African American Officers

The Confederate 1^st Louisiana Native Guard was disbanded by order of General John L Lewis on April 29^th 1862, as Union troops entered and took over the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Following secession, Louisiana’s Governor Thomas Overton Moore, made a request for troops in April 1861.  In response to this call a committee of free New Orleans blacks called a meeting at the Catholic Institute on April 22^nd 1861, at which around 1,500 free African American men enlisted.  Most of the men were French Speaking Creoles.  Moore made these men part of the state’s militia, forming the 1^st Louisiana Native Guard on May 2^nd 1861.  There were three white officers appoint to command the regiment, but the company commanders came from among the men of the regiment, making this the first North American military unit to have African American officers.   Among these officers were Lieutenant Andre Cailloux, who would latter die fighting the Confederacy, and Lieutenant Morris W Morris who was not only African American, but also Jewish.

The men of the 1^st were never used in any Confederate military action, and the men had to use their own money to buy uniforms and weapons. The men mostly found themselves part of parades and grand reviews.  They were forced to disband on February 15^th 1862, because of a new Louisiana law, stating that only white men could be part of the militia.  Governor Moore reinstated the 1^st on March 24^th 1862 when Union Admiral David G Farragut’s navy sailed into the Mississippi River.

When Confederate troops under the command of Major General Mansfield Lovell left New Orleans the General of the Louisiana Militia; John L Lewis ordered the 1^st disbanded on April 29^th 1862, telling them to go home, and to hide their guns and uniforms. Union Major General Benjamin F Butler, after accepting the surrender of New Orleans approached some of the members of 1^st to fight for the Union; about 10% were willing and would become the Union 1^st Louisiana Native Guard, latter known as the 73^rd United States Colored Troops.

The Western Fort Surrendered

A Siege against Fort Gaines, a part of the Battle of Mobile Bay, came to an end on August 8^th 1864 after six days.

Union Major General Gordon Granger landed a force on Dauphin Island on August 3^rd 1864.  The 3,300 men moved against Fort Gaines located on the western side of Mobile Bay.  The Fort was of pentagonal design and was built in the mid 1800’s.  It was held by about 820 Confederate soldiers under the command of Colonel Charles A Anderson.  Anderson’s commander Confederate Brigadier General Richard Lucian Page gave him orders not to surrender the Fort.

On August 5^th 1864 Admiral David G Farragut’s Union Navy fleet of 18 ships, ran past Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan; the other fort defending the Bay, defeating the Confederate ships in Mobile Bay.  Seeing this Anderson decided he couldn’t hold the Fort if attacked by both Granger’s force and the Union Navy.  He surrendered the Fort August 8^th 1864.

Towing Other Ships

The USS Owasco a Union gunboat was delivered to the Navy December 6^th 1861; she was named for the Owasco Lake one of the New York Finger Lakes.

The USS Owasco was launched at Mystic, Connecticut after being built by Charles Mallory.  She was a 691 ton Unadilla class screw steamer.  She was delivered to the Union Navy at the New York Navy Yard on December 6^th 1861, and commissioned under the command of Lieutenant John Guest.  Leaving New York on February 5^th 1862 the Owasco joined Commodore David G Farragut’s flotilla at Key West, Florida.  She captured two Confederate schooners on March 16^th 1862 while on route to Ship Island, Mississippi.

The Owasco was one of seven steamers used to tow Union schooners safely in the current of the Mississippi.  When Farragut’s ships ran past Forts Jackson, and St Philip, taking the port of New Orleans in April 1862, one of the Owasco’s own, Quartermaster Edward Farrell was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.  She was with Farragut again when he moved up the river to just below Vicksburg, Mississippi.  On October 3^rd 1862 the Owasco took part in the bombing of Galveston, Texas.  She continued blockading duty taking part in the capture of Brazos Santiago, Texas on November 3^rd 1863.  The Owasco captured an English schooner carrying supplies for Confederate General John B Magruder on April 19^th 1864.

The Owasco was decommissioned July 12^th 1865 at the New York Navy Yard and sold off at auction.  She would be renamed the Lulu and was still sailing as a commercial ship in 1885.

A Triple Clad Ship

The ironclad ram the CSS Tennessee was commissioned February 16^th 1864 under the command of Lieutenant James D Johnston.

The hull and other woodwork of the Tennessee was done by Henry D Bassett in October 1862.  The following February she was towed to Selma, Alabama where her engine and armor was installed.  The armor on the Tennessee was made up of 2 foot by 10 foot plates in a triple thickness.  When she was completed she weighed 1273 ton.

The CSS Tennessee was the flagship of Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan.  She was commissioned February 16^th 1864.  The Tennessee was heavily engaged at the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5^th 1864.  When Union Admiral David G Farragut’s ships moved up the bay the CSS Tennessee pursued them.  She rammed several Union ships before her steering was knocked out.  The Tennessee was unable to maneuver, two men were killed and Admiral Buchanan and eight others were wounded.  The CSS Tennessee was forced to surrender.

Following the surrender of the Tennessee, she was placed under the command of Union Volunteer Lieutenant Pierre Giraud.  She would serve on the Mississippi River until the end of the Civil War.  On November 27^th 1867 the Tennessee was sold to J F Armstrong for scrap.

He Would Not Surrender His Ship

William Bainbridge Renshaw died in an explosion of his ship during the Second Battle of Galveston January 1^st 1863.

William Bainbridge Renshaw was born October 11^th 1816 in Brooklyn, New York the son of United States Commodore James Rneshaw.  He went into the family business and joined the Navy where he was appointed a midshipman December 22^nd 1831.  Renshaw served for the next twenty years on an assortment of ships and outposts.

At the beginning of the Civil War Renshaw was appointed Commander on April 26^th 1861, and assigned the steamer the USS Westfield.  He was attached to Union Admiral David G Farragut’s squadron, and was part of the Mortar Flotilla on the Mississippi River in 1862.  The end of 1862 found Renshaw in charge of the Union ships preforming blockade duty on the port of Galveston, Texas.  During the Second Battle of Galveston on January 1^st 1863 Renshaw refused to surrender his ship the USS Westfield; which had ran aground on a sandbank.  He set her on fire to keep the Confederates from capturing it.  The fire caused an explosion and Renshaw died during it.

Acting With Courage

The USS Corypheus a schooner was assigned duty off the coast of Texas June 12th 1862.


The Confederate yacht Corypheus was captured in Bayou Bonfuca, Louisiana May 13th 1862. The United States Navy assigned her to tender duty for the USS Arthur off the coast of Texas June 12th 1862 under Master AT Spear. The Corypheus took part in the capture of the schooner CSS Breaker off the coast of Corpus Christi, Texas August 12th 1862. Returning to Aransas Bay she captured the CSS Water Witch a blockade runner. The Corypheus arrived at Galveston, Texas and took part in the Battle of Sabine Pass on January 1st 1863, fighting through heavy fire at the Union forces pulled back. Union Admiral David G Farragut wrote of the Corypheus’ crew acting with courage, protecting the soldiers on shore. She next moved to Lake Pontchartrain where she stopped blockade runners crossing between coastal waters and New Orleans. The Corypheus finished duty around Mobile, Alabama. She was sold September 15th 1865.

A Man Of Science And Ships

Union Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis was born January 16th 1807.

Charles Henry Davis was born January 16th 1807 in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard and showed an interest in the science. He started as a Midshipman 1823 on the frigate the “United States” in the Pacific. From 1830 -1833 he served on the sloop the “Ontario”. Davis was promoted Lieutenant and was serving on the ship the “Independence”. He was part of the United States Coast Survey from 1846 to 1849. Davis was promoted to Commander in 1854 and given command of the “St Mary’s”.

When the Civil War started Davis was appointed in June 1861 to the Blockade Strategy Board. He received a promotion November 15th 1861 to Captain and placed in command of the Western Gunboat Flotilla. His ships fought in the Battle of Memphis June 6th 1862, and was part of the attack on Vicksburg, Mississippi along with Officer David G Farragut. In August Davis took his ships up the Yazoo river where they seized Confederate munitions and supplies. Following this he returned to Washington, DC where he was made chief of the Bureau of Navigation. Davis was promoted to Rear Admiral February 7th 1863.

After the war and until 1867 Davis was the Superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory. He was placed in command of the South Atlantic Squadron in 1867. Davis returned home in 1869 where he served at the Naval Observatory and on the Lighthouse Board. He died February 18th 1877 in Washington, DC and is buried in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Worth A Mint

The United States mint in New Orleans was taken over January 31st 1861 by the state of Louisiana.

The United States, New Orleans Mint in Louisiana operated from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909. It produced over 427 million coins during that time. The Mint had operated continuously from 1838 until the state of Louisiana seceded from the United States on January 26th 1861. When Louisiana reconvened the secession convention on January 26 1861 it was decided to allow Federal employees at the Mint to remain at their post, but they would have to work for the state of Louisiana. The Mint was used for a short time to make Confederate coins, the silver O-half dollar. After this the Mint was used to quarter Confederate troops, until it was recaptured the following year along with the rest of New Orleans, by the Union navy under command of Admiral David G Farragut.