Confederate Congress Gives Thanks to Naval Officers

The Confederate Congress also awarded thanks to their naval officers:

JOHN T. WOOD for his operations in the Chesapeake Bay.

EBENEZER FARRAND  for action at Drewry's Bluff

ISAAC N. BROWN for his actions at Vicksburg

RAPHAEL SEMMES, the CSS Alabama, of course.

Also, JOHN LANCASTER    He was the Englishman who used his personal yacht to rescue Semmes and his crew after the Alabama was sunk by the Kearsarge.

--Old B-Runner

Union Congress Give Thanks to Naval Officers During the War

From the November 24, 2017, Coastal Point "Civil War Profiles--  Congress gives thanks during the Civil War" Tom Ryan.

Union Navy Officers given thanks of Congress:

Admiral David G. Farragut

Admiral David D. Porter

John L. Worden--  commanded the USS Monitor in its fight with the CSS Virginia.

--Old B-Runner

USS Mahaska-- Part 3: Armament

The Mahaska was commissioned 5 May 1862 under Lt. N.H. Farquhar.

On 20 February 1863, it captured the schooner General Taylor in the Chesapeake Bay

It participated in the joint Army-Navy operation to Jacksonville, Florida, 5 February to 4 April 1864.

It captured the schooner Delia near Bayport, Florida, 17 February 1865.

The steamer was 228'2" long, had a 33'10" beam and 10'4" draft.

Its armament consisted of one 100-pdr. Parrott rifle, one 9-inch gun and four 24-pdr. guns.

--Old B-Runner

Back to Greenville, N.C.-- Part 1: A Success

I was writing about this back on November 14.

Report of Acting Lt. R.T. Renshaw, USN of the USS Louisiana, on the Greenville, N.C.,  Expedition.

The colonel at Washington, N.C., was going to send the steamer North State up the Tar River for forage and Renshaw proposed to him to let Asst. Engineer Lay go along to capture the town of Greenville.

This was arranged, and when they returned, they had prisoners, horses, mules and wagons.

One of the Marine artillerymen was killed while landing with a flag of truce to demand the surrender of the town.  A bridge was destroyed.

--Old B-Runner

USS Mahaska-- Part 2: Service Off Florida.

While operating off Florida waters, it took part in operations against Jacksonville and St. Marks.  It was overhauled in Boston in 1864.

The Mahaska operated off Florida for the remaining years of the war.  Unlike so many other U.S. warships after the war, it continued in service for another three years until decommissioned September 1868 and sold in November.  After that, it became the merchant  vessel Jeannette.

--Old B-Runner

USS Mahaska-- Part 1: Served in Virginia Waters and Odd Charleston

In the last post, I wrote about the USS Mahaska in an Army-Navy expedition against salt works in Virginia.

It was a 1070 ton Sebago-class double-ender built at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, New Hampshire, and commissioned May 1862.

During 1862-1863 it was active in the Virginia Rivers and Chesapeake Bay.

It joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Charleston, S.C., in 1863 and participated in the attacks there in August 1863.

From February to August 1864, it served off the east coast of Florida.

--Old B-Runner

November 22-24, 1862: Joint Army-Navy Expedition in Virginia

NOVEMBER 22-24, 1862:  Joint Army-Navy expedition to the vicinity of Matthews Court House, Virginia, under Lt. Farquhar and Acting Master's Mate Nathan W. Black of the USS Mahaska destroyed numerous salt works together with hundreds of bushels of salt, burned three schooners and numerous small boats, and captured 24 large canoes.

--Old B-Runner

Jacob Zeilen, USMC-- Part 3: Commandant

Jacob Zeilen was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1867, becoming the Marine Corps' first general officer.

During his time as commandant, Zeilen defended the Corps from its many critics.

In 1868, he approved the design of the "Eagle, Globe and Anchor" of the USMC emblem.

He retired from the Corps on November 1, 1876 after 45 years of service to "Semper Fi."

Death came November 18, 1880, in Washington, D.C., and he was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

--Old B-Runner

Jacob Zeilen, USMC-- Part 2: Civil War Service

Jacob Zeilen was stationed at Norfolk and later commanded the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. and then served aboard the USS Wabash.

In the early part of the Civil War, he commanded the Marine Barracks at Philadelphia and Washington, D.C..  On July 21, 1861, he commanded the Marine detachment at the First Battle of Bull Run and was slightly wounded.

In 1863, he was given command of the battalion of Marines with the mission to capture Charleston, S.C., but had to return to Washington because of sickness.  Then it was garrison duty at the Marine Barracks at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Then back to sea with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and then back to Portsmouth.

On June 10, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and became the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

--Old B-Runner

Jacob Zeilen, USMC Commandant-- Part 1: Long Career

From Wikipedia.

In yesterday's post on The USMC after the Civil War, I mentioned its Commandant Jacob Zeilen.  I had never heard of him, so more research was necessary.

July 16, 1806-November 18, 1880.  (He died on tomorrow's date.)

Jacob Zeilen was the Marine Corps' first non-brevet brigadier general and 7th Commandant from 1864-1876.  he attended the USMA at West Point from 1822-1825 but dropped out due to low grades.

He was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the Marines on October 1, 1831, and served ashore and on the USS Erie, USS Columbus and USS Congress.  During the Mexican War he commanded the Marine Detachment on the Congress and was brevetted to major for gallantry at San Gabriel River, Los Angeles and the Battle of La Mesa.

After the war, he was stationed at Norfolk and New York and accompanied Commodore Matthew C. Perry on the famous opening of Japan expedition.

November 16, 1862: Stopping Contraband in Maryland

NOVEMBER 16, 1862:  The USS T.A. Ward, Acting Master William L. Babcock, captured the sloop G.W.Green and an unnamed seine boat at St. Jerome's Creek, Maryland, attempting to cross to the Virginia shore with contraband.

--Old B-Runner

U.S. Marine Corps After the War-- Part 2: "Marine Corps Hymn" and Enblem

For the remainder of the 19th century, there was some confusion as to the Corps' mission.  The Navy's transformation from sail to steam power brought forth the question of whether Marines were actually needed aboard warships.

Even so, the Marines continually saw service intervening in foreign countries and protecting American interests.overseas.

Marines took part in 28 separate interventions in the thirty years after the Civil War.

Under Commandant Jacob Zeilen, Marine customs and traditions took shape and the Marine Corps emblem was adopted 19 November 1868.  Also, the "Marine Corps Hymn."

Around 1883, the current motto "Semper Fidelis" (Always Faithful) was adopted.

--Old B-Runner

Tar River, N.C.-- Part 2: Union Prisoners Discover Why the River Is Called That

In June, three months later, 400 Union prisoners of war were sent from Salisbury, N.C., to Washington, N.C., to be exchanged for Confederate prisoners.  Arriving at the Tar River, they asked for and received permission to bathe their stench off in the water.  Heavily guarded, they stripped and went into the water where the Confederates had dumped the barrels earlier.

They stirred up the river bottom so much that they were soon covered with tar smeared all over their bodies.  They came out and got ahold of sticks to remove the sticky mess.

One Confederate yelled derisively at them, "Hello boys, what's the matter?"

A disgruntled Yankee replied,"We have heard of a Tar River all our lives but never believed that there really was any such place, but damned if  he we haven't found it.  The whole bed is tar!!"

A Pretty Good Story.  --Old Sectar

Tar River, N.C.-- Part 1: Washington, N.C., Evacuated

From Wikipedia.

The towns of Louisburg, Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Greenville and Washington, North Carolina are located on it.

When the Confederates prepared to evacuate Washington in March 1862  squads of soldiers were sent up and down the Tar River to destroy all cotton and naval stores.  At Tafts store they found 1,000 barrels of turpentine and tar.

This was too large to burn for fear of setting nearby buildings on fire.  So the barrels were rolled into the river where the hoops were cut and the contents dumped into the water.

--Old B-Runner

Yankee Hall on the Tar River in N.C.

The Union force stopped at Yankee Hall on its way back from capturing Greenville, N.C..

Yankee Hall is a plantation by the Tar River built in the late 1700s.  Today it hosts wedding and parties.

From History of Yankee Hall by Roger Kammerer.

Also known as Pactolus Landing and Perkins Wharf.  Located on the north side of the Tar River, 10 miles east of Greenville.

Reports from July 1862 had it that the Union gunboat Picket and other artillery launches made a reconnaissance up the Tar River and at Yankee Hall fired a shell into the house that nearly took its roof off.  At the time, four or five Confederates were inside the house with their horses tied up in front.  reportedly they scattered in great confusion.

During the war, it was a rendezvous for Confederate pickets and bore distinct marks of shot and shell endured from Yankee encampments in the yard and patrol boats coming up the river.

A Yankee Hall in North Carolina.  --Old B-R'er