Browsing named entities in Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 1.. You can also browse the collection for April 21st, 1861 AD or search for April 21st, 1861 AD in all documents.

Your search returned 1 result in 1 document section:

Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 1., Chapter 16: Secession of Virginia and North Carolina declared.--seizure of Harper's Ferry and Gosport Navy Yard.--the first troops in Washington for its defense. (search)
acks, and other buildings; and Lieutenant Henry A. Wise was directed to lay trains upon the ships and to fire them at a given signal. The trunnions of the Dahlgren guns resisted the hammers, but those of a large number of the old pattern guns were destroyed. Many of the remainder were spiked, but so indifferently that they were soon repaired. Commander Rogers and Captain Wright, of the Engineers, volunteered to blow up and destroy the Dry-dock. At about two o'clock in the morning, April 21, 1861. every thing was in readiness. The troops, marines, sailors, and others at the yard, were taken on board the Pawnee and Cumberland, leaving on shore only as many as were required to start the conflagration. At three o'clock, the Yankee, Captain Germain, took the Cumberland in tow; and twenty minutes later Paulding sent up a rocket from the Pawnee, which was the signal for the incendiaries to apply the match. In a few minutes a grand and awful spectacle burst upon the vision of the inh