The American Civil War

February 20.—The battle of Olustee, Florida, was fought this day by the National forces under the command of General Seymour and the rebels under General Caesar Finnegan.—(Doc. 87.)

—The rebel schooner Henry Colthurst, from Kingston, Jamaica, with a cargo of the munitions of war for the confederate government, and other articles of merchandise, was captured, near San Luis Pass, by the National schooner Virginia.

February 19.—A fight took place at Waugh’s Farm, twelve miles north-east of Batesville, Ark. About a hundred men, composed of company I, Eleventh Missouri cavalry, and Fourth Arkansas infantry, under command of Captain William Castle, of the Eleventh Missouri, out on a foraging expedition, with a large train of wagons in charge, were attacked by three hundred men under Rutherford. They were taken by surprise, but fought desperately against greatly superior numbers.

The rebels retreated across White River, having lost six killed and ten wounded. Of the Nationals, Captain Castle and private Alfred Wilgus, of company I, Eleventh Missouri cavalry, and a man of the Fourth Arkansas infantry, were killed. Wounded—Sergeant F. M. Donaldson, severely in the thigh and abdomen ; William Ball, severely in the foot; John II. Brandon, in both hands and breast, slightly; all of company I, Eleventh Missouri.

The Nationals lost forty prisoners, mostly teamsters, about thirty horses, and sixty wagons were burnt, and the teams, six mules to each, carried off.—Sergeant Spencer’s Account.

—The Twenty-first, Forty-seventh, and One Hundred and Eighteenth regiments of Indiana volunteers, returned to Indianapolis, and met with an enthusiastic welcome.

February 18.—An expedition, consisting of four hundred men belonging to the National cavalry, under General Gregg, left Warrenton, Va., last night, to examine the country in the direction of Middleburgh and Aldie. This evening the party returned, bringing in twenty-eight of Mosby’s rebel guerrillas and fifty-one horses. On their return they were charged on by the rest of the guerrilla band, for the purpose of retaking their fellows, but the charge was repulsed, and one more prisoner added to those already in the hands of the Union cavalry.

February 16.—An engagement took place between the rebel fort at Grant’s Pass, near Mobile, and the National gunboats.—The British steamer Pet was captured by the United States gunboat Montgomery. The capture was made near Wilmington, N. C. The Pet was from Nassau, for Wilmington, with an assorted cargo of arms, shot, shell, and medicines, for the use of the rebel army. She was a superior side-wheel steamer, of seven hundred tons burthen, built in England expressly for Southern blockading purposes. She had made numerous successful trips between Nassau and Wilmington. — The blockading steamer Spunky was chased ashore and destroyed while attempting to run the blockade of Wilmington, N. C.

A naval officer’s account.

On the evening of February seventeenth, the Housatonic was anchored outside the bar, two and a half miles from Beach Inlet battery, and five miles and three fifths from the ruins of Sumter — her usual station on the blockade. There was but little wind or sea, the sky was cloudless, and the moon shining brightly. A slight mist rested on the water, not sufficient, however, to prevent our discerning other vessels on the blockade two or three miles away. The usual lookouts were stationed on the forcastle, in the gangway, and on the quarter-deck.

At about forty-five minutes past eight of the first watch, the officer of the deck discovered, while looking in the direction of Beach Inlet battery, a slight disturbance of the water, like that produced by a porpoise. At that time it appeared to be about one hundred yards distant and a-beam. The Quartermaster examined it with his glass, and pronounced it a school of fish. As it was evidently nearing the ship, orders were at once given to slip the chain, beat to quarters, and call the Captain. Just after issuing these orders, the Master’s Mate from the forcastle reported the suspicious appearance to the officer in charge. The officers and men were promptly on deck, but by this time the submarine machine was so near us that its form and the phosphorescent light produced by its motion through the water were plainly visible. At the call to quarters it had stopped, or nearly so, and then moved toward the stern of the vessel, probably to avoid our broadside guns. When the Captain reached our deck, it was on the starboard quarter, and so near us that all attempts to train a gun on it were futile. Several shots were fired into it from revolvers, and rifles; it also received two charges of buckshot from the Captain’s gun.

The chain had been slipped and the engines had just begun to move, when the crash came, throwing timbers and splinters into the air, and apparently blowing off the entire stern of the vessel. This was immediately followed by a fearful rushing of water, the rolling out of a dense, black smoke from the stack, and the settling of the vessel.

Orders were at once given to clear away the boats, and the men sprang to the work with a will. But we were filling too rapidly. The ship gave a lurch to port and all the boats on that side were swamped. Many men and some officers jumped overboard and clung to such portions of the wreck as came within reach, while others sought safety in the rigging and tops. Fortunately we were in but twenty-eight feet of water, and two of the boats on the starboard side were lowered. Most of those who had jumped overboard were either picked up or swam back to the wreck. The two boats then pulled for the Canandaigua, one and a half miles distant. Assistance was promptly rendered by that vessel to those remaining on the wreck.

At muster the next morning, five of our number were found missing. The Captain was thrown several feet into the air by the force of the explosion, and was painfully but not dangerously bruised and cut.

It was the opinion of all who saw the strange craft, that it was very nearly or entirely under water, that there was no smoke-stack, that it was from twenty to thirty feet in length, and that it was noiseless’ in its motion through the water. It was not seen after the explosion. The ship was struck on the starboard side abaft the mizzen-mast. The force of the explosion seems to have been mainly upward. A piece ten feet square was blown out of her quarter-deck, all the beams and carlines being broken transversely across. The heavy spanker-boom was broken in its thickest part, and the water for some distance was white with splinters of oak and pine.

Probably not more than one minute elapsed from the time the torpedo was first seen, until we were struck, and not over three or four minutes could have passed between the explosion and the sinking of the ship. Had we been struck in any other part, or before the alarm had been given, the loss of life would have been much greater.

The Housatonic was a steam-sloop, with a tonnage of one thousand two hundred and forty, and she carried a battery of thirteen guns. She was completed about eighteen months ago, and has been in the blockade ever since. She is the first vessel destroyed by a contrivance of this character, and this fact gives to this lamentable affair a significance which it would not otherwise possess. Deserters tell us that there are other machines of this kind in the harbor, ready to come out, and that several more are in process of construction. The country cannot attend too earnestly to the dangers which threaten our blockading fleets, and the gunboats and steamers on the Southern rivers.

X. off Charleston, February 22, 1864.

Order by Admiral Dahlgren.

Flag-steamer Philadelphia,
Port Royal harbor, S. C.,
Feb. 19, 1864.

Order no. 50:

The Housatonic has just been torpedoed by a rebel David, and sunk almost instantly.

It was at night, and the water smooth.

The success of this undertaking will, no doubt, lead to similar attempts along the whole line of blockade.

If vessels on blockade are at anchor, they are not safe, particularly in smooth water, without out-riggers and hawsers, stretched around with rope netting, dropped in the water.

Vessels on inside blockade had better take post outside at night, and keep underweigh, until these preparations are completed.

All the boats must be on the patrol when the vessel is not in movement.

The commanders of vessels are required to use their utmost vigilance — nothing less will serve.

I intend to recommend to the Navy Department the assignment of a large reward, as prize-money, to crews or vessels who shall capture, or, beyond doubt, destroy one of these torpedo boats.

John A. Dahlgren,
Rear-Admiral, Commanding
S. A. B. Squadron.

February 17.—The United States steam-sloop Housatonic was destroyed by a torpedo in the harbor of Charleston, S. C— (Doc. 84.)

February 15.—Yesterday and to-day attacks were made upon the fort at Waterproof, La. The following account of the affair was given by Lieutenant Commander Greer, of the steamer Rattler: “A force of about eight hundred cavalry, of Harrison’s command, on the fourteenth made an attack upon the post, driving in the pickets and pressing the troops very hard. Fortunately for them the Forest Rose, was present. Captain Johnson immediately opened a rapid fire on them, which drove them back. He got his vessel under way and shelled the enemy wherever his guns would bear. They hastily retreated to the woods. This lasted from three to five P.M. At eight o’clock, the enemy attempted to make a dash into the town, but Captain Johnson, who was well advised as to their approaches, drove them back. Eight dead rebels and five prisoners were left in our hands. Our loss was five killed and two wounded. Captain Johnson says some of the negroes fought well, but for want of proper discipline a majority did not Lieutenant Commander Greer arrived with the Rattler, after the fighting was over. He then proceeded to Natchez, reported the facts to Commander Post, and asked him to send up reinforcements. The next morning he despatched two hundred men and some howitzer ammunition to Waterproof. Upon arriving at that place on the fifteenth, he found that in the morning the enemy, who had been reenforced in the night, and whose forces now consisted of two regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, and four pieces of artillery, had again attacked the post. The Forest Rose, whose commander was ever on the alert, was ready for them. A few well-directed shells stopped them from planting their battery on the plank-road, and drove them off in confusion. The attempts of the remainder to advance were frustrated by the Forest Rose. Captain Johnson says that Captain Anderson asked repeatedly for me to take his troops on board and throw them across the river, while in every request he (Johnson) declined, and could only tell him to fight. After I got the enemy to retreat he felt more easy, and discontinued his requests to cross. I do not think Captain Anderson was intimidated, but, by the bad discipline of his officers and the incapacity of his men, he became panic-stricken. The ram Switzerland arrived about the close of the fight and joined them. The rebel loss, as far as known, was seven killed, a number wounded, who were taken off, and several prisoners, among them a lieutenant, who were taken to Harrison. Our loss was three killed and twelve wounded. In the two days’ fight the Forest Rose expended two hundred and seventy shell.”

—Colonel Phillips, commanding the expedition to the Indian Territory, reported to General Thayer that he had driven the enemy entirely out of that region, and in several skirmishes killed nearly a hundred rebels, and had captured one captain and twenty-five men.

—Judge Stewart, of the Provincial Court of Admiralty, Nova Scotia, gave judgment that the capture of the Chesapeake was an act of piracy, and ordered restitution of the vessel and cargo to the original owners.

February 14.—Major Larmer, of the Fifth Pennsylvania reserve regiment, Acting Inspector-General on General Crawford’s staff, was shot dead in a skirmish with guerrillas about two miles east of Brentsville, Va. He was out with a scouting-party of some fifty men of the Thirteenth Pennsylvania cavalry, who, as they were crossing a bridge over Cedar Run, at the point above mentioned, were suddenly fired upon by a band of guerrillas concealed in a pine thicket a short distance off the road.

His men were driven back across the bridge, but there held their ground until assistance could be sent for from General Crawford’s division. Colonel Jackson, of the Eleventh Pennsylvania reserves, was then sent out with a portion of his regiment, and on his approach the rebels fled. The men then recrossed the bridge to the point where they had been driven back, and brought away the body of Major Larmer, which had been left in the hands of the rebels. The Nationals lost in the skirmish, besides Major Larmer, three cavalrymen killed and one wounded, and two prisoners.

—Gainesville, Florida, was captured by the United States troops under Captain George E. Marshall, of the Fortieth Massachusetts infantry, and held for fifty-six hours against several attacks of the rebels double his own number. A large quantity of rebel stores were distributed among the people of the town, after which Captain Marshall successfully evacuated the place.— (Doc. 87.)

—It appearing that large numbers of men qualified for military duty were preparing to leave Idaho for the far West, for the purpose of evading the draft ordered by the President of the United States, Governor W. M Stone, of that territory, issued a proclamation, announcing that no person would be permitted to depart in that direction without a proper pass, and that passes would be granted to those only who would make satisfactory proof that they were leaving the State for a temporary purpose, and of their intention to return on or before the day of drafting, March tenth.

—Thomas H. Watts, Governor of Alabama, issued the following communication to the people of Mobile:

“Your city is about to be attacked by the enemy. Mobile must be defended at every hazard and to the last extremity. To do this effectively, all who cannot fight must leave the city. The brave defenders of the city can fight with more energy and enthusiasm when they feel assured that the noble women and children are out of danger.

“I appeal to the patriotic non-combatants to leave for the interior. The people of the interior towns, and the planters in the country, will receive and provide support for all who go. The patriots of this city will see the importance and necessity of heeding this call.

“Those who love this city and the glorious cause in which we fight, will not hesitate to obey the calls which patriotism makes.”[1]

[1] General Dabney H. Maury, in command at Mobile, on the thirteenth despatched the following letter to K. H. Slough, the Mayor of that city:

“My Dear Sir: I see but little disposition on the part of noncombatants to leave Mobile. Please use every means in your power to induce them to do so without delay.

“The Governor of Alabama assures me that he will take measures to secure to the people an asylum in the upper region of country bordering the river above here. I cannot believe that the kind and hospitable people of Mobile, who have for years been opening their homes to the homeless refugees from other parts of the Confederacy, will fail to receive a really welcome and kind protection during the attack on their homes.

“Patriotism demands that they leave the city for a while to those who can defend it. Prudence urges that they make no unnecessary delay in going.

“I will assist you here with transportation. The Governor says he will make proper arrangements for their reception and entertainment above.”

February 12.—Decatur, Miss., was entered by the National troops, belonging to the command of General W. T. Sherman, on an expedition into that State.— (Doc. 122.)