Captain John A. Curtis, my great-grandfather, in papers turned over shortly after his death in 1913 to the Virginia State Library, described several unique and daring naval experiences of the Civil War. One of the stories is a first-hand account of his participation as acting master of the small torpedo boat Squib in an attack against one of the great ships of the U. S. Navy, the frigate Minnesota.
Commissioned as acting master, Confederate States Navy, Captain Curtis had been assigned to duty in the secret service and had been placed in charge of the torpedo service on the James River.
The attack by Squib occurred in 1864 when the Confederacy was entering upon the fourth and last year of its life. The great land campaigns of 1864 between Lee and Grant, building up to the terrible siege of Petersburg were about to begin.
As part of the Atlantic blockade of southern ports, a large force of Federal warships was anchored in Hampton Roads and the mouth of the James River. It was against this blockading force that the attack of Squib was directed. In order to reach their objective, the seven men comprising the crew of Squib had to make a 110-mile trip down the James River, much of it through enemy-held territory.
In Captain Curtis’ own words, we have the story of:
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF AN EXPEDITION ON BOARD OF THE SPAR TORPEDO BOAT “SQUIB”
The Spar Torpedo Boat Squib was built, at Richmond, of wood about thirty-five feet long, five feet wide, drew three feet of water, two feet freeboard; designed by Hunter Davidson, Lieutenant-Commander, C.S.N. The boiler and engine were encased with iron; forward of the boiler was the cockpit, where the crew stood and from where we steered her.
Sometime in March, 1864, I was ordered by the Secretary of Navy to report to Hunter Davidson, who was in charge of the Torpedo Corps of James River, Virginia. I superintended, in part, the completion of the building of the boat. About the first of April she was completed. On her bow, at the water line, was placed an iron bracket; in this was an iron socket in which there was an oak spar, about six inches in diameter, sixteen foot long, placed in and fastened to the socket, and to this was attached a chain which led over the bow on an iron sheave to the interior, and to this chain was a tackle which lead into the cockpit for the purpose of hoisting or lowering the spar; on the end of the spar was a tank made of copper, filled with powder, fifty-three pounds; on the head of the tank were six sensitive tubes, either of these striking against any hard substance caused the powder to explode.
The Torpedo was designed by Mr. Crowley, an electrician. On the 6th of April we left Richmond and proceeded down the James River; after getting below City Point, hid away until night, then went slowly and carefully down the river. The morning of the 8th, just before day, went into Pagan Creek and hid our boat in the marsh. About eleven o’clock p.m., having fixed the torpedo on the spar, holding it above water by the tackle, we proceeded down the James River for Newport News; the night was dark, light air of wind to the eastward. There was a fleet of some ten or fifteen war vessels, of different classes, off Newport News. We went along down the north side of the river under the shadow of the land, so as not to be seen, until we got down to what is Newport News Point, then hauled across the channel to the south and crossed the Frigate Minnesota’s bow, lowered away our torpedo six feet under water, starboard the wheel and turned for the Minnesota. The tide being ebb, we drifted down abreast of her; when about 150 yards off, we were hailed by the officer of the deck. Our commander answered, “Roanoke.” He ordered us to keep off, and we answered, “Aye, sir, Aye,” but still going for the ship. The officer then gave orders to fire with small arms. We were then within twenty feet of the ship, pointing for her mainchains on the port side. In a few minutes after they fired, the torpedo exploded against her. I shut my eyes, opening them in about a second, I think, I never beheld such a sight before, nor since. The air was filled with port shutters and water from the explosion, and the heavy ship was rolling to the starboard, and the officer of the deck giving orders to save yourselves and cried out “Torpedo, torpedo.” The explosion carried away the spar from the bow, and our boat handled quickly.
As the Minnesota rolled to the starboard, we were sucked under her quarter, then she came back to the port and the pressure of the water shoved us off. The second time she rolled to the starboard, I jumped forward on the Squib deck and put my hand against the Minnesota and gave her a shove, so that the ebb tide would catch her on the starboard bow. Our commander gave orders for me to take charge of the boat, I jumped into the cockpit and gave orders to go ahead and hard-a-starboard. In the meantime there was an armed tug, called the Poppy, made fast by hawser to the Minnesota, and the officer of the Minnesota cried out to the Poppy to run us down, but for some reason, not known to us then, she failed to answer. We ran down towards Craney Island for about one mile, then hauled into Nansemond Ridge Shoal Water, and proceeded back up the river and at daylight went into Pagan Creek up to Smithville, where we lay all day watching for the enemies’ boats, but none appearing, we left that night and proceeded to Richmond.
The crew of the Squib consisted of Hunter Davidson, Lieutenant Commanding; John A. Curtis, Acting Master, G. W. Smith, Acting Master; Thomas Ganley, Boatswain; H. X. Wright, Engineer; Charles Blanchard, Fireman; and William A. Hines, Pilot.
(Signed) Jno. A. Curtis