compiled by David Flint
During the Civil War, Stephentown resident Charles F. Chapel was a Landsman, a seaman recruit, aboard the USS Wabash, Flagship of Admiral Samuel F. du Pont, Commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
Port Royal
Oct. the 4th, 1862
Dear Mother,
In answer to yours I thought I would write to you. I don’t see as I can spend my time any better. I don’t know hardly what to write. We have very easy times here now, nothing much to do but drill at big guns and small arms and we have enough of that the Lord knows. I think we will have something that will wake us up soon at Charleston. The gun boats had a little brush down south. In St. John River they had a couple of forts there on the bluff and ten guns. They soon sheld them out. They left every thing behind them, that way we do the work for them.
Well today is Sunday and I suppose you would like to know how we spend the day on board of a man-of-war. Well I will tell you, we turn out at eight bells, that is four o’clock, and wash down the decks and clean the brite work to our guns, spread the awning fore and aft, that is to keep the sun off, and flemish down the rigging. By this time it is eight bells, we then get our breakfast. At two bells we go to quarters, from there to church to hear holy Joe preach. He keeps us till noon. The rest of the day we have to ourself. So you see I go to church every Sunday, that’s more than one half of the boys do here.
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I bet you tell me that Caroline has a boy. Well that is better than I exspect. I should like to see Caroline and the boy and you all. I think we will stay here this winter. I had a letter from Henry and answered it. I think that Stephen and Henry are getting unsteady. They are foolish to travel through the country spending there money. It is hard times now and will be harder before this war is over. I can’t think of anything more so good by Mother, by Caroline, by baby. Give my love to all, father, brother, sisters and babys
From your affectionate son
Charles F Chapel
The Confederates had built a fort with heavy artillery on St. Johns Bluff
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on the south side of the St. Johns River to protect access to Jacksonville, Florida, an important port for blockade runners. On October 1, 1862, gunboats from du Pont’s fleet shelled the fort but retired in the face of accurate return fire from the large guns.The next day 1,500 federal troops, supported by six of du Pont’s gunboats, landed and moved overland to encircle the fort. During the night the Confederates, thinking themselves outnumbered, abandoned the fort leaving everything behind and intact. A nearby fort at Yellow Bluff was also abandoned, leaving the way open for Union forces to sail up the river and take Jacksonville.
Union Army General John Brannan wrote later that “a small party of determined men could have maintained this position for a considerable time against even a larger force than was at my disposal.” Confederate General Joseph Finegan called the evacuation a “gross military blunder.”
Caroline is Charles’ sister, two years older than he.