About the Snagboat | U.S. Snagboat Montgomery, A National Historic Landmark
Chatfield writes about being terrified that Catesby ap Jones (commander of the Merrimac) would steam out of the Florida swamps in the Confederate gunship Chattahoochee to break the blockade in part 9 of the memoirs.
“In early November 1964, the Montgomery assisted in raising the remaining section of the Confederate Gunboat Chattahoochee from the channel of the Chattahoochee River. The activities are recorded in the Master Fleming’s daily log: “Picking up stern section of Gunboat and Removing it from channel. While picking up Gunboat and trying to work it on the bank some of the upper sections of the boom were sprung.” Today the Confederate Gunboat Chattahoochee can be seen at the Port Columbus National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia.”
The raising of the Chattahoochee
The Chattahoochee today.
My what a large screw this boat had. How long was she?
Not sure, I need to do some more research. I can see why Chatfield was nervous at the prospect of a big gun boat steaming out of a Florida river, guns blazing, under the command of the man who captained the Merrimac. Strange, but I did not know that there was a navigable river up to Atlanta. I guess that explains the strategic importance of the St. Marks blockade.
I also think of Atlanta as a completely land-locked rail terminus..but with a navigable river the Atlanta-as-rail-terminus makes sense. Dog Bless Billy Shermanm the great southern Metropolic redesigner.– Jim