Started By
Message
re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 12/2/13 at 5:03 am to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 12/2/13 at 5:03 am to BadLeroyDawg
Wednesday, 2 December 1863
One of the primary duties for the United States Navy ships operating along the Florida coast, along with watching for smugglers and blockade-runners, was keeping an eye out for salt works. Although some salt, in both the South and North, was dug in mines where it had been deposited as ancient ocean beds evaporated, much more came from coastal operations. Sea water would be scooped into kettles and the water boiled off, or placed in shallow pans to evaporate. The USS Restless came upon such an operation today on Lake Ocala, Florida, that was producing an incredible 130 bushels of salt per day. Acting Master William R. Browne ordered the boilers destroyed, along with two flatboats and six oxen carts, and had all the salt returned to the sea from whence it came. He also took 17 prisoners. "They were in the practice of turning out 130 bushels of salt daily." Rear Admiral Bailey reported. "Besides destroying these boilers, a large quantity of salt was thrown into the lake, 2 large flatboats, and 6 ox carts were demolished, and 17 prisoners were taken. . . " These destructive raids, destroying machinery, supplies, armament, and equipment, had a telling and lasting effect on the South, already short of all.
Rear Admiral David D. Porter reported: "In the operations lately carried on up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, the gunboats have been extremely active and have achieved with perfect success all that was desired or required of them. . . . With the help of our barges, General Sherman's troops were all ferried over in an incredibly short time by the gunboats, and he was enabled to bring his formidable corps into action in the late battle of Chattanooga, which has resulted so gloriously for our arms." The Mississippi Squadron continued to patrol the rivers relentlessly, restricting Confederate movements and countering attempts to erect batteries along the banks.
Commodore H. H. Bell, pro-tem commander of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, reported to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles the estimated Confederate naval strength at Mobile Bay. The CSS Gaines and Morgan mounted ten guns; the CSS Selma mounted four, as did the nearly completed ironclad CSS Nashville. All were sidewheelers. The ironclad rams CSS Baltic, Huntsville , and Tennessee all mounted four guns each. The latter, Admiral Buchanan 's flag ship, was said to be "strong and fast." The CSS Gunnison was fitted as a torpedo boat carrying 150 pounds of powder and another screw steamer was reported being fitted out, though a fire had destroyed her upper works. In addition to two floating batteries mounting 3 guns each and 10 transport steamers at Mobile Bay, the report noted: "At Selma there is a large vessel building, to be launched in January. There are three large rams building on the Tombigbee River , to be launched during the winter." Rear Admira David G. Farragut would face four of these ships in Mobile Bay the following year. Lack of machinery, iron, and skilled mechanics prevented the rest from being little more than the phantoms which rumor frequently includes in estimates of enemy strength.
General Braxton Bragg issued a general order from his headquarters at Dalton, Georgia, transferring the command of the Confederate forces to Lieutenant General William Joseph Hardee who, on assuming the position announced, in orders, that "...there was no cause for discouragement. The overwhelming numbers of the enemy forced us back from Missionary Ridge; but the army is still intact and in good heart; our losses were small, and were rapidly replaced. The country is looking to you with painful interest. I feel I can rely upon you. The weak need to be cheered by the constant successes of the victors of Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesboro, and Chickamauga, and require such stimulant to sustain their courage and resolution. Let the past take care of itself. We care more to secure the future."
One of the primary duties for the United States Navy ships operating along the Florida coast, along with watching for smugglers and blockade-runners, was keeping an eye out for salt works. Although some salt, in both the South and North, was dug in mines where it had been deposited as ancient ocean beds evaporated, much more came from coastal operations. Sea water would be scooped into kettles and the water boiled off, or placed in shallow pans to evaporate. The USS Restless came upon such an operation today on Lake Ocala, Florida, that was producing an incredible 130 bushels of salt per day. Acting Master William R. Browne ordered the boilers destroyed, along with two flatboats and six oxen carts, and had all the salt returned to the sea from whence it came. He also took 17 prisoners. "They were in the practice of turning out 130 bushels of salt daily." Rear Admiral Bailey reported. "Besides destroying these boilers, a large quantity of salt was thrown into the lake, 2 large flatboats, and 6 ox carts were demolished, and 17 prisoners were taken. . . " These destructive raids, destroying machinery, supplies, armament, and equipment, had a telling and lasting effect on the South, already short of all.
Rear Admiral David D. Porter reported: "In the operations lately carried on up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, the gunboats have been extremely active and have achieved with perfect success all that was desired or required of them. . . . With the help of our barges, General Sherman's troops were all ferried over in an incredibly short time by the gunboats, and he was enabled to bring his formidable corps into action in the late battle of Chattanooga, which has resulted so gloriously for our arms." The Mississippi Squadron continued to patrol the rivers relentlessly, restricting Confederate movements and countering attempts to erect batteries along the banks.
Commodore H. H. Bell, pro-tem commander of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, reported to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles the estimated Confederate naval strength at Mobile Bay. The CSS Gaines and Morgan mounted ten guns; the CSS Selma mounted four, as did the nearly completed ironclad CSS Nashville. All were sidewheelers. The ironclad rams CSS Baltic, Huntsville , and Tennessee all mounted four guns each. The latter, Admiral Buchanan 's flag ship, was said to be "strong and fast." The CSS Gunnison was fitted as a torpedo boat carrying 150 pounds of powder and another screw steamer was reported being fitted out, though a fire had destroyed her upper works. In addition to two floating batteries mounting 3 guns each and 10 transport steamers at Mobile Bay, the report noted: "At Selma there is a large vessel building, to be launched in January. There are three large rams building on the Tombigbee River , to be launched during the winter." Rear Admira David G. Farragut would face four of these ships in Mobile Bay the following year. Lack of machinery, iron, and skilled mechanics prevented the rest from being little more than the phantoms which rumor frequently includes in estimates of enemy strength.
General Braxton Bragg issued a general order from his headquarters at Dalton, Georgia, transferring the command of the Confederate forces to Lieutenant General William Joseph Hardee who, on assuming the position announced, in orders, that "...there was no cause for discouragement. The overwhelming numbers of the enemy forced us back from Missionary Ridge; but the army is still intact and in good heart; our losses were small, and were rapidly replaced. The country is looking to you with painful interest. I feel I can rely upon you. The weak need to be cheered by the constant successes of the victors of Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesboro, and Chickamauga, and require such stimulant to sustain their courage and resolution. Let the past take care of itself. We care more to secure the future."
1
Posted on 12/2/13 at 7:51 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Thursday, 3 December 1863
Running a naval blockade, especially in the maze of waterways, islands, canals, marshes and areas which are some combination of all of the above like Charleston Harbor, is not as easy as it may seem. Admiral John Dahlgren laid down some ground rules today. Four monitor-class ships were assigned the duty, with two to be in use each night. One was to operate far up the channel of the harbor, where it could keep an eye on Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, as well as watch for commercial shipping trying to sneak out, and at the same time watch for and defend against aggressive vessels such as torpedo boats, picket boats and, oh yes, floating mines. The second ship was to lay further out to keep an eye on the first, and go to its aid if necessary.
Dahlgren issued the following orders to emphasize vigorous enforcement of the blockade and vigilance against Confederate torpedo boats: "Picket duty is to be performed by four monitors, two for each night, one of which is to be well advanced up the harbor, in a position suitable for preventing the entrance or departure of any vessel attempting to pass in or out of Charleston Harbor, and for observing Sumter and Moultrie, or movements in and about them, taking care at the same time not to get aground, and also to change the position when the weather appears to render it unsafe. The second monitor is to keep within proper supporting distance of the first, so as to render aid if needed." The Admiral added: "The general object of the monitors, tugs, and boats on picket is to enforce the blockade rigorously, and to watch and check the movements of the enemy by water whenever it can be done, particularly to detect and destroy the torpedo boats and the picket boats of the rebels."
The USS New London, under Lieutenant Commander Weld N. Allen, captured the blockade running schooner Del Nile near Padre Pass Island, Texas, with a cargo including coffee, sugar, and percussion caps.
A small force of Confederates, under the command of General James Ronald Chalmers, made three desperate charges on a full division of Federal cavalry, stationed at the Wolf River Bridge, Tennessee, but were finally repulsed with heavy loss. The Union troops were commanded by Colonel Hatch's cavalry division, which suffered severely.
Running a naval blockade, especially in the maze of waterways, islands, canals, marshes and areas which are some combination of all of the above like Charleston Harbor, is not as easy as it may seem. Admiral John Dahlgren laid down some ground rules today. Four monitor-class ships were assigned the duty, with two to be in use each night. One was to operate far up the channel of the harbor, where it could keep an eye on Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, as well as watch for commercial shipping trying to sneak out, and at the same time watch for and defend against aggressive vessels such as torpedo boats, picket boats and, oh yes, floating mines. The second ship was to lay further out to keep an eye on the first, and go to its aid if necessary.
Dahlgren issued the following orders to emphasize vigorous enforcement of the blockade and vigilance against Confederate torpedo boats: "Picket duty is to be performed by four monitors, two for each night, one of which is to be well advanced up the harbor, in a position suitable for preventing the entrance or departure of any vessel attempting to pass in or out of Charleston Harbor, and for observing Sumter and Moultrie, or movements in and about them, taking care at the same time not to get aground, and also to change the position when the weather appears to render it unsafe. The second monitor is to keep within proper supporting distance of the first, so as to render aid if needed." The Admiral added: "The general object of the monitors, tugs, and boats on picket is to enforce the blockade rigorously, and to watch and check the movements of the enemy by water whenever it can be done, particularly to detect and destroy the torpedo boats and the picket boats of the rebels."
The USS New London, under Lieutenant Commander Weld N. Allen, captured the blockade running schooner Del Nile near Padre Pass Island, Texas, with a cargo including coffee, sugar, and percussion caps.
A small force of Confederates, under the command of General James Ronald Chalmers, made three desperate charges on a full division of Federal cavalry, stationed at the Wolf River Bridge, Tennessee, but were finally repulsed with heavy loss. The Union troops were commanded by Colonel Hatch's cavalry division, which suffered severely.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News