John B. Patrick

Statement of John B. Patrick,

of the "CSS Albemarle."

transcribed by Terry Foenander.

The following statement, made before Fleet Captain John S. Barnes, U.S. Navy, on June 26, 1864, by Confederate navy deserter John B. Patrick is transcribed, with some notes added, from page 768, series 1, volume 9, of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. It describes, in some detail, his experiences while serving aboard the CSS Albemarle during the engagement at Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, on May 5, 1864. It is possible that this statement was used in the intelligence gathering process, prior to William B. Cushing's raid upon, and destruction of the Albemarle.

I was on board the Albemarle upwards of two months. I formerly belonged to the gunboat North Carolina, at Wilmington, and left her in the launches. When the Bombshell was raised, I went on board of her and remained on her until about two hours before the fight, and was then sent for in a small boat and brought on board the Albemarle as she was coming down the river. I was second front leverman at the after gun, and it was a Brooke 100-pounder rifle. [1]

The Albemarle had two guns, just alike. We expected to go to New Berne to meet the Neuse at the time the army attacked. We did not expect to have a fight with the gunboats, as they had run away when the Albemarle came down on Plymouth. We did know that there were three new vessels, but did not know what kind of vessels they were. There were several vessels lying near the mouth of the river as we came down, which steamed away from us, and we followed them on down the sound for about 10 miles, when we made out that the gunboats were going to fight us. We fired our bow gun as a signal for battle. The Cotton Plant was ordered back to the Roanoke River and the Bombshell also, but she did not get the order soon enough. Your vessels steamed right up in line of battle, passing us on the port side, firing right into us. We fired into them as they passed; our after gun was on the port side and forward gun on the starboard. It was the first broadside that knocked a hole in us, but not all the way through. The splinters flew about. Your vessels then passed around us on our starboard side; as they passed the Bombshell surrendered.

The Sassacus then ran right upon us. We saw her coming and thought she carried a torpedo, and made preparations to get overboard by getting near the ports and hatches. The order was given to stand by small arms and repel boarders. The shock was not great; at the after gun we felt it, but not much. It heeled her over some; the water came over her shield. There was a good deal of confusion. About eight men ran the gun out and fired into her. Most of the men left their station and ran around. Captain Cooke was standing in the hatch and was knocked down. He looked kinder scared like. The other officers, Mr. Shelby [Shelly] and Rutz [Roby?] were cool. All the port shutters were knocked away except one; no shots came in the ports. The after gun was hit twice and the muzzle knocked off. The Sassacus knocked off four plates at the edge of the water; they were only secured by three or four bolts; the blow was a glancing one. We fired two guns into the Sassacus as she hauled off, which struck her. Captain Cooke saw the smoke or steam coming out of her and told us not to fire at her any more, as she had surrendered or was sinking. We then fired at the other boats. The wheel ropes parted and she swung around. I looked out the port and saw she was going up the river again. The rudderhead was wrenched off and gave much trouble. There was a large piece of plating hanging over the bows, shot off, which balanced the rudder; this was cut off after dark up the river. She would not steer at all, running first into one bank and then the other. I think twenty-five shots broke the iron; two broke through the wood inside; three men wounded; seven plates knocked off; no leak more than ordinary.

She was very hot inside. The men were nearly exhausted. She could not have held out an hour longer. She draws 8 feet; plating 8 [4] inches thick above water, 1 ½ under water; crew about 70 men. The smokestack was shot away and we could make no steam. Our failure to get to New Berne was laid partly to that. Mr. Shelby [Shelly] said they must have a new one of a different kind. They all thought it was impossible to get to New Berne unless the Neuse came to meet them halfway. Nearly all the bacon, lard, and butter was burned, the bulkhead also, to raise steam to get back with. They are making a smokestack now, to shove up a piece at a time as it is shot away. Our coal was all hard coal. The crew never live on board; they sleep under a shed in hammocks, with a watch on board. She is very rough and confined; no room except just to work two guns and steer her. They say she will now go 8 or 9 knots. She has two screws worked with one engine. [2]

I belong to Nashville, Tenn. I am a seaman; sailed from New Orleans to Bermuda and to Galveston. I have been in the rebel service since 1861. I enlisted in the regulars in Tennessee and went to Charleston. [3] I was there during all the fighting, until the evacuation of Morris Island. I was stationed at No. 1 gun on the sea face parapet. There was considerable damage done the fort; several shot came through the wall, and the casemates were very much damaged. I was stunned by a shot which struck the brick tower and buried me in the brick and mortar. The New Ironsides had a lucky escape. She was right over a torpedo containing 12,000 pounds of powder. I helped put it down. It was put near the buoy, just off Wagner; the wires led into two barges and a steamer; the barges were sparred apart and it was slung between them. One end was placed toward Sullivan's Island, other toward Wagner; large anchors and chains were attached to it to keep it from rolling. The hawser was passed around it and both ends of both parts slacked away together. The Ironsides was over it for some time. The wires had been cut by the man who invented the torpedo. I don't know why, except he had not been treated right. Lieutenant Blake was arrested and was to be tried for saying he hoped it would never go off, as it was too bad to blow people up in that way; it was not Christian. They tried to raise the torpedo afterwards, but could not do it.

After leaving Charleston I came to Wilmington and entered the Navy, and went on the North Carolina about seven months. Captain Muse then commanded her. He died and Porter took her. He was the executive officer. [4] She is a ram, four guns, just like those at Richmond. Her engines are very bad, always out of repair. The Raleigh was run on a bank by the captain purposely. He thought it would not hurt her; when the tide fell her back broke. They set fire to her and burned all the woodwork out of her. They have but the North Carolina now; she never got down far without breaking something and had to be towed back. I have heard that she escorts blockade runners out, but don't know it. Don't know how much she draws.

The Albemarle had no torpedoes, but she is having one fitted now. [5]

Notes:

[1] The Bombshell was raised and taken into the Confederate Navy in the latter part of April, 1864. Thus Patrick's service aboard that vessel would have only been for about two weeks, before he was sent aboard the CSS Albemarle on May 5, 1864. Service details of the CSS Bombshell shown on page 505, volume 2, of the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

[2] Several statements made by Patrick are verified in the after action report of the commander of the Albemarle, J.W. Cooke, dated at Plymouth, North Carolina, May 7, 1864, and reproduced on pages 770-771, series 1, volume 9, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion.

[3] A J.B. Patrick served in the 11th Tennessee, and there was a John Patrick who served in the 35th Tennessee Infantry, but neither unit is known to have been at Charleston, South Carolina. (See Tennesseans in the Civil War, part 1; published by University of Tennessee Press, Nashville, 1994.)

[4] North Carolinian William T. Muse commanded the CSS North Carolina in 1864, until his death on April 8. He was then succeeded by First Lieutenant Thomas Kennedy Porter, who, later that year, served as executive officer of the CSS Florida. (See the Register of Officers of the Confederate States Navy, 1861-1865.)

[5] Patrick's service, after leaving the Confederate Army, can thus be assumed as follows: he joined the Confederate States Navy at Wilmington, North Carolina, about September/October, 1863, when he was sent aboard the CSS North Carolina; sometime after April 18, 1864, after the raising of the Bombshell, and her conversion into a Confederate gunboat, he was sent aboard that vessel, but on May 5, 1864, he was sent aboard the CSS Albemarle, from which vessel he deserted on or about June 26, 1864.

Source: http://hub.dataline.net.au/~tfoen/patrick.htm