Skip to main content

Missourian Recounts Capture of the U.S.S. Maple Leaf

I was searching archive.org for Confederate connections in Southeast Missouri when I stumbled upon
"Reminiscences of the boys in gray, 1861-1865" within this collection is the story of R.T. Seckel, a Texas born Southerner who had moved to Missouri and enlisted as a Lieutenant Colonel of Engineers under Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson.

Seckel was wounded at the Battle of Fredericktown, Missouri  and was later captured in Broomtown, Missouri on March 1 , 1863. He was sent to Myrtle Street prison in St. Louis, Missouri. From St. Louis he was to be sent to Fort Delaware and it was during this time he found himself on the U.S.S. Maple Leaf.

Seckel states:

" I was taken out on exchange but for some reason that order was countermounded and I was sent to Fort Delaware. On the way to Fort Delaware, off the coast of North Carolina , I was approached by one of the prisoners and told that there would be an effort to capture the ship. She was a large steamer named "Maple Leaf".  I was asked if I wanted to take a hand, and on telling him I would be glad to do so he said "At three taps you take the musket from that man", pointing to a guard at the door of the second cabin. I had that musket at the first tap, and in thirty minutes the capture was complete. Ordered the Captain to run close to the shore near Currytuck Sound, and we paroled the whole outfit after swearing them to keep on their voyage to Fort Delaware. However, they did not, but returned and reported our escape. While in the dismal swamps , after we had proven who we were, a young lady, Miss Adelaide Campbell brought us a pound cake with a Confederate flag stuck in the center, and you bet we gave her three cheers three times over. She was a daughter of the sunny South, lovely, pure and true. I hope she still lives, and I know if she does not that she is in Paradise.

Admiral Sims' son was with us in the capture, and Captain Daughter of St. Charles, Mo. and I were the first to reach Richmond and report to Gen. Winder, who was then in command. After remaining in Richmond for a few days, I received transportation and rejoined my command at Jacksonport , Ark."

Seckel also talks of General Price's raid into Missouri in 1864 and his account of the condition of the country speaks volumes about how the population suffered :

"Referring to General Price's raid to St. Louis just prior to this , I saw the General at Camden, Ark., and he gave me dispatches for Gen. Marmaduke , and his last words were: "Tell them that my course will be only onwards." After our raid into Missouri and on our return for 300 miles you could see nothing but chimneys. My place at Bloomfield was fired and robbed by Yankees. They did not leave my wife even a change of clothing, but I made some of them pay dearly for it later on."



 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank You all comments must be reviewed before being published. Your's will be posted shortly.

Popular posts from this blog

Fake News and False Information On Mississippi Scalawag Flag Proposal

WREG News Channel 3 (Memphis , Tennessee) is reporting : Photo credit: WREG News 3 "Laurin Stennis’ flag design has gained so much popularity that even those who order the flag want her autograph. She matched the colors exactly to the United States flag. “I think those are wonderful colors and the symbolism is meaningful, but also this is a strong standalone but when you pair it with the United States flag they make a handsome couple,” said Stennis. Nineteen stars circle around a large star, which represents Mississippi as the 20th state to join the Union in 1817. The large star is called Bonnie Blue. Stennis had some help producing the flags with Complete Flag Source. To date, well over 2,000 Stennis flags have been sold." According to the report Stennis' asks: "Is our logo doing it’s job? I would argue absolutely not because every time it comes up we fight about and we get tense.” Okay, where to start? WREG reports that the flag is...
Post a Comment
Read more

The War That Wasn't: The Real Agenda Against All Things Confederate

The illustration on the left is an artist's concept of a Union soldier. I have to admit, I'm quite perplexed by it. Why? I shall tell you why. First he has a rifle. Second he has a uniform, a canteen a bedroll and a knapsack. In other words, this would-be soldier has all of the supplies and equipment that would ready him for a military campaign / battle. Why does this perplex me?  It perplexes me because recent events have led me to the conclusion that the "War Between the States" never happened. Given the events of recent years it's natural to conclude it didn't happen. Fox news compiled a running list of Confederate monuments that have been removed thus far and while the majority of those were at the hands of Democrats, there are several Republicans behind the removal of them.   Below is the list compiled by Fox News correspondent Christopher Carbone. christopher.carbone@foxnews.com Annapolis, Md. Under cover of da...
Post a Comment
Read more

How We Got Here , What Can We Do?

 For as long as I can remember both the Republican and Democratic parties have had their fair share of Lincoln defenders. The Republican Party was founded with the election of Abraham Lincoln thus Lincoln has been the party's trademark so to speak. The problem with this is that the Republican Party, presents itself as the party of smaller government, states rights and defenders of the Constitution and freedom. It is a problem because Lincoln was a proponent of big government, and committed acts that violated the Constitution. Ah, but defenders of Lincoln proclaim that President Lincoln had  to violate the Constitution to "save the Union." This defense of Lincoln by the Republican party has been effective from the end of the War Between the States until November , 2020 At the time of America's "Civil War" one could describe the Republicans as the Liberals and the Democrats as the Conservatives. This began to change with the election of President Franklin D. R...
3 comments
Read more