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.
Off Charleston – September the 12, 1863
Dear Mother,
Having a few lesure moments I thought I would write to you. I suppose you think it strange of me not writing to you these three months past but with the fighting and running I haven’t had a chance. The Wabash is now in Port Royal. I haven’t been on bord of her for three months. I am on bord the flag ship Philadelphia. The ship’s company are all in here and some are on shore in the naval battery and scaterd all over the fleet. We have some ruff work here. We made an assalt on Sumter Wensday night but they were too strong for us. There were sixty boats and three hundred and fifty men. We lost a hundred and thirty-five that were taken prisoners. I don’t know yet how many there were kild. There were none kild in our boat, one hit on the head slightly. My Cap’n got wounded. slightly. I think I shant get kild in this war. We have got through the worst of it. I suppose you want to know what I am doing on the flag ship. I belong to the Admiral’s barge. That is his boat. I can’t write mutch more. We shall be coming home soon now. The ship has been ordered home some time now but he could not spare the men. There is plenty of men here now so I hear that we are going home. My health is good at present and I hope this will find you all enjoing the same blessing. I wold send you some money but I have no way to send it, only by mail. I am afeard you won’t get it. I will bid you good by. Write as soon as you get this for I want to hear from you. Give my love to all accept the same yourself from your son,
Charles F Chapel
Chapel says his health is good at this time but it was soon to take a turn for the worse. He died from dysentery on the USS Philadelphia on October 1, 1863 at the age of 29. He is buried in Beaufort National
Cemetery in South Carolina. His mother, Alice Chapel, then living in Missouri, was eventually awarded his military pension.
Following the failed assault on Ft. Sumter in April, President Lincoln arranged for Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren to relieve Rear Admiral du Pont as Commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Dahlgren took over in July and in August the flagship of the Squadron became the USS Philadelphia. Chapel, assigned to the Admiral’s barge, evidently transferred to the Philadelphia and in this letter refers to the furious naval bombardment of Forts Wagner and Sumter during August and early September in support of the Army and the subsequent debacle of the second attempt to take Sumter. With the Confederates finally on September 6 abandoning Fort Wagner that controlled the southern approach to Charleston Harbor, General Quincy Gilmore and Admiral Dahlgren turned their attention to Fort Sumter. Dahlgren had about 450 sailors and marines in small boats land on the night of September 8-9 at the base of the fort where they were pinned down by fire from Ft. Moultrie and a Confederate ironclad as well as by small arms fire and grenades from Sumter defenders. The result was at least 132 casualties and over 100 taken prisoner. Ft. Sumter by this time had been reduced to a pile of rubble but the Confederate flag still flew. Sumter and Charleston stayed in Confederate hands until Sherman arrived in 1865.