Part 2

Lieut. Beverly Kennon was also most active in this system of defense and personally planted many torpedoes in the Potomac, Rappahannock and the James. He and Lieut. J. Pembroke Jones succeeded Lieutenant Davidson in charge of the torpedo defense of the James. A defense in itself equivalent to a well appointed fleet or army, since, as is well known, it served to keep the enemy out of Richmond till the close of the war, and converted them into earnest advocates of its use.

General Raines, chief of the Army Torpedo Bureau, had early adopted as the best form of torpedo, the beer barrel filled with powder and fitted with a percussion primer at each end. They were set adrift in pairs down the river by the hundred to be carried by current and tide against the enemy's ships below. Though many necessarily failed and drifted out to sea, if but a single one in a great number succeeded the Confederacy was well repaid. At times as many as a hundred a day were caught by the enemy's netting set out for that purpose in the James River alone.

Captain Francis D. Lee, of General Beauregard's staff, recommended the spar torpedo, which was very successfully used, especially in the waters around Charleston. It was a case to contain seventy pounds of powder set on the end of a twenty foot spar and rigged on the bow of a boat. It was exploded by contact on the side of the vessel attacked.

In 1862 Dr. St. Julien Ravenal, Mr. Theodore Stoney and other gentlemen of Charleston, after consultation with Captain Maury, designed and had constructed a semi-submarine torpedo boat, the first of its type. It was called the "David," for it was intended to attack the Goliath of the federal blockading fleet. After its remarkable experience and success, its name was used as the name for its type and the Confederacy had many "Davids" on the stock when the war ended. It was cigar shaped, twenty feet long, five in diameter at the center. The boiler was forward, the miniature engine aft, and between them a cuddy hole for captain and crew. The torpedo was carried on a spar protruding fifteen feet from the bow, and could be raised or lowered by a line passing back into the cuddy hole. It was of copper containing 100 pounds of rifle powder and provided with four sensitive tubes of lead, containing explosive mixture. A two bladed propellor drove the craft at a six or seven knot rate. When ready for action the boat was so well submerged that nothing was visible save the stunt smoke-stack, the hatch combings and the stanchion, upon which the torpedo line was brought aft. The torpedo was submerged about six feet. Lieutenant W. T. Glassel, of the Confederate Navy of Virginia, one of the bravest of the brave, volunteered to take charge of her. He says Assistant Engineer J. H. Toombs volunteered his services, Major Frank Lee gave me his zealous service in fitting a torpedo. James Stuart, or Sullivan, volunteered to go as fireman, and the services of J. W. Cannon as pilot were secured. I had an armament on deck of four double-barrel shotguns, and as many navy revolvers; also four cork life preservers had been thrown on board to make us feel safe. On the fifth of October, 1863, they left Charleston a little after dark, bound for the federal fleet outside, and especially for the "New Ironsides," the most powerful ship afloat. He thus graphically describes what occurred: "We passed Fort Sumter and beyond the line of picket boats without being discovered. Silently steaming along just inside the bar, I had a good opportunity to reconnoiter the whole fleet at anchor between me and the camp fires on Morris Island.

"The admiral's ship, 'New Ironsides,' lay in the midst of the fleet, her starboard side presented to my view, I determined to pay her the highest compliment. I had been informed through prisoners lately captured from the fleet, that they were expecting an attack from torpedo boats and were prepared for it. I could hardly, therefore, expect to accomplish my object without encountering some danger from riflemen, and, perhaps, a discharge of grape or canister from the howitzers. My guns were loaded with buckshots. I knew that if the officer of the deck could be disabled to begin with, it would cause them some confusion, and increase our chance of escape, so I determined that if the occasion offered I would commence by firing the first shot. Accordingly, having on a full head of steam, I took charge of the helm, it being so arranged that I could sit on the deck, and work the wheel with my feet. Then directing the engineer and fireman to keep below, and give me all the speed possible, I gave a double-barrel gun to the pilot, with instructions not to fire until I should do so, and steered directly for the monitor. I intended to strike her just under the gangway, but the tide still running out carried us to a point nearer the quarter. Thus we rapidly approached the enemy. When within 300 yards of her a sentinel hailed us. Boat ahoy! repeating the hail several times very rapidly. We were coming toward them with all speed and I made no answer but cocked both barrels of my gun. The officer of the deck next made his appearance and loudly demanded, 'What boat is that.' Being now within forty yards of the ship and with plenty of head way to carry me on, I thought it about time the fight should commence and fired my gun. The officer of the deck fell back mortally wounded (poor fellow), and I ordered the engine stopped. The next moment the torpedo struck the vessel and exploded. What amount of direct damage the enemy received I will not attempt to say. My little boat plunged violently and a large body of water, which had been thrown up, descended upon her deck, and down the smoke-stack and hatchway.

"I immediately gave orders to reverse the engine and back off. Mr. Toombs informed me then that the fires were put out, and something had been jammed in the machinery, so that it would not move. What could be done in this situation? In the meantime the enemy, recovering from the shock, beat to quarters and general alarm spread through the fleet. I told my men I thought our only chance of escape was by swimming and I think I told Mr. Toombs to cut the water pipes and let the boat sink. Then taking one of the cork floats I got into the water and swam off as fast as I could.

"The enemy in no amiable mood poured down upon the bubbling water a hailstorm of rifle and pistol shots from the deck of the 'Ironsides,' and from the nearest monitor. Sometimes they struck very close to my head, but swimming for life I soon disappeared from sight and found myself alone in the water. I hoped that with the assistance of the flood tide I might be able to reach Fort Sumter, but a north wind was against me, and after I had been in the water more than an hour I became numb with cold and was nearly exhausted. Just then the boat of a transport schooner picked me up and found to their surprise that they had captured a 'rebel.' I was handed over next morning to the mercy of Admiral Dahlgren, who ordered me to be put in irons, and if obstreperous, in double irons. When on the flagship I learned that my fireman had clung to her rudder chains and been taken on board.

"Engineer Toombs started to swim towards the 'Monitor,' with the intention of catching her chains, but changed his mind when he saw that the 'David' was afloat, and had drifted away from the frigate. Swimming to her he found Pilot Cannon, who not being able to swim, when the fires were extinguished jumped overboard and clung to the unexposed side of the 'David.' After drifting about a quarter of a mile he got back on board and seeing something in the water he hailed and heard, to his surprise, a reply from Toombs, who soon got on board. Finding the boat uninjured, though a bull's eye canteen afforded a mark to the Federal cannoneer, they fixed the engine, started up the fires, got up steam and started back to Charleston, reaching the Atlantic dock about midnight."

As the result of this most daring feat it was found that the torpedo had exploded under three feet of water and against four and one-half inches of armour, and twenty-seven inches of wood backing. The ponderous ship was shaken from stem to stern, and was docked for repairs until the attack on Fort Fisher, while the "David" and her crew were uninjured. Captain Rowan reported that the ship was very seriously injured and ought to be sent home for repairs, and Admiral Dahlgren informed the Secretary of the Navy that, "Among the many inventions with which I have been familiar, I have seen none that acted so perfectly at first trial. The secrecy, rapidity of movement, control of direction and precise explosion, indicate, I think, the introduction of the torpedo element as a means of certain warfare. It can be ignored no longer. If sixty pounds of powder why not 600," and the Secretary of the Confederate Navy reported: "On the evening of the 5th of October Lieutenant W. T. Glassell, in charge of the torpedo boat, "David," with Assistant Engineer Tomb, Pilot Walker Cannon, and Seaman James Sullivan, left Charleston to attempt the destruction of the enemy's ship, 'New Ironsides.' Passing undiscovered through the enemy's fleet, he was hailed by the watch as he approached the ship and answering the hail with a shot, he dashed his boat against her and exploded the torpedo under her bilge. The fires were extinguished, and the boat was nearly swamped by the concussion and the descending water, and Lieutenant Glassell and Sullivan, supposing her to be lost swam off and were picked up by the enemy. Engineer Tomb and Pilot Cannon succeeded in reaching Charleston with the boat.

"Although Lieutenant Glassell failed to accomplish his chief object, it is believed that he inflicted serious injury upon the 'Ironsides,' while his unsurpassed daring must be productive of an important moral influence, as well upon the enemy as upon our own naval force."

The annals of naval warfare record few enterprises which exhibit more strikingly than this of Lieutenant Glassell the highest qualities of a sea officer.

At this time there were sixty officers and men on torpedo duty at Charleston alone.

The most remarkable career in all torpedo history was that of a little boat built in Mobile Bay, and operated upon the fleet off Charleston. She was the pioneer of all submarine torpedo boats, as she was the first to achieve success.

She was built in 1863-4 at Mobile by Mr. Horace L. Hundley, at his own expense. She was made of boiler plate, was shaped like a fish twenty-four feet long, five feet deep, three feet wide; she had fins on each side, raised or depressed from the interior; her motive power was a small propeller worked by manual power of her crew seated on each side of the shaft; she was provided with tanks which could be filled or empitied of water to increase or dimish her displacement; but had no provision for air storage. The captain stood in a circular hatchway well forward and steered the boat, and regulated the depth at which she should proceed. When she dived all was made tight until she rose again. She had no ventilation. She was designed to tow a torpedo astern, dive under the vessel attacked, dragging the torpedo after; she would then rise to the surface on the other side, when the torpedo would explode by contact with the bottom of the vessel, and the torpedo boat make off in the darkness and confusion. General Maury states that on her trial trip, which he saw, she towed a floating torpedo, dived under a ship, dragging the torpedo, which fairly exploded under the ship's bottom, and blew the fragments one hundred feet into the air; and that not being able to use her in Mobile, he sent her, and her crew to Charleston. It is said that during another trial in Mobile she sank and all on board perished before she was raised.

Lieutenant Payne, of the Navy, volunteers to take her out, and secured a volunteer crew of sailors. She was named the "H. L. Hundley." While tied to the wharf at Fort Johnston, whence it was to start at night to make the attack, a steamer passing close by, filled and sank it, drowning all hands save Payne, who was at the time standing in one of the manholes. She was promptly raised, but was again sunk, this time at Fort Sumter wharf, when six men were drowned, Payne and two others escaping. When she was brought to the surface again. McKinley and a trained crew came from Mobile, bringing with him Lieutenant Dixon, of the Twenty-first Alabama Infantry, to fight the boat. He made repeated descents in the harbour, diving under the receiving ship again and again successfully. But one day, when Dixon was absent from the city, Mr. Hundley, wishing to handle the boat himself, unfortunately made the attempt; it was readily submerged but did not rise again and all on board perished, from asphyxiation. When the boat was discovered, raised and opened the spectacle was indescribably ghastly, the unfortunate men were contorted into all kinds of attitudes horrible to see; some clutching candles, evidently endeavouring to force open the manholes; others lying on the bottom tightly grappled together; and the blackened faces of all presented the expression of their agony and despair.

The "Hundley" had thus cost the lives of thirty-three brave men, but nevertheless, there were still found volunteers to risk theirs for their country--and Lieutenant Dixon found no difficulty in enlisting eight more heroes to attack the Federal steam sloop of war, "Housatonic," a powerful new vessel of eleven guns, lying on the north channel, opposite Beach Inlet, off Charleston. General Beauregard had refused to let it be used again, but Lieutenant Dixon, having undertaken to use the boat with a spar torpedo in the same manner as the "David," consent was given and preparations for the attack were again made.

Dixon was a Kentuckian and was moved by the highest principle and patriotism in making this venture. He had taken an active part in the construction of the vessel, and had caused other men to perish in her by dangers he had not shared, now bravely demanded this opportunity. His crew were Arnold Becker, C. Simpkins, James A. Wick, T. Collins and ---- Ridgeway, of the Navy, and Corporal J. F. Carlson, of the artillery. All knew the fearful risk they ran--and all were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country, counting the cost as nothing if thereby they could procure the destruction of the "Housatonic."

Everything being ready at twilight on the 17th of February, 1864, these devoted heroes took their places in the boat at Sullivan's Island, and set off upon their perilous adventure. This time she got away successfully, but that is the last that we hear of her save the official report from the enemy, that about 9 o'clock an object like a plank was seen approaching, which in a moment more struck the ship with a great explosion, blowing up the after part of the ship, causing her to sink immediately to the bottom, drowning five men and injuring many more.

The "Hundley" was never heard of again till several years after the war, divers sent down to wreck the "Housatonic," found her little antagonist lying on the bottom near by.

Admiral Dahlgren reported to the Secretary of the U. S. Navy, as follows:

Sir, I much regret to inform the Department that the U. S. S. "Housatonic," on the blockade off Charleston, S. C., was torpedoed by a rebel "David" and sunk on the night of February 17th, about 9 o'clock.

From the time the "David" was seen until the vessel was on the bottom, a very brief period must have elapsed, as far as the executive officer can judge, it did not exceed five or seven minutes.

The officer of the deck perceived a moving object on the water quite near and ordered the chain to be slipped: the captain and the executive officer went on deck, saw the object, and each fired at it with a small arm. In an instant the ship was struck on the starboard side between the main and mizzen masts. Those on deck near were stunned, the vessel began to sink, and went down almost immediately.

The Department will readily perceive the consequences likely to result from this event: the whole line of blockade will be infested with these cheap, convenient and formidable defenses, and we must guard every point. The measures of prevention are not so obvious. I am inclined to the belief that in addition the various devices for keeping the torpedoes from the vessels, an effectual prevention may be found in the use of similar contrivances. * * *

I have attached more importance to the use of torpedoes than others have done, and believe them to constitute the most formidable of the difficulties in the way to Charleston. Their effect on the "Ironsides" in October, and now on the "Housatonic," sustains me in the idea. And thereupon he makes application to be furnished a number of torpedo boats made upon the model of the "David," a sketch of which is submitted, and also a quantity of floating torpedoes, and suggests that as he has information that the Confederates have a number of "Davids" completed and in an advanced state of construction, the Department would do well to offer a large reward of prize money for the capture or destruction of any of them, say $20,000 or $30,000 for each, adding, "they are worth more than that to us."

About the same time Admiral Farragut, who had little faith in torpedoes at first, and who like other naval officers had denounced their use by the Confederates, and ordered that no quarter should be shown those captured operating them, also applied to be furnished them, saying, "Torpedoes are not so very agreeable when used on both sides, therefore, I have reluctantly brought myself to it. I have always deemed it unworthy of a chivalrous nation, but it does not do to give your enemy such a decided superiority over." And the Government of the United States, who had savagely denounced the Confederates for using them, now invited plans from inventors and mechanics for their construction, and operation, and soon supplied them abundantly to Army and Navy--adopting generally the Confederates as the best.

In August, 1864, the Federal fleet advanced upon Fort Morgan at the entrance of Mobile Bay, the line being led by "Tecumseh," the newest and most powerful of the enemy's ironclads, which was completely destroyed by a torpedo planted under the direction of General Raines, Chief of the Confederate Army Torpedo Bureau. She sunk in a moment, carrying down with her her entire crew of one hundred and forty souls, save about fifteen or twenty who escaped by swimming to Fort Morgan.

This was the greatest achievement of a single torpedo during our war and served to stimulate the Confederate authorities to renewed vigour. Thenceforward, the Bay of Mobile and adjacent waters became the chief scenes of torpedo operation. Genl. Maury stated that he had caused to be placed 180 in her channel and waterways, that they held the powerful fleet of Admiral Farragut for ten months at bay, and destroyed fully a dozen United States vessels, of which six were gunboats and four were monitors. Regular torpedo stations were established in Richmond, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah and Mobile, at which sixty naval officers and men were on duty, preparing these new engines of war. The channel-ways, rivers and harbours were protected by them from Virginia to Texas. Sometimes a hundred were taken out of James River in a single day, and when the Southern seaports fell hundreds of torpedoes were found floating in their waters ready to explode upon the first contact. At first the older Confederate officers who regarded them with disfavour, as Captain Wm. H. Parker says he did, were now "torpedo mad." "Commodore Tucker and I," he said, "had torpedo on the brain," and the destruction of the enemy's vessels increased so rapidly that in the last ten months of the war forty or fifty were blown up, and in the last three weeks ten or more were destroyed. Its possibilities became better and better appreciated every day. Think of the destruction this machine affected, and bear in mind its use came to be fairly understood only during the last part of the war. During that period, when but few Federal vessels were lost and fewer still severely damaged by the most powerful guns in use, we find this long line of disasters from the Confederate use of this new and in the beginning despised comer into the arena of naval warfare. Our successes have made the torpedo a name spoken of with loathing and contempt by the self-sufficient Yankee, a recognized factor in modern naval warfare, and now we see on all sides the greatest activity and genius in improving it.

The wonderful inventive genius and energetic action of the Confederate officers, and engineers astounded the world by their achievements in the unknown and untried science in naval warfare. They not only made it most effective for sea coast and harbour defence, but terrible as an agency of attack on hostile ships of war. Not only that, but they brought the system to such a high state of perfection that little or no advance or improvement has since been made in it, and within a short period of the inception of the design a system was formed so perfect and complete as that the advance upon the water by the enemy was materially checked. They startled naval constructors and officers in the civilized world by the rapidity, audacity and novelty of their original methods, and will be known through all ages for their wonderful achievements. Maury, Buchanan, Brook, Jones and their assistants are the central figures around which revolve to the present day the changes from the old to the new in naval warfare.

Meantime Captain Maury was most diligently employed in London, under the order of the Navy Department in developing and improving his system, afforded by the workshops and laboratories there for experiment and construction. Here he continued during 1863 and 1864, pursuing these researches, perfecting many valuable inventions, and instruments with signal success. He reported to the Secretary of the Navy at home, so far as it was safe to do so, by whom results were passed on to officers in charge for their instruction and guidance and shipping continuously to the department supplies of insulated wire, exploders, and other inventions and devices whose object was to increase the destructiveness of the torpedo and to test it continually without removing it. In the spring of 1865, he sailed for Galveston with the most powerful and perfect equipment of electric torpedo material ever assembled. Great results were confidently expected from this armament, but before he reached Havana news arrived of General Lee's surrender.

But his experience and study and his scientific renown had now made him the leading authority in this new weapon of war mainly perfected by him. He was also now relieved from the seal of secrecy hitherto imposed upon him, so that when a year afterwards he returned to Europe he felt himself at liberty to impart to the sovereign there the secret of his discoveries concerning his new made science. Most of the European powers sent representatives to his school of instruction--and all of them have built upon his beginnings, the most powerful branch of their naval armaments.

To France he first imparted his secret and the Emperor witnessed the experiment and himself closed the circuit and exploded a torpedo placed in the Seine, near St. Cloud, to the perfect satisfaction of all. Russia, Sweden, Holland, England and others soon also received his instructions and they, too, have since built up a new method of defence second to none.