Attack on USS New Ironsides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Attack on USS New Ironsides |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 CSS David approaching the USS New Ironsides. |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Confederate States |
 United States |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 William T. Glassell |
 Stephen C. Rowan |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 torpedo boat | 1 ironclad | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 captured 1 torpedo boat damaged |
1 killed 1 wounded 1 injured 1 ironclad damaged |
||||||
The attack on USS New Ironsides in October 1863 was a famous event during the American Civil War. It was one of the first times a special kind of boat, called a torpedo boat, was used successfully in battle. The Confederate side, based in Charleston, South Carolina, used a new, partly-submerged boat named CSS David. Its mission was to attach a powerful explosive, called a spar torpedo, to the side of the USS New Ironsides. Even though the Confederates saw this as a victory, the Union ship was not badly damaged.
Contents
Why the Attack Happened
During the Civil War, the Union navy had a plan called the Union blockade. This meant they surrounded Confederate ports, like Charleston, to stop ships from bringing in supplies or taking out goods. This blockade was a big problem for the Confederates. They needed to find a way to break it.
The Secret Weapon: CSS David
The Confederates developed secret weapons to fight the blockade. One of these was the CSS David. It was a small, fast boat designed to sneak up on enemy ships. It was similar to another famous Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley.
- The David was only about 50 feet (15 meters) long.
- It had a small crew of just four men.
- It was commanded by Lieutenant William T. Glassell.
- Its main weapon was a spar torpedo, which was an explosive attached to a long pole. The boat would ram this pole into an enemy ship's hull.
The Night of the Attack
On the evening of October 5, 1863, at about 8:00 PM, the CSS David left the pier in Charleston. Its target was the USS New Ironsides. This Union ship was a powerful ironclad, meaning it was covered in thick metal armor. It was considered one of the strongest warships in the Union navy. The New Ironsides had even survived an earlier torpedo attack in August 1863.
Surprise Attack!
About an hour after leaving the pier, the David was very close to the New Ironsides. Union lookouts on the New Ironsides spotted the strange boat only 50 yards away. They quickly fired their rifles.
Captain Stephen C. Rowan, the Union commander, later wrote about what happened: "At 9 p.m. discovered a very peculiar looking steamer which at first appeared like a boat standing toward our starboard beam from seaward; hailed her rapidly four times, and she making no reply, fired into her with musketry; she returned fire, dangerously wounding Ensign C.W. Howard in charge of the deck the steamer struck us near No. 6 port, starboard side, exploding a large torpedo, shaking the vessel and throwing up an immense column of water, part of which fell on our decks."
After the Explosion
When the torpedo exploded, a huge column of water shot up. Some of this water fell back down and went into the David's smokestack. This put out the fire in its engine, leaving the torpedo boat stuck.
Damage and Casualties
- The explosion caused a large crack in the side of the New Ironsides.
- The Union crew had to work fast to repair the hole, but the ship still leaked.
- Other parts of the ship, like the armory, also had some damage.
- On the New Ironsides, one person was killed, and two others were wounded.
The CSS David was also badly damaged. Its commander, Lieutenant Glassell, thought the boat was sinking and ordered his crew to abandon ship. They tried to swim to nearby Morris Island while under fire from the New Ironsides.
A Turn of Events
One of the Confederate crew members, Assistant Engineer J. H. Tomb, decided to go back to the David. He managed to restart the engine and bravely sailed the damaged boat away. The other two Confederates, including Lieutenant Glassell, were captured by the Union crew of the New Ironsides.
Outcome of the Attack
The New Ironsides was not in danger of sinking. The damage it received was mostly on the surface. After some quick repairs in Philadelphia, the ship was able to return to its duty of blockading Charleston.
The CSS David was also repaired. It went on to attack other Union ships, like the USS Memphis and USS Wabash. Several boats like the David were captured by the Union at the end of the war. The original David might have been among them.
See Also
- CSS H.L. Hunley
Images for kids
-
CSS David approaching the USS New Ironsides.
-
USS New Ironsides when the torpedo detonated.
