CSS Virginia Smokestack

[Nathanb1]

I'm pretty sure the guard is there to provide scale. It allows viewers to have an idea of the size of things.

Not to mention....I know from experience just carrying a professional-looking camera draws a crowd. I can imagine the photographer saying he'll take your photo if you'll JUST stand by that old smokestack.....

 

[ole]

I love coming back to these and finding 'stuff'. It may seem piddling or mere trivia, but it all leads somewhere. For instance, makes perfect sense that of course they'd have gone for the smokestack in an engagment and why, never occured to me before, location, Virginia II and why, etc.

I was wondering if the photographer had posed the soldier by the smokestack- hoping so since could NOT figure out what there would be about what now(then) amounts to junk which would require a guard.

Duct tape!

Without the smokestack, the fires under the boiler would not draw and burn properly. We tend to diminish the importance of little details.

 

[NFB22]

Hm. Does that photo give any clue as to location?


From the size of the bluff in the background, I really want to say Drewry's Bluff... but that's based on nothing but a guess at the bluff.

But it does absolutely rule out being the original Virginia's funnel. That one never operated anywhere but "the old Virginia lowlands, low"... certainly nowhere near bluffs that high.

Was wondering the same thing when it comes to location, Drewry's Bluff was the first place that popped into my head too but I dont think so due to the size of the "beach" and from all my research on the CSMC (Drewry's Bluff was the CSMC HQ) and the photos I have seen it doesnt look much like it, however, I could be wrong.

Here are a couple of shots I have of it.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

I looked this up, because I'd gotten it wrong in the first place. It transpires the CSS Jamestown and Virginia II were sunk on purpose in the James River, then the Virginia II raised for salvage in 1865. I'd previously saved this pic of 'obstruction in James River', without seeing in anotherdescription that the wrecks were the CSS Jamestown and CSS Virginia II. Given the fact that they were raised for salvage, I would have thought it would be tough to know where the photo was taken? Where ever it is they took wrecked metal possibly?

Site of the sinking of the Virginia II and other ships in the James River. The part showing above water is from the CSS Jamestown. (Photograph by Mathew Brady)

The following is a paragraph from a Wiki article, describing the Jan, 24, 1865 battle which was the Virginia II's last. ( Please excuse the italics- they seem to be leftover from having posted this photo! : ) ) It was part of an unsuccessful attempt to circumvent obstacles at Trent's Reach. Interestingly includes the smokestack in the description, so nice!

"
When leaving, the Hampton managed to catch her propeller in Virginia II's anchor chain. They suffered more fire on their return upriver from Fort Brady and Virginia II ran aground again before making it to the safety of Chaffin's Bluff. Virginia II had at least 6 killed and more than a half dozen wounded from the action, and also suffered damage which required extensive repairs.[14] Her smokestack was destroyed, her engines were faulty and the iron shielding and wooden framework were damaged.[12] Her repairs had just been finished, when the Virginia II was one of several ships ordered destroyed to prevent capture in the James River before the evacuation and fall of Richmond on 3 April 1865.
Following the end war, the wreck of the Virginia II was raised for salvage."

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I think you're getting hooked on the naval war.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Hahaha! Yes, it's slipped right under my radar! My grgrgrandfather was sieging Vicksburg with the 50th PA, it's just impossible to look anything up on the entire siege without running into naval battles, Good Grief! When you do, they're amazing ones involving the control of an entire river or whole supply routes. Talk about distracting. The 50th PA almost did not make it to any battles, in point of fact, having almost capsized while rounding Hatteras on the way to Beaufort. There were a fair amount of 'boatmen', canalmen, like my grgrgrandfather in the regiment who were at least familiar enough around ships to keep the thing afloat through some typical Hatteras gale- this according to report, not fond family legend.

So- always back to some SHIP or other. I was lucky enough to go see Nelson's ship, 'Victory', at Portsmouth, with which I was smitten, who could not be? Kind of a short walk over to our history-making ships and swiping photos from archives. The only complaint being all these relatives in uniform, not one Navy man. With the ease of access of information here on this forum, kind of grows on one!

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

The only complaint being all these relatives in uniform, not one Navy man.

You and me both. The closest I get is that my wife is a Marine reservist, and my nth-great-grandfather was an impressed seaman in the Royal Navy in the mid-1700s (he deserted-- twice).

 

[NFB22]

You and me both. The closest I get is that my wife is a Marine reservist, and my nth-great-grandfather was an impressed seaman in the Royal Navy in the mid-1700s (he deserted-- twice).

Lucky for me I was a corporal of Marines, my father served in the navy, and had 2 distant ancestors serve on Union blockade duty along the Carolinas. No wonder I decided I wanted to go to the Naval Academy when I was around 10 years (didnt work out for me but oh well)

 

[ExNavyPilot]

Hm. Does that photo give any clue as to location?
From the size of the bluff in the background, I really want to say Drewry's Bluff... but that's based on nothing but a guess at the bluff.

But it does absolutely rule out being the original Virginia's funnel. That one never operated anywhere but "the old Virginia lowlands, low"... certainly nowhere near bluffs that high.

The shipyard at Richmond IMO.

Given the fact that they were raised for salvage, I would have thought it would be tough to know where the photo was taken? Where ever it is they took wrecked metal possibly?

I think BillO could be right. Another option might be right near Tredegar in Richmond. It would make sense to bring salvaged iron to Tredegar to be reworked, and just upstream from Tredegar are the bluffs upon which is Hollywood Cemetery.

 

[ExNavyPilot]

The only complaint being all these relatives in uniform, not one Navy man.

I can boast of two Sailors in my family tree...but neither served in the Civil War. My father saw action on a Fletcher-class destroyer (USS Erben DD-631) in the Korean War and my 7th Great Grandfather was a Quartermaster in the Continental Navy, serving on the USS Raleigh (32-gun frigate) and USS Ranger (18-gun sloop-of-war).

 

[NFB22]

I can boast of two Sailors in my family tree...but neither served in the Civil War. My father saw action on a Fletcher-class destroyer (USS Erben DD-631) in the Korean War and my 7th Great Grandfather was a Quartermaster in the Continental Navy, serving on the USS Raleigh (32-gun frigate) and USS Ranger (18-gun sloop-of-war).

The Ranger has a colorful past if youre speaking of the one that was captain'd by none other than John Paul Jones.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Ah. I realize it's not the same, but wish my father were here to hear that! One of his habits all through life was reading and re-reading the 'Hornblower' series- he must have worn out 20 copies by the time he died, I'm still coming across battered volumns. Our Continental Navy would have been his Holy Grail. There again, one more war- relatives taking up arms in defense of an ideal and not one thought to cast off in a ship while doing so. WWI, II, Korea, Vietnam, all of them solidly marching on land, do not seem to have had any serve in the Navy. Sigh. If only they'd known I would wish them to do so, I'm sure someone would have climbed aboard somewhere!

Think I'd pick duty around Vicksburg for them, summer of 1863.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Oh- Mark Jenkins just saw that, ha! When I lived in the UK,5 years, the locals drank their lager/beer ( whatever one calls it, seems like beer to me! ) from the tankards they keep at their favorite pubs? I guess it wasn't just legend that the bottoms could be made out of glass, so they didn't accept the King's shilling- the swine Impressmen! Who would NOT desert the Royal Navy in those days, although I'd love to know how they got their hands ON your relative the second time? Not a runner?

Any time anyone wants to know why exactly we left Great Britain- it was not only taxes. It was not a cuddly kind of attitude towards their populous in general- truly beastly! No doubt most people here on the forum are very well-read on the customs of the Royal Navy, etc.- they're a pretty good example of Bristish rule, in point of fact and why exactly the Colonies became disenchanted in the first place. Yes- I understand the complicated politics of the day. Still, you do not get the PEOPLE behind you without 'cause', and the Brits of that time treated the 'underclasses' like dogs. One of the nicer things about America is that to this day you still can't get away with that kind of thing for very long.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Think I'd pick duty around Vicksburg for them, summer of 1863.

Not for me, thanks! Too hot and muggy and too many malaria-bearing mosquitoes!

 

[ExNavyPilot]

The Ranger has a colorful past if youre speaking of the one that was captain'd by none other than John Paul Jones.

Same Ranger, different period. JP Jones captained the Ranger until he took command of the Bonhomme Richard, at which time he turned the Ranger over to LT Simpson. My ancestor, Peter Massuere [my 5th GGrandfather: correction from previous post], served under Capt Simpson in the Ranger. On their first cruise in the N. Atlantic with the Warren and Queen of France they captured 8 prizes (the "Georgia Fleet") and some Hessians en route to America. On the second cruise they captured 2 "Jamaicamen" and 9 more vessels of Newfoundland's Grand Banks.
Earlier, on the Raleigh under Capt Thompson, on a cruise to France in company with USS Alfred, they took the Brit brig Nancy and fought the HMS Druid, then sailed off the African coast, capturing another vessel. Sailing to the West Indies, they engaged HMS Ariadne and HMS Ceres in the Lesser Antilles. The Alfred was captured and Raleigh escaped, but Capt Thompson was court martialed for cowardice and dereliction of duty.
Not really Civil War related, I know, but cool nonetheless. Peter's GGrandson, however, was PVT Lewis Massuere, 3rd Wisconsin Battery and my GGGranduncle, so there is a Civil War tie-in.

 

[TinCan]

My twin brother an I are ex-navy (Viet Nam), my dad was ex-navy (WWII, Korea) and we had a relative that made the trip around the world with the Great White Fleet. If I'd of had a lick of sense I'd of done my 20 and retired.

 

[on again]

There was apparently pictures taken of 3 smokestackes!!
The first is in message #1 above
The second is identified as from CS RAM "Virginia' #2"

File:Richmond, Virginia. Smoke stack of C.S. Ram VIRGINIA.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

The third is identified as from the CSS Ram "Albermarle"

File:Smoke-stack of Confederate Ram "Albermarle" perforated by shell. - NARA - 524606.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

Note: The wreck of the "Albermarle" is shown without a smokestack

File:CSS Albermarle Image (8).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

Although Apparently a smokestack was placed on the "Albermarle" After it was salvaged

File:CSSAlbemarle.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

A question comes to mind..how did the orginal Albermarle" smokestack end up in Richmond Va??

Now all is needed is anexpert on CS Naval vessels...and tell if these captions are truthful or not...............