Clean up and Follow-up

I was working on Letter #21 last week and during the course of the exercise, I found a section of the Google Blogger that I had been remiss in accessing.  I set up this blog to allow for interaction with you...the reader...and to get comments, suggestions and insights into the interests of my readers.  I was puzzled as to why I was getting no comments on the blog (internal to the commenting tool) and yet would get comments directly sent to jwdletters@gmail.com.  Well...mystery solved.   I finally located and reviewed the "Comments" in the Blogger tool and found about a dozen comments that you...the readers...have sent me.  Some as far back as a year.  Wow!  I am feeling kinda silly having asked for comments and then...when folks do send comments...I give the impression that I ignore them.  For that, I profusely apologize!  For those of you who sent the comments directly to the gmail account, I did respond to those...as well as those who commented on my Facebook link and the various groups I belong to in Linkedin.  I have since posted all of those dated comments in their respective postings, so you can see  your comments, if you go back to those dates.  So...I will start reviewing the Blogger comments and posting them on this website on a regular basis...and I am sorry for appearing to be so aloof.

Ok...enough about that.


In 2011, I traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to spend a few days at the beach and to do a little research into Burnsides Expedition to North Carolina.  The 48th PVI played a prominent role in this campaign and I wanted to spend a few days absorbing the atmosphere and reflecting on the environment that was endured by my ancestor 149 years prior.  The trip was planned and I was very excited by adventure I was embarking upon.....then came hurricane Irene.  Delaying my trip by 2 days, I ventured south to the Outer Banks only to find that access to the location of the 48th PVI on Hatteras Island had been blocked by storm damage and a missing/washed out road.  While I was 'bummed' by missing this opportunity, I knew that I would return to the Outer Banks...a favorite vacation destination for our family.  So...this year I made another try...and was successful!

My plan was to visit two locations on Hatteras Island...the wreck of the SS Oriental....and the southern point of the island where markers are located commemorating the Burnsides Expedition.   I had been told that wreck of the SS Oriental in May of 1862 was one that was still visible today.  The wreck is located about 100 yards offshore in the surf about 10 miles south of the Oregon inlet across the street from the Pea Island nature center.  I have often heard from people about sites and locations and how "easy" they are to see/access and upon going there myself, find just the opposite.  In this case, the rumors are true.  I parked at the visitor center with my daughter, and we made the 150 yard trek across the road and up the sand dune towards the beach.  At the top of the dune, you get a very good view of the entire beach for miles and a great perch from which to view the ocean....and there...about 100 yards offshore....the wreck of the Oriental.  Well....the cast iron boiler at least.  What you see (below) is the remains of the boiler of the ship and it is just tall enough to breach the surface so you see it with each passing wave.  Very cool.  Especially when you think that it has been 150 years since the ship foundered and sank in a tropical storm leaving many of the passengers to either swim to shore, or the await rescue from the SS George Peabody.   As a reminder...my interest in the Oriental is because of the connection to the Peabody...the ship that transported Derr from Fort Monroe to Hatteras Island in 1861.  Documentation indicates that during the rescue operations, members of the 48th PVI provided support on the ship to the sinking ship.  Was Derr part of that?  I don't think we will ever know.
For more on this see my posting of...

 http://www.jwdletters.com/2011/09/bits-and-pieces-and-little-clean-up.html .

SS Oriental

Wreck of the SS Oriental

Boiler images taken from the shore of the SS Oriental......

  

SS George Peabody

The second location I decided to visit was the location at the drive end of the Hatteras Island near the "Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum" where markers are located in the museum parking lot commemorating the Burnsides Expedition.   The 48th PVI, being and integral part of this expedition, camped and fought here during the defense of the newly captured Forts Hatteras and Clark.  Later  the 48th PVI would transit further south on ships as part of the New Berne campaign near the Neuse River.  Derr's letters of 1861 and early 1862 indicate participation in these actions as well as his discomfort at living in the cold/wet (winter) and hot/sandy (summer) environment of the Outer Banks of  North Carolina.  As a side note...having visited these locations during the month of August in the dead of summer, I can not imagine the discomfort of these soldiers at living in the hot, humid, sandy and insect ridden environment as they did.  Unbelievable.

 Yeah...that's me taking the picture in the reflection....


Jim D.

Letter #9 - Hatteras Inlet, Camp Winfield, North Carolina -- February 18, 1862

Thanks everyone for your patience...I know it has been a couple of weeks...so here you go....



I've often wondered about the food that soldiers had available to them during the Civil War.  Horror stories of southern soldiers eating shoe leather (when they could find a shoe) as well as grass, boiled bark and insects are documented.  While JWD did not have to endure this level of deprivation, it is clear that his diet changed dramatically owing to the realities of army logistics in the 19th century and the affect on food inventories.  Most army encampments had some sort of sutler informally attached to the unit...a retail camp follower would be a good description...but those "Quickie Marts" of the day were expensive and not always of the best quality.  Funny how some things never change!

I did a little research and found the following which is an excerpt from "Hardee's Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics":

One soldier's ration would include:

• 20 oz. of salted pork or fresh or salted Beef^[1]
• 12 oz. of Hard Bread^[1] in camp or garrison or 16 oz. of Hard Bread at sea, on campaign, or on the march.
• 1 oz. compressed cube of desiccated mixed vegetables^[1] or a 1.5 oz. compressed cube of desiccated potatoes if supplemental foods were unavailable.

This would be supplemented by (per 100 rations):

• 8 qts. of Beans or Peas.
• 10 lbs. of Rice or Hominy.
• 10 lbs. of green Coffee beans or 8 lbs. of roasted Coffee beans.
• 10 lbs. of Sugar.
• 2 qts. of Salt.
• 1 gallon of Vinegar.
• 3.75 lbs. of horse meat The most common field ration issued to individual soldiers was salt pork and hardtack, both which were designed to withstand field conditions without deteriorating. Excess salt could be scraped off the meat to supplement the salt ration.

These rations required cooking to make them palatable, but less experienced soldiers were unlikely to have their own cooking equipment and the large company-level kettles were sometimes left behind during a rapid advance.

Food often became infested with insects, especially rice or grain weevils. Infestation along with scarcity and unpalatability of rations made it necessary for soldiers to supplement their diets. A soldier could often gain a larger variety of foods either by foraging/raiding, by receiving food boxes from their families, or by purchasing items from sutlers. Families throughout the country were affected by the war and often had little to give. Those supporting the side currently in control of the area might be able to provide food, but in most cases, the food had to be acquired by theft.

***From Wikipedia....Search item:  "Foods of the American Civil War"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foods_of_the_American_Civil_War




This list provides what a soldier in the North was SUPPOSED to have for a daily ration.  I did a comparison against what JWD states in various letters and it is clear to me that the average soldier did not get a consistent ration as stated above.

I have had numerous discussions with my Dad regarding the tone of some of JWD's letters.  We have both concluded that he had a bit of wit and sarcasm in some of his letters.  Something that his parents probably read and laughed about.  Letter #9 shows some of this sarcasm...

"Further, I let you know that I like it very good yet.  So far we have plenty to eat and plenty to drink for we will get one cup of coffee and four crackers in the morning, and piece of speg (bacon) and a cup of hominy for our dinner, and a cup of coffee and four crackers for supper and that is the way it changes off, every meal something new. " 

Describing a less than filling daily meal regime and by concluding with the words "...every meal something new..." conveys his humor at the monotony of the food provided to the soldier in the field.   This explains his excitement in Letter #6 (January 16, 1862) at receiving a box from home filled with the foods he loved best.  In college, I felt the same way when my Mom would send me a big box of cookies to supplement the terrible cafeteria food at my school.  I was immediately the most popular person in my dorm as other dorm mates would descend upon my room for a share of the home goods.  I imagine it was the same for JWD.

In addition to the description to his parents of his daily food situation, JWD also talks about his sister Elizabeth and her work as a domestic at the home of the "Heplers" as well as his other sister Salomy.  He references another friend's family...John Beaver...and is interested what is happening at home.  At this time, the 48th PVI is camped on Hatteras Island where it is windy, cold, wet and sandy.  I imagine he is very bored, tired, and longing for home.  So far for JWD...the war has not seen very much action....six months of drilling, moving from one place or another...and waiting.   Not quite what he thought he would be doing to defend the Union.  I believe that this is what drives his comments regarding the conclusion of the war and his eminent return to Pennsylvania.  Wishful thinking.  His reference of returning home in May is ironic as this is the time his real battlefield involvement begins.

Lastly...he is still concerned about ensuring that his pay and pay certificate is safe and secure.  After all...if he is going to be miserable in the army...he wants to come home to some reward for his service.  

Hatteras Inlet, N.C.,

Camp Winfield,

Feb, 18. 1862

My Dear Father,

            I take my pen in hand to write these few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope these few lines will find you in the same state of good health.  Further I let you know that I received your letter yesterday and I was glad to hear from my dear sister Elizabeth and as much as I can understand she is at Hepler’s again.  But I would like to know whether she is single yet or not.  And I would like to know whether Salomy is at home or not.    I wish you would let me know how John Beaver’s family is getting along for you didn’t mention anything yet about them.  Further, I let you know that I like it very good yet.  So far we have plenty to eat and plenty to drink for we will get one cup of coffee and four crackers in the morning, and piece of old speg (bacon) and a cup of hominy for our dinner, and a cup of coffee and four crackers for supper and that is the way it changes off, every meal something new.  But we don’t expect to stay long on Hatteras Island anymore for we calculate to come on the mainland before long and till May we will all be at home in sweet Pennsylvania.  Further I let you know that I did send a letter home two weeks before this with a certificate in it to draw my money at home and I wish you would let me know whether you got it or not.  If you did, let me know, if not do the same.  You must excuse my bad writing and all my mistakes.  Answer me this letter as soon as you get this from me and direct as before.

                                                                                    Yours Truly,

                                                                                    John W. Derr

NOTE:   There is a large gap between Letter #9 and Letter #10.  Letter #10 will be available on April 7th.  I will be blogging on other items during the gap time, so please check back during that period.

Thanks to all of you for your comments, suggestions and well wishes. 

Jim D.

Letter #8 -- Hatteras Inlet, Camp Winfield, North Carolina -- February 4, 1862

It was only two days between JWD's letter written on February 2nd and this one written on February 4th.  This letter was written after he got information about how to have family members draw monthly soldier pay in lieu of the soldier drawing the pay in the field.  Having family members...trusted family members...draw pay at home was a much more secure method that prevented loss of pay through theft, gambling, and death.  You can see in this letter that he wants his father to understand explicitly how the process works and even tells him to have the letter read by Francis Dengler to ensure that he doesn't get it wrong.  He further tells his father to write back and tell him that he understood the letter and process for pay withdrawal....and in the post script he tells him to never give the certificate to anyone.  You can see he is rather nervous about this arrangement and is probably frustrated that he can't just talk to his dad to get it explained verbally.  Such is the dilemma of a man with only a couple of years education.

Here is letter #8......

                                                                                    Hatteras Inlet, N.C.

                                                                                    Camp Winfield,

                                                                                    Feb. 4, 1862

My Dear Father,

            I take my pen in hand to inform these few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that these few lines will find you in the same state of health.  Further I let you know that they made arrangements that our parents can draw our money at home in Pottsville from Hunsinger, so I will send a certificate home to you and then you can draw the money for me every two months.  For me you will draw ten dollars for every month but it wouldn’t be worthwhile to draw it every month.  So you will draw it every two months, then you will draw twenty dollars every two months.  If I would know that it would be worthwhile to put it in the bank, I would say you should do so.  You can send the certificate down to Pottsville with Dengler.  You can draw for two months on it, as soon as you get the certificate but you might let it start two months more.  If you like, take this letter to Dengler and get it read so that you understand this thing right.  And answer this letter as soon as you get this from me and let me know whether you got the certificate and whether you understand it right or not.  I must come to a close these few lines from you dear son. 

                                                                                    John W. Derr

Direct your letter as before, you may well know.  But you must never give the certificate.  You must keep it to draw it every time.

 Jim D.

Letter #7--Hatteras Inlet, Camp Winfield, North Carolina -- February 2, 1862

The letter of February 2, 1862 was written after JWD had recuperated from a long illness.  For seven weeks he suffered from bronchitis and possibly a variant of rheumatic fever.  Though he does not indicate the latter in his prior letters home...subsequent depositions during the pension hearing by his widow Magdalena, indicate that this was the case.   The depositions by fellow members of the 48th PVI describe the conditions that the 48th endured during the initial landings on Hatteras Island in November of 1861.  Fellow soldiers complained about how soldiers waded to shore and remained wet and cold for days after the initial landings.  Not long after the landings, JWD was bedridden with a severe illness that progressed to bronchitis or even possible pneumonia.  As he states, he was off duty for seven weeks.

This letter is a bit more normal, with JWD conveying news to his parents and asking questions about home.  Interestingly he writes to his parents about a letter he received from his Uncle Solomon Weikel...his mother's brother...and how his uncle's family had been sick with the measles.  In the 19th century, measles was a deadly disease and so this information was truly family news!    His reference to "Esther" is interesting to me.  I have not been able to determine who she was and what her relationship was with JWD.  I am only guessing, but I assume she was a girlfriend or a close lady friend.  Clearly, Esther was illiterate, owing to the comments made by him regarding her need to have the letter read. It is also clear that he did not want any personal and intimate words he might write to her to be made public by the reading of a letter.


And now...letter #7...                     


                                                                                    Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina,

                                                                                    Camp Winfield

                                                                                    February the 2^nd, A.D. 1862

My Dear Father,

            I take my pen in hand to inform these few lines to you to let you know that I am well at present time and I hope that these few lines will find you in the same state of good health and further I let you know that I received that letter from you on the 2^nd day of this month and one from Uncle Solomon Weikel.  He wrote to me that he didn’t hear anything from you the whole last summer and I wrote a letter to him and I told him you were all well when I got that letter from you.   Further I will let you know that they were all laying sick with the measles but they are all well again.  When he wrote that letter to me, further I let you know that John Brown and George Batzel are in the war too.  And if Esther wonders why I wouldn’t write to her anymore, tell her that she would have to get her letter read by somebody else and so I have no pleasure to write to her what I would like to write to her.  And she could always hear from me when I write home.  I send my best respects to Slotterbachs family and to the Fetterolfs and to Peter Fetterolf too and to all the rest of the neighbors and tell Mary E. Slotterbach that I was glad to hear from George and Harvey Snyder and William Derr and tell her if she would write to George again she should let him know that I am well and would like it very good so far.  Now I must quit writing because my fingers are too cold and I can’t write no more.  These few lines to you.

                                                                                    John W. Derr 

Jim D.

Bits and Pieces and a Little Clean-up

Since this blog is meant to be dynamic and not static, I thought I'd spend a "blog week" doing a little bit of housekeeping in order to add to blogs that I had posted previously.  Probably a good thing to do, before I get to a point in a few years whereby my reflections on this website become inaccurate and embarrassing.

Two weeks ago, I had the grand intention of doing in-the-field research in preparation for future letter posts.  My family and I had a vacation planned for the Outer Banks in North Carolina....more specifically...the Corolla area on the barrier islands.  Living in the Washington DC area, my plan was to drive down I-95 south and cut over to I-295 on my way to I-64 in the Hampton, Virginia area.  The plan was to visit and absorb the history of the Cold Harbor battlefield...part of the Richmond National Battlefield Park - Cold Harbor visitor center (  http://www.nps.gov/rich/historyculture/cold-harbor.htm).  JWD fought at Cold Harbor in 1864 and I wanted have a sense for location and terrain.

After Cold Harbor, I was planning to continue down I-64 to Hampton and visit Fort Monroe                      ( http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc/fortmonroe1.htm)...located just before the Hampton Roads Tunnel.  JWD was there in 1862 prior to the launching of the Burnsides Expedition to the Outer Banks area of North Carolina...this will be seen in the next letter I post on October 19th.

Next, I planned a trip down NC-12 on the Outer Banks with a first stop at the wreck of the USS Oriental in order to take photographs of the still visible wreck from shore.   In my blog dated August 25th, I gave a partial write-up of the connection between the "George Peabody Boat"  (aka USS George Peabody) and the USS Oriental....( http://www.jwdletters.com/2011_08_01_archive.html).  More on this below....

Lastly, I decided that another trip to the Hatteras point would complete the barrier island adventure.   There, I planned to visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic museum along with visiting the tribute to the 48th PVI located in the parking lot of the museum.  (http://www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com/)

Ok...so  that was the grand plan!  Unfortunately, a little thing called Hurricane Irene decided differently.
We ended up leaving a couple of days late due to the storm as well as the overall closure of the barrier islands to the general public...post storm.  When we finally got going on the Monday of that week, I found out that most of the I-295 and I-64 corridor was without power...hence...the Cold Harbor battlefield and Fort Monroe were closed.   This, however, was only the beginning.  The hurricane was so damaging to the thinly protected sandbar called the Outer Banks, that part of NC-12 south of the Oregon Inlet and north of Rodanthe was literally washed away.  The Oregon Inlet Bridge and the road south were closed.  Given that the USS Oriental wreck is located on Pea Island, just south of the bridge, and that Hatteras was even further south...strike four!   However, I must say that my little inconvenience is nothing, compared to the major disruption to the residents of Hatteras Island....

NC-12 at Mirlo Beach north of Rodanthe, NC (August 28, 2011) Photo from CNN.com

Some new info I found......

As I previously wrote, the USS George Peabody was the transport ship that carried the 48th PVI to battles on the North Carolina coast.  Additionally, it was also identified as the ship that provided search-and-rescue for the passengers and crew of the Oriental when it ran aground in May of 1862.  I was excited to hear that the same ship that transported my gg-grandfather, was also mentioned as the primary rescue craft for this doomed vessel.     During a trip to a bookstore in Corolla, NC, I picked up a book, "Shipwrecks of North Carolina" by Gary Gentile, and searched to see if there was any more information about the USS Oriental.....it so happens that Mr. Gentile writes...

"Members of the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment stationed at Fort Hatteras, were involved in the rescue."

Hmm....could JWD have been involved?  That...I will probably never know....

USS Oriental

USS Oriental in distress, May 1864 - Harpers Weekly

USS Oriental from the beach on Pea Island

Photo from http://www.carolinaouterbanks.com/shipwrecks-2.htm

So...I guess the moral of this story is that you CAN make lemonade out of lemons...this little bit of information that I dug out of a bookstore on the Outer Banks, while bored and disappointed for not having been able to execute my research plan...ended up being the hit of the trip!


Jim D.

The "George Peabody boat" aka the USS George Peabody

One of the beauties of having this blog is that I pretty much explore and examine whatever I like as it relates to my web theme.    The civil war, being an era of much slower communications and pace-of-life, had me in a dilemma regarding material to use in a regular and timely fashion.  JWD wrote over 40 letters in the 4 years covering his service in the war, but spacing them out over the 47 months of his service leaves me with less than 1 per month.   I struggled with the idea of how to fill the gaps and as I have writing in prior posts, I have been using mostly artifacts contained in either the letters or his archival records to provide context for his life.   Now I will expand by researching elements in the letters and connecting them to other elements I have been researching online and in books.  Nothing really new….just connections.  During the past week while reading a letter JWD wrote in April of 1862, I ran across his reference to a ship he was on during the movement of the 48^th PVI to Hatteras Island, NC during their North Carolina expedition.  JWD references the “George Peabody boat” in his letter dated April 7^th, 1862.  I decided to study this ship a bit more and see what information I could find about a troop transport that carried my GG Grandfather.   I admit that I get a little thrill in finding connections to obscure little items that have, or may become, forgotten.   So…what was this “George Peabody boat”, he writes about?  Was it a big warship?  Was it a commercial sailing ship?  Was it a military transport?  A steamboat?  What else did the “George Peabody boat” do?  What happened to it?  All of these types of questions are what make doing this blog all the more fun.  Seemingly insignificant questions on obscure elements of the war can help with retaining the history that would otherwise be forgotten in time.   Fortunately, with the internet, most of these elements will never be lost...and I take no credit for reiterating that which has already been stated.  Hopefully, I am able to bring “linkage” between those elements and these letters which have never before been connected.

From the website:

North Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial

http://www.nccivilwar150.com/history/burnside.htm

  

The Burnside Expedition

Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside

On February 7, 1862, a hundred vessel Union flotilla steamed down Croatan Sound to land an amphibious force on Roanoke Island after destroying a small Confederate fleet in Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside led 15,000 U.S. Army troops while Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough commanded the naval contingent. By capturing the island, the Federals would have a base from which to attack Confederates in North Carolina from the sea. About 3,000 Confederate soldiers under Col. Henry M. Shaw opposed the landing, and Flag Officer William F. Lynch’s three-gun battery and seven gunboats supported them. Three forts stood on the northwestern part of the twelve-mile-long island, but were not positioned so they could help. Lynch led his gunboats out against the Federal fleet, but Goldsborough defeated them and landed the Union troops at Ashby’s Harbor. By midnight, the Federals occupied the beach, and at 8:00 a.m. the next morning, they set off in pursuit of the Confederates, who were retreating north. About halfway up the island, Burnside’s men encountered the battery and a force of 1,500 but soon outflanked them. The Confederates retreated once again, then surrendered near the northern tip of Roanoke Island.

Landing of Troops on Roanoke Island - Harper's Weekly

Burnside next turned his attention to New Bern. Confederate Gen. Lawrence O'B. Branch, commanding an inadequate number of troops there, decided to defend the city in fortifications located about six miles below it along the Neuse River. Burnside landed his men twelve miles downriver on March 13 and began marching toward New Bern. By then, Branch had redeployed his force closer to the city, and the men braced for the attack, which began the next morning. Although the Confederates held off the Federals for several hours, eventually the center of the defense collapsed, and Branch’s men retreated. Some crossed the Trent River into New Bern and burned the bridge behind them, but Union gunboats shelled them. Realizing his position was untenable, Branch withdrew his men by rail to Kinston. Burnside’s force occupied New Bern the next day, and the city remained in Federal hands until the end of the war. Confederate Gen. George E. Pickett attempted to recapture it in 1864 but failed. Burnside went on to take Beaufort and Fort Macon, for which he was promoted on March 18.

---

Assault on New Bern during the Burnside Expedition — Harper's Weekly

Timeline for the Burnside Expedition (January-July 1862)

Timeline . . .

1862

THE BURNSIDE EXPEDITION (January-July)

February

February 7-8 — Battle of Roanoke Island — Casualties: roughly 2,907 on both sides

February — Freedmen's Colony established during the Federal occupation of Roanoke Island. Former slaves built a thriving settlement, erecting churches and schools.

February 10 — Action at Elizabeth City, including naval action

February 12 — Naval expedition to Edenton

February 18-21 — Expedition to Winton and skirmish, including naval expedition on Chowan River

February 19 — Skirmish at Winton

February 19-20 — Expedition to Currituck Sound

R. B. Forbes near Currituck Inlet

March

March — Union occupation of Beaufort, including Havelock Station, Carolina City, and Morehead City

March 11-13 — Movement to New Bern

March 14 — Battle of New Bern — Casualties: roughly 1,080 on both sides.

March 17 — Escape of Nashville from Beaufort

March 20-21 — Expedition to and occupation of Washington, including naval cooperation

March 23-April 26 — Siege of Fort Macon — Casualties: roughly 490 on both sides.

March 31 — Skirmish at Deep Gully

RAIDS IN THE WEST (April-May)

April

April — Marcus Erwin and Buncombe County militia flush 80 anti-Confederates from Laurel Valley (WEST)

April 6-11 — Expedition from Greenville, Tenn. into Laurel Valley, N.C. (Gen. Kirby Smith sends three companies under Lt. Col. David M. Key to clean out Unionist marauders operating out of Madison County. (WEST)

April 7 — Skirmish at Foy's Plantation

April 7 — Skirmish near Newport

April 7-8 — Expedition to Elizabeth City

April 12 — Skirmish at Fort Macon

April 12 — Destruction of schooner Kate off Wilmington

April 13 — Skirmish at Gillett's Farm, Pebbly Run

April 17 — Naval expedition to Dismal Swamp Canal

April 19 — Engagement at South Mills

April 19 — Skirmish at Trent Road

April 24 — Escape of blockade-runner Nashville into Wilmington

April 25-26 — Bombardment and Capture of Fort Macon

April 27 — Skirmish at Houghton's Mill, Pollocksville Road

April 29 — Skirmish at Batchelder's Creek

May

May 1 — Capture of British brig Intended

May 2 — Skirmish at Deep Gully, Trenton Road

May 7-8 — Expedition from Roanoke Island toward Gatesville

May 15 — Skirmish at Young's Crossroads

May 15-16 — Reconnaissance toward Trenton

May 15-16 — Skirmishes at Trenton Bridge

May 15-16 — Skirmish at Pollocksville

May 22 — Skirmish at Trenton and Pollocksville Road

May 28 — Naval reconnaissance up Blackwater River (upper extension of Chowan River, into Virginia)

May 28 — Capture of Nassau

May 30 — Skirmish at Tranter's Creek

May — Minor Federal raid into Haywood County leads to release of Unionist man condemned to death in Waynesville (WEST)

June

June 2 — Skirmish at Tranter's Creek

June 5 — Action at Tranter's Creek

June 24 — Reconnaissance from Washington to Tranter's Creek

June 26 — Destruction of Emily

June 26 — Expedition up Little River

June 27 — Skirmish at Swift Creek Bridge

June 27 — Blockade-runner Modern Greece forced aground by Union blockaders. Artifacts from this wreck are currently on display at Fort Fisher (Cape Fear).

June 27 — 1st North Carolina Volunteer Infantry (Union) organized (as authorized by Gen. Ambrose Burnside).

July

July 9 — Capture of Hamilton, including naval cooperation

July 24-28 — Expedition from New Bern to Trenton and Pollocksville

July 26 — Skirmish at Mill Creek near Pollocksville

July 26-29 — Reconnaissance from New Bern to Young's Crossroads

July 27 — Skirmish at Young's Crossroads

July 28 — Expedition from New Bern, Batchelder’s Creek, on Neuse River Road

So…the “George Peabody boat”…. aka… the USS George Peabody, was a converted steamship probably used as a short haul passenger boat of the day.  It was a side-wheeler with the propulsion paddles being on the side of the ship.  The first account of the Peabody I can find show that it participated on August 31^st, 1861 with the capture of the Confederate brig Henry C. Brooks in the Hatteras Inlet.  The Peabody, along with many larger support vessels provided a key link the in the blockade chain enacted by the north during the war.  1861 was a year of easy pickings for the northern fleet as the south tasted the first indications of the northern strategy for “starving” the south.

Later in 1862 the USS George Peabody participated in the both the troop transportation for the Burnsides expedition as well as the bombardment of the confederate forts Clarke and Hatteras.  Based on the pictures I have found of the Peabody, this most certainly was in a supporting role with the actual cannon bombardments being done by capital ships of the line.

Bombardment of Forts Hatteras and Clark by U.S. Ships (1862)

USS George Peabody

Accounts of another action by the Peabody show the ship providing an assist and rescue for the USS Oriental during a brutal storm just off the Hatteras point.   The Oriental was a transport ship that sank in May of 1862 and accounts from the New York Times from May 22^nd, 1862.  A good description is provided at the website:

http://www.fineartregistry.com/articles/2011-06/joy-of-collecting-civil-war-era-newspapers.php

The last account I could find was regarding the sinking of the West Point in a collision with the USS George Peabody at Ragged Point, Maryland on the Potomac River on August 12-13, 1862.  

Could the Peabody have been lost in that collision too?  The records seem to indicate not….a A record of an 1862 repair of the USS George Peabody shows that work was done on the ship at the Skinner Shipbuilding at their facilities in the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

http://www.steamtug.org/PrivateParts/docs/skinner-ships-yearly-chart.pdf

A further reference to the Peabody off the coast of Texas in October of 1863 seems to indicate that the ship operated there after the collision..  That reference seems a bit strange to me given the apparent size of the vessel, though coastal support might be a realistic role for the USS George Peabody.

From the website:

http://cameroncountyhistoricalcommission.org/StoryOfUnionForces.htm

“Henry Carl  Ketzle of Company A, 37^th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and called the Illinois Greyhounds, also put down his sea transport experiences in a Civil War Diary. He relates of the passage:

Embark by noon of the 23^rd on the G. Peabody along with two troops of 1^st Texas Cavalry.  Drop down past Crescent—26^th go down to head of passes and by noon October 27^th steam through southwest pass into Gulf—on the 28^th under convoy of gunboats start in regular line across the heaving bosom of the Gulf of Mexico (need I say how he exacted his tribute of nearly all of us) had fair weather and sailing on the 29^th, but on the morning of the 30^th it was quite stormy and rough, so much so that our rudder chain snapped and thus left the boat unmanageable—boat hands with the assistance of our boys (most of Company D being old lake sailors) soon fixed the steering apparatus with ropes, block and tackle thereby we were able to keep in our course but soon we noticed other boats having apparently worst trouble than we, as some we could see white flags hoisted

Morning of October 31^st found us on place of rendezvous, assigned by General, where we found a dispatch boat and soon others followed till afternoon when Generals Banks and Dana, in their boats ordered us into proper line, but 7 vessels of the fleet were still missing.  On the 1^st of November by 4 p.m. we dropped anchor near Brazos San Diego.

 Private (later sergeant) Benjamin F. McIntyre kept a record of his service in the 19^th Iowa Infantry. Tilley's annotated The Federals on the Frontier: The Diary of Benjamin F. McIntyre 1862-1864 details his experiences in the Rio Grande Expedition. He and fellow infantrymen commanded by Col. Kent boarded the Gulf steamer General Banks at Carrollton, Louisiana on 10/23/1863. The entire fleet according to Major John Bruce's 19^th Iowa report consisted of 16 large vessels and three gunboats.There was also anumber of schooners used for troop, munitions, and provisions transport. The convoy left New Orleans on the 24^th. Also aboard the Gen. Banks were two companies—15^th Maine and a portion of Battery "B" 1^st Missouri Artillery. The captain of the Banks complained at the excess number of personnel brought aboard but to no avail.

Sunday, the 25^th, saw the ship anchored off the lighthouse at the Southwest Pass awaiting the arrival of other ships to be in the convoy. Lt. Col. Benjamin B. Murray Jr. of the 15^th Maine was the ranking senior officer aboard and excersized his privileges much to the chagrin of the Iowa officers over the 239 enlisted Iowans.After an inspection on the 27^th, 60 rounds of cartridges were issued to each soldier. The fleet departed the Mississippi Delta that evening and the very next day began to encounter rough seas.

With 23 vessels in sight of the Banks, a gale commenced on the 29^th. This however was not the peak of the storm; that was to arrive the next day. Soon a flag of distress was raised on the masthead of the Banks. Col. Murray reluctantly consented to having the eleven mules aboard, one battery wagon, and other items such as forage thrown overbaod and "deep-sixed." The fact of the matter was that many vessels of the fleet that had been requisitioned by the Federal government had years before been condemned.

On the 31^st with its fuel nearly exhausted the Gen. Banks was taken in tow by the Empire City. It had been taking on water and was in very poor physical state due to the battering by the waves. Captain Edward Gee Miller of the 20^th Wisconsin was another who described the rough seas. He noted one sailor being swept overboard and lost. In a later report after landfall had been made by the fleet, Commander J. H. Strong of the gunship Monongahela reported that one small steamer, one schooner, and one launch had been lost in the storm, but all hands aboard them had been rescued. Among the vesels that made the journey were the George Peabody; Thomas A. Scott with Captain Chester Barney; the flagship McClellan with Generals Banks and Dana aboard; the General Banks, formerly the Creole; Empire City; Monongahela; Crescent; Drew; Belvidere; Bagley; Owasco; Zephyr, a transport saved by the Owasco; J. W. Hancock, a tug that sprang a leak off Brazos Island on 11/4 and was run ashore in several feet of water; Nassau, lost on the Brazos Santiago bar due to its excessive draft and poor manuveurability; and the Clinton, a new steamer of the Crescent City Line.

One last account of the voyage is provided by J. S. Clark, historian of the 34^th Iowa Regiment.  He comments:

On the 24^th of October 1863, our division embarked at Carrollton on Steamer Belvidere, reaching the mouth of the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico on the 27^th, and after a tedious and stormy voyage, during which storm to save the ships the cavalry horses of the command were thrown overboard, and on the third of November arrived at Brazos de Santiago.  Nine days were occupied in the passage for which three was the usual time.

Nearly all were very sea sick, and during the 30^th, men lashed themselves to the sides with ropes, otherwise they would have been washed overboard. 

While the worst part of the passage was behind them there still awaited some dangers associated with landing. When the fleet did arrive off the island, seas were still too rough to chance a landing that day. Some of the larger vessels let the cavalry horses swim for shore. The George Peabody, the ship carrying some of the First Texas Cavalry, slung twenty-five horses overboard; only seven made it to the beach. Even the next day as the surf had subsided somewhat two sailors and seven soldiers drowned when a boat from the Owasco was swamped during the embarkation. A dispatch dated Nov. 3 states "Commenced landing by lighters and small boat on Brazos Island, consuming several days, and losing two steamers and two schooners."

I will share the related letter from JWD later in April of next year.

Enjoy,

Jim D