"Slip the chains"

LilRhody

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Apr 8, 2018
Location
Bellingham, WA
As a former naval officer (drove destroyers in the 1980s and 1990s) I am embarrassed to confess the term "slip the chains" in reference to ships preparation to get underway is foreign to me; I don't know exactly what it means, but I assume that this is the Civil War equivalent term to "weighing anchor." I don't know for sure. It is found in primary sources all over the place, related to CW naval action. If anyone knows exactly what the term means please advise. I am writing a book about a young man from Saratoga Springs who went to USNA (Annapolis) starting December 1859, and in April 1861 was sent to sea after 1 1/2 yrs of training as a midshipman by Gideon Welles, along with his other classmates from the Class of 1863 and older classes. He fought at the Battle of the Head of the Passes Oct 12 1861, Port Hudson March 14, 1863, and he was with Farragut (aboard MONAGAHELA, not with Farragut aboard HARTFORD) at the Battle of Mobile Bay. Naval Academy library has 220 letters he sent home during the war. Pretty cool project.
 
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As a former naval officer (drove destroyers in the 1980s and 1990s) I am embarrassed to confess the term "slip the chains" in reference to ships preparation to get underway is foreign to me; I don't know exactly what it means, but I assume that this is the Civil War equivalent term to "weighing anchor." I don't know for sure. It is found in primary sources all over the place, related to CW naval action. If anyone knows exactly what the term means please advise. I am writing a book about a young man from Saratoga Springs who went to USNA (Annapolis) starting December 1859, and in April 1861 was sent to sea after 1 1/2 of training as a midshipman by Gideon Welles, along with his other classmates from the Class of 1863 and older classes.
I believe that this refers to the process of hurriedly getting underway, when there is no time to haul in the anchor and chain in the normal fashion. The anchor chain is relaraded or slipped and left on the bottom with the anchor. Hopefully, it will be marked by a bouy so that it can be recovered later.
 
I believe that this refers to the process of hurriedly getting underway, when there is no time to haul in the anchor and chain in the normal fashion. The anchor chain is relaraded or slipped and left on the bottom with the anchor. Hopefully, it will be marked by a bouy so that it can be recovered later.
That's my impression too. I thank you. I think there's a hell of a lot of chains lying around the bottom of blockade areas and the Mississippi River. Thanks again.
 
Charlie and LilRhody have got it. At anchor the chains or cables are held by clamps or shackles at a length sufficient to allow the anchor to grip the bottom, but enough slack to allow for tides etc. If the ship needed to move quickly the order would be given to slip anchor. The pins holding the clamps or shackles would be knocked out allowing the chains or cables to run free. Usually only the most experienced F'csle men would be given this very dangerous job. Chains and cables were (are?) very expensive and an essential part of the ships gear so a Captain had to be able to justify losing them afterwards.
 
Charlie and LilRhody have got it. At anchor the chains or cables are held by clamps or shackles at a length sufficient to allow the anchor to grip the bottom, but enough slack to allow for tides etc. If the ship needed to move quickly the order would be given to slip anchor. The pins holding the clamps or shackles would be knocked out allowing the chains or cables to run free. Usually only the most experienced F'csle men would be given this very dangerous job. Chains and cables were (are?) very expensive and an essential part of the ships gear so a Captain had to be able to justify losing them afterwards.
Many thanks. It seems like a minor question but again, a great deal of primary source material related to CW naval force movements reference the term. RH
 
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