CIVIL WAR NAVY LETTER - Running Blockades North Carolina, Deserters Shot CONTENT

Description

Civil War Letter
This Civil War Union Navy letter was written by Henry “Martin” Lowe (1840-1907), the son of Henry Thurston Lowe (1806-1888) and Rachel Pool (1816-1897), and the husband of Louisa Foster Blatchford (1841-1910) of Rockport, Essex county, Massachusetts. Martin and Louisa were married on 21 April 1860 at Newburyport and in the 1860 US Census, they were enumerated as newlyweds in her parents home—William and Mary (Gott) Blatchford of Rockport. At that time, Martin was employed as a clerk. Louisa’s brother was
Benjamin Franklin Blatchford
(1835-1906).
We could not find an image of Henry Martin Lowe but here is an unidentified Navy petty officer wearing the typical enlisted sailor’s clothing. (Ron Field Collection as shown on Spared & Shared.)
One of some forty-one men from the fishing port of Rockport, Massachusetts who served in the Navy during the Civil War, Henry M. Lowe was a Paymaster’s Steward aboard the
U.S.S. Penobscot
. He entered the service in early February 1862 and was discharged in March 1864. According to my friend Ron Field, author of the book,
“Bluejackets: Uniforms of the United States Navy in the Civil War Period, 1852-1865,”
Paymaster Stewards “wore jumpers with ‘eagle, anchor & star’ insignia on their right sleeves. Although drawn from the ranks as reasonably educated fellows, they were still required to wear enlisted sailor’s clothing. In 1864 they were entitled to wear a blue cloth or flannel jacket with rolling collar—double-breasted with two rows of six medium-sized buttons; slashed sleeves with four small-sized navy buttons. Headgear consisted of a cap without wreath or device.”
During his time in the service, Lowe wrote numerous letters home to his wife and parents. The
Penobscot
was built by C. P. Carter of Belfast, Maine, launched on November of 1861, and delivered to the Navy in Boston in January of 1862. Initially assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, she was later shifted to the Gulf of Mexico, joining the blockade ships cruising off the Texas coast. Lowe served on the Penobscot through almost all of 1862 and early into 1863. After spending two or three month ashore in the winter of 1863-64, he was reassigned to the U. S. Steamer
Southfield
, a pre-war ferry boat that was converted into a sidewheel steam gunboat. While on the
Southfield
, his position was that of Paymaster’s Clerk. He was assigned to her until he left the service in March 1864—just one month before the
Southfield
was sunk by the Confederate Ram
Albemarle
in the Battle of Plymouth.
TRANSCRIPTION
U. S. S. Gunboat Penobscot
Off Fort Caswell
August 28th, 1862
My own darling wife,
I suppose you was much pleased with your long letter that I wrote to you on Monday the 25th and think you would like to have another just as long but as nothing worthy of note has taken place since then, I think that you will have to put up with a short one.
We was at Beaufort, all of the men got liberty to go on shore and stop 12 hours (the port watch went one day and the starboard the other). All of the men that was in debt had to get men to go security for them. There was one fine young man (as I thought) that went security for to the amount of . He left with four men for parts unknown. All that run away was in debt. One fellow had .50 that belonged to the Paymaster.
We got out a reward of 0 for the deserters. I hope that they will be caught and that I shall have the pleasure of putting a musket ball in Lambert’s heart for that is what he should have done to him. Anyone that will desert in such times as these should suffer death. All five of the deserters belonged to R. Island. The first time we was in Beaufort, a Frenchman that we had deserted. He was shot by the pickets at Newbern (just right for him).
When we was at Beaufort, the steamer
State of Georgia
took a prize at this place. She was a fine schooner
1
of about 60 tons from Nassau, N. P. loaded with salt &c. The steamer
Kate
run in here about two weeks ago and she has run out before this. She has run the blockade six times. I think that we shall get her before long. There is not a week but what schooners and steamers run in and out of this place. We want about six more boats down here. Then I think that we shall take some prizes.
The Pilot says that next month will be a hard one with us. This is one of the roughest places on the whole coast. Oh how I wish you could see how she is rolling now. It is hard work to walk the decks.
I did not go on shore when we was in Beaufort as the Paymaster was away most of the time. Bumboats (as we call) came off three times a day. They brought pies, cakes, hot bread, fruit, eggs, &c. &c. I bought a small cheese, eighth barrel tongues, 10 dozen eggs, & [ ], 1 ham, and a few other things for Mr. Hodgkins and myself. I think that we shall enjoy ourselves eating them.
The box that you sent by Pilot Dow on the 9th has not as yet arrived. Do not send anymore by
him
.
When we was at Beaufort, we did not receive one letter. The mail dies not come to that place very often so when we get any letters, we get a lot of them. The man that I was to send the money home by goes in the steamer
Massachusetts
in a few days but as I went security for the desertion, I shall not have the pleasure of sending you any money. Oh how I wish I could get my hands on him. It would not be long before I would let him know that I was no friend of his.
Our Captain is Flag Officer at this Inlet. Yesterday we had our ship dressed in flags. I will give you the names of some of the flags. It was a most splendid sight to see her. They went from the bowsprit to the main boom. Then we had them from the deck to the topmast on the port and starboard side.
Please let no one see my letters but Father and Mother. I mean just what I say about them. When I write to Father and Mother, you can see their letters if you wish, but I am not willing to have everybody see them. You can tell or read to anyone my letters, but don’t let them see them.
1
Possibly the sloop Lizzie from Nassau sailing under British Colors and loaded with salt, blankets, sheet tin, &c.
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