The Tidewater Maritime Living History Association

History of the TMLHA:

The TMLHA was formed in July, 2000 by a collection of veteran reenactors and Living history interpreters from the Southeastern Virginia area who perceived a need to provide quality nautical historical presentations to the public. Our membership includes active duty, veteran and retired Navy and Coast Guard sailors, their families and friends. Our group is based in the Tidewater, Virginia area, but has members from as far south as central NC as well. Ours is currently the only Living History organization in the U.S. who portray a US Revenue Cutter crew.

TMLHA MISSION STATEMENT

Who is Eligible to Join?

Our organization is interested in mustering-in new recruits or experienced "sailors". Prior sailing or boating knowledge is welcomed but not required, as we will train "landsmen" in the sailor's trade. The most important things a new sailor needs to bring with them are a love of nautical and naval history, a desire to teach and/or learn the old-time sailor's arts, and a willingness to be involved in interacting with the public in a living history environment. For the experienced reenactor/living history interpreter, most of your kit is usable in a naval impression (see our BlueJacket's Manual in the Reference Articles Section for details).
This living history educational organization accepts enlistees regardless of age, (subject to limits outlined below) gender and race. Interested parties may enlist as sailors or civilians, the sole limitation being that young adults under eighteen must be accompanied in their enlistment by a responsible parent or guardian. Members aged sixteen to eighteen may participate without limits at appropriate reenactment events with parental consent and presence, and members thirteen to sixteen years of age may serve in a limited capacity as ship's boys, and/or as functional military musicians in the field, with parental consent and presence.
(The Tidewater Maritime Living History Association does not tolerate discrimination by any of its members toward any religious or ethnic segment, or any organization that does likewise, nor any who advocate the overthrow the United States Government.)

TMLHA members currently portray sailors from the following ships:

USS Monitor (Hampton Roads events):

The Monitor was the first US Navy ironclad steamship built. She was completed in an amazing 100 days, and incorporated some of the Swedish-born inventor John Ericsson's most famous concepts, including the rotatable shipboard gun turret, fan-forced air draft into the firebox of the steam engine, below-waterline flush toilets, and screw-propeller drive for ships. She was the first Federal ironclad to engage a Confederate one in combat. She was armed with two 11 inch Dahlgren smoothbore guns. Her battle with the ironclad ram CSS Virginia was a landmark event in the history of naval warfare. After the destruction of the Virginia at Craney Island, Monitor participated in the unsuccessful attempt to pass the rebel battery at Fort Darling, Drewry's Bluff on the James River. She was lost in the Atlantic Ocean during a storm 17 miles off Cape Hatteras on New Year's Eve, 1862.

USS Cumberland (Hampton Roads events):

USS Cumberland was a 1,726-ton sailing frigate built commissioned in 1843 at the Boston Navy Yard. She served in the Mediterranean and in the Home Squadron, sometimes as its flagship,in 1846-48 and participated in Mexican War operations. Cumberland made two cruises to the Mediterranean in 1849-51 and in 1852-55. During 1855-56, Cumberland was razee'd (converted) to a sloop of war. This allowed her to carry fewer but much heavier guns. She was flagship of the Africa Squadron in 1857-59 and again as flagship of the Home Squadron in 1860. In the spring of 1861, Cumberland was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, and when the yard was abandoned on 20 April, was towed to safety at Fortress Monroe by the steamer USS Pawnee. Thereafter, she served on Civil War blockading duty off the Confederacy's Atlantic coast, taking part in the capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark in late August 1861. Cumberland was anchored off Newport News, Virginia on 8 March 1862, when the CSS Virginia attacked the Federal warships in Hampton Roads. Cumberland was rammed and sunk by the Virginia.

USS Congress (Hampton Roads events):

USRC Harriet Lane (Hampton Roads/North Carolina events)

Commissioned on February 25, 1858, the first Harriet Lane was named in honor of President Buchanan's niece and official White House hostess. The Harriet Lane was the Revenue Marine's first successful steam side wheeler. She consumed 1,500 lbs. of coal per hour at a maximum speed of 12 knots. Harriet Lane also had a brigantine sail rig. She was 180 feet in length, 30 foot beam, 700 tons displacement, and draft of 10 ft. and was armed with one 8-inch rifled gun, 4 32-lbr guns, 2 24-lbr and 1 12-lbr boat howitzers, making her the largest, fastest and most heavily-armed cutter in the service to date. Captain John Faunce oversaw her construction, and was her only commander under Revenue service. During late 1858 to early 1859, Harriet Lane was attached to a Navy flotilla sent to Paraguay in response to an attack on an American vessel in the Parana River.
In 1859 the Navy returned Lane to the Revenue-Marine with a testimonial from the Flotilla commander, Commodore Shubrick, USN; "All the vessels grounded more than once, and it is proper that I express my sense of appreciation of the skill and zeal with which Captain Faunce has used this very efficient vessel in extricating us from our difficulties...USS FULTON would have been lost altogether, if not for the assistance afforded by the Harriet Lane."
The Lane resumed normal duties, patrolling the Florida coast to enforce the slave trade law. In 1860, she returned to New York, carrying out normal duties for about a year. Later that year, Miss Lane hosted the Prince of Wales on board her namesake for a cruise from Washington to Mount Vernon.
When the southern states began to secede, the Navy again needed the services of Revenue-Marine cutters. Harriet Lane was probably the best-known cutter in the service during the Civil War. During the shelling of Fort Sumter in April 1861, Harriet Lane patrolled offshore of Charleston harbor, and challenged the steamer Nashville to show her colors. After a shot across her bow, Nashville quickly ran up the Union flag. Captain Faunce noted that his shot "had the desired effect." Thus the Harriet Lane is credited with firing the first shot from any naval vessel in the Civil War.
Harriet Lane joined a squadron to capture Forts Clark and Hatteras, which served as bases for Confederate blockade runners. The steamer, with her 8 in. and four 43 lb guns, kept the beach and woods beyond it under fire while soldiers went ashore. A correspondent from "Harper's Weekly" wrote, "Harriet Lane opened fire. With her rifled guns she did good execution. Several projectiles going into the battery and one going directly through the ramparts. The fire was so hot that the enemy went into a bombproof...and soon white flag rose." This was the first joint amphibious operation of the war, and was a major Federal victory.
The Revenue-Marine transferred Harriet Lane to the US Navy in the fall of 1861 and Commander Wainwright, USN relieved Captain Faunce. The USS Harriet Lane served as Potomac River Flotilla flagship from October 1861 to January 1862, escorting troop and supply ships. TheLane later assumed duty as flagship for Admiral David Porter's flotilla. She later participated in the capture of Pensacola and the first abortive siege of Vicksburg.
Harriet Lane joined the West Gulf Blockade Squadron and On October 1, 1862 entered into Galveston Bay to capture the city. Lane remained with the Federal presence there. On January 1, 1863 a Confederate force attacked Federal garrison and the cutter was captured by boarding. During the hand-to-hand combat, Captain Wainwright was killed, and his executive officer Lieutenant Edward Lea mortally wounded, dying in the presence of his father, Major Albert M.Lea, CSA - one of the officers in the Confederate boarding party.
Harriet Lane, Commanded by Captain W. H. Fleig, gained fame as a blockade runner for the South. She was later sold to a cotton merchant, loaded with cotton, and ordered to sail to Havana, where she stayed until the end of the war.
In 1867, a movement began to return Harriet Lane to the Revenue Cutter Service. Captain Faunce was dispatched to tow her back to the U.S. Years of neglect had made her unfit for service. She was sold to a Boston merchant, renamed ELLIOT RITCHIE, and used in the lumber trade. In May 1884, buffeted by hurricane force winds in the Caribbean, she foundered and was abandoned to the sea.

USS Miami, Tacony, Wyalusing or Shamrock (Hampton Roads/North Carolina events):

The Sassacus class 730-ton "double-ender" side-wheel gunboats were built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. During 1864-65, several were employed in the North Carolina Sounds area, participating in a number of actions. On 19 April 1864, Miami, Tacony and Wyalusing engaged the Confederate ironclad Albemarle, a battle that caused the death of Miami's Commanding Officer, LCDR Charles W. Flusser. In late 1864, Miami shifted to the James River and spent the remainder of the war there. Shamrock served as "mother ship" for Picket Boat Number One at the time of Lieutenant William Cushing's successful spar torpedo attack on the Albemarle on 27-28 October 1864, and provided some of Cushing's crew. On 31 October 1864 she was also flagship of a force including Tacony that captured Plymouth, NC. Tacony was involved in the January 1865 assault that captured Fort Fisher, N.C.

USS Aroostook (Hampton Roads events):

USRC E.A. Stevens (AKA Naugatuck) (Hampton Roads events):

The Stevens, otherwise referred to as the "Hoboken Ironclad" from the city where she was built, was the idea of Edwin A. Stevens, a well-known inventor, and was built by his son John Stevens in 1844. The gunboat was also known also by the name later given by the Navy, "USS Naugatuck". The 192-ton, 110-foot-long vessel was equipped with two screws, driven by two inclined engines with one boiler. Her main protection was her ability to partially submerge by flooding compartments to increase her draft from 7 feet, 8 inches to 9 feet, 10 inches. In the semi-submerged state the bottom of an armored skirt, built around her gunwales, extended to just below the surface, rendering her impervious to shipboard guns. She awas armed with one 100 lb. Parrott rifled naval gun and two boat howitzers.
At the beginning of the Civil War, Stevens tried to donate his gunboat to the Navy, but officals refused the gift, explaining that the untried prototype was not suitable for Navy missions. Stevens eventually donated her to the the Revenue Marine, providing them with their first ironclad gunboat.
After serving as one of the cutters patrolling the Varrazano Narrows entrance to New York harbor, the Stevens was transferred to Hampton Roads. She arrived shortly after the great Battle between USS Monitor and CSS Virginia. On 11 April 1862, while stationed with the Monitor at Fortress Monroe, the Stevens engaged the CSS Virginia, firing three shots at long range to no effect. After the destruction of the the Virginia, she was loaned to the Navy to participate in the unsuccessful sortie up the James River to Drewry's Bluff in company with the USS Monitor, USS Galena and two other gunboats, to attack the Confederate capital at Richmond.
After the battle at Drewry's Bluff, the Stevens was returned to the Revenue Cutter Service and, after a brief yard period, sailed north and resumed her duties at New York harbor until the end of the war.

USS Dawn (James River events)

USS Dawn was a 399-ton screw steam gunboat, built in 1857 at New York for commercial use. She was chartered by the Navy in April 1861 and commissioned for Civil War duty as USS Dawn. In October 1861 the Navy purchased her outright. After repairs at the Washington Navy Yard, Dawn was sent to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. While on station, she operated along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. In November 1862 and in January-March 1863, she took part in operations against Fort McAllister, GA and assisted in destruction of the Confederate privateer Rattlesnake. Dawn was reassigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in December 1863, following five months under repair at New York. She served in the James River in 1864 and into 1865, She provided gunfire support to the 1400 man garrison of Fort Pocahontas against an attack from 2500 Confederate cavalry.

How to Contact Us:

Tidewater Maritime Living History Association
P.O. Box 16276
Chesapeake, VA 23328-6276
Tel- (757)549-2863
e-mail: tmlha@yahoo.com

Please come back regularly to visit, as the site is continually undergoing improvements, updates and additions.

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