I found a file on my old comperter which contains the story told below. Although I think it came from the old "C.W. Gunboats" mailing list, I can't be sure. If anyone knows the source of this well-written tale, please let me know--it certainly makes for some good reading.

Last Action on the Mississippi

By April of 1865, little remained for the vessels of the Mississippi Squadron to do. Its primary duty at this point was to protect steamers passing up and down the Mississippi River against random attacks by bands of guerillas.

The only remaining naval threat--and source of diversion for the bored sailors--came from the last three Confederate vessels in the western rivers which were the ironclad CSS Missouri, the Mary T. and the ram CSS William H. Webb. All three of these vessels lay far up the Red River at Shreveport and only the Webb was known to have ever been on the Mississippi some two years earlier.

After the fall of Port Hudson, the river had been divided into eight districts, with each district under the command of an experienced Navy officer who typically hoisted his division flag aboard one of the heavier ironclads. With the end of the war in sight, the Navy Department had issued orders to the various squadrons to conserve funds by limiting the movements of the most inefficient vessels (i.e. the slow moving, coal gulping ironclads) and to avoid extensive repairs except where absolutely necessary.

The general rule was to station the ironclads off the more strategically important points with several smaller gunboats patrolling at intervals in between. Because of the Navy Department's edict, by this time most of the ironclads were nearly worn out and were, therefore, little more than floating batteries. Most of the smaller vessels were similarly used up and almost constantly in need of repairs.

Within this context, the following account of the CSS Webb's attempted escape into the Gulf of Mexico has been pieced together from the Navy Official Reports.

Report of Lieutenant Charles W. Read, C. S. Navy, commanding C. S. S. William H. Webb
April 22, 1865
Alexandria, LA

Hon. S. R. Mallory,
Secretary of [C.S.] Navy.

SIR: In pursuance of the instructions given me by you, I have reported, together with the officers ordered with me, to Lieutenant Commanding Jonathan H. Carter for duty on this vessel. Accordingly I took command of this ship, relieving Lieutenant Commanding J. L. Phillips on the 31st ultimo. On assuming command I found the vessel totally unprepared for the service upon which I was ordered to take her, without a single gun on board, little or no crew, no fuel, and no small arms, save a few cutlasses, and as the vessel was some eighty miles below Shreveport on her way here, I was obliged to return to the first-named place, where I expected to obtain all my wants from General Kirby Smith, commanding this department. I was not deceived in my hopes of General Smiths assistance, that general immediately issuing orders for every facility to be given me toward the fitting out of the vessel.

From him I procured one 30-pounder Parrott for a bow pivot, and two small iron 12-pounders, that may serve me in bringing to vessels, etc. Carpenters were obtained and hastened in their work, as the rapid fall in this river made me apprehensive of serious impediment to the future execution of my instructions. On returning down the river I filled up every available place in the ship with wood, not finding more than one day's coal, which, together with the wood, will give me fuel for about five days. I have likewise taken on board 190 bales of cotton, which serves as a very efficient shield to the machinery, backed, as it is, by 12 inches of pine bulkhead, entirely surrounding the engine room. The great amount of wood I have been obliged to stow, with the cotton, causes an average draft of 9½ feet--about 2 feet more than when light. This increase in depth immerges the buckets on the wheel so much as to enforce the necessity of lifting much weight in the passage of the buckets from the water up, thus impeding the progress of the vessel a little, which could be gotten over had I the time to shift the buckets a few inches farther up the wheel arms. Accompanying is a roll of the officers and men now on board. I regret the necessity of leaving without Lieutenants Roby and McDermett and Assistant Paymaster Vasser, who have not yet reported, though long since ordered.

I have but two engineers understanding the machinery of the vessel, and two young third assistants whom I can not trust alone in the engine room for some time as yet; the two former will therefore be obliged to remain on watch whilst going out and whilst the double engines are unconnected, it not being advisable to work them connected when there exists a probability for rapid maneuvering.

When going through Mobile [ed. note: by land] I applied to Flag-Officer Farrand for two engineers, there then being several on no important duty, but that officer showed so little disposition to grant my request that I was obliged to proceed without them, notwithstanding that Mr. Frick, chief engineer of station, informed me that those for whom I had applied could easily be spared. Thus apprised of my condition, you will be enabled to better account for any accident that may result from the step I propose taking to-night, starting from this point down, so as to reach the mouth of the Red in time to commence the downward passage of the Mississippi to-morrow about 8 p.m.

Off the mouth of the Red lies the Tennessee, Manhattan (monitor), and Lafayette, ironclads, and one boiler-iron plated gunboat, the Gazelle. The distance from the mouth of the Red to the mouth of the Mississippi is about 300 miles, and at regular distances in most of this length there are one or two of the enemy's gunboats. To be the first to notify these of my approach is my chief aim; toward effecting this I have arranged with General Thomas to cut the wires as far down as Plaquemine by 8 p.m. to-morrow. I shall myself cut the wires below that place, and shall take every precaution to prevent the forts (Jackson and St. Philip) from being informed of my movements, as these formidable fortifications will have to be passed in daylight. As I will have to stake everything upon speed and time, I will not attack any vessel in the passage unless I perceive a possibility of her arresting my progress. In this event I am prepared with five torpedoes (100 pounds), one of which I hold shipped on its pole on the bows. The cipher key to my future communications with you has been placed in the hands of Lieutenant Commanding Jonathan Carter, who will forward the same. I must acknowledge the readiness with which Lieutenant Commanding Carter has answered to my applications for assistance.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. W. Read,
Lieutenant, Commanding.

Excerp of information given by George Price, pilot, John C. Osborne, paymaster's steward, and J. C. Hines, hospital steward of the CSS Webb after their capture below New Orleans
On the arrival of the Webb at Alexandria she loaded with cotton and took on a large supply of fuel, about 200 cords of wood, mostly pine knots. While at Alexandria they first heard of the assassination of President Lincoln, but none of the crew being allowed to go ashore or communicate with the citizens, they had no means of learning how that intelligence was received by the people, nor could they learn the strength of the Confederate forces and fortifications there. No passengers got on at Alexandria, nor were there any passengers on her at any time. Between Shreveport and Alexandria there are two Confederate gunboats, the Missouri and the Merite [ed. Note: the Mary T.], the former of which is clad with T-iron rails, with an armament of six guns; the latter is a common steamboat, walled up with thick timber. There are also about fifteen transports on Red River in the Confederate Government service and one, the Twilight, on the Ouachita River.

On Sunday, 23d instant, at 4:30 a.m., the Webb left Alexandria and came down the Red River about 15 miles, where she stopped and took on board the pilot, George Price, who says that he belonged to Captain White's steamboat battalion, stationed at Marksville, La., and had received an order to join the Webb at Alexandria, and on his way to Alexandria he met the Webb coming down. He signaled to her, and she landed and took him on board. His services had been engaged with a view to take the Webb through Atchafalaya Bayou into Berwick Bay, and from thence into the Gulf, as he was acquainted with these waters, but when he came on board the Webb and ascertained that she drew over 10 feet of water he informed the officers that the route was impracticable, and the Webb then kept on down the Red River, with her cargo of cotton arranged for defense against attack, her armament being two 12-pounder howitzers aft and one 4-inch rifle forward and a torpedo projecting from the bow, supported by a long pole. In her magazine were three boxes of shells and three 100-pound kegs of powder. Sixty-eight rations were issued to officers and men.

Before entering the Mississippi, about 3 miles from the mouth of Red River, a flatboat laden with cotton was captured by the Webb, and a small boat with officers and men from a United States gunboat, being near by, made their escape up a bayou. The flatboat and the men on it were held by the Webb until dark, when they were turned adrift. This was done in order to prevent the men from crossing over by land and giving information to the United States gunboats. At 8:30 p.m., the Webb, carrying the usual signal lights used by the Federal boats, entered the Mississippi, passing the United States gunboats stationed at the mouth of the Red River

April 23, 1865
Mississippi River, opposite the mouth of Red River
8:30 P.M.

The USS Vindicator was lying on the east side of the Mississippi, when Pilot Wiley Jones spotted a line of smoke which appeared to be coming from some distance up the Red River toward the Mississippi. He declared it to be the Confederate ram Webb attempting to escape. Having confidence in his Pilot's suspicions and judgment, commanding officer, Acting Master Daniel P. Slattery, ordered the ship cleared for action. He also sent surgeon C. E. Vaughn and paymaster F. W. Hanson in the boat's gig over to the USS Lafayette to ask Division Commander J. P. Foster for permission to get underway so as to be ready to engage the Webb should she make her appearance.

8:45 PM

Aboard the monitor USS Manhattan, the officer of the deck, Acting Ensign C. H. Sinclair, also discovered a dense cloud of black smoke coming out of the mouth of Red River. Sinclair at once "beat to quarters" and within one minute from the time the gong was first struck the crew were at their quarters, the port chain slipped and the ship ready for action. The smoke was now seen to be that of a vessel within 500 yards of the Manhattan, off her starboard bow, and going full speed down the river. The Union monitor fired her howitzer to bring the unidentified vessel to and Captain Robert B. Ely at once ordered the XV-inch guns to be trained at the stranger -- the guns at the time being trained on the port beam. The turret was immediately revolved and, when the stranger failed to respond to the warning shot, No. 1 gun was fired as soon as it could be brought to bear on her. The mystery vessel was, at that point, "only distinguishable in the darkness by her black smoke." The shot apparently missed its target and the stranger continued on her previous course.

As Soon as the XV-inch gun had been fired, the Manhattan made, by Coston signals, General Signal No. 570, "Strange vessel in sight, positively an enemy" which was answered from the USS Lafayette No. 4 "Act on your discretion," and immediately afterwards No. 83 "Are you in want of assistance?" Ely answered, No. 75, "Yes."

Knowing that it would be useless to follow so swift a vessel, which he believed to be the Webb, with the Manhattan and believing that the rebel ironclad CSS Missouri would soon follow, Captain Ely thought it advisable to remain at the mouth of Red River in readiness to attack the ironclad.

The Manhattan then threw up one rocket to alarm the vessels below and, a few minutes afterwards, fired two more in quick succession. In the meantime the USS Gazelle, which had been lying off Hog Point, had gotten underway and was coming alongside the monitor. As soon as she was within hail, Ely told her commanding officer that the Webb had run down the river and ordered him to report that fact at once to Captain Foster, and request further orders. As soon as the Gazelle had made her report, the ironclad Lafayette and gunboats Lexington and Gazelle got underway and stood down the river.

Meanwhile, aboard the Vindicator, the meaning of the Manhattan's Coston's signals, proved unintelligible to both Captain Slattery and the signal officer, Ensign S. O. Lovell. However, surgeon Vaughn and paymaster Hanson, who had been gone but a few minutes, returned with orders from Captain Foster for the Vindicator to remain at anchor until ordered to move.

Aboard the ironclad USS (formerly CSS) Tennessee, which was lying just below the above named vessels, the officer of the deck, Acting Ensign Andrew A. Ward, notified Executive Officer Charles W. Adams that there was black smoke at the mouth of Red River. Adams immediately went on deck and distinguished the smoke as coming from some vessel that was proceeding at a great rate down the Mississippi River.

Upon hearing the firing from the Manhattan, Adams immediately went to quarters and had his ship all ready for action inside of two minutes. However, as she was lying close to the eastern bank of the river, she could not bring a gun to bear before the stranger was out of reach. Adams, too, believed the strange vessel to be the rebel ram Webb, but, as the lumbering Tennessee was not equal to the task of overtaking her, remained at his station to be in readiness for the Missouri if she came out. Although the Tennessee's crew slept at their quarters during the night, nothing else of importance would occur.

10:30 PM
Bayou Sara

The watch officer of the USS Choctaw reported a steamer down-bound along the west bank which Acting Master M. B. Muncy supposed to be an army transport and, therefore, took no action.

Meanwhile, back at the mouth of the Red River, the Vindicator, which had remained cleared for action, with the guns' crews at their quarters, spotted the USS Gazelle approaching from below. Anticipating her mission, The Vindicator slipped her cable and, before the Gazelle had finished delivering the order for her to proceed downstream in chase of the Webb, the Vindicator was steaming into the channel receiving the last of the order as she was headed down.

After getting underway, the charges of grape and canister were withdrawn from the Vindicator's guns which were then reloaded with solid shot. It was suggested by one of the officers that the Webb would doubtless stop to cut the telegraph wires, and for that purpose would run alongside the bank. The officers of the gun divisions, therefore, were ordered to man both sides, and have their crews lie on the deck beside their guns and watch intently out of the portholes. Chief engineer Thomas Cook, despite his misgivings, was instructed to "keep the steam gauge at not less than 90 pounds."

11:30 PM
Port Hudson

The watch officer of the USS Naiad reported two steamers passing down to her commanding officer, Acting Master Henry T. Keene, who later reported "I stepped out on the guards and saw what I supposed to be a couple of transports, one apparently waiting for the other to land. It was hazy at the time, and nothing indicated a suspicious character. The outer steamer seemed not willing to go in until the other came out. When the first did come out, the other followed her down the river without landing. I thought it strange that the commandant of the fort [at Port Hudson] did not bring her to, as it is customary in such cases to do; but did not entertain the faintest suspicion of her hostile character...[she] looked, at the time I saw her, like a transport with barges in tow."

About this same time, the USS Fort Hindman arrived at Bayou Sara (some 30 miles up river) whereupon her commander, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant John Pearce, informed Acting Master Muncy of the Choctaw that the strangely-behaved steamer was believed to be the CSS Webb. As the Choctaw beat to quarters and slipped her cable, the lights of several steamers (probably the Lafayette, Lexington and Vindicator) were spotted in the river above. Fearing that the approaching vessels were the CSS Missouri and CSS Mary T., Captain Muncy elected to remain at his station and dispatched the tug, Hyacinth (under Acting Ensign John B. Hiserman) to Baton Rouge with orders to telegraph a warning to the fleet at New Orleans.

About Midnight
Lobdell's Landing (between Port Hudson and Baton Rouge)

Aboard the USS Nymph, officer of the deck Acting Ensign P. Lake, observed a steamer bound down the river which he supposed to be a government transport as she carried regular transport lights. She was met by a merchant steamer, bound up, which blew one whistle twice. The down-bound steamer answered the second whistle by tapping one bell. Ensign Lake did not report the incident to his commanding officer, Acting Master Patrick Donnelly, until much later, stating that "He did not notice anything about the boat, more than other boats frequently passing during the night, except that she answered the approaching boat's whistle by tapping the bell." Donnelly did not know that the CSS Webb was out of the Red River until so informed by the pursuing tug Hyacinth.

1:30 AM (April 24)
Baton Rouge

Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William R. Wells of the USS General Price noted the downward passage of Lieutenant-Commander Edward P. Lull, of the USS Tennessee, in his tug Dahlia (under Acting Ensign W. H. Strope), followed closely by a steamer which kept "down the opposite side of the river, showing the running lights of a transport, creating at the time no suspicion as to her character...and astern of her [another] transport passing down."

Shortly after the mystery steamer passed Baton Rouge, the Vindicator caught up with the USS Lafayette off Bayou Sara (some 40 miles upriver) whereupon, much to the dismay of the formers crew, she was ordered to "round to" and proceed back up the river to her anchorage.

4:00 AM
Donaldsonville

The Webb passed the USS Ouachita without being challenged as she was "supposed to be a white army towboat."

8:30 AM
Donaldsonville

Upon learning the identity of the aforementioned "supposed towboat," Lieutenant-Commander William E. Fitzhugh, commander of the Ouachita, sends a note to the commanding officer of the Union garrison requesting that he telegraph the information to New Orleans.

About this same time, a Union soldier some 13 miles above Bonnet Carre (roughly midway between Donaldsonville and New Orleans), observed several men in U. S. Army uniforms cutting the telegraph wires. When challenged, the men stated that "New Orleans had been taken by the rebels from Mobile, etc." The soldier reported the encounter to a Lieutenant Enos who immediately mounted his horse and galloped off for the telegraph station.

9:00 AM
Bonnet Carre

Lieutenant Enos arrived at the Union garrison and reported to Colonel Charles Everett only minutes after the Webb passed by without having been challenged by the USS Argosy which was lying in the river at that point. Colonel Everett sent for the telegraph operator, L. C. Hebard, who was discovered to have left his post and was, after some time, found in a coffee house in an intoxicated condition. It was soon learned, however, that the Webb had, in the interim, landed again some six miles below the Union outpost and removed another stretch of wire and cut down several more posts. It would later be discovered that the Webb made several stops for this purpose and, therefore, would probably have been caught by the USS Vindicator had the latter not been ordered to break off the chase at Bayou Sara.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Enos again took to the saddle on a fresh horse in hopes of reaching New Orleans before the rebels.

As Enos was riding southward, word had finally reached the Union fleet at New Orleans that the Rebel ram was on her way. At that time, the Union fleet at the city was comprised of the United States Steamers Glasgow (flag ship), Hollyhock, Florida, Lackawanna, Pembina, Port Royal, Quaker City and Ossipee, most of which were undergoing repairs. Upon receiving the warning, Acting Rear Admiral H. K. Thatcher ordered the commanders of the vessels to "prepare every available gun in the fleet now here for immediate service and to bring them to bear on that point of the river by which a vessel coming down the river can reach this port." General Banks also ordered the commanders at Forts Jackson and St. Philip (some 75 miles below the city) to ready their guns in the event the Webb got past the Union Fleet.

11:30 AM
10 miles above New Orleans

Captain Charles W. Read (formerly of the U.S. Navy) of the Webb hoisted the United States flag at half-mast (ostensibly in honor of Lincoln's death) and raised steam to the highest pressure so that she was running about 25 miles an hour while passing the city. The masking of her identity was further augmented by some 250 bales of cotton which had previously been stacked around her boilers and machinery, thus providing some protection against cannon shot while giving the appearance of a normal transport.

12:00 Noon
New Orleans

The lookouts aboard the waiting Union gunboats spotted a vessel coming down the river, but Read's preparations continued to fool the Union observers until she was passing the city "at a high rate of speed."

Of all the Union gunboats then on hand only the Port Royal, Ossipee, Lackawanna and Pembina fired at the passing vessel which they described as "a small vessel, one smokestack, two upright walking beams, and a small, foremast...[with] cotton on board and a torpedo projecting from her bow as she passed."

As soon as the first shot was fired at the Webb, Captain Read ordered the United States flag to be lowered and the rebel flag raised, her true character having obviously been made known. Of the several shots fired, only three struck, the first entering her bow about a foot above the water, deranging the fixtures by which the torpedo(which had been mounted while still in the Red River) was attached to the bow, swinging it around and under the Webb, thereby endangering the safety of the boat so that she was stopped for two or three minutes while the torpedo was cut loose. The second shot passed the chimney, severing one of the support chains and wounding a man slightly by a flying link of the severed chain. The third shot struck a bale of cotton doing little or no damage.

After the Webb had passed, the Union gunboats Hollyhock, Florida, Quaker City and Ossipee were dispatched in pursuit of her, with the Hollyhock, under Lieutenant-Commander Bancroft Gherardi, far in the lead.

It was Read's intention to wait until after dark before attempting to pass Forts Jackson and Saint Philip, consequently he and the officers of the Webb decided that they would turn back and capture the pursuing gunboat (the Hollyhock), which would occupy their time until dark. However, when about 25 miles below New Orleans at McCall's point, they unexpectedly came in sight of the U. S. sloop of war Richmond (Captain T. P. Greene), which had stopped in the river to repair a minor problem in her engines. Vastly outgunned by the heavy battery of the Richmond and those of her pursuer(s), Read gave the order to turn the boat up the river and, after some deliberation, the Webb was set on fire by her officers and crew and ran ashore on the left bank. She had barely reached the shore when the Richmond and Hollyhock arrived and commenced firing as the crew escaped into the swamps. At 4:30 p.m. she was reported to have blown up.

In the course of her flight, she had surprised the Union blockaders at the Red River, quietly slipped past 9 more supposedly vigilant gunboats, seriously disrupted Federal telegraphic communications and "ran the gauntlett" at New Orleans. Were it not for the chance anchorage of the USS Richmond astride the channel, she and her crew would probably have escaped into the Gulf with only minor damage and injury. Within three days her officers crew had all surrendered or been captured and a survey of the wreck had been made preparatory to salvaging her machinery and armament.

Thus ends the daring adventure of the CSS Webb.