The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-03-15
RAISING TIE kEOKUK'S GUNS.
The Enterprise Of Barring Charleston
bigger
From, n. N.r lofL. Times

In the New YORK Times Of February ;
there was told the story of the gallant
feat Of Admiral (then captain Rhind in
laying his vessel, the keokuk, up TO Fort
Sumter in the Federal attack on the forts
protecting Charleston and keeping her
there till she was 20 riddled that she
sunk. After the engagement Capt.
Rhind went to Washington bearing dis
patches to Secretary Welles. His duty
there performed, he returned to Charles
ton.
In conversation with New York
Times reporter Admiral Rhind said that
before reaching Charleston he learned
that the Confederates had succeeded in
raising the two guns of the Keokuk, and
had mounted one of them in Fort SUM.
ter. That feat he considered one of til
most daring of the war, and in point of
skill had probably no counterpart. The
Keokuk lay on the bottom of Morris
Island, with her turrets just awash at low
water. She was in full sight of the Feet
in the daytime, and distant from the ad
vanced Union line not more than mile.
At the same time she was we'll below the
protecting fire of the Confederate batter
les. The work of getting hold of the
Keokuk's guns was intrusted to Adolphus
LaCoste, a Charleston rigger. The sub
sequent work is best told as recently
related to New York Times reporter by
Elk. Confederates who participated in
The undertaking.
LaCoste was one of the best known
ship riggers of his day, and nething if
not practical. Beaurcgard directed that
all the men he wished be given to him.
LaCoste got hold Of former ightship,
which had done duty on Rattesnake
Shoal lie loaded the vessel we'll down
by the bows with sand bags, and rugged
a pair of shears over the bows so that the
main purchase bloc; would Just clear tie
billet head Before the ightship was
towed down the ha-bor LaCoste and
gang of men worked silently couple of
nights on the turrets, cutting away the
upper portion. All this had to be done
during darkness, and the work left ap
parently intact in order not to be discov-
cred should the wreck be visited from the
fleet during the day.
Two nights after beginning work the
lightphip was silently moved down past
Fort Sumter and secured to the wreck.
Divers attached the heavy tackles to the
forward gun, the wind'ass was manned,
and the gun slightly raised When the
heavy tackle WAS up two blocks LaCnate
ordered, the sand bags rushed aft The
force of men ran the hays back with q
will, and as he bow rose MP under the
tightening prnce's Oh deck so die. The
gun. SIn"iy the grra! canron approached
the surface, and then, 20 the utter con
slnrna.lon of FL, when the Last bag bad
beer removed, it was found that the gun
hung iu the turret, slightly caught by the
muzzle. Had the lightship been weigh
ed down little more in the first place
she would, under the tightening process,
have swung the gun clear; but now, with
the first streak of light in the east, it
looked as if all the nights work was lost.
Just as LaCoste was about to give the
order to lower the gun into the turret
again, heavy, lazy swell, one of that
kind which on an apparently smooth day
suddenly resurrects itself from the deep, !
rolled in from the open sea, and as it
struck the lightship it raised her bodily
by the bows about two feet and at the
same time swung the ponderous gun free
of its iron cage.
Aboard the lightship the Confederates
could barely refrain from cheering, but
the near presence of the Union fleet and
the necessity for hurrying back under the
protection of the fort caused prudence to
reign. The lightship and the gun were
towed into the upper harbor, and in a
very short time one of the former eleven.
inch Dahlgrens of the Keokuk was
pounding away from Fort Sumter in
behalf of the Confederate cause. On the
following night the after turret gun was
successfully raised, the necessary precau.
ton having been taken to insure the gun
tackles being of sufficient length.
'I could h&rdly believe it possible"
said Admiral Rhind, "'bat the Confeder
ates had got hold of those two guns, and
yet when pondcred over il | WAS not 50
surprised. though it did seem that cur
advanced ships must Eave been asleep
Continuing, he said
"When Dahlgren took command Of the
fleet oil Charleston he ws; in poor health
ana in anything but iii condition to com
msnd an active attacking force. well
remember his first day eff the port. He
desired to have lock at Fort Sumter,
and 80 boarded the Ca;skll and hotted
his lennant He ordered the vessel
headed up the harbor. His fig, of
course, WAS observed from every Confed-
crate battery, and when fiually he got
within range he drew upon himself the
concentrated fire of Sumter and all the
upper Sulivans Island batteries. The
Admiral did not continue his observa-
tions very long in that locality, ard
recall that whct, yi-te:i MIN that night
he WAS The w"rsi-loosng used al! inan |
T. 4 seen III n.any . 'iay. ! -a;l 20 him,
rather !,ls!.inpIv. 'ira' 'aera was 10
'pnb: that t:ie prs.eic' Of hi lag wai
tie prci. r thr@, i.a, l!; for pr';dence's
lake wn.n making 8 reconnaissance il
-ycmrti Ia IN Father inj'!iic;ons 70 lave
ii;lyitg y 4Ay rat, A;!mrs, pai:aren
fnu': uu the strength OF the Charleston