Comment by Rockyy on 2023-07-17T00:12:11-05:00. Thomas E. Atkinson (born 1824, date of death unknown) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay . Once it was realized that the Ivy possessed this deadly weapon, it was decided to equip Captain Popes force with rifled guns so the General McClellan, recently arrived at Fort Pickens, was sent away west before unloading her cargo of rifled guns for the Army. Already unnerved by skirmishes with the CSSIvy on October 9, Pope had written to McKean, I have to report that the Ivy has been down this afternoon and has made an attack upon these ships, throwing shot and shell over this ship and the Preble, keeping herself entirely out of range of any of the guns on either of the ships, her shot passing some 500 yards over this ship, which makes it evident we are entirely at the mercy of the enemy. Hollins possessed more ships, including the navy vessels McRae, Calhoun, Ivy, Tuscarora, and Jackson, the Confederate revenue cutter Pickens, and the steam tug Watson, but these only mounted half the U.S. squadrons battery. The Manassas rang for flank speed, her engineers fed her fireboxes with the most flammable material to hand, and she leaped forward in a dense cloud of black smoke and sparks from her stacks. The blockade arrived off the Outer Pass of the Mississippi Delta when the USSBrooklyn arrived on May 27, 1861. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. One of the two engines of the Manassas was torn loose by the impact, and she lost power. 3. Course of the fighting : Fall of Pyongyang and the Battle of the If the Manassas was turned into an oven in the process, Hollins considered the sacrifice worthwhile, despite the prospect of more bitter tears from Stevenson and his fellow investors. The damage she did to the Richmond was a significant hull leak below the waterline, but this was not enough to sink or disable the Richmond. He leads the Museums Civil War and Hampton Roads Lecture Series and is now writing blogs and presenting online content via YouTube Live. After sunrise Commodore George N. Hollins, running low on ammunition and fuel, ordered the mosquito fleet to withdraw upriver. Mileages downstream from Head of Passes are labelled BHP (below Head of Passes).[5]. She was not fast or maneuverable enough to bring her iron ram into decisive action. An avid collector of decoys, waterfowl/maritime art, and oriental rugs, John lives among them in his home, the 1757 Herbert House on Sunset Creek in Hampton, Virginia. It was a naval raid made by the Confederate river defense fleet, also known as the "mosquito fleet" in the local media, on ships of the Union blockade squadron anchored at the Head of Passes. This began in 1861 with a Union blockade stationed at the Head of Passes. With a longstanding naval staff and command structure there was less time wasted once hostilities at Fort Sumter established the inevitability of naval action. Mallory then ordered two ironclads laid down in New Orleans, and another two built in Memphis, Tennessee. Stephenson went to meet with President Jefferson Davis in Montgomery, Alabama, to ask for the use of a heavy tug, altering it to make it comparatively safe against the heaviest guns afloat, and by preparing bow in a peculiar manner rendered them capable of sinking by collision the heaviest vessels ever built. With Daviss approval, Stevenson returned to New Orleans to build an ironclad privateer, quickly raising more than $100,000 in subscriptions. Bob Williams, Northwest Whitfield High School's head coach for girls' basketball since 2018, died Thursday after a two-year battle with cancer. Rousseau was left to wallow in the wake of citizens eager to make up for revenue lost by the Confederate embargo on cotton, the former main export of New Orleans. He broke off action as his ships were low on ammunition and fuel. [18], The Richmond grounded broadside to the bar in the center of the river mouth, and opened fire on the mosquito fleet. Captain Handy was sent east on the first dispatch ship. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. Hollins organized the haphazard collection of six armed riverboats and christened it the mosquito fleet. The Battle of the Head of Passes was a bloodless naval battle of the American Civil War. John A. Stevenson, representing the privateer owners of the ram, was so infuriated he departed the vessel in tears. Under Fire: First Ironclad Shots at the Head of Passes Be the first to add a review to the Battle of the Head of Passes. The Battle of the Head of Passes on October 12, 1861 was the first major naval engagement of the Civil War.. Filling the ship with smoke while the crew cut loose the damaged stack, she grounded on the mud on the west bank of the head of the passes. [9], The flagship of the Union fleet occupying the Head of the Passes was the formidable USSRichmond. It was now 15 feet longer and its beam was widened by five feet. CSS Tuscarora, CSS Ivy, and CSS McRae. The first Union ship to arrive off the Mississippi Delta was the steam screw sloop USS Brooklyn on May 27, 1861. On October 10, he ordered Lieutenant Alexander Warley to take command of the vessel so that it could be added to the Confederate fleet. New episodes published the first Friday of every other month. The damage she did to the Richmond was a significant hull leak below the waterline, but this was not enough to sink or disable the Richmond. In turn the fleet maneuvered up river just out of range of the Richmonds smooth bores, and returned fire with their longer ranged rifled guns. [viii] John H. Dent, Jr. to John H. Dent, October 10, 1861, John Horry Dent, Jr., Letters, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL. Handy ordered the engineer to set and light a fuse to the magazine of the Vincennes to blow her up, then ordered the crew to abandon ship and report to the Richmond. The mosquito fleet deployed three fire rafts, which were ignited and followed the ironclad ram CSS Manassas into the action. He was only able to purchase six civilian riverboats for conversion into a makeshift navy. Exaggerated accounts of the accomplishments of the mosquito fleet were published in the newspapers of New Orleans and other Confederate cities. Head of Passes is where the main stem of the Mississippi River branches off into three distinct directions at its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico: Southwest Pass , Pass A Loutre and South Pass . 30 Battle Of The Head Of Passes Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images These documents allowed the holder to capture Union shipping for prize money from the Confederate government. Articles needing clarification from June 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Confederate victories of the American Civil War, Battles of the Lower Seaboard Theater and Gulf Approach of the American Civil War, Battles of the American Civil War in Louisiana, File:Mississippi River Head of Passes 1861.jpg, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. On October 10, 1861, McKean ordered four Union ships to occupy the Head of the Passes, closing all exits from the lower delta at one point. Join us behind-the-scenes to explore our art collection and discover stories that lie beyond the frame. I keep a guard boat out upriver during the night." [4] The Confederate strategy was to complete two large ironclads, the CSS Louisiana and CSS Mississippi, to defend New Orleans and the lower Mississippi. The tower was moved to Pass a l'Outre in 1854. Other than gleefully burning the timbers the Union fleet left at the Southwest Pass Lighthouse for a proposed shore battery, there was only a captured cutter filled with abandoned cutlasses and the crewless Toone. The Lady Bruins reached the GHSA Class AAAA playoffs . If the Manassas was turned into an oven in the process, Hollins considered the sacrifice worthwhile. Mounting 14 IX-inch Dahlgren shell guns, this warship could blow Hollinss mosquito fleet out of the water. [4] Algiers Point, for instance, is at mile 94.6AHP (above Head of Passes). 1 2 Next L LilRhody Private Joined Apr 8, 2018 Location Bellingham, WA Dec 15, 2019 #1 As I have posted elsewhere, I am writing a book about a naval officer from northern NY state who reported to Annapolis five days before John Brown was hung at Charles Town, just outside Harpers Ferry. Alarmed by the rafts, all the vessels of the Union fleet slipped their anchor cables and moved downriver along the Southwest Passage, firing at the Manassas while doing so. About: Battle of the Head of Passes - DBpedia Association Even though the Ivy was joined by another rebel steamer, both were driven up the Southwest passage to the Head of Passes where the chase was abandoned due to inability to close the range on the rebel vessels. Battle of the Head of Passes - Wikipedia The first project was the conversion of USS Merrimack into CSS Virginia at the Gosport Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Hollins knew that he needed more powerful vessels if he was to stop the advance of the Union fleet toward New Orleans. The Richmond was sent to Key West, Florida, for temporary repair. Category:Battles and conflicts without fatalities - Wikipedia The Battle of the Head of Passes was a bloodless naval battle of the American Civil War. Note the 100-pound conical projectile at the right rear of the gun carriage. [xiv] Morgan, Recollections of a Rebel Reefer, 56. Although it had been reported that Manassas had two stacks placed at a rakish angle, most observers noted that the ironclad only had one smokestack. I connect my family and marriage and union and my household to this Powerful altar of Zion prayer movement outreach for Divine mercy Divine Grace and mercy Engineer in Gray: Memoirs of Chief Engineer James H. Tomb, (Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2005), 24. . The attack occurred after moonset in the early hours of October 12, 1861, and routed the Union fleet, which fled in disorder down the Southwest pass of the delta. It was now 15 feet longer and its beam was widened by five feet. -- (. With the addition of the Manassas, Hollin's small fleet seemed to have a chance against the much bigger vessels of the Union blockade. He pressed every available vessel into service with his mosquito fleet, including CSS Calhoun (flagship), CSS Jackson, CSS Pickens. The prospect of the Union fleet occupying a base at the Head of Passes was intolerable. . He wished to abandon his position as he thought it was untenable. Stay up to date on our events, exhibits, programs, and community. Captain Pope reported, Everyone is in dread of that infernal ram. Squadron commander Flag Officer McKean reported, the more I hear and learn of the facts the more disgraceful it does appear. The ridiculous Union actions during the engagement resulted in Capt. Battle of the Head of Passes) . Posted on March 22, 2020 by SUMPTER. [xv] The Great Naval Victory, New Orleans Daily Crescent, Oct 14, 1861; Judith W. McGuire Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War (New York: E.G. On October 10, 1861, McKean ordered four Union ships to occupy the Head of the Passes, closing all exits from the lower delta at one point.[5]. Each gunboat would push a fire raft, which would be ignited after a signal from Manassas indicating that she had crushed the USS Richmond. Tagged as Alexander F. Warley, Captain George N. Hollins, CSS Manassas, First-Experiences-Under-Fire, Head of Passes, John Stevenson, Under-Fire, USS Richmond, To begin, this is a solid introduction to operations on the western rivers; and Neil Chatelain reveals the pre-Farragut story of the interface of blue water and brown water Navies. Head of the Passes Lighthouse - United States Coast Guard At daylight, Hollinss squadron approached the Union vessels and began shelling the grounded, hapless warships. Targeting USS Richmond, Warley ordered his ship to full speed while Chief Engineer William H. Hardy ensured tar, tallow, and sulphur [sic] were thrown into the furnace.[ix]. Hollins asked for cooperation, but still smarting from earlier rejections of his proposal, Stevenson refused. [1]:8494. The flagship of the Union fleet occupying the Head of the Passes was the formidable USSRichmond. Hollins plan produced mixed results. [1]:8494. . All Rights Reserved. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. [8], Sketch map of the ship positions at the time Manassas rammed Richmond. Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command # NH 608. by The Battle of the Head of Passes was a bloodless naval battle of the American Civil War. [11]:204 Supporting the Richmond were the Vincennes and Preble. by SOFREP Sep 14, 2022 Share This: The Battle of Mobile Bay, by Louis Prang. This battle was a naval raid made by the Confederate river defense fleet, also known as the " mosquito fleet " in the local media, on ships of the Union Blockade Squadron anchored at the Head of Passes. The ironclad also featured a 64-pounder gun (later replaced by a 32-pounder), difficult and dangerous to reload; however, it could be aimed by pointing the ship at the intended target. [Main reference OR (Navy) Ser.1 v.16 pp.683 705. On the Union Navy side, command and operations were much more focused. For the US Army general of the American C To enable the proper functioning and security of the website, we collect information via cookies as specified in our. It was one of the few Confederate naval victories of the war. The Battle of the Head of Passes was the first use of an ironclad and ram attack in the war, propelling both the use of ironclad vessels and rams by both sides. The Passes were a constant problem for the growing port of New Orleans in the 1800's. At high water, a passage was easy, but at low water heavy ships often could not find an open channel between the river and sea. Battle of Head of Passes) . Philip. Battle of the Head of Passes, October 12, 1861,Plaquemines Parish Deluxe and Ultimate Editions Have Free Access to Premium Battle Pass We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. The fire rafts grounded on the west bank of the southwest passage, south of Manassas. Filling with smoke while crew members cut loose the damaged stack, she was grounded on the mud on the west bank of the head of the passes as the Union fleet headed to the southwest, pursued closely by the confederate gunboats. [2] While the majority of the discharge of the Mississippi River flows through these mouths, a portion of the river flows out of the Atchafalaya River mouth, and a small portion continues to seep out of the 200 miles (300km) of the Delta shoreline.[3]. When Hollins insisted, Stephenson boasted that Hollins did not have men enough to take her.[vi] Enraged, Hollins seized the ship. Hollins recognized the need to supplement his squadron with the ironclad Manassas. [xiii] The surprise ramming, the sudden onset of fire rafts, and Confederate cannon panicked U.S. sailors. The Manassas presented only two and a half feet of armored deck above the waterline; the 32-pound shot of the Preble went high over her deck and scored no hits. After sunrise Commodore George N. Hollins, running low on ammunition and fuel, ordered the mosquito fleet to withdraw upriver. Richmond was joined by the sailing sloops Vincennes (18 guns) and Preble (16 guns) as well as the sidewheeler gunboat USS Water Witch (10 guns). The light was placed in a dormer window of a dwelling in 1853. Warley ordered a rocket fired to signal his success. Even though the Ivy was joined by another rebel steamer, both were driven up the Southwest passage to the Head of Passes where the chase was abandoned due to inability to close the range on the rebel vessels. Lashed to her port side was the coal schooner Joseph H. Toone. The Battle of the Head of Passes was a bloodless naval battle of the American Civil War. The arrival of these vessels was much sooner than anyone in New Orleans had imagined, and the panic-stricken rush that occurred when neutral shipping was given a fifteen-day grace period to vacate the port was an ugly dose of reality to stack against the concept of business as usual. Battle of the Head of Passes - worldheritage.org Commodore Lawrence Rousseau was sent by Confederate Naval Secretary Stephen Mallory to manage the naval defense of New Orleans. [20], Hollins returned to a heros acclaim in New Orleans. The schooner Toone still contained 15 tons of coal, but was a former prize of the Union fleet and an old leaky tub. CivilWarTalk Menu CWT Home RegisterLatest activityCalendar Forums New posts What's new This page is not available in other languages. The momentum of the Manassas tore the Toone loose from Richmond and the Manassas continued past the Richmonds stern. The attack occurred after moonset in the early hours of October 12, 1861, and routed the Union fleet, which fled in disorder down the Southwest pass of the delta. If you find our videos helpful you can support us by buying something from amazon.https://www.amazon.com/?tag=wiki-audio-20Battle of the Head of Passes The B. Warley thenguided Manassas toward the riverbank. [xii] Robinson, The Confederate Privateers, 160. [16], The Preble was the first to detect the Manassas, being anchored 200 yards upstream of the Richmond. Black Sea hostage crisis. The possibility of setting up picket boats, ranging posts or illuminated marker buoys, illumination fires, or preplanned concentrations of gunfire did not occur to him. In May 1861, New Orleans river captain John Stevenson travelled to Montgomery, Alabama, proposing to adapt some of our heavy and powerful tow-boats on the Mississippi by armoring them and preparing their bow with a ram capable of sinking by collision United States blockaders. Summarize this article for a 10 years old, .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}29.157N 89.254W / 29.157; -89.254, The Battle of the Head of Passes was a bloodless naval battle of the American Civil War. When the Civil War erupted, Hollins was the commander of USS Susquehanna. He ordered his ships to slip their cables and retreat down the Southwest Pass. The resignation of Captain Pope was accepted for health reasons. [3], Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 26, 1861. It was a quick and bloodless Confederate victory, but failed to alter the strategic situation. 10, 2277. David G. Farragut in command. As a signal to release the fire rafts she was to fire three rockets. They are part of the "Bird's Foot Delta", the youngest lobe of the evolving Mississippi River Delta . Water Witch was the last to leave the Head of Passes. This vessel, a screw sloop with a ship rig, displaced 2,700 tons and mounted seven Dahlgren 9-inch smooth bores to a side and one rifled gun as a stern pivot. The ram was momentarily trapped between Toone and Richmond. . The Confederacy ingloriously acquired its first ironclad warship, and Hollins proceeded downriver to Forts Jackson and Saint Philip, guarding the Mississippi River approaches to New Orleans about 30 miles upriver from the Head of Passes. John A. Stevenson, representing the privateer owners of the ram, was heartbroken when his vessel was wrenched from his control, and departed the vessel in tears. On the 17th of October the USSSouth Carolina and the Vincennes were sent in pursuit of the pestiferous CSS Ivy. "The US Waterway SystemTransportation Facts", "Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results System", "Lower Mississippi River Ports and Waterways Safety System (PAWSS) RF Coverage Test Results", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Head_of_Passes&oldid=1120574516, This page was last edited on 7 November 2022, at 18:41. Find Battle Of The Head Of Passes stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. The US Army Corps of Engineers maintains a 45-foot (13.7m) shipping channel from the mouth of Southwest Pass20 miles (32km) downriver from the Headup to Baton Rouge, the US's farthest inland deep-water port. This flotilla consisted of four ships commanded by Captain John Pope of USS Richmond. The Union fleet proceeded rapidly downriver, until at sunrise all ships but Preble grounded on the bar at the mouth of the river. When the recently-launched (January) USS Richmond departed for the Mediterranean on October 13, 1860, its namesake was the capital of one of the United States, albeit one of the original thirteen - Virginia, the Old Dominion. The Manassas rang for flank speed, her engineers fed her fireboxes with the most flammable material on hand, and she surged forward in a dense cloud of black smoke and sparks from her stacks. Battle of the Head of Passes | Civil War Wiki | Fandom Each gunboat would push a fire raft, which would be ignited after a signal from Manassas indicating that she had crushed the USS Richmond. Meanwhile, Manassas struggled with a fractured ram, a disabled engine knocked out in the collision, and a severed smokestack cut even with the turtleback.[xiv]. Rousseau was only able to purchase six civilian riverboats for conversion into a makeshift navy. The Capture of New Orleans - Essential Civil War Curriculum Long after the event, Admiral David Dixon Porter stated, Put this matter in any light you may, it is the most ridiculous affair that ever took place in the American Navy. Despite the outrage, the damage was easily repaired. [xiii] R. Thomas Campbell, ed. Other than gleefully burning the timbers the Union fleet left at the Southwest Pass Lighthouse for a proposed shore battery, there was only a captured cutter filled with abandoned cutlasses and the crewless Toone. It was a naval raid made by the Confederate river defense fleet, also known as the mosquito fleet in the local media, on ships of the Union blockade squadron anchored at the Head of Passes. . The mosquito fleet deployed three fire rafts, which were ignited and followed the ironclad ram CSS Manassas into . Despite the volumes of projectiles launched, few hits were scored. Porter, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1880-1901), Series 1, Volume 24, 142. The gun did have a cast-iron port shutter. Wowhead is trying a bit too hard with articles now. Supporting the sail sloops was the Water Witch, a side-wheel steam powered gunboat mounting one 32-pound smoothbore and one rifled 12-pound howitzer. After sunrise Commodore George N. Hollins, running low on ammunition and fuel, ordered the mosquito fleet to withdraw upriver. Captain Pope panicked when he saw the fire rafts floating towards him. Northwest Whitfield's Bob Williams dies after cancer battle This website stores cookies on your computer. Head of Passes/Pilottown, Louisiana Historical Marker Once the conversion was completed, the ship was named Manassas, in honor of the Confederate victory on July 21, 1861. CSS McRae approached Manassas, and with its crew at quarters, a boat of armed sailors led by First Lieutenant Alexander F. Warley, McRaes executive officer, approached. Only Preble had reached the safety of the Gulf of Mexico. These vessels could not be built fast enough to stem the Unions advance against Confederate ports. [20], Hollins returned to a hero's acclaim in New Orleans. This was one of the guns intended for the shore battery at the lighthouse. It was a naval raid made by the Confederate river defense fleet, also known as the " mosquito fleet " in the local media, on ships of the Union Blockade squadron anchored at the Head of Passes. Each 73.5 pound exploding shell would wreak havoc on a cotton clad vessel. New Orleans celebrated its success as Manassas was towed to the city and dry-docked for repairs. You can help our automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo. The bitter battle over Call of Duty on PlayStation is over as Sony signs a Microsoft deal. These ships blocked the three outlets Southwest Pass, South Pass, and Pass DLoutre for the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Document 5 -- (. The attack occurred after moonset in the early hours of October 12, 1861, and routed the Union fleet, which fled in disorder down the Southwest pass of the delta. Its psychological impact was tremendous, and lingered well beyond the river battle. In the early morning of October 11, 1861, Hollinss fleet headed down river. His efforts were undercut by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who authorized the distribution of letters of marque and reprisal to the general population of the new Confederacy. It was a naval raid made by the Confederate river defense fleet, also known as the mosquito fleet in the local media, on ships of the Union blockade squadron anchored at the Head of Passes. Find Battle Of The Head Of Passes stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Warley ordered his crew to the main deck to prevent suffocation while Chief Engineer Hardycut away the wreckage blocking the vents. The arrival of these vessels was much sooner than anyone in New Orleans had imagined, and the panic-stricken rush when neutral shipping was given a fifteen day grace period to vacate the port was an ugly dose of reality to stack against the concept of business as usual. Made of the best cast iron and firmly secured by means of heavy wrought bolts backed by twenty feet of wooden hull, this ram would flood enemy ships below the waterline.[iv]. The shells screaming overhead unnerved Pope, a veteran 45-year officer. The Richmond was anchored just off the lighthouse at the head of the Southwest pass on the east bank. Cairo, Illinois, is at mile 953.8AHP. Recovering, the rockets were fired to signal the advance of the fire rafts. The top things to do on an I-10 road trip, Road Trip Down the Blues Highway, U.S. Route 61, The ultimate guide to Mammoth Cave National Park, The Ultimate Guide to Badlands National Park. View the American Revolution and War of 1812 timelines. The result? The site of the U.S. battery was to be in vicinity of Pilot Town, or just south. Available in the Museums Web Shop: https://shop.marinersmuseum.org/a-history-of-ironclads.html, Director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center. Find your connection to the worlds waters For the Confederates, the prospect of the Union fleet occupying a base at the Head of Passes was intolerable as it would cut New Orleans off from the sea. 17 Navy Battles of the American Civil War You Probably Never - SOFREP This was one of the guns intended for the shore battery at the lighthouse.
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