Agnes G. Fry at Bermuda October 24, 1864

Report from U.S. Consul at Bermuda.

In port October 24, 1864:  Several blockade-runners, including the Agnes Fry.  "The Agnes Fry and Stormy Petrel attempted to enter Wilmington, but failed and returned home."

--Old B-Runner

Agnes C. Fry Arrived in Nassau September 8, 1864

September 24, 1864, report of U.S. Consul Thomas Kirkpatrick to Sec. of State Seward.

Announced the arrival of many blockade-runners from August 24, 1864, to September 23rd.

One of them, on September 8 was the steamer Agnes C. Fry, formerly the Fox, from Bermuda.  (Actual name was the Agnes E. Fry.)

There was also the steamer General Whiting arriving on September 6 from Charleston.  The General Whiting left Nassau on September 17, for Charleston.

--Old B-R'er

155 Years Ago: Welles Orders Reinforcements to Norfolk

MARCH 31ST, 1861:  Secretary of the Navy Welles ordered 250 men transferred from New York to the Navy Yard at Norfolk, Virginia.

--Old B-Runner

Captain Joseph Fry, Cmdr. of Agnes E. Fry-- Part 3: Loss of the Agnes E. Fry

Later, Joseph Fry became the commander of the new blockade-runner Agnes E. Fry, named after his wife.  He made three successful voyages through the blockade of Wilmington, North Carolina, and was then run ashore with complete loss of the ship.  Fry, however, was not steering the ship at the time as it was the pilot.  The wreck lies not far from the Virginius.  Fry and the crew escaped.

Fry's next command was of the CSS Morgan in Mobile Bay where he was highly complimented by General Dabney H. Maury for conspicuous bravery.

--Old B-Runner

Captain Joseph Fry, Cmdr. of Agnes E. Fry-- Part 2: Saved the Eugenie

Joseph Fry then served the Confederacy.  He was severely wounded at the Battle of White River in Arkansas, also called the Battle of Saint Charles.  (I will write more about this battle I'd never heard of before in a later post.)

While recovering on sick leave he was ordered, at his own request, to command the Confederate blockade-runner Eugenie.  He once grounded off Fort Fisher while making a daylight run into the Cape Fear River.  His ship was loaded with gunpowder and blockaders were firing at him.  Commander of the Fort, Col. William Lamb ordered  him to abandon the ship.

Instead, captain Fry told anyone who wanted to leave to do so, but stayed aboard, but he would stay and try to save the ship's cargo.  Several boats left for Fort Fisher and a few remained with him who lightened the ship and with a swelling tide floated again and Fry brought the ship and badly needed cargo into Wilmington.

--Old B-Runner

Captain Joseph Fry, Cmdr. of the Blockade-Runner Agnes Fry-- Part 1

From "Derelicts: An Account of Ships Lost At sea in general Commercial Traffic and a Brief History of Blockade Runners Stranded Along the North Carolina Coast 1861-1865" by James Sprunt.

In 1841, Joseph Fry, determined to join the U.S. Navy and thwarted in his native Florida, went to Washington, D.C. and "demanded his right to speak to the President."  he was only eight and spoke with President John Tyler who signed his warrant to be a midshipman.

Joseph Fry served the U.S. navy well until the Civil War when he found he "could not fight against his home and loved ones, much as he honored the flag for which he had so long and faithfully cherished."

--Old B-R'er

New York Times Reports Blockade-Runners Dec. 25, 1864

"The blockade runners Old Dominion, Wild River, Little Hattie, Banshee and Agnes E. Fry had arrived from Wilmington; the Syren had arrived from Charleston; the Gem, Marmion and Kenilworth had returned in distress; and the Virginia, Hansa, Ella, Kate Gregg, Charlotte, Will o' the Wisp, Stormy, Petrel, Little Hattie, Syren and Star had sailed to run the blockade."

Even at this late date in the war, there was plenty of blockade-running underway.

And one of the runners was none other than the Agnes E. Fry, the one that was found at the end of last month off Wilmington, North Carolina.

--Old B-Runner

A New Photograph of the Union Navy's Bad Boy Commando-- Part 2: Who Is He?

Have you figured out who he was yet?

Only four years earlier he had been expelled from the U.S. Naval Academy during his senior year.  he was described by a superior as having "a talent for buffoonery."

But, with the coming of the war and desperate need for trained officers, he was readmitted.  Fortunate for the Union Navy because he soon showed a real talent for combat and daring.  He led many of a daring raid, especially in the Cape Fear River area.  And then, came the thing he is best remembered for.

In late October he led what was considered to be a suicide mission up the Roanoke River in North Carolina with a mission to sink the powerful Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle.  To do it, he was in a small steam launch and had to worry about being spotted by the guard and sunk.  Bullets were whizzing around him as he stood in the bow of the ship and slammed the torpedo into the side of the Confederate ship.  Bullet holes were in his coat.

Yet, he lived and escaped and the threat sank.

William B. Cushing was now back with the fleet and preparing to attack Fort Fisher.  Rear Admiral Porter can be seen standing behind him.

Cushing had just turned 22.

In the photo, he looked every bit of his young age, with a certain air of cockiness and long hair.

I still think he is deserving of a Medal of Honor like his brother Alonzo Cushing recently received.

The Bane of the South.  Wish We'd Had Him On Our Side.  --Old B-R'er

A New Photograph of the Union Navy's Bad Boy Commando-- Part 1

From the April 2016 Smithsonian Magazine "A new addition to #MyDaguerreotypeBoyfriend Is the Civil War's Most daring naval Officer" by Jamie Malanowski.

There he stands, all cocky and sure of himself on the deck of Rear Admiral David D. Porter's flagship, and former blockade-runner USS Malvern, December 1864, as the fleet prepared for its assault on vaunted Fort Fisher, N.C.  The picture was taken by famous photographer Alexander Gardner.

This photo was recently donated to the United States Naval Academy Museum by collector Peter Tuite.

He had just returned from a much-deserved whirlwind leave and had been awarded the Thanks of Congress, promoted a full rank and honored and feted in New York, Philadelphia and tiny Fredonia, New York (his hometown).

Who Was He?  Next Post.  --Old B-Runner

More About That Cannon Found in Downtown Wilmington

From the March 23, 2016, WECT 6 NBC News (Wilmington, N.C.) "Cannon found in downtown Wilmington likely dates back to the 1700s" by Brandon Wissbaum.

The Assistant Site Manager at Fort Fisher State Historic Site says that finding it is exciting, but not an entirely uncommon things thanks to the rich history of the Cape Fear region.

"That cannon which is just a rusty piece of iron right now could have an opportunity to talk about various different stories of our region,' Mosely said.

Chris Southerly, Assistant State Archaeologist based at Fort Fisher says the cannon most likely is from an English ship dating from 1700 to 1750.  It may have been used for backfill to build up Water Street.  Experts will clean and analyze the cannon, which is small, at Fort Fisher before determining whether or not to put it on display.  This is a process that could take several years as it is very encrusted.

The construction crew is digging much more carefully after the discovery.

Not Likely a Civil War Cannon.  --Old B-Runner

Construction Crews Unearth Old Cannon in Downtown Wilmington, N.C.

From the March 22, 2016, WNCN CBS News "Construction crews uncover apparent cannon in downtown Wilmington."

The cannon was found near the federal Courthouse on Walker Street.  Looking at the accompanying pictures, it is definitely a cannon.  It was found at about 4 p.m. as the crew was working at the Riverside Park renovation project.

They found it between 6-8 feet underground.  The bomb squad was called to make sure it wasn't loaded with a shell, but they will leave the final word to archaeologists from Fort Fisher.

Experts from the Cape Fear Museum and Fort Fisher will be on site from 8:30 a.m. March 23.  City officials say the site has been secured.

The Republic out of Columbus, Indiana, says the cannon may be centuries old and was found in front of the Alton Lennon Federal Building.  UNC-Wilmington professor Chris Fonvielle says it may be a Colonial or Revolutionary War cannon.

Wonder How It Got There?  --Old B-R'er

Sign Up for Cleaning Parks in Wilmington, N.C., Area

From the March 13, 2016, Port City Daily "Sign up for cleaning at three local historic sites on Civil War Park Day."

Five sites in North Carolina are participating in the annual Civil War Trust Park Day event on April 2..  In the Wilmington area it will take place at Fort Fisher (as mentioned in my Monday blog, Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson site and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.

This is a promotion of the Civil War Trust and has been done ever since 1996.

**  Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson:  Event goes from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will focus on debris removal, ruin stabilization, leaf and weed removal, cleaning the wayside signs and park benches, and sanding and sealing the entrance sign.

**  Fort Fisher: Runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon.  debris removal, leaf raking, light painting and scraping.  Gloves and tools provided on site.  Lunch will be given by the Friends of Fort Fisher.

**  North Carolina Maritime Museum--Southport, N.C. (at site of Fort Johnston).  9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  Grounds cleaning, landscaping at the museum entry and planting a popular history garden (a project of Girl Scout Clarissa Sommers for her Gold Award).

Getin' Down and Dirty for the History.  --Old B-Runner

Local Woodworking Company Selected to Build Fort Fisher Exhibit Cases

From the March 18, 2016, PR.com.

Anchor Wood Products has been selected by the Friends of Fort Fisher, Inc. to provide custom built exhibit cases for the Fort Fisher State Historic Site.  It is a local Wilmington-area company and will use local craftsmen to make them.

They will be providing five cases to house dioramas that were originally in the long-gone Blockade Runner Museum in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, which opened in the 1960s and closed in the 1980s.  When it closed, the entire collection was purchased by New Hanover County for the Cape Fear Museum on Market Street.

The diorama of the Wilmington waterfront during the war and Fort fisher were displayed, but there was not enough space for five other dioramas and they remained in storage until acquired recently by the Fort Fisher site in Kure Beach.

This Is Great News!  --Old B-Runner

Fort Fisher Seeking Volunteers for Park Day

From the March 17, 2016, WECT, NBC, Wilmington, N.C.  "Volunteers needed to help beautify Fort Fisher."

Volunteers are needed at the Fort Fisher State Historic Site on April 2, 2016, to work from 8:30 a.m. to noon as part of the Civil War Trust Park Day.  This event is part of the organization's efforts to provide workers for both Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields across the nation.

Activities at Fort Fisher will include light sanding, painting and debris removal.

Registration must be made in advance and a free luncheon will be provided.

Will Work for Food.  --Old B-R'er

155 Years Ago: Fox Recommends Relieving Fort Sumter By Sea

MARCH 21ST, 1861:  Gustavus V. Fox, ex-naval officer now a civilian, reconnoitered Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, as directed by President Lincoln, to determine the best means of relieving the fort.  Based on his observations, Fox recommended relieving Fort Sumter by sea.

"I propose to put the troops on board of a large, comfortable sea steamer and hire two powerful light draft New York tug boats, having the necessary stores on board.  These to be conveyed by the USS Pawnee...and the revenue cutter Harriet Lane...

"Arriving off the bar, I propose to examine by day the naval preparations and obstructions.  If their vesels determine to oppose our entrance, and a feint of flag of truce would ascertain this, the armed ships must approach the bar and destroy them or drive them on shore.

"Major Anderson would do the same upon any vessel within the range of his guns and would also prevent any naval succor being sent down from the city."

Things Getting very tense at Fort Sumter.  The War began Just 22 Days Later.  --Old B-Runner