CSS Scorpion: Difference between revisions

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After construction, ''Scorpion'' entered Confederate service with the [[James River Squadron]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=125}} Under the command of Lieutenant Edward Lakin,{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=111}} she performed guard duty in the [[James River]]. Beginning on January 23, 1865, the James River Squadron began an offensive against the Union supply depot at [[City Point, Virginia]].<ref name="DANFS" /> To reduce the chance of collisions in the narrow river, the wooden vessels of the fleet were lashed to the [[ironclad]]s. Overall, the Confederates had 11 ships present: three ironclads, three [[gunboat]]s, three torpedo boats, and two [[tender ship|tenders]]. ''Scorpion'' was towed by the tender [[CSS Torpedo|CSS ''Torpedo'']], which was in turn lashed to the ironclad [[CSS Virginia II|CSS ''Virginia II'']].{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=198}} Moving during the night, the Confederate vessels passed a Union shore position known as Fort Brady, which fired upon them.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=199{{endash}}202}} At around 09:00, the Confederate vessels reached Union obstructions in the river at [[Trent's Reach]].{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=111}}

''Scorpion'' was then sent forward to perform [[depth sounding]], with a [[maritime pilot|pilot]] from ''Virginia II'' aboard. The pilot claimed that the channel was not open, but [[Charles Read (naval officer)|Charles Read]], who commanded all of the torpedo boats in the James River Squadron, found that a passage could be made; the pilot may have become unnerved by Union shore fire.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=199{{endash}}202}} The ironclad [[CSS Fredericksburg|CSS ''Fredericksburg'']] then managed to clear the obstructions at around 01:30 on January 24. Read later took ''Scorpion'' to look for the gunboat [[CSS Hampton|CSS ''Hampton'']], but after not finding her, took the ship to ''Virginia II'' to get a lantern for lighting the passage. ''Virginia II'' had run aground, and the same fate had befallen the ironclad [[CSS Richmond|CSS ''Richmond'']] as well. The tender [[CSS Drewry|CSS ''Drewry'']] then ran aground trying to free ''Richmond''. Moving towards ''Virginia II'', ''Scorpion'' ran into a [[hawser]] strung between the former ship and the gunboat [[CSS Beaufort|CSS ''Beaufort'']],{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=201{{endash}}203}} losing her torpedo and spar in the process. Not long afterwards, she ran aground.{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=114}} The torpedo boat [[CSS Hornet|CSS ''Hornet'']] then ran aground trying to free ''Scorpion''.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=201{{endash}}203}} The Confederate vessels that were not aground withdrew upriver before daylight.{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=112}} At 06:55, the crew of ''Drewry'' was taken onto ''Richmond'', and at 07:10, Union fire caused ''Drewry'' to explode. The force of the explosion knocked ''Scorpion'' downriver out of control; two men onboardon board were killed and four others swept overboard.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=204}} After dark on January 24, Read tried to take ''Beaufort'' downriver to rescue ''Scorpion'', but as ''Beaufort'' could not be controlled due to a strong wind, and a smaller vessel was sent to ''Scorpion''. ''Scorpion'' was found to have taken on water, and after the Union illuminated the area with a [[Drummond light]], the efforts to rescue the vessel were abandoned.{{sfn|Campbell|2000|p=114}} She was later captured by Union forces,<ref name="DANFS" />{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=204}} and may have been burned.{{sfn|Silverstone|1989|p=219}}{{Sfn|Pry|Zeitlin|1984|p=392}}

==References==