A Landing at West Point, Virginia . . . and Connections.

Guy Vernor Henry

             HEADQUARTERS U. S. TROOPS AT YORKTOWN
                   AND GLOUCESTER POINT,
                        Yorktown, Va., May 1, 1864.

Colonel SHAFFER,

    Chief of Staff, Fort Monroe:

The following is from Col. G. V. Henry, commanding brigade, Tenth Corps, at West Point, this morning:

My command landed at 10 a. m. to-day. The inhabitants say we have been expected for two or three weeks. The impression is that 40,000 or 50,000 are to march toward White House. Am building a good dock with material I have brought, and desire to keep up this impression. If not contrary to your views, would like to keep up the impression.

                    G.V. HENRY,
                Colonel Fortieth Massachusetts Volunteers.

I have sent word to Colonel Henry that as soon as he feels his position secure he can make the reconnaissance, but not to go too far.

                    WM. F. SMITH,
                        Major-General.







          HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., SECOND DIV., 10TH ARMY CORPS,
                             West Point, Va., May 2, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel FLOYD,

    Commanding Third New York Volunteers:

COLONEL: The colonel commanding directs that you will march your command to the front 8 or 10 miles upon the main road, collecting all the information of the enemy possible. You will go in light marching order with one days rations in haversacks, and use the utmost caution, scouring the country thoroughly. In case of an attack you will send immediately to these headquarters, reporting as near as possible the force in your front, and fall back slowly until you join the main body of troops. You will return to camp to-night, and upon your arrival report in person to the colonel commanding.

    Very respectfully, yours,

                    F.W. WEAVER,
                 Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.




Col. G.V. Henry from the Arlington National Cemetery website . . .

Born at Fort Smith, Indian Territory (now Arkansas), March 9, 1839, he graduated from West Point on May 5, 1861 and served throughout the Civil War and Indian Wars as Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel and Brigadier General in the Regular Army.

He received successive brevets for gallantry in various battles and was breveted Brigadier General, U.S. Army, for gallantry at Rose Bud, Montana, where he was shot through the face while fighting Indians. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on December 5, 1893 for his Civil War Service at the battle of Cold Harbor on June 1, 1864 where he was serving as Colonel, 40th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

He was later Colonel of the all-black 10th U.S. Cavalry and was commanding Fort Assinniboine during the Spanish-American War in 1898. He served as military governor of Puerto Rico following that war.

He died at his home in New York City on October 27, 1899 and was buried in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery.

. . . and his Medal of Honor citation for actions some thirty days after landing at West Point. . .

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Colonel Guy Vernor Henry, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 1 June 1864, while serving with 40th Massachusetts Infantry, in action at Cold Harbor, Virginia. Colonel Henry led the assaults of his brigade upon the enemy's works, where he had two horses shot under him.

General Orders: Date of Issue: December 5, 1893

. . . while this Medal of Honor was awarded to a drummer of the 40th Massachusetts, William Lord, just two weeks before that . . .

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Musician William Lord, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 16 May 1864, while serving with Company C, 40th Massachusetts Infantry, in action at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia. Musician Lord went to the assistance of a wounded officer lying helpless between the lines, and under fire from both sides removed him to a place of safety.

General Orders: Date of Issue: April 4, 1898

 . . . the officer he rescued? Lt.Col. Eldridge G. Floyd, commanding the Third New York


 This is a cross posting from New Kent County History

"Sir: In obedience to your order, I report the following experience . . .

Report of Commander Parker, U. S. Navy, commanding Potomac Flotilla, transmitting report of Lieutenant-Commander Eastman, U. S. Navy, on torpedoes taken from the Rappahannock River.

                                                                                    U.S. S. KING PHILIP,

                                                                   Blakistone Island, May 21, 1864.

 SIR: I have the honor to forward herewith a copy of a report of Lieutenant-Commander Eastman in relation to the construction of the torpedoes lately removed from the Rappahannock River and the manner of using them as demonstrated by the explosion of one of them in the St. Marys River on the 18th instant by my order.

                 Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

                                                                                FOXHALL A. PARKER,

                                                    Commander, Commanding Potomac Flotilla.

 Hon. GIDEON WELLES,

             Secretary of the Navy.

                                                          U. S. SCHOONER MATTHEW VASSAR, 

                                                                                                 May 18, 1864.

 Sir: In obedience to your order, I report the following experience in the use of a torpedo taken from the rebels in the Rappahannock River:

 The torpedo is a cylindrical tin vessel, with a second small cylinder at the top, and with three apertnres, one on the side and bottom, for the purpose of receiving the powder, which apertures are afterwards closed with a gutta-percha wad, and on the wad outside is a covering of beeswax and tallow.

 The other aperture is at the top, and is for the purpose of receiving a friction primer, which is pnt in first, and the aperture then made water-tight by filling in with beeswax and tallow mixed.

 The friction primer is attached to the end of a wire, which extends from the outside to the center of the vessel, so that the primer lies in the middle of the powder always.

 To prevent the primer from having any lateral motion, three wires are soldered on to the sides of the vessel and join in the middle nearly, so that the primer may pass through their bent ends without danger of catching or moving.

 The small cylinder at the top of the torpedo is covered with a tin cap so as to hold the pulling line and prevent it from being touched until the torpedo is sunk, at which time time cap is removed and the line led out to the shore.

 The torpedo holds about 50 pounds of fine priming powder, and I enclose here a diagram showing dimensions, etc.

 After informing myself thoroughly as to the manner of using this new weapon (by carefully opening one), I exploded ammother in the following manner:

 Having attached a sinking weight to the two handles which are on the sides, I pulled with a small boat into the channel and then ran my line ashore, and after this was done, I carefully removed the tin cap and lowered the torpedo in 3 fathoms water.

 The boat was then pulled ashore and the line pulled from about 50 yards back in the bushes, when, without any noise, a column of water 60 feet high and 5 feet in diameter was thrown up, and, covering the woods with spray, fell, sending a circular wave about 1 foot high to the surrounding shore.

 The appearance was grand, and if a ship was directly over one of these torpedoes she would, in all probability, be sunk; but if alongside (except receiving a quantity of water on deck), I do not believe she would be injured.

 With the information gained, I feel competent to use the remaining torpedoes against the rebels whenever it is required of me.

                     Respectfully,
                                                                                            T. H. EASTMAN,
                                                                    Lieutenant-Commander, U. S. Navy.



 Commander FOXHALL A. PARKER,
 Commanding Potomac Flotilla.


 

-Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion.; Series I- Volume 5: Operations on the Potamac and Rappahannock Rivers (December 7, 1861-July 31, 1865); Atlantic Blockading Squadron (April 4, 1861-July 15, 1861)

List of guns sent from the Norfolk navy yard . . .

Report of Captain Barron, Virginia navy, to the governor of Virginia, regarding naval defenses of the rivers of Virginia.

             OFFICE OF NAVAL DETAIL AND EQUIPMENT,
                     Richmond, June 10, 1861.

Enclosure B.
List of guns sent from the Norfolk navy yard to North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Georgia.

NORTH CAROLINA.
 Two 32-pounders of 42 cwt.          Ten 32-pounders of 46 cwt.
 Four 32-pounders of 27 cwt.          Ten S-inch guns of 63 cwt.
 Four 24-pounders of 31 cwt.          Twenty 32-pounder carronades 17 or 15 cwt.
 Twenty 32-pounders of 61 cwt.
 Ten 32-pounders oC 57 cwt.
 Total, 80 guns.

TENNESSEE.
 Ten 32-pounders of 42 cwt.            Thirty-two 32-pounders of 61 cwt.
 Total, 42 guns. Ten 42-pounders of 70 cwt. were also sent from Richmond.

 LOUISIANA.
 Eight 8-inch guns of 63 cwt.             Eight 32-pounders of 33 cwt.
 One 9-inch gun of 9,000 pounds.     Four 32-pounders of 27 cwt.
 Total, 21 guns.

 GEORGIA.
 Two 32-pounders of 27 cwt:


-Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion.; Series I - Volume 5: Operations on the Potamac and Rappahannock Rivers (December 7, 1861 - July 31, 1865); Atlantic Blockading Squadron (April 4, 1861 - July 15, 1861)