The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-24
C0NFEDERATESH AD
FIRST FLOAT Mine
Mississippian Said To Have
Employed Device On The
Yazoo In 1852.

4oLOO III 4CV6s
JACKSON. Miss, Feb. 24.-While
the world is discussing floating mines,
which has proved so destructive to
commerce in the European war, the
claim is made by Confederate veter.
ans that Mississippian, Thomas
Weldon. invented the first device OF
this kind, which was used success.
fully on. the Yazoo river, Mississippi,
December 5, 1862, in the destruction
Of the Union transport Cairo, with a
loss Of nearly 500 lives. Weldon. a
civil engineer. placed giant powder
In his crude contrivance, the explo.
sion Of which would have scarcely
made dent in modern armorplate.
H. Clay Sharkey. now receiver Of
public moneys at Jackson, Miss,
former member OF the Third Missis-
stppi regiment. one OF the twenty-five
men who were picked to assist Wei
don In laying the mines, tells OF the
incident, mention OF which is made
in neither Mississippi written history
nor the naval history OF the United
States.
Late in November, 1862" says
Capt. Sharkey, when the federal gun
boats were preparing to pass our bat
teries at vicksburg and 'Whistling
Dick IA celebrated piece OF artillery
on the Vicksburg fortificationsl kept
them from passing the hills. Gen.
Grant began a movement to go up the
Yazoo, land force above Vicksburg
and take the army guarding Vicks.
burg IN the rear. The Yazoo river
had floating obstruction at Snyder's
Bluff. This was raft of logs fasten.
ed together and made fast to each
bank.
Our cannon were placed on the
bluff to drive back any gunboat which
might come up the Yazoo to cut or
destroy the raft. a small force under
Gen. S. D. Lee was on the hills over
looking the Yazoo valley from Sny-
ders Bluff to Vicksburg. AS Snyder's
Bluff was some fifteen miles from
the then mouth Of the Yazoo, and by
dirt road twelve miles from Vicks.
burg, Gen. Grant conceived the idea
of landing an army between the raft
and Vicksburg, which under command
of Gen. Sherman was defeated in the
battle of Chickasaw Bayou December
26, 1862.
Demfjohns Full Of Powder.
Late in November detail was
made Of privates to do the bidding of
q 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 ex-
perlenced oarsmen were selected,
about twenty-five altogether, who as.
sembled on the west bank of the Va
zoo river above the mouth OF Steele
Bayou on what was then Blake place.
Some hundred or more five.gallon
demfjohns were filled with giant pow.
der after being provided with wires
and percussion caps on the inside. and
the Gemijohns 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 floats
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 ex-
ercised, specially by those who han.
died and affixed the wires. as we were
working In a river which at that time
had strong current.
But three lines of these mines
were laid before the gunboats below
began Smelling us. We were then told
to return to our commands. AS Capt.
(afterward Col.) w. H. Morgan from
our regiment had been detailed to
command 100 men and tc sharpshoot
all boats on the river from the west
bank. | was added TO these, and be.
gan to do duty with Capt. Morgan and
show him where we had laidour mines.
Our efforts was to make the boats
keep further to the east bank, where
our mines were thickest.
1.-THE exact date am not certain,
but believe It was December 5, 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
were then no levies on the Mississippi
river the swamps were full Of water
and could be crossed only at certain
places, SO we were in little danger
from their landing marines to drive
US of. We knew the swamps and
they did not.
1.-THE two gunboats steamed slowly
up the river. firing shells at nothing
in sight. but keeping us off 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 500 troops on
board the explosion took place. The
boats prov was thrown up, and the
rear Of the boat plunged beneath the
huge wave made by the explosion.
"Aiost of the men on board were