The USS Monadnock: Great Naval Wonder

Found this wonderful description of the twin-turreted monitor USS Monadnock (pictured, right) while researching the life and naval service of a sailor who served aboard her from 1865-1866. This account, excerpted from a letter written by a correspondent named "Roland," is dated San Francisco, June 25, 1866. It was published in the August 4, 1866, issue of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii). I've added notes [in brackets] when appropriate.

Crowds are daily visiting this great naval wonder and the war steamer Vanderbilt, both lying off in the bay, and which arrived a day or two after we came into port. In the language of Jack Downing, I and Gen. [Irvin] McDowell together visited the first named. At a distance she looks like a half sunken ship, standing less than two feet out of water. As you approach her, flat and motionless, she bears nothing formidable or terrifying in appearance, but rather looks tame and sleepy. When once aboard, and you proceed to enter the aperture of one of her turrets, facing the grim, open mouth, of one of those famous Dahlgren “swamp angels,” [reference to the famed monster gun used by the federals in the 1863 bombardment of Charleston, S.C.] you begin to wake up to the sense of your “situation.” These enormous guns are fourteen feet in length, black and menacing, with 480 lb. balls laying beside them and consuming 60 lbs. of powder at a charge. After seeing them, you can soon begin to form a conception of their death-dealing, destructive qualities. I put my head into the muzzle of one, and concluded I had a very small head or that was a very large hole. One of the officers told me that while the monitor was at Rio, Brazil, they found one of the Brazilian officers, with his knife, trying to chip or pick into the guns, suspecting that they might be only “quaker guns,” made of wood. [Reference to wooden logs painted black; used by both sides in the Civil War to deceive their adversary.] Surrounding the inside of the turrets are suspended canvass, thickly lined with felt, which serves to deaden the sound, so that the noise of the discharge is no greater inside the turret than outside. While the Emperor of Brazil was on board, at his request two guns were loaded to be fired, himself to be allowed to discharge them. After discharging the first he hastily withdrew, requesting them to omit the other.

On the deck lay two “Baulseys” or cigar shaped water-tight boxes, about 28 feet long, and 5 feet in diameter at the center, for supplies and water in case of disaster or shipwreck. But what strikes a visitor as the most peculiar and novel are the band-box turrets, 46 feet in circumference, 10 feet high, and 11 inches thick, with little horizontal spaces, cut half an inch in width four or five inches long, for sight holes. The outside of these are ingeniously protected by a little stairway of steps, cut into each successive layer of plate, till it widens to something over a foot long and four inches wide, forcing a ball when striking to change its inclination and dart either upwards or downwards. On the top of the turrets, are removable pilot houses never used in action. The compasses are immersed in alcohol to prevent the attraction of the magnet towards the iron. In the fire rooms the average heat is 150 to 160 degrees, but it has touched 175. The highest speed attained was 9 knots an hour, but usually she makes 6 1/2 knots. She draw 12 1/4 feet of water, and has 18 engines for all purposes. She is soon to be taken to the navy yard and laid up, her officers and crew returning to New York on the steamer of July 10th or 20th.

Photo from a U.S. navy lithograph.

The Mystery of "Field and Fireside"

I came across an 1873 review of a play, Field and Fireside, described as an original American society comedy. According to the Nov. 18, 1873, edition of the San Francisco Bulletin, "The drama is a portrayal of some of the incidents of the rebellion, and is full of the exciting scenes of war and the quiet, happy scenes of peace; scenes of love and hatred, of sorrow and shame, of friendship and treachery. It presents the comic and the serious side of life; its fantasies and its realities."

Characters include Captain Airey, a patriotic Union officer, his love interest, Delia Derrick, her father, the unscrupulous "Old Derrick," the lovesick war correspondent "Merrygrave," and the exaggerated Englishman, Lieutenant-Colonel Fitz Roy Bull, of the Royal Fusileers. Eliza the maid and servants "Wash" and "John" are also in the cast.

I've found little else about this play other than a few newspapers ads dated 1873 and 1874. One of them notes the play was written by Williams. My working theory is that this is Dr. John B. Williams. His obituary from the Oct. 15, 1878, New York Herald:

JOHN B. WILLIAMS, M.D.
Dr. John B. Williams died at his residence, No. 252 Fifth avenue, Brooklyn, on Sunday evening, October 13. He was born in Cambridge, England; studied medicine in London and Paris, and after completing his professional education came to this country about twenty-five years ago. In 1856 he started the Family Journal in Baltimore. It was the first story and sketch paper ever published in the South and had a large circulation. The war ut a stop to this enterprise, and the Doctor became connected with various family papers at the North and gained reputation as a writer. He was a man of fine literary taste, general ability and attractive social qualities. His age was fifty-two years and he leaves a wife and two sons.

If you have any knowledge about Field and Fireside, I want to hear from you! I am particularly interested in learning if a copy of the play is in existence.

On a Rant About Time Off and Pay

Like many Americans throughout history, the Civil War soldier had his frustrations with government. Leroy D. House was no exception. A clockmaker from Bristol, Conn., House served as a captain in the 108th U.S. Colored Infantry. On duty guarding Confederate prisoners at Rock Island, Ill., during the holidays, he made the best of life far away from the front lines in sub-zero temperatures — but couldn't resist venting in this excerpt from a letter penned on Dec. 24, 1864, to friends at home in Connecticut:

"Congress has adjourned over the holidays, and the members have gone home to receive their Christmas & New Years Presents. They ought to give the army power to adjourn over the Holidays and let the soldier go home. But we do not expect the same privileges as citizens. A member of Congress when he thinks his pay is insufficient can vote himself more, while the soldiers must wait with patience for Congress to do him justice. We expect an increase of pay before Congress adjourns in the spring. We view it as an act of justice, but if the powers that be do not see fit to do it, we shall not find fault with Uncle Sam, but try to bring our expenses within our means. Nearly all Civil officers of the government as well as all clerks and Provost Marshals have had their pay raised since the commencement of the present war, while the officers in active service receive no more to day than he did four years ago when all of the necessaries of life cost but little more than one third the present price."

This letter is part of the collection of the Connecticut Historical Society.

"The Men Always Felt This a Grievance"

If there was ever any question that African American soldiers could and would fight, no one bothered to tell Frederick Lyman Hitchcock, an officer in the 132nd Pennsylvania Infantry who suffered two wounds at Fredericksburg and went on to be colonel and commander of the Twenty-fifth U.S. Colored Infantry. After the war he had this to say about the character of the men in the Twenty-fifth:

"I desire to bear testimony to the esprit du corps, and general efficiency of the organization as a regiment, to the competency and general good character of its officers, to the soldierly bearing, fidelity to duty, and patriotism of its men. Having seen active service in the Army of the Potomac, prior to my connection with the Twenty-fifth, I can speak with some degree of assurance. After a proper time had been devoted to its drill, I never for a moment doubted what would be its conduct under fire. It would have done its full duty beyond question. An opportunity to prove this the Government never afforded, and the men always felt this a grievance."

From Bates' History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Vol. V, pp. 1026-1027.

I admire Hitchcock's confidence in his men, and his clear dissatisfaction for never having been sent to see the elephant with his command.

Kendrick Allen, Buffalo Soldier

A note penned on the back of the carte de visite of Kendrick Allen, written by his commanding officer, praises him as an excellent soldier — a fine compliment to an eighteen-year-old sergeant new to soldiering in the 108th U.S. Colored Infantry. Allen served in the regiment from 1864 until 1866.

Five years later he returned to the military, this time in the regular army as a corporal in the Twenty-fourth U.S. Infantry, one of the Buffalo Soldier regiments. He later transferred to the Ninth Cavalry and retired as a sergeant in 1897.

This the first Buffalo Soldier I've documented. If you have any information about Sgt. Allen, please contact me.

USCT Soldier Surfaces at Richmond Show

I had not been to the North South Trader's Show in Richmond for some years. My gut told me to make the trip yesterday and am glad I did. About a quarter of the way through the show I walked by C.J. Delery's table (he operates The Historical Shop, and I have a fond memory of a Pennsylvania show some years ago at which I of purchased a pristine group of officer cartes de visite, all members of the Fifty-third Massachusetts Infantry). Delery asked if he could help. I told him about my latest project and he pointed me in the direction of Howard Norton's table.

Within a few minutes I was at Howard's table looking at a quarter plate tintype of Pvt. William Wright of the 114th U.S. Colored Infantry. An airtight identification by way of a piece of paper attached to the back of the metal plate, inscribed in period pen.

To be certain that Wright was a member of the regiment, I whipped out my laptop only to find there was no wireless access in the building. So, I called up Anne at home and joked that I was stuck at the Civil War show and required immediate table-side assistance from "AnneStar." She logged on to our home computer and I guided her through the American Civil War Research Database operated by Historical Data Systems. In minutes she verified that Wright did indeed serve in the 114th. I left with the image, a detail pictured here.

Howard and I talked for awhile after completing the purchase. Turns out he had come into possession of this photograph six weeks ago after buying a group of images from a Missouri collector. Howard is a long-time dealer, and I've seen him at a number of shows. His soft Southern accent reflects his Mississippi roots and birth in Arkansas. He is sixty-eight years old. His father, a Spanish American War veteran, was the same age when Howard was born. We finished our conversation reflecting on our shared joy of Civil War photography. "The ability to see the face of a soldier, then read about his life and what happened to him in the war is a powerful thing and it puts me in a different place" I explained to Howard, who nodded his head in agreement. He knew exactly what I meant, "I know, I know. You're There. It takes you There."

Howard Norton said it better than I could.

You're There.

Success at Camp William Penn

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting key individuals involved in the effort to renovate the museum dedicated to Philadelphia's historic Camp William Penn, the first federal recruiting and training camp for black soldiers. Director Joyce Werkman and Jim Paradis, author of two books, Strike the Blow for Freedom: The 6th United States Colored Infantry in the Civil War and African Americans And The Gettysburg Campaign, generously shared their knowledge and experience during our meeting.

I came away with scans of two soldier images, a carte de visite of a chaplain and a tintype of a quartermaster sergeant. These are the nineteenth and twentieth images secured for the book.

I am very impressed with the dedication to making the renovated museum a reality. The depth of commitment to the project impressed me, and I urge anyone interested in preserving this unique museum and place to support the group behind the effort, the Citizens for the Restoration of Historical La Mott (CROHL). The village of La Mott is one of the first communities in America to encourage integrated living. Six post-Civil War houses in the community are said to have been built from wood salvaged from nearby Camp William Penn. Still standing is the camp's gate and gatehouse.

Gettysburg USCT Cartes

During my last trip to the Gettysburg visitor center and museum, I noticed six identified cartes de visite of soldiers who served in the ranks of the USCT, and called the archives to find out if I could get scans of the images for use in my book. Spoke with Paul Shevchuk, who had helped me several years ago: I was researching Capt. Thomas R. Clark of the U.S. Signal Corps, who observed the opening stage of the battle from the Adams County Courthouse on July 1. Paul kindly showed me a collection of Clark's artifacts acquired by the museum, including Clark's cipher disk and a number of documents.

Paul came through again. He sent a CD containing scans of the six soldiers from the visitor center, and, much to my delight, four more scans of men not included in the public display.

Overnight, I was easily able to confirm the identities of eight men using Ancestry.com and the American Civil War Research Database.

Two men require further research.

The first is identified in the scan only as Jesse Keepson. Could not find him in any database. However, the same photograph is credited to the Bill Gladstone collection as a member of Company F, 108th U.S. Colored Infantry. Two other images from the 108th are also credited to Gladstone, which leads me to believe he bought them as a group. Armed with this information, I went back to American Civil War Research Database and searched through all the men of the 108th Infantry's Company F. Only one man named Jesse served in Company F, Jesse Hopson. I believe this is the same man, and will be contacting Paul to get a scan of the back of the carte de visite to learn more.

The second is identified as A.E. Jackson of the 78th U.S. Colored Infantry. Eight men with the first initial A and the last name Jackson served in the regiment, and none of the databases include a middle initial or name. To solve this mystery, I will need to visit the National Archives and request the military service records and pension files of all eight men. I also need to get a scan of the back of this image.