The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-08-02
THE CONFEDERATE NAVY
BY w. F. CLAYTON Of Florence s. C.,
Late Past N1idshpn1an Confederate States Navy.
port lyourself md command TO Flag
Officer Julin Il Tnrhor fni. duiX

Well upon arriving in charleston.
Lieutenant GlHssei wns detached aud
ordered 10 the command of the David,
white tho balance OK tho command were
ordered To report for duty 10 Lieiiteu
ant Dosier. commanding the indian
Chief We dame to Charleston sep-
iember T. 1863. and remained about two|
months, doing guard.baat duty. Then
we returned to Wiiinlneton II was
lust before or shortly after our arrival
that Fort Wagner was evacuated. and
the swninb Angel tho gi,n that oc-
caaionaliy threw she'll into or beyond
the city. burst
The continued attacks OF the fleet
upon Fort sumter had reduced the fort
TO mere plic OF brick, and my recol
lection is that not a single gun re-
NAMED mounted but the flag was
stiil there. and continued to remain
until the city WAS evacuated.
After af aliAbAy bo,nbardment OF
Fort Sumter by the Union fleet on
September I. 1853, the enemy conceived
the Idea OF capturing the for wifi
smnll boats. expecting that after s,ici
n shellirg as had been given Tho fort
ITS defenders would be off their guard
But in this they were mistaken. as no
port was ever guarded with more
vigilance than was Charleston.
Or this engag ement Admiral Dalgren
reports. IN substance:
THE department liz already inform
cd that ON the night OF Tia sti tsey-
ltember) the enemy evacuated Morris
Island. leaving It In oiir possession.
This offered an opportunity for as
saulttng Fort Sumter. which was well
broken on The gorge ana sotittlwes
faces II VIC were sueeessfiii this would
enable me to pass the obstruction In
the main channel The attack was to
be made In four divisions. with sixteen
protection OF the New fronsldes.
learn by flag of truce that our party
| has been reptiised with considerable
loss: that $50 men and officers are pris-
oners and three meh are killed.
t., the Individual reports OF command
Psaiiion wss drawn n'e show heiss 'a Eleven sx,
killed ana wounded and ti5 missing =.
Tho report OF Lieutenant Williams.
cointuahalng. First Division. and who
Vas captured. reporth three killed and
twenty wuunded. and ninetYfiee pris-
! pners. Four boats were captured" The
dggrt, "a. as ,n,ssntioned, had no guns mount
pistols pistols iandsrenades and bricks.
The. chlcora opened with grape and
canister at short range. while the
lasted only few minutes. The enemy
| erected landing on the fort, but
their reception was SO hot from above
and below. tlat, they contented them
In. a friendly dispute over the owner
1 ship OF the four boats captured, be-
tween General Ripley and Flag Officer
/ Tucker. the evidence. OF the. boats
themselves. awarded the verdict to the
navy. as they were torn up with grape
and canister. and the Chiooras was
1 tho only one OF the defending forces
using that ammunition. Had the enemy
one of the most desperate naval en-
gageincnts OF the war.
/ We had three good ironclads. sew
eral torpedo boats and as determined
a lot OF officers and men as ever were
,Iassembled. While the odds would have
been against us, the position and sur
roundiTgs would have been in our
favor, which might have put a diff
ferent aspect upon the result of the
war, But we are, pot here to. dwell
record facts.
4 On August 5th the little wooden
steamer Jhtii Lieutenant Porcher.
confederate states navy. commanding.
ldiscovered Federal lauiien spying o,t
our position and Qualifications. He Inn
mediately ran for her, struck and cap
sized her and brought her crew, con.
Isisting OF an officer and twenty men,
; In as prisoners.
We have record OF two attempts to
blow up the United states irsnciai
New 1ronsides. The first was made
, by j. Carlin. He dates his report
! Charleston. S. G.. August %. 1863. does
not give the name OF his vessel and
, his report is made to General Beaure-
gard. Hence 1t was not an effort BY
4 the Confederate States navy. IL was a
complete failure. according to his report
found n Volume IA, United States or
ficial Reports OF the Navies OF the
United States and Confederate states
: at page 49s.
Tho second attack was made by Lieu.
!, tenant Glassel in the little steamer
many been classed as submarine
t This Is wrong. She was shaped like
. cigar capable Of carrying only foul
/ men. ana having spar attached to hel
2 struck Inc New Itonsldes. was IS l PLACED e.,t
= torpedo containing seventy pound.
q p g, der Lteutsnant GAssel In
Tive ofloef on tie North Carolina ase an,
8 came With him to charlestonJ tina
4 I'm his opinion It was not sufficient
+ that Ito lad urged torpedo Of 15t
poannas b.!t the officers thought seventy
3 Tomb we gather the Following: "ol
7 the night OF October 9Th the propelle
II. TOMB, Pilot Walker Cannon Cam s4i an.
\ Fireman James sullivan. steamed OFT
! among the Federal fleet. At 0 o'clocl
:. : T. NJ. everything being favorable, W
. headed for the 1ronsides. When with
. In fifty yards we were hailed. which
9 was answered BY shot from. a double
! barrelcd gun In the hands Of Liauten
d liant Glassol. Cribs Killed the officsf .
/, the deck OF the Ironsldes.) In tw,
Z minutes wo, struck the ship (going a
! fun SPEEDY under the starbourd guar
y ter, about fifteen feet from her stern
! post. exploding our torpedo about 81,
9 and half feet under her bottom. Th
Q enemy fired rapidly with small arms
Kidding the vessel. hut doing us n
Y harm. Tho columii of water thrown u
d was so great that It recoilod upon on
II fratl bark in such force as to put on
!. the fires and lead us to suppose tina
= the little vessel would sink. The on
J, CINE was reversed for hacking. hut tn
d shock occasioned by the jar had bee
: so great az TO throw the iron ballas
:. It's Working. During this delay til
n vessel, owing. to the, tide and WING
=, = hung under tho quarter Of the Iron
Z sides. The fire upon us was kept u
n the whole time, Finding ourselves 4
\. To- Inn ha1 al