Sightseeing in the Waves Area 9/16/2008

We decided that seeing as today was a day without caches we would do some sightseeing around the Waves area as there were a few things we would like to see. We drove south along the ocean highway and came upon a "Day Use Area" and pulled in. We found a small cemetery overlooking the ocean with about 35-40 grave sites in it mostly of people with the last name "Midgett". This seems to be a very common name in this area as we have seen several businesses and other things with and referring to that name. Also in the area was a historical marker for the CSS Fanny. The CSS Fanny was a small propellor-driven steamer used by the Confederate Navy to defend the sounds of northeastern North Carolina. It is sometimes credited with being the first self-propelled aircraft carrier. CSS Fanny was originally operated by the United States Army Quartermaster Corps. On August 3, 1861, while on the James River, ballonist John La Mountain made an ascent from the deck of the Fanny to observe Confederate positions, making the Fanny a balloon carrier. Previous water-launched balloon flights had taken place on barges. After the Federals captured Hatteras Inlet the Fanny was used to supply a Union army outpost at Chicamacomico, an Outer Banks settlement north of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. While at anchor there it was surprised by a Confederate gunboat squadron on 1 October 1861. This squadron consisted of the CSS Curlew, CSS Raleigh, and CSS Youngalaska. The Curlew closed first while the other two gunboats circled around to cut off any escape attempt. After a brisk half-hour engagement the Fanny was run aground and surrendered. A large quantity of commissary and quartermaster's stores was captured with the steamer. Also captured were members of Twentieth Indiana and the New York Zouaves. However, the Fanny's captain, J. H. Morrison, and his crew escaped, having essentially abandoned ship once the Confederate steamers approached. Refloated and taken into the Confederate Navy, it was placed in command of Midshipman J. L. Tayloe, CSN. Four days later the Fanny participated in a relatively large Confederate naval and army effort to 1) encircle and attack the Union encampent at Chicamacomico, 2) take and destroy the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, and 3) attempt to recapture the forts at Hatteras Inlet. The initial landing effort was successful, and the Union encampment at Chicamacomico was abandoned. However, the encirclement effort failed, and the Union troops were able to retreat back to the Hatteras Lighthouse. The next day Union reinforcements came up from Hatteras Inlet and chased the Confederate troops back to their transports. Both sides then retreated back to their base camps, the Union troops to Hatteras Inlet and the Confederate troops to Roanoke Island. The Fanny spent the next four months patrolling Pamlico Sound, reconnoitering Hatteras Inlet, and towing supply schooners to Roanoke Island. On 7-8 of February 1862 the Fanny engaged the Union invasion force in the battle of Roanoke Island. The Fanny eventually retreated to Elizabeth City with the other surviving members of its gunboat squadron when ammunition supplies ran low. On February 10 the Fanny and the other gunboats were attacked by Federal gunboats advancing from Roanoke Island. In the ensuing battle it was run aground and blown up by her captain who escaped with his crew to shore.
We left and drove farther south along the ocean and saw some of the huge beach houses along the ocean as well as the Pea Island Art Gallery housed in a quaint old building, Lifeboat Community Church a rustic looking church with an old anchor and iron cross outside and Clark's Bethel United Methodist Church a small church along the ocean. We headed back north and stopped at the Rodanthe Fishing Pier as there was supposed to be an old wreck in the sand just north of the pier but we couldn't see it.
We headed back to Waves and stopped at the Chicamacomico Coast Guard Life Saving Station. There was a Civil War historical marker across the street which on one side was called The Chicamacomico Races which had to do with a battle in 1861. Col. Rush Hawkins of the 9th New York commanded Union troops at Fort Hatteras on North Carolina's outer banks in 1861. Concerned about a potential attack from Rebel forces on Roanoke Island, Hawkins ordered the 600 men of the 20th Indiana Regiment to the tiny beach town of Chicamacomico. On October 1, 1861, the Confederacy's Mosquito Fleet captured the ship that came to bring supplies to the troops in Chicamacomico. While interrogating the prisoners, the Southerners learned of the troops in the hamlet. On October 4, the Confederacy sent out six steamers towing barges filled with troops to capture Yankee soldiers. The fleet arrived offshore from the Union forces just after dawn. Union Col. W.L. Brown ordered the 20th Indiana to abandon camp and retreat to Fort Hatteras. The men, many of them barefoot, grabbed only their rifles and ran south in the sand dunes behind the terrified civilian population from the town. Meanwhile troops from the 3rd Georgia Regiment landed and pursued, killing eight Union soldiers and taking 40 prisoners as they raced down the beach. The Union soldiers ran until midnight, when they reached the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. The Georgians stopped to camp between the lighthouse and Kinakeet. While the Georgians were pursuing, the Confederate fleet was to move south and land the 8th North Carolina Regiment to cut off the fleeing Union soldiers, but the ships ran aground on a sandbar. The next morning, when the Georgians learned of the plan's failure, they began to march back to Chicamacomico. Just as they turned, the 9th New York appeared and began pursuing the Confederates. Around noon the Yankees were aided by shots from the Union gunboat Monticello, which fired on the Georgians. The Rebels ran through dunes and tidal pools for 18 miles before they were withdrawn. Confederate troops sailed back to Roanoke Island with only six men wounded; Union troops left their outpost at Chicamacomico; and no one could claim a victory. If Col. A.R. Wright had given his permission for the men of the 8th North Carolina to be dispatched to shore via the small boats available, the Confederacy would surely have been victorious. On the other side of the marker it was called "Exodus from Chicamacomico". Residents of Chicamacomico, after being routed from their homes by Confederate troops, precede the 20th Indiana Regiment as they escape southward towards Fort Hatteras. Many residents had earlier taken the Oath of Allegiance reaffirming their loyalty to the United States and feared reprisals if they remained. Their empty houses were pillaged and some were torched by marauding soldiers of the 3rd Georgia Infantry from nearby Roanoke Island.
Also located at the Lifesaving Station was a historical marker about the "Mirlo" Reascue. This is a excerpt from the Chicamacomico Station logbook from August 16, 1918: 4:00 p.m. to Midnight....At 4:30 p.m. lookout reported seeing a great mass of water shoot up in the air which seemed to cover the after portion of a steamer that was about seven miles E by S of this Station and heading in a Northerly direction, a great quantity of smoke rising from the after part of the Steamer was noticed but continuing her course for a few minutes when she swung around for the beach and then heading off shore, the fire was now seen to shoot up from the stern of the Steamer and heavy explosions were heard. I called all hands including the liberty man and started with power Surfboat No. 1046, Wind N.E. moderate, heavy sea on beach, had difficulty in getting away from the beach, cleared the beach at about 5:00 p.m. and headed for the burning wreck, then about 5 miles off shore. I met one of the ship's boats with the captain and sixteen men in her; I was informed that their ship was a British tanker and that she was torpedoed which caused the loss of ship. I was informed that two other boats were in the vicinity of the burning gas and oil that was coming up from the sunken ship. I directed the captain of that boat where and how to go and wait my arrival, but not to attempt a landing as the sea was strong and there was danger of him capsizing his boat without assistance. I then headed for the burning gas and oil. On arrival I found the sea a mass of wreckage and burning gas and oil, there were two great masses of flames about one hundred yards in places covered with the burning gas. And in between the two great flames at times when the smoke would clear away a little, a life boat could be seen bottom up six men clinging to it, the heavy swell washing over the boat. With difficulty I ran our boat through the smoke, floating wreckage and burning gas and oil, and managed to rescue the six men from the burning sea. Who informed me that at times they had to dive under the water to save themselves from being burned to death, all had burns but non serious. They informed me that they were sure that there were no men afloat except those in the boats. But this did not stop our searching in the vicinity of the fire for those missing men, but no more men could be found. These six men seemed to know nothing of the other boats, they being lost sight of in the fire and great clouds of smoke that were rising from the burning gas and oil. I headed our boat before the sea and wind in hopes of finding the missing boat, and in a short time the 3rd which was the missing boat with nineteen men was sighted about nine miles S.E. of station. I ran alongside took this boat in tow and proceeded to where I had directed the first boat to be, this boat was soon reached and taken in tow. I had in station boat six men rescued from the bottom of overturned boat. And one of the boats being towed containing seventeen and the other boat containing nineteen, the wind was beginning to freshen from the N.E. and sea rising on beach. I was heading for my station when about two mile South of station it began to get dark and for safety I decided to make a landing. I anchored the two ship's boats about six hundred yards from the beach and transferred the men to station boat, landing all in station boat at four trips, and then put surf men in the two ship's boats and had them landed. As fast as the men were landed they were carried to the station by my team of horses and the horse from station No. 180. The Keeper and crew from station No. 180 met me at the beach and assisted me in landing the crew. All boats including the station boat were pulled up on the beach out of danger of the sea. I landed last trip at 9:00 p.m. and arrived at station at 11:00 p.m., myself and crew very tired. I furnished the Captain and all his crew who needed it medical aid, and then with some dry clothing, and their supper, and with a place to sleep. This was considered an excellent rescue back in those days and there were many awards given for the heroism during this rescue as we found out later in the Lifesaving Station.
We parked the car and went in and got our sticker so we could tour the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station and as it turned out it was well worth the $4.00 as it was a fascinating tour. With its two stations and five outbuildings, Chicamacomico (pronounced chik a ma COM i co) is the most complete site of remaining life-saving stations in North Carolina and, as far as is known, it is the most complete USLSS complex in the nation. Built and manned, by 5-10 men on foot or horseback, in 1874, Chicamacomico was the first United States Life-Saving Service station in North Carolina, dedicated to the sole purpose of rescuing lives in peril from the sea. After the U.S. Life-Saving Service evolved into the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915 this station saw service until 1954. It is home to one of the greatest rescues in early Coast Guard history, the 1918 rescue of forty-two crew members of the British tanker, Mirlo, out of the 57 crewmen aboard. The six U.S. Life Savers involved in that rescue were awarded the Silver Cup from the British Trade Commission and the Gold Life-Saving Medal from the U.S. Treasury Department. King George of England was so appreciative of the heroes of Chicamacomico and their valiant efforts that he fashioned a gold medal in their honor and awarded it to these same men. The greatest honor bestowed upon them was the Grand Cross of the American Cross of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor. Only eleven of these medals have been awarded in the history of the United States; six of these medals were conferred upon the rescuers of Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station. Many other important rescues are documented in our archives. In the forty-four year history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, 177,286 lives were saved of the 178,741 lives in peril (99.2%), a record unparalleled even today. Remarkably, this is coupled with a less than one percent loss of life for the actual U.S. Life Savers. No life-savers were ever lost from Chicamacomico in the 80 year history of being an active station, mainly because of their superb training. Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site is listed on the State Register of Historic Places, and is a proud member of Historic Albemarle Tour.
We started our tour at the 1911 Station which was built to replace the smaller 1874 Station and is now considered the first of its style of classic Chicamacomico architecture. On the first floor in what is now the gift shop was the boat room which housed the rescue vessels. In 1928 they added steam heat and showers and the rest was remodeled into a day use area for the crews. There was a dry room for wet clothes and a laundry was added in 1938, an armory/ordinance where black powder and weapons were stored, Keeper's/Captain's Office where the Keeper kept his log books, charts, training guides, books, manuals and paperwork relating to the Station. It also contained the library and medicine chest. There were also Officer-in-Charge Quarters where the officer in charge of the Station and crew were allotted private quarters and bath. On the second floor were the Crew's Quarters and Shipwreck Survivors Room where any one who was rescued would stay, the Cook's Room where the cook lived and slept, the Superintendent's Quarters where a visiting superintendents of the district could stay, Surfmen's Quarters which of course was sleeping rooms for the men and each room held 4 beds for the life-saving crew of 8. Then on the third floor was the Watchtower which they added an extra floor to because the Pamlico Sound was a critical waterway and could not be monitored at the original level. Here a surfman was always on watch in rotating 4 hour shifts. Binoculars, a chart book and a standing desk were the only items allowed. Not only were they alert for ships in distress, but they charted the safe passage of vessels as they made their way up and down the Pamlico Sound. Now, of course, each of the rooms is filled with artifacts, awards, uniforms, all kinds of displays of equipment used and board after board of historical happenings at the Station as you will see with the pictures. Then it was on out the back door and over to the 1911 Cookhouse. This Cookhouse was much larger than the 1874 version. It had a pantry on one side and a cold storage closet on the other with a large door on the outside which allowed large blocks of ice to be placed inside it. A cook stove helped warm the room and a table and chairs allowed the men to eat in comfort. There were 2 large water tanks adjacent to the cookhouse and an unique bee-hive water cistern was just outside the door. It was used to collect water through a system of gutters and still holds water today and the water inside it was used only in case of a fire. We walked outside and to a bell on a pedestal which was forged by the US Light-House Establishment in 1904 and was used as a fog buoy in the Virginia-Chesapeake Bay area. When it was retired it was donated to this site. Then we walked back to the 1874 Station where all the equipment was kept. The boat, the Life car, the rescue beach cart and its components (faking boxes, sand anchor, black powder, projectiles, ropes, shovels, breeches buoy, crotch pole, Lyle gun, block and tackle, etc.) were kept here. The Beebe-McClellan surfboat in the Station, No.1046 is 26' and weighs 3800 lbs. empty and 8000 lbs. fully loaded. It is a self bailing, through a series of hatched drains, self righting, air ballast compartments surfboat and originally powered by oars and a steering rudder. When it first came to the site in 1911, it had an 8hp motor on it. A 12hp motor was added in 1918 and this is the actual boat used in the "mirlo" rescue in 1918. There was a second floor which has not been renovated as yet and that house the sleeping quarters, the Keeper room and office and a ladder to the Watchtower. After we left there we saw the 1892 Cookhouse which again has not been finished being restored so it was not open to the public. All cooking and bathing took place outside the Station which ensured the safety of the Station in case of a fire. Then we walked over to the 1907 Midgett House which was originally owned by Cornelius Payne Midgett and his wife Daisy. We walked through the house and saw the kitchen, pantry, bathroom, living room and all 3 bedrooms upstairs and each room was utfitted with decor from the period. We walked outside the gate and saw the stable, which again is not open to the public as yet. It was built in 1911 and housed 2 horses which were used to haul the heavy equipment. Before the horses a team og surfmen would harness themselves to the heavy carts and either push or pull them to the rescue site. Next door was the Tractor Shen built in 1932 but not open as yet. Next to that was the Small Boathouse built in 1897 which houses much of the same equipment as in the 1874 Station along with a smaller boat used for rescues on Pamlico Sound. All in all as we said it was a wonderful tour and we saw and learned so much about the surfmen and rescues of days gone by.
Then we drove back to the coach, showered, had dinner, watched some TV and turned in. Well time to say until tomorrow from Avon we love you all. Mom & Dad