- Collection:
- Georgia Historical Markers
- Title:
- Capture of the USS "Water Witch" historical marker
- Creator:
- Seibert, David
- Date of Original:
- 1996/2014
- Subject:
- Historical markers--Georgia--Chatham County
- Location:
- United States, Georgia, Chatham County, Savannah, 32.08354, -81.09983
- Medium:
- photographs
- Type:
- Still Image
- Format:
- image/jpeg
- Description:
- Location: Dancy Ave. 0.1 mile from Davidson Ave., Savannah
Text of marker: "CAPTURE OF THE USS "WATER WITCH". In May, 1864, the USS "Water Witch" (80 officers and men and 4 guns), Lt. Comdr. Austin Pendergrast, USN, was on patrol duty in Ossabaw Sound. On the 31st, Flag Officer Wm. W. Hunter, CSN, assigned Lt. Thos. P. Pelot, CSN, to command a boat expedition designed to surprise and capture the vessel. This expedition - 15 officers and 117 men, in 7 boats - arrived at Beaulieu Battery via Skidaway Narrows late on June 1st, only to find that "Water Witch" was cruising in St. Catherine's Sound. She retuned to Ossabaw Sound next day and anchored for the night in the mouth of the Great Ogeechee River, about 1 1/2 miles S.S.E. of Raccoon Key. About 2 A.M. the 3rd - a dark and stormy night - the boat party approached "Water Witch" in two columns, pulling cautiously with muffled oars. When hailed, Lt. Pelot gave the order to board. The boats closed in, and the boarding parties cut through the nettings and swarmed over the rails. After a desperate fight with cutlass and pistol, in which Lt. Pelot - the first aboard - was killed, his men cleared the deck and the ship was theirs. Lt. Jos. Price, CSN, assumed command. To prevent her recapture, he moved the ship through Hell Gate and up Vernon River to the protection of Beaulieu Battery, whose guns turned back such an attempt on the 5th. At Beaulieu, Lt. W. W. Carners, CSN, reported on board, assumed command, and moved "Water Witch" up-river to White Bluff to refit her and to receive her new crew. 025-51 GEORGIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1957" - Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_ghm_capture-of-the-uss-water-witch
- Digital Object URL:
- http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ghm_capture-of-the-uss-water-witch
- Language:
- eng
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright held by David Seibert. Please contact markers@davidseibert.com about commercial reproduction and use
- Holding Institution:
- Digital Library of Georgia
- Rights:
-
