Smokestack numbers on 90 Day Gunboats

Nick Elsden

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Sep 5, 2021
Location
Surrey, England
Hello, as this is my first post here, perhaps I should quickly introduce myself. I am a retired archaeologist, living in Surrey (UK), who has been intrigued by the naval aspects of the American Civil War since I was a schoolboy. Recently, I have been taking advantage of the large amount of Civil War naval information and pictures now available on the internet, especially searching through ORN (Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion), and the pictures at Navsource, NHHC (the US Navy Naval History and Heritage Command), and the Library of Congress.

Whilst looking at the colours of Federal 90 Day Gunboats, I came across a few illustrations of numbers on their smokestacks that were new to me, in addition to the widely-reproduced photo of the USS Winona at Baton Rouge in March 1863. This may all be old hat to the 'old sweats' on this forum – if so, apologies – but they are:

No. 2 USS Winona – two photographs of her on the Mississippi River off Baton Rouge in March 1863, with no. '2' on her smokestack (navsource).

USS Winona - Grey - ID no. ‘2’ on stack Mississippi River off Baton Rouge March 1863 - navsour...jpg

USS Winona - Mississippi River off Baton Rouge March 1863 (navsource 098604302)

In the above two photos the number 2 looks as if it was painted on the smokestack, however, in a very similar view (undated) on a carte de visite, the number 2 projects a little to one side of the smokestack (https://www.horsesoldier.com/products/photography/cdvs/9556). It appears to be a three-dimensional cut-out hung from the smokestack – somewhat reminiscent of the letters and symbols hung between the smokestacks of Cairo class gunboats and rams of the Federal Mississippi squadrons.


No. 3 USS Kineo – a watercolour by 'Davis' shows her on the Mississippi on 8th​ November 1862, with no. '3' on her smokestack (http://www.briancullity.com/Product.aspx?title=Details+and+more+photos.&invno=we02&cat=Folk+Art).

A pair of stereoscopic photos shows the Kineo (and Hartford etc.) at a coaling dock at Baton Rouge in March 1863, now repainted a light colour, presumably grey. (https://www.loc.gov/item/2011660494/). Even on the highest resolution version of this photo, it is uncertain if there is a faint number, such as 3 (or 8 or 9), on the smokestack at this date.

uss kineo-and-hartford-on-RHS - Baton Rouge coaling yard - march-1863 - LOC service-pnp-stereo...jpg

USS Kineo, Hartford, and others, Baton Rouge coaling yard, March-1863 (Library of Congress master-pnp-stereo-1s00000-1s02000-1s02800-1s02821u)

Another 'Davis' watercolour shows an unidentified 90 day gunboat, again on the Mississippi, and dated to 10th​ September 1862 (https://www.freemansauction.com/auc...odore-russell-davis1840-1894/?lot=436481&sd=1). The number on the smokestack looks like a 3 on the website image (but possibly an 8 or even 9), suggesting that it is another painting of the Kineo. This is supported by the distinctive buildings in the background matching those of the 'Davis' pictures of the Katahdin and Kineo, but from a slightly different angle, and the style and features of the ship are identical to those of the watercolour of the Kineo. However, the position of the US ensign is different to the identified Kineo watercolour.


No. 8 USS Katahdin – a sketch by Davis of 22nd​ November 1862, on the Mississippi, with no. '8' on her smokestack. This was made in the same month as Davis' watercolour of the Kineo discussed above, and the characteristic buildings on right hand side look extremely similar in both pictures.

USS Katahdin - Davis  22 Nov 1862 ID no. 8 on smokestack - navsource 120991601.jpg

USS Katahdin, sketch by Davis 22nd Nov 1862 (navsource 120991601)


These lead to some questions, which members of the forum may be able to answer ? (references to sources would be appreciated):

- Above all, does anyone know of any other pictures or written evidence for 90 day gunboats (or other vessels) with similar numbers ?

- Which vessels were numbers 1, 4 to 7, and any above 8 ?

- Is there any evidence for three-dimensional numbers on gunboats other than the Winona ?

- Were these numbers confined to 90 Day Gunboats, or were they used for other vessels at the time ?

- This system appears to have been used on the West Gulf Blockading Squadron vessels on the Mississippi, were any similar systems used by other squadrons ? The only ones that I know of are the tinclads (ORN Ser I Vol 25, 187).

- Was this numbering system fairly short-lived ? It was in use in September and November 1862, and in March 1863 survived on Winona, and perhaps Kineo.

- Does anyone know who the artist 'Davis' – who painted Kineo and sketched Katahdin in 1862 – might have been, and did he produce any more pictures of gunboats or other vessels ?

Apologies for what has turned into a rather long post,
Nick
 
Hm. This is something I haven't looked into, frankly! Interesting questions. Some responses right off the top of my head:

- The decorations and identifications on the "spreader bar" between the chimneys of the Western gunboats was an older tradition, frequently used to identify either individual boats on the river or the shipping line they belonged to.
- I am wondering if the numbers on the 90-day gunboats were perhaps something they sported only during their Mississippi River service under Farragut. One conceivable explanation would be that these vessels would not ordinarily (say, on the blockade) be operating in such numbers or so close together, so due to their similarity of appearance a distinguishing marker was deemed desirable.
- The sloops Pensacola, Richmond, Hartford, and Brooklyn were all of the same class as well, but I'm not aware of their having numbers. Perhaps they had been in service long enough to be more visually distinct from each other?
- It seems clear that the numbers were present at least at the time of the run past the New Orleans forts, as Confederate officers noticed it (especially "Savez" Read, who held a particular numbered gunboat responsible for the death of his former commanding officer).

I would hypothesize that this was part of the preparations for the night run past Forts Jackson and St. Philip below New Orleans, and that perhaps they were gradually/individually painted over later.

I won't have an opportunity to do so today, but I'm inclined to look through the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron portion of the Official Records, Navies, to see if there are any references to these numbers or orders directing them to be added.
 
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Welcome aboard from middle Alabama and the “Pook Turtles” aka the City Class Gunboats used colored bands on their smokestacks for identification. As a retired archaeologists in England , I am sure that you have some real stories to tell. And I am glad that you have joined us.
 
Well, I can answer your question on the 90-day gunboats. On April 17th, 1862, Farragut ordered the gunboats in his squadron numbered for purposes of identification and signalling. ORN, volume 18, page 132.
The order was to put the number 6 feet tall in white paint near the top of the stack, port and starboard sides.

Sciota - 1, Winona - 2, Kineo - 3, Wissahickon - 4, Kennebec - 5, Pinola - 6, Itasca - 7, Katahdin - 8, and Cayuga - 9.

I can't say how long the individual ships kept the markings, nor can I comment on any of the other 90-day gunboats and what markings they may have borne.
 
Many thanks for everyone's kind replies. Mark's notes, as well as being informative about civilian origins for the Mississippi squadron's devices between their smokestacks, have led me to start chasing up Charles 'Savez' Read's vendetta against "No. 6".

I am kicking myself for not having found Dave's full list of the numbers when I was searching through ORN ! Thank you Dave, this was exactly what I had been trying to find ...

The list is Fleet Captain H. H. Bell's instruction dated exactly a week before the passage of the forts at New Orleans, surely confirming Mark's hypothesis that the numbers were applied for that major action.

Tucked away at the back of the same volume of ORN (Ser I Vol 18, 691), Bell's 'diary' note for the 12th​ April – five days before his formal order for painting the numbers – includes the list found by Dave, but also includes: 'Kanawha, marked 10'. However, on the 21st​ April, the Kanawha had been on blockade duty off Mobile (ORN Ser I Vol 18, 454), and turns up there several times later in the year.

She may, therefore, not have been with the rest of Farragut's squadron when it fought past the forts, and consequently might not ever have had the number painted on her smokestack. Has anyone seen anything to suggest this one way or another ?

As a footnote, when leafing through Porter's 'Naval History' (1886) I came across this report from the Iroquois' commander on the battle at New Orleans: 'Four miles above the forts we captured the enemy's gunboat No. 3, armed with one brass howitzer ...'. This report is also reproduced in ORN (Ser I Vol 18, 221).

One is left wondering what indicated that this was 'No. 3', and perhaps a little more research may indicate which Confederate vessel it was.

Best wishes, Nick
 
To answer my own question: ORN notes 'Launch no. 3' also called 'Steam launch No. 3, as well as Steam launch No. 6', each with one unspecified howitzer, around New Orleans on the 24th​/25th​ April 1862 (ORN Ser I Vol 18, 249, 252, 291, also Ser II vol 1, 258). Neither seems to have played a part in the battle around the forts (ORN Ser I Vol 18, 292, 294, 297, 325, 339, 343).
Nick
 
I am attempting to find copies of the ORN that I can download without having to have an account. HathiTrust will not allow me to download the entirety of the ORN like it will with Armies OR. Does anyone have a separate site I can try and use?
 
Western Illinois University's website is your ticket. Goes by volume, multiple sources for each, no account required.

wiu.edu/libraries/govpubs/war_ofthe_rebellion/navyRecords.php

Some school's scans are better than others, with several options for most volumes.

Takes you to archive.org, where you can choose a download format if you wish.
 
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