Closing operations in the James River.
On the 31st of August, 1862, the
James River flotilla, under
Captain Charles Wilkes, was disbanded, the withdrawal of
McClellan from the
Peninsula having rendered its further continuance unnecessary.
For a long time thereafter the greater part of the river was left in the undisturbed possession of the
Confederates, who took the opportunity to fit out a squadron of considerable strength.
The nucleus of this squadron was found in the gun-boats which had assisted the
Merrimac in
Hampton Roads, viz., the
Patrick Henry,
Beaufort,
Raleigh, and
Teazer.
The
Jamestown, which had also been in
Tattnall's squadron, was sunk as an obstruction at
Drewry's Bluff. Three other gun-boats, the
Hampton and
Nansemond, which had been built at
Norfolk, and the
Drewry, were added to the enemy's flotilla in the
James.
[See map, p. 494.]
Little of importance happened on the river in 1863.
In the adjoining waters of
Chesapeake Bay an active partisan warfare was carried on by various junior officers of the
Confederate service, foremost among whom were
Acting Master John Y. Beall and
Lieutenant John Taylor Wood.
Numerous conflicts occurred on the bay, but in November
Beall was finally captured.
The repression of this guerrilla warfare was chiefly intrusted to the
Potomac flotilla, under
Commander F. A.
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Parker, while several raids were made upon Matthews county, the principal base of operations of the guerrillas, by gun-boats of the North Atlantic squadron.
The most striking operation in the
James River and adjacent waters in 1863 was the defense of the
Nansemond, April 12-26.
A sudden movement in force was made by the
Confederates to cross the river and thereby reach
Suffolk to attack
General Peck.
Admiral Lee hastily dispatched two flotillas to hold the line of the river: one composed of the
Stepping Stones and seven other gun-boats under
Lieutenant R. H. Lamson, in the upper
Nansemond, and the other of four gun-boats under
Lieutenant William B. Cushing, in the lower waters.
Of special importance were the capture on the 19th of April of the battery at
Hill's Point, by
Lieutenant Lamson's flotilla, in conjunction with three hundred men under
General Getty, and a landing expedition on the 22d to
Chuckatuck, several miles inland, under
Lieutenant Gushing.
After several months of inaction it was decided in August, 1863, to make a reconnoissance up the
James River.
The force consisted of the monitor
Sangamon, the ferry-boat
Commodore Barney, and the small steamer
Cohasset, all under the command of
Captain G. Gansevoort.
General Foster accompanied the squadron in an army tug-boat, but afterward went on board the
Sangamon.
The expedition started on the 4th and proceeded without incident up the river to
Dutch Gap, where the
Sangamon came to anchor owing to the low stage of water.
General Foster and his staff and
Captain Gansevoort then went on board the
Commodore Barney, and had gone only a few miles further, to Coxe's Landing, when two torpedoes exploded under the starboard bow of the
Barney, producing a heavy concussion, lifting her bows, and tearing the planking.
The wash from the torpedo carried twenty of the
Barney's crew overboard, most of whom were rescued.
The torpedoes consisted of five hundred pounds of powder, placed in tanks and fired by an electric connection on shore.
They were in charge of
Lieutenant Hunter Davidson.
After the explosion the
Barney was taken in tow by the
Cohasset, and the two vessels dropped down to
Dutch Gap.
On the following day the
Sangamon, with the two wooden boats, started down the river.
Early in the morning, near
Four Mile Creek, they had an engagement with a Confederate battery, hidden in thickets on the bank, and supported by infantry.
The
Sangamon and the
Barney returned the fire, but the
Barney was disabled by a shot through the boiler, and drifted ashore.
The
Cohasset got her off. A few hours later another engagement took place at
Turkey Island Bend, but without any definite result.
The wooden vessels were roughly handled; more than thirty round shot penetrated the
Barney, and she was fairly peppered with musket-balls.
The expedition arrived at Newport News on the morning of the 7th, having lost 3 killed and 3 wounded.
Meantime the Confederate Government had been constructing a powerful squadron for the defense of the river.
Besides the
Patrick Henry, which was used as a school-ship for midshipmen, there were the
Beaufort and
Raleigh, and the three later gun-boats, of slight importance, the
Nansemond,
Hampton, and
Drewry.
The main force consisted of three new iron-clads.
Of these, the
Fredericksburg carried four 6-inch rifles with four inches of armor, the
Richmond was still more powerful, and the
Virginia No. 2, modeled after the first
Virginia or
Merrimac, was the most powerful of all, having a casemate with six inches of armor on the sides and eight on the ends.
She carried two 8-inch and two 6-inch
Brooke rifles, and was the strongest vessel at any time in the
Confederate service.
The opening of the year 1864 found the North Atlantic squadron still in
Hampton Roads, and without so much as a foothold in the
James River.
Early in the year two joint expeditions of the army and the navy were made into the country in the neighborhood of the
Nansemond, then occupied by scattered forces of the enemy.
The first of these, on February 1st, resulted in serious disaster, the principal army detachment and the army transport
Smith Briggs being captured by the
Confederates.
The second expedition, on April 14th, composed of a larger force of troops, supported by the
Morris,
Perry, and
Barney, failed of its main object, and retired without gaining any substantial advantage.
The
James River campaign opened in May with the landing of the army at
City Point and
Bermuda Hundred.
At daybreak on the 5th the fleet left Newport News.
It was composed of five iron-clads, the monitors
Tecumseh,
Canonicus, and
Saugus, the Quintard turret-ship
Onondaga, and the casemated ram
Atlanta, which
Captain John Rodgers had captured the year before in
Warsaw (
Wassaw) Sound.
The iron-clads were towed up the river by ten of the small steamers in the rear of the transports carrying the troops.
The advance was composed of seven gun-boats, the
Osceola,
Commodore Morris,
Shokokon,
Stepping Stones,
Delaware, General
Putnam, and
Shawsheen, which were to drag the river for torpedoes.
Nothing occurred to impede the fleet, and on the evening of the same day the army was landed.
The gun-boats now proceeded to drag the river for torpedoes above
City Point.
On the 6th the
Commodore Jones, while exploring near
Four Mile Creek, was blown up by a torpedo fired by electricity from the shore; half her crew were killed or wounded.
A boat from the
Mackinaw, under
Acting Master's
Mate Blanchard, put out to search the banks, and captured the torpedo operators.
One of the prisoners was then placed in the forward gun-boat employed in dragging for torpedoes, and was thus led to give much information in reference to their locality and the mode of operating them.
On the 7th the gun-boat
Shawsheen was destroyed by batteries from the shore, and most of her crew were captured.
During May the monitors remained between
Trent's Reach and
City Point, protecting the right flank of
General Butler's army.
[See map, p. 198.] The fighting was principally in
Trent's Reach, where the
Confederates were erecting batteries.
They built a strong work at Howlett's, so placed that it could not be destroyed by the fire of the monitors.
This was the situation on the 14th of June, when
General Grant arrived at the
James.
The advance
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division of the fleet, composed..of the iron-clads, lay in or about
Trent's Reach.
The gun-boats searching for torpedoes occasionally went a little distance beyond, far enough even to draw the fire of Chaffin's Bluff, but
Trent's Reach remained substantially the advance position of the fleet.
The Confederate squadron, powerful as it was, was unequal to coping with the five Federal iron-clads.
In view, however, of the overwhelming importance of the river as a base of operations and means of communication,
General Grant had determined that he would not take the chances of a naval contest for its control, and he had previously ordered
General Butler to procure and sink a number of hulks in the channel at
Trent's Reach.
The obstructions were put in position between the 15th and 18th of June, and the operations of the fleet for the remainder of the summer were confined to desultory engagements with batteries at various points along the base of the army.
In July and August these engagements occurred with great frequency.
Once on the 21st of June, soon after the sinking of the obstructions, the
Confederate squadron came down below
Dutch Gap, and in conjunction with the battery at Howlett's made an ineffectual demonstration — the only occasion during the year 1864 on which they were brought into action.
During the
summer and
fall the iron-clads were gradually withdrawn, with the exception of the
Onondaga, a double-turreted monitor carrying two 15-inch smooth-bores and two 150-pounder Parrott rifles.
Up to this time the
Confederate squadron, under
Commodore John K. Mitchell, had been clearly overmatched, and was therefore not in a position to take the offensive.
When the last of the iron-clads had been taken off for the
Fort Fisher expedition, however, leaving only the
Onondaga,
Mitchell determined to try conclusions and see if he could not open the river.
After waiting for the river to rise, on the 22d of January a party was sent down to examine the obstructions, and found that they could be passed without much difficulty.
On the 23d the fleet, composed of the flag-ship
Virginia,
Lieutenant J. W. Dunnington, the
Richmond, and the
Fredericksburg, all iron-clads, the gun-boat
Drewry,
Davidson's torpedo boat, and three torpedo launches, proceeded down to
Trent's Reach.
The
Fredericksburg passed safely through the obstructions, but the
Virginia and
Richmond ran aground.
At daybreak they were discovered, and fire was opened on them from Fort Parsons, the
Federal battery near by. The
Onondaga,
Captain William A. Parker, which, on the approach of the enemy, had retired down the river, according to the statement of
Captain Parker, to obtain an advantageous position, now returned and joined in the attack.
With the flood-tide the two iron-clads were floated off, and withdrew up the river.
The
Drewry and one of the torpedo launches were destroyed.
The armor of the
Virginia was penetrated.
That night the
Confederate squadron came down again with the intention of attacking the
Onondaga, but retired after meeting with a warm reception from the batteries on the banks.
1
About the middle of February
Commodore Mitchell was replaced in the command of the James River squadron by
Admiral Semmes, lately the commander of the
Alabama.
During the six weeks that followed there was very little that the squadron could do. The obstructions at
Trent's Reach had been strengthened, and additions had been made to the fleet below.
Meantime the
Union armies were closing in about
Richmond, and at length the fall of the city was inevitable.
On the 2d of April, in obedience to orders from
Secretary Mallory,
Semmes blew up his vessels, landed his men, and proceeded by rail to
Danville, N. C., where he remained until
Johnston's surrender.
On the 3d of April
Richmond was occupied, and on the following day the
Malvern,
Admiral Porter's flag-ship, carried
President Lincoln up to the late capital of the
Confederacy.
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