Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/103

Rh evacuation of Savannah, Charleston and Wilmington, the navy officers at those points, after destroying their vessels repaired, with their men to Richmond, from which point they were sent to the shore batteries, and brigaded under the command of Flag-Officer John R. Tucker, C. S. N. The men were formed into companies and drilled as infantry. Among the officers of the naval brigade were Capt. T. T. Hunter, Lieuts. W. G. Dozier, C. Stanton, W. H. Ward, M. M. Benton, F. M. Roby, D. Trigg, W. R. Mayo, W. L. Bradford, Washington Gwathmey, H. H. Marmaduke and J. M. Gardner, Lieut, of Marines A. S. Berry and many midshipmen.

The vessels on the river, as well as the batteries, were frequently engaged with the batteries of the Federal army, now gradually approaching Richmond. The United States vessels, under Admiral S. P. Lee, made no effort to pass their own obstructions; which indeed were not removed until after the Confederate vessels had been blown up by their commanders in consequence of the evacuation of Richmond.

On January 23, 1865, a naval attack on the Federal vessels in the James river was projected, which, had it proved successful, would have seriously embarrassed General Grant and his army. The river was very high on account of a freshet, and there was but one Federal ironclad, the monitor Onondaga, in the river, the others having been sent to assist in the attack upon Fort Fisher. The indefatigable Lieut. C. W. Read had examined the enemy's obstructions in Trent's reach, and found there was a passage for the ships. It was determined to send the vessels down, destroy the Onondaga with torpedoes, burn all the buildings and stores at City Point, the base of General Grant's supplies, and obstruct the river at Harrison's bar to prevent the navy from coming to his assistance.

The vessels under Commodore Mitchell were the iron-clads Virginia, Lieutenant Commanding Dunnington;