ALETERNATE TIME LINE “Reno’s Greasy Grass ”

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ALETERNATE TIME LINE “Reno’s Greasy Grass ”

1803 Louisiana Purchase

1804–1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition

1851 First Fort Laramie Treaty

1861–1865 Civil War

1863 June During the Gettysburg Campaign, two regiments of the Michigan Brigade were armed with the Spencer carbine. These cavalry regiments were under Brevet Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer. These reliable repeaters were decisive at the Battle of Hanover and at East Cavalry Field. Brevet Gen. George A. Custer's Michigan Brigade assisted Farnsworth to hold his ground, and a stalemate ensued. Stuart was forced to continue north and east to get around the Union cavalry, further delaying his attempt to rejoin Robert E. Lee's army, which was then concentrating at Cashtown Gap west of Gettysburg. This delay of JEB left Lee Blind during a crucial period of the battle. Custer was very impressed with the Spencer.

1862 Santee Sioux (Minnesota) Uprising

November 29, 1864 Sand Creek Massacre

1866 July 28 Custer was appointed lieutenant colonel of the newly created 7th Cavalry Regiment,
which was headquartered at Fort Riley, Kansas. He served on frontier duty at Fort Riley from
October 18 to March 26, and scouted in Kansas and Colorado until July 28, 1867.

A US Army cavalry regiment consisted of 12 companies formed into 3 squadrons of 4 companies each. Besides the commanding officer who was a colonel, the regimental staff included 7 officers, 6 enlisted men, a surgeon, and 2 assistant surgeons. Each company was authorized 4 officers, 15 noncommissioned officers, and 72 privates. A civilian veterinarian accompanied the regiment although he was not included in the table of organization.

The regiment was armed from late civil war stock of 116,000 Remington .44 caliber, six-shot, cap and ball Model 1863 New Model Army revolvers. The .44 caliber six-shot New Model Army was as reliable, but not as popular, as Colt's revolvers. The checkered walnut grips are factory finished with a medium gloss varnish, mounted with a blued steel screw, through brass escutcheons. The 8" octagon barrel is fitted with a post blade front sight. The notch in the center of the frame serves as the rear sight. The traditional brass triggerguard is polished bright. The Remington trigger is wide and comfortable, and the release is modest, with no creep or lost motion. The troopers were also issued a black leather flapped cross draw(Butt forward) holster, black leather belt with brass buckle, an extra cylinder and nipple wrench.

The 7th was issued from the large stock (90,000) of late Civil War The Spencer repeating carbine carbines. These used the Spencer .56-56 caliber metallic-cartridge; the Army had over 30,000,000 surplus rounds. The Spencer was a repeating, Manually cocked hammer, lever action, 7 round tube magazine. The Spencer had a Rate of fire: 14-20 rounds per minute. Maximum Effective Range was 500 yards in the hands of a good marksmen. Given the US Army allowed only about 20 rounds per year for training, not many first enlistment were marksmen. It was deadly accurate on man-size targets out to 300 yards in the hands of a trained soldier.

1867 Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867

The army purchased fifty. 50 caliber Gatling guns.

1867 September 16 Custer was arrested and charged with “absence without leave from his command," it was specified that he left Fort Wallace for Fort Harker without proper authority from his superiors. Many of the other specifications fell under the charge of "conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline." Two of these specifications claimed that he had marched some of his men "upon private business". Behind these charges, however, lay the larger accusation that Custer should have been devoting his time, energy, forces and resources to pursuing Indians.

1867 October 11 Lt. Col Custer was found guilty on all charges and sentenced with suspension of rank and pay for one year.

1868 December 15 Major Marcus Reno joined the 7th Cavalry at Fort Hays, Kansas as XO. Major Reno commanded the 7th Cavalry during Custer's absence. Marcus Reno was born on November 15, 1834, in Carrollton, Illinois. Reno entered West Point on 1 September 1851. He graduated 20th in a class of 38 in June 1857. Reno served in the Union Army during the Civil War, participating in the Battles of Kelly's Ford (wounded), the Gettysburg Campaign, Cold Harbor, Trevilian Station, and Cedar Creek. He was twice brevetted for gallant and meritorious conduct. After the war, Reno served in the Pacific Northwest until 1868.

1868 September 24, two months before his sentence was up, Custer was reinstated to command the 7th US Cavalry once again by General Phillip Sheridan with orders to find and attack the villages of Cheyenne Dog Soldiers.

1868 Second Fort Laramie Treaty

1868 November 27 during “Red Cloud's War” the battle of the Washita occurred near present Cheyenne in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma. Prior to that date, theand military campaigns in western Kansas had failed to stem the tide of Indian raiding on the southern Great Plains. Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, who had been named commander of the Department of the Missouri in spring 1868, realized that warm weather expeditions against the mounted Southern Cheyenne, Southern Arapaho, and other "hostiles" were ineffective. Therefore, he devised a plan to attack during the winter months when the tribes were encamped and most vulnerable.

In November 1868 three columns of U.S. Army cavalry and infantry troops from forts Bascom in New Mexico, Lyon in Colorado, and Dodge in Kansas, were ordered to converge on the Indian Territory (present Oklahoma) and strike the Southern Cheyenne and the Southern Arapaho. The main force was the Seventh Cavalry led by Lt. Col. George A. Custer. Custer's troops marched from Fort Dodge and established Camp Supply in the Indian Territory, where they were to rendezvous with the Nineteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, which was advancing from Topeka. Slowed by a severe snowstorm, the Nineteenth was unable to reach the post in time, and the Seventh set out alone on November 23.

While Custer's main body of troops and supplies advanced in deep snow south toward the Canadian River and the Antelope Hills, scouts from Maj. Joel Elliott's detachment found an Indian trail further south near the Washita River. Custer reformed the Seventh and decided to follow the path down the Washita, leaving the baggage train to catch up later. The Seventh arrived on a ridge behind an Indian camp after midnight on November 27. After moving forward with his Osage scouts and surveying the area, Custer planned to divide the Seventh into four battalions and attack the village at dawn.

Custer's target was peace chief Black Kettle's camp of about 250 Cheyenne. Earlier, on November 20, 1868, Bvt. Maj. Gen. William B. Hazen, commander of the military's Southern Indian District, had warned Black Kettle, who was seeking protection and supplies for his band at Fort Cobb in the Indian Territory, that the military was pursuing the Cheyenne and the Arapaho. Black Kettle learned that he and his principal men would have to deal with the army's field commanders if they wanted peace. Based on that knowledge, Black Kettle planned to move his village from its present location to larger Cheyenne encampments down the Washita. Having been attacked at Sand Creek in Colorado in 1864, he hoped to find safety in numbers.

Custer's troops were in position by daybreak, and he ordered them forward. Someone from the village spotted the soldiers and fired a shot to warn the camp. The attack started, and within ten minutes the village had been overrun. Fighting continued until about three o'clock that afternoon, however, because Indians from camps downstream rushed up the valley to aid Black Kettle. Arapaho and Kiowa were among those that encountered and killed a detachment of seventeen men led by Maj. Joel Elliott along a stream now known as Sergeant Major Creek. (Arapaho chief Little Raven and the Kiowa Satanta were among the defenders of Black Kettle's village.)

Black Kettle and an indeterminate number of Cheyenne were killed, and fifty-three women and children were captured. (Custer reported 103 Cheyenne men had been killed. The Cheyenne claimed only about eleven of their men had died. The rest were women and children.) In addition, fifty-one lodges and their contents were burned, and the camp's pony herd of roughly eight hundred horses was killed. The Seventh Cavalry suffered twenty-two men killed, including two officers, fifteen wounded, and one missing. That very evening the Seventh, with their prisoners in tow, began their return march to Camp Supply.

1869 The Sheridan-Custer campaign continued, with troopers of the Seventh Cavalry and the Nineteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry roaming over much of present southwestern Oklahoma.

Work on Camp Wichita, later Fort Sill, begun, replacing Fort Cobb as a base of operations.

March Custer overtook a large number of Cheyenne on the Sweetwater River in the Texas Panhandle. His supplies exhausted, Custer did not attack. Instead, using trickery, he took tribe leaders hostage and won a Cheyenne promise to report to Camp Supply. Declaring the five-month campaign finished, Custer led his army back to Kansas, and they arrived at Fort Hayes on April 10, 1869.

Custer’s and most of his officers and troopers opinion of the Spencer now included evidence that it was a superb weapon against the plain’s Indians.

1873 Panic of 1873 and recession

1873 Custer and the 7th Cavalry posted to Ft. Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. Custer faced a group of attacking Lakota at the Northern Pacific Railroad Survey at Yellowstone. It was his first encounter with Lakota leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, but it wouldn’t be his last. Little did Custer know at the time the two Indigenous leaders would play a role in his death a few years later.

Major Reno, along with both ordnance and civil war calvary veterans was on the board of officers involved in the final rejection of the Springfield Model 1873 and decision to continue the late war Spencer as the standard carbine of the US Army.

The major reasons for rejection were:
A. Lack of funding for both a new infantry rifle and Cavalry carbine.
The Ordnance Department had just adopted the Springfield No. 99 as the standard infantry weapon of the U.S. Army. Later designated the Springfield Model 1873 and nicknamed the “Springfield Trapdoor,” the rifle would serve the American military for the next twenty years. The rifle got its nickname from its breech-loading mechanism, which resembled a trapdoor. To load a round, a soldier had to open the latch and manually insert a single cartridge.

B. Poor reliability of the Model 1873 carbine during trials. The Army had yet to switch over to brass cartridges and still relied on copper. Firing the carbine created heat that caused the copper cartridges to expand, making the spent cartridge difficult to extract from the breech. One method to remove it was to pry it out with a knife. The M1873 field manual instructed soldiers to push the cartridge out with a cleaning rod, but this presented a problem since the M1873 carbine was not equipped with a cleaning rod.

C. Civil War experienced cavalry officers valued the volume of fire the spencer could deliver.

Although most of the men drew the standard-issue Spencer’s , it was their prerogative to purchase their own arms. Custer carried a Remington .50-caliber sporting rifle with octagonal barrel. Yellow hair also packed two revolvers that were not standard issue; Webley British Bulldog, double-action, white-handled revolvers.

Captain Thomas A. French of Company M carried a .50-caliber Springfield that his men called “Long Tom.” Sergeant John Ryan, also of Company M, used a .45-caliber, 15-pound Sharps telescopic rifle, specially made for him. Private Henry A. Bailey of Company I had a preference for a Dexter Smith, breech loading, single-barreled shotgun.

7th Cavalry issued Colt M1873 Cavalry model 7½ inch barrel, single action, six shot, solid frame revolver. Chambered in .45 Colt (also known as .45Long Colt or .45LC). The Colt Single Action Army revolver was chosen over other Colts, Remington and Starrs. By 1871, the percussion cap models were being converted for use with metallic cartridges. Ordnance testing in 1874 narrowed the field to two final contenders: the Colt Single Action Army and the Smith & Wesson Schofield. The Schofield won only in speed of ejecting empty cartridges. The Colt won in firing, sanding and rust trials and had fewer, simpler and stronger parts. It had a muzzle velocity of 810 feet per second, with 400 foot-pounds of energy. Its effective range dropped off rapidly over 60 yards, however. The standard U.S. issue of the period had a blue finish, case-hardened hammer and frame, and walnut grips.

1875 May A delegation of Lakota chiefs came to the White House to protest shortages of government rations and the greed of a corrupt Indian agent. Grant seized the opportunity to:

First, he said, the government’s treaty obligation to issue rations had run out and could be revoked; rations continued only because of Washington’s kind feelings toward the Lakota.

Second, he, the Great Father, was powerless to prevent miners from overrunning the Black Hills (which was true enough, given limited Army resources). The Lakota. must either cede the Paha Sapa ( Lakota for Black Hills) or lose their rations.

When the chiefs left the White House for three weeks they alternated between exasperating encounters with threatening bureaucrats and bleak hotel-room councils among themselves. At last, they broke off the talks and returned to the reservation disgusted and very, very angry.

December 3, 1875 Lakota and Cheyenne 'wanderers' ordered back to their reservations

January 31, 1876 Deadline for the Lakota and Cheyenne to return to their reservations

February 1, 1876 Off-reservation Indians certified hostile; matter handed to War Department

February 2, 1876 Pursuant to orders issued by Terry the Military Department of Dakota detailed two officers and 24 enlisted men of the 20th Infantry for special duty in a Gatling gun battery, equipped with the improved magazine system to be organized at Fort Lincoln.

February 20, 1876 After a perilous snowbound train ride from their stations in Dakota Territory and Minnesota, 2nd Lt. William H. and his men arrived at the fort. Custer was away combining, at the government’s expense, a holiday with Libby in Washington and testifying before a Congressional committee investigating allegations of corruption in President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration. Before his departure the post commander issued orders for Low to organize and drill a “battery consisting of four pieces.” Because eight men manned each gun, Terry subsequently authorized the assignment of eight additional men from Low’s regiment to the special unit.

The army purchased fifty. 50 caliber Gatling guns in 1867. These new guns were not apparently in use on the frontier for some time, as no record of their use appeared for some time after their purchase. The development and adoption of the .50 center fire metallic cartridge by the army furnished the type of ammunition needed for the Gatling gun and the army first rapid fire or machine gun was placed in service. The gun consisted of ten barrels mounted around a c central axis and operated by turning a hand crank at the breech, which h caused the barrels to revolve around the axis . Each complete revolution of the crank brought each of the ten barrels in line with the stationary breech, which caused the bottom barrel to fire and the top one to eject the empty shell as the mechanism is m was operated .

The ammo was introduced at the top by means of a gravity feed hopper, and the only limitations on firing , theoretically , were the ability of the operator to turn the crank rapidly and the speed with which the loader replaced the empty magazines. Thus, if the operator could revolve the mechanism one hundred times a minute and the loader keep the supply of cartridges constant, the gun could deliver one thousand bullets a minute. Even though the army brass was never happy with the earlier Manual manipulation allowed cartridges from one stack to drop down into the gun at a time. The army ordnance bureau had refused to modify it’s gatlings in 1871 to use a true early box magazine to replaced the 40 round tins.

However, in 1872, an influential Indianapolis, Indiana congress and former Army of the Potomac Col of volunteers and friend of Phil Sheridan talked the Army Ordnance board into attending a demonstration of the Gatling Company (which was produced in Indianapolis) newly patented improved type of feed device named after L. M. Broadwell. The Broadwell Drum consisted of twenty stacks of cartridges arrayed in a circle with the bullets pointing inward at a central column (kind of like the later Lewis drum). Each stack held twenty rounds, giving the drum a total capacity of 400 rounds. Not only did the new drum vastly improve the effective rate of fire, it did it with far less jams.

The Gatling gun had been considered an artillery weapon, usually mounted on a light field artillery carriage. However the 40 round magazines and a tendency to jamming, as much due to the feed as to the lack of practice by the gun crews, had long supported the traditional conservatism of the board of Accordance in it’s objection to wide scale purchase and use of the gatling. Now a majority of the board, including the Chief of Ordnance believed the gun hat matured enough to be of real value in repulsing Indian charges and as an offensive weapon for use with infantry.

Three months later the board got a report from the Springfield Arsenal that the modifications to the 1867 guns to accommodate the Broadwell Drum were minor, cheap and easily reservable more than half were impressed. The board met two weeks later under, the urging of the same congressman, to consider the Gatling Company’s proposal to provide the necessary parts to the Springfield Armory at very reasonable cost IF the army signed a contract for an initial purchase of 200 drums. The contract contained a clause that IF the army found that, under field conditions, the Broadwell Drum drums proved unsatisfactory the company would refund both the cost of the drums and the replacement parts.

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March 1, 1876 Crook's Wyoming column departs Fort Fetterman, Wyoming Territory

March 17, 1876 Colonel Reynolds attacks Cheyenne camp on the Little Missouri River

April 3, 1876 Gibbon's Montana column departs Fort Ellis, Montana Territory

April 12 1876 Custer returns from Washington DC after an attempt to mollify POTUS Grant but his old commander refused to meet with him. Grant's reason for avoiding Custer was political. Custer had testified about corruption in Grant's Indian affairs offices, so Grant removed him from command. Despite his better judgment, Grant's wartime friend Phillip Sheridan, persuaded him to send Custer West and restore his command of the 7th Cavalry. Custer was now determined to restore his fortunes and career by the only means he knew; on the field of battle.

Grant knew “Goldie Locks” all too well and, despite his great respect for his dear friend Sheridan, took steps to control Custer. Grant sent an “Eyes only letter” to Terry by special messenger. He made it quite clear that he had grave doubts about Custer in the upcoming campaign. He ordered Terry to keep “The Boy General” on a very short leash with very specific orders in writing that could not be misinterpreted. Terry was to relieve Custer of his command at the first sign of insubordination, shaking off authority, recklessness or even unruly talk.”

Grant just knew, given the slightest chance, the “Glory Hunting Bastard” would do something rash and very dangerous to restore his image and future prospects. He ended the private message with the threat to “End your career if Custer Kicked over the traces”.

May 10 , 1876 Low , with the agreement of his battery Sgt, a former captain of Volunteer artillery veteran during the civil War reduced his Gatling Gun detachment to 3 pieces for this campaign. By pooling the best horses in the battery they both believed they could, in all good conscience, could keep up with the column. Custer wanted to leave the entire battery behind but only Terry could authorize that.

Custer made the case to Terry that both the 7th Cavalry and the battery lacked adequate horsepower. He also contended the shortage of serviceable horses further restricted the mobility of Low’s Gatling guns (viewed by the Army as a defensive tactical weapon) and he could better use the serviceable horses to better mount his troopers. Terry agreed to the reduction to three Gatlings and told Custer he would see what he could do about remounts for the 7th. .

For Custer the shortage of adequate mounts would reduce the strength of his command, forcing him to leave the regimental band, many recruits and other dismounted troopers at the Powder River supply depot when the regiment pursued the Indians up Rosebud Creek that June.

May 17, 1876 Terry's Dakota column departs Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory
Brigadier General Terry commanded two companies of the 7th US Infantry, one company of the 6th US Infantry, Low’s Gatling Gun detachment and the entire 7th Cavalry, numbering in all about 925 men.

Alfred Terry was one of the best Union generals and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886. He was born in 1827 in Hartford, Connecticut, to a prosperous family. Having a good education, he became a lawyer and was appointed as the Superior Court of New Haven County clerk in the 1850’s.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Terry raised a regiment of Connecticut volunteers and led them into battle at First Bull Run and other engagements in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. His success on the battlefield earned him a promotion to brigadier general.

In 1866, Terry became military commander of the Department of Dakota and would play an essential role in the army’s long and often ruthless campaign against the Indians to gain control of the northern plains. In 1867, he served as a member of the peace commission that finally ended Red Cloud’s attacks by negotiating the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. Terry’s legal training and judicial experience would lead to his selection for many similar commissions throughout his career.

29 May, 1876 Crook's Wyoming column departs Fort Fetterman

June 2, 1876 after a staff meeting Custer requested a private word with his commander. Terry thinking about Grant’s letter was wary but consented. Once again Custer was pressing Terry to send the Gatling gun detachment of the 20th Infantry under 2nd Lt. William H. Low, back to Powder River supply depot and mount the men he left there due to lack of mounts. Custer “pleaded” that amounts to three gun teams and six limbers teams along with the mounted gunners added up to 180 horses or two full strength troops of cavalry. This twas a new tack for Custer’s argument.

In the past he had argued saying that the battery “might embarrass him, and that he was strong enough without it. Or “They might hamper our movements or march at a critical moment, because of the inferior horses and of the difficult nature of the country.”

Terry knew the majority of the dismounts were Custer’s band and raw recruits. He also believed Custer valued his band a lot more than Low’s guns. Once again he turned Custer down.

June 4–7, 1876 Sitting Bull's Sun Dance
The region containing the Powder, Rosebud, Bighorn, and Yellowstone rivers was a productive hunting ground and the tribes regularly gathered in large numbers during early summer to celebrate their annual sun dance ceremony. During the ceremony, Sitting Bull received a vision of soldiers falling upside down into his village. He prophesied there soon would be a great victory for his people.

Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were Battle-Hardened War leaders

In 1873, Custer faced a group of attacking Lakota at the Northern Pacific Railroad Survey at Yellowstone. It was his first encounter with Lakota leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, but it wouldn’t be his last. Little did Custer know at the time the two Indigenous leaders would play a role in his death a few years later.

In 1868, the U.S. government had signed a treaty recognizing South Dakota’s Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. However, the government had a change of heart and decided to break the treaty in 1874 when Custer led an excursion of miners who had been looking for gold into the Black Hills.

Custer was tasked with relocating all Native Americans in the area to reservations by January 31, 1876. Any person who didn’t comply would be considered hostile.

The Native Americans, however, didn’t take the deception lying down. Those who could, left their reservations and traveled to Montana to join forces with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at their fast-growing camp. Thousands strong, the group eventually settled on banks of the Little Bighorn River.

On June 22, General Terry decided to detach Custer and his 7th Cavalry to make a wide flanking march and approach the Indians from the east and south. Custer was to act as the hammer, and prevent the Lakota and their Cheyenne and Arapaho allies from slipping away and scattering, a common fear expressed by government and military authorities. General Terry and Colonel Gibbon, with infantry and cavalry, would approach from the north to act as a blocking force or anvil in support of Custer's far ranging movements toward the headwaters of the Tongue and Little Bighorn Rivers. The Indians, who were thought to be camped somewhere along the Little Bighorn River, "would be so completely enclosed as to make their escape virtually impossible."

June 10 1876 General Terry dispatched Reno and six companies of the 7th Cavalry to determine if there were any Indians on the Powder or Tongue rivers. If he found nothing significant he was to rejoin the Dakota column on the 19th. which (contrary to orders) would also scout the lower reaches of Rosebud Creek.

Major Reno discovered evidence of the largest Indian village anyone in the US Army had ever seen on the the Rosebud River. His scout reported sign these Indians were moving west to the Bighorn valley.

A Gatling gun and crew under 2nd Lt. Frank Kinzie accompanied Reno’s column. Reno’s scouting column passed over “very rough ground,” in the words of one soldier on the recon , an obstacle that required Kinzie’s gun crew to unhitch the horses, unlimber the Gatling and manhandle the piece across ravines. Kinzie and his gun crew, through great effort and a lot of ingenuity, confirmed Reno’s belief the guns could follow the cavalry through difficult terrain.

June 16, 1876 Lt Col George Armstrong Custer was kicked in the head by his favorite horse the thoroughbred, Victory. Custer died mediately. Custer had dismounted to clear what he thought was a rock from Victory’s left hind hoof. It turned out to be a jagged piece of buffalo horn jammed into the extremely sensitive laminae. When Custer touched it it caused great pain to Victory an the horse kicked out in reflex reaction.

Terry sent out a galloper to find Major Reno and inform him he was now “Acting” commanding officer of the 7th. Terry knew Reno had proven himself as a regimental CO during several long absences of Custer and refused to appoint anyone else to command the 7th until after this campaign was completed.

The intelligence gathered by Reno influenced Terry’s decision to send The 7th “in pursuit” of the hostiles.

June 16, 1876 Lakota and Cheyenne move into the Little Bighorn valley

June 17, 1876 The Battle of the Rosebud, took place during the Campaign of 1876. Brigadier General George Crook, along with his Crow and Shoshone scouts, had come north from Wyoming with approximately 1000 troops looking for the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne villages of Chief Sitting Bull. On the morning of June 17, near the headwaters of Rosebud Creek, Crook was unprepared for the organized attack of an equal or even greater number of warriors lead by Sioux Chief Crazy Horse and Cheyenne Chiefs Two Moon, Young Two Moon and Spotted Wolf. The presence of thousands of warriors and soldiers on the rolling hills of Southeastern Montana made the eight-hour engagement one of the largest battles of the Indian wars. This battle was also exceptionally significant because the Native Americans fought as an army with great intensity to defend their traditional land. Crook was stopped in his advance and the Native Americans were emboldened by the success.

Eight days later, because Crook's troops were withdrawn from the war zone to resupply, they were not available to support the 7th cavalry.


June 22 1876 Terry’s column with the 7th Cavalry ahead, left the Yellowstone River. This was part of an already failed pincer's movement against the Lakota and Cheyenne village.

June 24, Major Reno established a night camp twenty-five miles east of where the fateful battle would take place on June 25-26. The Crow and Arikara scouts were sent ahead, seeking actionable intelligence about the Lakota and Cheyenne. The returning scouts reported that the trail indicated the village turned west toward the Little Bighorn River and was encamped close by. Reno ordered a night march that followed the route that the village took as it crossed to the Little Bighorn River valley.

The 7th, was now commanded by Major Marcus Reno with Captain Myles Keogh as his XO.
Myles Walter Keogh was an Irish soldier. He served in the armies of the Papal States during the war for Italian unification in 1860, and was recruited into the Union Army during the American Civil War, serving as a cavalry officer, particularly under Brig. Gen. John Buford during the Gettysburg Campaign and the three-day Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, Keogh remained in the regular United States Army as commander of I Troop of the 7th Cavalry Regiment under George Armstrong Custer during the Indian Wars. He was not the senior Captain of the 7th but he was highly respected in the officer’s mess.

Although there was some grumbling, the army being what it is, all agreed Major Reno had the right to select his acting XO and most thought Keogh was the best man for the job.

Unlike Custer, Both Reno and Keogh considered the mobility problems of the Gatling’s outweighed by their fire power. Low found them very supportive in his efforts to attain good trace horses and allow live fire training of the gunners. On Reno’s part the size of the Lakota village he had scouted convinced him the 7th and Terry’s entire column was greatly outnumbered. He believed both the Spencers and these new fangle “Machine Guns” would make the difference between life and death IF the Lakota war chiefs managed to get their braves to attack in mass. When he thought about the way the Lakota and the rest of the Plain’s Indians had been treated by the Indian bureau under Grant he was more than half convinced this administration had already done the convincing for the War Chiefs.

June 25, 1876 Morning found the Lakota camp ripe with rumors about soldiers on the other side of the Wolf Mountains, 15 miles to the east, yet few people paid any attention. In the words of Low Dog, an Oglala Lakota: "I did not think anyone would come and attack us so strong as we were."

June 25, 1876 the 7’s scouts located the village of Lakota and Cheyenne, estimated at over 8,000 individuals, with 1,500-2,500 warriors. Lieutenant Edward Godfrey recalled Ree scout Bloody Knife reporting, “We’ll find enough Sioux to keep us fighting for two or three days.” Lieutenant Charles Varnum overheard the 7th’s chief scout, the mixed-blood Mitch Boyer, state to the Co of the 7th “If you don’t find more Indians in that valley than you ever saw before, you can hang me.” Co of the 7th replied, “Well, a lot of good that would do me.”

Early in the morning the 7th Cavalry Regiment was positioned near the Wolf Mountains, about twelve miles distant from the Lakota/Cheyenne encampment along the Little Bighorn River. The 7th’s scouts reported the regiment's presence had been detected by Lakota or Cheyenne warriors. The 7th’s CO, judging the element of surprise to have been lost, feared the inhabitants would attack or scatter into the rugged landscape, causing the failure of the Army's campaign.

Reno sent back a galloper to warn Terry of what was going on and that he intended an immediate advance to engage the village and its warrior force.

At first light, while his troopers were finishing up an early breakfast and preparing for the day’s march, reveille had sounded at 0500, Reno instructed Major Joel H. Elliott to send one troop from his Squadron (battalion) under his best Captain to provide an officer’s assessment and amplify the scout’s report. Elliott chose D Troop under Capt. Thomas Weir, 2nd Lt. Winfield Edgerly including Trumpeter and galloper John Martin , (Giovanni Martini). He was ordered to get the information and then return to the column and only fight if the “Hostiles” blocked his scout or return to the column. He was not to become “decisively engaged”.

Major Reno also ordered H Troop Capt. Frederick Benteen, 1st Lt. Francis Gibsonwith to determine if more Indian encampments extended to the south along the Little Bighorn River. He was not to fight any more than necessary to get the information back to Reno. Finding none, Benteen turned back north, to rejoin Reno with his information.

Major Reno sent a galloper, Sergeant Daniel Kanipe, to Lieutenant Edward Mathey commanding the pack train. He was to send Lt Low’s 3 gun detachment with all their ammo limbers to his position mediately. at their very best pace. Fortunately the gatling gun detachment had adopted a horse artillery organization (everyone rode a limber or a horse) and the 24 enlisted men of the 20th Infantry were composed of men who could ride well enough to keep up with the guns and limbers. Troop B, Mathey, and the rest of his pack train and Gun #3 and it’s ammunition limbers now pulled by 6 mules teams and 8 infantry gunners led by their gun chief, sergeant Beaufort, was to follow along at their best pace.

Mathey was in charge of the 175-mule pack train with Captain Thomas McDougall and his Company B escorting the train. The pack train contingent had been enlarged by pulling a few men from each of the other eleven companies; approximately 130 soldiers and civilian packers were with the pack train now. Every man was armed, most of the civilians with war surplus Henry Caliber .44 rim fire lever action Breech-loading rifles with a 15-round tubular magazine +1 round in the chamber rifles. The “gunners” with Colt revolving pistols.

As captain Weir’s, troop approached the village, hundreds of warriors responded to meet him. Weir called a halt, had his men dismount and form into a skirmish line. After a short time the skirmish line was flanked and he fell back to the woods along the river.

For a time, Weir 's troop, due to the fire power of their Spencers, held out in the woods as the Indian warriors surrounded the soldiers. When the Lakota. and Cheyennes fighting him began to infiltrate the woods, Weir decided his defensive position was untenable. At that time, Arikara scout Bloody Knife was shot in the head while Weir tried to communicate with him, covering Weir with brain matter and blood, blinding and stunning him. It was his trumpeter and galloper John Martin who used his canteen to wash the blood, bone chips and brain out of his Major’s eyes. With sight restored Weir was snapped back into the present, quickly ordered his troop mounted and led them in a headlong charge through the Lakota’s blocking force. His immediate objective was the bluffs across the river.

He left an understrength platoon in the woods under 2nd Lt. Winfield Edgerly as a rear guard. They were to hold mounted long enough for the rest of the troop to form line for a mounted charge and and then closely follow through the gap . Once through, Weir deployed his men into another Spencer armed skirmish line and covered the rear guard’s escape with a high volume of fire only a repeater could deliver. The entire troop then raced for a much better defensive position. 2nd Lt. Winfield Edgerly, five men of his rear guard and twelve other troopers and Non Coms were dead by the time the rest reached bluffs. Troop D was now down to 42 effective no one of which were wounded but capable of riding and fighting, for now.

On his way North to Reno Captain Benteen encountered Captain Weir's depleted command. Weir having made Captain three months earlier than Benteen ordered him to stay with his force. In response to the firing heard down river, Benteen urged Weir to respond to the sound of the guns, Reno’s force was being engaged by the Lakota scouts. Captain Weir decided to take his combined force of 93 North to unite the entire 7th cavalry under it’s commander Major Reno. This meant once again cutting through hundreds of warriors toward Reno's original position. Unknown to Weir or Benteen the hostiles confronting them had been reduced considerably by many going to respond to Reno’s threat further down river.

It was now clear to Captains Weir, Benteen and most of their non-coms that here at what the Lakota called the Greasy Grass, was concentrated the combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes. The hostiles had finally settled their in terminal feuds to deal the White Eyes a killing blow before their tide drowned the entire great planes people. Here at a the Little Bighorn River on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana Territory the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army was vastly outnumbered. Their duty was to rejoin Reno as soon as possible, give him the very, very bad news he was hopelessly outnumbered.

One thing Major Reno had learned under Custer was the danger of splitting his command in the face of superior enemy forces. Benteen did not have Custer’s luck, which was all that had saved the 7th on more than one occasions from dividing his command. The troops under his direct control sent out pickets to scout the immediate area and he held the rest dismounted but ready to swing into the saddle at a moments notice, if need be. The ground was such that he had soon lost sight of both scouting columns. The landscape is both gentle and very rugged. The upland to the east of the Little Bighorn Valley is highly dissected by a complex drainage system, consisting of ravines, coulees, and ridges. Elevations from the valley floor to the upland change as much as 340 feet. The slope in parts of the upland is greater than 10 degrees, and in rugged areas of the bluffs and along some ravines and other erosional features in excess of 30 degrees. The Little Bighorn Valley itself is a gentle northward sloping plain, with the Little Bighorn River flowing to the east side of the valley adjacent to the upland.

At 0830 Sergeant Daniel Kanipe led Lt Low and his 2 gun detachment with all their ammo limbers into camp. Low had pushed his gun teams hard but he had stripped No. 3 gun team of it’s horses as a fresh supply of replacements if the guns had to go into action before their teams were rested.

Lt Low reported to Major Reno as soon as he spotted him and reported Mathey and the rest of the pack train was to follow along at their best pace and should be up by noon. He also reported a picked column of 25 of the strongest mules packed light with just ammunition had been sent along ahead and should reach you by ten or so.

At 0950 a dozen of Captain Thomas McDougall’s B troop, under command of First Sergeant Polgardner came into camp with the 25 mules of the advanced pack train. Reno’s plan to concentrate his force before engaging the Hostiles was moving slower than he would have liked but he was sure it was the 7ths best chance to carry out it’s orders and survive to fight another day. Much would depend on the Gatling's and Spencers along with the steadiness of his men in today’s battle. He had more faith in his men than in his guns.

About 1000 2nd Lt. Charles Varnum, Reno’s Chief of Scouts, reported that one of his Crow scouts “Goes Ahead”, on the watch for Weir’s return could hear intermittent gun fire when the wind was blowing from Troop D’s direction. Reno ordered “Boots and saddles” and led the 7th with pickets ahead and on both flanks northward along the bluffs toward the broad drainage known as Medicine Tail Coulee, a natural route leading down to the river and the village.

Reno ordered C troop’s 2nd Lt. Henry Moore Harrington and an understrength platoon of 12 men to wait and direct the rest of the pack train and it’s escort to follow. He confided in Harrington his plans. Since Captain Thomas McDougall of B troop was senior to both Harringtion and Lieutenant Edward Mathey commanding the pack train, he was to make it clear Reno wanted those pack mules, their ammunition and supplies to close with the main force as soon as possible. He was also to divulge all he knew of my intensions to McDougall . If for any reason, most likely a large Lakota war party, the pack train was unable to come up; Captain McDougall was to find good defensible ground and build his defense using the remaining gatling gun as the lynch pin and send at least three veteran galopers, using different routes, to inform Reno of the situation.

About 1100 As it happened Captain McDougall’s command was first hit by a band of 300 Northern Cheyenne and Arapahos under the Cheyenne war chief Two Moons. They had manged to get behind Reno and were suppose to wait for the rest of the Indian force to hit the 7th from head on and on their flanks to close the trap. Instead the sight of that large pack train drove the young braves into a headlong attack hoping for an easy kill and a lot of booty.
McDougall, sized up the situation quickly and ordered B troop to form a skirmish line between the pack train and the attacking Indians. Fortunately Two Moons ha dlost control and his young warriors hit the skirmish line piecemeal with the better mounted in the lead. It was here the Spencers began to prove Reno correct. The men of B troop’s fire killed over two dozen braves and their horses in a matter of ten minutes. Two Moons beside himself with rage tried to head off his warriors only to be hit by Sergeant John Ryan, detached from M troop for pack train duty, using a .45-caliber, 15-pound Sharps telescopic rifle, specially made for him. He was with the pack train retreating up hill to their defensive position. Seeing the shot Lt Mathey ordered him to “Pick off every red skin bastard that looks like a leader.” By the end of the day Ryan had killed and mortally wounded over a score and a half of brave men.

Once on the military crest of the hill, with the damn gatling positioned on the high point in the center of the circular position, Mathey ordered the mules shot as brest works. They had no time to dig in and nothing else for cover and that included the gun team and limerr teams. He thought, if I live I’ll be paying for those damn mules for the rest of my life and laughed like an idiot. He caught himself when he saw the look on Harrington face.

Meanwhile McDougall’s skirmish line was being driven up hill and bent back upon it’s self as it was being flanked. He waited to decimate the next group of braves and had his bugle sound boots and saddles at which time the horse holders turned over their charges to their riders after helping the wounded into their saddles. Those too badly wounded to ride were given peace by the non coms. B troop went hell for leather about halfway up the hill and then reformed it’s thinned out skirmish line. The wounded were made their way to the pack train position.

Sergeant Beaufort’s Gun #3 teams of 8 infantry gunners had their weapon in position, loaded and ready to fire. He waited until the riding wounded were clear.
Lt Mathey seeing the gun ready ordered his bugler to sound recall until he ordered it stopped. McDougall, heard the call, saw the gun in battery and ordered boots and saddles again. This time he lead his troop to his left, which had only a few warriors at this moment, instead of up the hill. Once Beaufort saw B troop clear he order “Action Front, range three hundred yards” waited for the gunner to raise his arm, meaning he wss on target and ordered “Continuous fire until I tell you to stop O'Keef.” And “Tommy O’keef laid down a barrage that ripped into man and horse like a reaper through grain. O’Keef worked the gun left to right along the Indian advance and the .50 caliber rounds shredded them to pieces.

After expending an entire 400 round Broadwell Drum, with only 3 jams, Beaufort ordered them to reload but hold fire. O’Keef had to be be physically pulled from his gun because he was temporarily deaf. B troop, led by McDougall, jumped the dead mule breastworks and, all but the horse holders and wounded joined their comrade on the line. Of the 300 young braves, half were dead or dying. Many more of their ponies were just as bad off. Their leader Two Moons and anyone else wearing a particularly impressive war bonnet was also dead. Sergeant John Ryan was cleaning his rifle before it got anymore fowled by black powder. Water, which the pack train had in abundance, was passed out to the troops and civilians. The wounded were being taken care of by Surgeon George Lord. The medic had laudanum and morphine to ease pain, but not much else and a carbolic-acid solution was used to sterilize wounds. He performed two amputations while on the ridge, a lower leg of Private Mike Madden, and the upper half of the middle finger of Private John Phillips. Both men survived.

Acting Assistant Surgeon Henry Rinaldo Porter was with Benteen. He was shot in the fleshy part of his right thigh while in the wood. He bandaged himself, downed a dose of laudanum and continued to administer to the wounded.

Surgeons James DeWolf was with Reno’s main body of the Seventh and about to be engaged by over two thousand warriors. He would have an awful lot of work to do this day.

General Terry had sent Major Reno and the 7th Cavalry in pursuit of Sitting Bull’s trail, which had led into the Little Bighorn Valley. Terry’s plan was for Benteen to attack the Lakota and Cheyenne from the south, forcing them toward a smaller force that he intended to deploy farther upstream on the Little Bighorn River. This morning Benteen’s scouts had discovered the location of Sitting Bull’s village. Reno intended to move the 7th Cavalry to a position that would allow his force to attack the village at dawn the next day. When some stray Indian warriors sighted a few 7th Cavalrymen, Reno assumed that they would rush to warn their village, causing the residents to scatter.

June 25 about noon Reno, still missing Wier and Benteen’s Troops (about 120 troopers) and those with the pack train (about 100 troopers). He still had most of the 7th concentrated under his direct command (counting scouts and the gatling detachment about 500). He had his orders and so he chose to attack immediately, in an attempt to prevent Sitting Bull’s followers from escaping.
As the Battle of the Little Bighorn unfolded, Major Reno had his fears confirmed. The worst was Army intelligence had estimated Sitting Bull’s force at 800 fighting men; in fact, some 2,500 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors were facing the Seventh. The second was many of the braves were armed with repeating rifles. The third was Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala band of Lakota, was just as formidable a tactician and leader as he had surmised. It also became obvious the Lakota and their allies had come here for war to the knife and the knife to the hilt. No quarter was asked or would be given by them this day.

As he advanced the concentrated Seventh to contact; a meeting engagement against great odds was in the offing. However the battle did open well when Wier and Benteen’s Troops, now about 80 strong broke though the still thin Lakota screen and joined with the Seventh. It was Weir’s report that finally confirmed the number of hostiles present at 2,000 to 2,500. A mobile fight was out of the question. He had to nail himself and his command to a good defensive position and allow his superior fire power to wear down the savages until he could go over to the offensive as they broke and ran. His Spencers and gatlings could do the job. He had plenty of ammunition and his was a veteran regiment, of combat hardened troops for the most part. His officers and senior Non Coms were all veterans of that horrible blood bath, the civil war, and they were still soldiers by their own choice. They knew their jobs and they would not break. He chose to make his stand on Calhoun Hill.

He detached C, L and I troops as a delaying force at a very favorable Medicine Tail ford bottle neck. Reno told the senior captain, that of I troop, this was not a suicide mission. He expected the three troops to hold their position until such time as he informed them to leave or until the hostiles made their position untenable . At that point they were to withdraw in good order to their next defendable ground and force the hostiles to do it all over again. Reno also made sure those troopers had plenty of ammunition.

Troops C, L and I at the cost of 43 dead or mortally wounded, include one captain and three lieutenants, bought the time needed to deploy a 360 degree defense perimeter with double skirmish lines of prone and kneeling troopers by troop. The horse holders and pack mules were stationed behind but in easy access to the battle line. The two Galings and their ammunition caissons were positioned in the center at the highest point on Calhon hill able to bring fire in any direction. He also held back a reserve of two companies, about 125 troopers to plug holes in the skirmish line.
Reno and the other veteran Indian fighters were surprised how few Lakota dismounted skirmishers were present. In the past afoot Indians, with their excellent war surplus, Henry rifles would use their unsurpassed hunting skills to get close enough to the skirmish line to kill off officers and non coms before the main body hit the troopers. Fortunately for the US Army Indians made horrible snipers, even the long term US Troopers with their paltry 20 rounds a year for target practice had a much high percentage of excellent marksmen and could often use the superior range of the Spencer to pick off Indian skirmishers IF they could see them. The Henry, carried by some of the Lakota, was a Caliber .44 rim fire, lever action Breech-loading rifles with a 15-round tubular magazine +1 round in the chamber Henry rifles. In the hands of a good marksmen could hit small to medium game at up to 200 yards. Against a man size target it had a maximum effective range of 200 yards in the hands of an average shooter, which most of the Lakota certainly were not.

Spencer repeating carbine, carried by the troopers had a rate of fire of 14-20 rounds per minute, at a muzzle velocity 931 to 1,033 feet per second. A trained marksman could hit targets as far as 800 yards away. Even a a first enlistment trooper could expect to strike a man sized target fairly often, say once in three shots at 350 yards and almost every time at 250 yards.

Before long, some Sioux criers came along behind the Lakota line, and began calling in the Sioux language to get ready and watch for the “suicide boys”. In many Native American traditions, those who reported news were called Camp Criers. Camp Criers would walk, run or ride from person to person or home to home until everyone was informed.

The Cheyenne and Lakota would revere men who belonged to the Dog Soldier warrior sect. The Dog Soldiers were known to wear a long sash which in times of greatest peril they would peg to the earth vowing to die where they stood in the defense of their colleagues. At Little Bighorn a group of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors who called themselves “The Suicide Boys” were to be, in the plans of the war chiefs, the decisive force in the fight. The desperate charge by these warriors who had pledged to die in the battle were to brake the greatly outnumbered and beleaguered 7th Cavalry.
From his position between the 7th and Lakota skirmishers Half-Sioux scout, Mitch Bouyer clearly heard and understood what he was being said. He raced to Reno’s side at this time and told him what he was hearing. He said “The Lakota were getting ready down below to charge together from the river, and when they come in, all the Indians up above should jump up for hand-to-hand fighting. That way the soldiers would not have a chance to shoot, but would be crowded from both sides.” The suicide boys would lead the way, they would turn to them and give those behind a chance to come in close. The criers called out those instructions twice. Most of the Cheyennes could not understand them, but the Sioux there told them what had been said.

Instead of coming on dismounted, taking advantage of the breaks in the ground to get close and use their repeaters to kill the soldiers while concealed or to circle the soldiers at long distance until they wore them down these braves conducted a series of mounted charges. Some were initially well coordinated and hit the entire perimeter of the Seventh’s skirmish line. Despite the havoc of the gatlings Reno had to throw in his reserve a number of times to plug holes in the skirmish line. As the afternoon wore on the Indian attacks, still in great force, became less coordinated and more hysterical.

At one point the warriors galloped up Calhoun hill with the intent of stampeding the horses held by the number four horse holders. The rest of the Suicide boys charged right in at the place where the soldiers were making their stand, and the others followed them.
The suicide boys never got to hand-to-hand fighting range as the spencers and gatlings were tearing the heart out of their attack.
At 1700, After the suicide boys had been massacred by spencer and gatling fire, it did not take long before Major Reno ordered boots and saddles and took the offensive. His objective was to drive them back toward their huge village killing them and their war ponies wholesale as they ran.
Sunset found the Seventh still killing. Reno called a halt for the night.
June 26, 1876 Gibbon and Terry acted as the anvil to the Seventh renewed attack. Eventually the Lakota were driven into the arms of the US army heavy infantry pincers, with their field artillery deployed to scour what was left of the Lakoda with canister and grape. That was the end of the campaign accept for the a little mopping up. Reno called it right. The Lakota were finished.

June 27, 1876 What were left of the Lakota and Cheyenne break camp and move off toward captivity.
July 4, 1876 American Centennial

July 6, 1876 Sherman and Sheridan receive confirmation of the campaign’s success

1876–1877 Army harasses off-reservation Indians throughout the fall and winter

May 6, 1877 Crazy Horse and his followers surrender

May 7, 1877 Sitting Bull and his followers cross into Canada

September 5, 1877 Crazy Horse killed

July 19, 1881 Sitting Bull surrenders at Fort Buford

December 16, 1890 Sitting Bull killed

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

Well told.

Yes, IIRC, the OTL soldiers' rifles were effin' notorious for jamming, causing many, many problems.
Worse, Custer was a 'Cavalry-Man's Cavalry-Man', per the later French "de l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace", so dismissed his Gatling guns as mere 'Field Artillery'...

The British army's colonial expeditions may have learnt from Custer's debacle:
"Whatever happens / We have got / The Maxim gun / And they have not..."

[OSCSSW]

Well told.

Yes, IIRC, the OTL soldiers' rifles were effin' notorious for jamming, causing many, many problems.
Worse, Custer was a 'Cavalry-Man's Cavalry-Man', per the later French "de l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace", so dismissed his Gatling guns as mere 'Field Artillery'...

The British army's colonial expeditions may have learnt from Custer's debacle:
"Whatever happens / We have got / The Maxim gun / And they have not..."

As usual NiK, you are too kind. I'm just glad you enjoyed my literary efforts.

[1Big Rich]

Great stuff Senior! Thanks for that!

Regards,

[OSCSSW]

Hope you enjoy this one. It is a Work in progress. Probably have three Parts.
Your comments would be appreciated.

CSS Virginia Wins
Part 1

May 30 1854-The Kansas-Nebraska Act is signed into law
October 16, 1859 John Brown raids Harpers Ferry, Virginia (Now West Virginia)
October 18 1859- U.S. Marines storm engine house at Harpers Ferry and capture John Brown
February 16, 1860 Steam Frigate Merrimack decommissioned and laid up in ordinary at Gosport.
September 5, 1860 Merrimack enters Gosport drydock for major overhaul of her 1855, underpowered and unreliable engines.
November 1860
Nov 6 -Abraham Lincoln elected 16th President of the United States
Nov 19 - Merrimack undergoes sea trials. Her steam plant is less effective than before the over haul and when pushed during the full power run suffers a catastrophic boiler explosion that kills the Cheif Engineer, two assistant engineers and 35 enlisted men. She is towed back to Gosport.
December 1860
Dec 20 - South Carolina adopts an Ordinance of Secession
Dec 26 - Major Robert Anderson evacuates Fort Moultrie for Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor
January 1861
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana SECEDE from the Union
Jan 5 - Navy takes delivery, at Gosport Navy yard, of a copy of the very successful Frigate Niagra’s power plant for installation in Merrimack. New engine is stored on it’s flat cars in a rail shed in a disused part of the yard awaiting installation in Merrimack.
Jan 6 - Merrimack taken in hand moored at the fitting out pier for removal of her existing steam main propulsion plant and auxiliary steam engines
February 1861
Feb 9 - Jefferson Davis elected provisional Confederate President
Feb 23 - President-elect Lincoln arrives in Washington, D.C.
Feb 25 - Merrimack engine removal is completed and the beds for the new machinerey are
March 1861
March 4 - Abraham Lincoln becomes the 16th President of the United States of America
April 1861
April 15 - Installation of foundation beds for Merrimack’s new main propulsion plant is started.
April 17 - Virginia adopts an Ordinance of Secession and schedules a referendum for May 23
April 18/19 - Federal troops burn the U.S. Arsenal at Harpers Ferry to prevent it from falling into the hands of secessionists. The Confederates are nonetheless able to seize valuable military supplies when they occupy Harpers Ferry
April 19 -Taliaferro’s Virginia Militia seized Fort Norfolk and it’s arsenal filled with powder,
shells, and ordnance supplies.
April 19 - President Lincoln declares a blockade of Southern ports
April 20/21 - Federal forces attempt to destroy the Gosport Navy Yard at Norfolk, Virginia by setting it ablaze. Secessionists put out the fires and salvage a large portion of the facility
April 20, 1861, Merrimack set aflame, but due to the heroic effort of Gosport Navy Yard’s largely seccessionist work force fire is extinquished just above the Gun Deck.
April 25 Steven R. Mallory, the newly appointed Secretary of the CSA Navy, had decided the best investment for the Confederate Navy was to have a small fleet of ironclads . As he surveyed the state of the Gosport Navy Yard, with it’s excellent and only slightly damaged facility, with dry docks and shipbuilding slips all intact or easily repairable. He saw the the vehicle of his plan was available and under his control. In an attempt to destroy the yard before the Confederates could capture it, the commander of the yard ordered that all ships in port for repairs be scuttled. One of these ships, the USS Merrimac, was set afire and burned down to her gun deck. His naval offciers and constructor inspected the Merrimac and determined that her engineless hull could be salvaged. Another failure of the USN was not destroying copy of the very successful Frigate Niagra’s power plant intended for installation in Merrimack. The new engine was stored on it’s flat cars in a rail shed in a disused part of the yard awaiting installation in Merrimack and the Virginian cessionist yard workers knew where it was and had the skill to install it in the new Ironclad. Virginia.
May 1861
May 3 - Lincoln calls for volunteers to join the Union Army for a three-year term
May 11 Mallory formed a team consisting of John L. Porter, a naval constructor; Lieutenant John M. Brooke, a naval officer and gun designer; and William P.
Williamson, a naval engineer. The team came up with a plan, based upon a design
developed by Brooke, to convert the Merrimac into a powerful armored warship like
nothing the world had ever seen.

The design of the ironclad was a large wooden casemate, which resembled the
roof of a barn, erected on top of the cut-down hull of the Merrimac. The casemate was
made of two feet of oak, covered by two layers of two-inch armor plate. One layer was
mounted vertically and the second layer was bolted on horizontally. The top of the
casemate was covered with iron grating to provide ventilation, and there were three
hatches. The sides of the casemate canted thirty-five degrees inward, which Brooke
determined best for deflecting shot. The pilothouse was on top of the casemate above the
bow protected by an iron conical shield. The armor plates extended from the casemate six
inches below the water line. The bow and stern were partially submerged during
movement presenting less of a target.
She was armed with six nine-inch Dahlgren smoothbores and two Brooke seven-
inch rifle.
May 21 -The Confederate Congress agrees to move the Confederate capital from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia
May 23 - Virginia voters ratify the State Convention's decision to secede
May 24 - Federal troops seize Alexandria, Virginia

June 1861
June 1 - Skirmish at Fairfax Court House, Virginia
June 2 - P.G.T. Beauregard takes command of Confederate forcesin northern Virginia
June 10 - Engagement at Big Bethel, Virginia
June 16 - Thaddeus Lowe demonstrates the potential of hot air balloons to the government in Washington, D.C.
June 17 - Action at Vienna, Virginia
July 1861
July 1 1861 Wooden-hulled Broadside ironclad New Ironsides ordered by the USN from William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia for $780,000. Unlike Monitor New Ironsides was, although a state of the art ironclad, quite conventional in design of this new type of war ship. She Displaced 4,120 long tons on a Length 230 ft, Beam of 57 ft and Draft of 15 ft 8 in.
New Ironsides was powered by 4 × water-tube boilers 1,800 ihp by two direct-acting steam engines geared to a single propeller shaft. Her max speed was 8-9 knots depending on sea state, her loading, how long it had been since her last boiler cleaning and the amount of fowling to her hull. Her crew was 449.
Her armamanet, on the broadside but behind armor was also quite conventional using fourten 11-inch smoothbore Dahlgren guns, two 150 pounder Parrott rifles and two 50-pounder Dahlgren rifles.
New ironsides armor was substantial with a Belt: 4.5 in, Battery of 4.5 in, Deck of 1 in and Bulkheads: 2.5 in.

July 11, 1861 CSS Virginia Ordered

July 18 - Engagement at Blackburn's Ford, Virginia

July 21, 1861 The First Battle of Bull Run/ Manassas. Location: Fairfax County, Prince William County The Army of Northeastern Virginia, underf Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell, ought (and lost) the war's first battle.

July 26 1861 Army of the Potomac (AOP) known as “Mr. Lincoln’s Army” established under Major General George Brinton McClellan from the remnants of the Army of Northeastern Virginia. AOP was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln appointed McClellan to command the Union forces in and around Washington the day after the fighting at Bull Run, marking the official beginnings of the Army of the Potomac.
July 27 - Union Major Isaac Lynde surrenders his command at San Augustine Springs, New Mexico Territory
July 27 - Major General George McClellan put in command of the Federal Division of the Potomac
July 31 - Ulysses S. Grant promoted to brigadier general
August 1861
Aug 1861 to April 1862 McClellan brought organization to the seeming chaos he found everywhere throughout his new command.
McClellan organized three to four regiments—the basic building block of American armies since the Colonial era and, during the Civil War, numbering 1,000 officers and men—into brigades. Two to three brigades made up a division. McClellan organized his forces into Army corps in early 1862. Army corps might maneuver either independently or in cooperation, as the military situation demanded. In March, Lincoln and Stanton ordered the army divided into four corps, each with between two and three divisions. They also appointed the four corps commanders. These generals were the senior-ranking division officers in the Army of the Potomac. Each of the four corps commanders also was either a supporter of the Republican Party or, the next best thing for Lincoln, a political neutral.

Aug 3 - Balloon ascension by John LaMountain at Hampton Roads, Virginia

Aug 5 - Lincoln signs the Revenue Act of 1861 into law, USA first national income tax
Aug 14 - Soldiers of the 79th New York mutiny near Washington, D.C.

September 1861
Sept 3 - Confederate troops enter Kentucky, ending the state's neutral status

Sept 5 1861 wooden-hulled broadside Ironclad Galena Ordered Builder H.L. & C.S. Bushnell, Mystic, Connecticut
Galena was 210 feet overall, 36 ft beam, 11 feet draft, 950 long tons displaced with a two mast schooner rig and a 150 crew. Armor was two inches thick above the gun ports, except around the stern where it was 1/2-inch thick.
Galena was powered by a single-cylinder horizontal Ericsson vibrating-lever steam engine, which drove one propeller. The 800-indicated-horsepower engine used steam generated by two boilers and gave the ship a top speed of 8 knots depending on sea state, how long it had been since her last boiler cleaning and the amount of fowling to her hull. It had a bore of 48 inches and a stroke of 36 inches. During her trip to Hampton Roads after commissioning, the ship reached a speed of 9.5 knots when assisted by her sails.
Galena was armed with two 6.4-inch, 100-pounder Parrott rifles in pivot mounts fore and aft firing 70–100-pound shell with a maximum range of approximately 2,250 yards Galena also carried four nine-inch dalgren guns with a rate of fire 70–90-pound shell to a range of 3,450 yards at an elevation of 1 approximately 2,250 yardsGalena. The 20 caliber guns weighed about 9,800 pounds each
Sept 6 - Federal forces seize Paducah, Kentucky
Sept 10 - Engagement at Carinfex Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia)
Sept12 to 15 - Battle of Cheat Mountain, Virginia (now West Virginia)

October 1861
Oct 3 - The Battle of Greenbrier River (Camp Bartow), Virginia (now West Virginia)

Oct 4 - John Ericsson signed a contract with the Union Navy to build the Monitor for $275,000 (roughly $7.4 million in 2014), with Ericsson being liable for a full refund if the ship did not prove to be a success or be complete in 100 days. Ericsson claimed that he could build the vessel in 90 days, but the Navy gave him 100 days, and his contract held him to that schedule. The Monitor’s hull was built in the shipyard of the Continental Iron Works in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Ericsson contracted with DeLamater Iron Works of Manhattan to build the engines and machinery of his design. He contracted with Novelty Iron Works, also from Manhattan, to build the Monitor's distinctive turret. Coordinating these three sites was a task only very capabale men like John Ericsson were capable of.

Monitor Displaced 987 long tons, with a Length 179 ft, Beam of 41 ft 6 in, Draft of 10 ft 6 in, two fire-tube boilers of 320 ihp, with 1 Propeller, Vibrating-lever steam engine at a Speed 6-7 knots depending on sea conditions, her loading, how long it had been since her last boiler cleaning and the amount of fowling to her hull. and a crew of 49 officers. She was armed with two 11-inch smoothbore Dahlgren guns. For armoe she had
Armor of 8 in on the turret, Waterline belt of 3–5 inches, Deck of 1 inch and Pilot house of 9 inches
Ericsson, like that sundowning SOB Admiral Rickover (father of the USN Nuclear Navy), was a real bastard to work for but he always delivered an excellent product. Monitor’s revolutionary design included more than forty inventions patented by Ericsson. Ericsson could have made a small fortune from his ownership of those patents, but he donated them all to the U.S. Government. This was his way of showing his support for the cause of preserving the Union .
This act is all the more admirable because the USN had treated him very, very shabily over the 1842 screw steam Corvette Princeton disaster. Ericsson was the designer and main supervisor of construction. The construction was partly supervised by Captain Stockton USN First CO. Captain Stockton designed and directed the construction of the naval gun "Peacemaker" built with old forging technology, 12 inch muzzleloader. Captain Stockton rushed "Peacemaker" and mounted it without much testing. "Peacemaker" had only been test fired five times with standard charges of powder. The new gun never was tested with a double charge proofing shot but was still certified as accurate and “fully proofed."
USS Princeton departed Alexandria, Virginia, February 28 1842 on a demonstration cruise down the Potomac with President Tyler, members of his cabinet, former First Lady Dolley Madison, US Senators and about 400 guests. Captain Stockton decided to fire "Peacemaker" to impress his guests. Peacemaker was fired three times on the trip downriver and was loaded to fire a salute to George Washington as the ship passed Mount Vernon on the return trip. The guests aboard viewed the first set of firings and then retired below decks for lunch and refreshments. When Captain Stockton pulled the firing lanyard, the gun burst. Its left side failed, spraying hot metal across the deck and fragmentation into the crowd. Six men were instantly killed: Sec State Abel Upshur, Sec Navy Thomas Walker Gilmer, Captain USN Beverley Kennon, Chief of the Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Repairs, President Tyler's valet, David Gardiner, a New York lawyer and politician, Virgil Maxcy, a Maryland attorney and state and federal officeholder. Another 16 to 20 people were injured, including several members of the ship's crew, Senator Benton, and Captain Stockton. The president was below decks and not injured.
At Captain Stockton's request, the Committee on Science and Arts of the Franklin Institute conducted an inquiry, which criticized many details of the manufacturing process, as well as the use of a welded band for reinforcement rather than the shrinking technique used on the Oregon. Ericsson, whom Stockton had originally paid $1,150 for designing and outfitting Princeton, sought another $15,000 for his additional efforts and expertise. He sued Stockton for payment and won in court, but the funds were never appropriated. John Ericsson knew he was a very skilled engineer and rightly considered his talents worth every penny he agreed to by contract. He was an honest man in his dealings with all but he had one hell of a temper when he felt he had been wronged, especually when cheated out his rightful compensation. He made it quite clear he would do no more work for the US government until he had been paid in full. He only relented but was still both angry and distrustful of the USN when the Civil War broke out.

Oct 12 - First ironclad in the U.S. Navy, USS St. Louis, launched at Carondelet Missouri
Oct 15 1862 New Ironsides launched
Oct 21 - Battle of Ball's Bluff (Leesburg), Virginia
Oct 25, 1862 Captain John Ericsson, designer and chief constructor had Monitor laid her keel lat Greenpoint, Brookklyn. His genious was displayed by the many innovations he included in this Cheese Box on a Raft.

November 1861
Nov 1 - George McClellan replaces Lieutenant General Winfield Scott as general-in-chief of the U.S. Army
Nov 8 - The Confederate emissaries to England and France are removed from the British vessel RMS Trent, initiating the "Trent Affair" and endangering the United States' relationship with Great Britain
Nov 12 - The blockade runner Fingal, bought by Confederates in England, arrives in Savannah
Nov21 - Judah P. Benjamin confirmed as Confederate Secretary of War. Benjamin had been serving as Jefferson Davis's Acting Secretary of War since September 17

December 1861
Dec 8 - CSS Sumter seizes Northern merchant ship Eben Dodge in the mid-Atlantic
Dec 9 - The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War is established by Congress
Dec 9 - Ironclad Galena launched
Dec 26 - United States releases Mason and Slidell, ending the Trent Affair

January 1862
Jan - 10 Ironclad Galena commissioned Brooklyn Navy Yard Alfred Taylor as CO.
Jan 15 - Edwin M. Stanton confirmed as U.S. Secretary of War
Jan 30 - Monitor launched at Greenpoint, New York and despite five to one odds against it she floated. The loosers put out 10 to one odds she would not last six months. They rightly figured her shallow draft required for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters of a winter and early spring North Atlantic.

February 1862
Feb 10 - Union forces destroy the Confederate "Mosquito" fleet at Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Feb 14 - Union ironclad gunboats attack Fort Donelson, Tennessee
Feb 15 1862 New Ironsides Commissioned
Feb 16 - Fort Donelson surrenders unconditionally to Ulysses S. Grant
Feb 17, 1862 CSS Virginia Commissioned
Feb 22 - Jefferson Davis inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America.
Feb - 25 Monitor Commissioned while still fitting out in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The fitting out process took longer than scheduled. Why? Because Monitor was of a unique design and as such the skilled shipwrights who did not exactly embrace innovation and mechanics who did but were learning as they were doing.
Along with the shipwrights and mechanics the officers and sailors of Monitor were also on an excellerated OJT (On Job Training). The senior officers consisted of regular Navy CO Lieutenant John Lorimer Worden, XO Lieutenant Samuel Greene 22 years old, and CHENG (Chief Engineer) Isaac Newton Jr. and Master, Louis N. Stodder
They were assisted by recently joined “Volunteers” commissioned and warrant officers, the best of which were from the Merchant service. These stout fools were Acting (USNR) First Assistant Engineer, Acting (USNR) Albert B. Campbell, Acting (USNR) Second Assistant Engineer John Stimers, Acting (USNR) Master’s Mate J.N. Webber, Acting (USNR) Paymaster William F. Keeler, and Acting (USNR) Assistant Surgeon, Daniel C. Logue.
On Monitors first trial cruise both regulars and volunteers began the painful process of learning their jobs aboard this experimental beast. It soon became clear that the tradeoffs between a revolutionary river/ shallow estuary ironclad and deep water ship’s seawerthyness had been calculated to a knife’s edge. Their survival depended on them always staying alert to Monitor’s next attampt to kill tthem and taking what little action they could to avoid it.

March 1862
Mar - 5 The mechanics who had been putting in 18 hour days for the past week worked all night at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the Monitor.
Mar – 6 At 11 A.M. Thursday Monitor started down the harbor, in company with the gun-boats Sachem and Currituck. She went along very nicely for once , thanks to those great merchanics, and when she arrived at Governor's Island, the Steamer Seth Low came alongside and took her in tow. Monitor went out passed the Narrows with a light wind from the West and very smooth water.
Monitor was urgently required at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Therefore , she was towed by the ocean-going tug Seth Low and accompanied by the gunboats Currituck and Sachem. Lieutenant Worden, not trusting the seal between the turret and the hull, and ignoring Ericsson's advice, wedged the former in the up position and stuffed oakum and sail cloth in the gap. The unseasonably mild weather continued the same all Thursday night.
Mar 7 - Monitor early morning, rising seas washed the oakum away and water poured underneath the turret, as well as through the hawsepipe, various hatches, ventilation pipes, and the two funnels. Now the leather belts for the ventilation and boiler fans loosened and fell off and the fires in the boilers, without forced draft, were nearly extinguished. Over the course of the next day this created a toxic atmosphere in the engine room that knocked out most of the engine-room crew.
7 Mar -At 4 P.M. Monitor off Barnegat Shoals and the sandbars known as Long Beach that sheltered Barnegat Bay on the East Coast of New Jersey. The water had gone down Monitor’s smoke stacks and blowers to such an extent that the blowers gave out, and the Engine Room was filled with gas. CHENG Isaac Newton ordered the engine room abandoned and had the able-bodied crew drag the afflicted engine room hands to the top of the turret where the fresh air could revive them. Both Newton and Stimers worked desperately to get the blowers to work, but they too succumbed to the noxious fumes and were taken above. The wheel ropes controlling the ship's rudder jammed, making it nearly impossible to control the ship's heading in the rough seas.
As the storm strenghened Large waves were splashing over and completely covering the deck and pilot house. Water continued flooding into the vents and ports and the ship began rolling uncontrollably in the high seas. Sometimes Monitor would drop into a wave with such force the entire hull would tremble. Leaks were beginning to appear everywhere. CHENG Isaac Newton ordered the engineers to start the Monitor's two Worthington vibrating side-lever steam pumps which temporarily stemmed the rising waters, but soon Monitor was hit by a squall and a series of violent waves and water continued to work its way into the vessel. The large Adams centrifugal steam pump was also being used but with reduced steam output from a boiler being fed wet coal, it too was unable to stem the rapidly rising water. After all of the steam pumps had failed, CO Warden ordered some of the crew to man the hand pumps and organized a bucket brigade, but to no avail.Right when the Worthington pump could no longer keep pace with the flooding, a call came from the engine room that water was gaining there. Realizing the ship was in serious trouble, Warden signaled tug Seth Low for help and hoisted the red lantern next to Monitor's white running light atop the turret.
The merchant master of the tug Seth Low decided that “iron thing” would not last out the night in this gale and changed course due East. He was doing this without orders from the US Navy in order to take shelter in to Barnegat bay if he could get through Barnegat Inlet and just maybe save his tow. Seeing this course change gunboats Currituck and Sachem altered course to stay on station with Monitor. The Navy ships had guartermasters who could communicate by flag hoist but their was none aboard the tug.

March 7 - CSS Virginia as actually Completed as a Casemate ironclad,

Displacing about 4,000 long tons, with a Length 275 ft, Beam of 51 ft 2 in, Draft 21 ft. and a crew of 320 officers and men, some of which are soldiers drafted aboard to man her guns.

CSS Virginia now had very reliable and new machinery of two back-acting engines, with cylinders 42 inches in diameter, and 30 inches stroke. One of SEWAL's Surface Condensers is attached, and has a large area of 373 square feet grate surface. The three boilers, are MARTIN pattern. One of them is a small one, called, in naval parlance, "a donkey." The propeller is of composition, (called "brass,") and measures 15 feet diameter, and 17 feet 6 inches mean pitch. It is calculated to make ninety revolutions per minute. CSS Virginia’s 1,510 Installed horse-power generates 7-8 knots depending on sea conditions and her loading.

CSS Virginia’s Armament Two 7-inch Brooke rifles, Two 6.4-inch Brooke rifles, Six 9-inch Dahlgren smoothbores and Two 12-pounder boat howitzers. For armor she had to make due with one inch and two inch thick iron plating, the largest plating produced by the Tredegar Iron works in Richmond, Virginia. She had a Belt of 1–3 inches, Deck 1 inch, Casemate 4 inch.

The Monitor's engine was a the latest version design by John Ericsson of a "vibrating side-lever engine." He had created similar engines before and decided to use this vatsly improved design again because of its distinctive advantages on a small, low-riding warship. Most steam engines of the time had pistons that operated in a vertical motion, which occupied a lot of space and made them vulnerable to enemy fire because they were partially above the waterline. In contrast, the Monitor's 30-ton, 400-horsepower engine had pistons that moved horizontally, which reduced the height of the engine and allowed it to be mounted below the waterline.
Another absolutely vital innovation Erricsson’s decision to included included two Worthington direct-acting simplex steam pumps. These reliable and versatile machines were ideal for pumping feed water, bilge dewatering, fire fighting, and as general service pumps. Due to their compact size, and light weight compared to flywheel and beam pumps of the day, these features were vitally important in marine applications where space was limited, as it was in Monitor.

8 March 1:45 Monitor’s small flotilla sighted Barnegat lighthouse and the master of the tug adjusted his course to intercept the Inlet and shelter behind harbor
Gunboats Currituck and Sachem came along each side and with many fenders between them made fast to Monitor and put out kedge anchors. The crew of Monitor, with the exception of CO Worden, XO Green, CHENG and six seaman, who stationed themselves on top of the turret, was transferred to the gunboats where hot food and warm clothing was provided.

8 March 4 AM Monitor’s “Black Gang” supplemented by the senior engineers of the gunboats climbed back aboard their ship to try to get up steam. CHENG and Acting First Assistant Engineer, Albert B. Campbell, conducted a short inspection, the gas was still almost unbreathable, of the boilers showed they had been torn loose from their mountings. The piping was strained and in not a few places broken. However, the small “Donkey” boiler and engine provided by Ericson for emergencies and inport use, were intact, mainly because they were much lighter than the main plant but had used the same mountings as the larger machinery.

8 March 4:20 AM Monitor’s CHENG, caughing, hacking and barely able to breath haltingly reported this to CO Worden atop the turret. Acting First Assistant Engineer, Albert B. Campbell was prostrate at the turret edge puking his guts up and trying to catch his breath. It was clear that first they had to run belts from dry spares adopted aboard the two gunboats, from the “Donkey” Engine to the exhaust fans and clear the engine room and the rest of monitor of the toxic gas. This would be a very difficult task since a man could not work below for more than 15 minutes.
After listening to the report CO Worden seeing Monitor was no longer taking on water ordered all hatches be opened to try to ventilate his ship. He also requested that the Captains of the gunboat “Loan” him whatever canvas wind sails/scoops they had to speed up the process. The two agreed and soon their sailmakers and bosuns were adopting the canvas wind sails to the Monitor’s needs.

8 March 5:30 AM customized canvas wind sails were in place and drawing well.

8 March 6:30 AM the engineers were in the engine room. One group was fitting the belts from the Donkey Engine to the ventilating fans. The belts had to be shortened to fit Monitor’s needs. Another group was prepping the Donkey Boiler, especially the feed water flow, for lighting off. Another group headed by XO Green was standing by to do a thorough inspection of the ship as soon as it was breathable below. For now XO Green was making, aided by daylight a topside inspection of Monitor. So far it looked like no major damage to her hull or turret. XO Green thought Ericson designed a tough ship that would probably kill them all if she ever had to make another blue water passage in a gale. He also thought, “Thank God for the skipper of the Seth Low”.
At the same time CO Worden was a very worried man for he knew what was expected to happen in Hampton Roads today. He had been told by his worried superiors His Monitor was the only hope the blockading squadron had against Virginia. Now it was clear IF Virginia did come out today or even in the next week or two, barring a miracle, and the Union had not seen any of them since the damn war started, he was not going to make it in time. He also knew a disaster would require a sacrificial scape goats and a lowly Lietenant would be only the first of many.

8 March 1862 the Ironclad CSS Virginia, still under construction waiting for gun shutters to be installed, left on what Captain Buchanan told his crew was to be a practice run. She cruised into Hampton Roads and ended the wooden warship’s dominance of the seas.

The eighth of March 1862 was just another uneventful day for Union sailors
taking part in the blockade of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Yet, a dramatic change was about to take place. At 7:30 AM the horizon was broken by a dreadful sight, the ironclad Casemate ram CSS Virginia, was coming at full steam for the USS Cumberland, a twenty-four gun sailing sloop. Several ships in Hampton Roads fired at the ironclad only to see their shells bounce off her iron casemate and fall harmlessly into the water.

Shells from the Cumberland, the Congress, and the Union Army batteries at
Newport News glanced harmlessly off the Merrimac's sloping sides, which her
crew had made slippery with buckets of hot pork fat. “Those shells had no more
effect,” wrote a newspaper correspondent watching the attack from the shore,
“than peas from a popgun.”

At 9AM the casemate ironclad CSS Virginia began firing on the Cumberland when she was within one mile of the wooden vessel. Her first shot destroyed the Cumberland's aft pivot gun, and then she struck with her ram leaving a gapping hole in Cumberland's starboard side. “The noise of the crashing timbers was distinctly heard above the din of battle,” wrote XO Catesby Jones. “There was no sign of the hole above water, but it must have been large, as the ship soon commenced to careen. The shock to us on striking was slight. The blow was not repeated. If our captain had not ordered “All Back Full 100 yards from impact we might have lost the ram and done some damage to our bow. Later Old Buck told me he had read of this tactic, backing their oars, was used by the ancients who after all were the masters of ram warfare.
The 24 gun Cumberland would continue to fight furiously and went to the bottom with her colors still flying. Accoding to Catsby Jones “With only minor damage; our smokestack was riddled, two guns were disabled, and the lifeboats had been shot away.” The Virginia moved on to destroy her next victim. The casemate ironclad ram set course for the fifty gun sailing frigate USS Congress. The Congress attempted to lighten her load and headed for shallow water to escape the ironclad, but ran aground. Virginia closed in on her prey. The ironclad took a position 200 yards from the Congress and fired hot shot and shells destroying her within an hour.

Over 120 of the 400-man crew were killed or wounded. The Virginia, CSS Beaufort, and CSS Raleigh attempted to evacuate the wounded from the Congress, but were engaged by rifle fire from Union troops along the shore. Buchanan was wounded from the attack and ordered his crew to fire hot shot and shell until the wooden ship was on fire. The Congress’s ammo and powder blew up shortly after midnight, completing her destruction.
By noon of 8 March 1862 the Casemate Ironclad CSS Virginia had easily destroyed two of the strongest wooden ships in the Union squadron.
Several times throughout the day, the Virginia had been fired upon by over one hundred guns from ships in Hampton Roads and batteries on the shore. Virginia's iron casemate was dented, but not penetrated, and no shells had hit her below the waterline. Her damage was superficial.
This was the age of the telegraph and the entire massacre was visible from Fortress Monroe. The telegraphists at the fort were in contact with Lincoln’s War room by the wire. It was the first time the on scene commader could be scrutinized by his political masters, most of whom knew absolutely nothing about the art of war let alone naval warfare. Being poiticians this did not stop them from interfering, in near real time.
Panic spread to the Union by that telegraph that wonderful telegraphed to be stoked into frenzy by the highly inflamtory exaggerations spread by reporters and editors who wrote sensation because it sold more papaers and allowed larger fees for advertisements. In Washington, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton declared, “The Merrimac [Virginia] will change the whole character of the war. She will destroy, every naval vessel; she will lay all the cities on the seaboard under contribution.”
Old Buck knew the light was waning but he thought they could sink the USS Minnesota. Leaving Congress a flaming infirno , CSS Virginia joined Confederate gunboats in bombarding grounded USS Minnesota.
NOTE Much of this is from the Minnesota’s deck log,
in “Quotes” mostly but not all.
See https://www.archives.gov/research/milit ... avy-online

USS Minnesota had had a pretty tough day so far. The morning of March 8, 1862, began as many others for Minnesota’s crew, with beautiful weather allowing for an easy transfer of mail from an approaching boat. The easy morning shifted to a chaotic afternoon when Minnesota’s deck officer observed “three steamers off Sewall’s Point” closing the blockade; Captain Gershom J. Van Brunt ordered the steam frigate to slip its anchor, releasing it to allow the ship to maneuver, before closing the approaching Confederates. Shore batteries at Sewell’s Point starting a heated artillery exchange with Minnesota at 12:30 P.M. One Confederate shell damaged Minnesota’s main mast, and after an hour of firing, the frigate ran aground a mile from Newport News.

“We backed the Engine and set the mizzen topsail to back the ship off, but all to no effect.” The frigate was firmly aground, at the mercy of CSS Virginia, which was then attacking USS Cumberland and USS Congress. “At 10.30 A.M. the ‘Cumberland’ went down with her Colors Flying. At 11.55 A.M. the ‘Congress’ struck her Colors and hoisted a white flag.”
After sinking Cumberland and forcing the surrender of Congress, CSS Virginia closed Minnesota. Captain Van Brunt’s sailors “immediately transported four of the broadside guns to the bow ports, and commenced firing” at the Confederate ironclad and its two wooden escorts, Jamestown and Patrick Henry, but with little effect. Recognizing this, Captain Van Brunt’s crew worked to refloat the frigate. Doing so was a delicate process. Refloating a grounded ship was easiest done at high tide, when ocean water flooded into Hampton Roads, raising water levels. The Hampton Roads area experiences diurnal tides, meaning that high tide comes twice daily. Based on Minnesota’s log, it appears that high tides for the Sewell’s Point area were at approximately 2 A.M. and 2 P.M.
during the battle. Twice the ship was temporarily freed before being stuck in the mud again.
Old Buck and his XO knew the tide table for Hampton Roads as well as did the USN. He had purposely laid off Minnesota in deep water channel waiting for the tide that would allow Virginia to close the range on the grounded steam frigate. His two wooden gunboats with their shallow draft were making intermittant dashes in and firing off their puny batteries, while Virginia had been conserving her ammo just lobbing an occasional shot at the Yankees to let them know they were next.
In the time remaining their tedious work was filled with setbacks: “We commenced lightening the ship by starting water, hoisting out provisions and heaving overboard seven of 8in guns.” This might lighten the ship to allow it to refloat at the next high tide. After several hours, the crew “succeeded in getting the ship afloat,” but “again grounded” after steaming only a few hundred yards. There it remained, as Virginia, feeling her way with the lead going and the pilot sweating buckets, closed the range.
As Virginia began to close Captain Van Brunt ordered salvoes be fired at her from from his four centerline mounted long range pivot guns; two 11-inch smoothbores and two 100-pounder muzzle-loading rifles. Virginia was presenting her narrow heavily armored bow which reduced her battery that could bear considerably but made her a very difficult target. Even the steady platform a grounded ship provided did not allow Minnesota to score nore than a few glancing blows on Virginia’s casemate. Even when Virginia closed the range Captain Van Brunt’s full broadside of fourteen 9 inch and seven 8 inch along with the 4 pivot guns still only had the narrow bow target to aim at.

On the other hand the few guns Virginia could direct at Minnesota’s 265 foot length were scoring telling hits that were chewing up the wooden hull and spars and dismounting guns and killing sailors.
In time Virginia’s 21 foot draft, even on a high tide, convinced Old Buck he had chanced things enough and he turned to unmask his entire larboard battery of 2 pivot 7-inch Brooke rifles, one 6.4-inch Brooke rifle and three 9-inch Dahlgren smoothbores, all firing shell.
This exposed Viginia’s 250 foot casemate built of 24 inches of oak and pine in several layers, topped with two 2-inch layers of iron plating oriented perpendicular to each other, and angled at 36 degrees from horizontal to deflect enemy shells. Minnesota poured in a very rapid series of full broadside of fourteen 9 inch and seven 8 inch along with the 4 pivot guns. The contest of ironclad vs. wooden hulled steam frigate did not last long. The frigate was blown to pieces from the deadly shells with most of the crew dead, in a matter of 20 minutes.
This only left Roanoke, her sister ship which wisely and out of neccessity of her deep draft had run to seaward into choppy water with a clear route out into the Atlantic where Virginia could not go.
By this time it was nightfall, the Virginia and her small squadron of by Patrick Henry, Jamestown, Teaser,CSS Beaufort, and CSS Raleigh anchored off Sewall's Point. Her crew celebrated their victory and planned to finish their rout of the Union ships in the coming morning. They had broken the blockade and were masters of hmaption Roads. Their casemate iron clad ram CSS Virginia proved no wooden ship, no matter her strength could stand against an iron ship.” With the armor and firepower of the ironclad, the era of wooden warships had ended.
Old Buck and Sec Mallory now wondered if their steam powered, casmated ironclad would also be proof against land batteries, such as those defending the Potomac river and washington? The XO had to cut the celebration short after a few hours because their ship needed maintenance and they had to coal and rearm for their next histuey making mission. Barges and steamers were approaching their anchorage loaded with what they required along with mechanics from Gosport and Tredegar to repair as much damage as possible before they sailed tomorrow.
Old Buck wanted his men rested so Mallory sent out a steveadore crew of slaves to provision and rearm the ship under the supervision of shore side CSN petty officers. This allowed his worn out crew to turn in by midnight.
Not so for his senior officers. CO and Flotilla Commander Admiral Franklin Buchanan, CSN, Sec Mallory an Army Engineer colonel who had served in Fortress Monrow and was well aquainted with shore batteries and washington , XO Lieutenant Catesby Roger Jones, Gunnery Officer “The Gun Boss” Army Captain Thomas Kevill United Artillery, Company E, 41st Virginia Infantry Regiment, the CO’s of Raleigh and Beaufort worked on the plan for tomorrow.
CHENG was busy overseeing the maintenance on his engines.

[OSCSSW]

CSS Virginia Wins
Part 2 Begins

8 March 1862 6 PM Commander John Randolph Tucker’s CSS Patrick Henry, anchored off Sewall's Point. The squadron Commander Admiral Franklin Buchanan, CSN, had chosen the wardroom, former salon of the once merchant ship, now his most powerful wooden gunboat, to hold a council of his captains. Old Buck thought no use beating around the bush and said, “Gentlemen tomorrow, some of us are going to bombard Washington. The way is open to the Potomac river. Virginia has proven nothing those dam Yankee bastards have can harm her. I will lead in Virginia and silence the water batteries and forts they have. Once we get to the Anacostia River we will head for the navy yard. After we sink whatever shipping we find there and silence the few field guns emplace we will anchor. From that position the main batteries of Virginia and Patrick Henry will destroy The Capital and white House. Who knows we might even kill that Neegra loving son of a bitch Lincoln and his cabinet. If God chooses to favor us, as he has so far in our war of Independence, we just may send a good many of the sons’ of Satan Abolitionist senators and congress critters to meet him in person.”

There was silence for a few minutes as his captains wrestled with the boldness and enormity of Old Buck’s plan. Some thought surely after Bull Run this should so break the nerve of those cowardly Yankee politicians that they will sue for peace on our terms. Others did not expect that much until elections were held. Some with strategic insight thought if anything could bring Britain and France into the war on the side of the Confederacy this would do it. Napoleon III would be the most likely of the two. He was always looking for a way to enhance La bell France’s position in the world.
It would take quite a bit more to move Great Britain. Ever looking to maintain her primacy, Lord Palmerston pursued a policy of neutrality. British public opinion was divided on the War. The Confederacy tended to have support from the elites: the aristocracy and the landed gentry, Anglican clergy and some professionals who admired tradition, hierarchy and paternalism identified with the Southern plantation owners. The middle classes, the religious Nonconformists, intellectuals, reformers and most factory workers, who saw slavery and forced labor as a threat to the status of the working man sided with The Union. However, most British did not express an opinion on the matter.
Lord Palmerston’s government was also divided. Chancellor of the Exchequer William Ewart Gladstone, came from a slave owning West Indies family supported the Confederacy. Foreign Minister Lord Russell wanted neutrality. Prime Minister Lord Palmerston wavered between support for national independence, his opposition to slavery and the strong economic advantages of Britain remaining neutral.
The prime Minster pursued a policy of neutrality because the UK’s primary foreign policy concerns were centered in Europe, where he had to watch both Napoleon III's ambitions and Otto von Bismarck's rise in Prussia. There were also serious problems involving Italy, Poland, Russia, Denmark and China.

He was also guided in his official reactions to American events by past British policies and their own national interests, both strategically and economically. In the Western Hemisphere, as relations with the United States improved, Britain had become cautious about confronting it over issues in Central America. As a naval power, Britain had a long record of insisting that neutral nations abide by its blockades, a perspective that led from the earliest days of the war to de facto support for the Union blockade and frustration in the South.
Old Buck’s opinion was held by many North and South, "I saw at a glance where the feelings of England and the rest of Europe are. They hope for our ruin! They are jealous of our power. They care neither for the South nor the North. They hate both."
The young Captain, actually a lieutenant, of the little CSS Raleigh broke the silence with a very enthusiastic “Rebel Yell” taken up by the other captains. Old Buck let them yell for a few minutes and then, putting on his stern Admiral’s face shouted, “Enough of this foolishness. You are Commanders of ships in the Confederate States Navy and I demand you act like gentlemen. Now back to business.” His Boys immediately took up the demeanor of Naval Officers, sat down and awaited their admiral’s next words.
“I will be taking Patrick Henry, and despite her Captain’s youth and atrocious behavior this evening, Raleigh with Virginia”, Old Buck said with a wink.
“Patrick Henry first, because Commander Tucker and his crew did such fine service today. Second, because she is armed with a 10-inch Pivot mount, a 64 pounder, Six 8-inch guns, and two 32 pounder rifles. These guns have the range, if handled correctly, to reach our primary targets. Third, if I should be put down Commander Tucker, as second in command, can be counted on to press on and handle our ships with both courage and great capacity.” Tucker bowed to his Admiral and said, “This is a great honor Sir. I will not let you down. Although I very much doubt I will get the chance because we all know YOU sir are Indestructible.”

Admiral Franklin Buchanan, CSN looked at his old shipmate from their days in the USN and said, “I do hope your right Johnnie and now back to business.
I chose Raleigh because we just might need a tug before this day is out. She will also tow a coal barge for Virginia’s ravenous engines. I have a duty not to loose Virginia; Mallory has a lot more Yankee killing for her in mind. So, Gentlemen, if things go badly and anything can happen in battle, Raleigh just might be the most important vessel we have. The rest of the squadron will do as much damage to the shipping in the lower Chesapeake as possible. Well that’s it, get your ships ready for tomorrow, take good care of your crews, they have earned that.”
Just to seal this moment Old Buck said, “And now I think a toast to our country is in order.” His voice then turned harsh, “Raddalis” you old rascal, bring in a bottle of my “Buffalo Trace Bourbon” and glasses for these young ruffians.” Old Buck then looked each of his captains directly in the face and with something of the pride of a father for his sons said, “I certainly am not going to waste my Good Stuff on the likes of you”. They stood and downed the fiery liquor thanking God they were serving this great fighting admiral. All Old Buck could choke out at this moment was a harsh “Your all dismissed, I can’t stand the sight of your smug faces any longer.” He thought and not for the first time “Dear God why do I have to get such good young men killed? Why can’t those abolitionist scum just leave us alone?
A few minutes later he said “Commander Tucker and Lieutenant (Joseph W.)Alexander stay awhile we still have some planning to do.”
At this point Old Buck called for charts of the upper Chesapeake, Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. About ten minutes later Patrick Henry’s “Sailing Master” Jake Cantral, a former long term and respected local pilot brought in the charts. Commander Tucker asked his Admiral if it would be alright for sailing Master Cantral to join them. Old Buck was more than happy to agree because he was not all that confident in his pilot of this day. The man did not run them aground but it was clear his nerves were shot by the end of the battle. Maybe this older man would be as good a replacement as he was likely to find before they sailed.

8 March 1862 9 PM Mystic shipyard of Maxson, Fish & Company, owned by William Maxson, Commander Alfred Taylor USN, CO wooden hulled armored steam sloop USS Galena sat at his desk drinking a mug of French brandy spiked coffee and reading an order from Gideon Welles himself to make his ship ready to sail by first light tomorrow. Attached was an assessment of the catastrophic battle of Hampton Roads, that annihilated most of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron there. Fact was his command was ready for sea but not for an ironclad battle, not quite yet. He was in Mystic, not a navy yard, to have adjustments made to his steam plant. It worked well enough but he and his CHENG were both convinced it could be made to perform much better. The modifications had been made and pier side trials looked promising but Galena had not had her post yard availability sea trials yet.
H.L. & C.S. Bushnell, Mystic, had commissioned naval architect Samuel H. Pook to draw up the plans for a seagoing armored warship and then subcontracted actual construction to Maxson, Fish & Co., also of Mystic, Connecticut. They had built a damn fine ship. She was a good sea boat under steam and under a full rig of sails, far better than Monitor or New Ironsides. She actually maintained a speed of 7–8 knots during her second trial run with sails alone. Her engine was of the ingle-cylinder horizontal vibrating-lever type. After the break in period, which had been sheer hell and utter frustration, had proven to be, when served by well trained men, both powerful and NOW quite reliable. That had required time and the talent and dedication of his excellent CHENG (AKA Chief engineer) Charles Roe, “Charlie” Roe. Although CHENG was responsible, he did have excellent help from the steam engineering staff of the the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and a few mechanics, who had help build this engine.
Those mechanics were supplied by John Ericsson, designer and builder of his patented the single-cylinder horizontal vibrating-lever steam engine. The 800-indicated-horsepower engine used steam generated by two boilers and gave the ship a top speed of better than the contracted flank speed of 8 knots. It had a bore of 48 inches and a stroke of 36 inches which was quite compact compared to most other marine steam engines.
Mating the engine to the single propeller shaft was more of an art than a science at this point. Particular attention had to be given to supporting the rotating shaft, it could not be allowed to warp, even a little. Modifying the transom and through hull shaft opening also took time to get right with a minimum of salt water entering the hull.

Galena made over 9 and half knots under both sails and steam but the wind conditions were crucial and the XO was sure under the right conditions Galena could top 10 knots under steam alone and maybe 12 using both sail and steam.
Galena’s “Black Gang” firemen (coal heavers) was a real pickup team. There were few old Navy Men, with the rest half former merchant engineers and half scared, ignorant green kids. CHENG “Charlie” Roe, had to call in more than a few markers to get three of his best former senior Engineer petty officers assigned to Galena. Through herculean efforts and a good number of busted skulls and broken noses his senior enlisted molded the black gang into as excellent a band of “Snipes” as this greatly expanding Navy had today. Hell they were even better than a lot of prewar mechanics and firemen.

His “Deck Apes”, who formed the gun crews, were as green but had a higher proportion of “Old salts” than did his “Black Gang”. The problem was due to the requirements of getting Galena operational, she spent far too much time in the Dock yard availability and consequently opportunities for live firing her guns had been few. The Gun captains, at this point all experienced Navy men, had done a good job while in port drilling their gun crews but you did not develop marksmen in port and even old hands lost their touch if not constantly practiced, underway.
Sail handling suffered to some extent but no where as badly as gunnery for the same reason; lack of underway time.

He had concerns about Galena’s battery of wo 6.4-inch, 100-pounder Parrott rifles in pivot mounts fore and aft and four 9-inch smoothbore Dahlgren guns. Each nine-inch gun weighed approximately 9,000 pounds. They could fire a 70–90-pound shell to a range of 3,450 yards at an elevation of 15°. The muzzle-loading Parrott rifles fired a 70–100-pound shell and had a maximum range of approximately 2,250 yards . The 20-caliber guns weighed about 9,800 pounds each. These were the same guns in the wooden ships at Hampton Roads that had failed to defeat Merrimack’s armor.
Finally, he was concerned about fighting another armored ship. Galena's original design, dated 28 June, was for a schooner-rigged corvette with three masts, 162 feet long at the waterline with a beam of 32 feet , a depth of hold of 10 feet 8 inches and an estimated displacement of 800 long tons . His ship's sides were protected by wrought iron plates 2.5 inches thick, backed by 1.5 inches of India rubber and the 18-inch side of the hull. The ship's deck consisted of armor 1.25 inches. A revised design was submitted to the Ironclad Board, for which a contract was awarded on 28 September, in which his sloop was enlarged, probably because it was uncertain if the original design could support the proposed armor's weight.
While under construction, the armor scheme was modified. The original rubber backing was replaced by an additional 5⁄8 inch of iron although Commodore Joseph Smith, Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and Pook were uncertain if the ship could support this weight. To reduce the weight several alternatives were proposed. One proposal was to reduce the thickness of the protection to 1⁄2 inch for a distance from 20 feet from the bow and stern and the other was to reduce the armor's thickness above the sills of the gun ports to 2 inches and the deck armor's thickness to 1/2-inch over 2 1/2 inches of wood. Of course the worst of solutions was decided upon by the navy brass the two proposals were combined so that the armor was two inches thick above the gun ports, except around the stern where it was 1/2-inch thick.

His knowledge of the specifics of the Hampton roads battle was quite limited at this point. He hoped it was fought at long range, not gunnel to gunnel. If that was the case his armor should allow him to come in close and pour his fire into the Rebel iron clad at point blank range. Maybe even at pistol shot and therefore the penetrating power of his solid armor breaking shot would do a lot more damage than the wooden ships had managed.
If that were not the case he would still use his 8 to 10 knot speed to force a close engagement and if needs be he’d ram and board the bastard. The rebs only had one iron clad in the Chesapeake and the loss of his ship was acceptable if he could take or sink Merrimack. He was sure the North would build a lot more ironclads and they would be superior to what the Rebs could build. New Ironsides would be operational soon and that thing Monitor with her two 11 inch guns rode so low their was little to shoot at but that heavily armored turret. Even she should be a match for Merrimack if he damaged her enough.

The rub was he had only a partial load out of ammunition and less than 10% of that the still in short supply “Palliser shot” armor defeating rounds. Wrought iron armor of unknown thickness covered Merrimack. This armor was practically immune to both the round cast-iron cannonballs and to the recently developed explosive shell. A Brit named Palliser, invented a method of hardening the head of the pointed cast-iron shot. By casting the projectile point downwards and forming the head in an iron mold, the hot metal was quickly chilled and became intensely hard, while the remainder of the mold, being formed of sand, allowed the metal to cool slowly and the body of the shot to be resistant to shattering. All the Union ships in Hampton Roads had a supply of “Palliser shot”, how much he did not know.
What he was no longer concerned with was the fighting spirit and determination of his officers and crew. After hearing of the slaughter of the wooden ship in Hampton Roads yesterday, they were all out for vengeance. They wanted “Seccesh” blood and were prepared to take this fight to the knife and the knife to the hilt. With crewmen like Fireman Charles Kenyon, Quartermaster Jeremiah Regan, and Corporal John F. Mackie he could get the job done and what more could a captain ask for?

8 March 1862 11:45 PM sitting in his hammock chair on the quarter deck of Patrick Henry with a now quarter filled decanter of his “Buffalo Trace Bourbon” and a very good cigar Admiral Franklin Buchanan, CSN , was in a contemplative mood. Tomorrow if he could help it, was going to be a decisive day for his young country.
He honestly believed as the realists in senior positions of the CSA did that Washington, DC, was the most strategic and vulnerable city in the Union. Sandwiched between the Confederate state of Virginia to the west and the border slave state of Maryland to the east, Washington sat astride the War’s most critical and active military front, the Eastern Theater. The Union army used the city to mobilize and supply the Army of the Potomac, defend the eastern seaboard, and launch military thrusts toward Richmond.
He Believed that by severely damaging the Union’s capital, it would lead to defeat in a matter of months not years as many feared. His boys would put a victorious end to this horrible blood bath of brothers, fathers, sons and cousins butchering each other. So now the CSN will target Washington itself the “grand depot of supplies” for the Eastern Theater. To that end his ships were carrying as many rounds as they could safely store, mainly of shell and grape with just 10% of the iron clad killing armor piercing rounds.

He planned to destroy the Subsistence Depot consisting of twenty huge warehouses along the city’s Potomac wharves. To supply the Army of the Potomac, the depot stored three million military rations, including 18,000 barrels of flour, 9,000 barrels of salted beef and 3,000 of salted pork, 500,000 pounds of coffee, 500,000 pounds of sugar, and 1,500,000 pounds of hard bread, along with tons of candles, soap, and ice.
He would bombard symbols that were also legitimate strategic targets like The white House, The Capital, The Treasury building and Patent office. He also wanted to do as much damage as he could to the largest arsenal in the Union, The Washington Arsenal at Buzzard point next to the Navy YARD. Another great strategic target was the Baltimore and Ohio railway depot, at New Jersey Avenue and C Street NW; just north of the U.S. Capitol which moved thousands of troops into and through the Washington daily.

9 March 1862 5:30 USS Galena was outbound from Mystic shipyard of Maxson, Fish & Company destination Hampton Roads. Her crew had spent the night getting in supplies and bringing her engineering plant back to life from cold iron. They had done everything else required to make her in all respects ready for a 10 knot speed run. The storm that had almost sunk Monitor was blowing itself North so he would be pushing his engines for all they had and spreading every piece of canvas he had. With luck, Commander Alfred Taylor USN and his crew could be in the Chesapeake by this evening ready to engage CSS Virginia immediately if the Rebs would just accommodate them.
9 March 1862 7:30 AM Sewell’s point three companies of the the Confederate States Marine Corps (CSMC), a branch of the Confederate Navy, reported for duty aboard, CSS Virginia, CSS Patrick Henry and CSS Raleigh. They had been drawn from the headquarters and main training facilities in Richmond, located at Camp Beall on Drewry's Bluff and at the Gosport Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. The 180 Marines were under the command of Major Israel Greene Adjutant and Inspector of the Corps.

Israel Greene, had until recently served in the USMC as a First Lieutenant. He had been the commander of the 80 strong Marine Detachment drawn from the Washington Navy yard for Duty under Colonel Robert E Lee US Army, that captured John Brown during his raid on Harpers Ferry.
CSMC was established by the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States 16 March 1861. The Corps' strength was authorized at 45 officers and 944 enlisted men, under Colonel-Commandant Lloyd J. Beall. CSMC units, Companies and Marine Detachments (MarDets), were stationed at Confederate naval bases, aboard CSN warships and occasionally helped garrison shore fortifications. A 48 strong MarDet from Company C, under Second Lieutenant George Holmes, was currently, serving aboard CSS Virginia and helping to man several of her guns. CSS Patrick Henry had a MarDet of 30 drawn from Company G under Sergeant Joseph Riddock. CSS Raleigh carried on her books a small MarDet of 12, also from Company G, led by Sergeant Isaac Huff Walling. These three shipboard MarDets brought total CSMC available for a landing party to 288 marines. 150 of the additional CSMC were assigned to CSS Patrick Henry, 20 went to Virginia and 10 squeezed into Raleigh. This not very large landing party were to be put ashore to burn and otherwise destroy as many government buildings and other Federal property as their short time and limited mobility ashore would allow. Old Buck was still mulling over an idea by one of the CSMC mad men to capture and hold hostage the supreme court and such other prominent government officials as they could get their hands on. Well, he thought, we in the navy don’t call them Jar heads for nothing.

9 March 1862 9 AM Sewell’s point Old Buck gave the order to get underway, by signal flags. CSS Virginia, CSS Patrick Henry and little CSS Raleigh had steam up, tested their engines and set sea and Anchor details long before the order was given and therefore responded immediately. With high tide at 2PM and the most powerful ships of the Union blockading squadron destroyed the way to Washington DC was clear aside from the river defenses and whatever lesser wooden warships, soon to be drift wood, the Yankees were able to assemble in Chesapeake Bay. It was his plan to make his transit to arrive off the junction of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers at mean high tide.

Old Buck had selected only two ships to accompany Virginia up the Potomac river to lay waste the Union Capital.
CSS Patrick Henry was a powerful converted brigantine-rigged, side-wheel steamer gunboat of the CSA. She had done very well yesterday under her CO Commander John Randolph Tucker. She was a new ship launch in 1859 as Yorktown displacing 1,300 tons, length of 250 ft, beam of 34 ft and a draft of 13 ft. (8 feet shallower than Virginia). Her crew, a very proud, now blooded and battle tested of sailors, numbered 150 officers and men who nicknamed their ship “Patrick”. Although unarmored accept for 10 inch thick oak planking protecting the sides of her gun deck “Patrick” was very well armed with One 10-inch Pivot mounted smooth-bore, One 64 pounder , Six 8-inch guns, two 32 pounder rifles in her broadside battery.
CSS Patrick Henry, having been recently built in New York City by the renowned William H. Webb incorporated the latest in paddle wheel marine propulsion. Webb chose a steam engine with a cylinder whose piston connected with one end of an overhead beam driving a gear wheel that moved the paddle shaft. This engine found extensive use in America because it was powerful and reliable. This latest version included refinements, one of which was a side lever. This engine delivered 4,570 indicated horse power propelled the now 1400-ton ship at 14.5kts knots with an average coal consumption at her 10 knot cruising speed was around 350 tons per day; Virginia’s was much worse.
9 March 1862 11 AM after brushing off, no time for a long engagement now, the remainder of the Union Navy blockading force Old Buck rounded Smith POINT and started up the main channel of the Potomac river with Virginia leading. Now they had to beat Washington’s water defenses.

9 March 1862 11:20 AM news of the rebel Squadron’s progress into the Potomac river reached “The Operations room” in the white House by dedicated military telegraph. News quickly spread to the congress who evacuated the capitol and took refuge in "Fort Massachusetts", constructed in 1861. It guarded the northern approach to Washington, D.C., on the Seventh Street Turnpike and was well out of range from the Potomac or Anacosta river warships guns.
Lincoln was made of much sterner stuff. He and his cabinet were meeting in The White House to decide what action they could take to counter the “Iron Rebel Beast”. Yesterday there had been panic that Virginia would arrive in the river and bombard Washington into rubble. Lincoln had stood firm and managed, with the passage of time and no Rebel holocaust, to lesson the fears of his cabinet and Congress. Now it seems their fright of yesterday, while premature, was about to come true.
The Union Army and navy Brass in the capital were relying on both Fort Foote and the Natter Battery anchoring the defenses on the Potomac Rivers' southern approach and were often referred to as water or river shore batteries.
Fort Foote, designed and built by Lieutenant Colonel Walker K. Armistead was completed on October 2, 1824. Extensive remodeling was performed in the 1840s and the first guns were mounted in 1846. The masonry fort was occupied by soldiers from the First, Third and Fourth U.S. Artillery during its early history. Except for a few guns at the Washington Arsenal, Fort Foote was the only defense for the Nation’s Capital until the Civil War. In march 1862 the fort was manned by 200 troops from the 1st Wisconsin and 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery.
The Water Battery , an earthen gun emplacement, was constructed at the intersection of the foot of Jefferson Street and Green. The battery protected Alexandria, a valuable supply depot.

The emplacement stood on a bluff overlooking the river and included a hospital, slaughter house and barracks. The guns were located on the East side of S. Lee street between Jefferson and Green. The support area was in the block of S. Lee, Green, S. Fairfax and Jefferson.

9 March 1862 1 PM the CSN had made good time. Old Buck had established a line abreast formation with CSS Virginia shielding Patrick Henry and Raleigh in between both from the shore batteries. Her stout iron Clad sides had proven, once again proof against anything the Union could fire at her. She also suppressed the Union fire by firing explosive shells and grape into the defenders works. In this she dismounted a number of guns and killed and wounded a great many more union Coast artillery troops. At times field gun batteries of 12 pounder Napoleons, three inch ordnance rifles and even some 20 pounder Parrots were brought into action to supplement the fixed defenses. The only time that tactic proved more than irritating was when one of the three inch rifle batteries set up opposite a fixed battery and Virginia could not shield her two consorts. Patrick Henry was hit twice killing eight, wounding 17 sailors and marines and temporarily dismounting one of her 32 pounder rifles. She returned counter battery fire and in three broadsides of grape and shell literally annihilated the field battery.
For just plain stupidity a New York recently raised volunteer Infantry regiment formed line, in the open, supporting the four 20 pound Parrot field battery and volley fired into the CSN Squadron. The ships concentrated their fire on the guns as the Regiment poured 850 round volleys into their stout sides. Eventually, Old Buck reluctantly gave the order to engage the troops with grape shot. The regiment was shot to pieces in five broadsides from Patrick Henry.

1:30 PM The CSN ships, now just North of the Anacostia river with the channel shoaling opened fire on The Subsistence Depot, twenty huge warehouses along the city’s Potomac wharves.
132 PM In the white House POTUS Lincoln, his cabinet and senior brass heard the cannonade begin. They ran to the windows but could not see where the Confederate Navy was firing from.
1:45 PM In the white House POTUS could see the smoke rising from the direction of Potomac wharves. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, asked his naval aid, Can they reach the White House from the river?” The Commander replied yes but not with any accuracy. They can not see their target and so all we have to worry about is random shot.”
Lincoln then asked “would it do any good to adjourn to the cellar Commander?”
“I don’t think so. To reach here they have to be firing at least 9 inch shells. If a full broadside hits The white House squarely none of you have to worry about reelection.”
To which Lincoln replied “and you will never rise to Captain!”

Postmaster General Montgomery Blair, joined in the black humor by saying, “Too bad the damn congress high tailed it to "Fort Massachusetts". A few of those 9 inch broadside would do that bunch and the Union, a world of good.”
It was then Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase’s turn. “I suggest we all reconvene in Willard’s Bar, I’ll stand you all to round of drinks!”
Lincoln added, “I could use a damn big Applejack Now Salmon and that is no lie.”

1:55 PM At that point a Telegraphist Corporal come in with a message. He saluted and handed it to the Secretary of war who read it. Very formerly Edwin McMasters Stanton said, “Mr. President The rebel ironclad Merrimack and two gunboats have set fire to The Subsistence Depot. Five of the score of warehouses have been destroyed by shell fire. Most of the others are damaged and all are involved in a raging fire that is consuming Potomac wharves and three merchant vessels tied up there. The exact loss of life is unknown but Colonel Sharpe reports it is great. Furthermore, other structures in the harbor district are also destroyed and on fire.”
2 PM CSS Patrick Henry (Pat to her enlisted crew) per Old Buck’s last signal shifted her fire to The White House. Commander Tucker’s Gunner E. R. Johnson used as an offset aiming point the steeple of St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square. He plotted the range, bearing and distance using a Corps of US Army Engineer’s recent map of the government district of Washington.
“Gunner Johnson turned over the direction of the ship’s one 64 pounder and two 32 pounder rifles to their own gun captains. These guns would continue to pound the Subsistence Depot warehouses, a fairly short range direct fire target.
Gunner Johnson, laid his Six 8-inch rifles against The White House and his 10-inch Pivot mounted smooth-bore on the Treasury Buildings. Splitting the battery was necessary because of the ballistics differences and rate of fire between the 8 inch and the 10 inch guns. This way he kept all his gun that would bear firing.

Using a borrowed sextant and that map, Gunner Johnson provided the elevation, powder charge and firing bearing to the Midshipman directing the ten inch pivot. From the mainmast head neither the White House or the treasury buildings could be spotted but the Gold dome of the Church was just visible and given they were firing shell just maybe the smoke rising from the bursting round might be visible and used to adjust the fire. To this end Commander Tucker sent one of his Master’s mates aloft with the lookouts and a good telescope and hand compass.
Almost before the 10 inch round had landed Gunner Johnson ordered the 8 inch battery to fire. From the Masthead, relayed by sailors positioned along the main mast, a report of “Not Observed” for both 10 and 8 inch was received by The Gunner. A slight change was ordered to compensate for the very little ship movement even with an anchor down. Then the 10 inch fired, followed by a full minute for the 8 inch battery. That adjustment was warranted not to confuse anyone.

2:10 PM After ten minutes of firing smoke could be seen from where the white House was plotted. Still nothing from the Treasury building. Gunner Johnson roared at the 8 inch battery “Pour it into them Yankee bastards boys. Rapid fire, no change in elevation or bearing.” He wanted his rounds dispersed a little now all the better to ensure they got Abe and anyone else around him.
2:12 PM A 8 inch shell hit the roof of the white house starting a small fire It was that smoke “Pat’s” crew had observed. Lincoln and his cabinet were not even aware of the fire for ten minutes. Once it was reported POTUS Lincoln ordered the building evacuated. Most of the household staff, including those most prominent positions of the president’s secretary, steward and chief doorkeeper, ran outside and got as far away from the building as their legs would carry them. Lincoln, his Union Intelligence Service, (forerunner of the US Secret Service) Pinkerton bodyguard, his family the cabinet and both Army and Navy men assigned to staff duty at the white House were escorted by their Army guards to take shelter in the nearby Treasury Building.

The idea of using the sturdy Treasury Building as a refuge of last resort was General Winfield Scott’s. Soon after the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861, there was concern that an attack on Washington was imminent so General Scott had the very sturdy new Treasury building readied to be used as a "last stand" by the federal government in the event the capital city was overrun. The exterior of the building was ringed with sandbags and soldiers, and inside corridors and hallways leading to the underground vaults, which were ideal as bomb proofs were barricaded "floor to ceiling".
Scott’s original plan provided in the event of an unstoppable assault against the capital for surviving U.S. Army forces to fight from three centers of final resistance with the Treasury Building as the "citadel" of the third. Under the General’s plan, troops assigned to defend the White House would fight a delaying action in President's Park to cover the evacuation of Abraham Lincoln into the Treasury vaults.
Now that “Pat” had the range, and with smoke plumes rising the offset method was no longer required and the rate of fire increased greatly. The white house was once again set afire as it had been in the war of 1812 but this time the shells bounced the rubble. The Treasury building was hit by the 10 inch but that volume of fire and slow rate of reload coupled with the fact Old Buck wanted to get at a lot more targets saved it and those sheltering in the it’s vaults for the most part.

Both Virginia and Patrick Henry subjected the depot to 40 minutes of controlled, relatively short range and accurate salvos of shell fire. Most of the warehouses were seriously damaged and many were on fire when Old Buck signaled his squadron to cease fire and follow Virginia into the Anacostia river. Patrick Henry’s “Sailing Master” Jake Cantral, had done an excellent job piloting the Virginia strike force up the Potomac. His ships, even the 21 foot draft Virginia had not touched bottom once. Cantral had not only kept them in the channel but he could ,when required, pilot them to minimize exposure to the shore batteries. Now his challenge was to waste no time, as the tide was now ebbing placing Virginia and Patrick Henry in position to continue the bombard of Washington.

3:10 PM Old Buck first turned his shell guns on The Washington Arsenal at Buzzard point, at the mouth of the Anacostia river. The arsenal had only a few light guns mounted to defend this vital government industrial activity located at Greenleaf's Point.
A significant portion of the army's cannons, bullet cartridges, and bombs were assembled here. It was manned by very skilled mechanics and artillery men who were employed to mend and clean guns and to provide fittings and carriages for the cannon." In addition to assembling cannons and other ordnance, the arsenal also manufactured ammunition.

3:25 PM, Patrick Henry’s sixth salvo landed four shells on target. One of the the new buildings built in 1858 as part of a major upgrading of the old facility, manufacturing bagged charges for the army’s heavy field guns.
As many able bodied men had gone off to war, young women had replaced some of them. 108 young women were working in the arsenal's main laboratory alongside as many men and boys. Stacked just outside the building were several pans of newly-made "star" flares that had been set out to dry. One of Patrick Henry’s shells ignited these flares and set off a chain reaction. One flare flew in an open window and set off the gunpowder that the girls were using. A powerful explosion blew the roof a foot off the laboratory and quickly turned it into a blazing inferno.
Those killed by the initial blast suffered less than the many who struggled to escape the burning building. The fire, fed by three more close hits spread rapidly to other buildings in the arsenal until a general conflagration enveloped 80% of the facility with great loss of life.
One of those who did not die, was not injured or lost his head was First Sergeant Richard Baker 2nd US Coast artillery regiment who had been assigned to the arsenal to inspect and proof fire his branch’s heavy guns. There was a test range on the beach below Buzzard point. On that range was an un-proofed Seacoast 10-inch Rodman Gun on a front-pintle barbette carriage. Rodman guns differed from all previous artillery because they were hollow cast, a new technology that Rodman developed that resulted in cast-iron guns that were much stronger than their predecessors. They fired both solid shot and shell.

The Sergeant had three problems to solve. First were there any cartridges left he could modify to fire the 10 inch gun? Second, were there any Solid shot or Shells for the 10 inch Rodman left in these ruins. Third, could he find any healthy, trained artillerymen to help him work this huge gun. One thing the old Vet knew was that, at times like this the last thing he wanted to do was ask Permission for what he was about to do. That was the surest way to waste valuable time and maybe be stopped from doing anything.

He knew for a fact there were no charges and no shells stored at the test range. There might be solid shot. He made his way to the buried magazine away from the production buildings. Once there he found the guard was missing and the iron studded oak door was closed and locked. No problem; he knew where the keys were. It took him a half hour to steal the keys out of the duty officer’s desk and get back to the magazine. Still no guard. Baker opened the door and with a flame proof, he hoped, lantern he inspected the inventory sheet he knew would be inside because he had made it out or corrected it often enough. Among hundreds of munitions he found Two dozen 10 inch charges, 20 ten inch Rodman shells, another two dozen solid shot, not the new steel for use against ironclads and a dozen stand of 10 inch grape. He then found a couple boxes of 10 inch Rodman fusses. All were exactly where they had been yesterday when that Navy Ruckus had everyone running around like chickens with their heads chopped off. He found the “Gun Tools”, rammers, Sponges, buckets etc. in the locked shed above. He had the key for that as well.
Now for a gun crew. The wood frame arsenal barracks were burning fiercely. There was so much smoke large parts of the arsenal could not be seen. What he could see was a heavy duty four wheeled dray wagon with it’s team of oxans still yoked just standing there chomping on grass. He needed men just to load the dray. Each 10 inch powder charge weighed 15 lb but the Round shot weighed 128 lb and the shells were 102 lb. It took a full 8 man team to train and elevate the beast and at least four more men to supply charges and shot.
It took a well trained gun crew 3 minutes to swab, load, aim and fire the gun. A two man crew at the muzzle rammed a 15 pound black powder charge, followed by either round shot, not the new steel used against ironclad or shell. The gunner called out orders for the crew below to adjust the aim: “Left. Stop. Elevate!” The wheels of the massive gun turned toward its target. Pulling a long lanyard ignited the friction primer. As the soldiers cleared for safety, a flame shot into the powder bag and ignited the powder.
By the time the Sergeant had rounded up the needed crew the CSN flotilla was too far up the river and out of the gun’s arc of fire. Baker told his men, “Not to worry they got to come back the way they came. We’ll get them, then.” Now they had time to finish the back breaking task of supplying and loading the big gun. They also went through the entire loading and firing practice a half dozen times under the scrutiny of their sergeant and now it was time to wait.

4 PM All Old Buck and his squadron knew was the arsenal was not worth any more of their explosive shells. He ordered his ships to shift fire onto the navy yard, as they continued up the Anacostia river to their anchor stations in the basin. In the process they fired on the giant ship houses and set them and the ships building in them on fire. As they closed their anchorage they sank three more wooden warships and a half dozen smaller merchant ships and coasters.
Once anchored by bow and stern to provide the very steadiest gun platform, Old Buck ordered their short range guns to destroy the machine shops, foundry, pump houses for the dry docks, the Rope walk, the marine barracks and any other structured that looked useful to the USN. He was saving his remaining heavy gun ammo for the Baltimore and Ohio railway depot, at New Jersey Avenue and C Street NW; just north of the U.S. Capital with a few for that symbol of Union oppression too. Too bad there was no surprise left. If he knew anything about politician it was they valued their lives greatly; so they would not be court in the Capital but wherever the safest place in Washington was. Probably in Fort Stevens which was well out of the range of his guns. Too bad.

4:30 PM At the signal from the Admiral the squadron sent off it’s boats loaded with CSMC landing parties to finish what the guns had started and two parties of Marines and sailors broke off for “special Duty. They raced out of the yard and made for two churches in the direction of the capital Building.
First group was commanded by Lieutenant Francis Lyell Hoge, his second Midshipman William Carroll, a quartermaster Petty Officer and two able seaman trained in signaling from CSS Patrick Henry. They had an escort of 12 CS Marines armed with Rifles under a Sergeant. Their objective was the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church at 1500 S. Capitol Street and Independence Ave. Their mission was to observe the fall of shot and signal, by semaphore flags correction to the CSN Squadron off the Navy yard. They were to set up a an observation post in the belfry of the church steeple with a clear view of Baltimore and Ohio railway depot, at New Jersey Avenue and C Street NW; just north of the U.S. Capitol.
The second Gunfire observation group were to set up shop in the belfry of the steeple The United Church in Northwest Washington, locate at 1920 G St. and constitution Ave. Lt. Thomas W. W. Davies commanding second Midshipman L. D. Hamner, with a quartermaster Petty Officer and two able seaman trained in signaling from CSS Patrick Henry. They also had an escort of 12 CS Marines armed with Springfield Rifles under a Sergeant.
Both Churches were chosen because they had a direct line of sight to the anchored ships and the Capital and railway depot.

5 PM CSS Virginia and Patrick Henry began bombarding the capital Building under directed by Lt. Thomas W. W. Davies. It took three rounds to register the guns. That was followed by six broadsides from both Patrick Henry and Virginia to level the capital building.
5:30 PM fire was directed onto the Rail depot. This was an area target. The observation teams walked the salvos up and down the depot inflicting great damage. The 14 heavy guns of the squadron were firing rapidly until sunset at 7:30 PM. During the time Virginia was anchored Raleigh had transferred her coal supply to the ironclad by coming alongside and tieing up to Virginia’s unengaged side and pass the coal bags through the still unshuttered gun ports.
7:45 PM. Both Fire observation parties and the rest of the landing force were back aboard the squadron reporting the capital building was razed, great damage had been done to the Depot including the destruction of eight locomotives and 102 rail cars. 9 Warehouses were destroyed and acres of supplies in open fields, under tarpoleens and lean twos were also destroyed. The tracks and switching gear were utterly destroyed and the depot looked like the surface of the moon so rutted was it with shell holes.
7:50 PM. The squadron headed back down the Anacostia River led by the Raleigh with Pilot Jake Cantral and his leadsman aboard taking continuous soundings. The plan was to make best speed while they still had a half hour of daylight and another hour of nautical twilight and get as far down the Potomac as possible. With luck they would reach Gunston cove. They would lay up in that deserted part of the river until moonrise and then decide if it was bright enough to hazard the transit down to the Chesapeake bay at night.
7:58 PM Sergeant Richard Baker opened fire with his 10 inch Rodman gun at the Raleigh. Of his scratch crew only he knew the gun had not been proof fired yet and since the range was so short he was only using a half charge 8 pounds. He aimed the piece carefully and the ordered the rest of the gun crew to take shelter away from the gun and lie down. Baker then pulled the lanyard, setting off the friction primer and won his bet. He ordered his men to reload double quick.

If he sank her in the channel he would bottle up the Rebel ships until “The Brass” figured out a way to take them. Of course his first shot missed but it’s muzzle flash and powder smoke gave away his position to the sharp eyed rebel lookouts. The CS Marines on the Raleigh opened fire with their rifles first. The range was so short bullets were whining around his men and thudding into the sand bag wall someone had had the brains to have built to confine the iron shards from a failed gun.

Baker fine tuned his aim and ordering everyone clear again fired his second half charge shell at the Tug. Another miss but close aboard this time. Next shot would sink the ocean going Tug. Now as his crew went through the swabbing out and loading drill Raleigh’s two bronze Type 2 14-pounder James rifle on pivot mounts at the foc’sle and just aft of the deck house open fire. One round was short the other exploded in the sand bag sand bag wall scattering iron splinter into the gun crew. Two men were down and two more were slightly injured as Baker fired again and was rewarded with a hit into the pilot house, killing her 26 year old CO Lieutenant Joseph W. Alexander and the quartermaster. The shell failed to explode and continued through the lightly built pilot house and landed on the opposite shore where it finally did explode.
Sergeant Baker had little time to take pleasure in his hit because, CSS Patrick Henry, next ship in line, let loose a full broadside into his position. “Pat’s” gunners smothered the lone gun with both grape and shell. One round from her 10-inch Pivot mounted smooth-bore struck the Rodman square on the muzzle knocked it off it’s carriage with a split barrel. The remaining broadside of three 8-inch and one 32 pounder rifles demolished the test range. Sergeant, soon to be Captain US Coast Artillery, Richard Baker was unharmed. Three of his gunners, one badly injured to be a cripple for the rest of his life and two who fully recover were stunned for the moment. “Pat” did not fire again as the target was destroyed and her CO was quite concerned by how little ammo he had left.
Raleigh, out of control continued with her rudder amidship on her course long enough for her Sailing Master and two machinist mates to Rig her tiller and regain steerage. Pilot Cantral and his leadsmen, half deafened by the blast from the Foc’sl 14 pounder James, continued to guide the little CSN squadron. Old Buck ordered one of Patrick Henry’s officers, First Lieutenant Oscar F. Johnston to assume command of the Raleigh. There was no time to loose.

9:15 PM The CS Marine landing party sent ahead to scout the shores of Gunston cove signaled “All clear”. Old Buck ordered his squadron to anchor when the sounding reached 32 feet.
9:30 PM Pilot Cantral reported to his Admiral and Captain aboard Patrick Henry. Old Buck had shifted his flag to the more comfortable ship shortly after they passed the last of the water defenses of Washington. Cantral advised they wait until 11 PM to get underway down the Potomac. From what he could see the full moon and cloudless sky should allow him to recognize the landmarks to safely pilot the squadron the rest of the way down the river. He added the high tide at 2 AM would only be an added assurance.
Admiral Franklin Buchanan, had to make another of those hard decisions. His men were exhausted. Tired men made mistakes and failed to notice things better rested men would not miss. In a“Neck or Nothing” high stakes gamble like this little visit into the heart of the beast that was the Union capital there were a lot of good men in blue intent on killing every last one of us. He knew they, unlike most of the political Harlots, were men who knew their trade; not so long ago he called them shipmates. They had to be concentrating forces to sink his little squadron. One way to do that was to block the channel with sunken ships. The Union did not need their new ironclads or even warships to do that. Every minute he delayed here, waiting for that moon to rise, repair damage, feed and rest his crews was time for those block ships to be sunk. Nothing the Union could do now
Old buck replied, I want this squadron underway by 10:30 PM” He then turned to Commander Tucker , “Hang out a signal if you please Commander. I want Jones and Johnston here as soon as possible for a short meeting.”

9:40 PM Old Buck, Pilot Cantral, CSMC Major Israel Greene and his captains sat around a table in the salon drinking coffee liberated by the CSMC landing party this afternoon. The admiral stated, “ I’ll let you go as soon as I get your verbal report on the condition of your ships and crews. We will start with Captain Johnston.” Swallowing a swig of this fine Yankee coffee First Lt Johnston said, “My chippie and engineers have rigged a serviceable wheel. The carpenter’s crew have repaired the Pilot house. Our hull is sound, we have plenty of coal and our engine is in good working order. Aside from the two casualties you know about Admiral, the crew and our marines are all fit for duty. They are in the process of being fed now.”
Gatesby Jones was next. “Virginia is in all respects ready to proceed and if called on fight another battle Admiral. Our machinery is in fine shape, our armor is a bit dented but nothing more. We refueled this afternoon and have more than enough coal to make our home port. We have suffered no casualties. My one concern is our ammunition supply. We still have the 20 rounds of the steel anti armor shot we sailed with but are down to less than 90 shells and 20 stand of grapeshot. My men are being fed as we speak.”

CSMC Major Greene, at a nod from Old Buck spoke next. “Admiral Buchanon of the 288 Marines we started this mission with I have 263 fit for duty. We have plenty of ammunition and are ready to carry out any orders you issue Admiral.”
Last to report was Commander Tucker who said, “Patrick Henry is ready in all respects to continue with the mission. Our machinery is functioning well, we have plenty of coal and our hull is intact. Our battery is undamaged but we have expended over 70% of our shell ammunition. IMO, that is enough for another engagement against wooden ships or a limited one against shore batteries. We still have our entire allotment of 50 rounds of Eight inch anti-armor ball. My crew are being fed now.”

Old buck said, “Well I figured we were all running low on ammunition. However, I assure you we made the best use possible of that ammunition.”
He then said. “Lt Jones could your 9 inch smooth bores make use of those eight inch anti armor ammunition? If we encounter one of the Yankee ironclads I will be relying on Virginia to take the fight to her and shield Patrick Henry and Raleigh.”
Gatesby Jones did not have to ponder this, “Admiral they would be useless at long range, of limited value at medium range but at close range would be almost as powerful as our 9 inch. If we have to fight another ironclad most of our broadsides will most likely be at close range Sir. I would welcome those rounds very much indeed.”

Commander Tucker spoke up, “Admiral I and the crew of “Pat” would deem it an honor to turn over those 50 rounds of Eight inch anti-armor ball to Virginia, if so ordered Sir.”
Old Buck replied, “Make it so and do it before we proceed.”
Commander Tucker just looked at his XO, who immediately left to get the ammunition transfer started. He thought My captain was smart to get rid of those balls but not their powder charges.
Gatesby Jones said, “That is very gracious of you Commander. If the situation arises before we can rearm and I pray God it does, I assure you we will put your generous gift to the best of uses!” He was much relieved by the addition of 50 more armor piercing rounds, even if they would have far too much windage for accurate shooting at long range.

Old Buck continued “The crew of Raleigh is to be commended on the quick repair job they made to their pilot house and steering gear. I will miss her late captain but have every confidence in her current one.
I order you to inform your crews that their admiral has nothing but the greatest pride and respect for our seamen. They did a magnificent job today which they will some day tell their grand children was absolutely essential to the Birth of our nation. Every man, including our marines, is a hero in my eyes. Spike the main Brace and all those under charges, sentence or stoppage of pay or Grog now have their sentences commuted AND their records cleaned. There will be time later to recognize those who exceeded even this exceptional performance and you have my word that time will not be long in coming.”

At that the small group cheered, banged the table. Commander Tucker rose and using his quarter deck bellow proposed a toast to their admiral. They all stood, downed their Bourbon and held their glasses out for another round. Old Buck nodded to Rasilus who poured out the fire water. They downed another round and Old Buck figured he better get them back to their ships while they could still walk.
He stood up and raised a glass to them all and then downed it in one gulp.

He then said, “Back to your commands, before we are all courtmartialed for being too drunk to do our duty! There is no way I am going to share my Good sipping whiskey and limited supply of Cuban cigars with drunken scoundrels like you. Be off with you!”
Old Buck watched them go from the weather deck, Rasilus at his side with a bottle of the best Scotch whiskey, presented to him by one of the Fire control shore parties after they looted a very good private stock. The Quartermaster told him there was no chance his admiral would be poisoned because he had tested the scotch whiskey for him three times and was still alive!” Buck thought he may be alive but he was far from steady but given the bribe he saw fit not to put him on report.

10:35 PM Now the race down river, through the dark to the cheapness was under way with Raleigh leading. Sailing Master Cantral and his trusted leadsman in her bows were again taking continuous soundings (Virginia drew 21 feet). The squadron was running at it’s best speed limited by Virginia’s Maximum speed of 8 knots. Cantral was no fool so he just knew the Union forces between them and safety had been warned by telegraph. What’s more, given the level of destruction they had done, the very heavy loss of Union Civilian lives and the insult to Yankee pride at having their capital trashed by the Confederacy every last one of those union troops and sailors was out for the squadron’s blood. No quarter was going to shown them. No plan with the even the lightest chance of success would be to risky for the Union not to try now.
Old Buck, was not the only one thinking about the destruction of the CSN Squadron. Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth, having been assigned to duty by the direction of the President as military governor of the District of Columbia, besides the military command of the city of Washington, assumed charge of the defenses north and south of the Potomac in the vicinity of Washington.
He should not reduce the artillery strength of the forts directly protecting the capital. He did not know where else he could find the large caliber guns necessary to defeat “Merrimac’s iron armor any place else NOW. It would take time to displace those guns and transport them down to a spot on the banks of the Potomac ahead of Buchanon’s ships. The Army of the Potomac had heavy guns on field carriages but Little Mac had them on the Peninsula; no help there.

What he could do is use his authority and the speed of the telegraph to order local commanders to sieze shipping and sink some of those vessels in the channel. That would put the cork into the bottle and give him time or maybe get the Navy off their fat asses to get something big enough to sink Buchanon’s three ships.

Problem was, at this time he did not know where the CSN ships were and where they were was much further down the Potomac than he thought. Old Buck was taking fearful chances to get back to Hampton Roads as quickly as possible. Five block ships were sunk in the potomac channel that night, all behind the CSN squadron. It took nearly a month to clear the channel completely.
10:30 PM Unknown to Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth, some in the USN were about to show him they had not been sitting on their asses. The two fastest, six and seven knot respectively, 30 foot steam launches, drawn from warships in the Roads and manned by all volunteer crews were to try to stop CSS Virginia. They, with the aid of a warrant carpenter and his mates, were converting these steam launches into “Torpedo boats”.
Their main battery would be a single 30 Spar Torpedo and their secondary a single 12 pounder smooth bore boat gun loaded with grape on top of round with ample reloads of canister in the ready locker. The boats had been stripped of every absolutely unessential item and their weight had been reduced enough that the fleet’s best engineers were sure they had gained another knot or two. They would need every bit of speed they could muster as the Virginia squadron could make 8 knots. The converted steamer Patric Henry, with her engine delivering 4,570 indicated horse power could reach 14.5 knots but she had to stay with Virginia.

Six of those Spar Torpedoes were at this moment being rushed by express train from the smouldering remains of the Washington navy Yard to Morgantown Maryland where six Cavalrymen waited to gallop them to Cedar Point.
Those infernal machines were being evaluated by the “Experts” of the Union Navy at the Washington Navy yard. So far, despite the rather long and not very impressive history of the Spar torpedo, it was felt the great advances of late just might have made them a reliable weapon. Unfortuneatly, no such advances had been made in naval tactical thinking and so the spar torpedo boat crews were most likely on a suicide mission.
The Spar Torpedo, which had been used as far back as the War of 1812 by the USN with little success, consisted of a lightweight copper barrel containing 60 pounds of gun powder on the end of a long wooden spar to be deployed from the bow of a “high speed,” low silhouette steam launch. One of the recent technical advances which so impressed the very consrevative USN to test them again was the use of the Percussion cap lock.
The use of the percussion cap, which was water proof and far more reliable than the old “Flint Lock” made the current version of the Spar Torpedo a far more reliable weapon. The percussion cap or percussion primer, was perfected in the mid 1820s by English-born American artist Joshua Shaw, as a copper cup filled with fulminates. The cost of the single-use percussion ignition device kept the US military from replaceing the much cheaper flint lock until the late 40’s, despite the fact the Springfield Armory had already proven conversion of the Flint lock to percussion cap was a relatively easy and cheap process. The first percussion firearm produced for the US military was the percussion carbine version (c.1833) of the M1819 Hall rifle. Despite the fact US Army’s breech loading caplock Hall rifles, muzzle loading rifled muskets and Colt Dragoon revolvers gave the US advantage over the smoothbore flintlock Brown Bess muskets used by Santa Anna's troops during the Mexican War, it was not until the mid 1850’s the cap was used in the Spar torpedo.

The Spar “Torpedo” was detonated by means of a trigger mechanism adapted from a rifle percussion lock. The spring-loaded trigger was detonated by means of a long cord attached to the attacking vessel. The attacking vessel rammed its target, embedding the barbed torpedo in its hull, then backed off. When the attacker reached the limit of the trigger cord, the torpedo was detonated.
The idea was to attack this night, ramming the torpedo into the wooden hull, that supported the Virginia’s Iron Casemate, below the waterline. It was expected the force of the explosion to the target ship’s hull would leave the attack boat unharmed. Yah right, and if the “Rebs” were aware of the torpedo boats approach the boat crews would be eating grape and canister shot long before the 30 foot long spar planted the warhead. Make no mistake, surprise was absolutely essential to success and survival of these brave Union sailors.

10 March 1862 2 AM CSS Raleigh leading the Confederate squadron followed by CSS Virginia with CSS Patrick Henry last in line off Pope’s creek Maryland. Sailing Master Cantral and his trusted leadsman Bosun Mate Liam Connolly were piloting the squadron from the bows of little Raleigh. Liam was taking continuous soudings trying to keep Virginia with her 21 foot draft from going aground. Sailing Master Cantral had laid out in, a light proof cabin from which he could clearly hear Lima’s soundings, the most up to date Potomac river chart. It had been updated very recently by agents for the South. This meant his night vision was shot and he had to rely on the best young eyes aboard as lookouts. He had carefully hand picked these young men and beat into their eager skuls exactly what he wanted them to look for, as well as having them study the chart.
The squadron was running at it’s best speed limitted by Virginia’s Maximum speed of 8 knots. Cantral was no fool so he just knew the Union forces between them and safety had been warned by telegraph. He agreed with Old Buck speed was their best armor this night. So far most of the marks had been clsoe enough to those recorded on the chart to assure him they were in the deep channel. Actually the most dangerous part of the transit had been well up the river alongside Washington and on the anacostia river where the channel was shallowest but he had good landmarks under bright sun to to guide him. Either by luck or good planning they had a full moon and clear sky tonight.

3:10 AM in the channel off the mouth of Clifton Creek Maryland the two Spar Torpedo boats named Number 1, starboardd and Number 2 Larboard in typical USN fashion, in line abreast formation and 500 yards apart began their run into the attack. Raleigh lay 1000 yards ahead followed by the bulk of their target CSS Virginia at 1500 yards and Patrick Henry at 2,000 yards. The plan was to use the combined speed of 12 knots to deliver a surprise and coordinated attack on both larboard and starboard just aft of the case mate’s forward gun ports. It was hoped by going in at a steerage speed of 4 knots the launches would not attract attention by their wake or the sound of their engine. The engine was encased in a wooden box to reduce it’s noise thanks to the idea of one of the petty officers. If spotted on the way in the launches would go to flank speed and continue into their target. Retreat was not an option this morning. Every US sailor from the Lieutenants commanding to the junior unrated was determined to sink that Seccesh bastard and avange theslaughter of their gallant shipmates of Hampton Roads yesterday.
Once the torpedo barb was embeded below the waterline they would fire the damn thing and then come to full speed as they ran for the cover of the shore. The 12 pounder boat gun had been repositioned to the stern to cover their retreat. Each boat also carried colored rockets to seignal the shore of their success or failure. Red for success white for failure.

3:30 AM a lookout on the Raleigh reported something off the beam to starboard. Raleigh’s acting skipper First Lt Johnston tried to locate the contact but it was already well astern of his ship and her superstructure masked the torpedo boat. He did not want to show a light by firing off a signal rocket, the emergency alarm and hesitated. He decided to order three blasts on the steam whistle, also a warning something was amiss but not necessarily a Union attack.
3:38 AM warned by the whistle Lt. Catesby Jones’ starboard lookout spotted Torpedo Boat Number One, 125 yards off the bow. Jones immediately ordered his bow gun to open up with grape on the bearing. Although they did not have a clear target the dispersion of grape in the gneral direction of the 30 foot wooden boat took off their smoke stack and the head of one of the union sailors. The boat skipper ordered full speed and his crew manned the already rigged out spar. It took the forward gun crew 45 seconds to relaod and depress the muzzle of their gun. In that time at closing speed of 12 knots number one’s Torpedo struck the ironclad with a resounds clang that shattered the spar. They had hit the casemate. The skipper pulled the lanyards anyway as he ordered the boat to head for the Maryland shore. The 60 pound charge detonated with sound and flash but did no dange to Virginia. It did scare the hell out of the crew but Jones’s nerve were of a sterner stuff and he kept his head waiting for a dmage control report. The report reached him in a bout three minutes. Fearing grounding more than naything he had the helmsman maintain his course guideing on the shrowded stern light of raleigh.

3:40 AM Torpedo Boat Number Two’s skipper took full advantage of the dsitraction of Number One’s attack and bore into his target with cool determination. He maneged to plant his torpedo’s barb into the wooden hull,four feet below Virginia’s waterline. He ordered all back full and when at the end of the lanyard yanked it smartly. The toredo firing mechanism worked perfectly. The torpedo was positiojed exctly where it would do the most harm, the boat had manged to attack in complet surprise and it all came to nothing. The powder charge for whatever erason exploded with a “Low Order detonation”. It made a hell of a lot of flame and noise but Merrimack’s sturdy hull was proof and although damaged and flooding it was not fatal. Virginia’s Damage control team was able to plug the hole, mostly seal it with rolled hammocks and then braced it with stout timbers. Marrimack’s excellent pumps mostly cleared the bilges and she proceeded on with her combat effectiveness un damaged. Two of her boradside guns fired grape after Torpedo boat Number two but did no damage.

Virginia managed to fire a full broadside at Torpedo Boat Number One but she was so far into the darkness not a single ball came close. Total casulatues were the ingle decapitated young sailor. The crews were ready to do it again as as soon as they got their spars and torpedoes replaced. The brass was willing but the speed of advance of the Virginia’s squdron and the rapid approach of daylight made another attempts unlikely.

[OSCSSW]

CSS Virginia Wins
Part 3 final part

March 10 1862 4:45 AM Treasury building Washington D C. It had been a long frustrating night following a disastrous day for Lincoln and his Cabinet. John Hay, speaking of the panic at Willard’s Hotel said,” Mr. President nothing was too wild to be believed in the way of theory and suggestion. One old gentleman had turned purple with fright contemplating the fate of his navy son aboard a warship.”
Of the cabinet, only Postmaster General Montgomery Blair was absent. Discussions included General McClellan, Quartermaster Brigadier General Montgomery C. Meigs, and Navy Lieutenant John A. Dahlgren Acting Commandant of what was left of the Washington Navy Yard.
Senior treasury official Lucius E. Chittenden said, “ It is as gloomy a night as any that Washington had experienced since the beginning of the war. There was no excitement, but all seemed to be overwhelmed with despondency and vague apprehension.”
At one point SecWar Edwin Stanton, who seemed to be doing most of the talking this morning said, “Yesterday’s incidents were among the most unpleasant and uncomfortable of my life. That Rebel ironclad will change the whole character of the war. She will destroy every naval vessel and take Fort Monroe.”

SecNav Wells thought “The most frightened man on this gloomy morning is our Secretary of War. He is at times almost frantic, his words sounded broken and denunciatory. The panic under which he labors just adds to his apprehension and is contagious to others.”
SecNav Wells said “The recent events are momentous and portentous to the nation—the responsibility of it and its consequence were heavier on me than on any other individual except you Mr. President. But my department will meet this emergency.”
Stanton would not be calmed. His answer to Wells was to insist “ McClellan’s campaign against Richmond must be abandoned. Burnside’s forces must be recalled or would be captured. The vital blockading base of Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, must be given up. The Rebel monster would next go to New York and Boston and destroy those cities, or levy from them contributions sufficient to carry on the War.”
Furthermore Stanton insisted on warning Northern governors and municipal authorities to take instant measures to protect their harbors.”
To this SecNav replied,”Based on available information, the converted Merrimack was so cut down and loaded with armor, she could not venture outside of the Capes. Certainly, Mr. Stanton she could not attack simultaneously every city and harbor on the coast or threaten Burnsides’s forces in the Carolina Sounds. It would better become us, to calmly consider the situation, and inspire confidence by acting, so far as we could, intelligently, and with discretion and judgment.”

Potus Lincoln was, as usual in trying moments, composed but eagerly inquisitive, critically scanning the dispatches, interrogating the officers, joining scrap to scrap of information, applying his searching analysis and clear logic to read the danger and find the remedy.
The only hope was Commodore John Marston’s wooden-hulled Merrimack-class screw frigate USS Roanoke. Those hopes were dashed by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus Vasa Fox. “Mr. President Roanoke is a sister ship of the Merrimack, a wooden hulled frigate armed with Two 15 inch Dahlgrens, two 150-pounder Parrott rifles and two 11 in Dahlgren guns. Very similar ships with the same guns had proven useless on the eighth. I fear she will meet the same fate with the same heavy loss of life.”
POTUS replied “Where is Monitor and Galena? We need them in the Chesapeake NOW!”
Gideon Wells decided to answer this question, “Mr. President Monitor was severely damaged by a storm and is now undergoing emergency repairs. She is still in Barnegat bay but should start the tow back to the New York navy yard some time today, if all goes well. We have not heard a thing from Galena since she left Mystic at daybreak two days ago. Her captain and crew will do everything possible to reach what is left of our blockading squadron but it is doubtful she will reach them in time. Even if she does, she may not be up to the task of sinking Virginia. As you know sir she is newly in commission, has had the type of problems we expected in a totally novel design and is a very unproven ship. Like Roanoke her guns are the same that failed to defeat Virginia’s armor.”

POTUS replied “Gentlemen, let me make this clear to you. I expect to maintain this contest until successful, or till I die, or am conquered, or my term expires, or Congress or the country forsakes me.”
At that, regretting his previous pronouncement Fox spoke up again, “Mr. President there is still a chance Galena’s armor plate will allow her to get much closer and for a longer time than the wooden ships did on the 8th. Repeated hits on Virginia’s plates may just do the job. None of our wooden ships lasted long enough to score conservative shot in the same place.” Wells was quick to agree with his assistant.
The Army Signal Corps had just finished installing a telegraph link to the unfinished building. Now all reports would be available to POTUS Lincoln and his staff as soon as sent. So far those reports had been almost as dismal as yesterday’s. The torpedo boat attack had failed and the Confederate squadron was moving much too fast despite the dark to be caught now.

March 10 1862 6:10 AM CSS Virginia Surface Action Group (SAG) just south of Cab Island on the Potomac River in 45 feet of water with Chesapeake Bay in sight. Following the Torpedo boat attacks the rest of the transit down the Potomac was only disturbed by the sporadic firing of field gun batteries, a couple 20 pounder parrots but mostly three inch ordnance rifles and 12 pounder Napoleons, and massed infantry rifle fire. Thanks to the fact they were in a fairly wide sector of the river neither was more than a nuisance but they did keep the crews awake.
“Admiral Buchanon had turned in at 4:30 AM with orders to wake him by 6 AM he stood on the casemate top with his pilot Sailing Master Cantral. Each had a piping hot mug of coffee. “Well Jay, another day will be dawning soon and we are still afloat. That is better than I figured and much of it is due to you Pilot.”

Cantral replied, “It was really mostly due to the Yankee Corps of Engineers providing us with such wonderful charts of the Potomac Admiral and the Washington city.” At that Old Buck gave the man a warm look and said, “I give you Pilot and the commanders and crew of the Confederate States Navy all the credit because you boys deserve it and have done me proud.Enough of this damn back slapping before you know it we will be telling anyone that will listen that we won the war all by our lonesome.”

Sailing Master Cantral CSN, knowing the time for banter was over said, “Sunrise at 6:27 Admiral. We have plenty of water under the keel all the way to the Hampton Roads and even more in the bay. The wind is from the North West at about 8 MPH, the Barometer is steady and with every indication of a fine sunny day.”
Old Buck called down to the OOD standing just outside the armored pilot house, “OOD Call away General quarters and make a signal to that affect to Raleigh and Patrick Henry, immediate execute.” He wanted his SAG at the ready come the dawn. God alone knows what else those Yankee bastards will try. Now that they were in the wide lower part of the river that worn out pilot of mine was keeping us in mid channel, as far as possible from shore batteries. He was contemplating going from column to line abreast formation with little Raleigh shielded by Virginia and “Old Pat”. They had to run into what was left of poor old John Marston’s blockade squadron well before noon, if they had not all withdrawn to sea. No use sending out a scout, he was committed to his course back to Gosport.

All his ships were low on ammunition and Virginia would need more coal soon. One disappointment of her very reliable propulsion plant was that they were burning up their coal at least three times as fast as naval constructor Porter and Lieutenant John M. Brooke had figured. CHENG was pretty sure the yard had to alter the stack dampers and the draft controls, niehter of which he could do while underway. XO Jones wanted to have the armor plates looked at carefully. He was sure he heard some of them crack under Yankee bombardment, although they held. Maybe the gun port shutters had arrived . It was only due to the grace of God some of the Yankee shot and shell did not come aboard and explode through a gun port.
His men, although in high spirits now, really need rest. They also very much deserved some time in port and a run ashore to get wasted at the expense of their fellow Rebels and screwed blind by the grateful young flowers of Virginia. “The Gun Boss” Army Captain Thomas Kevill ( late of the United States Army Artillery), and the soldiers of Company E, 41st Virginia Infantry Regiment, who augmented the crew at the last minute were the worse off. They had not bargained for this and they very much preferred going back to regular army duties. Old Buck could not blame them for that.

March 10 6:15 AM USS Galena made her number to the flag as she steamed into Hampton Roads. The flag signaled, “Do not anchor. Captain repair on board immediately!” Looks like the brass had their panties in a bind so he ordered his Gig lowered, manned and taking only long enough to change into his dress uniform was on his way in less than ten minutes. As he sat in the stern sheets he was going over the last 24 hours. Galena’s crew had spent the last long day and even longer night pushing South with every sail that would draw and her black gang pushing her engines to the limit. Assisted by her sail rig the chip log had shown speeds in excess of 12 knots and CHENG said he still had another knot or two up his sleeve for short bursts of speed. Commander Alfred Taylor USN and his crew had won their race to the Chesapeake. This day they would take on CSS Virginia if she came out. He thought, Let’s see how that iron sheeted Reb ship killer stands up to another Ironclad.”

He had managed to rest and feed his crew by sticking to the two watch cycle instead of keeping them at General quarters. He was confident they were eager for this fight. Like him, they wanted pay back for the USN Blue jackets killed by Virginia. They knew nothing about the CSN raid on Washington and the massive destruction Virginia’s squadron had done.
The rub was more than two thirds of his crew were not Regular Navy. Oh, he and his veteran Blue Jackets had trained them but they were still green when it came to being man-of-wars men. Hell, when it came to ironclad battle he was as green as they. No one really knew how best to engage another ironclad. There was also a nagging doubt that their main battery, composed of the same guns that had armed the wooden ships destroyed in this very bay not long ago, would not be up to the task.

He was also short of the “Palliser shot” armor defeating rounds. Wrought iron armor of unknown thickness covered Merrimack. Judging by what happened in this very bay her armor was practically immune to both the round cast-iron cannonballs and to the recently developed explosive shell. A Brit named Palliser, invented a method of hardening the head of the pointed cast-iron shot. By casting the projectile point downwards and forming the head in an iron mold, the hot metal was quickly chilled and became intensely hard, while the remainder of the mold, being formed of sand, allowed the metal to cool slowly and the body of the shot to be resistant to shattering. All the Union ships in Hampton Roads had a supply of “Palliser shot”, how much he did not know.

He would take this summons to BEG, Borrow or steal more of that “Palliser shot” if available. He was pretty certain in the ships assembled there were the same guns of his own and a very good chance they had a few of the armor defeating rounds. He could make a pretty good argument that he would need them as his Galena was the only shield the USN had here against Virginia. Well it seemed like a good argument anyway.
He also wanted a Marine detachment; Galena had none assigned. If his guns did not sink Virginia he intended to ram and board the rebel beast. A hundred or so Leathernecks could come in handy for that party. What happened to Galena, her crew and him did not matter. What was important was that the Virginia was sunk, burned, captured or otherwise destroyed and the blockade reestablished as soon as possible.
Hell there was the army of the Potomac stopped dead by a single ship. In mid march the AOP had begun transporting approximately 120,000 men to Fort Monroe for the Peninsula campaign that was suppose to end the war. Nothing Union could move by sea until the USN controlled the Chesapeake again. Taylor was pretty sure the Brass would give him whatever he wanted. The question is Am I the best man to do this job? Answer was yes. No one else knew Galena the way he did. He would get the best out of the untried ship and her mostly untested crew.

March 10 6:35 AM in the great cabin of USS Roanoke, a wooden-hulled Merrimack-class screw frigate, Commodore John Marston along with his executive officer Walter Cushman welcomed the captain of the iron clad Galena as if he and his ship were their saviors. Commodore John Marston had informed him of the details about the disastrous first battle of Hampton Roads. That was bad. He then told him about the attack on Washington City and the Anacostia Navy yards along with the railroad and the destruction of the massive store houses. The loss of life had been great.
At the end of that tale of disaster the Commodore said. “Virginia and her SAG are about 3 to 4 hours from us heading this way. I expect Galena to sink her because the rest of us here can not and that beast must not be allowed to escape. Taylor, I am ordered to assist you in all matters and provide you with everything you ask for in order to give Galena the best chance of slaying that “Seccesh” bitch.”
These men were shaken. These men were desperate. He could get whatever he wanted from them including their virginal teenage daughters if he just asked. He had them where he wanted them.
“Commodore, our most urgent need is armor defeating“Palliser shot”.
Commodore, “Captain what does Galena mount?”
Taylor “Nine 9 inch Smoothbore Dahlgrens and 100-pounder Parrott rifles”
Commodore, “Roanoke carries 15 and 11 inch Dahlgrens and 150-pounder Parrott rifles. No help here. We keep a ready store of shot and shell at Fort Monroe and Reedville. I’ll have both 9 inch Dahlgren and 100 pounder Parrott rifles “Palliser shot” brought out by steam launch or tug as soon as possible.”
Turning to the XO he said, “See to that immediately. Send an urgent signal by semaphore under my name as soon as we have enough daylight.
Send a boat NOW to the Army observation station at Point Lookout, they have a telegraph, and send the message from there also. Have them inform Washington and fort Monroe immediately that Galena had arrived and was ready to sink Virginia when she emerged from the Potomac. Encode that message. Make sure they know this is absolutely urgent! Let me know if there is any sign of delay and when the shot is on it’s way. MOVE!”
Taylor, “Commodore I could also use some senior gunners with plenty of experience with 9 inch Dahlgren and 100 pounder Parrott rifle experience.
I also request a Marine detachment. Galena has not been assigned one yet. I’d say 150 Leathernecks would do nicely. If our shot fails, I will ram Virginia and if that fails I or whoever is in command has my orders to board and take her.”

March 10 7 AM Upon returning aboard Captain Taylor ordered Galena’s Top Hamper struck in preparation for battle. Her two masted topsail schooner rig had served her well but now it was nothing but a splinter hazard. The crew sent down the foremast yards and both top masts and rafted them alongside. Onto the raft went sails and other fire and splinter hazards as the crew “stripped ship” for battle. The bosun oversaw the dropping of an anchor with a mooring buoy attached. He then secured the “raft” to it’s mooring. Finally, he had one of the smaller yards erected as a mast. It flew a large Yellow quarantine flag two blocked by day and a large ship’s lantern by night to aid recovery, he hoped. The XO had already appointed Able seaman Forest, at 61 the oldest man aboard, as “Raft Master” and Billy Rosa at 9 the youngest ship’s boy as his crew.
This left Galena with the foremast as a place to fly her Ensign and a lookout and signal station directly aft of the circular armored wheel house. The single smoke stack was placed just aft of midships, with the lower main mast further aft. This left a very clear “spar Deck” when cleared for action with the exception of one of the ship’s wheels mounted aft. In battle the wheel on the armored gun deck was used. Both bow anchors were suspended from the cat heads requiring only a strike with an ax to let fall. Her boats would be towed astern and with luck one might even survive.

March 10 7:30 AM USS Roanoke’s Marine detachment consisted of 36, one Lieutenant Walter Moore, one sergeant Liam Devlan, two corporals and 34 Privates moved into Galena. They had turned in their Springfield muzzle loading rifles for the ship’s Spencer repeating rifles. They had practiced with these weapons just to kill time on the monotonous blockade.
In place of Marines the Commodore had borrowed Army company C of the, 3rd New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry. Company C, commanded by Capt. Michael Donohoe, was almost entirely Irish and were considered good fighters but a real problem when in camp. That was probably why the Colonel was so accommodating. He was probably well pleased to be rid of them . The 62 strong company was armed with Springfield muzzle loading rifles. 3rd New Hampshire was organized at Camp Berry in Concord and mustered in on August 23, 1861, for three years service, 1,047 officers and men. They trained on Long Island, New York, encamping at Camp Winfield Scott at Hempstead Plains. From there, they went to Washington, D.C. and Annapolis.

Out of the 900 men in the regiment, 450 were farmers, 69 laborers, 44 machinists, 31 carpenters, 30 manufacturers, 27 painters, 15 teamsters, and 16 clerks. The origin of the 3rd New Hampshire is six hundred twenty-nine from New Hampshire, 118 from Massachusetts, 116 from Ireland, 81 from Vermont, 70 from Maine, and 31 from New York, and the remaining from various other places.
The Commodore also transferred 6 gunner’s mate petty officers and 18 long service seaman with much experience with both the dahlgrens and the Parrotts.

March 10 8:45 AM a tug from Reedville arrived with 60 rounds of 9 inch Dahlgren and 22 rounds of 100 pounder Parrott rifle “Palliser shot”. They also sent along ready made cartridges for the Dahlgren, 50 stands of grape and 25 rounds of canister for both Dahlgrens and the Parrotts. They had no cartridges for the 100 pounders. Taylor ordered his sailmaker to prepare 30 cartridges for the 100 pounder.

March 10 9:45 AM with the funnel smoke from the Confederate SAG just in sight from the masthead all magazines had been secured and the new men assigned to their General Quarters stations. At this point Galena was well stocked and manned for an extended engagement with Virginia.
The Commodore executed the signal for Galena, which had steam up and was in all respects ready for sea. Her crew gave a cheer as she got underway determined to be victors in the first Ironclad to ironclad battle against the now veteran CSS Virginia.
Captain Taylor gave the appropriate wheel and engine commands. CHENG already knew the captain wanted to see as little and preferably NO smoke as they closed in on CSS Virginia. The Gun Boss would hold fire until Taylor gave the word and then open with the 100 pounders firing slow and deliberate shell initially. The Dahlgren’s, loaded with armor piercing “Palliser shot”, would not be used until the range shortened to point blank. That was his plan to use Galena’s superior speed to force a close engagement, IF, big IF, Galena’s wrought iron armor was strong enough to withstand whatever the Virginia could throw at her as she closed the range. If not, he would switch to armor piercing shot at maximum effective range and trust his command would stay afloat and moving until either his guns were effective or he could ram and board.
Best guess based on all the intelligence the Navy had was the Reb’s armor was three inches of layered plate. About two inches was the best anyone could role in the USA at this time so layers of plate was the rule. Galena had a truly unique armor; Pook chose rows of interlocking iron sheets placed in a rail-and-plate arrangement that supposedly made it impenetrable against solid shot up to 6 inches thick. Due to cost, Pook originally planned to sheathe Galena’s 18-inch-thick hull with only 21⁄2 inches of armor atop 11⁄2 inches of rubber. Once construction began, however, the rubber was replaced by another five-eighths inch of iron that brought it up to 3 and 1/8s thickness, still thinner than called for in any other early ironclad design.
Taylor knew the Ironclad Board was only modestly optimistic that Galena would be successful, but others were not. Many officers thought the design of its hull and armor were faulty and vulnerable to shot. Captain Louis M. Goldsborough, commander of the Union’s North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, called it a “most miserable contrivance.” Fortunately, his crew did not even know what Goldsborough thought. They did know they were the only ship in the right place, at the right time and with both the guns and armor to stand a chance against Virginia. That was their job and almost all were eager to join battle with the the Secessionists.

March 10 10:25 AM the masthead lookout on the Patrick Henry reported the masts of a large ship off the mouth of the river. The information was immediately signaled to Admiral Buchanon and the little Raleigh. Old Buck ordered his ships into column formation with Virginia in the lead, then Patrick Henry second and Raleigh bringing up the rear. He then ordered them to general Quarters. At this the tired but well drilled and combat veteran CSN crews rushed to their battle stations confident they would beat the damn Yankees again and in short order.

March 10 Noon with her top hamper struck Galena was able to use Roanoke to mask her presence. Commodore John Marston planned to lure Virginia in close, sacrificing his own command, to greatly reduce the time Galena had to endure Virginia's fire as she closed in to pistol shot range to give her guns the best chance of actually damaging Virginia. He knew these same guns had failed to penetrate Virginia’s armor a few days before.
After analyzing that day’s fight Lt Dahlgren, despite his rank was the leading US Navy authority on naval ordinance. He determined that the risk was warranted to increase the maximum charge of Galena’s and Roanoke’s guns by 25 % for a short duration battle. Hence the reason Galena had to come to grips with Virginia quickly.

Old Buck ordered full speed with intention of quickly sinking Roanoke. He had no choice, given the state of his magazines but to fight and sink her fast. The first shot of the engagement was fired at Roanoke by Virginia. Virginia could only bring her bow gun into action and still maintain her course. Roanoke was firing full 22 gun broadsides because she had crossed Old Buck’s T. The hail of , 10, 9 and 8 inch smoothbore Dahlgren rounds.slammed into Virginia’s armor with crashes that were almost deafening but did not penetrate. What they did was occasionally splinter the backing timber. These splinters took a modest toll on Virginia’s crew. Just enough to make it clear this was not target practice. What, Old Buck, Marston and Taylor did not know was those apparently useless armor piercing rounds were doing was cracking Virginia’s plates.
After 30 minutes of this uneven cannonade Old Buck ordered Virginia to alter course to unmask her own broadsides while still closing with Roanoke. After six of Virginia’s broadsides Roanoke was a wreck with blood running from her scuppers and the number of guns able to return fire down to 12 and this was after Marston had brought his unengaged broadside into the fight. It was then Marston ordered Galena to attack.

March 10 12:40 PM Galena took station between Virginia and Roanoke closing at 9 knots and fired her first two 9 in Smoothbore Dahlgren guns two 100-pounder Parrott pivoting rifles loaded with “Palliser shot” with 125% powder charges. For the 9,000 pound IX Inchers firing 90 pounder shot that was 15 pound charges. For the 100 pound Parrott rifle weighing 10,266 pounds firing 80 pound shot that was 12 and a half pound charges.
Galena’s first broadside did no discernible damage to Virginia. That was not the case with Virginia’s opening shot. Galena’s armor was pierced by one of the rounds and two others shredded plates but did not penetrate the backing although they did cause some splinter casualties. Galena’s battery was not damaged and she returned fire. Again no damage was observed from Galena but in Virginia it was clear that her armor was failing as plates began to fall alongside. Another hit in the same place would cause real damage and that Yankee was closing rapidly on an angle that allows a minor course change to unmask her broadside.

The battle now turned into a pounding match in which disabling the enemy’s guns would determine the outcome. The speed of the gun crews was crucial and Galena’s sailors were just a bit faster than Virginia's. After the rebs 10th salvo they ran out of armor piercing shot and had to resort to the undersized shot. The result was too much windage and the rounds were fired with substantially less power that resulted in Galena’s armor was more than proof except where Virginia's Palister shot had blown the armor overboard. Galena, thanks to her replenishment still had plenty of armor piercing rounds and Virginia was starting to look like a sieve with many of her guns out of action and the gun deck looked like a slaughter house. It was then Old Buck was smeared all over the deck and overhead. Gatesby Jones soon followed.

The first Lieutenant tried to Ram Galena but Virginia turned like a cow and did not have the speed to ram. After that attempt Virginia’s last gun was silenced and Galena poured in broadside after broadside of Pallister shot and regular shell into what was fast becoming a burning wreck. Virginia actually burned to the waterline and sank after her boilers exploded.

While this was going on what was left of Roanoke’s battery wreaked havoc on Old Pat. With the loss of so many of their shipmates Roanoke’s officers and crew was in no mood to show mercy, as long as the Stars and bars flew. Eventually, repeated shell broadsides set her on fire and her magazine exploded. It was only then Roanoke launched boats to pick up what few were left of her crew.

Raleigh fired off her puny broadside and managed to hit one of Roanoke’s boats loaded with Patrick henry survivors. Incensed the Mardston ordered his gunners to “silence that damn Seccesh bastard.” The large shells mostly ripped right through Raleigh but a few hit something more substantial and exploded setting the tug on fire. No boats were sent to rescue her pitiful few survivors.

The repercussions from the damage done by Old Buck and his men would convince Little Mac the Peninsular Campaign would be suicide. POTUS Lincoln had it with the little bastard and fired him on the spot. A fellow named John Reynolds, was plucked from the second tier of generals and given command of the Army of the Potomac. The rest is history. And the South finally surrendered on July 4 1863. POTUS Lincoln’s order to his generals was to “Let them up easy” which drove the abolitionists out of their minds despite the fact the on January 1, 1863, POTUS Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring “that all persons held as slaves” within rebel states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

On July 14th a group of abolitionist fanatics succeeded in killing POTUS Lincoln. They also killed Mary Lincoln, Major Henry Rathbone and his fiance Miss Clara Harris. Despite total surprise and all four assassins, being armed with two revolving pistols and a Bewey knife, the Major managed to kill one and would another before he died.

That same night other abolitionist fanatics attacked and killed Vice President Andrew Johnson, and badly wounded Secretary of State William Seward. General John Reynolds was another target but the team sent to kill him was so incompetent they attacked the wrong house and were all killed by Union troops.

Schuyler Colfax the 25th speaker of the House of Representatives became POTUS the next day. He proved to be a strong believer in what POTUS Lincoln was trying to do and carried Abe’s post war agenda that among other things made reconstruction a success.

Bow gun #1 CSS Virginia in action


THE END.

[jemhouston]

Good story

[OSCSSW]

Good story

Glad you liked it jemhouston .

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD 1862 Before old Buck and his SAG remodelled it.

[jemhouston]

Good story

Glad you liked it jemhouston .

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD 1862 Before old Buck and his SAG remodelled it.

I could say something about that's how the Democrats do urban renewal, but I really shouldn't.

[Johnnie Lyle]

So I have finished Greasy Grass.

It’s certainly an interesting point of departure.

I suspect Custer would be mightily annoyed at so mundane a death. I have a couple feet of Custerana, and the more I read about the man, the murkier the picture becomes. The man is a mystery wrapped in an enigma dressed as a riddle. He was capable of serious tactical brilliance and absolute stupidity at the same time. He was both cunning and yet incredibly naive. He was a skilled diplomat with the Cheyenne and yet managed to piss off many supporters. He honed the Michigan Wolverine Brigade into a phenomenal weapon, yet his 7th was absolutely riven with cliques, animosity, favoritism and backbiting. My conclusion is that it, or at least the more Custer parts, were absolutely rotten. The rout of Reno’s battalion and C Company do tend to support my view there.

We don’t even know when or how he died - the archaeology could support a last stand, but there’s Sioux accounts to suggest Custer could have died or been disabled very early in the engagement when his battalion(s) tried to cross the Little Bighorn early in the engagement. Or anywhere in between.

I suspect that’s exactly how he likes it.

Turning more critical, I am not sure about the Spencer, though I do appreciate the POD hinging on the financial aspect, since that governed most Army material decisions in the 1870s. One of the major benefits of the Springfield is the much greater range, and the Army was keenly aware of the importance of firepower. If you don’t own it, I heartily recommend Crossing the Deadly Ground, which covers the US Army’s tactical development from 1865 to 1899. The US Army’s 1869 doctrine completely eliminated the formed line, recognizing that Civil War experience demanded far looser formations and greater ranged weapons. My read is that the Army saw the rate of fire tradeoff as minimal, while range and vastly superior killing power were more important. The Army always saw the Spencer’s round as deficient in killing power, especially outside 200 yards.

I recognize that one of the leading theories is that Custer’s battalions were caught in close terrain and overwhelmed by fire, but I am skeptical. The Reno-Benteen fight tends to point to a different cause, especially when paired with the archaeology on Custer’s side of the river. Reno (or more accurately Benteen, since he seems to have usurped command of the 7th and ran the defense until Terry showed up), was able to organize the 7th into a defensible group; conversely, the archaeology on the other bank implies The Last Stand may not have happened, or didn’t last long. There’s clear signs that at least one of Custer’s companies (probably C) broke and was butchered, and that the Sioux were able to capture the horses and the packs, fatally compromising the ammunition supplies.

We also disagree on our assessments of Reno and Benteen. Reno didn’t handle his battalion attack very well. They made a mounted charge toward the village, and then Reno ordered a dismounted action which saw his battalion overwhelmed. He did a very poor job of extricating his battalion - frankly, they routed and were savagely mauled. My read is that Reno was not heavily involved in the subsequent defense. Most accounts have Benteen in effective command of the 7th on Reno-Benteen Hill. Evan Connell noted Benteen had a cherubic face with killer eyes, and Benteen was very much in his element on that hill.

But it was very much an interesting tale and change.

On to VIRGINIA wins!

[MikeKozlowski]

We don’t even know when or how he died - the archaeology could support a last stand, but there’s Sioux accounts to suggest Custer could have died or been disabled very early in the engagement when his battalion(s) tried to cross the Little Bighorn early in the engagement. Or anywhere in between.

I suspect that’s exactly how he likes it.

John,

A few years ago, there was a fairly detailed and well done special done on one of the cable networks - wish I could remember which one - that led the folks responsible to conclude that there was a strong chance that there was in fact no 'Last Stand', or not at least the classic image we've come to know. Instead, the Indians may well have swamped and overrun Custer while he was actually still on the move.

Mike

[Johnnie Lyle]

We don’t even know when or how he died - the archaeology could support a last stand, but there’s Sioux accounts to suggest Custer could have died or been disabled very early in the engagement when his battalion(s) tried to cross the Little Bighorn early in the engagement. Or anywhere in between.

I suspect that’s exactly how he likes it.

John,

A few years ago, there was a fairly detailed and well done special done on one of the cable networks - wish I could remember which one - that led the folks responsible to conclude that there was a strong chance that there was in fact no 'Last Stand', or not at least the classic image we've come to know. Instead, the Indians may well have swamped and overrun Custer while he was actually still on the move.

Mike

It’s possible.

I tend towards the theory that some piece of Yates’ battalion (E and F companies) had a last stand of some kind, probably with Custer’s command group. It looks like some or even all of Keogh’s battalion (IIRC, C, I and L companies) broke and were butchered while routing - they were able to map that based on where bodies were found. Conversely, Keogh was also found amidst a small group of cavalry, so it’s also possible pieces of his battalion had a last stand or last stands. How long they held out is unknown, but I lean towards a shorter duration.

The archaeological record and some Sioux accounts also suggest that the Sioux were able to capture the cavalry dismounts, cutting off Custer’s men from most of their ammunition and limiting them to just what they had in cartridge boxes or bandoliers. That theory supports a very short last stand or stands, probably pretty disorganized. Otherwise two to five companies should have been able to hold out rather handily.

The biggest piece of Senior Chief’s POD is the 7th realizing at the outset what they bit off before they tried chewing. Against the force Custer thought was present, his plan was reasonably sound - the biggest problem in Indian warfare was forcing them to fight (another good example of that problem is the Nez Perce war), so surrounding them prior to attacking from all points of the compass was common practice, though hard to coordinate as shown by Reno going in unsupported in @. The Sioux accounts report Custer trying to cross the Little Bighorn, and being stymied by how big it was, before Reno’s rout allowed the Sioux to cross the Little Bighorn.

Sioux accounts also report someone in buckskin was hit durably the attempted crossing. If true, that person is most likely pretty senior, since only the Custer clique and maybe Keogh were dressed that way, though they had probably shed the buckskin coat in the heat later in the day. If it were Custer or another senior officer, that absolutely would have contributed to the command problems - and, as near as we can tell, Custer’s battalion(s) had those in spades, given the shortage of officers in general and many company commanders absent from their company (C Company was commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant because Tom Custer was with the command group) or also trying to command battalions made on the fly (Keogh and Yates).