Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-13
Incidents Of . Confederate Torpedo
Service.

like daring which occurred during oul
struggle for the rights of the States, and
which we cannot too often commence
rate. The heroes of these almost I'm.
recorded and too little honored feats Of
daring were in most cases Of that class
of gentlemen, who, having sacrificed
more for their State than any others
whomsoever, have been made to feel
the cruelist injustice and neglect from
their own people ever inflicted upon
gentlemen Of their attachments, services,
and character. l refer to the officers Of
the United States navy, natives of Vir-
GINA, who were invited by the people
of Virginia to resign their commissions
in the Federal navy to come home to
Virginia and take service with her in
her hour Of extremity. Who did SO
with unsurpassed fidelity to home and
country and people, and who have only
been remembered since where Their
political degradation at the hands Of
Virginians might purchase a modicum
move ofmercy from the conquerors.
In the course of the war we invented
and made many torpedoes and torpedo
boats. These boats were generally
eigar-shaped, and sat so low in the
water as to be almost submerged, and
undistinguishable at night. One OF
them was constructed to operate en-
tirely under water.
The lr0nsides was an enormous IRON
clad-the heaviest and most formidable
armored ship ever then built. She was
sent to Charleston, and lay in the bay a
constant menace to that city and her
defences.
A cigar torpedo boat had been con-
structed in Charlestown for harbor de-
fence. Lieut.. Slarrell, of Va, volunteered
with two sailors of the Confederate
navy to take this little boat and go
against the Ironsides and sink her. 1t
was evident that almost certain death
awaited them, whatever might be the
consequences to the Ironsidcs. They
carried out their enterprise in the most
resolute manner; struck the ship with
the torpedo, which was fixed on the end
Of a spar running out from the bow of
the little boat, and which exploded
with such effect as to forever disable
that great ship from further service.
The torpedo-boat was itself wrecked, the
two sailors were killed, and Slarrel,
badly hurt, was picked up by boat
from the Ironsides floating on por-
ton Of his own wreck. He was carried
aboard ship prisoner, but his daring
courage secured for him the respect and
kind treatment Of his captors.
Not long after this event similar
''cigar-boat" was built at Selma and
brought down by the contractors to
Mobile.
Lieut.. Walker, ofSouth Carolina, APP
Piled for permission to take her out and
attack the Meta Comet gunboat, the
largest Of the fleet blockading the city
of Mobile. He selected a dark rainy
night for his expedition. The Meta
Comet lay about FIVE miles from the
mouth Of Appalachie river. About
midnight the officer on watch discovered
a curious looking object approaching
the ship and hailed, ''Boat ahoy!"
Walker replied with intentional in
distinctness, ''What boat is that?"
quickly again hailed the officer. 1.-THE
Confederate States steamer StinfraY!'
said Walker, now close aboard. Tossing
his arms despairingly in the air, the un-
happy officer Of the deck cried out,
''Torpedo, by god!" At the same in
slant the torpedo struck the Meta
Comet fairly abaft the wheel-house, and
unfortunately the cap alone exploded.
In an instant all was confusion on
the big ship-the drummers beat to
quarters-the officers and men sprung
from their berths, the guns were
manned, and throughout the ship
prevailed the confused rush which must
ever attend such a surprise to man-of-
war.
To add to Walkers disappointment
and chagrin at the swapping Of bis
torpedo, he found the jar of the collision
had thrown some of his own machinery
out of gear, and he could not back off.
Seeing him lying thus helpless two
young officers sprang over the ships
sides and endcavored to capture the
tarpedo. Walker was standing in the
little round hatchway with only his
head and shoulders above the deck
while the two Federals were cutting at
him with their swords-he had neither
sword nor pistol-and could only duck
and dodge their cuts, until to his great
relief the boat began to back off, and
the boarding party had to catch by the
falls Of side boat and haul themselves
aboard their ship again.
Then everything was turned loose
upon Walker and his craft. Round
shot and grape and musketry all &C
companied him as he sped on his way
homeward. He was naturally and
deeply mortified that an enterprise
conceived and executed with 80 much
nautical skill and SURPRISING courage
should have failed through his neglect
to have his torpedo and primer in
order.
But of all the boats in all the tide Of
time, and Of all the daring deeds Of ali
mankind in the history of wars, that of
Lieut.. Dixon, Twenty-first Alabama
volunteers, in the Submarine torpedo
boat in Charleston harbor, in 1864,
stands unparalleled.