Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of Rebellion, Series I, Volume 6 by United States Department of the Navy

Author:United States Department of the Navy
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Official Records, Civil War
Publisher: United States Department of the Navy
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

From Richmond Dispatch, January 3, 1862

Page 493

NORTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 493

from the ships and the fortress exploded quite near us and four or five passed immediately over the deck. We succeeded in fighting our way through with the l)rize iii tow without the slightest injury to either, and gratefully attribute our escape to something more than chance or human agency. We know that a large steamer was struck once and a smaller one twice by our shot; the former was reported to be seriously i~jured. The prize is a large schooner, her hull coated with zinc and filled with water for Fortress Monroe. [Win. F. LYNCH.]

[Telegram.1

ANNAPOLIS, December 30, 1861.

Commodore Goldsborough is here. Come on the 3 oclock train and I will [send] extra engine to meet you. A. E. BURNSIDE, General. Captain Fox, Assistant Secretary Navy.

Report of Commander Glisson, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Mount Vernon, regarding an expedition from that vessel for the destruction of a light-ship off Wilmington, N. C. U. S. S. MOUNT VERNON, Off Wilmington, N. 0., December 31, 1861.

SIR: I have to report to you that, having observed that the rebels made use of a light-ship (which was formerly on the Frying Pan Shoals) as a beacon for guiding vessels in and out of the harbor, and for the purpose of annoying us by hoisting lights at night, I determined to take advantage of a hazy night, with the wind offshore, to effect her destruction. I therefore sent the cutter and gig last night at midnight to destroy her if possible. The cutter l~ l)laced under the command of Acting Master Alick Allen, with Mr. John P. Foote, coast pilot, and a crew of five men, who were all well armed. This boat was also well supplied with combustible materials for the purpose of firing the vessel. The gig was under the command of Acting Master Henry L. Sturges, and had a crew of six men, who were also well armed. In going in, this boat took the lead, and, while the cutter was alongside of the light vessel, she laid off on her oars, ready to support her in the event of an attack being made. From the officers in command of the boats I gather the following particulars: The boats pnlled in together until they got within a short distance of the light vessel, on the off side of her from Fort Caswell. The cutter then pulled under the starboard quarter of the vessel, and, by the assistance of a rope found hanging there, the two officers, a boatswains mate, and a quartermaster climbed on board. They found that she was quite deserted and that carpenters had recently been at work on her, putting up additional berths and cntting gun ports. She was pierced for eight gunssix broadside and two after gunsarid had the fighting bolts in the deck, and everything nearly ready for mount. ing the guns. It was evidently intended to arm her for harbor defense. They found large

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.