Lt. James Trathen of the MS Bark Describes to a Friend a Burial at Sea and Several Encounters with the Confederates

Mocked by critics as the “Anaconda Plan,” Gen. Winfield Scott’s April 1861 proposal to suffocate the South economically through naval blockades won the attention of President Lincoln, who shared Scott’s belief in the need for long-term strategies. Northerners initially derided the plan as unnecessary (the war, after all, would be over shortly), and Southerners scoffed at the idea that the Union could cut off their 3,500 miles of coastline. Both sides, however, came to recognize the necessity of having warships to patrol coasts and rivers, control commercial routes, and fire upon enemy troops on land. The Union navy ultimately outnumbered the Confederate navy three to one, but Southern mechanics were skilled at transforming steam frigates into ironclad warships that could wreak havoc against the Union navy’s wooden vessels. (Confederate engineers even created the Hunley, the first submarine in history to sink a ship in battle—although it sank itself in the process.) In a letter to a friend in New York, James Trathen of the MS Bark, writes about skirmishes with Confederate forces trying to overrun Fort Pickens, which, though situated in Florida and guarding Pensacola Harbor, was still in Union hands.

Gulf Squadron Midnight off Fort Pickens Nov 29th 1861

Dear Sir,

It is with much pleasure I avail myself of this opportunity to send you a few lines altho as yet nothing of much interest has occur’d. I left New York on the 5th inst after a detention of several days off the Battery. The ship was in good turn well arm’d and mann’d, and a fine set of officers. We had not proceeded far before a very fierce storm broke upon us, and soon brought our Gallant little ship under small sails.

On the third day from New York we entered the Gulf Stream with the Lightning and Thunder raging horribly around us, and the fierce Gale and high sea threatning destruction to us every minute. In the midst of this one of our best Seamen fell from the mast head very near the place where my first officer and my self were standing, which instantly killed him and cast a gloom over the whole ship.

There is nothing that can happen on board ships that will affect a sailor more than the Death of a shipmate in this way. Ten men killed in a Battle produces less despondency. It was two days after the sad incident occured before we could Bury him which was the most impressive scene I ever beheld. The Gale was still fierce and the sea running very high making it impossible to stand on Deck without having a firm hold of the Rigging or other support. The corps lay on the Deck secur’d up in a Hammock. The whole crew grouped around in front of me bareheaded with their hair streaming in the wind, looking both wild and sad with now & then the Sea washing over us.

All the officers were gather’d around me near the Cabin Door, heads uncovered when I commenced and read part of the Funeral Service of our Church as much as circumstances would permit. The Body was Launched into the Sea. The gloom seemed immediately to pass away from the faces of all and things resumed their usual routine. And after a tedious voyage of fifteen days we arrived at Key West on the 19th inst, replenished our stock of water and sailed for this place the next day and arrived here on the 27th inst just too late to share in a small fight between our Fleet, Fort Pickens and the Rebel Batteries which resulted in nothing but the loss of a few men on both sides. Yesterday the Rebel Fort McCrea opened fire again and we all thought we were going to have a good time, but after the Enemy had fired a few shots all became still again and here we are laying frowning at each other in silence.

I have just received orders from Commodore McKean to proceed to Texas and Blockade the Coast from Galveston to the Rio Grande where the Rebels have full and uninterrupted Trade. The frigate Santee being the only ship there & she is too large to be effective to do this Service perfectly. We want many more Naval vessels. I regret very much I am not attached to Commodore Dupont’s Squadron. I should like to have stepped on the Traitorous Dominions of South Carolina.

The magnitude of the work before us becomes more and more apparent as I get into it. Our Country seems sad and Bleeding at every pore. I cannot think the People of the North are in earnest as yet, nor will they be until we suffer more. Surely the time has already arrived to take hold of the work before us with energy & determination. The way we are working now it seems to me will only bring universal ruin & exhaustion to both parties.

You will please excuse this short & incoherent Epistle, for while I am writing I am momentarily expecting a Signal from the Flag officer to repair onboard the Niagra which is grandly laying on the Bay within Five Hundred yards of my Ship. This place Pensacola cannot be taken without a land force of Ten Thousand men. The Government must be the Judge whether it is worth that cost or not.

Your Friend & Obedt Servant

James Trathen Lieutenant Commanding

Over four months later, in March 1862, one of the most celebrated naval battles of the Civil War took place at Hampton Roads, Virginia, where a blockading Union fleet was hammered by the CSS Virginia (originally named the USS Merrimack)—a massive, iron-plated warship that was virtually unsinkable. On March 8 the Virginia handily sank the USS Cumberland, set the USS Congress ablaze, and ran the USS Minnesota aground. By nightfall there were 250 Union casualties, and the Virginia was positioned to return and destroy the USS Minnesota and the rest of the fleet. But early on the morning of March 9, an even more indestructible vessel—the Union navy’s USS Monitor, built entirely out of iron—slipped into the harbor and confronted the Virginia head-on. The two ships unleashed a torrent of shot and shell on one another for hours. Unable to sink or even seriously damage the Monitor, the Virginia withdrew. Naval warfare would never be the same.