Battle of Acquia Creek

 

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Civil War Harper's Weekly, June 22, 1861

This Civil War newspaper features a cover illustration and story on William Russell, a war correspondent for the London Times. The paper also Covers Senator Douglas's Funeral, and has various scenes from the war.

(Scroll Down to See the entire page, Newspaper Thumbnails will take you to the page of interest)

 

William Russell

William Russell

Affairs in England

Affairs in England

Wheeling Convention

The Wheeling Convention

Senator Douglas

Senator Douglas Funeral

Cairo, Illinois

Cairo, Illinois

vigilantes

Vigilantes

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis Indiana

Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe

Pensacola

Pensacola, Florida

Acquia Creek

Battle of Acquia Creek

Scenes from Alexandria and Washington

The Sumter

Rebel Ship Sumter

Cartoons

Jefferson Davis Cartoons

 

 

 

 

JUNE 22, 1861.]

HARPER'S WEEKLY.

397

ACTION AT ACQUIA CREEK BETWEEN UNITED STATES VESSELS AND REBEL BATTERIES.-[SKETCHED BY LIEUTENANT CASH DURING THE ACTION.]

FACSIMILE OF A SHOT FIRED AT THE "THOMAS FREEBORN" FROM THE ACQUIA CREEK BATTERIES—HALF THE ACTUAL SIZE.

BOMBARDMENT OF ACQUIA
CREEK.

WE publish herewith, from a sketch by Mr. THOMAS M. CASH, of the Freeborn, a picture of the recent engagement between the Pawnee, Freeborn, and the Anacosta on one side, and the Acquia Creek batteries on the other. Mr. CASH was engaged in the battle, and his sketch may be relied on. The following account of the battle may serve to explain it:

On Saturday the fight, which was temporarily abandoned for want of ammunition on board the United States vessels on Friday, was resumed at half past eleven o'clock in the morning, and continued until half past four that afternoon without intermission. The guns in the rebel batteries mounted on the heights had been removed to the beach during the previous night, and upon that point the fire of Saturday was directed by the Freeborn, Anacosta, and Pawnee, which hauled inshore, and kept up an incessant fire for five hours, until the men were worn out from fatigue. Captain Ward reports that upward of a thousand shots were fired by the rebel batteries, and that a hundred at least struck on or close around the Freeborn, some of them damaging her hull so that she leaked considerably, and some hitting her wheel-house and shaft. The Pawnee, too. was struck frequently aloft and below, hurting both hull and rigging. On board the Anacosta was a party of twenty-two men of the New York Seventy-first Regiment, under Lieutenant Prendergast, who worked the guns gallantly. Before the firing ceased the battery on shore was silenced, and the rebels were observed flying from the spot. Fearing a landing of the men from the ships, they set fire to the freight depot on the pier, which was entirely consumed. Several of the rebels were hurt, but whether fatally or not could not be ascertained. No one was killed on board the vessels, but the firing from the batteries shows that the guns were ably handled. We publish likewise a facsimile of a shot which struck the Thomas Freeborn in her action with the Acquia Creek batteries

where there are other points not necessary to mention. The First Lieutenant of the Pawnee, Lieut. Lowry, had not forgotten his experience in the old Spitfire, and kept her constantly on the move.

OUR ARTIST OVERHAULED AT MEMPHIS.

OUR artist, Mr. DAVIS, whose name has been brought prominently before the public by Wm. H. RUSSELL, LL.D., of the London Times, met with an unpleasant adventure on his return from New Orleans. On his arrival at Memphis, Tennessee, he was waited upon by the Vigilance Committee, who inquired, after the fashion of those bodies, who he was, where he came from, what he was doing, where he was going, and whether he didn't need any hanging. Having obtained answers to these various queries, the Committee then proceeded to inspect

 Mr. Davis's trunk, which they overhauled with commendable thoroughness. Finding at the bottom of the trunk a number of sketches made for us, they examined them minutely, and each member, by way of remembering Mr. Davis, pocketed two or three of the most striking. As the only revenge Mr. Davis could take on these polite highway robbers, he sketched them in the, act of despoiling him, and we reproduce the picture on page 394.

THE NATIONAL ZOUAVES.

ON page 391 we publish a picture of the NATIONAL ZOUAVES (Tenth New York Volunteers), Colonel McChesney commanding, at their late quarters on Sandy Hook. This fine body of men, after many vexatious delays, finally left this city, in the State of Georgia, for Fortress Monroe, on June 6. The following is a full list of the officers

Line Officers—Colonel, W. W. M'Chesney; Lieutenant-Colonel, Alexander B. Elder; Major, John W. Marshall; Adjutant, F. M. Patrick; Quarter-master, James: Biddle ; Assistant-Quarter-master, J. B. Chapman ; Surgeon, Dr. J. Lovejoy ; Paymaster, Aaron Seeley; Commissary, Marshall B. Shaw ; Chaplain, Rev. W. 13. Matchett.

Company A—Captain, Frank White ; First Lieutenant, Alfred Chamberlain; Ensign, James C. Jones.

Company B—Captain, James Fairman ; First Lieutenant, Robert A. Dimick ; Ensign, Thomas Cullhane.

Company C—Captain, Thomas J. Louther; First Lieutenant, Wm. Lee Monaghan, Ensign, vacant.

Company D—Captain, Thomas Cloudsley; First Lieutenant, John Minor ; Ensign, Volney Wright.

Company E—Captain, John Missing ; First Lieutenant, Edgar A. Brown ; Ensign, Daniel Finley.

Company F—Captain, S. Winchester; First Lieutenant, Rufus Farnsworth ; Ensign, Thomas D. Mosscroft. Company G—Captain, Joseph Newburgh ; First Lieutenant, Frank C. Stott; Ensign, Charles Hill.

Company H-Captain, George F. Hopper; First Lieutenant, Eugene F. Roberts; Ensign, Theodore H. Rogers.
Company I—Captain, James H. Briggs ; First Lieutenant,

Thomas Wildes; Ensign, George M. Dewey.

Company J is an engineer corps, in command of Sergeant Wm. H. Johnson, and is, according to regulations, the right flank company of the regiment. This company numbers 80 men. The encampment on Sandy Hook was thus described by a visitor : The regiment has been encamped on a small island at the mouth of Shrewsbury River, about thirty miles below the city. The island is a mass of white sand, wholly destitute of vegetation,

 on Saturday, June 1. The shot entered the port side about 20 feet from the stern, cut off a deck beam 5 by 7, passed through a heavy knee, tearing it all to pieces, cutting off two 3/4-inch iron bolts, and doing various other damage. The cup at the bottom of the shot, which takes the form of the groove of the cannon, is of soft wrought iron. The shot is exactly twice the size of our picture.

With regard to the performance of the Pawnee, a letter says:

The Pawnee was fought with admirable skill, the perfect coolness of the men and officers, exposed as they always are on shipboard, the rapidity of her fire, stamped her, as far as her personnel is concerned, as a first-class fighting ship, ready for any thing. Her exposed machinery and vulnerable prints are well known to the enemy, and particularly Lieutenant Simms, who was frequently on board of her in Washington, two months since, and is now at Acquia. This was evident from their fire being directed to her stack, around which are the steam chests, all above deck, and at the forward ends,

 except a few stunted trees which grow near its centre. A large lighthouse and three or four frame buildings are erected upon it, and these are now used as barracks for the troops. The air is very pure, coming directly from the sea, and its bracing effects have added much to the health and vigor of the men. The bath facilities are most excellent, and are daily appreciated—both officers and men availing themselves of the opportunity afforded for delightful sea-bathing. As an encampment for the drilling of recruits the place can scarcely be excelled, the only drawback being the sand, which in some places permits them to sink too deep for quick movements. The troops have, however, made great proficiency in marching, manoeuvring, combinations, and evolutions. They have not yet been fully supplied with rifles, but by drilling in squads this impediment to their progress in that branch of their exercises has been overcome. The uniforms are the improved Zouave costume, the jacket and pants being of blue pilot-cloth, trimmed with red, with vest of the same cloth.

A FAITHFUL WIFE—SCENE ON THE DECK OF A TRANSPORT BOUND FOR FORTRESS MONROE, SKETCHED BY OUR SPECIAL ARTIST.—[SEE PAGE 395.]

The Battle of Acquia Creek
Civil War Bomb
A Faithful Wife

 

 

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