Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series 1, Volume 1. Page: 5
xvii, 890 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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OPERATIONS OF THE CRUISERS-UNION.
The city is in the greatest consternation and all leaving who can, as
it is believed that General Fergola has had an order from Francis II to
level the city of Messina with his shot and shells before he surrenders,
which he has the power to do.
During the day our boats have been employed in assisting Americans
and other neutrals, and at this moment every vessel is out of the harbor
except the English frigate Terrible and this ship. As we lie directly
between the batteries and the city, the inhabitants consider themselves
partially free from bombardment; but as soon as a gun is fired from the
heights back of the city, which General Cialdini may do at any moment,
the cannonade will commence.
I do not know how far we are justified in remaining so long after the
notice given is past, but, as the batteries at the citadel will not probably
fire so long as Cialdini remains quiet, we are the means of protecting
the city and giving the inhabitants more time to secure themselves and
property.
Sunday morning, March 3.-We are still at our anchorage within the
harbor, where we will remain until there is a probability of a cross-fire
near us, when I shall run into the outer anchorage. A large number
of Sardinian ships are now lying near the faro, within 3 miles of Mes-
sina, and three others just reported coining in full of troops. As the
mail is about to close I must conclude my letter.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours,
CHAS. H. BELL,
Flag-Officer, Commanding U. S. Naval Forces, Mediterranean.
Hon. SECRETARY OF THE NAVY,
Washington, D. C.
Further report of Flag-Oficer Bell, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. naval
forces, Mediterranean Sea, regarding afairs at Messina, Italy.
U. S. FLAGSHIP RICHMOND,
Near Messina, March 9, 1861.
SIR: My dispatch No. 32, informing you that we were still at anchor
within the harbor of Messina, I was obliged to close to send by the
mail of the 3d instant. About noon of that day I received a communi-
cation, through his aids, from the commandant of the citadel, General
Fergola, to request General Cialdiiii's permission to send two of his
(Fergola's) officers to Rome in the mail steamer, which was to leave
the following day, in order to ascertain the wishes of Francis II with
regard to that fortress. This application, made through Admiral Per-
sano, the commander of the Sardinian fleet, was about to be attended
with success, when information reached General Cialdini that one of
his transports had been sunk by a shot from the citadel. Immediately
a prompt refusal was given. That afternoon a British line-of-battle
ship, the Victor Emanuel, came into the harbor to relieve the Terrible,
which ship took her departure a few hours after. On the morning of
the 4th two aids of General Fergola came on board to ascertain the
result of their application. When learning that General Cialdini had
refused to permit them to send to Rome, one of them said, with much
vehemence, " It is now only left for us to die like men, with arms in
our hands."5
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Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion: General Index (Book)
General index listing persons, naval units, ships, battles, and major subject headings mentioned in the "Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion" volumes. Listings include the numbers for the series (Roman numerals) and volume (Arabic numbers) where the reference(s) can be found.
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United States. War Department. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series 1, Volume 1., book, 1894; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth192836/m1/26/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.