434

Lot 434: 1864 Civil War Ironclad Repairs

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Lot  434: 1864 Civil War Ironclad Repairs
<b>CW¥U¥Documents</b><hr><b>Detailing Repairs To The Ironclad 'U.S.S. Louisiana'</b>

<b>1864 Report From The Commanding Officer of the 'Iron Boat' U.S.S. Louisiana To Rear Admiral S.P. Lee.</b>
Letter Signed 'R.T. Renshaw' as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Louisiana, to Rear Admiral S.P. Lee, Commander of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, November 25, 1862, off Washington, D.C., 2 pages, 12.5' x 8', Fine. Renshaw reports to the admiral, in part: '...First, I have procured enough 1/2 inch Rail Road Iron to plate the Pilot House of this vessel, and will have it furnished this week. Second, It will require six hundred (600) square ft. of Plating 3/8 in thick to shield the Battery, the plates to be five (5) ft long, by three (3) wide. Third, The Carpenters work can be done on board. Fourth, The ÔLouisianaÕ is an Iron Boat, and in good condition excepting a hole in bottom that was made by running on an Anchor at Hatterass Inlet, but is well covered by an iron plate....' More details on the condition of the ship, as well as a listing of the names, ranks, and qualifications of the shipÕs officers. A comment on one officer notes that he is courageous, but 'I think he has mistaken his profession.' Mounting strip on verso of second, attached page, with show-through at left margin of both pages, and scattered foxing throughout, not affecting legibility.

The U.S.S. Louisiana was commissioned in August 1861. She was originally assigned to the UnionÕs North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and operated against Confederate blockade runners along the Virginia coast. One month after this document was written, she was involved in the defense of Washington, D.C., and Major General John J. Foster reported that the Louisiana 'had rendered most efficient aid, throwing their shells with great precision, and clearing the streets, through which her guns had range.' In November 1864, General Benjamin F. Butler came up with a sceme to blow up a 'powder ship' near Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in the hopes of destroying the fort and its Confederate defenders. The U.S.S. Louisiana was chosen for this dubious honor; she was towed, stripped and loaded with 215 pounds of powder, which was detonated on December 24, 1864. The detonation was a failure, taking place too far from the fort to cause any damage, and the incident was referred to as 'ButlerÕs Folly.'