The Great Blue Army Wagon

Welcome back! A bit of a transportation theme threading here on the third of every month. In May, I shared some of the locations in America where private vehicles are not permitted. For this post, instead of discussing cars, trucks, and other fuel driven modes of getting from point A to point B, we travel back to a time with simpler machines.

Early American settlers employed this method to traverse the vast land we now call the United States. The western migration predicated the need for a conveyance for not only people, but also the supplies required for such a grueling journey. According to the National Park Service, it is possible that upwards of 500,000 people utilized this means from 1841 to 1869. These brave adventurers were not the only individuals to use the Pioneer Wagon - also known as Covered Wagon or Prairie Schooner. During the Civil War, armies also needed help moving items and men.


Roger Hanson, a volunteer at the Tabor House Museum in Ellijay, Georgia and owner of an authentic wagon shared tidbits about one such example. Trying something new for these posts with short videos. Listen as Roger explains interesting history and features. (Some of the text below features his words; in case the videos are tad sluggish.)

This is a model 1858 Army Wagon. During the Civil War period the north built 70,000 in factories and the south 40,000 - generally based on the same design.

Mules pulled these wagons. After removing the mules, the rectangular attachment on the front tongue served as the feed trough. The empty section of the tongue held the related harnesses.

Studebaker Company created this model. They built 6,000 units during the war, at their factory in South Bend, Indiana.

Not all the wagons offered brakes. This is the actual chain brake, attached through the back wheels. For going up and down hills, the rear wheels remained locked. Basically, they could drag it up and down to give them some control of the wagon when it was heavily loaded. 

This maroon undercarriage, along with the body and bed of the wagon in sky blue are the proper colors. The Army began employing these colors in 1812. There is no documentation explaining why these choices developed. We can surmise their use because the soldiers' uniforms sported these shades at that time.

This main color existed on The Great Blue Army Wagon until 1907. At that juncture the color switched to green.

This is the tailgate for the wagon. The chains held the feed trough while in motion. This allowed the mules and other following animals to eat during stops in route. This allowed the convoy to remain compact.

Notice the case full of wagon grease under the wagon. The wooden bucket is original. Named the Tar Pot, it served all the wagons.

This canvas is called a wagon cover. The manufacturer - J. Clemens & Co., Manufacturers of Tents, Tarpaulins, & Wagon Covers, in St. Louis, Missouri. Does the name sound familiar? Mark Twain's (Samuel Clemens) uncle was the richest man in St. Louis during the war period and after the war.
The box at the front of the wagon held tools. The driver did not ride on the wagon step. Rather he rode a mule and controlled all six mules from the front.

During the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman arrived in Georgia with 4,000 wagons, including 24,000 mules. The Confederates utilized 3,000 of these wagons. This gives an idea of the logistics efforts involved.

Can you imagine the overwhelming task of transporting troops and all they required with carriages pulled by mules? Contrast that scenario with the options afforded by the Armed Forces of today. Night and day.

Have you ever seen a Prairie Schooner or Army Wagon in person? Did you know the Prairie Schooner garnered that name because it seemed as if the covers were gliding across the country as Schooner sails on the ocean. Nifty! Hope you enjoyed these little pieces of the past. Thank you to Roger Hanson for sharing living history with us.

As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for an online magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 130 Plans, in 44 languages on the Bible.com app.

Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and a college senior. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers.

Connect with Rebecca: Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest X/Twitter

The Hunley Submarine: Part Two - Recovery, Restoration, Solving the Mystery of Its Loss

 By Mary Dodge Allen

"Confederate Submarine, Hunley" artist Conrad Wise Chapman, 1864

In the early evening of February 17, 1864, the Hunley, a Confederate sub with a crew of eight men and armed with a primitive torpedo, made history as the first combat submarine to sink an enemy ship. But after accomplishing its mission – the Hunley disappeared without a trace. And for the next 131 years, its fate would remain a mystery. 

My blog last month described the two previous attempts (and failures) as builders tried to construct a workable submarine. You can read The Hunley Submarine: Part One by clicking this link:

After the Hunley disappeared, many efforts were mounted to find it. The Union fleet dragged the area near the wreck of the USS Housatonic, hoping to snag the sub. And P.T. Barnum, the famous Circus showman, even offered a $100,000 reward to anyone who found the Hunley. This reward is equivalent to nearly $2,000,000 in today’s dollars!

Fast forward to May 3, 1995. After fifteen years of searching, author Clive Cussler – (who founded the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), an agency that searches for historic shipwrecks) – located the Hunley in Charleston Harbor, using sonar and a magnetometer. The sub was found at a depth of nearly 30 feet, buried under three feet of silty sediment. It was resting on its starboard side with its bow pointed toward Sullivan’s Island, as if it was heading home.

Clive Cussler (center) with NUMA team members, May 3, 1995 (Hunley.org)

Before its recovery, decisions had to be made about the Hunley’s ownership and the best way to preserve it. Once it was determined that the United States government owned the sub, the decision was made to recover it from the bottom of Charleston Harbor, in light of its historical significance. This would also protect the sub and its human remains from looters. 

An international team of maritime experts and engineers were assembled, working with the U.S. Dept. of Navy, National Park Service, Dept. of Natural Resources and Oceaneering International. Care had to be taken in raising the 20 ton sub, so it wouldn’t break apart. A metal truss was constructed over the sub, while divers dug 30 tunnels beneath the sub, so that flexible slings could be slipped underneath it. These slings were injected with inflatable foam to conform to the sub’s contours, creating a soft cradle to lift the Hunley out of the sediment.

Diagram of the metal truss and Hunley's foam/sling cradle. (Hunley.org)

On August 8, 2000, crowds assembled to watch the Hunley as it was lifted to the surface and placed onto a transport barge. The sub was brought to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston and submerged in a 75,000 gallon steel tank of chilled, fresh water to protect and stabilize its iron hull - which had been weakened by spending over 100 years in salt water. If exposed to open air, the sub would rapidly rust and fall apart.

Over the next several years, archaeologists wearing protective coveralls and respirators patiently removed over 11 tons of sediment inside the sub, in a respectful fashion. Slowly, they uncovered many artifacts and personal belongings, along with the skeletal remains of the eight crewmen – who were later identified through DNA testing, and facial reconstruction.

Hunley Crew: Captain George E. Dixon, Frank Collins, Joseph Ridgaway, James A. Wicks, Arnold Becker, Corporal Johan Frederik Carlsen, C. Lumpkin, and Augustus Miller.

In 2004, the eight crewmen were buried with full military honors in Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery. 

Hunley crew exhibit, Warren Lasch Conservation Center - Crewmen at duty stations. (Hunley.org)

All eight crewmen were found seated at their duty stations. This seemed odd, since the prevailing theories of the Hunley’s loss centered around a breach of the sub’s hull by the torpedo explosion or a collision with the USS Housatonic, or its debris. Any of these possibilities would have likely given the crew enough time to attempt an escape. Why did they remain seated peacefully at their stations?

The answer wouldn’t be revealed for many years, until the concretion – encrusted sand, sediment and shells – had been removed from its exterior and interior.

Conservators removing concretion from Hunley's exterior. (Hunley.org)

In 2011, the Hunley (which was still cradled as it was found, on its starboard side) was finally rotated upright. Then in 2014, the 75,000 gallon holding tank was filled with a chemical bath to help loosen the rock-like concretion. Over the next several years, a series of fresh chemical baths were employed to loosen the concretion, while a team of conservators carefully chiseled it away.

My husband and I visited the Warren Lasch Conservation Center several years ago, and we were impressed with the conservation of the Hunley and the many exhibits. Below is a photo of my husband sitting at a duty station in a life-size cutaway replica of the Hunley’s crew compartment.

Cramped seating inside the crew compartment. (author's personal photo)

Below are a few artifacts and personal belongings, cleaned and restored:

Captain George E. Dixon's $20 gold coin (Hunley.org)

According to legend, George E. Dixon’s girlfriend gave him a $20 gold coin for luck before he left for war. Dixon was shot in the Battle of Shiloh, but he claimed the coin in his pocket stopped the bullet, saving his life. Historians weren’t sure if this was fact, or romantic fiction – until this 1860 gold coin was found resting on Dixon’s hip bone. The coin was warped from a violent impact and traces of lead (used in bullets) were found on the coin. One side was engraved with these words: Shiloh, April 6th 1862, My life Preserver, G. E. D.

Lantern recovered from Hunley. (Hunley.org)

The Hunley crew planned to use a lantern as a signal to people on shore that the attack was a success. Those on shore would then light a bonfire to guide the sub home. At the time, some claimed they saw the Hunley's lantern signal after the torpedo explosion. It is unclear if this lantern was used for this purpose.

Captain George E. Dixon's binoculars, before and after restoration. (Hunley.org)

One of eight canteens recovered, before and after restoration. (Hunley.org)

Oil can, before and after restoration. (Hunley.org)

Captain George E. Dixon's gold pocket watch, before and after restoration. (Hunley.org)

Interesting Note: The hands on Dixon’s broken pocket watch were stopped at 8:23 PM

What caused the loss of the Hunley Submarine?

Now that most of the concretion has been removed from the Hunley’s hull, specific areas of damage have been found, such as holes in the hull and a broken ballast intake pipe. But it remains unclear if this damage was caused by the torpedo explosion or over one hundred years of salt water corrosion.

One intriguing theory - proposed by biomedical engineer Rachel Lance in a March 2020 article in Smithsonian Magazine - is that the Hunley crewmen were victims of a catastrophic blast wave injury, which can cause instantaneous death through lung and brain damage. Lance is a former civil engineer with the U.S. Navy and has a PhD in biomedical engineering. She works at Clemson University, studying the physical effects of underwater explosions.

Lance’s theory explains why the crewmen were still seated at their duty stations. The Hunley’s torpedo was filled with over 100 pounds of gunpowder, which caused an explosion powerful enough to sink the USS Housatonic warship in a matter of minutes. The blast wave injury from this violent explosion could have fatally incapacitated them.

Do you agree? What do you think happened to the crew of the Hunley Submarine?

To learn more about the Hunley restoration, and view its fascinating exhibits, visit the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, SC. For more information, visit: www.hunley.org

_______________

Mary Dodge Allen is the winner of a 2022 Christian Indie Award, a 2022 Angel Book Award, and two Royal Palm Literary Awards (Florida Writer's Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the local police department. Her childhood in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, sparked her lifelong love of the outdoors. She has worked as a Teacher, Counselor and Social Worker. Her quirky sense of humor is energized by a passion for coffee and chocolate. She is a member of the Florida Writer's Association, American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers. 

Website: www.marydodgeallen.com

Mary's novel: Hunt for a Hometown Killer won the 2022 Christian Indie Award, First Place - Mystery/Suspense; and the 2022 Angel Book Award - Mystery/Suspense.

Click the link below to buy Hunt for a Hometown Killer at Amazon.com:

Hunt For A Hometown Killer: A Novel: Allen, Mary Dodge: 9781952369704: Amazon.com: Books

Link to Mary's Spotlight Interview:   Mary Dodge Allen Author Spotlight EA Books

The Hunley Submarine: Part One - Its Civil War Mission and Mysterious Disappearance

By Mary Dodge Allen

"Confederate Submarine, Hunley" artist Conrad Wise Chapman, 1864

In the early evening of February 17, 1864, the Hunley, a Confederate sub with a crew of eight men and armed with a primitive torpedo, set out on its first mission: to sink a Union warship blockading Charleston’s harbor. In less than three hours, the Hunley made history as the first combat submarine to sink an enemy ship. But after accomplishing its mission – the Hunley disappeared without a trace. And for the next 131 years, its fate would remain a mystery.

During the Civil War, both sides actively sought to design a workable submarine. The Confederacy was more successful because they relied on independent engineers and private funding, and they weren’t hampered by the Union’s government bureaucracy. Before building the Hunley, the Confederacy built two other submarines.

First Sub – Pioneer:

In 1862, this sub was built In New Orleans by a team headed by three key men: former riverboat captain James McClintock, engineer Baxter Watson, and lawyer Horace L. Hunley. In February, they began testing the sub’s performance in Lake Pontchartrain. But only weeks later, in April, Admiral David Farragut’s fleet captured New Orleans. The team quickly scuttled the Pioneer to keep it out of Union hands.

James McClintock, Horace L. Hunley (Public Domain)

No photo of Baxter Watson found

Second Sub – American Diver:

The team moved to Mobile, Alabama, determined to build a new sub powered by an engine. Machinists Thomas Park and Thomas Lyons joined the effort, and the team set up its operations at the business these machinists co-owned, Parks & Lyons machine shop.

Parks & Lyons Machine Shop in Mobile (Public Domain)

In January 1863, American Diver began sea trials in Mobile Bay. But its engine, powered by a primitive electro-magnetic battery, wasn’t powerful enough to propel the heavy sub through the water. One month later, American Diver sank during a fierce storm, with no crewmen on board.

(Graphic Image from Hunley.org)

Third Sub – originally referred to as the “fish torpedo boat”:

Learning from their mistakes, the team built a new, improved sub – powered by a crew of eight men using hand cranks, attached by a long screw to the rear propeller, guided by a steering rudder. They used a 40-ft metal boiler to craft the sub’s body and added hydraulic and ballast systems. The sub had two top hatches with glass port holes, and glass port holes along the top of the crew compartment. It was designed to tow a torpedo (a contact bomb), and dive under an enemy ship while dragging the bomb against its hull. In July 1863, this sub successfully sank an old coal barge during a trial run in Mobile Bay. 

Diagrams of the "fish torpedo boat" - later renamed Hunley (Public Domain)

The “fish torpedo boat” suffered two tragic accidents:

The First Accident: After the success in Mobile Bay, the Confederate Navy took control of the sub and placed Lt. John A. Payne in command of a new crew – all navy volunteers with no submarine experience. On August 29th, after only five days of training, the sub sank when its top hatches were accidentally left open during a dive. Lt. Payne and two crewmen escaped, but the other five crewmen perished.

The Second Accident: The sub was recovered, and Captain Horace L. Hunley was placed in command of a new volunteer crew. In October 1863, after several weeks of training, the sub sank once again, during a practice dive. The entire eight member crew perished.

After the Confederate Navy recovered the sub, it was formally renamed Hunley, in memory of its commander, who was also the submarine project’s original key investor.

The Hunley Submarine:

Due to safety concerns, the Hunley was redesigned. A 16-foot long metal spar was fixed to its bow, and the torpedo (a copper cylinder containing 100 pounds of gunpowder and a detonation fuse) was attached to the spar’s tip. This new torpedo system eliminated the danger of choppy waves propelling a towed torpedo into the sub. 

Diagram of redesigned Hunley (Public Domain)

Because the sub was lost twice during dives, the new volunteer crew, commanded by First Lt. George E. Dixon, was ordered to operate the sub above the surface until just before an attack.

The Hunley’s Attack - February 17, 1864:

At approximately 8:15 PM, one and a half hours after the Hunley set off from Sullivan’s Island, it began its fast run toward its target: USS Housatonic, three miles offshore – one of the Union ships blockading Charleston Harbor.

USS Housatonic (US Naval History and Heritage Command)

USS Housatonic’s Officer of the Deck, John Crosby, was on the eight to midnight watch. He stated: “I saw something in the water, which at first looked to me like a porpoise... about 75 to 100 yards from us on our starboard beam... Looking again within an instant, I saw it was coming toward the ship very fast.”

USS Housatonic’s Captain Charles W. Pickering rushed on deck and issued the order to ‘Go Astern’ when he saw the danger. He stated: “I saw something... moving towards the ship... I turned instantly, took my double barreled gun loaded with buck shot... and jumped on the horse block on the starboard quarter... It was shaped like a large whale boat... within two or three feet of the ship’s side. I fired... and ran to the port side, singing out, ‘Go Astern Faster’...”

Crewman Mayer, Assistant Engineer on USS Housatonic, stated: “The engine was immediately backed, and had made three or four revolutions when I heard the explosion, accompanied by a sound of rushing water and crashing timbers and metal... I then jumped up the hatch, saw the ship was sinking and gave the order for all hands to go on deck.”

The USS Housatonic sank in only a matter of minutes, taking the lives of five of its crewmen.

Shortly after the explosion, men standing onshore reported spotting a blue light (the Hunley’s signal for a successful attack). But the sub never returned. Its whereabouts remained a mystery until its location was confirmed in 1995. Later that year, a team of archaeologists and government agencies began devising a plan to recover the Hunley.

Read about the sub’s recovery in my blog next month on October 5th – The Hunley Submarine: Part Two - Recovery, Restoration, Solving the Mystery of Its Loss.

_____________

Mary Dodge Allen is the winner of a 2022 Christian Indie Award, a 2022 Angel Book Award, and two Royal Palm Literary Awards (Florida Writer's Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the local police department. Her childhood in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, sparked her lifelong love of the outdoors. She has worked as a Teacher, Counselor and Social Worker. Her quirky sense of humor is energized by a passion for coffee and chocolate. She is a member of the Florida Writer's Association, American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers. 

Website: www.marydodgeallen.com

Mary's novel: Hunt for a Hometown Killer won the 2022 Christian Indie Award, First Place - Mystery/Suspense; and the 2022 Angel Book Award - Mystery/Suspense.

Click the link below to buy Hunt for a Hometown Killer at Amazon.com:

Hunt For A Hometown Killer: A Novel: Allen, Mary Dodge: 9781952369704: Amazon.com: Books

Link to Mary's Spotlight Interview:   Mary Dodge Allen Author Spotlight EA Books