"Sinking of the Union transport steamer Maple Leaf " Topic
2 Posts
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Tango01 | 01 May 2014 12:20 p.m. PST |
"While Union Navy gunboats patrolled the St. Johns River in Florida, the Union Army largely got around Florida by leasing civilian steamers to transport their men, animals and equipment on the rivers and coastal waters. The U.S. Steamer Maple Leaf was leased by the Army in 1862. A sidewheel steamer built in Canada to transport people and freight, she headed south from Boston for service on the St. Johns River in Florida. In March 1864, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard, in charge of the coastal defenses of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, ordered Lt. Col. M.B. Harris to Florida to plant torpedoes (what today we call mines) in the St. Johns River to try to deter Union military activities, which were growing increasingly common on the river. He was assisted by Capt. E.P. Bryan, already in Florida. In late March, the Maple Leaf landed troops and supplies at Jacksonville, then took aboard a group of cavalry and headed upriver, where she landed them at Palatka. She departed to return to Jacksonville the evening of 31 March. Early on the morning of 1 April, the steamer struck one of 12 torpedoes placed near Mandarin Point by Harris and Bryan a couple days earlier. The steamer went down quickly, with four crewmen killed. Sixty three other passengers, including some civilians and women, evacuated from the steamer and made their way to Jacksonville in the ship's boats. In addition to the loss of lives, the steamer also went down with most of the personal effects of three U.S. Army regiments, the 112th New York, 169th New York, and 13th Indiana
" Full article here. link Hope you enjoy!. Amicalement Armand |
EJNashIII | 04 May 2014 7:43 a.m. PST |
The story is interesting as it shows 1)why the navy was very careful in rebel waters. 2)The most likely way a union warship would be damaged or lost. |
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