American Civil War Marines 1861-65 by Ron Field

Author:Ron Field
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: American Civil War Marines 1861–65
ISBN: 9781472805232
Publisher: Osprey Publishing

The Ship Island expedition

In June 1861 the whole crew of the CSS McRae, plus its Marine Guard, were involved in the successful action on Ship Island in the Gulf of Mexico, about 12 miles south of Biloxi, Mississippi. This island was the site of the construction of a Federal fort begun in 1859, but little had been completed of what became known as Fort Massachusetts by the beginning of the Civil War. A plan to occupy and fortify Ship Island for the Confederacy was conceived by MajGen David E.Twiggs during May 1861. In command of the McRae (in the absence of Lt Thomas B.Huger, CSN), Lt Alexander F.Warley was initially asked by Capt Edward Higgins, a member of Gen Twiggs’ staff, to provide men for an expedition against enemy launches believed to be prowling in the Mississippi Sound. Joined by an additional 35 Marines under Capt Thom, this force left New Orleans in the steamers Oregon and Swain on July 5, under the overall command of Capt Higgins. Failing to locate any of the enemy launches, Higgins determined to occupy Ship Island; and arriving off its shores on July 6, Higgins ordered 140 men plus an 8in gun, a 32-pdr, and two small howitzers put ashore under Lt Warley. According to this officer, the sailors and Marines ran up “the heavy guns through the sand, laying the platforms, and building sand bag breast-works in a manner calculated to gratify every officer in the expedition.”

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