Civil War Archive of Rodney Chipp, USA Naval Fireman. A naval archive of twenty-two letters and documents relating to Rodney Chipp (1842-1910). It includes nineteen letters from Chipp to his brother Joseph "Deyo" Chipp, and two documents and one letter from the Navy Office enclosing payment for service. The letters date from February 23, 1862 to October 30, 1864 and range in length from two to eight pages. Several letters are written diary-style with entries spanning several days. The majority are accompanied by their original transmittal envelopes. Chipp mustered into the navy on February 13, 1862. He was assigned to the gunboat USS Katahdin for the majority of his service and was part of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. He took part in the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the capture of New Orleans and the siege of Vicksburg. He also participated in blockade duty off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas and sailed extensively along the Mississippi River. His letters discuss the day-to-day duties of a sailor in the Union Navy, military news, and gossip about his family back in New York. After the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the fall of New Orleans, the Katahdin was heavily involved in convoying ships up and down the Mississippi River to bolster the strength of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and resupply the force at Vicksburg. Following the capture of New Orleans, the Katahdin was responsible for several reconnaissance missions up and down the lower Mississippi to support vessels between that city and Vicksburg. As such, the squadron was frequently fired upon by Rebel forces that lined the bank. On June 2, in a letter with entries that spanned up to June 10, Chipp relays a report of such an event that occurred to two other gunboats. "Last night the Gun Boat Itasca came up to us and reported that she and the Wissahegan [Wissahickon] were fired into at Grand Gulf, while laying at Anchor she was struck 73 times and had 1 man killed and 4 wounded. This other Boat had 2 wounded, they were attacked by Flying Artilleries with 6 Pounders, as soon as they could get to work and fired a few shots the Rebels left..." For the rest of 1862, the Katahdin continued reconnaissance missions up and down the lower Mississippi to aid other Union vessels and patrol the banks. In a lengthy letter dated December 18 with entries up to December 31, Chipp describes a visit to the site of the Battle of Baton Rouge before launching into a passionate diatribe against the Confederates and his apparent distaste for the Emancipation Proclamation and President Lincoln. The December 31 entry appears to be partial and ends with Chipp concluding, "See Part 3." "...part of the old Battle Field and right where the 21st Indiana Regt made their charge when they captured the Cannon and Colors of the Rebels, the Field is all cut up where the cannon Balls struck and in a number of places, there is holes near large enough to bury a horse where our 11 inch Shell struck. All over the fields is long trenches where our troops buried the Rebels after the fight. The trees around are cut to pieces with the shot and here and there we could see the Bones of some poor fellows that never was buried. The hardest fighting was in the Grave Yard where the old United States Soldiers are buried and on top of General Taylor's grave there laid no more than 6 dead Rebels. This news is no doubt old as it happened nearly 5 months ago, but then they are facts that I just learned... I cannot express my feelings in regard to the men who have raised their hands against our Country. Would that I had them in my power and they would have a fine dance or nothing with a rope around their necks. I say above we have shown them too much mercy... they are not fit to live, not fit to breathe the pure air of Heaven when they raise their hands against the flag of our Country. I say Prosecute the War to Extermination if it cannot be any other way, and it is high time the other way was found out. When they get a Man and a Patriot at the head of the Army, keep him there, don't shove him out because he is not an Abolitionist...and Save the Country, we cannot save it by Proclamation, nor can we save it by Wishing the War was over, but it can be saved by the Sword alone..." In January 1863, the Katahdin was sent to bolster the blockade off the Texas coast. The letters from January to March 1863 describe sailing the gulf between Texas and Louisiana. Chipp did not enjoy blockade duty and complained about the monotony of long days at sea. He was also dissatisfied with Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the President's intention to give the recently freed slaves equal rights. In an eight-page letter from February 14-26, he declared his intention of resigning from service if he did not see a change soon. "You say you would not consent to my again going to fight in this Disunion Abolition War. I am as much opposed to it as you are and if at home, would stay there. When I volunteered it was to assist in restoring the Union... If the principles on which this war is being conducted are not changed by next summer, I will resign and return home..." While outside the city of New Orleans on the morning of March 22, Chipp witnessed the burning and sinking of the passenger steamer Bio Bio and describes the event in a diary-style letter with entries spanning March 16-24. After watching the frantic efforts to extinguish the blaze, Chipp declared that the New York firemen outperformed those from New Orleans. "This morning...I saw a volume of smoke rush up from the Bio-Bio just forward of her smoke stack, and some person on board of her rung out Fire. All was confusion for in an instant the flames were curling up and there was great danger of the rest of the skipping catching fire. In fact they had a very narrow and lucky escape... by the time the ill-fated vessel was all ablaze amidships, forward & aft they were heaving boxes, barrels, bedding, looking glasses, and freight of every description into the river, smoke began to raise from the smokestacks of all and one after another got out of the way, but the McClellan she was a long time getting up steam, at last her paddle turned, she had just steam enough to get clear of the burning Vessel and that was all... The Officers and Crew of the English Corvette 'Styx' deserve much more praise for the prompt and energetic manner in which they labored to save the ship... The New Orleans Fire Department also worked well, but they cannot compete with the New York Lads neither in promptness or daring, and as for the streams they throw, a good sized squirt gun would have been better. She continued burning until about 2 Oclock when she sank to rise no more." According to an article in The Times – Picayune from New Orleans on March 24, 1863, the fire originated below the cook's pantry and resulted in no loss of life. On July 19, while off the coast of Galveston, they received word of Port Hudson and Vicksburg's surrender and Lee's defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg. "Her Capt. Says it is the 'Attona' with the mail, and 'Port Hudson has surrendered.' The words had hardly escaped his lips when as if by one common impulse 3 hearty cheers burst from the throats of every one on board. As soon as he could make himself heard he continued 'And Vicksburgh has surrendered also' this was greeted by 3 more rousing cheers, and when he wound up with 'Lee lost 28,000 men in Pennsylvania' cheer after cheer rent the air, in fact Deyo we was all half-crazy... I was running around like a chicken with its head off..." The remaining letters in the archive discuss blockade duty, family gossip, and his promotion to paymaster clerk. At some point in 1864, he was assigned to the USS Quaker City and continued patrolling off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. After the war, Chipp returned to Ulster County, New York. He eventually moved to New York City where he worked as a stationer. Condition: Scattered soiling, foxing, and toning. Some pinholes at intersections of folds. Expected light wear to envelopes. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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