During his preparations for the Appomattox River Raid, the commander of the US Navy raiding force, Commodore John Rodgers had become concerned about the river route his task force would take. The primary target was the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad’s High Bridge over the Appomattox River at Petersburg, Virginia. Also targeted was the R & P’s bridge over Swift Creek. Destruction of one or both bridges would sever the Confederate capital of Richmond’s connection with the rest of the Confederacy.

Success of the River Raid, combined with a successful assault on the Confederate capital by Union General George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac meant that the Civil War could be over within the year.

Starting in April, 1862 Rodgers had been receiving intelligence from his scouts and Confederate deserters. It portrayed the Appomattox River as tidal for some of its length.

Its navigable channel was initially broad and deep from its juncture with the James River near the rebel-held City Point, Virginia. At a point some two miles north named Point of Rocks the river’s channel began to narrow, its depth becoming increasingly shallow as you progressed further upstream.

The source of the Appomattox and tributaries like Swift Creek was the Virginia Piedmont. The eastern slopes of the Piedmont provided reliable if not particularly heavy spring rains that, despite the narrowness of the Appomattox River’s main channel and closeness of the river and creek banks, kept the average depth during the spring months at 12 feet or more. Because of these high water levels, spring was the ideal season to run a raid on the Appomattox River bridges. The order for the raid was given in April, 1862.

However, the Navy’s plans were hobbled by the actions of George Brinton McClellan, commanding general of the Union’s Army of the Potomac. McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign to take Richmond “through the side door” had been underway since March of 1862.

Strangely, the closer McClellan got to Richmond, the more cautious his actions and maddeningly deliberate the movements of his Army of the Potomac became. The campaign stretched through March, then April and on into May of 1862, with the “Young Napoleon” insisting that Union Flag Officer Goldsborough use his warships and ironclads to secure the Army of the Potomac’s flanks on both the York and the James River.

Goldsborough obliged, and his re-direction of US Navy warship and support assets to fulfill McClellan’s request affected the start of the Appomattox River Raid.

As a pre-eminent naval tactician, Flag Officer Goldsborough saw the benefit of having the Appomattox Raid coincide with the McClellan’s climactic assault on Richmond.

Such a result could make the fall of Richmond occur even sooner.

However, what with McClellan’s dithering and the Army of the Potomac dallying north of the Confederate capital, Commodore Rodgers situation on the Appomattox was becoming all the more difficult.

Perversely, the spring rains had ended early this year, causing both a drop in the water level of the Appomattox River and a slowing of its current, which increased shoaling along its banks and narrowing of its navigable channel.

Earlier in the campaign, having word from his scouts of new obstructions being built on the river, Commodore Rodgers had informed Goldsborough (and, through him, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles) of a perceived deterioration of his mission, and his doubts that “any mere naval force” would be able to be successful”, particularly one involving underwater obstructions.

Secretary Welles informed Flag Officer Goldsborough that he had something to deal with the obstructions; a secret weapon, in fact:

the submersible USS “Alligator.”

As yet untested, the “Alligator” would use two demolition-trained divers as its primary weapon.

Once on station, Rodgers planned for the “Alligator” to precede the rest of his naval task force up the Appomattox River to Point of Rocks, and there discover where the new obstructions were.

Once there, “Alligator’s” two divers would deploy through the sub’s air lock onto the river bottom, locate and demolish the obstructions through the use of electrically-fired demolition torpedoes, thus clearing a path for Rodgers to lead his task force up the Appomattox River and continue its mission.

Alas, even with the availability of the “Alligator” to negate the rebel’s river obstructions, time was turning against Rodgers and his task force. Commencing the Raid at 7 p.m. on June 25^th, Rodgers moved his squadron of 12 vessels past City Point, Virginia, with USS “Galena” and USS “Aroostook” heaving to and preparing to shell the rebel-held city as a diversion while the rest of the task force headed into the Appomattox River.

Also remaining off City Point was Acting Master Samuel Eakins and the USS “Alligator:” new intelligence received by Rodgers from a scout at Hare’s Run just north of Petersburg said the water level in the Appomattox River had decreased from ten to eight feet and was continuing to fall. The task force could no longer be able to come into cannon shot range of Petersburg’s High Bridge.

It was also bad news for the USS “Alligator.” With an operational draft of eight feet, sending divers from her air lock with her upper works awash and exposed would leave her easily spotted.

The depth of Swift Creek was also becoming too shallow for the rest of the vessels of the task force.

A planned demolition of the Swift Creek Bridge support pilings by the divers from the “Alligator” was shelved because Swift Creek was now too shallow for the “Alligator” to work safely while submerged.

Also shelved was plan for a task force landing party in rowboats ascending the three miles of Swift Creek upstream from Port Walthall, and using cannon fire to destroy the bridge. By nightfall of June 26^th, the rapidly falling river and its tributaries had made both plans obsolete.

Meantime, George McClellan and Robert E. Lee had been fighting the Seven Days Battles just north of Richmond. With McClellan believing the city’s defenses were bristling with new (mostly imagined) defenders, and Confederate General Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Division threatening his supply lines on the York River, McClellan decided to move his supply base across the Peninsula to Harrison’s Landing on the James River. There, frantic with worry, he begged Goldsborough to provide warships and ironclads to protect the Army of the Potomac from certain defeat.

After Goldsborough’s fleet helped McClellan win a final, useless victory over Robert E. Lee at Malvern Hill, in July 1862 the Army of the Potomac withdrew back to Washington, doubtless with McClellan brooding on how fickle his superiors were.

The Appomattox River Raid was finished as well. After setting one of his vessels afire to prevent its capture by the Confederates, Commodore Rodgers withdrew his task force back to the James River. There, the vessels of his task force received new orders for protection of the Army’s new base at Harrison’s Landing.

Commodore Rodgers no longer had any use for the USS “Alligator.” Indeed, having the “Alligator” in his possession meant that it would certainly attract the wrong sort of attention from the Confederacy. A captured “Alligator” in the hands of the rebels spelled trouble for Goldsborough’s fleet at anchor off Fort Monroe.

Goldsborough’s report on the aborted raid and the “Alligator’s” part in it was sent to Navy Secretary Welles. In the report, Goldsborough stated that, as the design was derived from an underwater salvage vessel, the “Alligator” was best suited for deep-water marine operations, rather than those on shallow, narrow rivers like the Appomattox.

Welles agreed, and the USS “Alligator” was towed to the Washington Navy Yard.

For Acting Master and Captain Samuel Eakins and his crew of stalwarts, the Appomattox River Raid had not only brought them no victory or even a successful sea trial.

Eakins and crew now had no USS “Alligator.”

Next time, Part 5 of “The Other Infernal Machine” tells the tale of the USS ”Alligator’s” trip to the Washington Navy Yard, the modifications it received, and new orders sending it to knock on the Gate of Hell.. 

See you then.

(Note: All graphic images of Infernal Machine game materials used in this series of articles are subjective and may change and appear different in their final form.  All images show sourcing unless otherwise noted.)

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