The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-03-15
RAISING THE KEOKUK'S GUNS.
The Enterprise of Daring Charleston
RigIer.
From the Ne,o York Times.

In the New York Times of February 5
there was told the story of the gallant
feat of Admiral (then captain) RhiDd 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 30 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 feet be considered one of the
most daring of the war, and in point Of
skill had probably no counterpart. The
Keokuk ley 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,
vauced Union line not more than mile.
At the same time she was well 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
Ex.Confederates who participated in
the undertaking.
LaCoste was one of the best known
ship riggera of his day, and nething if
not practical. Beauregard directed that
all the men he wished be given to him.
LaCoste got hold of former lightship,
which had done duty on Rattlesnake
Shoal. BE loaded the vessel well down
by the bows with sand bags, and rugged
pair of shears over the bows 30 that the
main purchase block would just clear the
billet head. Before the lightship was
towed down the harbor LaCoste and a
gang of men worked silently couple of
nights on the turrets, cutting away the
upper portion. All this had to be done
during darkness, aud 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
lightship was silently moved down past
Fort Sumter and secured to the wreck.
Divers attached the heavy tackles to the
forward gun, the wiud.ass was manned,
and the gun slightly raised. When the
heavy tackle was UP two blocks LaCoste
ordered the sand bags rushed aft. The
force of men ran the bags back with q
will, and as the bow rose mp under the
tightening process on deck 80 did the
gun. Slowly the great can non approached
the surface, and then, to the utter con.
sterna:!on of all, when the last bag had
been removed, it wa found that the gun
hung in 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 oopen sea, and as it
struck the lightship it raised her bodily
By the boys 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 feet 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.
tion having been taken to insure the gun
tackles being of sufficient length.
"I could hardly believe it possible, !"
said Admiral Rhind, shat the Confeder-
ates had got hold of those two guns, and
yet when I pondered over it 1 was not 30
surprised, though it did seem that our
advanced ships must have been asleep"
Continuing, he said:
"Wben Dahlgren took command of the
fleet off Charleston he was in poor health,
and iu anything but fit condition to com:
mand an active attacking force. I well
remember his first day off the port. He
desired to have look at Fort Sumter,
and so boarded the Catskill and hoisted
his pennaut. He ordered the vessel
headed up the harbor. His flag, OF
course, was observed from every Confed-
crate battery, and when 6ually he got
within range he drew upon himself the
concentrated fire of Sumter and all the
upper Sullivan's Island batteries. The
Admiral did not continue his observa-
tions very long in that locality. aud l
recall that when l visited him that night
he was the worst-looking used up man /
had seen in many day. l said to him,
rather laughiugly, that there was no
doubt that the presence of his flag was
the proper thing, but that for prudence's
sake when making reconnaissance it
seemed to me rather injudicious to have
itfying. At any rate, Admiral Dahlgren
found out the strength of the Charleston