Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-02-07
THRILLING MAR INCIDENT.
The Capture Of the steamer Underwater
hY TIC COmfeIlerntcs,


Col, J. Thomas Scharf, of Baltimore, an
officer in the confederate navy, recently
furnished an interesting account OF the
confederate vessels, the Merrimac, the
Nashville and the Patrick Henry, to the
Maryland historical society, accompany
ing three pictures of these vessels. The
account concluded with a description of
the capture Of the Underwater, in Feb
ruary, 1864, by an expedition under
command of John Taylor Wood, of
Maryland, of the Confederate States
priyateer Tallahassee, and subsequently
an aid on the staff of Jefferson Davis.
The account is as follows: Early in
the year 1864, Col. Wood, who had a
short time before captured a few feder-
al gunboats in the Rappahannock river,
solicited and obtained permission from
the secretary of the Confederate States
navy to fit ont boats for the capture of
federal blockading vessels, by boarding
them in the night. In the month of
January, 1864, the Confederate States
naval commanders in the ports Of Savan-
nah, Charleston, Wilmington and Rich
mond received instructions from tn
naval department at the last-named
city, to select boats crew OF fifteen
able and trusty seamen at each port,
from the iron. .clads then in commission,
and with their boats to report at Will
mington, n. c. About the latter part
of January, everything being in readi-
ness, well armed, and accompanied by
four boats and two launches, we left
Wilmington via the Kingston railway.
Our destination was matter OF much
conjecture, and more than one quid
nunc puzzled his brain over the prob
lem.
At the iuncture Of the Neuse and
rreDt rivers, situated on a point of land,
its shores washed by either stream,
lies the town of Nowbern, n place of
some note, in North Carolina. A ter
the fall of Roanoke island, on the 14th
of February, 1862, it fell into the hands
Of the federals, who Immediately after
its surrender threw up Notifications
which extended over an area of twenty
miles. To further increase the strength,
and to render the town proof against
surprise or capture, some three or four
gunEoats were either anchored off the
wharf, or cruising mp and down the
Neuse or Trent. The largest of these
was the Underwater, which fired the
first gun on Roanoke island, and whose
cantnre forms the subject of this
sketch.
On Sunday morning, Jan. 81, our
boats being dragged by the men from
the cars and launched in the Neuse at
Kingston, we Immediately embarked
and were soon under way, pulling hard
to Newbern. The trip was one of
no little interest, but would exceed
proper limits to give detailed account
of it. | shall therefore confine myself
to a few generalities. Those who re-
member the winter Of 1864 will recall
it as one of unusual severity, and on
the morning of our expedition We saw
little trace OF the almost tropical luxu-
rance for which our southern country
is noted, the river wide and deep with
floating masses of ice, through which
the waves flowed with a hoarse surge
and high; low banks, utterly destitute
of vegetation, arose on either side,
bordered with gnarled cypress trunks
whose branches, trailing with gray moss
and leaAess vines, formed a skeleton
wall, through the openings of which
we caught an occasional glimpse OF the
bare forest woodlands, succeeded fur
ther on by swamps, aud marshes, whose
rank grasses and debris of fallen logs
apa dead trunks seemed q vast battle
Gali. over whose funeral pyre neither
victor or yanquished staid to shed a
tear.
Winding and crossing ia many curve
aud turn, flashing in and ont, the river
seemed n succession of tiny lakes; wild
ducks started at our approach, rose
from the banks, whirled for an instant
above our heads, and then flew on rapid
wing to the forest coverts beyond. ST.
lentiv our boat sped down the stream,
issuing no sound save the steady splash
and din of the oars as they fell into the
water. Occasionally fallen log, Gov
cred with sleet and ice, stayed our pro-
press, and the monotony Of the hour
was varied by boat aground, aud now
and then, as night appeared, the low,
solemn screech Of the night,owl was
borne DER the stiffness and hush of the
dark waters. The night grew very
dork,-a night in consonance with our
work of daring and danger, r,-and soon,
as the darkness thickened aud black
ened. our way could only be traced by
the faint light of the sky glimmering
through the tree tops. AT about eleven
o'clock our way grew clearer, the shores
seemed to separate, aud we soon emer-
ged into the open country above New
bern. =,
To understand the plan of attack, it
will be necessary to explain briefly.
Gen. Pickett, then commanding, was to
omen fire on the enemy's lines in the
morning, thus concentrate their atten-
tion inland, while we, taking advantage
of the diversion, if possible, capture
one or more of the gunboats, and
clear the river. When in sight of
Newbern we ran into small creek, and
hauling our boats close to the shore
landed upon an island whose tall grasses
and shrubs afforded temporary haven.
At midnight the men were called to
quarters, ,armsinspected, and ammunition
distributed. TO distinguish him each
man was furnished with white badge,
TO be worn ON the left arm, and the
password ("Sumter") being given, the
brave fellows were ready and eager for
action. Tie firing of Pickett was now
heard at its hight, and again launching
our crafts IN the Neuse, the boats were
arranged in two divisions, the first com.
monded by Col Wood, and the second
bv Lieut.. b. p. Loyal, and the two
forming parallel TO each other We
nulIpd rapidly down stream. After a
Sl,als time Cil, Wood pulled the boats
alongside HIS own - receive lnsIrnc
aOns, Opd this done he offered up tsE'