Wassaw Sound, Georgia - 1864

Joined
Feb 23, 2013
Location
Texas
I have been reading up on naval activities in Wassaw Sound during the last few months of 1864 to gain a better insight on a relic I recently acquired. From my understanding Confederate authorities had considered using the Wassaw Sound as an inlet for blockade running in October of that year but the low water levels and lack of troops and artillery to occupy Wassaw Island and other areas put an end to any attempt to do so.

By December 1864 Wassaw Sound was patrolled by two Federal ironclads, one of which seems to have been the USS Passaic. Following the Confederate evacuation of Savannah, the sound was used by the Federal Navy to land supplies. Federal authorities were aware of the low water levels in the Sound and official communications point out that low draft vessels must be selected for supply runs.

My questions to our esteemed members are:

1) When was the Passaic and the other ironclad dispatched to Wassaw Sound?
2) When did the Passaic depart Wassaw Sound?
3) Can anyone provide any information as to Federal dredging in Wassaw Sound?
4) Were any blockade runners captured or pursued in Wassaw Sound in 1863 or 1864?

Thanks in advance,
Garrett
 
I don't know the answers to any of those questions off hand, but the tidbit of low water levels being off putting for blockade running seems suspicious to me. Light draft blockade runners existed, and were viewed as very useful even with their, I suppose, lighter cargos and I would think blockade runners with a similar draft, or even lighter drafts than the USS Passaic were out and about, somewhere at least.

I'm gonna have to look through my books and notes, maybe someone will beat me to the answer. But heck Garret you got me curious now.
 
Also I just recalled, one blockade runner that plied those waters at one point was the Fingal. She was later converted into the ironclad CSS Atlanta which ran aground in the sound, (if I'm remembering correctly), where soon after the Monitors USS Weehawken and USS Nahant bombarded Atlanta into surrender.

That one came to me after I posted, now I'm gonna go look it up.
 
I'm not specifically aware of an ironclad stationed in Wassaw Sound in 1864-- I'd have to go back and look at the ORNs-- but it's highly plausible, given that the Atlanta had tried that route and that the Union was aware of the existence of the Savannah and Georgia, though not completely aware of their capabilities (or lack thereof, particularly with regard to Georgia). When the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron's ironclads weren't all needed for another go at Charleston, it would seem reasonable for them to be sent to stiffen potential trouble points.
 
The Fingal, and I assume the majority of other blockade runners that made berth in Savannah, approached the city via the Savannah River. After the fall of Fort Pulaski the Savannah River was effectively closed to Confederate commerce.

The Wassaw Sound does communicate to the Savannah, but it is an indirect route and according to Federal reports would require transversing areas with drafts as shallow as 7 feet under normal conditions, as per Federal reports. The best approach to Savannah via the Wassaw Sound would be a run up the Wilmington River, but I don't think there was infrastructure much built up on the Wilmington and it is shallower than the Savannah River.

Dahlgren reports on December 24, 1864 that "...I drew in my force on the first three places, placing two ironclads at Wassaw...". This movement was in support of Sherman's operations against Savannah and was intended to "insure the detention of the Rebel ironclads". Dahlgren goes on to mention that he thought it highly unlikely that the CSS Savannah could be moved over to the Savannah River "save under the most favorable circumstances of high tide and an easterly wind".

In any event I am interested in finding out when the Passaic was assigned to patrol Wassaw Sound, when it arrived there, and when it departed. And also if anyone can shine any light on Federal dredging in the Wassaw Sound.

Thanks,
Garrett
 
As others have mentioned, the answers you seek are in the ORN. There are also monthly lists of Union vessels stationed at various points in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, so you should be able to find the first entry and last entry to get precise dates of Passaic's movements. Alternatively, if someone has a copy of Passaic's log, that would give you greater accuracy.

I found the following in a quick search...

USS Nantucket was in Wassaw Sound in late 1863- replaced by Patapsco on 11 Jan 1864.
In June there were eight vessels stationed there.
On 2 Aug, Passaic was ordered to be towed to Wassaw Sound by Sonoma, and replace Patapsco.
The above comes from ORN Vol. 15

Passaic still there in late Oct 1864, along with Wissahickon and Thunder (a tender).
Passaic still there in mid-December- joined by Harvest Moon and Sangamon
There is a reference to deep draft vessels being able "to come up to this place now, entering at Wassaw Sound" on 24 Dec.
By mid-Jan, Passaic was off Charleston and soon headed to Port Royal for repair.
The above comes from ORN Vol. 16

Hopefully that will give you a starting point for your answers.
 
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The attached link will give you access to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies.

Many thanks. My copies of the ORs are boxed up in storage for want of enough shelving, so the searchable index was most helpful.

As @JohnDLittlefield posted the Passaic was ordered to Wassaw Sound on August 2, 1864. I haven't been able to pinpoint her arrival date (it shouldn't have taken much time), although she is listed as being in the Sound on August 15. The Passaic remained in the Wassaw Sound until the end of December, when it joined 6 other ironclads at Charleston on December 29.

Apparently the Passaic operated to some extent with the U.S.S. Bibb which was engaged in dragging for mines and marking channels in the Sound shortly after Savannah was occupied. A report dated December 24 mentions the Passaic and Sangamon having traveled up Wassaw Sound as far as the Thunderbolt battery with the U.S.S. Bibb.

As to blockade running, in February and March 1864 two ships were captured in the vicinity of Wassaw Sound; the Swift, inbound with fish, and the Persis, outbound with cotton. After the U.S.S. Passaic took station in the Wassaw Sound it doesn't appear that she encountered any blockade runners.

The relic I acquired that prompted my investigation is a British P1853 saber with a capture inscription on the scabbard that reads:

Joseph Hoopes
U.S.S. Passaic
Dec. 1864
Dredged up in Wassaw Sound, GA

So presumably the sword was discovered in the last half of December, probably after the Confederate evacuation of Savannah. I cannot account for any actual "dredging" as of yet, and would probably need to contact the National Archives to get detailed information from the log of the Passaic. With the government shutdown that project may have to wait for a while.
If anyone can contribute anything to any dredging that took place in the Wassaw Sound, or perhaps the Wilmington River, I would love to know what you have. In the meantime I thank everyone who was able to prod me in the direction of my answers.

Thanks,
Garrett
 
I don't know why there would have been any dredging in Wassaw in Dec 1864... though, even as I type that, I wonder if there might have been some activity to coordinate with Sherman's approach to Savannah that month.

Hmmm.... now I want to go look at the books on McAllister and the Savannah Station to see if there are any indicators there. Intriguing. :geek:
 
OOO EEER !


Hi John,
That was not the first time that has happened. The most known one is the time a Bomber tangled with a tanker while trying to gas up. Around the same time, off the coast of Spain.
What most people do not know is that these bombs A or H had safety features built in. They were designed to not go boom
if in a plane crash or if someone accident;y hit "bombs away" (before being "completed" anyways) .

Most people would **** them selves if they knew how they were transported around ...........

Oh ya, that bomb off Spain was rediscovered sometime in th e past 8 years in the Med, a long way from where the bomb had thought to have landed. Anyway some private company had a salvage ship sitting over the site, when a goverment agenicy came knocking.
 
Hi John,
That was not the first time that has happened. The most known one is the time a Bomber tangled with a tanker while trying to gas up. Around the same time, off the coast of Spain.
What most people do not know is that these bombs A or H had safety features built in. They were designed to not go boom
if in a plane crash or if someone accident;y hit "bombs away" (before being "completed" anyways) .

Most people would **** them selves if they knew how they were transported around ...........

Oh ya, that bomb off Spain was rediscovered sometime in th e past 8 years in the Med, a long way from where the bomb had thought to have landed. Anyway some private company had a salvage ship sitting over the site, when a goverment agenicy came knocking.
Well that's some re-assurance. I hope the government agency was "ours" and not "theirs" !
 
Well that's some re-assurance. I hope the government agency was "ours" and not "theirs" !

Yes very friendly,
Most likely a combined effort of Nato and US Forces . There are plans in place and teams all ready for this type of recovery. Bet that as soon as the info came the navy was snooping around the area checking for any radioactive signature,

Grizz
 
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