USS Monongahela (1862)

[NH Civil War Gal]

Sloop-of-war USS Monongahela (1862) with studding sails set. She served in the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

She was destroyed by fire in 1908.

 

[Pollaco]

I'm guessing this was a post war photograph but still an interesting one.The slow shutters in the Civil Ear era didn't take very clear photos of moving objects, like waves or ripples in the water.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Great photo !
This lady was already an anachronism by the start of the War.

The USS Monongahela is a perfect example of one of the lyrics in Jimmy Buffet's song A Pirate looks at Forty.

" Watched the men who rode you, switch from sails to steam".

 

[CavRTO]

Sloop-of-war USS Monongahela (1862) with studding sails set. She served in the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

She was destroyed by fire in 1908.

View attachment 484930

That's quite a handsome ship. I had to enlarge the picture to figure out that all of that white on the bow of the ship and the rigging were the crew.

 

[ErnieMac]

Among the more notable actions in which Monongahela took part was the Battle of Mobile Bay during which it rammed the Confederate ironclad ram CSS Tennessee. The following article from the 19 March 1908 edition of the Boston (MA) Evening Transcript provides an account of its loss.

 

[Pollaco]

I was wondering how she could have rammed the Tennessee but I see where the ship was fitted with an iron shield just for that purpose

 

[ccorner]

That's her fitted out as a Naval Academy training ship. The rigging changed from from three fore and aft gaffs to all squares.

 

[Lubliner]

I'm guessing this was a post war photograph but still an interesting one.The slow shutters in the Civil Ear era didn't take very clear photos of moving objects, like waves or ripples in the water.

I never dwelt on that fact, but had overlooked it. No wonder all the water shots seem so placid and serene.
Thinking about the sailors that served during the era of the coming of age with iron clads, I wonder what the preference for manning a wooden ship with plenty of fresh air was compared to the iron covered hulks just invented. I believe if I had an introduction onto an iron clad, I would soon be longing for the wooden vessels of old!
Lubliner.

 

[Pollaco]

Correct me if I'm mistaken but isn't this the ship who delivered General Banks to New Orleans for his "Red River Campaign"?

 

[rebelatsea]

I never dwelt on that fact, but had overlooked it. No wonder all the water shots seem so placid and serene.
Thinking about the sailors that served during the era of the coming of age with iron clads, I wonder what the preference for manning a wooden ship with plenty of fresh air was compared to the iron covered hulks just invented. I believe if I had an introduction onto an iron clad, I would soon be longing for the wooden vessels of old!
Lubliner.

Sailors in the RN much preferred the big wooden ships as the kept "an equable temperature all year round". They liked the wooden ironclads for the same reason.

 

[Lubliner]

Sailors in the RN much preferred the big wooden ships as the kept "an equable temperature all year round". They liked the wooden ironclads for the same reason.

Thanks for the answer. I had sort of figured that after reading a diary from the Nahant.
Lubliner.

 

[rebelatsea]

Thanks for the answer. I had sort of figured that after reading a diary from the Nahant.
Lubliner.

Interestingly Warrior and Black Prince had a very modern for the time ventilation and heating systems utilising hollow lower masts and stoves. they also had drying rooms. You can see this on the ship at Portsmouth. It wasn't perfect but it worked.

 

[Woods-walker]

Sloop-of-war USS Monongahela (1862) with studding sails set. She served in the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

She was destroyed by fire in 1908.

View attachment 484930

Luv those old sailing ships! Thanks for sharing

 

[Rhea Cole]

It is a remarkable image with all the laundry including stunsails set. It must have been an extraordinary calm day, the yards are squared up athwart ship. There is not a hint of a wake.

All those faces that line the taffrail have their work cut out for them going aloft & fisting all those acres of canvas.

This is an excellent image. It looks like a drawing depicting the top hamper of a ship of that period. There are no split topsails, for example.

 

[NFB22]

One of her guns was raised from the bay and is on display outside the officers club at GTMO, used to see it when we headed to the bar next door.

 

[Rhea Cole]

In answer to a PM, the sail behind the limp US flag is a topsail. In the years following the 1860's that sail was divided into an upper & lower topsail. That rig gave sailors greater flexibility in adjusting the sails to wind conditions. A split sail was easier to raise & lower.

"Amsterdam " Dutch East indiaman. Note the lantern spanker.

Today, the only square rigged ships with full cut single topsails are reproductions of historic vessels.

I notice that the movie "Master & Commander, Far Side of the World" is on numerous online sites. The ship used in the movie was originally built as a Bicentennial project. The HMS Rose was built as a reproduction of a 6th rate frigate laid down in 1757.

After a career as a sail training vessel, the Rose was purchased & converted into the HMS Surprise of Patrick O'Brian novels fame. The Rose/Surprise is at a museum in San Diego.

The at sea sequences in the movie such as setting stunsails are a very accurate depiction of what period sail evolutions were like.

Captain Bailey & his crew had a unique body of seamanship that was brought to bear on that voyage.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Luv those old sailing ships! Thanks for sharing

I do too! And I love reading about them.

 

[Seduzal]

Thank for sharing this awesome information of theses old sailing ships. Enjoyed the articles.

 

[Lubliner]

The novel Moby Dick grabbed my attention in high school much more than the movie as impressive as it was. I found a book that I have yet to judge for excitement and adventure, but it concerns the times through our civil war and after. Anyone is welcome to it.

A sailor of fortune; personal memoirs of Captain B. S. Osbon : Osbon, Bradley Sillick, 1827-1912 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

ix, 332 p. 20 cm

archive.org

Lubliner.

 

[Union_Buff]

Thank you kindly for posting this image @NH Civil War Gal - I have always been a huge fan of sailing ships