Ten Historical Documents that Mention Monitors of the Passaic-class, Part Two

Passaic-class monitors, which were built to the designs of Captain John Ericsson, were ironclads that mounted their guns in a single turret. Rear-admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont and Rear-admiral John Adolphus Dahlgren, during the time in which they commanded the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, directed the actions of the second generation of Ericsson batteries. Passaic-class monitors, in the January of 1863, received their baptism of fire upon the waters of the Great Ogeechee River. CSS Atlanta, which was an iron-cased ram that had been built upon the hull of a gun-runner, was blockaded by USS Passaic at the time in which the Ogeechee River Expeditions were occurring. Fort McAllister, which had been established at Genesis Point, exchanged fire with the ironclads on more than one occasion. CSS Rattlesnake, which was also known as CSS Nashville, was destroyed by a Passaic-class monitor while it took shelter beneath the batteries of Fort McAllister. Embarrassment, however, followed for the advocates of iron-plated fighting ships. Seven monitors of the Passaic-class, alongside USS Keokuk and USS New Ironsides, were repulsed by the sea-coast batteries that protected Charleston Harbor. A government coverup of the defects of the new generation of Ericsson batteries, whose powers of resistance were not as great as had been hoped, followed but their reputation would be rehabilitated throughout the remaining months of the third year of the War of the Rebellion. Guns that were mounted in the iron-plated, revolving and cylindrical turrets of Passaic-class monitors included the eleven-inch gun as well as a fifteen-inch gun. CSS Atlanta, during its engagement with USS Nahant and USS Weehawken at Wassaw Sound, was able to resist the power of the eleven-inch projectile but succumbed to the blows of the 15-inch spherical shot. Monitors of the Passaic-class would exchange fire with Fort Wagner, Fort Moultrie and other batteries that lined the coast of South Carolina.

1) A Treatise on Ordnance and Armor: Embracing Descriptions, Discussions, and Professional Opinions Concerning the Material, Fabrication, Requirements, Capabilities, and Endurance of European and American Guns for Naval, Sea-coast, and Iron-clad Warfare, and their Rifling, Projectiles and Breech-loading by Alexander Lyman Holley.

Alexander Lyman Holley, on page 141 of A Treatise on Ordnance and Armour, describes the destructive power of the guns that were mounted onboard Passaic-class monitors.  USS Weehawken, in 1863, is reported to have smashed the iron-plated casemate of CSS Atlanta with its 15-inch projectiles. It is claimed that the spherical shot was fired at a distance of 300-yards from its target, which is reported to have been composed of a shield of iron and wood that had an inclination of 35º from the horizon, and prevented the ironclad from continuing the engagement with the Ericsson battery.  An eleven-inch gun, which is claimed to have fired 169-lbs projectiles with charges that were comprised of 20-lbs of gunpowder, is reported to have been unable to perforate the iron shield of the opposing fighting vessel. CSS Atlanta, whose casemate is claimed to have been protected by four and a half inches of iron plates that covered a framework of pine beams, had the capacity to resist the blows of the eleven-inch gun but succumbed to the offensive power of the fifteen-inch gun. It is explained, on page 166, that the eleven-inch Dahlgren gun was made from cast iron and was capable of firing 2,000 rounds without bursting. A quote from an article that was published in Scientific American on the 15th of November, 1862, maintains that Dahlgren guns were solid cast and that their hollow interiors were bored out. It is claimed, on page 174, that the iron plates which protected CSS Atlanta were damaged by the punching effects of the fifteen-inch projectiles that were fired from the Ericsson battery. Monitor guns which fired the 150-inch projectile, on page 584, are reported to have launched projectiles that were between 400-lbs and 420-lbs in weight. It may be argued that the destructive power of Passaic-class monitors depended upon the weight of the projectile that was fired, the volume of the gunpowder which was used to discharge the missiles and the distance that existed between the opposing fighting vessels.

2) History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel by Thomas J. Scharf.

John Thomas Scharf, on pages 637 and 638 of History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel, describes the destruction of CSS Rattlesnake by a Passaic-class monitor. USS Montauk, in the February of 1863, is reported to have ascended the Great Ogeechee River. Fort McAllister, which is claimed to have been established at Genesis Point, is identified as the target of the riverine expedition. CSS Nashville, as CSS Rattlesnake was also known, is reported to have taken shelter under the guns of Fort McAllister. Captain Thomas Harrison Baker is named as the commander of CSS Nashville, Captain George W. Anderson is identified as the commander of Fort McAllister while USS Montauk is claimed to have been commanded by Captain John Lorimer Worden. On the morning of the 28th of February, 1863, the Ericsson battery is reported to have opened fire upon CSS Rattlesnake and set it ablaze. It is claimed, on page 643, that USS Nahant and USS Weehawken were ordered to blockade Warsaw Sound. CSS Atlanta, which is reported to have been confined to the Savannah River, is claimed to have attacked the Passaic-class monitors on the mouth of the Wilmington River. On the morning of the 17th of June, 1863, CSS Atlanta is reported to have descended the Wilmington River and challenged the ironclads to battle. It is claimed, however, that CSS Atlanta ran aground at a distance of six-hundred yards from its nearest adversary. Lieutenant William Augustine Webb, who is named as the commander of the iron-cased ram, is reported to have refloated his ship. It is claimed that the ironclad, for the second time that morning, ran aground within the space of five minutes. USS Weehawken, on page 644, is reported to have opened fire at a distance of 300-yards from its adversary. CSS Atlanta, after sustaining damage to its pilot-house and iron-plated casemate, is claimed to have hoisted the white flag before USS Nahant was able to fire a shot at the iron-cased ram. 

3) Light-draught Monitors by the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.

On the 29th of June, 1864, the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War submitted Light-draught Monitors to the Senate of the United States of America. An inquiry is reported to have been launched into a class of light-draught monitors, of which USS Chimo is cited as an example, that had failed to live up to the expectations of its designers. On the 24th of December, 1864, First Assistant Engineer Isaac Newton was sworn and examined by Mr. Wade and by Mr Gooch. Newton, on page 48, is reported to have supervised the construction of USS Monitor for the United States Navy. Gooch, on page 52, asks Newton to describe and compare the different classes of monitor. Newton claims that seven classes of monitor, all of which are reported to have been built after USS Monitor had been completed, had entered service or were in the process of being constructed. Monitors of the Passaic-class, which are reported to have been similar in design to the monitors of the Canonicus-class, are claimed to have had iron hulls and single turrets. It is argued that the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, as a matter of historical record, had benefited from the efficient service of the Passaic-class monitors that were attached to it. Captain John Ericsson is claimed to have drawn the plans for USS Monitor, USS Dictator, USS Puritan and the Passaic-class of monitors. Newton, on page 54, expresses the opinion that the special function of ironclads was to protect the harbours of the United States of America from the depredations of foreign navies and to fight other ironclads. Passaic-class monitors, alongside Canonicus-class monitors, are reported to have been an integral component of harbour defense. It is claimed, on page 57, that ironclads which mounted their guns in a broadside arrangement would have taken longer to build and cost more money than ironclads which carried their batteries in revolving turrets. Monitors of the Passaic-class, if Newton was correct in his assessment, were cheaper and quicker to built than ironclad frigates.

4) Official Dispatches and Letters of Rear Admiral Du Pont, U.S. Navy. 1846-48. 1861-63. by Rear-admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont.

Official Dispatches and Letters of Rear-Admiral Du Pont, U.S. Navy. 1846-48. 1861-63. is a collection of documents that were composed by the first commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Rear-admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont commanded the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Ogeechee River expeditions, the First Bombardment of Fort Sumpter and the Battle of Wassaw Sound. It is revealed, in the introduction, that Sophie Madeleine Du Pont published the documents after her husband had passed away. Correspondences between Du Pont, members of the government and the officers that served under his command are included in the body of work.  A dispatch that was published on the 26th of January, 1863, reveals that Du Pont ordered USS Passaic to be towed to Wassaw Sound by USS Canandaigua while Captain Percival Drayton was in command of the ironclad. It is revealed that the interception of CSS Atlanta, which is also referred to as CSS Fingal, was the primary objective of this operation. Du Pont informed Gideon Welles about the expeditions along the Ogeechee River in a dispatch that is dated to the 28th of January, 1863, while also mentioning the decision to send USS Passaic to Wassaw Sound. CSS Nashville, which is described as a privateer, is claimed to have hidden beneath the battery that had been established at Genesis Point. It is revealed that USS Montauk was hit thirteen times by the battery at Genesis Point, which is reported to have consisted of nine guns, while it is claimed that no significant damage was inflicted on the ironclad. On the 27th of February, 1863, Du Pont ordered three Passaic-class monitors to attack Fort McAllister. USS Passaic, USS Patapsco and USS Nahant are identified as the three ironclads that were ordered to engage Fort McAllister. On the 8th of April, 1863, Du Pont informed Major-general David Hunter and Welles that he would not renew the attack on Fort Sumter because of the danger of his ironclads being lost or captured.

5) The Defense of Charleston Harbor: Including Fort Sumter and the Adjacent Islands, 1863-1865. Second Edition. by John Johnson, Formerly Major of Engineers in the Service of the Confederate States.

John Johnson, on pages 3 and 4 of The Defense of Charleston Harbor, is reported to have supervised the defense of Fort Sumter as an engineer in the Confederate States Army. Monitors of the Passaic-class, whose actions Johnson would have observed from the ramparts of Fort Sumter, are a prominent feature of thirteen of the fourteen chapters and are also mentioned in the appendix. Johnson, who dedicates the second chapter of his historical work to the repulse of the ironclads at Charleston Harbor, describes the first operations of the Passaic-class monitors. It is reported, on pages 41 and 42, that Fort McAllister was engaged by four Ericsson batteries from the January until the March of the third year of the insurrection. USS Montauk, USS Nahant, USS Passaic and USS Patapsco are identified as the ironclads that bombarded the fortress that had been established on the banks of the Great Ogeechee River. Fort McAllister, which is claimed to have mounted a battery of seven guns, is described as a well-built earthwork with heavy parapets and traverses. It is reported, on page 43, that the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron contained three distinct classes of iron-plated fighting vessels. Monitors of the Passaic-class, seven of which are claimed to have participated in the attack on Fort Sumter, are identified as the first class of ironclads while USS Keokuk and USS New Ironsides are named as the second and third classes of iron-plated warships. CSS Passaic, USS Montauk, USS Patapsco, USS Weehawken, USS Nantucket, USS Catskill and USS Nahant are identified as the seven Passaic-class of monitors. USS Weehawken, on page 63, is reported to have attempted to destroy the wreck of USS Keokuk with its torpedo-raft. Captain John Rodgers, Chief-engineer Edward Dunham Robie and Chief-engineer Alban Crocker Stimers are claimed to have conducted the operation. It is reported, however, that USS Weehawken was unable to demolish the wreck of USS Keokuk due to the motion of the water.

6) The Engineer. Vol. XVII.-From January to June, 1864. by Various Authors.

The Failure of the Monitors, which appears on page 20 of the seventeenth volume of The Engineer, contains excerpts from the reports of the commanding officers of the Passaic-class monitors that participated in the the First Battle of Charleston Harbor. On the 8th of January, 1864, the injuries that were inflicted on the ironclads of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron are described by their captains. USS Passaic, USS Weehawken, USS Montauk, USS Patapsco, USS Catskill, USS Nantucket and USS Nahant are reported to have been commanded by Captain Percival Drayton, Captain John Rodgers, Captain John Lorimer Worden, Commander Daniel Ammen, Commander George Washington Rodgers, Commander Donald McNeill Fairfax as well as Captain John Downes. A government coverup, according to an excerpt from The New York Times, occurred after the engagement of the 7th of April. Downplaying the extent of the injuries that were sustained by the ironclads, which caused the loss of USS Keokuk on the morning of the 8th of April, may have enabled the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron to conceal the weakness of its protected fighting vessels. Concealing the vulnerabilities of the ironclads, which are claimed to have imposed a sense of fear on the denizens of Charleston, is reported to have been justified on strategic grounds. It is claimed that a strong naval presence on the waters of Charleston Harbor helped to divert the attentions of the Confederate States Army, who garrisoned the sea-coast batteries, from matters of greater military importance. Vulnerable points on the ironclads are reported to have included the pilot-house, deck plates and gun ports. Bolts, which joined the iron plates to the hull and turret, are claimed to have been broken or loosened on several occasions by the blows of projectiles.  It is argued that Rear-admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont, who held overall command of the ironclads, was correct in his refusal to undertake a second attack on the sea-coast batteries.

7) The Merchant's Magazine and Commercial Review. Volume Forty-seventh, from June to December, 1862. by William B. Dana.

It is reported, on page 562 of the forty-seventh volume of The Merchant's Magazine and Commercial Review, that USS Passaic tested its 15-inch gun towards the end of the second year of the American Civil War. On the 17th of November, 1862, USS Passaic is claimed to have embarked upon its trial trip on the North River. It is reported that the muzzle of the 15-inch gun, which is claimed to have been larger than its porthole, had to be fired within the turret while the entire operation of discharging the weapons is reported to have been performed by four gunners. A speed of nine-knots an hour is reported to have been generated by the engines during the trial and, as a result of these findings, was expected to have been attained in the future. Admiral Francis Hoyt Gregory, Chief-engineer Elbridge Lawton, Chief-engineer Edward Dunham Robie and Chief-engineer Alban Crocker Stimers are claimed to have witnessed the trial of the Ericsson battery from the wharf of the Delamater Ironworks. It is reported that the trials, which are claimed to have commenced between ten 'o clock and eleven 'o clock in the morning, began when the ironclad left the wharf that was situated at the foot of Thirteenth Street. A strong ebb tide, on page 563, and a heavy wind that blew from the north are claimed to have placed a strain on the Ericsson battery. Gunnery trials, in which the fifteen-inch gun is reported to have misfired on three occasions, are claimed to have been conducted within the vicinity of the palisades that lay beside Fort Washington. Captain Percival Drayton, while the 35-lbs charge and 330-pounds hollow shot were being tested, is reported to have pulled the trigger. It is claimed that the firing of the fifteen-inch gun was a success while the performance of the dampener, which is described as a contrivance for deadening the effects of the concussion within the tower, is called into question. It is reported, on page 564, that the Passaic-class monitor returned to the Delamater Iron Works in the afternoon.

8) The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps by Lewis Randolph Hamersly.

The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, which was written by Lewis Randolph Hamersley and published in 1870, contains information about the commanders of Passaic-class monitors as well as the officers who served under them. A history of naval engagements that occurred during the American Civil War, some of which involved monitors of the Passaic-class, is included within the body of the work. Three months, on page 95, are reported to have passed between the time in which USS Passaic participated in the First Battle of Charleston Harbor and the date on which Commander Edward Simpson took command of the ironclad. On the 18th of August, 1863, Simpson is reported to have commanded the fighting vessel during an engagement with Fort Wagner. Fort Moultrie is claimed to have been bombarded on the 16th of November, 1863, and Simpson is reported to have been in the command of the ironclad during the battle. Commander Thomas Scott Fillebrown is claimed, on page 109, to have commanded USS Passaic and USS Montauk during the penultimate year of the war. Lieutenant-commander Joseph N. Miller, on page 138, is reported to have captained USS Passaic from 1862 until 1863 and is claimed have commanded USS Sangamon thereafter. It is stated, on page 239, that George S. Bright served onboard USS Passaic as an engineer in 1863 and it is claimed that he was promoted to Chief Engineer on the 10th of November. Commander John Lorimer Worden, on page 279, is reported to have commanded USS Montauk during the bombardment Fort McAllister. On the morning of the 28th of February, 1863, USS Montauk is claimed to have destroyed USS Nashville at a range of twelve-hundred yards. It is reported that the Passaic-class monitor, as it approached Ossabaw Sound, struck a torpedo. It is claimed that the ironclad, before it disappeared beneath the surface of the water, was able to run aground on the banks of the Great Ogeechee River.

9) The United Service. A Monthly Review of Military and Naval Affairs. Volume IV. by Various Authors.

Lieutenant Theodorus Bailey Myers Mason, whose article about the distribution of medals to the officers of the United States Navy appears in the fourth volume of the The United Service, relates an incident in which two naval officers attempted to rescue an ironclad that had run aground within range of the guns of a hostile battery.  USS Lehigh, on page 17, is reported to have run aground in Charleston Harbor and it is implied that the ironclad was subjected to the fire of the sea-coast batteries that protected the navigable channels that led to the city. Acting Ensign Burke and Assistant Surgeon Longshaw, who are claimed to have served onboard USS Nahant, are stated to have attempted to establish communication with the beleaguered Ericsson battery. It is reported that lines, which may have referred to ropes or cables, were conveyed from USS Nahant to Lehigh via boat. No information is provided, however, about the distance between the Passaic-class monitors or the length of the line. Burk and Longshaw, as they attempted to establish contact between the ironclads, are claimed to have been subjected to the intensive shell-fire of the sea-coast batteries. It is reported that the boat, which may have been one of the picket vessels that were carried onboard USS Nahant, passed between the Passaic-class monitors on several occasions. Burke and Longshaw could have believed that multiple tethers, which may have provided additional security if one of them broke, were preferable to a single cable. Artillery fire, if it was directed at the lifeline that stretched between the two Ericsson batteries, may have severed the tether and it may have been necessary for the naval officers to re-establish communication between the fighting vessels. Burke, as he attempted to pass the lifeline to USS Lehigh, is reported to have been wounded by the artillery fire. It is possible that Burke, whose wounds are claimed to have been severe, was injured by shrapnel that was scattered by exploding shells.

10) War Memories of an Army Chaplain by Henry Clay Trumbull.

Henry Clay Trumbull, in the second and thirteenth chapters of War Memories of an Army Chaplain, describes religious life onboard USS Catskill as well as his relationship with Commander George Washington Rodgers. It is claimed, on page 25, that Rodgers invited Trumbull to lead a prayer-meeting from the pilot-house of USS Catskill while the attendees of the religious service are claimed to have been situated below the deck of the ironclad. Rodgers, on page 359, is reported to have fallen in the line of duty. It is claimed, on page 361, that Rodgers and Trumbull had been friends in their youth. Rogers, in the spring of 1863, is claimed to have been in command of the ironclads that were situated at North Edisto Inlet and it is reported that the two men became re-united at this time. It is claimed that Rodgers visited Trumbull at Seabrook Island and invited him aboard USS Catskill, which appears to have been the lead ship at North Edisto Inlet, and the two men are reported to have dined onboard the Ericsson battery. Rogers, on page 362, is claimed to have refused wine during the meal and is stated to have practiced abstinence for a duration of twenty-years. It is reported that Rodgers, who is claimed to have been an Episcopalian, would lead prayer-meetings onboard the ironclad. Rodgers, on page 364, is reported to have been appointed as the Chief-of-staff to Rear-admiral John Adolphus Dahlgren. It is claimed, however, that Rodgers attained permission to command USS Catskill on one last occasion before his new duties commenced. Rodgers, in the August of 1863, is reported to have succumbed to a fatal wound while his ironclad was engaging the batteries that defended Charleston Harbor. Shards on iron are claimed to have been dislodged inside the pilot-house in which Rodgers, during his last moments on earth, was standing. A heavy projectile, according to Trumbull, caused the demise of the naval officer. Trumbull, on page 365, claims that he learned of the demise of Rodgers while he was in captivity.