SERVICES OF THE MARINES 
 DURING THE CIVIL WAR.* 
 
 " Set7i2)e7' Fldclis." 
 
 y 
 
 AUG 19188; 
 
 The United States Marine Corjis, although 
 composed comparatively of a small force, has j^ \^^ 1l 
 performed a most important part since its or- 
 ganization, on the lOtli of November, 1775, in 
 all of the struggles through which the nation 
 has passed. 
 
 As an integral part of the navy, its history is 
 coeval with that important branch of the ser- 
 vice. In giving, therefore, a condensed narra- 
 tive of its achievements during the civil war, it 
 is with just and honorable pride that its officers 
 and men can point to the fact that they have 
 been associated with those of the navy, ashore 
 and afloat, and have always received cordial ac- 
 knowledgment from the most distinguished naval 
 commanders. 
 
 At the commencement of the civil war the 
 services of the marines were called into requisi- 
 tion, and being well armed and disciplined, they 
 were invaluable, in conjunction with our small 
 army, especially during the time that necessarily 
 elapsed before the newly-enlisted volunteers be- 
 came acquainted with the practical duties of 
 camp and field. In the beginning, when the 
 arm}^ and navy was depleted by the resignations 
 of the Southern officers, the corps lost its full 
 share. These vacancies were rapidly filled by 
 loj^al men, and the first duty to which they were 
 called was on the 7th of January, 1861, when 
 two hundred and fifty artillery and marines left 
 New York on the steamer "Star of the West" 
 to reinforce the garrison of Fort Sumter. The 
 expedition failed, and on the 12th of the same 
 month the steamer returned to New York with- 
 out landing the troops. This failure was due to 
 the removal of the buoys, lights, and ranges, 
 thus rendering a successful entrance impossible 
 at the time. During the same month a detach- 
 ment, under Lieutenant Hebb, was sent to garri- 
 son Fort Washington, on the Potomac, fourteen 
 miles south of Washington. 
 
 On the 22d of January the entire force at the 
 Brooklyn barracks was put underarms, and held 
 in readiness to repel an attack by an organized 
 force in sympathy with the Confederates. On the 
 12th of April, Lieutenant Cash, with the guards 
 of the "Sabine," "Brooklyn," and "St. Louis," 
 reinforced Fort Pickens, Fia., and received most 
 complimentarjr acknowledgments from its com- 
 mander, Colonel Brown. On the night of the 20th 
 the " Pawnee," with one hundred marines on 
 board, under the command of Lieutenant A. S. 
 Nicholson, entered the liarborof Norfolk. Her 
 arrival was not unexpected, and the men on the 
 "Pennsylvania" and "Cumberland," several 
 hundred in number, greeted her with cheers. 
 All Norfolk and Portsmouth were thoroughly 
 aroused by the arrival of the " Pawnee." Act- 
 ing under orders, the garrison at the navy-yard, 
 
 Copyright, 1886, by L. R. Hamersly & Co. 
 1 
 
and the guards of the "Pennsylvania," " Cum- 
 berland,' and "Pawnee," destroyed the yard 
 and ships at that place, spiking the heavy guns 
 and destroying property impossible to carry 
 away. A correspondent of the New York Times 
 thus wrote of the work that followed : " It is im- 
 possible to describe the scene of destruction that 
 was exhibited. Unweariedly it was continued 
 from nine o'clock until about twelve, during 
 which time the moon gave light to direct the 
 operations. But when the moon sank behind 
 the western horizon, the barracks near the 
 centre of the yard were set on fire, that by its 
 illumination the work might be continued. 
 The crackling flames and the glare of light in- 
 spired with new energies the destroying marines, 
 and havoc was carried everywhere within the 
 limits of orders. But time was not left to com- 
 plete the work. Four o'clock of Sunday morn- 
 ing came, and the ' Pawnee' was passing down 
 from Gosport harbor with the ' Cumberland,' the 
 coveted prize of the secessionists, in tow, every 
 soul from the other ships and the yard being 
 aboard of them save two. Just as they left their 
 moorings a rocket was sent up from the deck of 
 the ' Pawnee.' It sped high in the air, paused 
 a second, and burst in shivers of many-colored 
 lights. And as it did so, the well-set trains at 
 the ship-houses, and on the decks of the fated" 
 vessels left behind, went oflF as if lit simulta- 
 neously by the rocket. One of the ship-houses 
 contained the ' New York," a ship thirtj' j'ears 
 on the stocks, and yet unfinished. The other 
 was vaciint ; but both houses and the old ' New 
 York' burned like tinder." 
 
 In the first battle of Manassas, a battalion of 
 three hundred and fifty otficers and men, mostly 
 recruits, commanded by Major Reynolds, were 
 present. The battalion left the barracks in 
 Washington and reached the Virginia end of 
 the Long Bridge at 3 p.m., July 16, and served 
 in Porter's brigade as the support of Griffin's 
 battery. Lieutenant Hitchcock and eight men 
 were killed, two officers and seventeen men 
 wounded, and sixteen missing. 
 
 At the capture of Hatteras Inlet, August 30, 
 the marines from the " Minnesota," " Wabash," 
 and " Cumberland," under Captain Shuttle- 
 worth, landed with the army, under General 
 Butler, and entered Fort Clarke. 
 
 On the night of the loth of September the 
 Confederate privateer "Judah," at Pensacola, 
 was destroyed by a detachment of marines and 
 sailors. This brilliant afiair was not unattended 
 with loss on our side, one private having been 
 killed and three wounded. On the 8th of No- 
 vember the squadron, under Flag-Officer Dupont, 
 attacked the enemy's batteries at Bay Point and 
 Hilton Head, and succeeded in silencing them, 
 after an engagement of four ht)urs' duration, and 
 driving away the squadron of steamers under 
 Commodore Tatnall. The marines and a com- 
 pany of seamen took possessicm of the forts, and 
 held them until the arrival of the army. The 
 hearer of the dispatches carried with him the 
 first American flag raised upon the soil of South 
 Carolina after the rebellion broke out. A sep- 
 2 
 
arate battalion, under the command of Major 
 Keynolds, left Hampton Koads on the transport 
 steamer "Governor," with the other vessels of 
 the fleet, and continued with them until the 1st 
 of November. On that morning, at ten o'clock, 
 the wind began to freslien, and by twelve or one 
 blew so violently that they were obliged to keep 
 her head directly to the w'ind, and thereby leave 
 the squadron. 'Througliout the afternoon the 
 gale continued to increase, though the " Gov- 
 ernor" stood it well until about four o'clock. 
 The vessel was much damaged by sea and wind, 
 and was soon in a sinking condition. At day- 
 break on the 2d preparations were made for 
 sending boats to their relief, although the sea 
 was running high ; and it being exceedingly 
 dangerous for aboat to approach the guards of 
 the "steamer, in consequence the boats laid off, 
 and the men were obliged to jump into the sea, 
 and then hauled into the boats. All hands were 
 thus providentially rescued from the wreck, with 
 the exception of one corporal and six privates, 
 who were drowned or killed by the collision of 
 the vessels. The firmness with which oflScers and 
 men performed their duty was beyond all praise. 
 For forty-eight hours they stood at ropes and 
 passed water" to keep the sliip afloat. It is im- 
 possible for troops to have conducted themselves 
 better under such trying circumstances. 
 
 No event of the war attracted more attention 
 from other nations than that which has gone into 
 history as the " Trent Affair." On the 8th of 
 November, Lieutenant Fairfax, of the U. S. 
 steamer "San Jacinto," received from Captain 
 Wilkes orders to take command of two boats 
 and board the steamer " Trent," then hove-to 
 under the guns of the " San Jacinto." He was 
 ordered to" demand the papers of the steamer, 
 her clearance from Havana, and the list of pas- 
 sengers and crew. In the event of the presence 
 of the Confederate Commissioners, Messrs. Ma- 
 son and Slidell, with Messrs. Eustis and McFar- 
 land, on board, he was ordered to take them pris- 
 oners and bring them on board the " San Jacinto." 
 In obedience to these orders, Lieutenant Fairfax 
 repaired alongside the British packet in an armed 
 cutter, acconipanied by Mr. Houston and Mr. 
 Grace. He went on board the "Trent" alone, 
 leaving the two officers in the boats, with orders 
 to wait until it became necessary to show some 
 force. He was -shown up bj' the first officer to the 
 quarter-deck, where he met the captain and in- 
 formed him who he was, asking to see the pas- 
 senger-list. The captain declined. Fairfax told 
 him that he had infornuition of Messrs. Mason, 
 Slidell, Eustis, and McFarland having taken 
 passage at Havana in the packet for St. Thomas, 
 and announced his attention to satisfy himself 
 whether they were on board before allowing the 
 steamer to proceed. Mr. Slidell, evidently hear- 
 ing his name mentioned, stepped forward and 
 asked if he was wanted. Mr. Mason soon joined 
 them, and then Mr. Eustis and Mr. McFarland, 
 when Lieutenant Fairfax made known the object 
 of his visit. 
 
 The captain opposed anything like the search 
 of his vessel, nor would he consent to show 
 3 
 
papers or passenger-list. The four gentlemen 
 above mentioned protested also against being 
 arrested. Mr. Houston was sent back to the 
 "San Jacinto" with the information that the 
 four sxentlemcn were on board, and of the posi- 
 tion of atlairs. Lieutenant Greer almost imme- 
 diatelj- arrived with eiglit marines, which made 
 a total of sixteen in addition to the crews of the 
 two boats. The four gentlemen were quietly 
 transferred to Lieutenant Greer, after a protest 
 on their part. The mail agent, who was a re- 
 tired commander in the British navy, had much 
 to say as to the propriety of the seizure, but 
 Lieutenant Fairfax purposely avoided all official 
 intercourse with him. The mail agent made 
 some apology for his rude conduct as our force 
 was leaving the steamer, and expressed, person- 
 ally, his approval of the manner in which Lieu- 
 tenant Fairfax carried out his orders. 
 
 The officers of the steamer made a great many 
 irritating remarivs to each other and to the pas- 
 sengers in the presence of Lieutenant Greer and 
 the" men ; tlie marines, especially, came in for a 
 great share of abuse. 
 
 On December 5 the marines, under the com- 
 mand of Commander C. 11. P. Fvogers, took an 
 active part in the capture of Warsaw Island, and 
 on the 12th of the same month the marines 
 of the "Dale" and "Isaac Smith" engaged in 
 an expedition up the Ashepoo, and destroyed the 
 headquarters of the enemy near Fen wick's Island 
 Fort. Two weeks later the marines of the "Dale," 
 under the command of Lieutenant W. T. Trux- 
 tun, engaged and defeated an equal body of Con- 
 federates in the South Edisto, S. C, near the 
 house of Governor Aiken. 
 
 One of the most important conquests in the his- 
 tory of modern naval warfare was the fight in 
 Hampton Roads, Va., in which the famous Con- 
 federate ram, the "Merrimac," was engaged. 
 Other pens have graphically described this en- 
 gagement, and no portion of the history of the 
 war is more familiar to the people of all sections 
 than this. The marines of the "Minnesota," 
 "Cumberland," "Congress," "Eoanoke," and 
 "St. Lawrence" were engaged, and fought the 
 guns to which they were assigned with accuracy 
 and eflect. They justly won the admiration and 
 praise of the whole loyal nation. The first shot 
 from the " Merrimac" killed nine marines of the 
 guard, under Lieutenant Hey wood, on the " Cum- 
 berland." Lieutenant Hamersly, late of the 
 Marine Corps, in his history of the operations of 
 the navy during the war, says of the action of 
 the " Cumberland" : " Of the gallantry of this ac- 
 tion, which has furnished one of the brightest as 
 well as one of the saddest pages to the naval his- 
 tory of the world, it is difficult to speak in fitting 
 terms." 
 
 In February, 18G2, at Roanoke Island, in the 
 capture of Elizabeth City and Edenton, the fall 
 of Newbern, and the capture of Fort Macon, the 
 marines were present and shared the honors of 
 those victories with their brethren of the army 
 and navy. In the early part of March, in the 
 engagement under Flag-Officer Dupont, which 
 resulted in the possession of Cumberland Island 
 4 
 
and Sound, Fernandina and Amelia Islands, and 
 river and town of St. Mary's, the fleet included 
 the armed transport " McClellan," having on 
 board the battalion of marines, under the com- 
 mand of Major Keynolds. In the early part of 
 May the marines of the "Susquehanna," "San 
 Jacinto," "Dakota," " St. Lawrence," " Semi- 
 nole," and " Mount Vernon" participated in the 
 shellino- of Sewall's Point. In the engamcment 
 with the fort on AVard's, or Drury's Blutl", eight 
 miles from Richmond, the marine guard of the 
 "Galena" lost one private killed. In June, 
 Lieutenant Lowry,of the Wabash, in command 
 of the marine guards of the "James Adger," 
 " Keystone State," and " Albatross," engaged in 
 an expedition up the Santee River to destroy the 
 bridge. The expedition failed on account ot lack 
 of water for the vessels to operate. 
 
 Early in August, Captain Parker, command- 
 ing the "Wabash," with one hundred sailors 
 and one hundred marines, landed on Morris 
 Island and erected a battery. For two weeks the 
 marines and sailors worked, hauling their guns 
 up the beach and getting them in battery. At 
 the capture of New Orleans the marines more 
 than maintained their reputation. On the morn- 
 ing of the 24th of April, immediately after the 
 action with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and 
 the destruction of the rebel fleet, the marines, 
 under the command of Captain Brown, landed 
 and took possession of the quarantine, at the 
 same time taking prisoners the enemy quartered 
 in the quarantine buildings, and hoisting the 
 flag of the United States over the same. A bat- 
 talion of marines, two hundred and fifty strong, 
 under command of Captain Broome, disem- 
 barked from the fleet on the ^Oth of April, and 
 marched to the Custom House. A detachment 
 under Captain Ramsay was left there to guard 
 the flag then hoisted on the building. Captain 
 Broome then marched to the City Hall, a dis- 
 tance of half a mile from the vessels of the fleet, 
 and near the centre of the city. The forces of 
 General Lovell had not yet evacuated the city, 
 and the squares and stre^ets were thronged with 
 an excited mob, brandishing bowie-knives and 
 revolvers, and hailing the marines with the most 
 abusive language ; but the command marched in 
 close order and firm steps to its destination. 
 Three days before the arrival of General Butler 
 the marines took po.-session of and held the 
 public buildings of the city of New Orleans, 
 literally perfecting the conquest of the city. 
 For three days the force held in subjection the 
 turbulent elements of the population of the city, 
 and, at the end of that time, gave place to the 
 troops under General Butler. The casualties in 
 the marines during the capture of the forts and 
 city were: killed, five; wounded, twenty-one. 
 At the passage of the batteries at Vicksburg the 
 marines asain participated, which resulted in 
 one oificer and two privates being wounded. 
 On the l')th of July, in the engagement between 
 the Confederate ram "Arkansas" and the ves- 
 sels of Farragut's fleet, one officer and one pri- 
 vate were w<.unded. In the early part of Decem- 
 ber a battalion of marines, under the command 
 
of Major Garland, en route to California, on the 
 Pacific mail steamer "Ariel," was captured by 
 Semmes in the " Alabama," off the eastern end 
 of Cuba. The otticers and men were paroled, 
 and the " Ariel," after a ransom of two hundred 
 and sixty-one thousand dollars, was permitted to 
 proceed on her journey. The battalion arrived 
 in due course of time at Mare Island, when 
 they were shortly afterwards exchanijed. One 
 luindred and fifty men, under Captain Kintzinir, 
 guarded the large amount of supplies and ord- 
 nance at Cairo and Mound City, 111., and a de- 
 tachment served on board the "Black Hawk," 
 the flag-ship of Admiral Porter, and was en- 
 gaged in the Red River Expedition. 
 
 At four o'clock in the morning, in January, 
 18()3, during the obscurity of a thick haze, two 
 ironclad gunboats ran out of Charleston, S. C, 
 by the main ship channel, and attacked the 
 blockading fleet Most of the fleet were of the 
 light class of purchased vessels, and suffered 
 severely. On the " Keystone State" the casual- 
 ties were large, almost one- fourth of her crew' 
 being killed and wounded; the marineguard alone 
 having one sergeant, one corporal, and six pri- 
 vates killed, and one yirivale wounded. In the 
 attack on Fort liudson, on the IGth of March, 
 the marines of the "Hartford," "Richmond," 
 and " Mississippi" lost heavily in killed and 
 wounded, the marines of the " Richmond" hav- 
 ing ^'■nearly a whole gmi^fi crew sivept away by a 
 single shot." On the 13th of July a battalion, 
 under the command of Ca])tairi Grayson, was 
 placed at the disposal of the city authorities of 
 New York, to quell the disturbances caused by 
 the " Draft Riots," which duty was performed 
 to the satisfaction of the authorities, and won 
 their marked approbation. 
 
 In the following August a battalion, under 
 the command of Major Zeilin, sailed from New 
 York to co-operate with the South Atlantic 
 Squadron. The battalion was debarked on Mor- 
 ris Island, when the camp was established. It 
 participated in all of the subsequent engagements 
 which resulted in the capture of the outer de- 
 fenses of Charleston. On the night of the 8th of 
 September the battalion furnished a detachment 
 of one hundred men and seven officers, under the 
 command of Captain C. G. McCauley, all volun- 
 teers, to engage in the combined assault on Fort 
 Sumter, " in which Lieutenant Bi-adford was 
 mortally wounded, Lieutenant Meade captured, 
 and thirty men killed, wounded, or missing." 
 The marines in the " New Ironsides" partici- 
 pated in twenty-six engagements while attached 
 to that vessel off Charleston. 
 
 On the 28th of December a detachment par- 
 ticipated in the expedition, under the command 
 of Lieutenant-Commander R. W. Meade, which 
 destroyed the earth-works of the enemy at Stono, 
 S. C. During this year the marines of the East 
 Gulf Squadron, under Lieutenant Collum, were 
 engaged on three occasions in expeditions on 
 the coast of Florida. On the 1st of January, 
 1864, Lieutenant Fagan, in command of a de- 
 tachment, particijiated in the expedition which 
 destroyed a Confederate vessel and valuable cargo 
 6 
 
ill Murrill's Inlet. On the 19th of June, in the 
 engagement between the "Kearsarge" and "Ala- 
 bama," the marines ably sustained their reputa- 
 tion, the actii)n having commenced by the rifle- 
 gun on the forecastle, in charge of the marines, 
 and its fire was rapid and eftective throughout. 
 During the early piirt of July, in an engagement 
 between the " Wyoming" and the batteries at 
 Simonosaki, Japan, one private was killed and 
 one wounded. Later in the same month, when 
 the city of Washington was threatened by the 
 Confederates, a battalion and a battery of how- 
 itzers, under the command of Captain Forney, 
 was stationed at Havre de Grace to repel the ex- 
 pected attack upon the station. 
 
 On the 5th of August, when Admiral Farra- 
 gut made his attack on the defenses of Mobile, 
 " the marines were aiiK^ng the foremost at every 
 ]ioint where bravery and discipline could aid in 
 winning victory." About this time Captain 
 Hey wood, the senior marine officer, could muster 
 nearly eight hundred marines in the fleet of 
 Admiral Farragut. At the capture of Fort 
 Morgan, on the 22d of August, the marines of 
 the fleet, under Captain Heyvvood, served on 
 shore with the naval battery. In December, 
 1864, two batteries of naval howitzers and nine 
 companies of marines and sailors, under Com- 
 mander Preble, ascended Broad Kiver, S. C, to 
 co-operate with General Foster in establishing 
 connection with General Sherman, who was on 
 his " march to the sea." On the 30th they were 
 repulsed at Boyd's Neck, but on the 6th of Sep- 
 tember made a successful attack at Tullifinny 
 Cross-Roads, in which twenty-one were killed 
 and wounded. First Lieutenant Stoddard com- 
 manded the marines, who numbered three hun- 
 dred. When Charleston was abandoned, Lieu- 
 tenants Stoddard and Williams occupied George- 
 town, S. C, with six companies of marines, and 
 Lieutenant Breese held the battery of fifteen 
 guns. 
 
 " Among the last and most momentous events 
 of this war were the two attacks on Fort Fisher 
 by Admiral Porter. About sixty vessels consti- 
 tuted the fleet, and many of them, being heavy 
 steamers, carried large guards. Lieutenant Pile, 
 of the 'Juniata,' was killed in the first attack, 
 and over fifty enlisted men were either killed or 
 wounded in the second, where fourteen hundred 
 sailors and marines constituted the assaulting 
 column." After the capture of Fort Fisher, a 
 portion of the marines of the fleet were stationed 
 at City Point and Turkey Bend, in the vessels to 
 which they were attached. 
 
 During the gloomy hours which followed the 
 assassination of President Lincoln, the conspir- 
 ators, as they were arrested, with the exception 
 of Mrs. Surratt, were taken to the navy-j'ard 
 at Washington, and guarded by the marines 
 until their removal to the arsenal. Paine, who 
 was confined in an apartment on board of a 
 monitor, in the extremity of his despair attempted 
 suicide by beating his head against the iron walls 
 of his cell. Any further attempts were frus- 
 trated by the construction of a padded cap placed 
 over his head, his eyes, nose, and mouth being 
 7 
 
uncovered. On this monitor the autopsy on the 
 body of Booth was performed by the skilled sur- 
 geons of the army and navy. 
 
 The services of the marines were recognized 
 by the government by conferring brevets on 
 twoity-two officers "for gallant and meritorious 
 services," and on one for ^'' dlstlngui^Ited gal- 
 lantry in t}ie presence, of the enemy.'" Medals of 
 honor and honorable mention were also conferred 
 on eighteen sergeatits, sixteen corporals, one drimi- 
 mer, one fifer, and seventy-five privates. 
 
 Thus ended the important incidents, so far as 
 the marines were concerned, in connection with 
 the civil war. If in this simple narrative of 
 their services during those dark hours the writer 
 has added an interesting page to the history of 
 events, he will feel amply repaid by the knowl- 
 edge that the motto of the corps is indicative of 
 its deeds, and that the nation recognizes the debt 
 it owes to tiie men who, in those trying times, 
 nobly performed their duty. 
 
 R. S. COLLTJM, 
 
 Captain U. S. Marine Corps. 
 
UBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 0Q0Eaa535'^H