The National tribune., 1908-01-09
VETERANS IN THE CITY.

ldHSdu DdtiOhlZ tlIelI
and say nothing?
VETERANS IN THE CITY.
Capt. George Virgins, Townsend, Del.
IComrade Virgins is most remarkable
man with an equally unusual history.
He is now in his S0th year, having been
born in 1928, and he is as alert, active
and capable as a man of half his years.
His hearing is perfect, and in strong
light he can read without glasses. From
his sixth year up till within the past
eight or 10 years he has been to sea for
six or eight months every year. and
during that time has visited nearly
every part of the globe that could be
reached by water. During the years
before the war he had sailed a great
deal in the lumber and other trades to
the Gulf Coast, and became very IA
miliar with every port and inlet from
Pensacola to the Rio Grande. Then he
was employed for some years on that
coast in the Coast Survey, which extend
ed and strengthened his acquaintance.
He promptly enlisted in the Navy, July
8, 1861, and was sent to duty in the
West Gulf Squadron, where he proved
- be invaluable. He was with Farragut
in his operations against the forts be-
low New Orleans, when he acted as
pilot, and was instrumental in getting
the heavy frigate Mississippi across the
bar. After New orleans was taken Ben
jamin Butler had him transferred to his
staff to make use of his intimate knowl-
edge of the inland waters, and Capt.
Virgins was put in command of every
| thing afloat controlled by the army,
from skiffs to gunboats. He was Port
Warden, Harbor Master and general
utility man. One incident before the
taking of New Orleans he remembers
with the greatest satisfaction. The
army and navy were then on and around
Ship Island, and the New London, on
which he was at the time, was engaged
in breaking up the coastwise trade be-
tween New Orleans and Mobile. After
this was accomplished he had an idea
of going to Catgut Sound, near Mobile,
and exploring it. He captured there IA
oyster boats, all loaded for the Mobile
market, and, taking them in tow. start
ed on his return to the fleet at Ship
Island, getting down there in the night
and creating quite a sensation with his
string of vessels in tow. He had oys-
ters enough and to spare for all the
fleet and finally for the garrison on Ship
Island which then consisted of Phelps s
lBrigade-21st Ind, 26th Mass, Sth n.
charge of the port of New Orleans he
went on an expedition commanded by
Col. Kinsman, when they captured an
old but very strong and serviceabla
Isteamer named Gray Cloud. This had
been originally built for the Govern
ment, and with a little trouble was
made into a very serviceable gunboat.
and christened The Kinsman." in honor
of the Colonel. There was thought to
be some difficulty about securing crew,
but Capt. Virgins inserted an advertise
ment in the New Orleans papers for
sailors, and the next morning had about
500 applying for berths. He went
around among them and selected 125
first-class men. About 20 of them had
been in the United States and British
navies, and were his best men. Nearly
all had been in the Confederate navy,
and Gen. Butler had strong misgivings
; about trusting them with the ship. Capt.
Virgins felt no alarm, but went out
boldly in the enemy's country with them
and never sailed with a better crew.
They stood by him magnificently in
every emergency. He mounted on the
Kinsman 30-pounder Parrot rife, a
20-pounder Parrott and two 32-pounder
lsmoothboreS in broadside. With these
he patroled the Teche country and the
bayous, and did a world of good service
in checking the Confederate operations
and supporting those of our army.
Finally the Kinsman was sunk by q
floating torpedo in Is feet of water with
a loss of three men. During the siege
Of Port Hudson Capt. Virgins was on
the Tennessee, Commodore Farraguts
flagship in the lower waters, and had
active service in patroling the river
against Gen. Greene, who with an army
of 5000 or 10000 men bad succeeded in
reaching the river and placing his ar
;,, bro ae,,rn in,
The supply, hospital and other boats
passing between New Orleans and Port
Hudson had to run the gantlet, and the
naval vessels were employed in keeping
. Ithe enemy's artillery down. Immediate
ly after the surrender of Port Hudson
!. Capt. Virgins was put in command OF
. a notilla of improvised gunboats, con-
lsisting of the Estella, Sachem, Calhoun
and Hollyhock. with which he sailed in
the Teche country, to intercept Greene
and, with the help of the army, compel
, his surrender. Greene got away, how
ever, but Capt. Virgins captured zoe
prisoners, 5000 beeves and about 10000
rations His health broke down, and
he was sent out on sick leave. Before
this was out he was assigned to com
, mand a hotilla to go to Farraguts as
. sistance, and as fast as he had his boats
, equipped he ordered them TO rendezvous
at Hampton Roads. Then Admiral S
+ P Lee got hold of him and them, and
, lemployed him for some months in scout.
! ing on the James River, fishing for tor
! pedoes and similar service. Capt. Wig.
, gins finally got away in time to joiI
+ Farragut for the operations in Mobile
Bay, and took his little gunboats thru
the passes to the west into the bay. He
= remained in service until March 26
n 1866, having put in five years, ST,
S months and 26 days. with less than 81
\ days leave of absence. Capt. Wiggin:
r bought a farm some years ago neal
: Townsend, and is now living in retire
e ment in that town.
w. J. Renard, Denver, Colo. Com
S rade Renard attended the New Year.
t Day reception at the White House fol
e the first time since he attended simi
$ lar reception by Abraham Lincoln Jan
u 1. 1865. Comrade Renard was at tina
n time an Orderly for Cen. Custer. anC
n belonged TO the 5th u. S. Cav, in which
n he had enlisted as a boy in 1861, taking
II The oath Immediately in front of tn,
y White House. He has been for man!
! years a hotel man in Denver, but Il
/, now retired and looking about for
In Memory Of Mai. Philips.
gI At the last Encampment of Uniol
n Nat.rop Iepion 10 resolutions wer