Newspaper Clipping, USS Lehigh, 1863

[JPK Huson 1863]

Found this in a New York paper, thought I'd clip it.

 

[ErnieMac]

Report of Rear-Admiral Dahlgren, U. S. Navy
Flag-Steamer Philadelphia
Off Morris Island, November 17, 1863.

Sir: I beg leave to call your attention to meritorious service, under a severe fire of the enemy, by certain persons of this service. ....

With pleasure I bring to your notice the gallant behavior of Acting Ensign R. Burk, who was severely wounded, and also of the Medical Officer of the Lehigh, Dr. W. Longshaw. Twice he passed in a small longboat to the Lehigh from the Nahant, carrying a line bent on the hawser. The shots and shells from cannons and mortars were flying and breaking all around. The third time this service was performed by Horatio Young, William Williams, and Frank S. Gile. These I advanced on the spot in their rates. I have also give appointments as [acting] master's mates to the two petty officers who rowed Dr. Longshaw - George W. Leland and Thomas Irving.

It would have also been very gratifying to me if it had been in my power to advance Acting Ensign Burk and Dr. Longshaw under the fire, when they so well performed their duty, and by which the former had been severely hurt, for a recognition of this kind has always been more valued in military service than any other. I beg leave to recommend them to the notice of the Department, with the observation that they risked their lives to save an invaluable vessel, which, I am glad to say, sustained no great damage. ....

Jno. A. Dahlgren
Rear-Admiral, Comdg. South Atlantic Blockading Squadron

Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. ; Series I - Volume 15: South Atlantic Blockading Squadron (October 1, 1863 - September 30, 1864) pages 117-118.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

View attachment 26571
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/lehigh1c.jpg

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Lots of unheralded "micro-stories" in the war; this is a great example. Thanks for posting!

 

[AndyHall]

Acting Ensign Richard Burke was promoted to Acting Master on December 3, about two weeks after this incident. Burke served through the end of the war. Dr. William Longshaw, an Englishman by birth, was not promoted, and was killed in action during the assault on Fort Fisher in January 1865, while tending to a mortally-wounded Marine. According to Wiki, Longshaw "had received a leave of absence that same day, [but] he voluntarily postponed his departure to serve during the assault." The man was a total badass.

The WWII destroyer U.S.S. Longshaw (DD-559) was named for him. Like her namesake, U.S.S. Longshaw was in the thick of the fighting. U.S.S. Longshaw was destroyed in circumstances very similar to the situation with Lehigh, after going aground on a reef while providing naval gunnery support off Okinawa in May 1945. Longshaw was in the process of being hauled off the reef when Japanese shore batteries found the range and opened fire. The casualty list was 86 dead (including her captain, Lieutenant Commander C.W. Becker), 95 wounded and 113 other survivors.


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[Mark F. Jenkins]

One of the interesting features of monitor armor that I've recently begun to appreciate was its malleability ('squishiness', or deforming without breaking). Metallurgy being what it was then, it was almost certainly unintentional. But the problem was when a round hit close to the base of the turret, the plates could be deformed downward, so that they could interfere with the turret's rotation. The solution was to install a glacis or heavy ring around the turret's base.

 

[unicornforge]

One of the interesting features of monitor armor that I've recently begun to appreciate was its malleability ('squishiness', or deforming without breaking). Metallurgy being what it was then, it was almost certainly unintentional. ........

Reference: pages 395 through 403, The ordnance manual for the use of the officers of the Confederate States Army (1863) (note: updated by the same folks that wrote the earlier versions of the Federal Ordnance Manuals)

Well... no. If you look in the 1863 Army Ordnance manual the properties of various types of iron and steel were known in that the amount of carbon content would vary the ability to bend versus breaking. Varying the amount of carbon to make steel has been around since they started adding carbon to iron to make steel for blades. The mid-1800s was not the stone age. It is well documented that every part ordered from contractors to make Army field carriages, and other equipment, were specified as to specific iron/steel type so as to be appropriate to its strength and flexibility or lack of flexibility.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I stand corrected. Thanks!

 

[unicornforge]

I stand corrected. Thanks!

My pleasure to be of assistance. One of the reasons that I wrote a book was to try to dispel some of the myths about the mid-1800s. When interacting with the public at museums and living history events, I have found a consistent lack of understanding about the level of technology and quality of products of that time period.

 

[TerryB]

I see a modern looking bicycle in the background. Wonder when the photo was taken?

 

[AndyHall]

c. 1901.

Also, this is why you probably don't want to go to sea in one:

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[JPK Huson 1863]

I've always wondered how on earth those things moved through water- seemed SO close to the waterline, more like a non-submerged submarine than a boat- and that was some intrepid photographer.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I've always wondered how on earth those things moved through water- seemed SO close to the waterline, more like a non-submerged submarine than a boat- and that was some intrepid photographer.

Ericsson's concept was really more like a semi-submersible than a conventional warship. The Monitor occupies a strange place in the development streams of both submarine and battleship; the latter usually gets the nod because of the turret, but the former should not be forgotten.

An early Monitor concept drawing makes this even more obvious:

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[JPK Huson 1863]

Thank you. So easy to forget, looking at these things, how MUCH heavy, cumbersome metal was below the waterline- I do, anyway. Then you fill those spaces with engines, fuel, men, supplies, boiler, etc- pretty cluttered in there, seems wierd they floated at ALL. Of course, I have the same mental problem with things like really massive airplanes despite having had lift/thrust explained to me 100,000 times. Some principles of physics just, plain do not LOOK like they should work!