Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-07-12
The Confederate Torpedo
Service.
Dramatic incidents of its Work
During the Civil War.


Dramatic incidents of its Work
During the Civil War.
The recent gallant exploit OF
the young Russians who sunk the
Turkish monitor in the Danube
recalls Incidents of like daring
which occurred during the strug
gle for the rights of the States, and
which we cannot too often COM
memorate. Among these l recall
the following:
"But Of all the boats in all the
tide of time, and of all the daring
deeds of all mankind in the histo
ry of wars, that of Lieutenant
Dixon, Twenty first Alabama Vol
unteers, in the submarine torpedo
boat in Charleston barbor, in
1864, stands unparalleled.
"This boat operated under wa
ter She could take the bearing
of her enemy more than a mile a.
way, then settle down under the
surface of the water. head for the
hostile ship, and strike her at any
depth below the water line. She
required crew of nine men, all
told-a captain, or pilot, and eight
men to propel her.
"She was built in Mobile by Hun
dley & McClintock, who took her
by rail to Beauregard at Charler
ton. He called for volunteers
from the feet to man her and use
her against the Ironsides. Lieuten-
ant Payne, Confederate Navy "a
Virginian), and eight seamen vol
unteered to take her out. She
was made ready one evening, and
lying alongside a steamer. The
crew were all at their posts inside
the boat, Payne was standing in
the round ha:chway, just about
to stoop down into his place and
fasten the hatch down when the
wave of a passing steamboat swept
over and into her, sinking her
instantly, Payne caught by the
guards of the steamer and sprang
out; the other eight men went
down with the boat and perished.
"In a few days she was raised
and again made ready. Payne a.
gain volunteered, and eight sail
ors with him. This time they
were lying by the wharf of Fort
Sumter, Payne standing as before
in the hatch, to give his final or
ders, when the boat careened, fill
ed and sunk. Payne and two
men sprang out; the other six
went down in her and perished,
"In a few days she was again
raised, and Hundley and a crew
took her into Stono River, where
she dived and swan on the water
and under it, showing all her pow
ers, until presently she dived and
carried her hapless owners and
crew with her to the bottom
When they were found a week
after her nozzle was down deep in-
to the mud of the bottom, and the
boat was inclined forty-fve de-
grees to the surface. Her ballast
had shifted and her crew were un.
able to relieve her, and they all
perished.
"Again she was made ready for
action, aDd though they had seen
the fate of these three crews, a
fourth, led by Lieutenant Dixon
cf the Twenty-frst Alabama In
fantry, volunteered to take her
out and attack the Housatonic,
new corvette, which had just ar
rived on the station, and was lying
outside a few miles of Charles
ton harbor.
"Brave Dixon steered his boat
with the certainty of fate, struck
the Housatonic fairly, and blew
her whole stern off. The ship
sunk in two minutes and a half,
and the torpedo boat disappeared
forever. Six years afterward men
In submarine arEor went down
to wreck the HoIsatonic, and
they report the Torpedan lying
on the bottom one hundred feet
from where her great victim lies.
Undoubtedly the concussion pro-
duced by the explosion of the tor
pedo destroyed instantly the lives
of Dixon and his crew"
"But / pass" said minister in
the West End one Sun day in dis
missing one of his subjects to take