2020-01 Putnal
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/18/2020
TATTNALL, Josiah (1795-1871) He became a Midshipman in the Navy in January 1812, saw action during the War of 1812 and in the Barbary campaign that followed. During the last part of the decade, Lieutenant Tattnall served in the Pacific Squadron. In the 1820s and 30s, his activities included participation in campaigns against piracy in the West Indies, coast survey duty and command of the schooner Grampus. After promotion to Commander in 1838, he was in charge of several Navy facilities, served at sea in the Mediterranean and off Africa, and was wounded in combat during the Mexican War. As a Captain during the 1850s, he commanded the large frigate Independence, the Sacketts Harbor Naval Station on Lake Erie, and U.S. Navy forces in the Far East. While in the latter post, on 25 June 1859 he intervened in a battle between the Chinese and the British, aiding the latter. He justified his unneutral actions with the comment "blood is thicker than water". In February 1861, as southern states were leaving from the Union, Captain Tattnall resigned his commission to become an officer in the Georgia Navy and, soon after, in the Confederate States Navy. During 1861, he commanded the naval defenses of Georgia and South Carolina, participating in the battle of Port Royal, S.C., on 7 November. He was placed in charge of the naval defenses of Virginia in March 1862. After two months of naval stalemate in the Hampton Roads area, the Confederate evacuation of Norfolk forced Tattnall to destroy the Virginia, an act supported by a subsequent court-martial. For the rest of the Civil War, Tattnall commanded naval forces in Georgia and the Savannah naval station. Manuscript Document Signed, "Josiah Tattnall Flag Off. Comdg.," 1p. quarto, on Confederate States Navy Station lettersheet, Commandant's Office, Savannah, Georgia, January 5, 1863, being General Orders issued to the "Comdg officer C.S. Str. Atlanta" and reads "Capt. J.R. F. Tattnall C.S. Marines having reported or duty as commanding Marine officer on this station & in the Squadron is assigned to duty on the staff of the Flag off. Comdg. Capt. Tattnall will make two inspections weekly of each detachment stationed on board of the vessels of the Squadron & will report weekly to the Flag officer, the degree of military efficiency attained by each detachment: Upon visiting a vessel for the purpose of inspection Capt. Tattnall will officially call upon the Comdg officer of each vessel and inform him of the purpose of this visit…" VG. The Confederate Ram 'Atlanta' was formerly the blockage runner 'Fingal' who was the first ship to attempt to run the blockage inward for the account of the Confederate government, when she brought 10,000 Enfield rifles, 1,000,000 ball cartridges, 2,000,000 percussion caps, 3,000 cavalry sabers, 1,000 short rifles and cutlass bayonets, 1,000 rounds of ammunition per rifle, 500 revolvers and ammunition, a couple of large rifled cannon and their gear, two smaller rifled guns.
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