Category Archives: Naval Matters

Confederate naval school ship

Posted on February 18, 2014 by SUMPTER

During the same week that the Confederate navy made history, one of its sailors was murdered in Richmond. He was serving on the CSS Patrick Henry. In May 1862 the ship “was modified for use as a school ship, and … Continue reading →

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new ironsides

Posted on September 30, 2013 by SUMPTER

From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in September 1863: ENSIGN BENJ. F. PORTER, of the New Ironsides, a young and promising officer, about whose daring courage so much has recently been told, has his home at Skaneateles. It seems … Continue reading →

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sunday the thirteenth

Posted on September 13, 2013 by admin

150 years ago today “a rather unsporting raid by Confederate cavalry nets 20 crew members of the USS Rattler as they attend church services at Rodney, Mississippi.” Apparently the ship’s comander was also captured in church, but the USS Rattler … Continue reading →

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Surgeon Still Serving

Posted on June 26, 2013 by SUMPTER

Some June 1863 cuttings from a Seneca Falls, New York newspaper: Naval Graduate. We are pleased to learn that SCHUYLER CROWNINSHIELD, son of Jacob Crowninshield, Esq., of this village, has honorably graduated from the U.S. Naval School at Newport. He … Continue reading →

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” some ugly pock marks”

Posted on April 8, 2013 by SUMPTER

Not exactly the Union objective 150 years ago yesterday a federal fleet commanded by Samuel F. Du Pont tried to take a first step toward capturing Charleston, South Carolina by attacking Fort Sumter. The attack was unsuccessful. From The New-York … Continue reading →

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Sambo and Coffee

Posted on March 26, 2013 by SUMPTER

A Democratic Party oriented newspaper maintained that blacks would have to be drafted to fight for their freedom. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in March 1863: Drafting the Negroes. All the highly colored stories concerning negro volunteers at … Continue reading →

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North by Key West

Posted on February 25, 2013 by SUMPTER

I missed this as I was combing through the Seneca County, New York newspaper clippings from 1863: We are rejoiced to learn of the safety of our young friend John Arnett, who was known to have been on board the … Continue reading →

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Gunboat Diplomacy

Posted on February 16, 2013 by SUMPTER

Civil War Daily Gazette published an excellent account of the naval action off Charleston harbor on January 31, 1863. Two Confederate rams disabled a couple Union blockading ships. The Gazette pointed out that the Confederacy asserted that the action broke … Continue reading →

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Ahoy, Y’all!

Posted on February 2, 2013 by SUMPTER

Confederate Navy hasn’t begun to fight. A Southern editorial from 150 years ago today thinks the Confederate government should wake up to the potential of a bigger Confederate navy. From the Richmond Daily Dispatch February 2, 1863: The Confederate Navy. … Continue reading →

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Rule, Britannia! rule the waves

Posted on January 26, 2013 by SUMPTER

The following Southern editorial questions why Great Britain was remaining neutral during the American Civil War because, if the American states had not broken up, the United States would have eventually overtaken Britain as the world’s leading maritime power. The … Continue reading →

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