Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

sir: I have to report that about four o'clock on the morning of the thirty-first ultimo, during the obscurity of a thick haze, two iron-clad gunboats came out of Charleston by the main ship channel, unperceivable by the squadron, and commenced a raid upon the blockading fleet.

Most of the latter were of the light class of purchased vessels, two of the heaviest men-of-war, the Powhatan and the Canandaigua, being at this port coaling and repairing.

The Mercedita was the first vessel attacked. Her officers and crew had been particularly watchful during the night to look out for suspected vessels, and at three o'clock had slipped her cable and overhauled a troop-steamer running for the channel by mistake. She had returned to her anchorage, and Captain Stellwagen had gone to his room for a short time, leaving Lieut. Com. Abbott on deck, when one of the iron-clads suddenly appeared. Her approach was concealed by the haze and moist of the atmosphere. The vessel was immediately hailed, and an order given to fire; but the iron-clad being close aboard, and lying low in the water, no guns could be brought to bear upon her. A heavy rifle-shell was fired from the enemy, which, entering the starboard side of the Mercedita, passed through her condenser and the steam-drum of her port boiler, and exploded against her port side, blowing a hole in its exit some four or five feet square, killing the gunner, and by the escape of steam scalding a number of the men, and rendering her motive power apparently useless.

Unable to use his guns, and being at the mercy of the enemy, who was alongside on his starboard quarter, all further resistance was deemed hopeless by Captain Stellwagen, and he surrendered. The crew and officers were paroled, though nothing was said of the ship, the Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Abbott, having gone on board the enemy's gunboat and made the arrangement.

The iron-clad, leaving the Mercedita to her fate, to sink or not, next engaged the Keystone State, Commander Leroy, who was attacked by the other. Their fire was gallantly returned, but a shell exploding in the fore-hold of this vessel, she was set on fire.

Commander Leroy kept off until the fire was got under, when he steered again for the iron-clad, having ordered on a full head of steam, determined to try to run her down. The guns had been trained and depressed for a plunging fire at the moment of collision, and the ship had acquired a speed of twelve knots, when a shell or shot from the enemy passed through both the steam-chests, wholly disabling her boilers, and rendering her powerless.

Ten rifle-shell struck the Keystone State, and two burst on the quarter-deck; but most of them struck the hull, being near and below the water line.

In the mean time, the Augusta, Commander Parrott, the Quaker City, Commander Frailey, and the Memphis, Acting Lieut. Watmough, kept up a fire upon the enemy, diverting their attention from the Keystone State, which was soon after taken in tow by the Memphis, and drawn away from the fire.

The Augusta and Quaker City were both struck in their hulls.

The Memphis was only struck in her rigging.

The Housatonic gave chase, and a shot from [408] her struck the pilot-house, doing, it is thought, some damage, and carrying away one of her flags.

The rebel vessels then passed to the north-ward, receiving the fire of our ships, and took refuge in the Swash channel behind the shoals.

The only casualties were on the Mercedita and the Keystone State.

On the Keystone State they are very large — about one fourth of her crew were killed and wounded, and among the former is the medical officer of the ship, Assistant Surgeon Jacob H. Gotwold, who was scalded to death, while rendering surgical aid to one of the wounded men.

Most of those who died perished from the escape of steam when the boilers and steam-chimneys were penetrated, and among the wounded the greater number received their injuries from the same cause.

As the Mercedita was the only vessel that surrendered, I have directed a Court of Inquiry to examine into the circumstances of the case as well as into the terms under which the surrender was made., This investigation has been asked for by Capt. Stellwagen.

I received this intelligence on Saturday, at three P. M., by the Augusta, which ship immediately returned to Charleston.

The Mercedita soon after arrived, and the Keystone State, in tow of the Memphis, when the latter vessel was at once sent back to her station.

The James Adger, Commander Patterson, was also towed back. She was just coming into Port Royal, and was ordered back to Charleston.

The Powhatan, through the commendable zeal of Captain Gordon, was also got ready by nine o'clock P. M. I had the channel and bar buoys lighted, when she passed out safely.

I forward herewith copies of the reports of Capt. Stellwagen, Lieutenant Commander Abbott, and Commander Leroy; also, the reports of the casualties on board the Mercedita and the Keystone State.

On the Mercedita there were four killed and three wounded, and on the Keystone State twenty killed and twenty wounded.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

sir: I have to report that at half-past 4 this morning two iron-clad rams from Charleston, in the obscurity of a thick haze, and the moon having just set, succeeded in passing the bar near the ship channel, unperceived by the squadron, and made an attack upon it, this ship being the first encountered.

Particular vigilance was exhibited by the officers and crew in the expectation of a vessel to run the blockade.

At three o'clock in the morning we had slipped our cable and overhauled a troop-steamer running for the channel. At four I lay down. Lieutenant Commander Abbott was on deck giving an order to Acting Master Dwyer, about recovering the anchor, when they saw a smoke and the faint appearance of a vessel close at hand.

I heard them exclaim, “She has black smoke!” “Watch, man the guns!” “Spring the rattle!” “Call all hands to quarters!”

Mr. Dwyer came to the cabin door, telling me “A steamboat was close aboard.”

I was then in the act of getting my pea-jacket, and slipped it on as I followed him out. I jumped to the poop-ladder; saw the smoke and a low boat, apparently a tug, although I thought it might be a little propeller for the squadron.

I sang out, “Train your guns right on him — be ready to fire as soon as I order.”

I hailed the steamer, “Ahoy! Stand clear of us and heave to. What steamer is that?” I then ordered my men to fire on him, and told him: “You will be into us. What steamer is that?”

His answer to the first and second hail was: “Halloo!” The other replies were indistinct, either by intention or from having spoken inside of his mail armor until in the act of striking us with his prow, when he said: “This is the confederate States steam ram.”

I repeated the order, “Fire!” “Fire!” “Fire!” but no gun could be trained on him, as he approached us on the quarter, and struck us just abaft our after-mast with a thirty-two-pounder, and fired a heavy rifle through us diagonally, penetrating the starboard side through our Normandy condenser, the steam-drum of our port boiler, and exploding against the port side of the ship, blowing a hole in its exit some four or five feet square.

The vessel was instantly filled and enveloped with steam. Reports were brought to me: “That we were shot through both boilers; that the fires were put out by the steam and smoke; that a gunner and one man were killed, that a number of men were badly scalded; that the water was over the fire-room floor, and that the vessel was sinking fast.”

The ram had cut us through at and below the water-line on one side, and the shell had burst on the other side almost at the water's edge.

After the ram struck she swung around under our starboard counter, her prow touching us, and hailed: “Surrender or I'll sink you. Do you surrender?”

After receiving the reports, I answered: “I can make no resistance, my boiler is destroyed.”

The rebel then cried out: “Do you surrender?”

I said, “Yes,” having found my moving power destroyed, and that I could bring nothing to bear but muskets against his shot-proof coating.

He hailed several times “to send a boat,” and threatened to fire again. After some delay a boat was lowered, and Lieutenant Commander Abbott asked if he should go in her, and asked for orders what to say.

I told him to see what they demanded, and to tell him the condition we were in. He proceeded [409] aboard, and according to their demand, gave his parole on behalf of himself and all the officers and crew. His report accompanies this.

The ram having been detained a half-hour or more, now ran out for the steamer Keystone State, which vessel and three others we tried to alarm by lights.

We saw a shell explode as it struck the ram without injuring her. Saw the Keystone State struck several times, and saw the steam and smoke blowing from her.

The firing then receded to the northward and eastward, and was pretty brisk at the head of the line. I set every body at work taking care of our wounded, pumping the ship, stopping leaks, examining the engines, etc.

About six A. M. got things in order to stop a little steam, and hove up anchor. The Stettin and Flag, seeing our condition, I told them they might be wanted to the southward to pick up men, the fighting now being over.

In conclusion, I have to say that in the squadron, where all the vessels were conspicuous for vigilance, this ship has never been found wanting. Every thing was done that circumstances permitted, and in a proper manner.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

sir: In obedience to your order, I proceeded to the rebel ram, and was received by Lieutenants Parker and Phyrock, and conducted by the former inside of the house, where I was received by her captain. His name I did not learn. I told him I had come in the name of Capt. Stell-wagen to give up the U. S. steamer Mercedita, she being in a sinking and perfectly defenseless condition.

They asked me about the condition of our boats and the number of the crew. I told them our boats were not large enough, nor in a proper condition to carry our number of crew.

After privately consulting with the Commodore the Captain returned to me, saying: “That they had concluded to parole our officers and crew, provided I would pledge my sacred word of honor that neither I or any of the officers and crew of the Mercedita would again take up arms against the confederate States during the war, unless legally and regularly exchanged as prisoners of war.”

Believing it to be the proper course to pursue at that time, I consented. I was then informed that I could return to the Mercedita.

I will here state in this report that I was on deck at the time the smoke of the ram was discovered, and in less than two minutes she was into us.

Your order to fire into her could not be obeyed, as no gun in the ship could be depressed or trained to hit her, though every effort was made to do so, she being so low in the water, and coming upon us “quartering.” We had only time to get the watch to their quarters, and before we could slip our cable, we were without steam, a shell having passed completely through the ship and boilers.

I am, very respectfully,

sir: I have to report that about five o'clock on this day, January thirty-first, while at anchor off the main entrance of the harbor of Charleston, the ship was approached by what was supposed to be a steamer, but regarding her appearance as suspicious, I ordered the cable slipped, and fired a gun, which was responded to by a shell, when I ordered the guns to be fired as they could be brought to bear upon the object. On putting my head to the eastward it was discovered that there was one on either quarter, and we made them out from their peculiar construction to be iron-clads after the model of the Merrimac.

Owing to a fire in the hold, we stood to the northward about ten minutes, and shoaling water kept south-east about ten minutes, to enable us to subdue the fire ; and then I turned around, and, under full steam, proposed attempting to run down the rain; but about six A. M. a shell from one of them entered on the port-side under the forward wheel-house guard, passing through the port steam-chimney, and landed in the starboard, depriving us of our motive power. Ten rifle-shell struck the ship and two burst on the quarter-deck; most of them striking the hull, being near and below the water-line. Our steam-chimneys being destroyed, our motive power was lost, and our situation became critical. There were two feet of water in the ship, and leaking badly, the water rising rapidly and the fire-hold on fire.

Others of the squadron coming along, the ram that had injured us so much altered her course, and before our wheels entirely stopped we were enabled to get a hawser from the Memphis, and were taken in tow.

I regret to report our casualties very large. Some twenty were killed and twenty wounded. Among the killed I have to mention the surgeon of the ship, Assistant Surgeon Jacob H. Gotwold, who was killed while in the act of rendering assistance to some of the wounded. Captain Wat-maugh, of the Memphis, kindly gave us the services of Acting Assistant Surgeon Brown, to whom I feel much indebted for the attention he has exhibited in caring for the wounded. Being unable to communicate with the senior officer present, personally or by signal, I deemed it my duty (Commander Frailey advising the step) to make the best of my way to Port Royal; Commander Frailey, by my request, advising the senior officer that I would leave in tow of the Memphis unless he gave other orders.

Accompanying please find list of casualties. In conclusion, I beg to call attention to the desire manifested by all under my command to destroy the enemy, and particularly to the cool and [410] efficient manner in which I was seconded by Lieutenant Commander Thomas H. Eastman, the executive officer of the ship.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,