Russell Moran: The Gray Ship

The next morning at 0430 the Battle of Fort Sumter would begin, and the Civil War would be on.

Ashley Patterson realized, as did the officers in the wardroom, that another battle had just begun.

General P.G.T. Beauregard had taken over command of the Confederate forces of South Carolina in March,1861, making him the first general officer of the new Confederacy. Three months earlier, in December,1860, South Carolina had issued an ordinance of secession, and was followed by six more Southern states in February,1861. Beauregard would soon order a siege of the Union garrison at Fort Sumter, the plans for which were well underway.

Beauregard had a concern. He heard reports over the day about a gigantic Gray Ship plying the waters off Charleston. He called for his assistant, Major Ezekiel Townsend, and asked for a full report about the sightings.

Townsend went to the harborfront to find as much as he could about sightings of the Gray Ship . What he heard amazed him. He learned of no fewer than 15 sightings of the strange vessel. One man, the captain of a gun ship, told Townsend that he tried to follow the Gray Ship, but it was too fast. He described an array of odd shaped objects (guided missiles) as well as large deck guns. His gun boat was 45 feet in length. He estimated the Gray Ship ’s length at least 15 times longer. He also noted that there were no visible smoke stacks and that the ship didn’t let out any smoke at all. On the rear deck was a large machine of some sort that had long planks attached to its top (an Apache attack helicopter). He couldn’t make out the name on the vessel’s stern, but it had large painted numbers on the bow which was easily read as “36.” Tall poles of some sort (antennae) were positioned all over the ship.

Townsend reported back to General Beauregard with his findings, especially the details provided by the gunship captain. “Fifteen times the length of a gunship?” Beauregard said. “Did this ship show any hostile intent to anyone sighting it?”

“No, General, but we just don’t have enough information to figure out how much armament she has. All we know is that she’s big, fast, and is covered with strange looking machines.”

Beauregard wrote a message to Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy. He wanted Davis to know that the Yankees seem to have come up with an amazing new warship.

The bombardment of Fort Sumter would begin early the next morning. Beauregard decided not to wait for a reply from Davis, but resolved to go ahead with the plans and ignore the Gray Ship . He wondered how long the ship could be ignored.

Wars often begin with a great battle. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, with over 3,000 lives lost, is a perfect example. Fort Sumter was not a great battle in a military sense, but its impact on history was profound.

In December 1860, five months before the bombardment, a Union Major, Robert Anderson, moved his command from nearby Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, a well fortified structure. General Beauregard, the Confederate commanding officer, systematically beefed up his gun batteries aimed at Fort Sumter. The SEAL recon team had seen evidence of this with large artillery caissons being wheeled toward the harborfront.

The new President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, sent a message to the Governor of South Carolina, advising him that a ship would be dispatched to replenish the dwindling supplies at Fort Sumter. The result was an ultimatum from the Confederacy to abandon the fort. Major Anderson refused. The resupply ship was blocked, and Fort Sumter never got its replenishment.

At 0430 on the morning of April 12, 1861 Beauregard’s guns opened fire on Fort Sumter.

On the USS California, Captain Ashley Patterson checked her watch. At exactly 0430 she heard the first cannon volley. This isn’t Gone with the Wind she thought. This is happening. She observed the action through a powerful telescope equipped with a night vision lens. She glanced at Ivan Campbell, the ship’s navigator, who stood next to her. Neither officer spoke. People often feel a sense of elation when a prediction comes true. The two officers didn’t feel elated. They were watching a grim confirmation of their strange new reality.

The bombardment lasted 34 hours until April 14, when Major Anderson, outmanned, outgunned, and short on supplies, agreed to abandon the fort. There were no casualties on either side as a direct result of the engagement. Two Union troops were killed when a gun exploded, ironically, during the surrender ceremony.

The Civil War had begun.

Ashley Patterson had a simple disturbing thought. Now what?

After breakfast in the wardroom, promptly at 0900, Captain Patterson called everyone to stand. Seaman John Thurber entered the room. As ordered, he wore an officer’s khaki uniform, without any insignia on his lapels. Ashley turned to the Bradley and said: “Commander Bradley, please conduct the commissioning ceremony.”

In a dry, desultory voice, Bradley read the oath of a commissioned officer in the United States Armed Forces. Ashley pinned Thurber’s new bars on his uniform. Lieutenant Thurber saluted Ashley and she returned the salute. There was polite applause.

“Would you like to say a couple of words, Lieutenant?” said Captain Patterson.

Lieutenant Jack said, “Thank you ladies and gentlemen, and thank you Captain Patterson for acknowledging my vast military experience with this promotion.” That brought a hearty laugh from all present, except Bradley.

“Lieutenant Thurber you will be assigned to the Communications Department. You will answer directly to Lt. Commander John White. ”

“Aye aye, Captain,” said the ship’s newest officer.

Bradley raged in silence. With this guy’s background, he thought, he should be assigned to me. As XO, I’m the ship’s chief administrative officer. The Navy’s darling gets her way again.

Ashley changed the subject. “We’re going to head north. Because we’re now at war, as strange as that may sound, we need to make contact with the Union government. The history books tell us that a man named Gideon Wells is the Secretary of the Navy, which was a cabinet position in 1861. He’s the man we need to see. After all, he’s our boss. Father Rick, our Civil War maven, tells me that Wells was a friend and confidant of Abraham Lincoln.”

“How will we arrange a meeting Captain?” asked Ivan Campbell.

Ashley said, “I’m going to send a delegation to simply walk into the Navy department and ask to see Wells. The leader of our delegation will introduce the group as representatives of the Gray Ship . That should open doors.”

“Ivan, you’ll lead the delegation,” Ashley said. “Take Father Rick and Lt. Thurber with you. We need to show Secretary Wells that we know something about history - not to mention time travel. Your objective will be to invite the secretary to visit the California. ”

Bradley seethed. I should lead that delegation, he thought.

The Executive Officer sat alone in his office sipping coffee. Things are starting to look clear, he thought. We’re going to make contact with the Union high command and we’ll be thrown into battle against the South. Like many on the ship, he had been reading up on the Civil War, and he knew what was coming. In July, about three months from now, we’re going to throw our weight behind the Union forces at the Battle of Bull Run and turn a Confederate victory into a Confederate rout. It may even force a surrender and a quick end to the war. Dashing Ashley (the new nickname he used for Captain Patterson in his thoughts) will have another chapter in her story and another resume stuffer for her admiral’s bars, bars that I should wear.