Archaeologists Document Civil War Shipwreck in Gulf of Mexico
A team of marine archaeologists and technicians assembled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began work in September to create a three-dimensional sonar map of the storm-exposed remains of the U.S. side-wheel gunboat Hatteras—the only Union warship sunk in combat in the Gulf of Mexico during the Civil War.
The Hatteras, an iron-hulled steamer the U.S. Navy converted into a gunboat, was lost in a battle with the famous Confederate commerce raider Alabama on 11 January 1863, about 20 miles off Galveston, Texas, the key Southern port that changed hands twice and remained one of the last bastions of the Confederacy.
Today, the wreck of the Hatteras is largely intact, resting 57 feet underwater in sand and silt. Recent hurricanes and storms have removed some of the sediment and sand that once encased the vessel like a time capsule. Shifting sands may once again rebury the Hatteras, and so within a short window of opportunity, the team assembled to capture all the data it could. Working from a NOAA research vessel and two private craft, the divers deployed high-resolution mapping sonar to create 3-D photomosaics of the Hatteras for research, education, and outreach purposes.
“This project intends to capture a detailed sonar map of the wreck,” said James Delgado, director of maritime heritage for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “This will create a detailed visual representation of a long-buried wreck in murky waters that we can share with the public while also using it to plan for the USS Hatteras’ long-term protection as an archaeological site and war grave.”
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Hatteras represents an integral part of the story of the Civil War on the Texas coast. In 1863 she was part of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron commanded by Union Rear Admiral David G. Farragut. The squadron was part of the U.S. Navy’s efforts to block the passage of goods, supplies, and arms to and from the Confederacy on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
The Hatteras is located in federal waters administered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, but the ship herself is administered by the Navy. The vessel is protected by the Sunken Military Craft Act as a war grave—two of the crew went down with the ship, and their bodies never were recovered. They are presumed to lie inside the buried hull.
“This project will provide an unparalleled view of the wreck site,” said Delgado, “giving the public a unique 3-D look at the wreck from the safety of a computer screen, while also allowing us to document previously unexplored elements of the wreck.”
NOAA plans to present results from the mapping mission in Galveston in January during local events marking the 150th anniversary of the sinking of the Hatteras.
For Only The Second Time in Over a Century, Old Ironsides Sets Sail
The USS Constitution departed her berth at Charlestown, Massachusetts, on 19 August to set sail for the first time since 1997, during an underway demonstration commemorating Guerriere Day. The underway honored the 200th anniversary of the Constitution’s decisive victory over HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812.
“I cannot think of a better way to honor those who fought in the war as well as celebrate the Constitution’s successes during the War of 1812 than for the ship to be under sail,” said Commander Matt Bonner, the storied frigate’s 72nd commanding officer. “The event also ties our past and present by having the ship not only crewed by the outstanding young men and women who make up her crew, but also the 150 chief petty officer [CPO] selectees who join us for their Heritage Week.”More than 150 CPO selectees and CPO mentor chiefs assisted the Constitution’s crew in setting sails. The training is designed to instill pride in naval heritage in the Navy’s senior enlisted leadership. Chief (Select) Boatswain’s Mate (SW) Michael Zgoda, assigned to the USS Ingraham (FFG-61), said, “I’m extremely honored to be a part of the group that can say they sailed the USS Constitution.”
The ship got under way with tugs attached to her sides and 285 people on board, including dignitaries and other special guests. A wreath was tossed into the water to honor and remember the Constitution’s battle with the Guerriere. When the ship arrived at Boston Harbor’s President Roads, the crew set three sails from the main, mizzen, and foremasts, and she detached from her tugs and sailed west under her own power for 17 minutes. She sailed at a maximum speed of 3.1 knots and an average of 2 knots for a distance of 1,100 yards. “As the ship’s sailmaster, I felt a combination of pride and relief that the hundreds of man-hours of training and planning over the past year all came together, and we were able to accomplish this goal,” said Boatswain’s Mate First Class (SW) Conrad Hunt. “I’m really proud that I can say I was a part of this historic occasion.”
The last time the Constitution sailed under her own power was 21 July 1997, to honor the ship’s 200th birthday. It was the first time the frigate had sailed in 116 years.
“When we sailed the ship, it became clear it was a different experience you can’t have in port,” said Lance Beebe, a crew member during the Constitution’s 1997 sail. “The ship comes alive, and you truly understand what she is all about. This new [2012] crew just joined a group of [1997] crew members who also got to experience the Constitution under sail, and they became a significant part of her history as a result.”
Navy Honors Battle of Lake Erie Heroes
Representatives of the U.S. Navy joined Cleveland, Ohio–area historical societies on 28 August to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. A crowd gathered at Cleveland’s Fort Huntington Park for the Battle of Lake Erie commemoration and annual meeting held by the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve. They were joined this year by the Navy for “Cleveland Navy Week,” as part of the service’s commemoration of the War of 1812 bicentennial.
The park is home to a statue of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and a cannon taken from a British ship during the battle.
“Seven ships have been named after Oliver Hazard Perry, so that shows you the role that young man had in the Navy at just 28 years old,” said Rear Admiral Gregory Nosal, commander, Carrier Strike Group 2.
Nosal spoke on the significance of the Navy keeping today’s seas free, and how Perry’s command defeated the British during the Battle of Lake Erie on 10 September 1813. Clevelanders of all ages attended the presentation. “We wanted to participate as much as we could in Navy Week events like this,” said Jill Sah, who came to see the presentation with her two young children. Several members of the Peter Navarre Chapter of the United States Daughters of 1812 were also in attendance. One member said her great-great-great grandfather, Henry Hoagland, was a lieutenant colonel in the 135th Pennsylvania Militia. “The story goes that he helped lift the [U.S.] brig Niagara over the sandbar in Lake Erie after they built it, before they put the cannons on it,” said Deborah Hoagland Marisch.
The ceremony concluded with a memorial wreath presentation at the foot of the Perry Monument. The Navy’s weeklong Cleveland bicentennial commemoration was one of 15 signature events across America in 2012. For more information about the bicentennial, visit www.ourflagwasstillthere.org.
World Bids Farewell to Neil Armstrong
The nation and the world bade farewell to former U.S. Navy pilot Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, during a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral on 13 September.
The history-making astronaut passed away 25 August from complications following heart surgery. He was 82 years old.
“Neil will always be remembered for taking humankind’s first small step in a world beyond our own,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “But it was courage, grace, and humility he displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars.” Family, friends, politicians, and fellow astronauts lined the pews at the service, sharing their thoughts on the life of the particularly private veteran.
Retired Navy Captain and former astronaut Eugene Cernan recalled Armstrong’s generous spirit: “Neil was always willing to give of himself. When Neil, Jim Lovell, and myself had the opportunity to visit the troops in Iraq . . . meeting them in chow halls, control centers, and yes, even armored carrier and helicopters, those enthusiastic men and women, yet to be born when Neil walked on the moon, were mesmerized by his presence. In a typical Neil fashion, he would always walk in, introduce himself as if they didn’t know who he was, and he’d always give them a ‘Hi, how are you guys doing.’ Asked one overwhelmed, inquisitive Marine, ‘Mr. Armstrong, why are you here?’ Neil’s thoughtful and sincerely honest reply was, ‘Because you are here.’” Addressing Armstrong, a visibly emotional Cernan added, “It’s now for you a new beginning, but for us, I promise you, it is not the end. Farewell, my friend.”
Armstrong flew nearly 80 missions during the Korean War. During one such flight, the right wing of Armstong’s plane was clipped by a cable wire over North Korea. He managed to fly into friendly territory before parachuting to safety.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Armstrong joined NASA as part of its second group of astronauts. He then went on to command the Apollo 11 mission that saw him walk on the moon in July 1969. After the mission was successfully completed, Armstrong and his crew landed in the Pacific Ocean where they were picked up by U.S. sailors. Returning to the water meant his mission was complete, said Jim Lovell, Armstrong’s friend and fellow astronaut, in an interview with USA Today. “He’s a Navy man. It’s how he knew he was finished. It’s how he knew his work was done.” Fittingly, Armstrong was buried at sea in a ceremony on board the USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) on 14 September.