Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/78

68 Claybrooke, Midshipmen Bacot, Saunders and Pinckney; Surgeon Turner, Engineers Clark, Tombs, Jones and Lyell; Paymaster West, Gunner Johnson and Carpenter Weaver, with about the same crew. The Palmetto State bore the flag of Commodore Ingraham.

Capt. William H. Parker, an eye-witness and participant, says in "Recollections of a Naval Officer:" "By January, 1863, the vessels being all ready, we commenced to think of making some demonstration, and it was decided to attack the fleet off Charleston on the night of the 30th. The enemy's fleet off the harbor or in the vicinity on that night consisted of the Housatonic, Mercedita, Keystone State, Quaker City, Augusta, Flag, Memphis, Stettin, Ottawa and Unadilla. Of these, the Housatonic, Ottawa and Unadilla were, I think, the only regularly-built men-of-war, the others being converted merchant steamer-paddles and screws. Captain Taylor, of the Housatonic, was the senior officer; Admiral Dupont, the commander-in-chief, was at Port Royal with the ironclad New Ironsides, the frigate Wabash, and the steamships Susquehanna, Canandaigua, and some others. About 10 p. m., January 30, 1863, Commodore Ingraham came on board the Palmetto State, and at 11:30 the two vessels cast off their fasts and got under weigh. There was no demonstration on shore, and I believe few of the citizens knew of the projected attack. Charleston was full of spies at this time and everything was carried to the enemy. It was nearly calm, and a bright moonlight night, the moon being eleven days old. We went down the harbor very slowly, so as to reach the bar of the main ship-channel, n miles from Charleston, about 4 in the morning, when it would be high water there. . . . We passed between Forts Sumter and Moultrie the former with its yellow sides reflecting the moon's rays and turned down the channel along Morris island. I presume all hands were up in the forts and batteries, watching us, but no word was spoken. . ..