John H. Dickey questions

Mike Serpa

Major
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Trying to find out information about the John H. Dickey/John Raine collision. Who, what, where, when, why? Casualties, condition of boats? Thank you. I tried to enhance these drawings by George ? from the New York Military Museum.
Dickey.jpg

"The John H. Dickey as she appeared the day after the collision. Mississippi River steamboat wrecked with the 161st on board, many lost."
Raine.jpg

"The John H. Dickey as she appeared the day after the collision, another view of the same boat. Wreck of the transport John H. Dickey." This must be the John Raine? Two boats in this photo?
 
That's an interesting find. Both boats turn up multiple times in the OR, but I didn't notice a reference to what appears to have been a very serious accident. Sam Clemens apparently spent a time on board John H. Dicky as a cub pilot before the war.
 
Here's a starting point. This made me smile:

The agents of the Government at first proposed to repair the damages to the steamer John H. Dickey, but finally concluded to turn over the boat to the claimant and pay him $4,173.60. The claimant received the money under protest, claiming that the damage was considerably greater.

Based on the picture, I see his point.
 

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News report in the Elmira Daily Advertiser taken from the January 21, 1865 New York Herald.


DAILY ADVERTISER
ELMIRA, N. Y.
MONDAY MORNING JAN. 23, 1865.
Painful Intelligence from the 161st.
We take from the New York Herald of Saturday the following painful intelligence from the 161st N. Y. V. We are glad to learn that it is no worse:
Vicksburg, Jan. 10, 1865.
One of the most painful accidents in river navigation happened yesterday afternoon twenty-five miles below here. The transport John H. Dickey, from the mouth of White river, heavily laden with troops, horses, mules, and stores of various kinds, was proceeding on her way to New Orleans, when she met the steamer John Raine, bound up to this port.—The steamers were both in a great bend of the river at the time of meeting, and could be seen for a long distance before nearing each other; besides, it was before six o'clock P. M. and daylight—so there can be no excuse for the criminal negligence of the pilots of the boats, who allowed them to collide with each other, where the slightest attention to their duty would have made such a conjunction impossible.
It is not known yet who the guilty parties are in causing this accident, but an examination will soon be had which will probably elicit that information. At present the pilots of both boats accuse each other of the gross negligence which resulted in the accident.

TROOPS ON BOARD THE DICKEY.
The One Hundred and Sixty-first New York Veteran Volunteers, Lt. Col. Kinsey commanding, and a portion of the Twentieth Iowa Tolunteers [sic], were on board the John H. Dickey when the collission [sic] occurred.

THE EXTENT OF THE CATASTROPHE.
The John Raine had no cargo of any kind, but she being a much newer and stronger boat than the Dickey, the latter steamer, although heavily freighted and bound down stream, suffered the more destructive shock. The Dickey was struck on the larboard guard, near the wheel house and every thing was cut away on that side to the bare hull. The chimneys were thrown overboard by the jar, and it was at once necessary to put out the fires in the furnaces to save the wreck from burning by the flying sparks. The engineer of the Dickey did almost heroic service in their successful but dangerous efforts to suppress these fires, which threatened serious consequences if not instantly put out. The effects of the collision were scarcely visible on the guards and upper works of the John Raine.
THE CASUALITIES IN THE 161ST NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
Surgeon Wm. D. Murray, N. Y. V., has kindly furnished me with a complete list of casualties resulting from the collision:
WOUNDED—Sergeant George S. Prentice, A, three fingers of left hand amputated, Angelo Prentice, A, bruised head and left hand; Charles Williams, compound fracture of cranium, mortally, Lucius D. Caldwell, E, simple fracture of left leg, Erastus Sheldon, E, sprained right ankle, Jas. Kennedy, G, bruised head and back, Jacob McGuire, G, bruised slightly, Terrace Crllaban, G, bruised left knee, Valorus D. Starr, G, sprained left knee, Geo. Cable, bruised knee and back slightly, Corp. Hugh O'Niel, G, lacerated wound over left eye, Stephen H. Marsh, G, sprained right leg, Corp. Warren S. Knoght, G, incised wound in the right hand, Miles Gatch, G, compound fracture of cranium, left side severely, Serg. Theron B. Moore, E, sprained left ankle, Nelson Barnes, incised wound right hand, L. C. King, F, bruise slight, Samuel Nostrand, I, bruised right side, Charles E. Beyer, I, bruised right leg, slight, Corp. Eli Rogers, K, bruised back.
DROWNED.—Sergeant Everill F. Jewett, E, Thomas Murphy, G, Wesley Winship, H.
In addition to these there were three soldiers of the Twentieth Iowa Volunteers wounded.
The 161st was raised for the most part in Steuben and Allegany counties, containing also one full company and many other representatives from Chemung.
 
A personal account of the accident published in the Elmira Advertiser on January 24, 1865. Both stories taken New York DMNA website.

Daily Advertiser
ELMIRA N. Y.
TUESDAY MORNING, JAN 24, 1865
Correspondence of the Elmira Advertiser,
From the 161st N. Y. Volunteers.
ON BOARD U. S. TRANSPORT, JOHN RAINE, MISSISSIPPI RIVER,
January 16th, 1865.
MESSRS. FAIRMAN & CALDWELL:
By order of Major General E. R. S. Canby, of the Gulf Department, the 161st N. Y. V. embarked at White River about noon on Sunday, 8th inst., for the purpose of reporting at New Orleans. We took passage on board the John H. Dickey, which boat had also on board the 20th Reg. Iowa Infantry. Nothing of moment occurred until about the middle of the afternoon, whis whiz, whiz, whiz! went six or eight guerrilla shots into our midst, fired from the shore, which was only a short distance off. Of course, great excitement prevailed for a few minutes, as our boys' guns were not loaded. The officers of the several companies assembled their respective commands, and, our boys poured a sharp but brief fire of musketry into the vicinity where the Rebels were, but with what effect I know not. No one hurt on our side.
About half past nine o'clock the same evening we were suddenly aroused by the startling cry of "a steamboat on fire!" On arriving on the deck one of the grandest and most sublime spectacles met the eye. The boat which was but a few rods distant, was completely enveloped in flames, the lurid glare being reflected for a great distance around.—It appears that some Union men had purchased a quantity of cotton, and it was being conveyed on board the boat, when the rebels, outnumbering our men, appeared on the spot, and after overcoming them, burned the boat. We presume necessary steps will be taken to prevent a repetition of these outrages.
The most unfortunate occurrence of our trip thus far, is yet to be related. We were compelled to remain at Vicksburg several hours to coal up, and did not leave there until late in the afternoon. We had got fairly under weigh and had made about ten or fifteen miles, every one on board being in the best of spirits, the boys contented, the sick comfortably provided for, those aft singing, nine dreaming of danger--when suddenly crash! crash! went one side of the John H. Dickey, knocking everything concave. The utmost excitement and consternation prevailed on deck and in the cabin. Some imagined the boiler had bursted, others, (novices,) that the guerillas were shelling us, while many were too much frightened to form any opinion about the matter. In the cabin the stampede was tremendous. Fright overcame every other consideration and each one's sole aim seemed to be to look out for No. One. Many of our boys were quartered on the hurricane deck. Guns, knapsacks, straps, cartridge boxes, &c., &c., were swept overboard in the twinkling of an eye, and many a poor fellow lost all he had except what was on his back. Men jumped overboard, and those that were not drowned swam to the shore. The cause of the accident was a collision, the John Raine running into us striking our boat amidships.
You will see in Harper's illustrated newspader [sic] a sketch of the burning of the boat on the 8th, and also of the collision, made by Lieut. Slater, of Co. C, in a reasonable time. I am particularly indebted to Lieut. John Laidlow also of Co. C, for the following particulars of the casualties.*
This makes a total of twenty-three wounded and three drowned of the 161st N. Y. V. Many others were slightly hurt by being run over and trampled upon, but their injuries are not sufficiently serious for public mention.
The officers of the entire regiment behaved with the utmost coolness and self-possession, calming the fears of their men and directing and overseeing their safe transit from the ruined boat to the John Raine.
Too much praise cannot be awarded Lieut. Col. William B. Kinsey for his bravery and promptness on this occasion. He was assiduous in taking measures for the recovery of the missing men. He immediately set pickets, and all the men that could be be [sic] found were were [sic] brought on board the boat. The boat on which we now are remained at the scene of the disaster until the next afternoon, before she proceeded on her way. More anon. ZACK.
* We published them yesterday.
 
The chimneys were thrown overboard by the jar, and it was at once necessary to put out the fires in the furnaces to save the wreck from burning by the flying sparks. The engineer of the Dickey did almost heroic service in their successful but dangerous efforts to suppress these fires, which threatened serious consequences if not instantly put out.

This is highly relevant. There are untold number of steamboat accidents that would have been relatively minor, with few casualties, except that the boat caught fire. Once a fire took hold, it was usually all over.
 
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