Showing posts with label USS Sebago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USS Sebago. Show all posts

Monday, November 23, 2009

The Siege of Yorktown

The rebels have for several days been building large fortifications on the Gloucester side of the York River, about two miles from Yorktown, and within sight of our gunboats, but their guns were of too long a range to allow the approach of our gunboats to shell the works. About one thousand men were at work on the fortifications and the mortars are not of sufficient ranged to check the fortifications. Yesterday morning, however, the gunboat Sebago arrived, having a 100-pound rifled Parrott gun, and at once opened upon them with shell, which were so well aimed that they could be seen falling in their midst and exploding with fatal effect. The rebels could be distinctly seen carrying off their killed and wounded and in the course two hours the work was entirely suspended, the men retiring out of range. At every attempt to renew the work they were driven back up to night.

The guns mounted by the enemy on the Yorktown side of the river, number not less than fifty – one hundred pounder, some of them rifled, bearing directly on the bar. Our gunboats are at present about two miles below town.

There is said to be skirmishing along the whole like before Yorktown, and the Berdan sharpshooters are spreading terror among the gunners of the enemy by their unerring aims. The enemy have made several sorties with infantry to dislodge or capture our rifleman, but have been driven back with heavy loss.

As to the arrangement for the final siege we need only say the work goes bravely on.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, April 19, 1862, p. 1

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Operations At Yorktown

Rebel News, &c.

FORTRESS MONROE, April 16. Calm weather at present here. It has been most propitious for the reappearance of the Merrimac, but as she does not come, it is concluded she was most likely injured by getting aground when last out.

A flag of truce was sent this morning to deliver letters and dispatches, but no news transpired. It was impossible to obtain even a glimpse of the papers received at headquarters.

Copies of the Richmond Dispatch and Norfolk Day Book were received here last evening.

The Dispatch contains a telegram from Beauregard dated Corinth 9th inst., stating that he was strongly entrenched and prepared to defy the Federals in whatever numbers they might attack him. He claims the battle of Pittsburgh Landing as a most important rebel victory. He says we captured six thousand Federal prisoners, and thirty-six cannon.

The Dispatch, commenting on the above, thinks that the total rout of Generals Buel [sic] and Grant is certain. No mention is made of Beauregard’s being wounded.

The Dispatch says in reference to affairs in the Peninsula that no anxiety should be felt as to the result of the coming battle. The Yankees are to be driven to the Fort and thoroughly vanquished by the forces under Generals Lee, Johnson and Magruder.

The Richmond Dispatch has some more comments on the Merrimac, which it says spent two days in Hampton Roads, bantering the Monitor and Yankee fleet to come up from the security of the batteries.

The rebels claim the Merrimac as the master of Hampton Roads.

The exploit of the Jamestown in sinking three of the federal vessels, is regarded as showing the terror with which the Yankees view the Merrimac.

The Dispatch says, considering it not worth while to waste any more coal to entice the Monitor into a conflict, the Merrimac returned to her anchorage.

The belief is very general here that the Merrimac received some injury during her recent raid, which compelled her to go back to Norfolk. She was undoubtedly aground all the second day, and may be the heavy weight of her armament caused her to spring a leak. She is, however, back at Norfolk Navy Yard, and there was little doubt she was taken back for repairs of some kind. When moving about on the Upper Roads on Friday last, and exchanging shots with the Naugatuck she was very close to the English steamer Roden. At one time she was close alongside in conversation with one of the English sailors.

Yesterday an experienced gunner assured me that the last gun the Merrimac fired the shell exploded before it left the muzzle, he was close enough to see the great commotion on board and the escape of smoke out her port holes. – the rebels have for several days been building large fortifications on the Gloucester side of the York River about two miles from Yorktown and within sight of our gunboats, but their guns were of too long range to allow of the approach of the gunboats to shell the works. About one thousand men were at work on the fortifications, and the mortars were not sufficient to check the operations.

Yesterday morning, however, the gunboat Seebago arrived having a hundred pounder rifled Parrot gun, and at once opened upon them with shell, which were so well aimed that they could bee seen falling in their midst and exploding with fatal effect. The rebels could be distinctly seen carrying off their killed and wounded, and in the course of two hours the work was entirely suspended, the men retiring out of range. At every attempt to renew the work they were driven back. Up to night the guns mounted by the enemy on the Yorktown side of the river number not less than fifty 100-pounder, some of them rifled, bearing directly on the Bar. Our gunboats are at rest about two miles below the town.

There is said to be skirmishing along the line before Yorktown, and the Berdan sharp-shooters are spreading terror among the gunners of the enemy by their unerring aims. The enemy have made several sorties with infantry to dislodge or capture our riflemen, but have been driven back with heavy loss.

As to the arrangements for the final siege we need only say, the work goes bravely on.

– Published in the Burlington Weekly-Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862