West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-03-04
.Fl0ATING MINE USED
DURING CIVIL WAR
Mississippian Said to Have En-
ployed Device on the Yasoo in
1862 - Demijohns Filled with
Giant Powder and Fitted with
Percussion Caps


world is discussing floating mines,
which have proved 80 destructive TO
commerce I'm the European war, the
claim Is made by Confederate veterans
that Mississippian. Thomas Weldon.
invented the first device OF the kind
which was used successfully on the
fazoo river. Mississippi. December &,
1862, in the destruction OF the Union
transport Cairo. with loss Of nearly
300 lives. Weldon, n civil engineer
placed giant powder in his crude con
trlN ance, the explosion OF which would
nave scarcely made a dent I'm modern
armor plate.
IL. Clay Sharkey. now receiver of
public moneys at jackson. Nina for
mer member of the Thira Missis ,lppi
regiment, one OF the 20 mon who w,re
picked to assist Weldon IN laying tho
mine' tells OF the incidou-, merton or
which is made I'm neither M,sUssrippi
wrlt,"n history nor IN the naval his
tory oi TIE United Stales.
Late In November, 1862" says Can
tain Sharkey, when the Federal bat
teries at Vicksburg and 'Whistlipp
Dick Ga celebrated piece of artillery
on the Vicksburg forti6cations) kent
them from passing the hills, General
Erant began movement to 70 up the
fazoo, land force above vicksburp
and take the army guarding Vicksburp
L rhn
noating obstruction at Snyders BLUM.
rms was raft of logs fastened 10
gether and made fast to each bank.
| our cannon were placed on the
pun to drive back any gunboat which
Nigh: come n 'he Yazoo TO cut or
destroy the raft. A small force un-
der General S. d. Lee was on the hills
| overlooking the YaZo Valley from
Snyders Blum to Vicksburg. AS Sny-
ders Bluif was some 3 miles from tbe
then mouth of the Yazoo, and by dirt
road IL miles from Vicksburg, Gem
eral Grant conceived the idea OF land
ing an army between the raft and
| Vicksburg. which under command Of
4
battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Decem-
ber 20. 1862.
Late In November "A detail WAS
made of privates to do the bidding OF
"a civilian, Civil Engineer Thomas
| weldon, native OF Virginia, who had
moved to Mississippi some years be-
fore the outbreak OF the war. | was
member of the detail. ONLY exner-
Fenced oarsmen were selected, about
20 altogether, who assembled on the
west bank OF the Yazoo river above the
mouth of Steele Bayou on what was
then the Blake place.
Some 100 or more fiyegallon demi-
johns were filled with giant powder
after being provided with wires and
percussion caps on the inside, and the
demiJohns were then sealed with
| corks and wax On the outside was
a casing of light wood so balanced
that the whole thing sank some two
feet under the surface. AS these
boats were strung on other wires not
until these supporting wires were
broken did the strain come on the
igniting wire. The utmost care had
TO be exercised, especially by those
who handled and affixed the wires. as
we were working In a river which at
that time had a strong current.
But three line of these mines were
laid before the gunboats below began
shilling us. We were then told To- re-
turn to our commands. As Captain
(afterward ColoneD w. H. Morgan
from our regiment had been detailed
to command 100 men and TO sharp
shoot all boats on the river from the
west bank, 1 was added TO these. and
began TO do duty with Captain Nor
gan and show him where we had laid
our mines. Our effort was 10 make
the boats keep farther TO the east
bank. where our mines were thickest.
"rhe exact date ! am not certain.
but | believe II was December 8. when
two gunbOats appeared and began
shelling us, after we had for several
days been annoying them and their
transport further down the river. As
the Yazoo river was high and there
we're then no levees on the Mississip-
pi river, the swamps were full OF
water and could be crossed only at
certain places. so we were I'm little
danger from their landing marines to
drive us off. We knew the swamps
and they did not.
The two gunboats steamed slowly
up the river, firing shells at nothing
in sight, but keeping us of the banks
and preventing us from annoying the
transport following them. Both the
gunboats passed the mines and there
was no explosion but as the Cairo or
Essex, as some remember the name
came up with about 600 troops on
board the explosion took place. The
boats prov was thrown up and the
stern OF the boat plunged beneath
the huge wave made by the explos-
ion.
Most Of the men on board we're
carried under, never 10 rise again.
but some could be seen struggling in
the water We attempted to reach
them to give them succor. but the gun
} boats turned their guns on us, and we
} sought shelter Of the woods again.
Those who reached the east bank, on