"Now My Brave Bays, Are You Ready?!"
Volume 2, Issue 4
I A Newsletter for the Supporters of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum I "Now My Brave Bays, Are You Ready?!" A joint American force turns back the British at Craney Island by Joe Mosier n the first few months after Congress declared war on I England in June 1812, Norfolk and Portsmouth were largely untouched by the conflict. It was an unpopular war with most of the merchants in the twin seaport cities. They had suffered heavily d · g.lhe embargo of 1807-1809 and had found it difficult to recover their markets under the Nonimportation Acts which followed. After the Federal government lifted the embargo of 1807, Hampton Roads merchants found that exporting grain to the British Army was a quick way to The target-during the War of 1812, the main objective of the British forces in Hampton Roads recover lost profits. The English need for was to seize and destroy the 36-gunfrigate USS Constellation. The British blockaded Hampton American foodstuffs had led to a gradual Roads with several warships including two to three ships-of-the-line which prevented Constellation from leaving its base in the Elizabeth River. (Sail plan from National Archives) relaxation of its long-standing anti neutral shipping policies. The British of the Jeffersonian Republicans and the three 74-gun ships of the line and four even repealed their policy of seizing desire to wrest Canada away from frigates. Warren was to be reinforced in neutral merchant ships that Americans Britain. March by a ground force contingent en found so offensive shortly before the war In the first year of the war, United route from England via Bermuda. The began. As a result of the lucrative grain States forces made three attempts to troops under the command of Col. Sir trade, many in Hampton Roads were invade Canada. Although none had Thomas Sidney Beckwith were opposed to President James Madison's proven successful, the British composed of two battalions of Royal · war policy as they saw darker motives government decided "to effect a Marines, a detachment of the 102nd behind the war motto of"Free Trade and diversion on the coasts of the United Regiment, two companies of Chasseurs Sailors' Rights." They believed the real States of America, in favor ofUpper and Britanniques (see page 11) and a roots ofthe war were the pro-French bias Lower Canada" by shifting the focus of detachment of Royal Marine Artillery - Inside The Day Book the war to the Chesapeake Bay. In a total of about 2,200 men. The object December 1812, Adm. Sir John Borlase ofthe expedition was a series of pin-prick • Director's Column...... 2 Warren, Commander in Chief for the raids that would force the Americans to New Acquisitions ...... 3 American and West Indies Station, was pull troops off the border to protect their Brave or Insane?, pt. 2 ...... 4 directed to focus his 25-ship force heartland. Law & Order...... 8 blockading the American coast as near The first of Adm. Warren's ships to the Chesapeake as possible. arrived within the Capes in February Volunteer News&Notes ..... lO For action within the Bay in support 1813. Simultaneously, the frigate USS Museum Sage...... ll of Warren, Rear Adm. George Cockburn Constellation commanded by Capt. took command of a squadron including Craney Island continued on page 6 Reaching Out to the Public The Director's Column by Becky Poulliot his spring, the staff and the museum. volunteers of the Hampton Another outreach effort, TRoads Naval Museum began a a Speakers' Bureau, was campaign to reach out to the mentioned in the last issue surrounding community. Our goals of The Daybook. Under the were two-fold: to increase community capable leadership of awareness at large and to cultivate Chairman David Dashiell potential group audiences. the program got under way From February through April, the with 15 volunteer HRNM put together a three-part roving members. Docent Gurley lecture series on Naval aviation by local Ritter agreed to start a author and historian, Amy Waters pilot program with the Yarsinske. The talks focused on Norfolk Kiwanis Clubs, Hampton Roads, and appropriately which to date have netted enough each program was held at 15 presentations with good military bases: two on Naval Base reviews. We are now This issue ojThe Daybook is dedicated to the memory ofHRNM Norfolk and one on Naval Air ambitious. A brochure docent retired Capt. Leon Chevallay, who passed away on Station Oceana. With the support of advertising the program is April 22. Leon loyally contributed more than 300 hours of volunteer service to the museum. His kind and gentle spirit Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. being designed, and the will not be forgo/len. (Photo provided by Leon Chevallay 's Atlantic_F ieet ~ere ahle..to_
2 Museum Acquires Two Intriguing Artifacts by Joe Judge
he museum has added two early American Navy, a important accessions to its certain uniformity of dress T collection. One is an early existed. nineteenth century enlisted man' s In the early 19th century jacket. The other is a half-model of the the Navy procured famous ironclad USS Monitor. sailor' s clothing by The enlisted man's jacket is a dark contract. Clothing tailors blue, double-breasted, short coat. The manufactured jackets and U.S. Navy authorized jackets of this other items according to style in 1841 when it issued the first samples on view in the - ·"'~-~- / . :.J.J uniform regulation that addressed the various navy yards. They clothing of enlisted personnel. In the were then offered for sale by case of the enlisted jacket, the 1841 the ship' s purser in "slop regulation, like many 19th century stores," the forerunners of uniform regulations, merely authorized modern ship's stores. The an article of clothing that was already short jacket was one of the popular below decks. Sailors had been basic articles of early naval wearing the short double-breasted coat clothing, along with full since the Navy first signed on crews to bottomed trousers, vest the first frigates in 1797. Despite the and a hat. absence of a written instruction in the Still, tremendous variation in the dress of seamen continued This is an excellent example of the seamen 's jacket which the has to exist, many museum recently acquired. The picture is an 1836 woodcut engraving of Boatswain's Mate George Brown. (Navy wearing the same Historical Center photo ofan 1836Naval Magazine engraving) clothing in which they enlisted. Civil War was more than likely an "old Captains of ships also had timer." great latitude in determining The museum plans to exhibit the how their crews were dressed. seaman's jacket in the first gallery of The Navy did not establish the museum, in the exhibit with the cut real uniformity in clothing out engraving of "George Brown, until the Civil War and after. American seaman," who is wearing the The artifact that the same jacket. The jacket represents the museum has acquired is an museum's first piece of pre-Civil War example of the 1841 pattern, enlisted man's clothing in the with two rows of nine small permanent collection. buttons down the front and The other important accession that three small buttons on each the museum has acquired is a half • sleeve. The garment is in model of USS Monitor, the famous excellent condition and Union ironclad that fought CSS probably dates from 1852. Virginia in the Battle of Hampton This short jacket remained Roads in 1862. In the summer of 1995, authorized until 1886, a Minnesota family wrote the museum although it was rare to see it asking about interest in an old model Shown here is a 19th century seaman 's jacket. This was part during the Civil War period of the Union ironclad. A photograph ofthe standard uniform for U.S. Navy sailors during the 18th and 19th century. This particular artifact is rare as there and after. A sailor wearing revealed the model to be a half-model only a handful of them left. (Photo by Bob Matteson) the short jacket during the Artifacts continued on page 9
3 Brave or Just Plain Whacko? Part 2 of the adventures of"The Fighting Man of the North Carolina Sounds" by David Rawlings the last issue of The Daybook, position. As his makeshift gun crew was the coast. Determined not to let his first William Barker Cushing had just struck down by rifle, Cushing continued command be captured without a fight, Eeen promoted to lieutenant and to load the gun. Firing a canister round at Cushing kept six volunteers aboard the assigned as executive officer aboard the close range, the shot pushed back the gunboat. At dawn, Confederate shore steamer USS Commodore Perry, advancing Confederate forces. Cushing batteries pummeled Ellis into a useless commanded by his old friend and mentor, subsequently received his own command wreck. Cushing and his men escaped Lt. Cmdr. Charles Flusser. Assigned to II days later, a month before his twentieth to New Bern, N.C. on a small boat. the North Carolina sounds, Perry offered birthday. Cushing next proposed to his Cushing a chance he had awaited since Cushing ended up in command ofthe commanders that it was possible to the start ofthe war: to join a ship heading two-gun gunboat USS Ellis. Assigned to capture a pilot more familiar with the in harm's way with an aggressive skipper patrol duty off Bogue Inlet, Cushing local waters. He tried twice to capture who would take it there. quickly became bored with the lack of one, but failed both times. However, On Oct. 2, 1862, accompanied by enemy activity and abandoned his station the attempts to capture a pilot received the gunboats USS Hunchback and USS in favor of the New Topsail Inlet further high praise from Cushing's superiors Whitehead, Perry proceeded from south. and they gave him command ofthe 500- Albermarle Sound, up the Chowan River Given enough leeway to determine ton, six-gun gunboat USS Commodore to the Blackwater River and headed his own operations, Cushing and Ellis Barney which operated out of Hampton towards Franklin, Va. Intended to be a returned to New Topsail Inlet where his Roads. Between April 9 and April22, joint operation with Union Army troops party destroyed a Confederate salt works. 1863, Cushing commanded a squadron advancing from Suffolk, Va., the mission Having now tasted his ftrst landing part offive vessels on the Nansemond River. turned into a deadly trap. Unaware that action in enemy territory, Cushing decided Assigned to defend the right flank of the Army forces had delayed their on bolder operations. A few weeks later, the Union army against a Confederate attack lead by Gen. Longstreet, Cushing's squadron was involved in daily cannon duels with Confederate shore batteries. Cushing also lead a party of90 sailors and soldiers ashore where they successfully repulsed a troop of Confederate cavalry by a dramatic charge on foot. Cushing continued to move up in status as the Union command Angered by the death of his commanding officer at the hands of the ironclad CSS Albemarle, Cushing vowed to sink the Confederate warship. Using a spar torpedo attached to a steam launch, Cushing sunk the ironclad on assigned him to the night of Sept. 24, 1864. Of the 13 men who volunteered for the expedition, only two returned. Cushing was the gunboat USS one of the two and he returned with three bullet holes in his jacket. (Nov. 19, 1864 Harper's Weekly engraving) Monticello which was advance, the squadron advanced up the he raided and captured the town of ordered to join the blockade squadron narrow Blackwater River on Oct. 3 where Jacksonville, N.C., near the New River. off Fort Fisher, N.C. in January 1864. they were ambushed by Confederate Burning one turpentine-laden vessel and Once his ship arrived, Cushing planned infantry lining the banks of the river. capturing two small schooners, Ellis his most daring raid yet. On Jan. 29, he With no room to maneuver, the withdrewbackdowntheNewRiverbefore .led twenty men to the headquarters of Confederates blasted Perry at close expected Confederate forces arrived to the Confederate defenses for the area, range. reclaim the town. in the coastal town of Smithville, N.C. With the crew scrambling for cover, The Confederates, however, caught Accompanied by five men, Cushing Cushing called for volunteers and up with Ellis and engaged the gunboat slipped into town after midnight and wheeled the ship's field howitzer into when it ran aground about five miles from Cushing continued on page 5
4 Pictured here are the senior Union Naval officers of the second Fort Fisher expedition. On the far left, facing inward with his hair down to his shoulders, is Lt. Cushing. Cushing 's heroics at Fort Fisher climaxed an amazing career in the Navy. He would finish out his tenure in the Navy as a commander. Unfortunately, about ten years after the war, he suffered a nervous breakdown and died at the Government Hospital for the insane. (U.S. Navy photo) Cushing continued from page 4 attempted to kidnap the Confederate reinforcements by the Confederate Monitor-type ironclads drew too much commanding officer, Gen. Hebert, from commander of Fort Fisher. water to sail up the shallow Roanoke his quarters. For once, Cushing's luck The most famous of Cushing's River and smaller wooden boats would was sub-par, as the general was out of exploits, however, occurred later in 1864. simply be blown out of the water. The town that evening. To improve their defensive posture in the Union navy needed someone crazy Cushing settled for Hebert's chief Albermarle Sound region, the enough to go through with the operation. engineer and delivered him to the Confederates elected to construct After much searching for the right flagship for breakfast the next morning. ironclads similar to CSS Virginia. By person, the Union high command looked Cushing later sent a note ashore under a mid-1864, they built and commissioned no further than Cushing. He accepted flag of truce to Hebert saying "I deeply CSS Albemarle. the mission as a chance to redeem regret that you were not at home when I The construction and sortie of Flusser's honor. called." Angered by the smug note, the Albemarle struck fear and panic into the Cushing decided to use a steam commander of the Smithville fort, Col. Union naval officers much in the same launch with an explosive charge, called Jones, vowed that he would be prepared way that Virginia had done in Hampton a spar torpedo, attached at the front of for any further raids and that Cushing's Roads two years earlier. In its first the ship. On the night of Oct. 27, 1864, feat would never be repeated. engagement with Union vessels, his ship and all volunteer crew ascended After a brief search for the ironclad Albemarle attacked the gunboats USS the Roanoke River where Albemarle was CSS Raleigh, Cushing posed as a Miami and USS Southfield which were being repaired. Confederate lookouts highwayman on the Wilmington-Fort assigned to guard the Roanoke River. near the ironclad spotted the launch and Fisher road and captured more than 20 Albemarle rammed and sunk Southfield began to fire on it. Cushing pressed ahead prisoners as well as the Fort Fisher and severely damaged Miami in spite of the enemy fire drove the drove mailbag. Making his escape on the third with cannon fire. The gunboats' the torpedo into Albemarle and sunk the • night, Cushing's boat dodged alerted counterattacks proved fruitless against formable ironclad. Cushing himself dove Confederate boats and shore batteries and the ironclad's armor. One of the into the river after the launch was struck • once again escaped unscathed to the cannonballs rejected by Albemarle's several times and began to sink . safety of the Atlantic. On his way south armor rebounded back onto the Miami Only two of the 13 men made it back past Smithville, he left a note on a buoy where it exploded and killed Cushing's to Union lines after the ensuing fight with addressed to Col. Jones, informing him closest friend, Cmdr. Flusser. the Confederate. Cushing was one of the that he had, indeed, repeated his raid. Cushing naturally demanded . two. He returned with three bullet holes Widely publicized in both Northern and immediate revenge, but his vengeance in his jacket only after overhearing some Southern newspapers, Cushing's latest was put on hold as no one knew exactly Confederate officers in a swamp say that exploit was even used as justification for how to go about destroying the ironclad. Cushing continued on page 8
5 Craney Island continued from page I Saved From the Charles Stewart came down the Bay. chance of repelling any assault by the After a lengthy fitting out period in English. British, Wrecked by Baltimore, Constellation was under But the expected British attack did way for its first wartime cruise. not come immediately. Rear Adm. the Americans With passage blocked by enemy Cockburn had reconnoitered the mouth "l"l Jhile the American forces in vessels between the Middle Ground of the Elizabeth River, but had been VV Norfolk saved Constellation from and Horseshoe Shoals, Stewart made unable to find a channel deep enough the British invasion fleet, the frigate did reluctantly for the Elizabeth River and for his ships. Leaving three ships of not leave Norfolk unscathed. By late the safety of the guns of Forts Norfolk the line and two frigates to continue the 1813, the warship had fallen into such and Nelson. News of the appearance blockade, Warren and Cockburn sailed disrepair that it even if the British lifted of the British squadron was quickly up the Chesapeake to conduct raids on the blockade on Hampton Roads, carried to Richmond. Virginia towns along the Bay. While Cockburn Constellation could not have escaped to Governor James Barbour dispatched concentrated on the upper bay, Warren the open sea. militia reinforcements from Petersburg, sailed only as far as Annapolis. Both The frigate's current commanding Richmond and Albemarle to Brig. Gen. returned to Hampton Roads in May officer, Capt. Charles Gordon, wanted to Robert B. Taylor, commander of the 1813 before Warren departed for get the ship ready for sea as soon as Norfolk Military District. Taylor Bermuda to transport Beckwith's force. possible, but when he mustered the crew worked hard to bring discipline to the While at Bermuda, Warren received a at Gosport, he discovered Constellation militia companies and to strengthen the letter from the Admiralty criticizing his was in wretched shape. Gordon wrote to landward defenses of Norfolk and handling of the Chesapeake expedition. Secretary Jones, "the ship is entirely Portsmouth. With his militiamen They felt he had been too lenient in his stripped and everything landed with a augmented by the few regular troops dealings with civilians in the Hampton swept hold. There being no inventory at Fort Norfolk and sailors from Roads area and was tying up too great taken and no receipt from Capt. Tarbell Constellation and the Gosport Navy a portion of his force in the blockade to Capt. Stewart, I fmd it difficult to Yard, Taylor believed he had a good of Constellation. Warren returned to ascertain precisely what is deficient or Virginia in mid-June determined to where the deficiencies are gone, rectify both criticisms. particularly the cabin furniture." Missing In Norfolk, the initial invasion were more than 200 pieces of fine hysteria had subsided in March when dinning and cooking ware and aJI of the the bulk of the British fleet left to cabin furniture. Gordon also commented conduct other operations. Gen. Taylor that most of the sails and riggings had reasoned that ifthe enemy attacked in been tom or allowed to rot and that more force, their most likely avenue of than a ton of powder was now useless. approach would be up the Elizabeth Secretary Jones, naturally, was quite River. To forestall this, he decided to angry and wrote to Stewart demanding fortify Craney Island, several miles to know what happened to the ship's downriver from Norfolk and stores and why Constellation had fallen Portsmouth. Although the island has into such a bad state of repair. Stewart since been greatly expanded by the tried to place the blame on someone else Army Corps of Engineers, it then was as he could not account for the missing only about 50 acres in size separated furniture. He claimed to have locked up from the shore by two creeks. The all the stores in their proper place before shallow water surrounding it extended }1e turned the ship over. for about two miles, protecting it from Surprisingly, Jones was satisfied with approach by large ships. A blockhouse Stewart's response as he agreed that the was under construction on the problems occurred at a later date. That southeastern end of the island and is, Jones believed Tarbell was the one several redoubts were dug facing the to blame. As for the missing items, one mouth of the river. Troops were rotated can only speculate what happened to out to the island to take part in the them. Whether or not the citizens of Norfolk and Portsmouth were the ones NOI\,OLK construction with their number varying The theatre of bailie-To counter the British between 350 and 500. Off Lambert's who looted the ship is not known either, invasion, the American leaders deployed Point opposite Craney Island a number but the possibility certainly exists. What artillery bal/eries on Craney Island itself and of ships were sunk to block the river is known is that the incident forced the placed several Navy gunboats between Navy to keep Constellation in port for Lambert's Point and the island. (From The channel. Captain John Cassin, Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812) Craney Island continued on page 7 the rest of the year. b-
6 Craney Island continued from page 6 Commandant of the Gosport Navy Yard, ordered the flotilla of fifteen gunboats under his command to back up the land defenses. In May, 1813, Capt. Stewart departed for Boston to take over USS Constitution, Master Commandant John Tarbell had assumed temporary command of Constellation. He enjoyed a close working relationship with Taylor and willingly offered the frigate's sailors for use ashore. The Jeffersonian idea ofnational defense consisted ofa few frigates, a few brigs and gunboats by the After Warren return to Hampton truckload. The Navy acquired more than 200 ofthese gunboats, several ofthem being built in Norfolk. Roads, HMS Junon, Narcissus and These "humble" little gunboats had only one or two guns and were no match against larger British Bar ossa were ordered to attack American warships. However, 12 of these ships proved their worth at the Battle of Craney Island as they were able to prevent British troop transports from passing Lambert 's Point on the Elizabeth River. shipping in the James River. June 19, calm winds stranded the ships off as the usual overly optimistic action with the intention of storming Craney Newport News with Junon lying about reports circulated. Island on its south side. Capt. S. G. three miles away from her consorts. At That same day Warren, his Pechell of HMS San Domingo 11 p.m., two divisions of US Navy fundament somewhat blackened by the commanded a second British force made gunboats under Lt. John Gardener and blast he had received from the Admiralty, up of about 1,500 sailors and marines. Robert Henley proceeded down the began "to particularly attend to their This element conducted a direct river to attack Junon. By 4 a.m, the Lordships former directions." His amphibious assault using 50 barges from gunboats had gained position within squadron of 13 warships including three the fleet. As Beckwith's column reached I ,500 yards of the ship and opened fire. troop transports moved from Lynnhaven the creek, they discovered it was too deep Bay to the James. Reports of large to ford. To cover their movements, a numbers of barges indicated the long Royal Marine Artillery battery loosed a awaited British attack would soon spectacular but ineffective barrage of commence. Congreve rockets at the Americans. Taylor's garrison on Craney Island Faulkner, with continuous volleys of was relatively weak: two light artillery grapeshot and canister succeeded in companies with four six-pounders, 50 driving back Beckwith's men. riflemen and 416 infantry- a total of 557 As that threat eased, the British barges men. The post was under the command began to close the island. Led by Neale's of Lt. Col. Henry Beatty with Maj. superb gunnery with the 18-pounder, the James Faulkner as his artillery American artillery began to break up the commander. Taylor sent his aide, Capt. waterborne assault. Some boats did close The defenses-shown here is one of the John Myers, to Tarbell with a request for to within a few hundred yards, but when fortifications built on Craney Island. Servicemen from all branches participated to sailors to augment the Craney Island men began to go over the side they help defend the island. This included sailors force. Tarbell immediately dispatched discovered the bottom consisted of three and Marines from USS Constellation, Virginia 100 sailors under Lt. B. J. Neale, Lt. W. or four feet of slimy mud. Pechell saw militiamen from all over the state and U.S. Army B. Shubrick and Lt. James Sanders the impossibility of the situation and troops from Fort Norfolk. (Engraving/rom The Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812) together with 50 marines headed by 1st ordered his men back to the fleet. One Lt. H. B. Breckenridge. The artillery line column of boats under Capt. John The attack lasted about 45 minutes was strengthened when two 24-pounders Hanchett (natural son ofthe British king) before a breeze came up and the other and an 18-pounder were manhandled had veered off into one the creeks behind British ships were able to make sail, from the unfinished blockhouse to the Craney Island. Hanchett was standing forcing the gunboats to retire. Junon opposite end of the island. Cassin placed upright in Warren's barge, the Centipede, • suffered one marine killed and three his fifteen gunboats in arc between when he was mortally wounded by a seamen wounded as well as "several Craney Island and Lambert's Point. Men canister ball in the thigh. Hanchett's shot in our hull and some of the on the island realized they would be in men quickly carried him back to his standing and running rigging cut." for a tough fight with no possibility of ship, but the barge was captured by American losses were one petty officer retreat. Neale's sailors who waded out after it. killed and two sailors slightly wounded The 2,200 troops under Beckwith British casualties killed, drowned and by splinters. Although the attack was were landed with some confusion two to wounded were reported by the largely ineffective, it provided a three miles west of the island on June 22. Americans at more than 200, plus 30 significant boost to American morale They marched towards Wise's Creek Craney Island continued on page II
7 Museum To Present Talk on Law and Order in the Navy During the Age Of Sail
he Hampton Roads Naval Valle is currently a professor of Museum is proud to welcome history and political science at T renowned marine historian Dr. Delaware State University, where he James Valle for a May 15 presentation. has worked since 1968. He graduated Dr. Valle will speak on the day-to-day from San Francisco State University in problems of enforcing discipline June 1965 and completed his Masters in aboard U.S. Navy vessels during its American History at UCLA in 1967. His first 60 years. He will talk about the masters thesis was The Civil War Military policies laid down, the crises and near CareerofJohnA. McClernand His book scandals of the period between 1800- Rocks and Shoals grew from his Ph .D. 1861. Issues such as widespread dissertation, which the Naval Institute alcoholism, uncooperativeness and published. frequent insubordination among the In addition to his maritime and naval sailors will also be addressed. speciality, Valle is also interested in Valle is the author of Rocks and ferronequinology and has published Shoals: Social Order and Discipline in The Iron Horse at War, a pictorial the United States Navy, 1800-1861 account of the American railroad (Naval Institute Press: 1979) which is industry in World War II. the basis for this presentation. The Valle's presentation takes place on Dr. James book is a history of the common May 15 at 7 p.m. inside the Nauticus Naval Museum on May 15 at 7 p.m. Valle is the American sailor and the iron fisted Theater. Anyone wanting more author ojRocks and Shoals, which is the definitive work on order and discipline in the U.S. Navy methods used to keep him in line during information is ask to call 444-8971 . ~ during the Age ofSail. the Age of Sail. Cushing continued from page 5 Albemarle had indeed been sunk. The could launch aground assault. The first brigade charged the northeastern bastion. daring raid earned Cushing a letter of option required someone to take Confederate gunners quickly cut them commendation from President Abraham sounding measures and to check for down. Gragg described the fire from the Lincoln and the U.S. Congress and undersea mines near the fort. Porter fort was so deadly that "even the appeared on the front page of Harper's offered Cushing the job and without daredevil Cushing took cover." It was not Weekly. With the letter ofcommendation hesitation, he accepted. until Union army troops succeeded in came an automatic promotion to He led a squadron of ten small boats storming the walls that the fortress fell. lieutenant commander. near the fort after a prolonged Fort Fisher was the last great naval The sinking of Albemarle made bombardment from Union ships. At first, battle of the war and with the end of the Cushing a national hero. Politicians the fort did not return fire. But they were campaign, so ended the war two months paraded him around the North. He went not silent for long, as cannonballs soon later and Cushing's wartime career. After on the 19th century equivalent of the rained down on the squadron. Historian the war, Cushing continued to serve in celebrity talk show circuit. However, the Rod Gragg notes in his history of the the Navy, mostly on shore duty where war was not yet over and one major battle for Fort Fisher that Cushing made he achieved the rank of commander. He obstacle still remained in North Carolina, an especially inviting target as his boat married and moved to Boston. Fort Fisher. Fort Fisher layed at the flew a blue and white officer's pennant Unfortunately, his health entrance of the Cape Fear River and and he would often stand up in the boat deteriorated as he suffered a bad case of guarded the approach to the all important to more closely observe the fort. pneumonia. In addition, his mind was port city of Wilmington. Cushing Incredibly, his squadron succeeded in never able to fully adjust with peace time returned to his command of the gunboat sounding and marking the channel with shore duty and he suffered a nervous USS Monticello in Hampton Roads only one of his ten boats hit. breakdown. He was committed to the where it joined with the armada Porter then decided, however, on a Government Hospital for the Insane in assembling to seize the fortress. ground assault. He assembled more than Washington, D.C., and given frequent The head of the expedition, Adm. I ,500 volunteers from the fleet, Cushing doses of morphine to ease his pain. He David D. Porter, had two options in naturally being one of them, into a Naval died at the hospital on Dec. 8, 1874. attacking Fort Fisher. He could either brigade. Armed with nothing more than Ironically, Cushing died never receiving attempt to run the guns of the fort, or he revolvers and cutlasses, the Naval the Medal of Honor. ;!b.
8 Detail of the recently purchased half-model of USS Monitor. The photographic portraits of Rear Adm. Worden, Secretary Gideon Wells and inventor/engineer John Ericsson surround the ship as does the faux wooden rope. The model itself is screwed onto the backing. Once restored, the half-model will replace the copy of the engineer drawings of Monitor in the museum's Civil War gallery. (Photo provided by the seller) Artifacts continued from page 3 mounted on a wooden oval, with ironclad and one of the men pictured photographic portraits of John on the wooden background. The Ericsson, the ship's designer, Gideon Abraham Lincoln Museum's model Welles, the Secretary of the Navy and carried the legend that the model was John Worden, the ship's first captain. made from wood taken from Monitor. A carved wooden rope surrounded the It has not been possible to authenticate model as a decorative motif. Further these stories, which are typical of tales examination showed that the scale of that grow like moss on old artifacts. the model is I :64, and that it was made The discovery of a companion of wood. After consultation with the model owned by Worden, and the Navy's Curator of Models, the museum construction of the model makes it decided to purchase the model for its possible to date the model to the 19th Civil War collection. century. The staff will continue to A family tradition associated with investigate other collections to better the model stated that it was one of three date the model. In addition, museum Looking for a unique place to celebrate your re-enlistment or • which were made at the time of the staff will arrange for professional retirement? Civil War, and that the model was restoration of the piece, which may originally owned by the commander of provide some clues as to the exact date. Call the the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Further Whatever the age of the model, it is an Hampton Roads Naval Museum correspondence with the Abraham eloquent testimony to the appeal and at Lincoln Museum in Harrogate, Tenn., excitement that the Monitor has 444-897 I ext. I 22 unearthed an identical model in their generated since 1862. Eventually the for details collection pertaining to Rear Adm. model will be exhibited in the Civil John Worden, the captain of the War gallery.~
9 by Edward Lane Recognition
The museum would like to thank all in the Nauticus Theater on order and plaque for his efforts. The 500-hour the volunteers who participated in the discipline during the Age of Sail. The volunteers will receive the Hampton Virginia Association of Museum's talk will begin at 7 p.m. Roads Naval Museum patch. conference and the reception held at the museum itself. They are Gary There will be an informal get Happy Birthday to you .... Abrams, Jud Hill, Joe Mosier and together for staff members and docents ,o .... Charlie Devine. We would also like on May 23 at Legends of Norfolk May -,' , ~ to thank Ralph Preston and Charlie located at Norfolk's Waterside. We Miriam Burgess· r. ·: #~" 0 " ' Jud Hill e , ' , o Devine for their participation in the plan to meet around 5:30p.m. ,, Nauticus Teacher's Open House night. Jack Robertson , • ' , The last quarterly docent meeting On June 13, president and CEO of David Dashiell , o']o r. ~ -i:' ·~ t! \ ~ was a huge success as we had the Nauticus, David Gernsey, will give a 1 highest turnout for one of these special tour with lunch to follow. This June ·o ' •:· meetings ever. We would like to thank will take place between 11 a.m. and 1 Harold Jarashow ' , , r, ., • all (too many to mention here) of those p.m. We hope to have a large turn out. Charles Wattley 0 o who attended and provided their input. ) C: (I A special thanks to Joe Mosier for On June 15, Mark Greenough and hosting the frrst ever meeting of the Living History Associates will present Wide World of Webbing Dunderfunk. Society which took place a vignette on the defense of Norfolk Update on April 25. The food and guest during the War of 1812. This will take speaker George Tucker's stories were place outside the Nauticus Theatre at 2 The museum's home page on the enjoyed by all who attended. p.m. Internet/World Wide Web is officially up and running. The address is http:// Things of nore- Rewar s. x roads. virginia .ed u/-V AM/ vamhome.html. This address will take Keeps your eyes open and your The following devoted volunteers you to the Virginia Association of schedules clean for the following have achieved the much coveted goal Museums' page. From there you will upcoming, museum-sponsored events: of 500 hours of active duty: AI Petrich, find our museum's page along with Eleanor DiPeppe, Jud Hill, Harrell several other Virginia museums. Ifyou May 15, Dr. Jim Valle, a professor Forrest and Preston Turpin. Hunt have any question about this, call of history and political science at Lewis has recently achieved the level Gordon Calhoun at the museum. J!b. Delaware State University, will speak of 1000 hours. He will receive a special
Now that you've read about it ... See it live! Come see and hear Living Histocy Associates' first person interpretation of how the frigate USS Constellation and the cities ofNorfolk & Portsmouth were saved from a British attack during the War ofl812.
To be held just outside the Nauticus Theater on June 15 at 2 p.m.
10 Time for a Sage Stumper I Recently, there has been much correct answer will receive a beautiful not cheap. In 1761 , the Royal Navy discussion about whether or not the Hampton Roads Naval Museum coffee experimented with the idea oflining the Navy should develop and build a new mug courtesy of the Hampton Roads hulls with copper sheets. The British type of warship specifically tailored for Naval Historical Foundation. Please not only wanted to protect against the ground support. Dubbed the "arsenal note that unlike the last quiz question, teredo worm, but also prevent fouling ship," this type of warship is not a new the sage does know the answer to this of the wood in general. The initial idea. In the early part of the Age of one. Good Luck! experiments were a success and by Steel (pre-World War I), the Navy built 1783, most British warships had the a vessel with this role in mind. What Why do sailing ships have copper-lined hulls. The U.S. Navy was its name and what was it official copper sheets lining the hulls? used copper-lined hulls from the start classification? One of the most severe problems with the construction of the 44 and 36- The benevolent sage will give his wooden hull ships faced during the Age gun frigates. readers two hints. 1) It is not a of Sail was the dreaded teredo worm. battleship. 2) It can be found in the The teredo worm is a small, marine life Anything else new? museum's temporary exhibit "To My form that likes to attach itself and dine The model of the frigate HMS Loving Mother," which is currently on on the wood of ships. The resulting Broadsword will be replace by a model display through May 31 . holes would slow the ship down and of the attack submarine USS Norfolk If you know the answer, call the sage gave major headaches to ship captains (SSN-714) in the museum' s NATO at 444-8971. The frrst person with the as the cost of repairing the holes was display. Jb.
Craney Island continuedfrom page 7 Every Horror was Perpetrated: prisoners and 40 deserters. Warren, Napoleon's Soldiers in British Pay however, reported only one officer and ritish manpower in 1813 was the attack on Craney Island and the seven seamen wounded and I 0 B tremendously overtaxed with capture of Hampton. After the second, missing. . demands of the war against Napoleon. Beckwith wrote Warren: " Their On June 25, Cockburn made up for When America declared war on Great behavior on the recent landing at the fa ilure at Craney· Island by taking Britain on June 18, 1812, the British Hampton, has already been reported to the town of Hampton. Comipg ashore government was baffled as to how you, together with the circumstances of near the site of the late r Mary sufficient troops were to be enrolled their dispersing to plunder in every Immaculate Hospital, a force of more to fight both conflicts. One method direction; their brutal treatment of than a thousand soldiers, marines and suggested was to make use of French several peaceable inhabitants, whose age chassuers marched down Kecoughtan prisoners against the Americans. or inflfiDities rendered them unable to Road into Hampton. After a sharp fight Accordingly, soldiers of Napoleon's get out of their way;and upon the with Virginia militiamen, the victorious army captured in Spain were given the representations of their officers, who British commenced sacking the town, choice of serving England in America found it impossible to check them, and one of the worst incidents of its type or going to the infamous prison at whose lives they threatened, the during the war. In the words of British Dartmoor. Three hundred made the subsequent necessity of re-embarking Lt. Col. Charles Napier, "every horror decision to serve George III. and sending them off to their ship. was perpetrated with impunity - rape, Referred to as Chasseurs Impressed with the conviction that murder, pillage - and not a man Britanniques, they were officially these companies can no longer be punished." The sack of Hampton known as the First and Second safely employed on the present fortunately proved to be the last attack Independent Companies of service, and that retaining them may • on Hampton Roads. A British Foreigners. They were assigned to Col. be productive of some serious disaster; blockading force was maintained at Sir Thomas Sidney Beckwith's force I take the liberty of submitting to you, Lynnhaven Bay while Cockburn sailed ordered in March 1813 to support the necessity of their being sent away south to harass the Carolinas. The next Admiral Sir John Warren's expedition as soon as possible." year Warren and Cockburn rejoined against Chesapeake Bay. Warren concurred with Beckwith' s forces in the Chesapeake to attack Mutinous and insubordinate before appraisal. The British took the Washington, but Norfolk and battle, they proved unreliable under chassuers back to Halifax, Nova Scotia Portsmouth had been spared. fire and rapacious against civilians. where they were disbanded. _!b. They took part in only two engagements,
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