"As stated earlier the Charleston Harbor Bar is closer to the coast of South Carolina than 11 miles. Again, the orders were to rendevous; from the position stated Fraunce would have been able to see shipping for a considerable distance, then making the decision to join up, fight or run. Intended station means a position close to the bar."
What are you getting at? What is your point? Where are your references? My references come from the Naval and Army O.R.s. Do you have any useful information for me or not?
I don't understand your definition of the clear orders given to each ship ...off the bar (which means away from)... ten miles due east of the light house to 'wait the arrival of transports'. That is where the Harriet Lane was seen approaching when first seen on April 11th and the others hours later. Where they're positions ended up after that can be read in Fox's own report which was much closer to the bar.
I KNOW how far the bar is from the coast. Several channels cut through it at the time of the war. As you know the main ship channel runs about a mile or more from the immediate coat in the Charleston area. For ease of description the bar is the shallow areas east of the Main ship channel and at that time it was anywhere to two to three miles wide. With the width of the channel the distance to the far eastern edge of the bar would have been about four miles from the light. That would put the position of the Harriet Lane at about eight to eleven miles away from the bar when it was spotted by the picket boats. The Baltic arrived on station and found the Harriet Lane waiting alone at ***3:00 A. M.*** on the morning of the 12th of April according to the commander of the fleet G. V. Fox's own report in the O.R. The Harriet Lane had to have arrived much earlier according to the Confederate reports. The Pawnee anchored 12 miles away from the light according to the captain's orders. Fox said the Baltic and the Harriet Lane were closure to the bar than the later ships as they arrived. They later joined the Harriet Lane and the Baltic closure to the edge of the bar.
Captain Faunce absolutely knew of every ships mission in the assembling fleet including the Baltic. He was required to read a copy of the Secretary of the Navy; Gideon Wells's orders to Captain Mercer...see Page 238. Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. / Series I - Volume 4: Operations in the Gulf of Mexico (November 15, 1860 - June 7, 1861); Operations on the Atlantic Coast (January 1, 1861 - May 13, 1861); Operations on the Potamac and Rappahannock Rivers (January 5, 1861 - December 7, 1861) Page 238 Operations in the Atlantic Coast
Charleston had four 42 pounders, one rifled Blakely, three 8-inch Columbiads, 32 pounders, 24 pounders, a 9 inch Dahlgren and an assortment of mortars. The North knew what they had and where they were arranged. Maximum range was less than 5000 yards for the Confederates best guns. They couldn't hit a moving target anyway i.e. the Star of the West and the unfortunate freighter several days before.
The ensign is displayed from the gaff of a ship during daylight hours when getting under way or coming to anchor, when falling in with other ships, when cruising near land, during battle, or whenever else the senior officer present directs. So the Baltic between had something flying to identify her as a ship in United States service since it was under the control of the military.
This is the last I'm going to comment on this since we seem to be talking in circles.
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David Upton