Part 8 – The Reminiscences of Capt. Thomas Chatfield
The Captain returns to Cotuit, finds his house has been sold and the family has moved into the village, ships out on a coastal schooner, a grain ship, then enlists in the Union Navy, where he is commissioned as an Acting Master.
He visits the Monitor in Hampton Roads, fresh from her victory over the Merrimac, then off he sails to Key West as part of the East Gulf Squadron in a converted ferryboat, the U.S.S. Somerset and immediately captures a big prize off of Cuba, The Circassian
A wonderful account! Have you ever considered having it published? I’m currently researching and writing about the early months of 1865 in Florida and would like to lightly quote from your ancestor’s memoir. Please let me know the city and state that you live in so that I may cite the memoir properly. Sincerely, Paul Taylor