|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Mission Summary On August 26, NOAA, the National Undersea Research Center/University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the Cambrian Foundation, and The Mariners' Museum completed a highly successful expedition to the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. The August 1999 expedition had as its primary objectives documentation of specific portions of the wreck, including the lower hull and machinery spaces, turret, and stern; mapping and recovering exposed small artifacts; and conducting excavations inside and at the base of the turret. The expedition began on August 3 with a week of work-up dives. The first research dive on the Monitor was conducted on August 10. Unfortunately. on August 11 and 12, strong currents running 2 knots or more resulted in canceled or aborted dives. But for the most part, the dynamic environment off Cape Hatteras showed its gentler side, and most of the scheduled dives were successfully completed. While documenting the wreck with video, divers discovered a large segment of deck plating that had partially separated from the wreck about half-way between the midships bulkhead and the pilot house. The hole that resulted from the separated plating was carefully documented and measured by the divers. It is approximately 4 feet by 6 to 8 feet and provides further evidence of the continued deterioration of the Monitor's hull. Divers also deployed a recording current meter approximately 20 feet off the Monitor's bow where it will record water temperature as well as current direction and speed for the next year. Close-up, hand-held video coverage of the turret, engineering space, and other areas was recorded by the expedition team. Video footage of the engine will be used to develop the final engine recovery plan. The scheduled turret excavations were also carried out, although the one inside the turret was halted not long after it was begun because of poor visibility in the excavation area. The excavation at the base of the turret, however, was carried to approximately 3 feet below the sediment where the diver could feel the lip of the turret. He could also feel "smooth, vertical metal," which was apparently the intact rifle shield, running at least 3 feet below the lip of the turret. This information is critical to developing the final engineering and recovery plan. Four artifacts were recovered during the expedition: a 5 1/2-inch-high clear glass apothecary bottle, a 6-inch-high, pale green octagonal US Navy mustard bottle, a slat from the top of a small cask or barrel, and a copper hoop from a large barrel. All artifacts recovered from the site are transported to The Mariners' Museum for conservation and long-term exhibition or are made available to appropriate facilities for exhibit. Mission accomplished... August 25,1999 The R/V Cape Fear left the dock at 7:20 this morning. Conditions were outstanding for the final day of the expedition. The sea was almost calm with swells of 1 foot or less. Conditions in the Sanctuary were also ideal, with minimal winds and no evidence of a surface current. Five divers working in two teams entered the water at 10:00 a.m. for a 25 minute dive on the wreck. Team 1 conducted a video survey of the entire wreck, with one diver using an underwater scooter to tow another with the video camera. Visibility was in excess of 80 feet and there was no bottom current, resulting in perfect conditions for making the "runs." The divers were able to make six passes over the wreck, and the video is great! Team 2 was assigned the "clean up detail," artifact survey, and making additional corrosion readings on the turret and armor belt. Two divers proceeded to recover tools and equipment from the bottom while the third diver conducted the corrosion testing. One diver assigned to the clean up team also took the opportunity to photograph the wreck with a 35 mm camera. The diver tasked with surveying for artifacts had planned to use another underwater scooter to blow sediment from under the Monitor's armor belt. He only "dredged" for about 3 minutes because the lack of current on the bottom caused the dredged sediment to remain suspended over the area, reducing visibility to zero. He halted operations under the armor belt and moved to an the area where artifacts were recovered the day before. While searching that area, he recovered an intact US Navy mustard bottle with the cork inside and what appears to be an oval barrel hoop. The mustard bottle is in perfect condition, but the brass or copper hoop is badly corroded. The diver searched for additional pieces of the barrel but was unable to locate any. The August 1999 Monitor Expedition ended in high spirits and a sense of accomplishment. The staff of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary extends our sincerest appreciation to the team members of the NOAA Diving Center, the National Undersea Research Center/University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the Cambrian Foundation, The Mariners' Museum, the kind folks at Hatteras Landing Marina, and all of the others who supported and contributed to the success of the field operations during the 1999 Monitor Expedition. August 25, 1862 Entries in the Monitor's log for this day reflect "fresh breezes from N.E. & cool pleasant weather" throughout the day. During the 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. watch, Acting Master Louis Stodder noted that the steamer Ella arrived with the flag officer on board and went up the river under a "Flag of Truce." He also noted that the steamer Mt. Washington arrived at the Monitor's anchorage. William Keeler wrote his wife Anna a brief letter commenting on the continued cool weather, "...so cool as to remind us strongly of fall." He maintained hope that the Monitor would soon be sent to the Washington Navy Yard for repairs: "How I hope to see you all before winter...." We have no letters from George Geer for this day. And on this final day of the August 1999 Monitor Expedition, we will learn more about First Class Fireman George Geer, who provided such wonderful insight into life on the Monitor. The following comes primarily from service and pension records, the originals of which are in the National Archives. George Spencer Geer was born about 1836 in Troy, New York. He married Martha Clark Hamilton on October 3, 1858, by A. Kingman Nott in a ceremony that took place at 67 Spring Street, New York City. Geer enlisted as a first-class fireman in the United States Navy at New York City on February 18, 1862, for a three-year term. At the time of his enlistment Geer was described as having blue eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion. He stood 5 feet 7 1/2 inches in height. His first assignment was aboard the USS North Carolina. By March 6, 1862, he was assigned to the USS Monitor, where he served until the ship sank in a storm on December 31, 1862. His service records show that he was promoted to acting third assistant engineer on January 19, 1863, and assigned to the USS Galena. When that ship went into the yard for repairs in the spring of 1862, Geer was assigned to the USS Vermont, a sailing ship. Geer maintained the ship's condensers, which provided fresh water for the crew. On June 1, 1864, while on board the Vermont, Geer was appointed second assistant engineer. After his detachment from the Vermont on August 18, 1864, Geer was assigned to the USS Philadelphia until August 28, 1865, when he was granted a leave of absence. He was honorably discharged on December 1, 1865. Geer then served as an engineer aboard the Flag, a civilian steamer, and on the cargo steamer Savannah. By 1880, Geer was involved in business activities that took him to the southern states. n October 9, 1892, while on business in Charleston, South Carolina, Geer was taken ill and died. He was fifty-six years old. His body was sent home to Troy and he was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in that city. George and Martha had two boys, Willie and Gilbert, whom Geer called "Gilley" in his letters to Martha, at the time he served on the Monitor. Their third son, Frank, was born early in 1867. In 1869 daughter Clara was born, and son George followed in 1873. Son Arthur was born in 1880 and daughter Martha in 1882. George's beloved
Martha continued to live in Troy, residing at 171 Congress
Street. She never remarried and died on January 30, 1924,
just prior to her eighty-sixth birthday. She was survived by
children Willie, Clara, George, and Martha. Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Letters of George Geer, The Mariners' Museum Library. Unpublished letters scheduled for publication by the Museum later this year. Berent, Irwin M., The Crewmen of the USS Monitor: A Biographical Directory. Raleigh: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, n.d. Study commissioned by NOAA. Service record of George S. Geer, National Archives. Pension file of Martha Geer, National Archives. August 24, 1999 The R/V Cape Fear left the dock at 7:35 this morning with good surface conditions, but the waves continued to increase in size as the Monitor Expedition team approached the Sanctuary. Winds were 12 to 18 knots, which pushed the sea state up to 3 to 4 foot swells with the occasional to 6 to 8 foot swell just to keep everyone on their toes. Three teams of divers tried to reach the wreck but because of poor visibility and a mid-level current of 1 1/2 knots, the dives were aborted after about 15 minutes. The weather for tomorrow is still questionable, but the expedition team will make an assessment in the morning and hopefully will have one more day at the wreck. August 24, 1862 George Frederickson's entry in the Monitor's log for the midnight to 4:00 a.m. watch indicates "baffling wind and squally, rainy weather." After that, entries indicate "fresh breezes" and clouds. The Monitor's anchorage in the James River continued to be visited by various vessels as the Satellite moved down river and the Jacob Bell arrived. In a letter to 'Dear Wife," George Geer acknowledged receipt of several newspapers from home in which were hidden the locks that he had requested and which he planned to sell to members of the crew. He did not receive the silk he had requested, however, and stated that "I want it very much." As always, the family finances were a major topic of discussion; Geer told his wife that she could draw money on September 1 and October 1. He also said that he had three dollars he would send. "There is much gambling going on as ever and it has gotten to the officers ears so I suppose it will be some time before any more money is served out to the crew." Geer expressed his fondness for Captain Stevens. "...in fact since we have got clear of Jeffers and Newton it seems like another ship and the men are better natured." He also said that a few days prior, the Monitor had taken a "...cruise down the river some eight or ten miles to let the Captain see how the ship would work and...I never saw her work so well before." He noted that he and one other crewmen had painted the entire Monitor a "very light lead color." He asked that his wife send him any newspaper articles with accounts of the launching of the new monitor expected to take place tomorrow as "...we know we will not be relieved until one of them takes our place." He noted that the Monitor was in commission six months as of that day and "I don't think there ever lived before a man who could say he had been on iron six months and never stepped on the ground in that time....I will feel very funny to get on ground and have it give with me when I walk. But...I would like to get on the ground once and try it." After asking to be remembered to family and friends and saying that he was going to visit the USS Galena, Geer closed with, "Give the baby a kiss for me. Your, George." Keeler wrote a brief letter to his wife Anna to acknowledge news of her brother Melzar's death. "...I think we have good grounds to hope that there may be a mistake as these lists are made out in the hurry, confusion & excitement always following a severe battle...." [In a much later letter, Keeler confirms that her brother, a Union soldier, was indeed killed.]
Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Letters of George Geer, The Mariners' Museum Library. Unpublished letters scheduled for publication by the Museum later this year. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.
August 23, 1999 The research vessel Cape Fear and the Monitor expedition team departed Hatteras at 7:30 a.m. this morning. Sea conditions in the sanctuary were 2 to 3 foot seas and 15 to 20 knot winds. Three teams of two divers each found good bottom conditions: 40 to 60 feet of visibility and current at less than 1 knot. Team 1 took follow-up corrosion readings on the turret to see if the anodes that were connected to the turret yesterday were working properly. They also attached a set of anodes to a section of the armor belt. Team 2 continued recording video of the engineering space and produced footage that will be useful in preparing the final engineering plan. Team 3 surveyed the area where the deck light and deck plating have separated from the wreck, leaving a large hole in the deck. The team observed a ceramic wash basin, still in the shelf in which it was secured, adjacent to the hole in the deck. The basin cannot be recovered because of intact deck plates. The team surveyed the area for artifacts that may have been washed out of the wreck through the hole and located an intact apothecary bottle, approximately 3 inches in diameter and 5 1/2 inches high, made of clear glass. They also recovered a piece of wood that proved to be a slat from the top of a small cask or barrel along with two other wood samples. Weather projections call for good conditions tomorrow but for unfavorable changes by Wednesday, which is the last day of the expedition. August 23, 1862 Entries in the Monitor's log indicate continued clear weather until the noon watch, when the skies became cloudy. By midnight the southwest wind was described by Louis Stodder as "baffling" and rain had begun. William Flye noted that at 6:00 a.m. the coal schooner Effort came alongside the Monitor and "At 7:20 commenced coaling ship." This was followed by an entry from Louis Stodder during the 8:00 a.m. to noon watch that the Monitor had "Rec'd 30 tons of coal." We have no letters from George Geer, William Keeler, or George White for August 23. We met Isaac Newton in the August 20 update, when it was noted in the Monitor's log that he had departed the vessel. Keeler also commented on his departure and described Newton as "a good officer and pleasant companion." This is Isaac Newton's story. Isaac Newton was born in New York City, on Aug. 4, 1837. He attended Hamilton College and took courses in civil engineering and medicine at the University of the City of New York. After college he was employed as an engineer at the Delamater Iron works in New York City. He was subsequently associated with his father as assistant engineer of the People's Line of Hudson river steamers, and as chief engineer of the Collins Line, which ran vessels between New York and Liverpool. In 1861 Newton entered the U.S. Navy as first assistant engineer and was assigned to the USS Roanoke. He assisted Capt. John Ericsson in the construction of the Monitor, and acted as engineer on Monitor's voyage to Hampton Roads, where he participated in the historic engagement with the CSS Virginia on March 9, 1862. According to an article in the New York Times published on the occasion of Newton's death, "his coolness and skill on that occasion secured him the appointment of Superintendent of Construction of Ironclads, a remarkable distinction for so young a man." He departed the Monitor on August 20, 1862, to accept that position. Newton held the position of Superintendent of Construction of Ironclads in New York City until 1865, when he resigned from the Navy. While there he provided oversight for the construction of the Passaic class of monitors, which included the USS Passaic and USS Montauk. Of these vessels, Newton wrote to Capt. Thomas H. Stevens, then commanding the Monitor, in September 1862: "She [the Passaic] is truly a fine vessel, a great improvement on the Monitor - The next Monitor the "Montauk" will probably be launched in about three weeks, she will be similar in every respect to the "Passaic." In 1872 he became assistant engineer of the Department of Public Works in New York City under General George McClellan. He was also a member of the Rapid Transit Commission, which established the system of elevated railroads. He served as chief engineer of the Department of Public Works in New York City, 1881-84 and inaugurated the new Croton aqueduct. He was a member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers and of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In his later years, Newton was described as slightly balding; a tall man with clean-cut features, an aquiline nose, and light hair and mustache. It was during work on the Croton aqueduct that he first complained of ill health. An attack of typhoid in 1882 almost killed him and a bout of pneumonia the next year weakened him further. He had also begun to suffer bouts of "rheumatism." In addition, there is evidence that financial problems had begun to plague him. By September 1884, Newton's personal physician and others of his acquaintance described him as " morbid and melancholy." For whatever reasons, at about daybreak on September 25 of that year, Newton apparently ended his life by cutting his throat. The weapon, believed to be a straight razor, was never found. He was survived by his mother, two sisters, and a brother. References: Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Brown, John Howard, ed., Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States, Vol. V, Boston: Federal Book Co. of Boston, 1903. New York Times, September 24, 1884 August 22, 1999 Today turned out to be a very busy day for the Monitor expedition team. The Cape Fear departed Hatteras at 7:30 a.m. The seas at the sanctuary were 2 to 3 feet and the current was less than 1/2 knot. We assembled three teams of two divers each and quite a bit of work was accomplished, Team 1 conducted a brief test excavation inside the turret, with John Broadwater, the project archaeologist, directing from the surface via a remote television camera loaned to the Cambrian Foundation by Sartek Industries. John was able to talk to the divers via a through-water communication system. In spite of poor visibility in the excavation area, the system shows promise as a means of conducting deep-water excavations with a non-diving archaeologist. (John has dived the Monitor before, but wasn't able to dive this year because of a medical condition.) Team 2 took corrosion potential measurements on the armor belt using a handheld cathodic protection probe made by InterResources Inc. and leased to NOAA at a reduced rate. The team then connected two 50-pound anodes to the turret. The anodes were donated by Galvotec and the frames they were mounted on were designed and fabricated by Curt Peterson, The Rescue Company, and Jerry Kinney, The Mariners' Museum. Team 3 videotaped the port armor belt and the aft end of the engine room. At about 1:30 p.m., as the Cape Fear was heading back to shore, the day developed a new turn. First, we heard a distress call on the radio from the Gunsmoke, a dive charter boat out of Hatteras Landing Marina, where the Cape Fear docks. One of their divers had been missing for an hour, and they were asking for assistance. Dan Aspenleiter, captain of the Cape Fear, entered the coordinates into his GPS unit and found that the Gunsmoke was about 12 miles away. He radioed them that we would alter our course and meet them in approximately one hour. After only a few minutes on our new course, a "Mayday" call came in on the radio--this time from a 21-foot boat with three persons aboard. They gave their position and said that their boat was sinking and that they only had a few minutes before it went under. Those coordinates were only about three miles from our position, so Captain Aspenleiter altered course for the sinking boat. We took the three boaters aboard and set an anchor and buoy to mark the position of their boat. Although the boat was swamped it did not appear to be sinking, so we resumed our course toward the Gunsmoke. A Coast Guard boat sped by us to inspect a floating object that the Gunsmoke had reported seeing. It was not the missing diver. Captain Aspenleiter, who has a great deal of experience with divers, calculated the current direction and speed and the Gunsmoke's position and steered a course that would take us along the most likely path for a diver to follow if drifting in the current. After only a few minutes we spotted the diver, less than 100 yards off our starboard bow. He was brought aboard, tired but okay and very happy to see us! August 22, 1862 The weather continued calm and rainy until after noon, when the skies cleared. The Monitor's long period of inactivity ended at 1:30 p.m. when Executive Officer Samuel Dana Greene noted the vessel "got under way and stood down the [James] river." However, at 6:30 p.m. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William Flye noted that the ship "Came up river and...took our old moorings." At midnight, Acting Master's Mate George Frederickson's entry in the Monitor's log indicated clear and pleasant weather. George H. White wrote his mother about the trip down the James River. "Our new Captain was anxious to see how the ship would work...we got under weigh and sailed down the River several miles and back....Everything worked to our satisfaction and we returned towards sundown still better pleased with the vessel." White noted that the ship was "very hot," and "while going with the deck plates on [probably a reference to deck light and hatch covers], the thermometer standing at 1200. Everything I had on was ringing wet , and I was glad to get them off and put on dry ones." On its sojourn down the river, some of the Monitor's officers and crew had the opportunity to view the camp recently deserted by the Union Army. White described it: "For miles there is no signs of fences and the grass is trod down making the place look like a field that had been plowed and rolled. There are four tents left standing and we saw some dozen old horses...not being of any use." After asking to be remembered to his father and sisters, White signed with his usual "I remain as ever, they affectionate son, George H. White." We have no letters from George Geer or William Keeler for August 22.
Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Letters of George H. White, transcripts in the Monitor collection, NOAA. August 21, 1999 After eleven days of diving without a break, the Expedition had to cancel dive operations today. We had thunderstorms and strong winds all night and this morning offshore conditions were southeast winds at 15 to 20 knots and 4 to 6 foot seas. Several additional divers have joined the team and are being given an orientation today. The weather forecast looks very optimistic and we expect to conduct diving each day through the 25th, which will be the last day of the Expedition. August 21, 1862 The Monitor's officers reported calm and cloudy weather in their log entries from midnight until the 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. watch, when rains began and continued until midnight. Acting Master's Mate George Frederickson noted continued vessel movements as at 6:00 a.m. the Currituck went down river, "followed by the Satellite towing a schooner." Frederickson also noted that the Gunners Department received on board thirty 10-second time fuses. During the 8:00 a.m. to noon watch the vessel Delaware joined the Monitor at anchor. Paymaster William Keeler noted to his wife, "Some friendly hand has just been thrust through my deck light & let fall a shower of letters & papers...." Some of the letters had postage due and Keeler surmised that they may have been detained along the way because of it. He asked that Anna take care to include all necessary postage and "...don't forget to number your letters as I know then when any are missing...." Keeler speculated that the ships in the James River were going to attack Fort Darling again. ' "Pilot houses are being protected with iron plates. Sand bags are being filled as additional protection around the guns, heavy chain cables being hung on the sides to defend the boilers." He added in the margin that in describing the added protection being placed on the ships he was speaking of other vessels; "we require no additional defenses." Keeler admitted that he had no information on which to base his speculation about an impending attack, but thought that perhaps the ships would attack on one side of the fortifications while land forces attacked on the opposite side. [The added protection for the ships was actually in anticipation of an attack by the Confederate vessel Richmond and her squadron.] He closed his letter with "Remember me with love to all, William." In a letter to his mother, George H. White described his "very nice room with writing desk...." He noted that he, like the other crewmen, was sleeping on the Monitor's deck. "My shipmates are all a very nice set of fellows....Free and easy the style on board and you can travel about in any kind of dress so it is comfortable." White said that he was ordered to the Monitor to allow one of the engineers [Isaac Newton] to accept a position in New York superintending the construction of the new monitors. He said there was "some talk" about another attack on Fort Darling "...but this I fear we will be unable to do as it is the opinion of nearly all the officers who have been up there that it cannot be taken by a Naval force." He speculated that the ships presently anchored in the James River might move towards Richmond to create a diversion for the advancing Union army. "I am perfectly willing they should hammer away at us till they get tired for I know they can do us no injury."
Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Letters of George H. White, transcripts in the Monitor collection, NOAA. August 20, 1999 The Monitor expedition team braved rough conditions today to continue their work in the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. The research vessel Cape Fear made the trip to the sanctuary in 2 to 4 foot seas that built to 4 to 6 feet during the dive, with an occasional 7 to 8 foot swell. However, divers found no subsurface currents and visibility of more than 100 feet. One of the divers described today's dive as the best dive he had ever made on the Monitor. Two teams of two divers each reached the wreck. One team of divers continued the excavation at the base of the turret and measured the 7-inch "lip" at the top of the turret (the turret is upside down; thus it is the top of the turret that is buried in the sand). They were also able to measure 1 1/2 to 2 feet below the top of the turret and encountered smooth, vertical metal, confirming once again that the rifle shield, which was constructed boiler plate iron 1-inch thick, is intact. A diver from the second team used a digital video camera to record footage of the engineering space from the port and starboard sides. In addition to the engine, he recorded the bilge strainer and the yoke assembly that goes to the condenser. Divers also tested a video camera system that allows work on the wreck to be viewed by expedition personnel on the surface. The system worked well and will be employed during a planned excavation inside the turret. Weather projections for tomorrow call for 20 to 25 knot winds and 6-foot seas. A decision will be made later this evening, based upon updated weather information, as to whether dives will take place tomorrow. August 20, 1862 From their anchorage on the James River, the Monitor's officers reported continued calm, pleasant weather with light breezes from the southwest. During the 8:00 a.m. to noon watch, William Flye reported continued vessel movement as the Port Royal, Sonoma, and Genessee moved down the river. Flye also reported that at 8:30 A.M., "Mr. [Isaac] Newton, 1st Asst' Engineer left the vessel having been detached." On this day First Class Fireman George Geer wrote his wife that mail to the ships was not arriving regularly, depending on the gunboats that occasionally came up from Hampton Roads. He noted the departure of Capt. Jeffers and the arrival of Captain Stevens. He also expanded on the departure of Engineer Isaac Newton, as William Flye had noted in the Monitor's log. "...on Tuesday a new engineer came and brought orders for Newton to go to New York...and gave the charge of the engines to Mr. Campbell. We were all very glad of the changes." Geer viewed Capt. Stevens as a "...gentleman and is very kind to us all. Our new engineer, Mr. Campbell...was my engineer and the one I liked best of anyone in the ship." Geer expressed his confusion about "where the Army went. They went off so quickly and so mysteriously we can form no idea of where they went to....I should not be surprised if some of the Rebels got very badly hurt before McClelland [sic] gets through with them." He complained of having a "touch of rheumatism in the small of my back for two weeks." He blamed it on sleeping in the open on the Monitor's deck and "having the heavy dew fall on me." Geer also noted that he had to stop writing to fetch things from the store room "about twenty times" because the "tower [turret] got stuck and would not turn." Geer blamed the problem on packing that was placed under it while the ship was still in Hampton Roads "and it had become rotten and rolled up in a wad as hard as a stone." The packing would not allow the turret to turn. Geer said that the packing had been removed and "she is working like a top." Geer reported rumors that the Monitor was going down to Jamestown Island, some 30 miles from their present anchorage. He said that their supply of fresh corn and beef had left when the Army left "as we dare not send a boat on shore...as the Rebel pickets are all around us and watch every move." Geer also reported that a colleague had written to Isaac Newton on Geer's behalf, recommending him as an engineer. Geer said of Newton, "I expect very little favor from him." He asked after his children and signed his letter, "With much love I remain your husband, George." In a brief note to his wife, Paymaster William Keeler noted that a boat had arrived the night before "bringing the accumulated mails for the last five days..." He also commented on the departure of Isaac Newton. He was a good officer, a pleasant companion & all felt sorry to have him leave." Keeler noted that Newton had been ordered to New York "to superintend the building of iron clad vessels." Keeler said that the entire crew was waiting anxiously for orders to Washington for repairs. "If we are kept here till the new Monitors are done it will be three or four weeks before we can get away...." [In reality it would be October before the ship reached Washington for repairs.]
Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862 to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Letters of George Geer, The Mariners' Museum Library. Unpublished letters scheduled for publication by the Museum later this year. August 19, 1999 It was another rough day for the Monitor expedition team with occasional 7 to 10 foot swells mingling with 2 to 5 foot seas pushed and a southwest wind. The situation was further complicated by a strong current, estimated at 2 knots, running from the surface to the wreck. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, two teams of two divers each made their way towards the wreck only to find that conditions were even less ideal: visibility was only 10 to 20 feet. One team had as its objective to continue the excavation at the base of the turret; the other was to photograph the Monitor's engine room and, if that was not feasible, to make their way farther forward in order to map and video the deck light and associated deck plates that have separated from the wreck. Unfortunately, the current was too strong for the second team, laden with photographic gear, to carry out any of their objectives, and they aborted the dive. The first team continued with the excavation at the base of the turret, working with a dredge that has performed far better at the Monitor's 240-foot depth than we had hoped. Today the divers confirmed that, as found during the June Navy expedition, the rifle shield that was installed on the top of the turret in November 1862 is intact, at least in the area of the excavation, and still supporting the turret. One more dive will be devoted to completing the excavation. Tomorrow is being considered as a day off for the Monitor expedition team, as everyone has worked for ten straight days without a break. However, a front is supposed to move through the Hatteras area in the next few days, and there is a tropical storm making up in the Atlantic that may affect weather in the next five to seven days. The team will get an update on projected weather conditions this evening and make a decision as to whether tomorrow will be a working day or whether to take advantage of acceptable diving conditions as long as possible. August 19, 1862 The calm, clear weather continued through August 19. William Flye reported at 6:00 a.m. that one of the gunboats anchored with the Monitor in the James River "commenced shelling the right bank of the river opposite Harrisons Landing." Louis Stodder reported that Thomas Fergueson, volunteer fireman from the vessel Stepping Stones, returned to his vessel. [This was probably because of the arrival of G. H. White the previous day. The Monitor's log contains several notations of crewmen from other vessels in the vicinity coming aboard the Monitor to fill vacant positions until permanent replacements arrived.] Flye reported that at 6:45 p.m. the vessel Satellite fired towards the right bank of the river. There were no notations as to what might have prompted the firing. Paymaster William Keeler wrote to Anna that "...Everything about us wears a most deserted appearance, nothing moving on the shore...." He noted that occasionally one of the gunboats would fire into the trees and bushes on the river bank "...where a rebel army may be supposed to be lurking...." Keeler noted the departure of Capt. Jeffers. "I can assure you we parted from him without many regrets. He is...brutal, selfish & ambitious." He expressed an initial good first impression of Capt. Stevens but noted that "He has the reputation of taking a glass too much occasionally...." He commented on the "flag of truce" noted by Louis Stodder in the previous day's log and said the ship flying the truce flag had on board the "...officers captured from the Wachusett last spring, also...a whole boat load of others who greeted the 'bully little Monitor' with the most vociferous cheers as they passed." Newly arrived engineer George H. White wrote his mother on this day to tell her that he had reached his new vessel safely but had had little time to do more that put his clothes away. "I am very well and have no doubt, but I shall like the ship." White was not necessarily impressed by summer on the James River: "There are more mosquitos here than I ever saw up the Mississippi. They are a great source of trouble to us." Like Keeler, White commented on the departure of the Union Army. Unlike Keeler, he apparently admired McClellan. "I should like to see any man but our young Gen'l accomplish such a movement." He closed with "I remain as ever thy Affectionate son George H. White."
Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Letters of George H. White, transcripts in the Monitor Collection, NOAA. August 18, 1999 The Monitor expedition crew had a rough ride to the sanctuary and back today in 3 to 5 foot seas pushed by strong winds. In the sanctuary they were met by a 2-knot surface current but two teams of two divers each were able to reach the wreck and carry out the day's objectives. One dive team assembled the air lift, including an extra section of pipe to make the overall length 20 feet. They began the excavation outside the turret and reached a depth of 3 feet, which is possibly the lower edge of the turret. The excavation will continue tomorrow. Meanwhile the second dive team, using a handheld corrosion measuring device, took a series of readings on the turret. They also recorded video of what is believed to be a deck light halfway between the midships bulkhead and the pilot house. The deck light is still attached to a portion of the deck which has partially separated from the wreck, creating the large hole approximately 3 to 4 feet by 6 to 8 feet. It may not be possible to recover the deck light because it appears to be firmly attached to the partially separated section of deck. Divers also recovered the "medallion" located a few days ago. It is believed to be modern, since it shows no signs of having been in sea water for very long, and may have been dropped by one of the Navy divers working on the June Monitor expedition. August 18, 1862 Notations in the Monitor's log reported continued northeast breezes and clear weather. Acting Master Louis N. Stodder reported that at 7:30 "a flag of truce passed down with returned union officers on board." Acting Master's Mate George Frederickson reported that at 8:15 a.m., the Marataura [actually Maratanza] came up the river and Commander Thomas H. Stevens came on board the Monitor "...Lieut. Com'dr Wm Jeffers having been detached...turned the command over to Cap'n Stevens.... " Frederickson also reported that at 10:00 a.m. the gunboats "commenced shelling the right bank of the river" and the steamer Genessee was aground. During the 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. watch, Stodder reported that the steamer Mt. Washington came up, bringing Third Assistant Engineer G. H. White who was reporting for duty aboard the Monitor. We have no letters from either George Geer or William Keeler for August 18. We have met the Monitor's Executive Officer, Samuel Dana Greene, numerous times through his entries in the Monitor's log. What we know of Greene indicates that he was a competent naval officer who was respected by his peers. This is his story. Samuel Dana Greene was born on February 1, 1840, in Cumberland, Maryland. On September 21, 1855, Greene entered the navy as an 'acting midshipman" at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. He was promoted to midshipman and assigned to the USS Hartford upon graduation. The Hartford, a steam sloop-of-war carrying twenty-four guns, was ordered to join the East India Squadron and carried Greene to numerous far eastern ports before arriving back in the States shortly after the start of the Civil War. He was promoted to lieutenant before returning home. Greene volunteered for service on the USS Monitor. Although he was only twenty years of age, he was appointed executive officer of the vessel. Paymaster William Keeler described Greene as "a young man...in regular service, black hair and eyes that looked through a person and will carry out...orders." When Captain Worden was wounded during the Monitor's battle with the CSS Virginia on March 9, 1862, Greene assumed command of the ship but was replaced within a few days, probably in large part because of his age and lack of experience. He served as executive officer until the Monitor sank on December 31, 1862. Greene then served as executive officer aboard the USS Florida. When the Florida's captain was taken ill, Greene once again assumed command, but once again was replaced by an older, more experienced commander and resumed his position as executive officer. Greene left the Florida on September 20, 1863, to be married to Mary Willis Dearth of Bristol, Rhode Island. Greene served a stint at the New York Navy Yard as an assistant inspector of purchased vessels before going to sea again, this time in European waters where he remained through the winter of 1865. Upon returning to New York in October of that year, Greene was promoted to lieutenant commander and ordered to report to the Naval Academy as an instructor. He alternated between positions at the Academy and sea duty until 1884, when he was ordered to the Portsmouth Navy Yard as executive officer. His wife had died unexpectedly in 1874. On December 11, 1884, while at the Navy Yard, Greene committed suicide by shooting himself with a .38 caliber revolver. The Concord [New Hampshire] Evening Monitor reported on December 12 that "He had been observed to act strangely for some time, and had been watched for fear that he might take his own life." His suicide was attributed by some to criticisms of his actions on the Monitor after Worden was wounded. Recent articles in the press had brought old rumors to light and it was believed that Greene had not been able to cope with the resulting publicity. There is also some indication that he was in poor health at the time of his suicide.
Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Still, William N., Ironclad Captains; The Commanding Officers of the USS Monitor, Washington; Government Printing Office, 1988. August 17, 1999 The Cape Fear departed Hatteras at 7:05 this morning. Conditions at the sanctuary were beautiful: seas less than one foot, slight current and light wind. The dive team entered the water at 9:47 to find that subsurface conditions were quite different; the divers passed through a mid-water current running at least 1-1/2 knots. On the bottom, visibility was only 10-20 feet and there was still a one-knot current. The team conducted a full 30-minute dive in order to gain more time to complete their assigned tasks. Today's goals were 1) to map and recover a "medallion" (probably modern) that was discovered just off the wreck, 2) to re-secure the time capsule that was placed on the wreck by the Navy during the June mission, 3) to map and video an object located on a previous dive that appears to be a bulkhead porthole or deck light, 4) to add a 10-foot section to the airlift (10-feet long) and test the lift, and 5) to re-excavate the hole at the base of the turret that was dug by the Navy in June. The purpose of the last goal is to further define the condition of the rifle shield and stanchions that lie beneath the turret, which must be taken into account when developing the recovery plan. The medallion was mapped and recovered; nearby, the "porthole" was mapped and videotaped. The team then returned to the turret where they added the extra ten-foot section of pipe to the airlift. There was not enough time to test the lift, so the lift and the medallion were left on the bottom for tomorrow's dive team. The seas were almost flat calm as we made the transit back to Hatteras, and we're hoping this weather holds for a few more days. Note: During the June expedition, Navy divers placed a time capsule on the wreck in memory of the Monitor's officers and crew from the officers and crew of the USS Grasp, divers from the Navy's Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two, Monitor Sanctuary staff, and The Mariners' Museum. The capsule contains a number of items including a Navy diver's pin, a copy of Ericsson's plans of the Monitor signed by expedition personnel, and a Huntington medal from The Mariners' Museum. The items were placed in a watertight container made of heavy-duty PVC that will in no way react with the iron or other materials on the wreck. The idea of the time capsule was proposed by one of the crew of the Grasp who wanted to make the gesture in recognition of the men who perished the night the Monitor sank. August 17, 1862 Weather continued to be pleasant with "moderate breezes from the northeast" reported by George Frederickson. During the 8:00 a.m. to noon watch, Executive Officer Samuel Dana Greene reported, "Inspected crew at quarters." Vessel movements increased as William Flye reported that the vessel Morse went up river at 12.15 and Louis Stodder reported that the vessels Port Royal, Galena, Satellite, and Morse came down the river at 5:00 p.m. The Monitor remained at anchor in the James River. We have no letters from either George Geer or William Keeler for August 17. We continue with our brief biographical sketches of members of the Monitor's officers and crew whom you have come to know through the historical portions of our daily updates. Today we are profiling George Frederickson who served as Acting Master's Mate aboard the Monitor and who made frequent entries into the Monitor's log, which is how we became acquainted with him. What little information we have about George Frederickson comes from a collection of pension application papers in the Monitor Collection, the originals of which are in the National Archives. From these papers we learn that Frederickson was born about 1834 at "Island of Men" in the Kingdom of Denmark. Frederickson and Magdalena E. Holst of Philadelphia were married on January 10, 1858, by D. B. Baldwin, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Two children were born to George and Magdalena Frederickson: Catherine Amelia, born on August 9, 1858, and George, born on September 28, 1861. On December 6, 1861, in New York, Frederickson entered the service of the United States Navy as Acting Masters Mate. His one assignment while in the service was to the USS Monitor. We know little else about Frederickson except that the pension papers described him as being about 5 feet, 4 inches in height with blue eyes, light hair, and a light complexion. And we do know one more thing: George Frederickson did not survive the Monitor's sinking. He was one of sixteen men who perished the night the Monitor was lost in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. When his widow applied for a pension under the Act of July 14, 1862, the pension bureau contacted Thomas P. Bankhead, who had been the Monitor's captain when the ship sank, to obtain verification that Frederickson had indeed "drowned" that night. Bankhead replied as follows: Dear Sir ....I do not think it would be right to encourage any hope that Mr. Frederickson may have been saved as I look upon it as almost beyond human possibility. Yr obt. Svt T. P. Bankhead Beginning on August
13, 1863, Magdelena Frederickson was granted a pension of
$10 per month based on her husband's naval service. She was
dropped from the pension roles on September 14, 1887,
"because of Death." Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. George Frederickson, pension application papers, Monitor Collection, NOAA August 16, 1999 After an overnight thunderstorm, the day began with overcast skies, predictions of 2 to 4 foot seas offshore, and the likelihood of more thunderstorms. Nevertheless, the Cape Fear departed Hatteras at 7:15 a.m. and arrived at the Monitor Sanctuary to find conditions that were not bad: 2 to 3 foot seas and a current of about one knot. Two dive teams entered the water at 9:47, finding 40 feet of visibility and less than one-half knot of current on the bottom. The teams extended their dive times to 25 minutes to allow more time for completing today's tasks. One team inspected the current meter at the bow and tightened its fittings, while the other team set up and tested the airlift at the base of the turret. The airlift worked very well with a 10-foot pipe length and the air supply valve about one-half open. However, with almost no current to carry the silt away, sand and silt expelled from the airlift formed a dark cloud that cut visibility to a few inches. The dive was terminated after determining that the lift was working well. Hatteras Landing Marina become an expedition sponsor by providing free dock space for the R/V Cape Fear. Our thanks go out to Lane Miller, Proprietor, and all the nice folks at Hatteras Landing. Then.... August 16, 1862 The Monitor's officers reported strong breezes from the northeast and pleasant weather from midnight to midnight. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William Flye reported that the vessel Currituck came up the river and "The last of the fleet of Transports left Harrisons Landing during the watch." Acting Master Louis Stodder noted that at 1:00 p.m. the Tioga anchored near the Monitor and the Currituck went up the river at 2:00 p.m. and returned at 3:00 p.m. Paymaster William Keeler wrote his wife that "This morning when I rolled out of my blanket on deck I found the river vacated by the great number of schooners, steamers, & various kinds of vessels which had filled it for some weeks past...." He noted that the only ships remaining were about a dozen gun boats and "one solitary steamer...burning docks...." He described the now-deserted camp, previously occupied by McClellan's army where a "village of white tents...which...had dotted the yellow, dusty slope of the river bank..." were gone, as were wagons, artillery, and nearly everything else, leaving only a "smooth extensive plain of yellow dust...." Keeler noted that the
"rebels" will no doubt call the movement "a great skeedadle"
when they learn of it. He also noted that going ashore from
any of the ships was now prohibited. "I cannot believe that
our vessels to remain long inactive. The country demands
something to be done...." Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Letters of George Geer, The Mariners' Museum Library. Unpublished letters scheduled for publication by the Museum later this year. August 15, 1999 The Monitor expedition team departed Hatteras this morning in far better conditions than predicted: light winds, one-foot seas and a slight current. In the sanctuary, they were met by the warm, deep blue waters of the Gulf Stream. However, as the divers descended, they encountered a current of two knots or stronger, requiring ten minutes of a planned 20-minute dive just to reach the wreck. Today's goals were to deploy and test the airlift and inspect the current meter and make adjustments, if necessary. But when the divers reached the wreck, they found near-zero visibility which limited them to moving the airlift and air supply cylinder into position. It was not possible to inspect the current meter. After ensuring that all of the airlift equipment was secure, the dive team began their ascent. Today was yet another reminder of the complexity of working in the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. From the surface, conditions appeared to be near-perfect for diving. But conditions below the surface were marginal at best, severely limiting the dive team's options. Projections call for good weather over the next few days. Hopefully subsurface currents and visibility will improve sufficiently for the dive team to complete the turret excavation and other expedition objectives. August 15, 1862 Still at anchor on the James River, the Monitor's officers reported moderate breezes and cloudy weather from midnight until 8:00 a.m., when Acting Master Louis N. Stodder noted "light showers of rain." By noon the clouds had disappeared and Acting Master's Mate George Frederickson reported "Weather fine & pleasant." He also reported that at 2:30 the Galena got under way and headed up the river. No other vessel movements or other activities were reported that day. Paymaster William Keeler wrote his wife that "I returned from my trip down the river this morning..." He reported that Capt. Jeffers had announced that after that evening "no mail was to be allowed to leave here for fifteen days." Keeler also reported that Capt. Jeffers was to be replaced by Capt. [Thomas H.] Stevens. "I don't know Capt. S. but we can't be any worse off for the exchange." Keeler also reported continued troop movements; "...what they portend I do not know...." In his August 15 letter to his wife, George Geer's primary concerns were once again food and the family finances. He said that he was enclosing $6.00 with his letter, part of which he had drawn from Paymaster Keeler, the rest profit from selling the items his wife had been sending. Geer said he had held out $1.50 to put in the crew's mess to buy potatoes, onions, and eggs. He said that if each of the fourteen crewmen in his mess put in that amount for a total of $21.00, they could "buy considerable potatoes and other things, so you see we are going to live as well as we can...." He reported that a shore party had killed another steer, a portion of which the crew had shared. "I fried this morning liver and beef steaks enough for our mess...." He seemed proud of his new-found cooking skills, joking that "...I...shall be able to learn you some new dishes when I come home." Geer also reported on the Monitor's new captain. "His name is Stevens....Our Captain is going on ordinance duty. I think the Government has found out what I have known for some time. That is that he...is not fit to be in command anyway." Like Keeler, Geer reported that no mail would be allowed to leave the ship for fifteen days. Also like Keeler, Geer
was interested in the troop movements and had heard that the
Monitor and the other ships were to advance to
Richmond. "Yesterday all the gunboats had large numbers
painted on their smoke pipes which I presume is the manner
they will move up the river. I hear that we are not to be in
the advance but will be held as a reserve...." Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Letters of George Geer, The Mariners' Museum Library. Unpublished letters scheduled for publication by the Museum later this year. August 14, 1999 Today, the National Weather Service is predicting that winds and seas will build throughout the day and worsen Saturday night and Sunday. When the divers and scientists aboard the Research Vessel Cape Fear arrived in the Monitor Sanctuary at 9:30 a.m., they found 2 to 4 foot seas and a 1 1/2-knot current. The divers entered the water at 9:49 and reached the wreck. They transported the recording current meter, which they had left at the site yesterday, to the Monitor's bow and deployed it 20 feet off the bow. It is now recording water temperature as well as current direction and speed. During decompression, the divers were visited by a large pod of spotted dolphin. The dolphin, which numbered approximately thirty, stayed and circled the divers for about 5 minutes before swimming away. Tomorrow, weather permitting, the divers will set up a dredge and begin excavating inside the turret to determine the location of the Monitor's two XI-inch Dahlgrens. August 14, 1862 The Monitor's officers reported another day of "clear pleasant weather" from midnight to midnight. Acting Master Louis Stodder reported that the vessel Commodore Barney went up the river at 5:00 a.m. and returned. Acting Master's Mate George Frederickson reported that the same ship went back up the river during the 8 a.m. to noon watch. There were no other notations in the Monitor's log for that day. We have no letters from either George Geer or William Keeler for August 14, 1862. Note: On days when there is little historical information for the expedition updates, we will provide brief biographical sketches for some of the Monitor's officers and crew whom you have come to know through our daily communications. Today we are profiling the Monitor's Paymaster, William Keeler, who has provided us with so much detail about life aboard the Monitor.] William Keeler was born June 9, 1821, in Utica, New York, the eldest of the five children of Mary and Roswell Keeler. He married Anna Elizabeth Dutton on October 5, 1846. Three children resulted from their union: a daughter known as Minnie, who died in 1857 at age three years, four months; James Edward, born in September 1857; and Elizabeth Eliot, born in July 1860. In 1849, Keeler sailed from New York to California to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush. When his efforts there were unsuccessful, he sailed to China, possibly to pursue an interest in the tea business. A few years later Keeler had become part of a family venture with his younger brothers. The premature deaths of both brothers about 1850 apparently ended the business. In 1853, Keeler began a business in La Salle, Illinois, where he had purchased property in 1842. Cards preserved by family members list Keeler's business as "Watchmaker & Jeweler, Dealer in Fine Gold & Silver Watches, Jewelry, Silverware, Clocks, Looking-Glasses, Guns, Pistols, Stationery, Toys, Gilt Mouldings, Fish Tackle, Sportsmen's Materials, of every description and Fancy Goods of all kinds." By 1857 Keeler was senior partner in the La Salle Iron Works. The firm, known as Keeler, Bennigin and Company, advertised as founders, machinists and manufacturers of steam engines, corn shellers, stoves, and brass and iron castings, among other items. On December 17, 1861, Keeler received an appointment as acting assistant paymaster and clerk in the Volunteer Navy, a reserve force created for the Civil War. He reported for duty to the New York Navy Yard and sometime in mid-January 1862 was assigned to the USS Monitor, then under construction at the Continental Iron Works in Greenpoint, Long Island. That assignment ended with the sinking of the ship on December 31, 1862. Keeler was then assigned to the blockading vessel Florida and served aboard that ship until the end of the Civil War. He received a wound in his back in 1864, for which he was granted a monthly pension. Keeler was released from the service in April 1866. In November 1869 Keeler and his family moved to Mayport, Florida, where he operated a shop that made and repaired iron items. He also sometimes served as a deputy collector of customs, an inspector at elections, and as paymaster for a railroad. He maintained a daily journal, which indicates his interest in gardening and raising pecans and oranges. He assumed an identity as a retired major, and was known by the title, "Major" by many of the residents of Mayport. Under names that he
assumed for the purpose, he was a frequent contributor to
the Jacksonville, Florida Times-Union. A letter
commemorating the anniversary of the Monitor's battle
with the CSS Virginia was signed "Monitor."
Ill throughout 1885 with what he assumed was asthma, Keeler
was diagnosed with heart disease from which he died on
February 27, 1886. His beloved Anna died on January 19,
1900. Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862 to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. August 13, 1999 Friday the 13th proved to be a lucky day for the Monitor expedition. Although still strong, the current had dropped to a manageable level by this morning, making it possible to conduct dives for the first time since Monday. The two dive teams went in together, one to survey and the other to deploy the recording current meter. The strong current extended all the way down to the bottom, so the divers had to work their way down the descent line hand-over-hand. It took them ten minutes to reach the Monitor, which did not leave adequate time to set up the current meter off the bow of the wreck as planned. Therefore the meter was secured to an anchor on the bottom until it can be properly set up. Digital video was used to document several areas along the port armor belt where the belt appears to be buckling. The weather forecast for tomorrow is not encouraging, but the team hopes to get another set of dives in before the next storm front arrives. August 13, 1862 The Monitor's log reported "clear, pleasant weather," and calm waters from midnight to midnight. The only notation other than the weather was that the vessel Genessee passed down river at 7:30 a.m. First Class Fireman George Geer also had little in the way of news to report to wife Martha, who had apparently expressed concern about the activities of the Monitor based on something she had read in the local newspapers. Geer responded, "...we have not had our anchor up, fired a gun or been of the least use or service, except to act as a scare crow for most one month....I think who ever wrote that correspondence and dated it from Harrisons Landing must have been in the office of the Sunday Mercury at the time he wrote it...." Geer was enjoying his new wealth as a supplier of necessities to his fellow crewmen and told his wife that he was sending her money, "...which is more than you have paid out for me...." He asked her to send more sewing silk, requesting an ounce made up of 5 skeins each of red, white, and blue, with the balance in black. " I suppose you think I am a good deal of trouble, but you must recollect you are one of the firm of Geo. S. Geer and wife, and I give you all we make...." Geer reported that a shore party had killed a steer the day before and that he had had steak for breakfast, a "good beef soup" for dinner the night before, and was looking forward to roast beef that night. "Green" corn was still available in abundance, but he said that he missed bread, butter, and milk. He reported on Keeler's trip to Old Point Comfort: "Our paymaster has gone to Hampton Roads to get us some crackers, these we have are mouldy." Geer also told his wife that a new law banned liquor from being brought onto government vessels after the first of September but did not address liquor that was already on hand when it took effect. According to Geer, the Monitor's Captain Jeffers had sent for three 40-gallon barrels to have on hand, which Geer said was enough to last the entire crew for one year. "I hope the Government will catch him at it some way and make him trouble." Following inquiries
and commentary on various friends and relatives, Geer closed
with "Your loving George." Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. Letters of George Geer, The Mariners' Museum Library. Unpublished letters schedule for publication by the Museum later this year. August 12, 1999 Conditions off the coast of Cape Hatteras won another round today. The Research Vessel Cape Fear arrived at the sanctuary at 9:30 a.m. to find ideal surface conditions: clear sky, waves only 2 feet and a slight swell. However, there was such a strong current running on the surface that the buoy used to mark the site during diving operations was being pulled nearly underwater. Terrence Tysall, president of the Cambrian Foundation, swam over to the buoy to check the current velocity and his diving mask was almost pulled from his face. Meanwhile the Cape Fear was being pulled along by the current at a speed of 2.8 to 3 knots, which is far too strong for diving. Therefore, dive plans were terminated at 9:50 a.m. and the Cape Fear began the two-hour trip back to Hatteras. August 12, 1862 From anchorage on the James River, the Monitor's officers reported clear and calm weather between midnight and 4:00 p.m. At 11:45 a.m., Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William Flye reported that the vessels Tioga and Currituck commenced firing towards the right bank of the river. The firing continued through the noon to 4:00 p.m. watch with no notation as to why the vessels opened fire. At 6:00 p.m., heavy squalls and rain began from the northeast and continued until the 8:00 p.m. to midnight watch. The Monitor's Paymaster William Keeler wrote to his wife Anna that he was bound for Old Point Comfort for a few days "...to be out of the roasting, broiling sun of James river & enjoy the cool breezes of Old Point...." He was going to send his wife a small box of "...momentoes of the past fights...& would like to have them preserved." The "momentoes" included a revolver, "...one of our U.S.N. pistols taken from the Teaser"; a bag of fragments "...of shot and shell" from "the fight with the Merrimac." He was also sending back all of the letters he had received from Anna until that time, as he "...hadn't the heart to destroy..." them. Keeler reported "important movements" in the area. "...it looks as if the whole army were going to leave the river & the peninsula & were going up the Rapahannock." He reported large transports filled with troops going down river the night before, "towing schooners filled with artillery & appliances packed for long transportation &...cavalry horses being loaded up, vessels filled with knapsacks...going down the stream...." Note: The Monitor Sanctuary is most fortunate in having a large collection of historical material to draw upon for various publications, programs, and projects such as our daily updates. The material includes a copy of the Monitor's deck log from February 25 through September 11, 1862, the original of which is in the National Archives. (The log that was begun after this one was apparently lost when the ship sank on December 31, 1862.) The extensive correspondence from the Monitor's Paymaster William Keeler to his wife Anna is in the collections of the United States Naval Academy Library in Annapolis, Maryland. The collection includes not only correspondence from Keeler's service on the USS Monitor but from his service on the blockading vessel USS Florida. His correspondence from the Monitor has been published by the United States Naval Institute. Keeler was assigned to the Monitor from early January 1862, before the ship was launched, and remained aboard during the vessel's brief career. He survived the Monitor's sinking in December 1862. Keeler's first Monitor-related letter to Anna was dated January 12, 1862, and his last dated January 6, 1863. George Geer was also assigned to the Monitor well before the ship left New York for Hampton Roads and the historic engagement with the CSS Virginia. Geer remained on the Monitor throughout her career and survived the sinking at the end of 1862. His first Monitor-related letter to wife Martha (or Mattie, as he sometimes greeted her) and occasionally to other family members was dated February 2, 1862, and his last January 13, 1863. Although the bulk of Geer's letters relates to his service aboard the Monitor, there are letters dating from as late as 1866. His letters were preserved by his family and donated to The Mariners' Museum Library a few years ago. They will be published by the Museum later this year. Both William Keeler
and George Geer provided dramatic, humorous, and poignant
accounts of life aboard the Monitor, Keeler from his
perspective as an officer and Geer from his as an enlisted
man. It is from them that we draw much of our knowledge of
the ship that had such an impact on naval technology.
Log Book of the USS Monitor, February 25, 1862, to September 11, 1862. Unpublished transcript of the original in the National Archives. Daly, Robert W., ed., Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862, The Letters of Acting Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy to his Wife, Anna. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. Letters of George Geer, The Mariners' Museum Library. Unpublished letters scheduled for publication by the Museum later this year. August 11, 1999 After a promising beginning yesterday, the Hatteras weather threw a curve ball at the Monitor expedition today. The Research Vessel Cape Fear, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, which is serving as the dive platform for this expedition, reached the Monitor Sanctuary this morning to find clear weather and seas that were calmer than yesterday. However, at approximately 100 feet down, divers encountered currents estimated at 2 knots or better. A second attempt to reach the wreck later in the day found no improvements in the currents and dives were canceled for the day. August 11, 1862 During the midnight to 4 a.m. watch, Executive Officer Samuel Dana Greene noted "calm weather," which continued through out the day and evening. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William Flye made the following entry for the 4 to 8 a.m. watch: "Calm & clear, at day light a salute was fired from Harrison's Landing. Also Guns from every half hour in memory of Ex President Van Buren." Note: Van Buren had served as eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. He died July 24, 1862. The crew of the
Cape Fear casts off on the second leg of
Monitor Mission 1999. This mission joins in
partnership the NOAA Diving Program and the
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, the
National Undersea Research Program at
UNC-Wilmington, the Cambrian Foundation and The
Mariners' Museum. (Photo: NOAA) Monday, August 10, 1999 The first expedition dive on the Monitor officially took place today. After delaying the departure long enough to evaluate the weather situation, the R/V Cape Fear left the Marina at 8:30 a.m. Although offshore wind and waves were reported to be only slightly diminished from Monday, it was decided to make an attempt to dive, rather than lose another day. Seas in the sanctuary were 3 to 4 feet, with occasional 5-foot waves, and the current was estimated to be at approximately one knot. The conditions were judged to be within parameters and so the teams began preparing to dive. A dive was successfully made at 11:05 a.m., with seven divers in two teams establishing a new down-line buoy and making a quick survey of the wreck. The divers reported that most of the thick layer of silt that covered most of the wreck last year and during the June expedition has disappeared, exposing the wreck more clearly. It is possible that new areas are now uncovered. The August 11 dive will continue the site reconnaissance, including photography, and deploy a recording current meter that will be left at the site over the winter. Another weather system is projected for later in the week but there is no information as yet on how it will affect conditions off Hatteras. Then..... August 10, 1862 From anchorage in the James River, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William Flye recorded in the Monitor's log, "moderate breeze from S.W. & clear weather during the midnight to 4:00 a.m. watch." Pleasant conditions continued until the 6 to 8:00 p.m. watch when Acting Master Louis N. Stodder reported that the weather had become "squally" with variable winds. These conditions continued until midnight. Since we last heard from 1st Class Fireman George Geer, he has become quite an entrepreneur, requesting that his wife send him items such as locks and brass hinges, for small boxes being built by members of the crew in which to store their personal items, and silk sewing thread. He then sells the locks, hinges, and thread to the crew at a handsome profit and sends most of the money home to his wife and children. Cash flow problems are a frequent topic of conversation in Geer's letters to his wife. In his letter to his wife on August 10, Geer acknowledged receipt of sixteen skeins of blue and twenty-one skeins of white and red silk. He calculated that she paid about $1.02 for the silk, which he immediately sold for $2.25. He asked that she send three locks, with two keys each, and three sets of brass "buts" (butt hinges} for small boxes. Since I wrote you last we have had "green corn in great plenty." Small boats from the Monitor had been making early morning forays to shore, where "from one to two hundred ears" were gathered out of a nearby field. "I have eaten corn three times per day every day we have had it..." "It is awful hot, the sweat rolls off of me..." Despite having a towel under his hand to keep from staining the paper, Geer wrote that the paper was "wilting" from the moisture dripping from him. He noted that the crew had worked until 10:00 P.M. the night before loading coal onto the ship, since it was too hot to work during the day, and that the officers and crew had given up sleeping inside the ship and were sleeping on the Monitor's open deck. Geer had been sleeping on the open deck for much of the summer. Geer asked his wife to send "as much of that Lemon Sugar as you think it would do to send, as I feel as though I would give anything for a drink that was palatable." In earlier letters Geer had complained of the unpleasant taste of the warm James River water. Geer ended his letter, "with much sweating, I remain, your very hot and thirsty husband George." |
 |
Revised August 15, 2001 by Sanctuaries Web Group Many links leave the National Marine Sanctuary Web Site - please view our Link Disclaimer for more information National Ocean Service | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | U.S. Department of Commerce | NOAA Library | Privacy Policy Contact Us | http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/features/news9908monitor.html |
