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- Joined
- Mar 3, 2023
In Columbus, Georgia along the banks of the Chattahoochee River you will find the National Civil War Naval Museum. In that museum you will find a portion of the remains of the steam powered and triple masted gunboat the C.S.S. Chattachoochee. Who were the men aboard that ship? That is my task to learn and I wil share what I learn with the members here. First we will look at the officers. Lt. Catesby ap Roger Jones was made the commanding officer of the new ship even before construction was completed. Lt. Jones had previously been the Executive Officer aboard the C.S.S. Virginia also known as the Merrimac. History buffs of this great conflict will remember that the Merrimac was an ironclad and the first of it's kind involved in a major naval engagement. The C.S.S. Virginia/ formerly the U.S.S. Merrimac was at the Battle of the Ironclads at Hampton Roads, Virginia the 8th of March 1862.
Lt. Catesby ap Roger Jones was born in 1821 in Frederick County, Virginia. His parents were Roger Jones and Mary Ann Mason Page. His father was an officer in the United States Army and veteran of the War of 1812. Catesby was one of 13 children. He was the second eldest of those children. He entered the United States Navy in 1836 when he was appointed acting midshipman. He was in service at sea for several years. In December of 1841 he was allowed to attend the naval school at Philadelphia., He passed the examination for midshipman and was warranted in that rank. On the 19th of that month he was ordered to the Depot of Charts in Washington, D.C. and studied under Matthew Maury. In September he was detached and sent to the schooner, Flirt ,for surveying duty. On November 13th 1846 he was ordered to the U.S.S. Ohio. He was serving as Acting Master of the Ohio which sailed from Boston around South America to join the Pacific squadron. He was warranted as master of the Ohio in Oct of 1848 and on this ship he served during the Mexican War. Catesby's widow later filed for a pension as his widow and on that application for pension his service during the Mexican War was noted.
After years of service at sea Catesby was promoted to Lt. in May of 1849. He was living in the household of his parents in Washington City, District of Columbia in 1850. His father was a Brigadier General and Adjutant General of the Army at the time. His father died in 1852. Lt. Jones was was ordered to the Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. on ordnance duty. in Feb of 1853. He was there until 1856 when he was ordered to duty as ordnance officer on the U.S.S. Merrimac.
Lt. Jones was on wait orders in May of 1860. His mother and 4 sisters were living in Washington City on the homestead. Lt. Jones had served in the United States Navy from 1836 to 1861. Catesby submitted his resignation from the United States Navy on the day that his home state of Virginia chose secession, 17th of April 1861. On the 18th of April in 1861 the governor of Virginia appointed 4 officers to the Virginia State Navy. Among those was Catesby Jones who became a Captain on 20 April of 1861. He was later a Lt. in the Confederate States Navy. Catesby along with the other new naval officers were assigned the naval defenses of the rivers of Virginia. General Robert E. Lee assigned Lt. Jones to rebuild fortifications and batteries on Jamestown Island. Lt. Jones was on this duty until November. By June Lt. Jones and the other officers also captured 300,000 pounds of powder and a large number of shells from the magazine at Norfolk. The Union forces burned anything that was combustible when they abandoned the naval yard near Norfolk in April of 1861. That included the steam frigate the Merrimac.
The ship was raised by the Confederates and converted to an iron clad. Lt. Jones was made the executive officer of the C.S.S. Virginia now a full converted iron clad warship. The C.S.S. Virginia /Merrimac launched on 8 Mar 1862.
Lt. Jones and the crew of the Merrimac engaged with ships of the Union fleet anchored at Hampton Roads attacking the U.S.S. Cumberland , the U.S.S. Congress, and the U.S.S. Minnesota. The Congress was rammed by the Virginia. The U.S.S. Monitor a northern iron clad ship arrived in the evening of the 8th and waited till morning when it engaged the Virginia in the famous battle of the Ironclads.
After the Battle of the Ironclads at Hampton Roads Lt. Jones was assigned on July 22nd 1862 to supervise the construction and arming of the C.S.S. Chattachoochee at the Saffold, Georgia naval yard in Early County, Georgia.
He was in command of that ship from the completion of construction in 1862 to 1863. On May 9th 1863 Catesby was ordered to assume command of the Naval Works at Charlotte, North Carolina. He was later sent to command the Selma Naval Foundry an iron works at Selma, Alabama.
Lt. Catesby ap Roger Jones was born in 1821 in Frederick County, Virginia. His parents were Roger Jones and Mary Ann Mason Page. His father was an officer in the United States Army and veteran of the War of 1812. Catesby was one of 13 children. He was the second eldest of those children. He entered the United States Navy in 1836 when he was appointed acting midshipman. He was in service at sea for several years. In December of 1841 he was allowed to attend the naval school at Philadelphia., He passed the examination for midshipman and was warranted in that rank. On the 19th of that month he was ordered to the Depot of Charts in Washington, D.C. and studied under Matthew Maury. In September he was detached and sent to the schooner, Flirt ,for surveying duty. On November 13th 1846 he was ordered to the U.S.S. Ohio. He was serving as Acting Master of the Ohio which sailed from Boston around South America to join the Pacific squadron. He was warranted as master of the Ohio in Oct of 1848 and on this ship he served during the Mexican War. Catesby's widow later filed for a pension as his widow and on that application for pension his service during the Mexican War was noted.
After years of service at sea Catesby was promoted to Lt. in May of 1849. He was living in the household of his parents in Washington City, District of Columbia in 1850. His father was a Brigadier General and Adjutant General of the Army at the time. His father died in 1852. Lt. Jones was was ordered to the Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. on ordnance duty. in Feb of 1853. He was there until 1856 when he was ordered to duty as ordnance officer on the U.S.S. Merrimac.
Lt. Jones was on wait orders in May of 1860. His mother and 4 sisters were living in Washington City on the homestead. Lt. Jones had served in the United States Navy from 1836 to 1861. Catesby submitted his resignation from the United States Navy on the day that his home state of Virginia chose secession, 17th of April 1861. On the 18th of April in 1861 the governor of Virginia appointed 4 officers to the Virginia State Navy. Among those was Catesby Jones who became a Captain on 20 April of 1861. He was later a Lt. in the Confederate States Navy. Catesby along with the other new naval officers were assigned the naval defenses of the rivers of Virginia. General Robert E. Lee assigned Lt. Jones to rebuild fortifications and batteries on Jamestown Island. Lt. Jones was on this duty until November. By June Lt. Jones and the other officers also captured 300,000 pounds of powder and a large number of shells from the magazine at Norfolk. The Union forces burned anything that was combustible when they abandoned the naval yard near Norfolk in April of 1861. That included the steam frigate the Merrimac.
The ship was raised by the Confederates and converted to an iron clad. Lt. Jones was made the executive officer of the C.S.S. Virginia now a full converted iron clad warship. The C.S.S. Virginia /Merrimac launched on 8 Mar 1862.
Lt. Jones and the crew of the Merrimac engaged with ships of the Union fleet anchored at Hampton Roads attacking the U.S.S. Cumberland , the U.S.S. Congress, and the U.S.S. Minnesota. The Congress was rammed by the Virginia. The U.S.S. Monitor a northern iron clad ship arrived in the evening of the 8th and waited till morning when it engaged the Virginia in the famous battle of the Ironclads.
After the Battle of the Ironclads at Hampton Roads Lt. Jones was assigned on July 22nd 1862 to supervise the construction and arming of the C.S.S. Chattachoochee at the Saffold, Georgia naval yard in Early County, Georgia.
He was in command of that ship from the completion of construction in 1862 to 1863. On May 9th 1863 Catesby was ordered to assume command of the Naval Works at Charlotte, North Carolina. He was later sent to command the Selma Naval Foundry an iron works at Selma, Alabama.
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