Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series 1, Volume 6. Page: 22
xix, 896 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
sand hill. At 10:15 the enemy's three-masted propeller, showing no
flag, rounded to off and to the southward of the fortification, close
inshore and opposite the Beaufort, distant about 14 miles. We brought
our gun to bear upon her and awaited her pleasure to open the engage-
ment. As soon as the frigate lost her headway she opened upon us
with her forward rifled cannon, the shot passing over and beyond us
on the flats, nearly a mile to leeward. Some of the shot which were after-
wards picked up I shall send to you to be presented to Governor Clark
as mementoes sent to the gallant little Beaufort from our black
Republican visitor. The smoke had scarcely cleared away from the
gun before we answered with our gun, being just able to elevate suffi-
ciently from where we lay to graze the top of the sand hill, and, as we
thought, struck the vessel between her main and mizzen mast. The
firing then became general, the enemy during the engagement throw-
ing rifle-cannon shot and shell, and from the distance the 32-pound
shot and shell carried the gun must have been of the 62-hundred-
weight class. We answered every shot as long as we could get our
gun elevated to graze the sand bill, throwing the shot beautifully in
line. I either sighted or adjusted the sight in person, though this
action has given me entire confidence in the coolness and judgment of
the captain of the gun crew, who is also my chief boatswain's mate.
The enemy finally, not fancying our shot, cowardly moved around and
dropped farther to the southward behind a higher sand bank, which
completely prevented us from firing a shot, the line of our greatest
elevation striking near the base of the hill behind which our soldiers
on shore were placed for protection. The enemy's vessel being higher
out of the water enabled his guns to rake us over the hill, while we
could not fire a single gun. The frigate's first shot from this position
passed near our smokestack and struck the water about 30 yards
from us; the second passed between the captain of the gun and the
man next to him, and struck the water about 20 feet from our port
bow. You may imagine my feelings at this stage of the action. My
little steamer had done bravely, and my officers and men had gallantly
performed their whole duty. I thought of the unwarrantable sacrifice
of life and the property of the State, and the days of constant labor
in getting the Beaufort ready to take her place in doing service to our
State and country. We could use the gun no longer in the position
which the enemy, under the circumstances, had so cowardly taken, hav-
ing a battery of eight guns throwing 32-pound shells and balls, and
rifled cannon throwing shot and shell, and a crew of not less than 175
or 200 men to work his guns, against our little vessel of one gun and 26
men, only 13 of whom were at the gun on deck. I therefore gave the
order to cast loose and heave off out of range of the enemy's guns,
since he would not honorably uncover and give us a fair chance. On
leaving our moorings the enemy fired two shells, one of which struck
and exploded about 50 yards on our port quarter, when he ceased to
fire any longer. It is impossible to say what damage, if any, the
enemy received. Some of the officers and soldiers on shore, who were
in a position to see the shot strike, say that three (ricochet) rolling
shot, as they term it, struck her. They also heard plainly the dead
sound when the shot struck against the steamer's side, My lookout,
however, says that he thinks our shot fell short some 200 yards. He
may have taken at his altitude a "white cap" for the shot striking the
water. If we could have obtained a half degree greater elevation I
have no doubt in saying that the Beaufort would have made her name
memorable in the history of our good old State. If I had had, as I22
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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 6., book, 1897; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth192841/m1/45/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.