuba, Bermuda and the Windward Islands. During that time, it sighted 210 vessels, boarded 66, but not many were privateers. It returned to Boston April 16, 1862.

Not Finished Yet. --Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago: October 9th-10th, 1863: Charleston and the Tennessee River

OCTOBER 9TH--

 Secretary Welles commended Rear Admiral Dahlgren for the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron's operations against Charleston, SC. It was the first step toward taking the port which so many in the North wanted done as soon as possible because that is where the war began.

But, Welles cautioned "...the public impatience must not be permitted to hasten your own movements into immature and inconsiderate action...."

**  The CS Georgia (cruiser) captured and burned the ship Bold Hunter off French West Africa.

OCTOBER 10TH--

Secretary Welles wrote Rear Admiral Porter to help General Sherman in his operations along the Tennessee River. Porter reported that shallowness currently prevented him from doing so, but gunboats would go just as soon a sthe water rose.

--Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: October 7, 1863: Red River and Louisiana

OCTOBER 7TH

An expedition from the USS Osage captured and burned steamers Robert Fulton and Argus in the Red River. Union forces traveled overland with difficulty through undergrowth from the Mississippi to the Red River.

**  Boat crew from USS Cayuga boarded and destroyed blockade-runner Pushmataha which it had chased ashore off Calcasieu River, Louisiana. Carried gunpowder and one keg set afire, but Ordinary Seaman Thomas Morton threw it overboard.

--Old B-R'er

Blockade-Runners Captured by the USS Beauregard

From Wikipedia.

Prizes and Adjutications

Date, Name of Ship Captured, Prize Money to Beauregard:

6-20-62 LUCY
8-26-63 PHOEBE
10-6-63 LAST TRIAL (I wrote about this capture this past Saturday in 150 Years Ago. At this point, the chart starts listing prize money.

11-5-63 VOLANTE, $1,210.91
1-15-64 MINNIE $3,065.40
1-28-64 RACER $5,609.25
3-11,64 Hannah $216.59
3-11-64 LINDA $1,066.15

4-7-64 PUNKY $4,912.79
4-18-64 ORAMONETA $606.24
5-12-64 RESOLUTE $440.79.

All prizes except Spunky and Oramoneta adjudicated in Key West.

That brings total prize money divvied up to $17,128.12, a great sum of money back then. Like the recruiting poster I wrote about last month, join the Navy and have a shot at some prize money.

We're In the Money. --Old B-Runner

USS Beauregard-- Part 2: A Blockade Runner's Worst Friend

The privateer Beauregard was taken to Key West for adjudication and condemned for $2,147.47 with $1,854.92 for distribution among the Anderson's crew.

The U.S. Navy purchased the Beauregard for $1,810 on 24 Feb 1862 and replaced the 24-pdr rifle (which had been spiked by its Confederate crew when captured) with one 30-pdr. rifle and two 12-pdr. howitzers, commissioned 28 March 1862 and sent to the East Gulf Blockading Squadron.

On 2 April 1863, the USS Beauregard supported an attack on Tampa, Florida, and 28 July 1863 saw action at New Smyrna, Florida.

From July 1862 to May 12, 1864, the ship captured eleven blockade-runners, all but one as the only vessel entitled to share prize money. Those crew members made a good deal of extra money this way.

The USS Beauregard was sold at Key West June 28, 1865.

The Story of a Ship Serving Two Countries. Much More Successful as a Blockader. --Old B-R'er

USS Beauregard-- Part 1: A Short Confederate Privateer Career

From Wikipedia.

Saturday, I wrote about two strangely-named United States warships capturing blockade-runners 150 years ago this month. One was the USS Beauregard. Why would the Union Navy have a warship named after a Confederate general. Or was it?

The Bearegard was launched in 1850 as the schooner Priscilla C. Ferguson, but became a Confederate privateer mounting a 24-pdr. rifle and a crew of 40, commissioned into service in Charleston, SC 14 October 1861 and renamed for the hero of Fort Sumter and Manassas, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard.

It ran the blockade out of Charleston on November 5th. Just seven days later, on Nov. 12th, it was spotted by the USS William G. Anderson in the Bahama Channel near Cuba and captured after a two-hour chase. The Beauregard, as a privateer, never captured any ships.

Not Too Successful As a Privateer. --Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: October 6, 1863: Strangely-Named Ships Capture Blockade-Runners

OCTOBER 6TH

The USS Beauregard (kind of a strange name for a Union ship) captured sloop Last Trial at Key West with cargo of salt. (Inbound)

USS Virginia (another strange name for a Union ship) seized British blockade-runner Jenny off the coast of Texas with a cargo of cotton (outbound).

Wasn't Beauregard a Confederate officer and Virginia a state in the Confederacy?

--Old B-R'er

David Took On Goliath 150 Years Ago Today-- Part 3

This account from the Civil War Naval Chronology.

Confederate Secretary of the Navy Mallory wrote, "The annals of naval warfare record few enterprises which exhibit more strikenly than this of Lieutenant Glassell the highest qualities of a sea officer." I have to wonder at this point why Glassell would have been honored this way when he jumped off his ship?

The near success of the David prompted Dahlgren to emphasize the need for developing defensive measures against ship-borne torpedoes. He said that the Union ships should be protected by outriggers and the Union should employ similar craft. He also wanted his own torpedoes to use against the Confederates especially since, "We can make them faster than they can."

--Old B-Runner

David Took On Goliath 150 Years Ago Today-- Part 2

Lt. Glassell and a crewman thought the David was doomed and jumped overboard, but Engineer Turner succeeded in relighting the David's fires and with the help of pilot Walker Cannon, who could not swim, took the David back to Charleston. Lt. Glassell and the crew member were later picked up by the blockading fleet.

Although the David did not succeed in sinking the New Ironsides, the ship had to leave Charleston for repairs.

Rear Admiral Dahlgren wrote, "It seems to me that nothing could have been more successful as a first effort, and it will place the torpedo among certain offensive means."

And the Hunley hadn't even sunk the Housatonic with a torpedo yet. And, of course, we know how effective torpedoes were in the two world wars.

--Old B-R'er

David Takes on Goliath 150 Years Ago Today-- Part 1

OCTOBER 5TH, 1863

Today, the little CSS David, commanded by Lt. Glassell, CSN, exploded a torpedo against the side of the USS New Ironsides, under Captain Rowan, in Charleston Harbor, SC. Mounting a toprpedo with 60 pounds of powder on a ten-foot spar fixed to the bow, the fifty-foot David stood out from the pier early in the evening.

Being low in the water and hard to see, the David was close to the New Ironsides before it was spotted and hailed.

The federals opened with small arms fire, but the David came on, exploding the torpedo against the Union ship's starboard quarter and "shaking the vessel and throwing up an immense column of water.

As that water came down, it unfortunately for the David put out the boiler fire and nearly swamped her., causing the Confederate ship to swing alongside the New Ironsides.

Not Over Yet. --Old B-Runner

Tracking Down Charles Morfit, CSN, and His Letter-- Part 1

From www.jlkstamps.com.

I wrote about this man last week in this blog. This person sure did a lot of research on a person not well-known when it comes to the Civil War Navy. It also gives a good account of problems facing the Confederate Postal Service.

They were preparing a close look at the movements of both the letter and Mr. Morfit.

In early Feb. 1862, a letter was posted at Macon, Georgia, for Charles M. Morfit, CS Navy, CSS Steamer Ivy, at New Orleans, Louisiana. However, when the letter arrived, Morfit was no longer there as the Ivy had been sent upriver and the letter was forwarded to Columbus, Kentucky.

However, Fort Donelson fell on February 16th and Columbus was evacuated Feb. 20th so the letter was sent downstream to the Confederate stronghold at New Madrid, Missouri.

Forget Where's Waldo. Where's Charles? --Old B-Runner

Matagorda Island, Texas

Located along the mid-Texas Gulf coast, not too far from Houston. The island is 38 miles long with an average width of a mile and a half. French explorer La Salle landed there in February 1665. The wreck of his ship, the LaBelle, was recently recovered from near the island.

Evidently, during the Civil War it was used as an assembling area, but I didn't come across any mention of a Union camp being there. Looking at a map of the island, I think the 69th Indiana might have been crossing at the eastern extremity of the island.

--Old B-R'er

The 69th Indiana Drownings

From Wikipedia.

During preparations for an invasion of the mainland from Matagorda Island the 69th Indiana assembled. To get to the mainland, they had to cross 300 yards of the bay.

A ferry was made of pontoon boats tied together as a raft which could carry three companies across at a time. On the third trip, carrying companies B, G and K, the raft was swamped by an incoming tide. Two officers and 21 enlisted men drowned and many otghers carried off by current before being rescued.

This occurred on March 13, 1864.

For more information of the 69th Indiana, see today's entry on my Saw the Elephant Civil War blog.

--Old B-Runner

Matagorda, Texas During the Civil War

From the Texas State Historical Association.

Matagorda is located near the mouth of the Colorado River. During the Civil War, it was one of eight Texas ports used by blockade-runners to bring guns, munitions, clothing and other supplies into the Confederacy. Cotton was run out in the ships.

The town was bombarded on occasion and local citizens formed several militia groups, including the Matagorda Coast Guards.

The seaport declined after the war.

--Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago: Oct. 2, 1863: USS Bermuda Captures a Blockade Runner

OCTOBER 2ND

USS Bermuda captured blockade-running British schooner Florrie near Matagorda, Texas, with cargo including medicine, wine and saddles. (Inbound)

There was nothing listed for Oct. 1st or Oct. 3-4 in the Civil War Naval Chronology and just this item for Oct. 2nd.

Normally I wouldn't even have written about it, but needed something for the begiining of this month.

But, I had never heard of this Matagorda, Texas, so will do more research on it.

--Old B-Runner