Capt. Confedrate Navy William Henry Fleig last Captain of the Harriet Lane

HISTORY OF THE CUTTERS NAMED HARRIET LANE

On February 25, 1858, the U.S. Revenue Marine, an agency of the Treasury Department and a forerunner of today's Coast Guard, commissioned the first HARRIET LANE. The Revenue Marine named this ship in honor of President Buchanan's niece and official White House hostess, Miss Harriet Lane. This remarkable lady became the most admired and celebrated woman of her time. Not since Abigail Adams had the President's home seen so brilliant a social life, thanks to her tact, diplomacy. and great charm

The first HARRIET LANE was the Revenue Marine's first successful steam side wheeler built at the then high cost of $150,000. A sleek, Webb Institute designed 180 foot vessel with a 30 foot beam, 700 tons displacement. drawing 10 feet of water HARRIET LANE also had a brigantine auxiliary sail rig. While making her maximum speed of 12 knots, she consumed 1,500 pounds of coal per hour.

HARRIET LANE gleamed so brightly in the Navy's watchful eye that almost immediately after its commissioning the Navy requisitioned her for an expedition to Paraguay. During the 1850's Paraguay rebuffed all U.S. attempts to establish trade agreements. Unfortunately this dispute became violent when Paraguayans resisted U.S. efforts to being "opened" for trade and attacked a U.S. vessel in the Parana River. In response, the U.S. sent a naval expeditionary force.

HARRIET LANE met the Navy's needs for a highly maneuverable vessel of gunboat dimensions that could operate both on rivers and on the ocean. Under the command of Captain Faunce, USR-M. HARRIET LANE remained In the Revenue Marine, but attached to a Navy flotilla of 14 warships. Along with her crew of 82 men and 22 embarked Marines, HARRIET LANE bristled with two 9.inch guns, tour 24, and one 12 pound howitzer.

Paraguay negotiated a trade treaty without a test of gunfire from the flotilla. Early in 1859 the Navy returned HARRIET LANE to the Revenue Marine with this testimonial from the Flotilla commander, Commodore Shubrick, USN; "All the vessels grounded more than once, and it proper that I express my sense of appreciation of the skill and zeal with which Captain Faunce has used this very efficient vessel in extricating us from our difficulties...USS FULTON would have been lost altogether, if not for the assistance afforded by HARRIET LANE.

In the autumn of 1859 HARRIET LANE resumed her Revenue1Marine duties be patrolling off the Florida coast to prevent violations of the slave trade law. In 1860, she returned to New York where she carried out normal cutter duties for about a year. In the summer of 1880, Miss Lane hosted the visiting Prince of Wales on board her namesake for a cruise from Washington to Mount Vernon. The onset of southern rebellion and threats of secession found the Union Navy short of vessels. In a pattern that was to repeat itself in every American conflict since the Civil War, the Navy Department asked again -for the services of the Coast Guard. The Navy liked the HARRIET LANE not only for her handiness and speed, but also for her husband commander Captain Faunce.

In fact. HARRIET LANE was doubtless the most famous cutter and Captain Faunce one of the most distinguished officers of the Revenue-Marine during the Civil War. While the Confederate Army bombarded Fort Sumter. HARRIET LANE patrolled off the bar at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. During the bombardment HARRIET LANE challenged the reluctant steamer NASHVILLE to show her colors, and fired a shot across NASHVILLE'S bow. The NASHVILLE obliged, quickly running up the Union flag. Captain Faunce noted that the action "had the desired effect." Thus HARRIET LANE is credited with firing the first shot from any naval unit in the long and terrible war to preserve the Union. After the fall of Fort Sumter.

HARRIET LANE convoyed troops on the Chesapeake Bay and then joined a Navy squadron to capture Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras, serving as bases for Confederate blockade runners. On August26, 1861, HARRIET LANE sailed down Hatteras Inlet, with two frigates. three gunboats, and transports carrying a thousand troops. In a strategy that would be repeated so often in World War Il, HARRIET -LANE with her 8-inch cannon and four 43 ponders kept the beach and the scrub woods beyond it under fire while boatloads of soldiers were rower ashore. A correspondent from "Harper's Magazine" wrote: HARRIET LANE opened fire. With her rifled guns she did good execution. Several projectiles going into the battery and one going directly through the ramparts The fire was so hot that the enemy went into a bombproof...and soon white flag rose." This battle was the Union's first joint services amphibious.' operation of the war, and it was a major victory for the Union. HARRIET LANE'S actions contributed significantly.

The Revenue-Marine permanently transferred HARRIET LANE to the U.S. Navy in the fall of 1861 when Commander Wainwright. USN. relieve Captain Faunce. USR-M. No longer a Revenue-Marine cutter. HARRIET' LANE served as the Potomac River Flotilla flagship from October 186 until January 1862, escorting troop and supply ship's. Then she served a the flagship for Admiral David Porter's flotilla of 21 tire support vessels.

Equipped with mortars. the flotilla bombarded forts guarding the entrance to the Mississippi River in the first step to capture New Orleans.' The flotilla. as part of Admiral Farraguts fleet, made short work of the Confederate River Defense Force, and the fleet went on to capture New Orleans. HARRIET LANE went on to participate in the capture of Pensacola and the first, but abortive. siege of Vicksburg. Upon returning to New Orleans HARRIET LANE received new orders to join the West Gulf Blockade Squadron.

On October 1, 1862. she sailed into Galveston Bay with the flotilla. Aided by a Union Army Detachment, the flotilla captured Galveston-HARRIET LANE remained in Galveston with a now much smaller Union Army and Navy presence. This set the stage for HARRIET LANE'S final battle under the stars and stripes.

On January 1, 1863 (NOTE #4) a large Confederate force of infantrymen and river steamers attacked the small Union contingent at Galveston, Texas. HARRIET LANE resisted mightily in a bloody battle fought with guns and cutlasses. During the fierce hand to-hand combat, the commanding officer, Captain Wainwright, was killed. The executive officer, Lieutenant Edward Lea, mortally wounded, died in the arms of his father, confederate Major A. M-Lea - one of the officers In charge of the confederate boarding party.

Now under Confederate control. HARRIET LANE became embroiled in Confederate politics. The Confederate Army wished to maintain control of her. since they were the ones that had captured her. The Confederate Navy wanted her for a warship. For several months HARRIET LANE, Commanded by Captain W. H. Fleig, gained fame as a blockade runner for the South. In the end, she was sold to a cotton merchant. loaded with cotton, and ordered to sail to Havana. And did not leave until the Civil War was over.

In 1867, a movement began to return HARRIET LANE to the Revenue Cutter Service. Captain Faunce, her skipper, was dispatched to tow HARRIET LANE back to the U.S. Years of neglect made her unfit for duty in the service, and she was sold to a Boston merchant. She was renamed the ELLIOT RITCHIE, and was employed in the lumber trade. In May 1884. she sailed for Buenos Aires and was buffeted by hurricane force winds in the Caribbean, where she was abandoned to the sea.

The following account was written by Assistant Engineer Ezra Jabez Whitaker of the USS LACKAWANNA and has been graciously provided by his granddaughter, . [note: "Friend Phillips" was the editor of the North Adams Transcript.]

CAPTAIN FLEIG WAS AT THE HELM OF THE HARRIET LANE WHEN THIS REPORT WAS WRITTEN.

On board U. S. Steam Sloop "Lackawanna"
Off Galveston, May 1864

Friend Phillips:

You have doubtless ere this heard of the unfortunate event that has transpired upon this station, namely: the ‘running out’ of the late U. S. Steamer "Harriet Lane", through the Blockading Fleet here, and although I cannot deny that this occurred through neglect upon the part of some here, and that the blame, unjustly it is true, will eventually fall upon the whole Fleet, still, in justice to myself and the noble ship in which I now am, I cannot feel willing to have those, who have known me from my boyhood, think that it happened through a lack of care or patriotism upon the part of my Commander, my shipmates or myself, or any defect in our gallant vessel.

I have therefore taken this my first opportunity since then to send you a plain unvarnished statement of the events that transpired on the night of the 30th of April, trusting that you may soon find it convenient to insert the same in the columns of your able paper.

The U. S. Steam Sloop "Lackawanna", Capt. J. B. Marchand, left the Blockading Fleet of Mobile March 4th 1864, for the purpose of becoming the Flagship to the Squadron on the Coast of Texas. Before leaving Mobile, Captain Marchand was especially enjoined by Admiral Farragut, then in the "Hartford" at that station, to look out particularly for the "Harriet Lane", which was known to be loading in Galveston Bay for the purpose of running the Blockade. Upon the capture of her, he said, the Navy Department was determined to risk everything and he sent the "Lackawanna" there as being the fleetest steamer in the Gulf. He , Captain Marchand , was to allow no outside considerations to influence him in the vigorous persecution of this particular duty, and he was on no account to leave his station and give chase to any vessel that was not in all probability the one so coveted.

The "Lackawanna" arrived off Galveston March 11th and Captain Marchand took charge of the Squadron on the ensuing 15th. On our way down we made 10 knots, or miles, per hour under easy steam, 9 fires out of 14, and sail and everything worked admirably, while with the same steam alone and wind ahead we made 7 and 8 knots for hour after hour in succession. In fact I never saw machinery or a vessel perform better, and all on board were loud in her praises.

As soon as he had taken charge, our Captain, mindful of his orders, consulted his Pilot and stationed his Fleet. It was supposed that the "Lane" would run out of either the Main Ship Channel or the one next to it called the Cylinder Channel, for she drew 10 1/2 feet of water when in the U. S. Navy, and although her battery had been removed, it was reasonable to suppose that her cargo would amount to nearly half the same weight and give her nine feet draft of water. This would prevent her going out of any channel but the ones supposed, and at the entrance of the Main Ship Channel, we, being the heaviest ship in the Fleet and drawing 16 feet, were stationed.

The gunboats, some five in number, and drawing about 10 feet each, were stationed at the various other channels leading away from the main entrance, some three miles wide, out to the sea, and strict orders were given them if they saw a steamer running in, or more particularly running out, that they should immediately notify the Flagship of it and the direction she was steering, by means of night signal lights and rockets, which had been agreed upon. They were in fact to act as sentinels guarding the various avenues to the bay, and were to notify the commanding Officer of the first advance of a superior force. These Gunboats were not to be relied upon in the chase of a steamer, for the best of them will steam barely 8 knots with a head wind, the favorite course for the Blockade runners when pursued, and it is a poor Blockade runner on this coast now that cannot steam eleven and twelve knots. These facts our Captain well knew and depended upon his own ship entirely to perform this duty, for he knew from experience that she could, if driven, steam twelve and even more, but he could not guard all the channels that led into the Bay. This unfortunately he was obliged to entrust to others and thus upon their obedience to his orders depended the success of the whole plan of operations.

Our Station, at the entrance of the Main Ship Channel, was about four miles from the city of Galveston and almost due East from it. From our decks, in the daytime, the city was plainly to be seen, as well as quite a portion of the shipping inside, the "Lane" among the rest. Here we lay and watched for about two months without scarcely an event of note transpiring until the 30th of April, when that for which we had so looked took place.

The day had been foggy with occasional showers of rain, and in the afternoon we had been favored with a thunder storm. The night set in dark and cloudy, and the word was passed on deck "to look out sharp for the Harriet Lane".

At about 9 P. M. I went on deck to enjoy my evening cigar and while smoking, I noticed that there had been a change in the weather. The storm appeared to be blowing to the Southard and Westward and in the greater part of the Heavens the stars had appeared, but toward the land all was black as ink for the cloud still hovered over it and in the Southwest an occasional flash of lightning could be seen, very small, and followed sometimes by a low peal of thunder.

"what a fine night for the ‘Lane’ to run out", said I to an Officer near by. "yes", replied he, "she could run to-night, if ever." And by a strange coincidence at that very moment under the dark shadow of the land, by a channel close inshore, she was silently steaming out to sea.

I finished my cigar and going below turned in, but hardly was I asleep when I was awakened by a commotion in the "Ward Room" and I heard some one say that guns had been heard in the Southwest. I turned out and went on deck to see what the excitement was about. I found many of the Officers there and among them the Captain. Every thing was in readiness to "slip the chain" and get under way immediately, but as yet no signal for a "Steamer running out" had been made by any Gunboat on the inshore stations. Nothing could be seen from our decks and there was, of course, no reason for our leaving our station. Soon there was a flash followed by another and then came the two succeeding reports. It looked and sounded like the explosion of a gun and a loaded shell, but it might also have been two of those flashes of lightning I have mentioned before. All looked anxiously for the desired signal but none could be seen. Without it we could not move, for a mistake at such a time as this would be fatal to the general plan. Another gun was heard, but still we looked in vain for the signal light. None had been or was made that night unless the guns may be considered as such. Firing a gun, however, at night in this Blockading Fleet was no signal to us, since it might have been fired to "heave to" a schooner or fishing smack as well as a steamer, and in the former case we were, of course, not interested. All on deck were anxious to get under way and go out in the direction of the firing, for all seemed to feel that some steamer was running out and in all probability the "Lane". In the engine room all preparations for starting were quietly made that the judgment could suggest, and one look into the fire room showed splendid fires and plenty of steam. The men stood around the chain expecting the word to "slip" every moment, while all not thus engaged were eagerly looking into the darkness for the signal light. Minute succeeded minute and it came not and when finally a quarter hour had passed it was given up by all as being too late now and nearly all went below that were not on duty.

Some few remained to talk the matter over, myself among the number. The majority thought that a steamer had run and that a gunboat, probably the "Katahdin" in chase had fired at her. Some thought that it was a schooner or the gunboat would have made signals. But the guns had been fired all of ten miles away from the station of any gunboat at either of the channels. Could it not have been an "Army transport" on her way down the coast to the "Rio Grande" firing to "heave to" some vessel? In fact all was doubt and uncertainty and we finally concluded to wait and see what the day light would disclose. Few there were of us indeed that went to bed satisfied on that eventful evening.

Morning came and with it sad disclosures. Galveston Bay was clear of shipping as far as could be seen from our masthead and the Gunboat "Katahdin" was gone from her station and out of sight as well. She it was then that had fired the guns, so much was settled, but had the "Lane" gone? In all probability she had, but she might have gone up the Bay out of sight as a blind to make us think that she was gone and thus disarm our vigilance. We could not think that she had run without being seen by the "Katahdin", which lay within a mile and a half of shore and right in the center of the inshore channel. And had she been seen by her, would not her Captain have made signals? He was gone, but after a schooner probably, for he burned no lights to show that a steamer had passed him. Thus we reasoned and hoped almost against hope all that day, all the next, and part of the next until the "Katahdin" came sailing in like a lame duck as she was, for her coal was all gone. Her report, made as she passed our stern, buy her Captain through a speaking trumpet was "Have been in chase of the 'Harriet Lane' and 'Matagorda'. Lost both last Sunday night off the coast of Louisiana. Will come on board soon."