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James Barnes, author of David G. Farragut, Naval Actions of 1812, Yank ee Ships and Yankee Sailors, Commodore Bainbridge , The Blockaders, and other naval and historical works, The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 6: The Navy. (ed. Francis Trevelyan Miller), The birth of the ironclads (search)
structive, will commend itself to you in the present scarcity of ammunition. It is one, also, that may be rendered destructive at night against the enemy at anchor. Even without guns, the ship would be formidable as a ram. Could you pass Old Point and make a dashing cruise on the Potomac as far as Washington, its effect upon the public mind would be important to the cause. The reason that the Merrimac did not pass Old Point Comfort, or proceed to New York, is told in another place, wOld Point Comfort, or proceed to New York, is told in another place, when she and the little Ericsson Monitor met. However, as far as her anticipated work was done, it was successful. With the wooden vessels she had it all her own way. But as of the Monitor herself, after the engagement, too high hopes were formed, so, of her antagonist, before she had been tried out, too much was expected. The monitors failed signally against well-protected shore batteries. As more and more of these turreted vessels were ordered to be constructed during the war, they were d
James Barnes, author of David G. Farragut, Naval Actions of 1812, Yank ee Ships and Yankee Sailors, Commodore Bainbridge , The Blockaders, and other naval and historical works, The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 6: The Navy. (ed. Francis Trevelyan Miller), The most famous naval action of the Civil war (search)
d mechanics. But to return to the moment of expectation — the morning of the 8th of March. Off Newport News, in Hampton Roads, only six and a half miles from Old Point Comfort and some twelve miles from Norfolk, lay the Federal squadron: the old Congress and the Cumberland well out in the stream, and farther down toward Fortresvy, made but one comment. The Congress surrendered! he exclaimed. Then Joe's dead! And so it was. It must not be presumed that the Federal vessels down at Old Point Comfort lay idly by. As soon as the dreaded Merrimac hove in sight, everything had been commotion on board of them. The Minnesota and Roanoke were endeavoring tn the Ossabaw Sound. by resisting the Merrimac as long as she did, even if she did have to withdraw. The Minnesota was gotten afloat that night and towed below Old Point. I suspect the Merrimac was making more water from the leak in her bow than her officers were willing to admit. This last statement is borne out by the testimon
The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 8: Soldier Life and Secret Service. (ed. Francis Trevelyan Miller), The balloons with the army of the Potomac: a personal reminiscence by Professor T. S. C. Lowe, who introduced and made balloon observations on the Peninsula for the Union army. (search)
were still pointing upward in the hope of preventing us in some way from further annoying the Confederates by watching their Confederate battery at Yorktown which fired upon the Federal balloonist and upon which balloon Bryan looked down Captain John Randolph Bryan, aide-de-Camp to General J. B. Magruder, then commanding the Army of the Peninsula near Yorktown, Virginia, made three balloon trips in all above the wonderful panorama of the Chesapeake Bay, the York and the James Rivers, Old Point Comfort and Hampton, the fleets lying in both the York and the James, and the two opposing armies facing each other across the Peninsula. General Johnston complimented him upon the detailed information which he secured in this fashion, braving the shells and shrapnel of the Union batteries, and his fellow-soldiers nicknamed the young aeronaut Balloon Bryan. On his final trip, made just before Williamsburg, May 5, 1862, the rope which held him to the earth entangled a soldier. It was cut.
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 3. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), The peace Commission of 1865. (search)
ant Secretary of War, and R. M. T. Hunter, Confederate Senator from the State of Virginia. These were expected to meet President Lincoln and Secretary Seward at Old Point, and prepare for the conference. General Lee was directed to pass the Commissioners through his lines to City Point, from which place it was supposed that General Grant would transfer them to the place of meeting at Old Point. Instructions were delivered to them directing, among other things, that they were to treat on the basis of two countries, thus precluding any idea of reunion, a provision which subsequently gave rise to difficulties in arranging the meeting, and it was rumored thatmen fit to govern such a country and to understand its wants, their views would have been different. We had tried to intimate to General Grant before we reached Old Point, that a settlement generally satisfactory to both sides could be more easily effected through him and General Lee by an armistice than in any other way. The atte
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 7. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), Battle of Hampton roads--Confederate official reports. (search)
ch was always promptly returned. The steam frigates Minnesota and Roanoke, and the sailing frigate Saint Lawrence, had previously been reported as coming from Old Point; but as I was determined that the Congress should not again fall into the hands of the enemy, I remarked to that gallant young officer, Flag-Lieutenant Minor, ththe ship to that gallant, intelligent officer, Lieutenant Catesby Jones, with orders to fight her as long as the men could stand to their guns. The ships from Old Point opened their fire upon us. The Minnesota grounded in the north channel, where unfortunately the shoalness of the channel prevented our near approach. We continu the south channel (the middle ground being necessarily between the Virginia and Minnesota, and Saint Lawrence and the Roanoke having retreated under the guns of Old Point), and again had an opportunity of opening upon the Minnesota, receiving her heavy fire in return; and shortly afterwards upon the Saint Lawrence, from which vess
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 8. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), Prison life at Fort McHenry. (search)
hand, to whom I was ministering, and at whose urgent solicitation I had voluntarily remained within the enemy's lines. I was sent, as already narrated, to the headquarters of General Schenck, and by him ordered to prison quarters at Fort McHenry, and although, through the influence of prominent citizens of Baltimore, General Schenck was induced to issue an order for my return to the South on the day following my incarceration, and I was actually taken on board the flag of truce boat to Old Point, yet orders were received at Fortress Monroe to return me to prison, and after a fortnight's confinement in Fort Norfolk I was returned to Fort McHenry, and kept there as a prisoner until, through the unwearied intercession of Colonel Ould, our humane and courteous Agent of Exchange, a cartel was arranged by which we could be exchanged. Without stopping, however, to inquire into the hows and where-fores of this vexed question, suffice it to say that at the time to which I refer about a
Jefferson Davis, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Chapter 2: (search)
s: an act ceding to the United States the lands on old point comfort, and the Shoal called the Rip Raps. Whereas, It is shown to the present General Assembly that the Government of the United States is solicitous that certain lands at Old Point Comfort, and at the shoal called the Rip Raps, should be, with the right of property and entire jurisdiction thereon, vested in the said United States for the purpose of fortification and other objects of national defense: 1. Be it enacted bs in writing under his hand and the seal of the State, to transfer, assign, and make over unto the said United States the right of property and title, as well as all the jurisdiction which this Commonwealth possesses over the lands and shoal at Old Point Comfort and the Rip Raps: . . . 2. And be it further enacted, That, should the said United States at any time abandon the said lands and shoal, or appropriate them to any other purposes than those indicated in the preamble to this act, that
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Monroe, Fort (search)
Monroe, Fort (official form), planned to be the most extensive military work in the United States. Its construction was begun in 1819, and was completed at a cost of $2,500,000. It was named in honor of President Monroe. Its walls, faced with heavy blocks of granite, were 35 feet in thickness and casemated below, and were entirely surrounded by a deep moat filled with water. It stands upon a peninsula known as Old Point Comfort, which is connected with the main by a narrow isthmus of sand and by a bridge in the direction of the village of Hampton. Fort Monroe in 1861. There were sixty-five acres of land within its walls, and it was armed with almost 400 great guns when the Civil War broke out. It had at that time a garrison of only 300 men, under Col. Justin Dimick, U. S. A. Its possession was coveted by the Confederates, but Dimick had turned some of its cannon landward. These taught the Confederates, civil and military, prudence, wisdom, and discretion. Gen. B. F. But
George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Major-General United States Army (ed. George Gordon Meade), chapter 4 (search)
e cars for that place, and from thence go by boat to some point down the river, not improbably Old Point Comfort. It appears to me that Norfolk is the most important point now, and that its attemptecClellan to interrupt and interfere with his plans without consulting him. He has gone down to Old Point in the firm belief and dependence that McDowell and his corps of forty thousand men would go wblished, placing all the troops east of the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad, and those at Old Point, again under McClellan's command. This is a retrograde step in the right direction, and will they require immediate and constant medical attendance. I am to leave in the first boat for Old Point, and from thence home. Kuhn, I fear, is killed. Willie Watmough Lieutenant Watmough did, , Seymour the Second, and Jackson the Third. I immediately returned in the mail-boat, reached Old Point last night, and this place this morning, and would have been in Washington by this time but fo
George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Major-General United States Army (ed. George Gordon Meade), chapter 6 (search)
nemy into Pennsylvania, and the failure to accomplish anything here, matters are becoming complicated. Headquarters army of the Potomac, August 3, 1864. I am in the midst of my row with Burnside. Our recent miserable failure will require an investigation, and authority has been asked of the President to appoint a court of inquiry. In the meantime I have preferred charges against Burnside, and asked he be relieved from duty with this army. Yesterday, on General Grant's return from Old Point, General Sheridan was ordered to Washington, to command that portion of the Army of the Potomac now detached for the defense of Maryland and the Capital. I at once went to Grant and told him, as he had thought proper to communicate to me that he had nominated me for a command in Washington, I demanded to know the reason I had not been accepted. He said the President expressed every willingness to have me, but not knowing my wishes on the subject, he feared my removal from the command of
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