Prentiss also assigned the surviving American sailors to other ships in the fleet. Surviving officers included Commander Parsons, Lieutenant Commander Dewey, and Ensign John Porter. Commander Prentiss greeted them warmly and said to Ensign Porter: “Your uncle will be glad to see you.” Then noticing the absence of Captain Winslow, he said: “I presume Captain Winslow did not survive, or could he still be out there in the wreckage?”
Lieutenant Commander Dewey replied: “Sir, Captain Winslow was gravely wounded and chose to go down with his ship. Ensign Porter and I were with him to the end. He had no chance of survival.”
USS Agamenticus led the United States Navy ironclads to the scene. USS Pawnee sailed alongside and transferred Commander Parsons, Lieutenant Commander Dewey, and Ensign Porter. Admiral Porter received them in his ready room. He smiled and nodded to his nephew, then looking as Commander Parsons said: “Commander, I will need your report.” Then glancing at his nephew, he said: “Ensign, report to Captain Decatur. He will assign you a billet and responsibilities.” Ensign Porter saluted and left. After a nod from Admiral Porter, Commander Parsons provided an account of the battle.
Parsons replied: “Once we determined that we had found the Royal Navy fleet, Captain Winslow signaled Commander Prentiss to take USS Pawnee to alert you. He then shadowed from the north, and I shadowed from the south. In about an hour we were discovered by a Hector Class ironclad. Captain Winslow ordered both USS Kearsarge and USS Independence to sail back towards Bermuda, in hopes of drawing them in pursuit and determining their objective either Bermuda or Halifax. The frigate pursued the Kearsarge, and three sloops of war followed Independence.
They finally ran us down here. Captain Winslow ordered us both to attack the Royal Navy sloops. The action was so close the frigate could not interfere. USS Kearsarge and USS Independence engaged the three Royal Navy sloops, maneuvering the vessels between us and the frigate.
USS Kearsarge sank two of the sloops, then was engaged by the frigate. Kearsarge gave a good account of herself against the frigate, inflicting considerable damage. Winslow knew he could not win but fought magnificently. In the end, the frigates superior armor and armaments won the day.
USS Independence and the last Royal Navy sloop, which was of equal size, fought each other until both of our ships were sinking. Neither of us would strike.”
Lieutenant Commander Dewey concurred with Commander Prentiss’s report. His report included how Captain Winslow had opted to take on the Royal Navy Sloops of War first before he courageously fought the Royal Navy Ironclad. His report ended with the wounding of Captain Winslow and the final moments as USS Kearsarge was abandoned and sank.
Admiral Porter assigned the two officers a cabin and moved more junior officers into shared cabins. Porters final comments were: “Get some rest, you will be needed before this battle is over.”
Chapter 8.
May 6, 1868 - St. Johns New Brunswick.
Commodore Treat’s fleet bombarded the Royal Artillery battery on Partridge Island. The battery had 32-pound cannons, which were no match for Treat’s Dahlgren, were silenced within an hour and the battery surrendered. Treat then landed 200 of General Ames troops to secure the island.
The ironclads then sailed into St John’s Harbor. Following a 6 hour bombardment of the Carleton Martello Tower and Fort Howe, both fortifications were reduced and forced to surrender. 1,000 of Ames troops, commanded by Colonel Haines, were landed on the harbor piers and occupied the city and the two fortifications. The 79 captured British Imperial soldiers were imprisoned on Partridge Island and were required to construct their shelters out of the ruins of the battery. The officers gave their paroles and confined in a rooming house.
Two days later, with the city secured under the administration of Colonel Haines’ garrison, Treat sailed up the St. John River towards Fredericton. He left USS Gretchen and a sloop in the captured Royal Navy Yard. The distance to Fredericton by the river was 120 miles. The trip was anticipated to take two days. Former American Tories, The United Empire Loyalists, populated the countryside and frequently fired on the fleet. The fleet’s cannons covered numerous reprisal landings, which in retaliation burned many farmhouses, barns and small fishing villages along the river. On the fourth day, the fleet arrived in Fredericton.
The Imperial garrison protecting the Governor’s Mansion numbered 200 men. 600 men of the United Empire Loyalist militia joined the garrison and built earthworks on the north side of the river constructed with Abatis style fortifications guarded the approach against attack from the river. The sharpened tree trunks were tied together for added strength. The militia mounted cannons and field pieces on the earthwork.
Commodore Treat surveyed the fortifications with binoculars. The soft earth would just absorb cannon balls, so he ordered the cannons to be loaded with explosive shot. The bombardment began and continued four hours.
5,000 of General Ames soldiers had been put ashore 2 miles downriver. They met with sporadic resistance until they neared the fortifications. Skirmishers were sent ahead only to meet with fierce resistance. Signal flags on the shore requested artillery support and the bombardment was re-directed to that part of the fortification. At the same time, 5,000 more soldiers landed on the river bank above the city under cover of naval artillery.
The artillery barrage had done its work, the fortifications were collapsing, and the Abatis destroyed. The bugles sounded and from both sides of Fredericton, with flags waving, the American Army regiments advanced. Initially, the resistance was intense, but gradually the outnumbered Imperial Garrison and the United Empire Loyalist Militia were overwhelmed and surrendered.
Casualties were heavy on both sides. 98 American soldiers died in the assault, and 220 were wounded. On the British side, 35 Imperial officers and men died, and 100 were wounded. The Loyalist Militia suffered the worst. 145 of them died, and 303 were wounded. They fought extremely bravely defending the earthworks, with many units fighting to the death.
The wounded from both sides received treatment in the field hospitals and the hospital in Fredericton. The city itself was largely undamaged, as most of the battle was outside the city proper. General Ames had given strict orders against looting and harming an unresisting populace. There were isolated incidents of looting, rapes, and murders. The guilty soldiers were given summary court-martials, then were either publically flogged or executed.
Martial law was declared, and the military took over the administration of the city and countryside. General Ames and his staff occupied the governor’s residence and City Hall. Military police officers took over the police stations, and soldier patrols provided police protection.
Ames offered the same reconciliation offers that worked in Ontario and Quebec. Schools could stay open and municipal services maintained if loyalty oaths were signed. However, the majority of Fredericton’s population were descendants of the original Loyalist settlers. Most refused to sign, and the few who did incurred ostracization by their neighbors. The military occupation settled in governing a sullen and resentful populace.
One week after the battle, Commodore Treat left two Sloops of War and half of the troop ships in Fredericton. Before leaving, Treat ordered that the Imperial soldiers and the United Empire Loyalists confined in two of the transports designated as prison ships. Treat’s ironclads and 2,000 troops returned down the river to St. John. When he arrived two days later, Treat learned that General Sherman was besieging Windsor, Nova Scotia, but was having difficulty with well-entrenched defenses erected and defended by the United Empire Loyalists.
The next morning, Treat sailed across the Bay of Fundy into Scots Bay, then down the Minas Basin to Windsor and anchored for the night 3 miles from the fortifications. Shortly after dawn Treat’s ironclads began the bombardment of the entrenchments.
General Sherman’s breakfast was interrupted by the bombardment. His couriers soon brought him word that United States Navy ironclads were bombarding the United Empire Loyalist positions. Sherm
an smiled to himself after a pun he had thought to himself – It sure was a treat to have Commodore Treat on his side. He ordered his artillery to join the bombardment and assembled his assault force.
Bombarded by heavy naval artillery from the rear and military field pieces from the land, the United Empire Loyalists hunkered down to save themselves from the anticipated assault from General Sherman’s troops. Section by section their elaborate defenses collapsed. Then to their dismay, they saw that as the ironclads drew closer to the shore more than a thousand new American soldiers were gathering in longboats.
Signals from Commodore Treat informed General Sherman that his troops would attack from the rear when Sherman attacked from the front. Sherman ordered a frontal assault. Treat intensified his bombardment of the fortifications and ordered his soldiers to attack from the rear. The Naval bombardment walked back to the shoreline, then forward again to the fortifications. Treat’s troops hit the beach and advanced towards the fortifications.
Realizing that all avenues of retreat were cut off and continuing to would result in the slaughter of his men; the Loyalist commander Colonel Jonathan Wilkes lowered the Union Jack and raised the white flag of surrender. Wilkes was the same officer who had led the Cavalry charge against Sherman at the Battle of West Quinte in Upper Canada.
Wilkes and the survivors of his battalion had escaped to Kingston. From there they were sent to Ottawa to give a first-hand account to Governor-General Monck. From Ottawa, they were evacuated first to Quebec City, then to Halifax. He was promoted to Colonel and assigned to build up the defenses of Windsor, as it was the back door to Halifax. Windsor was also a United Empire Loyalist stronghold; with most of the original settlers arriving from Boston in 1776 with Lord Howe.
Under a white flag, Colonel Wilkes rode out to meet with the General Sherman. Escorted to Sherman’s headquarters, Wilkes surrendered his sword. Sherman offered generous terms which included parole for Wilkes and his officers. The terms also included the allowance for Wilke’s men to return to their homes after stacking their arms. Wilkes signed the surrender agreement, but refused his parole and chose interment. In a meeting with his officers, he encouraged them to accept the parole. To a man, they refused and took internment with Wilkes. The soldiers, torn between devotion to their officers and concern for the welfare of their families, stacked their weapons and went home. Wilkes and his officers were transported to St John and imprisoned on a ship anchored 1 mile off Partridge Island.
Sherman’s army occupied Windsor. Sherman set up his headquarters in the town hall and confiscated Colonel Wilkes home as his living quarters. Two days later, after leaving a garrison of 2,000 men under the command of Colonel G.A. Custer, Sherman marched south towards Halifax. As in Fredericton, Custer and his garrison faced a resentful population. He was instructed to use a “light hand” wherever possible. Custer had a reputation as a hothead. Two days later a fight developed between members of the United Empire Loyalists and a squad of soldiers. Ignoring the orders, Custer sent a company of soldiers to arrest the Loyalists. More Loyalist supporters arrived, and a major riot developed. Two days of fighting quelled the riots but resulted in over 150 casualties. To make matters worse, several blocks of Windsor burned to the ground. Sherman replaced Custer and transferred him out of the theater of operations. Secretary Grant reduced Custer’s rank to Lt. Colonel re-assigned him to General Sheridan to assist in the fight against the Sioux and Cheyenne.
Halifax, One week earlier.
HMS Achilles and two sloops of war were on picket duty patrolling the sea lanes leading to Halifax. The vessels were approximately 5 miles apart to provide maximum surveillance while still within signal flag range. Captain Vansittart had been informed of the receipt of a cable from London, indicating the relief fleet had sailed three weeks earlier. Depending on the route taken and wind conditions the fleet should be arriving any day, but certainly within a week. The masthead lookout shouted: “Signal from HMS Rangel, smoke on the horizon 200 degrees South-Southwest.” Vansittart ordered the signal flag Investigate hoisted and altered course in that direction.
HMS Rangel, an 18-gun sloop of war changed course to investigate the source of the smoke. Twenty minutes later the masthead lookout shouted “Sail-Ho” 190 degrees South-Southwest.” Commander Slocum sent a Midshipman a loft with a telescope. Minutes later the Midshipman shouted: “A Yankee frigate altering course to intercept.” Commander Slocum ordered the signal flags for Enemy in Sight hoisted. He then ordered HMS Rangel to come about, set all sail and fled back towards HMS Achilles. Admiral Dahlgren’s fleet had arrived.
HMS Achilles sent her consorts to Halifax with the news that the United States Navy fleet was less than a day away. HMS Achilles continued to scout ahead of the American fleet in an attempt to determine its size. Three US Navy frigates moved forward to chase Achilles away. Vansittart, realizing there was nothing more to be learned steamed back to Halifax.
The next morning, coastal fishing boats sailed into the fishing village of Sambro reporting that the American fleet was approaching. Two hours later, the lighthouse keeper at Sambro Lighthouse said numerous vessels were arriving. Two United States Navy frigates sailed into the harbor with the cannons run out. 50 Marines in longboats took possession of the waterfront.
Transport ships then sailed in at high tide, docked at the piers and began unloading thousands of United States Army troops who advanced through the village and set up a defensive perimeter three miles north of the city.
Later in the day General Chamberlain landed and set up his headquarters. The same process was happening across the bay at Chester. Within two days, General Chamberlains 35,000 man army was ashore, and more transports were unloading cannons, caissons, horses, and munitions.
On the third day, both divisions marched on Halifax and set up siege lines three miles from Fort George, which was an imposing masonry star shaped fortress on Citadel Hill. Two ironclads from Admiral Dahlgren’s fleet patrolled the mouth of the harbor, effectively blockading the port.
Halifax could still receive materials and supplies from the countryside to the east. However, the fresh food was scarce as spring planting had just begun. The news soon spread that General Sherman’s army was marching south from Windsor. The farmers abandoned their fields as the populace fled to the hoped for the security of Halifax. A caravan of farm families and their livestock choked the roads into the city. The able-bodied men were put to work constructing fortifications. They were also mustered into militia companies to help in the defense of Halifax.
May 21, Chicago Illinois.
The Republican’s held their Convention at The Crosby Opera House. Conspicuously absent was Vice President Andrew Johnson. A former Democrat senator from Tennessee, Johnson had previously resigned the Vice Presidency. That action happened when he told Lincoln that he would seek the Democrat nomination for President. President Abraham Lincoln received the nomination for his third term, receiving all 650 delegate votes. He chose Ulysses S Grant to be his Vice President. Grant was also selected unanimously. Lincoln in his acceptance speech proclaimed: “Our Manifest Destiny is upon us, let us secure the peace for ourselves and our progeny.” The motto of the Republican platform was Peace through strength. The platform had the following planks.
1. Win the war with Great Britain, and annex all of Canada.
2. Provide a strong national defense
3. Modernize and expand the Navy
4. Equal suffrage to all men, and equal rights for all citizens, native born and naturalized.
5. Fair payment of all debts in hard currency, not only in the spirit of repayment but as in the law.
6. Diminish the national debt by improving our credit so that capitalists will loan money at lower interest rates.
7. Administer the government with the strictest economic measures, and reduce waste and corruption wherever discovered.
Chapter 9.
Battle of the Gulf of Maine
Twenty miles east of Bermuda, the Royal Navy
fleet turned north towards Halifax, with Admiral Porter’s fleet in hot pursuit ten miles to the rear. The Royal Navy vessels were slightly faster with the prevailing winds filling their sails and slowly began to pull away. After three days at maximum speed, Porter realizing he could not match the Royal Navy’s speed, he sent his frigates ahead to shadow the fleet.
Porter ordered the ironclads to reduce speed to 7 knots to replenish their coal bins. The collier vessels pulled alongside, and cranes lifted hoppers of coal from the holds. Coal slides were extended down to the ironclad’s coal bins. A slide out the door in the hopper opened, and the coal poured down the slide to replenish the warships coal bins. It took eight hours to fill all the ironclad bins, and Admiral Porter’s fleet resumed the chase. The frigate and sloop of war pickets reported that the Royal Navy was on a course for Halifax and at current speed should make port in two days. Admiral Porter was not worried. He was confident that Admiral Dahlgren was already there.
100 Miles Southeast of Halifax.
Picket ships for Admiral Dahlgren’s fleet sight smoke to the south. One hour later signal flags are flying reporting the sighting of the Royal Navy fleet. Admiral Dahlgren aboard his flagship USS Quinsigamond led his battle fleet consisting of USS Kalamazoo, USS Passaconamy, USS Shackamaxon USS Weehawken and USS Miantonoth, south to engage the Royal Navy vessels. His support vessels included three frigates and four sloops of war.
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