The Case for Granting a Confederate Pension to

Blockade Runner, John O'Brien.

by Terry Foenander.

The following transcripts and letters were obtained from the rather interesting pension file of John O'Brien, a young blockade runner, who had obviously provided exemplary service for the Confederacy. Although not a member of the Confederate States Navy, his services in helping to bring in arms and other necessities for the Confederate government were ignored when it came time to provide a pension to the elderly gentleman, in his later years. The pension was eventually approved for his widow, Annie, a month after the death of John O'Brien at Escambia County, Florida, on November 17, 1928.

His pension file, number A02957, can be found at the Florida State Archives, who have kindly placed a number of the pension files of Confederate veterans online, and for this we should be ever grateful.

April 13th, 1916.

Mr. W.V. Knott,

State Comptroller,

Tallahassee, Fla.

Dear Sir:

I represent Mr. John O'Brien, an old time resident of this CIty, who was in the Confederate blockade runner service from the latter part of 1863, for a long period of time, his service being upon the ships running the blockade into Mobile Bay, and after that place was taken by Farragut, - his service was on the "Owl", which was a Confederate blockade runner, under command of Capt. Butcher, who was an English Captain, and afterwards under command of Capt. Dunnington, who was an officer in the Confederate service and then under command of Capt. Moffett [Maffitt], who was also an officer in the Confederate service, running the blockade into Wilmington, N.C., and carrying in all of these ships supplies, such as guns, ammunition, etc., to the Confederate forces and its armies in the field, and bringing cotton out, which cotton was sold and supplies bought with the proceeds from the sale of the said cotton.

A careful reading of the law as now on the statute book leaves me in some doubt, and I have referred this matter to you to say whether or not under the present law and this state of facts, Mr. O'Brien would be entitled to a pension.

All of the officers of the Owl on which he served the greatest length of time, including, Capt. Dunnington, Capt. Moffett [Maffitt], and the petty officers, were in the Confederate Naval service, and the ship was a Confederate privateer armed and manned in the same way as the "Alabama", and was engaged in sinking the enemy's ships, in the same way as the "Alabama" under command of Admiral Semmes.

Mr. O'Brien's service consisted of that of an ordinary seaman, and he being a boy about seventeen or eighteen years old [a latter document in the pension papers indicates that he was much younger] he waited on the officers' mess and did general service on the ship.

I have known Mr. O'Brien for a number of years and he is an honored citizen of Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, and has been since 1873.

He does not remember exactly whether he signed an enlistment or articles, but his name was enrolled, and he was in the service as I have stated. On account of sickness he was invalidated and let out of the service at Nassau, and then went home by way of Halifax and Boston to Canada.

An early reply as to your construction of the law on this state of facts, will be greatly appreciated by,

Yours very truly,

(Signed) R.P. Reese.

STATEMENT OF MR. JOHN O'BRIEN.

I was on a blockade runner and I left Havana, Cuba, in the early part of May, 1864, and went to Mobile, Ala., bringing in a load of stores and ammunition needed for the Southern Army. Made a successful trip in about ten days. The name of that boat was the "Mary" and the Captain of that boat was Capt. Pete and the chief officer's name was Carter. We went back to Havana and brought another cargo of munitions and stores for the Confederate army to Mobile again, on this second trip. About ten or twelve days after the first trip, or the latter part of May, 1864, we got into Mobile with this cargo all right and discharged. Then our boat was there a good part of the Summer, trying to get through the blockade and until after the Confederate Government took over our boat. Then our crew was taken off and sent to Wilmington, North Carolina, where we [were] placed on the Confederate blockade runner "Owl". The battle of Mobile Bay was fought somewhere in August, 1864, to the best of my recollection as this was more than sixty years ago. The Northern fleet got into the Bay and came up the bay but did not take Ft. Morgan until about three weeks after they got in. Then there were a couple of boats, the "St. Nicholas" and the "St. Charles", [which] came down with Confederate Troops to Ft. Gaines. These troops were coming down to meet the fleet. They must have seen something suspicious at Ft. Morgan, because they turned back and went up town but they did not land. The Confederate flag in the morning was to the masthead with pennant on top, but there was not shooting nor no (sic) shots fired from the Fort all day long. I, myself, saw that. Admiral Farragut was in command of the Northern fleet, Buchanan in charge of the Confederates.

Another incident that happened at the start of the fight, there were four Yankee monitors came up to Fort Morgan and one of them struck a torpedo and was sunk. The other boats turned back and got out of the way and then the battle raged for the remainder of the day.

After Mobile Bay and Fort Morgan were taken three weeks later, they came up as far as Dog River Bar and started to shell the town, but we got ready to leave and went to Wilmington, N.C., and I shipped on the Confederate Blockade boat called "The Owl". The Captain in charge then was named Capt. Butcher and the ship was under the English flag at the time. It was afterwards put under the Confederate flag and Capt. Dunnington took charge under the Confederate flag. I cannot remember the mate's name well but I think it was Murdock, - I am not sure. I shipped on "The Owl" and went out to Bermuda. The Yankees seen us going out at night time and they fired about twenty or twenty-five shots after us. The next morning at daylight we saw a Yankee troop ship coming after us. At least it was the opinion that it was a Yankee troop ship. We threw our deck load of cotton overboard, which was our cargo for Bermuda, about all the Confederates had to sell or exchange, and that night in the dark we slipped away from her and got clear of her. We arrived safe in Bermuda. We made three trips, I think it was, running the Yankee blockade between Wilmington, Bermuda and Nassau, bringing in munitions and general supplies for the Confederates and taking out cotton from Wilmington, N.C.

While we were at Havana, Cuba, on one trip, some young men went aboard a Yankee New York mail boat named the "Roanoke" and made the Captain and officers of the ship surrender and took charge of the ship and brought her down to Bermuda and set fire to her on the outside beach of Bermuda.

One trip, after we got back to Wilmington, N.C., Capt. Moffett who was formerly Captain of the "Tallahassee" took charge of the "Owl" and Capt. Dunnington left. When Capt. Dunnington took charge he displaced Capt. Butcher and when Dunnington left, Moffett [Maffitt], formerly on the "Tallahassee" took charge of the "Owl". I was a member of the crew on the "Owl". At the close of the war, I went to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

After this number of years and getting advanced in age, I am eighty-one (81), will be eighty-two (82) years old, I thought it would be appropriate that I make a claim for pension on account of my services on the blockade runners and supplying the Confederate Army with ammunitions (sic) and supplies during the war.

I have always been able to work as a laborer loading ships in Pensacola Bay at Pensacola, Florida, where I have lived and the only reason I am asking for this pension is because I know I did good service for the Confederate Government, and now I am not able to work. I have no means and that is why I am asking for recognition of my services to the Confederate Government.

------------------------------------

STATE OF FLORIDA,

ESCAMBIA COUNTY.

Before the undersigned authority this day personally came and appeared John O'Brien of Pensacola, Florida, who being by me first duly sworn, says that the foregoing statement is true and correct as to his services for the Confederate Government as a member of the crew of the Blockade runners, and that the other facts relating to the other incidents mentioned are true to the best of his knowledge and recollection.

[signed: John O'Brien]

Sworn to and subscribed before

me this 9th day of April 1927.

[Signed: Alma E. Fisher]

NOTARY PUBLIC

My commission expires _____________

[The first part of this letter is missing]

Also look under the name John O'Brien, CSA ARCTIC and the CSA NORTH CAROLINA.

I do not find the name "Mary" or "Owl" mentioned in my records. From the other information we looked at the other day in my Confederate records, I am convinced that it must be all right. I think further that the two boats must have been small sloops that could creep in the shallow inlets with their supplies. Along the coast there are many of these. The larger "Runners" were all armed, and made their dash for the larger ports. If any one has this information, it will be Admiral A.O. Wright at St. Augustine.

T.J. Appleyard.

AN ACT GRANTING A CONFEDERATE PENSION TO JOHN O'BRIEN OF ESCAMBIA COUNTY, STATE OF FLORIDA.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA:

SECTION 1. That the State Board of Pensions be, and they are, hereby directed to place the name of John O'Brien of Pensacola, Florida, on the Confederate Pension Roll of the State of Florida, to be paid a Confederate Pension at the same rate and in the same manner as other Confederate pensioners of the State of Florida.

SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

Approved.

May 25. 1927.

[Notation in ink: "War Record Requested 6/30/27 upon receipt of statement."]

R.P. Reese

Attorney at Law

Pensacola, Florida

June 29, 1927.

Hon. Ernest Amos,

State Comptroller,

Tallahassee, Fla.

Re: Pension granted by the Legislature

of 1927 to John O'Brien.

Dear Sir:

Your esteemed favor of the 25th inst. relative to the above matter came duly to hand.

John O'Brien rendered a most notable service to the Confederate States of America, during the war, and I am enclosing herewith a copy of the statement of his service which was placed before the Senate Committee on Pensions, and the House Committee on Pensions, during the Legislature of 1927, and in both cases each committee recommended the passage of the act granting Mr. O'Brien the pension.

I don't believe under the facts that the law of 1923 applies. This is a subsequent legislature, which according to the act granting Mr. O'Brien the pension, not only directs the placing of the name of John O'Brien of Pensacola, Florida, on the Confederate pension roll of the State of Florida, but that he be paid a Confederate pension at the same rate and in the same manner as other Confederate pensioners of the State of Florida.

In other words, this special act grants without qualification a pension to John O'Brien based on his services as his statement to the Committees above named were given. Therefore, the legislature was acting intelligently and independent of any requirement of enlistment, but because of the splendid and meritorious services he performed for the Confederacy.

For your information I would say this: This dear old Southern gentleman deserves to have his last days made pleasant for the services that he rendered to the Confederacy in her day of trial, and when her fortunes were waning. The dangers that were certain to the life of the Blockade runner were as ever present as if he had been on the firing line of General Lee's Army.

His service in running the blockade with cargoes of cotton out of Wilmington, North Carolina, and Mobile, Alabama, the only commodity that the Confederacy had to sell and exchanging these commodities in Havana, Bermuda and Nassau, for munition and supplies for the Confederacy, were as real and valuable services as those rendered by the men of Pickett's division, who made the charge at Gettysburg.

I have known this splendid, fine, old gentleman since my boyhood. He has given his life to the commercial interest of Pensacola, as a timber worker on the ships in the harbor, as others can attest, making a living for his wife. They are now practically destitute and without means. He is partially paralyzed.
When he could work, he scorned the idea of ever asking for aid from any source, or for this pension for his services.

The act in question says: "the Pension Board shall investigate the war record of each and every soldier, etc., etc., and if, etc., (sic) the Pension Board finds that any soldier, etc., deserted the army or navy of the Confederate States, or State of Florida, or of any other State, as a soldier or sailor of the Confederate States." The act is directed at soldiers or sailors who may have deserted the Confederate Army or Navy, but nowhere in the act is there any authority given for the questioning by the Pension Board of an act of the legislature granting a pension as granted in this case.

I trust that this will be all that is necessary and that he will receive his pension certificate and his check in due course.

With kindest personal regards, I am

Sincerely your friend,

[signed: R.P. Reese]

July 1st, 1927.

Mr. John O'Brien,

Pensacola, Fla.

Dear Sir:

The last Legislature by Special Act, placed your name on the Confederate pension roll. However, a general law, Chapter 9206, makes it the duty of the pension board to investigate the war record of every soldier or sailor, or their widows, granted a pension by special act of the legislature, and if, found to the satisfaction of the pension board that the soldier or sailor upon whose service the pension was based, deserted or did not render service the pension Board is empowered, directed and required to strike the name of such pensioner from the pension roll.

At a meeting of the pension board held on June 30th, your pension was taken up and considered, and no proof of service appearing in the record, in conformity with the requirements of said Chapter 9206, a copy of which is herewith enclosed, you are respectfully requested to submit such proof of service to the pension board as you may wish in support of your claim within a reasonable time or show cause why you should not be stricken from the roll pursuant to the requirements of said Chapter 9206, as aforesaid.

Yours most respectfully,

Secretary, to the Pension Board.

OFFICE OF

NAVAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY

NAVY DEPARTMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C.

July 8, 1927.

Dear Sir:

Replying to your letter of the 30th ultimo, asking for the record of an unnamed sailor who is applying for a pension on the grounds that the served on the boat MARY and Confederate Blockade Runner OWL in the Civil War, it will be necessary for you to furnish the name of said seaman before any search can be made for his record.

Many civilians were engaged in blockade running during the Civil War, among them many foreigners. As they had no military or naval record, few of them are mentioned in the correspondence of that period. We are therefore frequently unable to find anything concerning them.

Very sincerely,

[signed: Richard Wainwright, Jr.}

Richard Wainwright, Jr.,

Lt. Comdr., U.S.N. (Ret.),

Superintendent.

Ernest Amos, Comptroller,

Tallahassee, Fla.

OFFICE OF

NAVAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY

NAVY DEPARTMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C.,

July, 19, 1927.

My dear Sir:

Your letter of the 7th instant has been received, advising the Department that the name of the old Confederate sailor referred to in your letter of June 30th is John O'Brien.

I regret that we have not been able to identify the particular person in whom you are interested. In the General Index to the Naval War Records there are three John O'Briens mentioned, namely:

O'Brien, John, Officers' Cook, on

CSS NORTH CAROLINA.

O'Brien, John, Ordinary Seaman, on

CSS ARCTIC.

O'Brien, John, Ordinary Seaman on

CSS NORTH CAROLINA.

In the same index several mentions are made to the OWL, and also to various vessels named MARY. I suggest that you consult this publication, copies of which are deposited in the State Normal School and the University Library in Tallahassee.

Very Sincerely,

[signed: Richard Wainwright, jr.]

Richard Wainwright, Jr.,

Lt. Comdr., U.S.N., (Ret.),

Superintendent.

[addressed to:]

Ernest Amos, Comptroller,

Tallahassee, Florida.

August 18th, 1927.

Admiral A.O. Wright,

St. Augustine, Florida.

Dear Admiral Wright:

I am trying to locate Record of the War Service of John O'Brien who served on the Blockade Runner "Mary" and in 1864 was transferred to the Boat "OWL" and shipped from Wilmington, N.C. to Bermuda, [and] Havana Cuba. Capt. Dunnington was Capt. of the Boat. He also appears to have shipped from Mobile, Ala. at one time.

I am enclosing herewith short synopsis of his service, and any information that you may be able to furnish will be highly appreciated.

Yours very truly,

Comptroller.

State Board of Pensions of the State of Florida:

Additional Sworn Statement of John O'Brien made this 25th day of August, A.D. 1927.

I have never at any time claimed to have been enlisted as a soldier in the Confederate Army or as a sailor in the Confederate Navy. My claim for recognition and for a pension before the Legislature of 1927 was based solely upon my services as a member of the crew of the side wheel steam boat "MARY", sailing as a blockade runner out of Mobile Bay to Havana, and running the blockade taking out cotton and other commodities and bringing back munitions and other supplies for the Confederate people.

After the Battle of Mobile Bay, fought by Admiral Farragut, it was impossible to carry on the blockade running as the Yankee ships got possession of the Bay, and myself and some of the other men of the "MARY" were sent to Wilmington, North Carolina, and we were put on the blockade runner "OWL", and in my first sworn statement I have told about this and the blockade running done by that boat, of which I was a member of the crew.

While I was witnessing the Battle of Mobile Bay, I was on the "MARY" at the time, and which was there anchored off Fort Morgan, I think it was, a yellow flag was at the top of the mast head and I inquired what that flag was, I was a young boy probably between fourteen or fifteen years of age and did not know what that flag was flying for, and they told me that it any of the Confederate sailors or soldiers were wounded, they could be brought on board and this ship was to receive wounded Confederate sailors or soldiers.

I saw the side wheel steamers, the "GAINES", the "SELMA" and the "MORGAN", when they went down and joined in the fight. The "SELMA" and the "GAINES" did not come back. The "MORGAN" came up the Bay that night. I don't know how in the world she ever managed to get through that fire of the battle, because the battle was raging. The "TENNESSEE" was also in the fight and I saw her go out to join in the battle. She had such a little bit of steam that she looked like she was just crawling along. I didn't know what was the matter, unless it was the want of good machinery or power. The "GAINES", the "SELMA" and the "MORGAN" were walking beam side wheel steamers, fitted up as gunboats, and the "TENNESSEE" was a monitor and looked like a big fort. There was also a boat that came into Mobile the night or so before the battle, her name was the "VIRGIN". The first I noticed of her was that she went up that night through the channel, up Mobile Bay, and when we got up close to her she was aground and we had to lend a hawser and pulled her off. I don't know what became of her. She was a blockade runner and she went on up the Bay, I don't know what became of her.

After we were transferred to Wilmington, North Carolina, I remember that on one of our trips, we carried the captain of another blockade runner, the "LYNX", who had come in the night before we came, or tried to come in, but his ship was captured by the Yankee gunboats and was burned.

There is another thing that I can mention, while the "OWL" was preparing to go out off Fort Fisher, there was another blockade runner which was getting ready to go out to [sea?]. I have been trying to remember her name, but cannot remember it. It was maneuvering to get out. She struck the bow of our ship and cut us down nearly to the waters edge. We were obliged to wait until our boat could be taken over to the place opposite Wilmington in the harbor, a kind of a shipyard place, which was there. Our boat was repaired and it was several days before we got the boat fixed and then we put out to sea.

I have mentioned these additional details of what I saw of the Battle of Mobile and my service out of Wilmington that the Pension Board may know that what I have said comes from the services that I have rendered and the incidents that occurred while that service was being given for the Confederate Government. I could give a great many other things, but it has been so long ago and my memory is tricky and I can't remember all the dates and the names.

I do remember that there was a lieutenant or a captain, Lieutenant Dunnington in the Confederate Army or Navy that took charge of the "OWL" after Captain Butcher was transferred. After this officer Dunnington took charge, a Confederate flag was hoisted. When Butcher was in charge, the boat was under the English flag, when Dunnington took charge, the Confederate flag was hoisted. There was another captain of the "OWL" that I served under, but I don't remember whether he took charge of the boat at Wilmington or at Bermuda or Nassau, but during the time I served as a sailor on the "OWL", these three captains, Butcher, Dunnington and Moffett [Maffitt] were officers in command at separate times. I remember that Captain Moffett [Maffitt], during some of the critical times, would go on the bridge, wearing a Scotch cap or Glenn Garey cap. He had nothing or mighty little to say to anybody. He seemed to be in a deep study all the time.

[Signature: John Olsen]

Sworn to and subscribed before

me this 26th. day of August,

A.D. 1927.

[Signature: illegible]

Notary Public,

State of Florida at Large.

By commission expires 17/9/29

R.P. Reese

Attorney at Law

Pensacola, Florida.

August 26th., 1927.

Hon. Ernest Amos,

Tallahassee, Fla.

Dear Friend Amos,

I am in receipt of your letter of August 13th,, 1927, in which you inclosed a letter from Richard Wainwright, Jr., Lt. Comdr., U.S.N., Superintendent Naval Records and Liability [Library], Washington, D.C.

If you will refer to my letter of June 29th., 1927, and read it carefully and also the attached statement of Mr. John O'Brien, which was inclosed with that letter, and which sworn statement was a copy of the one that he placed before the Legislature of Florida, asking for a pension, you will see that he did not lay any claim to being a soldier enlisted in the Confederate Army; he did not claim to be a sailor enlisted in the Confederate Navy, but he claimed in the first line of his statement, "I was a blockade runner", and then also that he rendered service as a blockade runner, both at Mobile, Alabama and Wilmington, North Carolina, and it was this service that he rendered and for which he claimed that he rendered and for which he asked the Legislature to grant him a pension.

The Legislature is the judge of how they shall appropriate money, and when they made this appropriation and in the Act directed that his name be placed on the Confederate Pension Roll, the Legislature, both the Senate Committee on Pensions and the House Committee on Pensions, the two Legislative bodies, had before them Mr. O'Brien's sworn statement, which I have referred to and the Legislature thought that the service of Mr. O'Brien as a blockade runner was sufficient to entitle him to a pension.

The law that you refer to in your letter of June 25th., 1927, Chapter 1906, Acts of 1923, refers solely and altogether to soldiers and sailors of the Confederacy, who were enlisted in the Army or the Navy of the Confederacy and who may have deserted that service. No where in the Act is there any reference made as to such a case as Mr. O'Brien's case.

The Legislature that gave him this pension was the sole judge and I am sure that the search for records of his service to find out whether he deserted the Confederate Army or the Confederate Navy is all beside the question. It has no bearing on his case whatever, because he did not ask for the pension as a sailor or as a soldier, and the Legislature did not grant him a pension as a soldier enlisted in the Confederate Army or as a sailor in the Confederate Navy. If you will read his sworn statement to the Pension Board that he placed before the Legislature as I have stated, I am sure that the members will agree with you that this Act of the Legislature is not one contemplated by the Special Act, Chapter 1906, Acts of 1923.

Mr. O'Brien's sworn statement, while it was pending in the Legislature, was read by me to Mr. Len LeBarron, son of one of our old citizens here, the son of a Confederate Veteran and one of the best posted men on Confederate history that I know of, and when I read him a portion of Mr. O'Brien's recital at Mobile Bay, he struck the desk before me with his fists and said, "John O'Brien was present at that battle and saw it as he has recited the facts, he saw and knows what he is talking about," and Len, who knows Mr. O'Brien, said that the Legislature will certainly grant him a pension, because he deserves it in every sense of the word.

I have written this letter to you to draw your attention and the Board's attention particularly to the fact that Mr. O'Brien's case is not governed by the law, Chapter 1906, Acts of 1923.

I am inclosing herewith an additional statement of Mr. O'Brien as to his knowledge of what he saw in Mobile Bay.

Thanking you for your deep interest in this matter and for your statement that you would bring my letters and Mr. O'Brien's sworn statement thereto attached before the Pension Board at its meeting, I am sincerely

Your friend,

[signed: R.P. Reese]

August 30, 1927.

Hon. R.P. Reese,

Pensacola, Florida.

My good friend:

Your letter of the twenty-sixth about Mr. John O'Brien's pension claim duly to hand.

I am sorry his claim is in the situation it is for personally I would like to see him have the pension. According to his statements under last sworn statement he makes no claim at all to have been enlisted as a soldier or sailor in the Confederate Army or Navy, or in the enlisted service of any State. This being the case under the Board's interpretation of Chapter 9206 of 1923 he is not entitled to the pension. By reading the act closely you will note it is made the duty of the Board to exercise every special act made prior or subsequent to the session of 1923 and if it appears that the soldier or sailor deserted or did not render service as a soldier or sailor in the army or navy of the Confederate States, State of Florida or some other Southern State, then it is the duty of the Board and it is authorised, empowered and required to drop his name from the roll.

Under this act we have deemed it necessary for the Board to go into each case and where it is not satisfactorily shown that service was rendered why the pension is disallowed. We believe this to be our bounden (sic) duty under the law for personally each and every one of us sympathize deeply with these old claimants.

As Mr. O'Brien does not make any claim to have served I don't know [if] there is anything else we can do to help him. In such acts as I got passed at the session I put in a repealing clause repealing all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the act granting special pension, which serves the purpose to do away with the necessity of this proof.

As stated, I regret that the matter is in its present shape because really I would like to do something for this old gentleman.

With warm personal regards and best wishes, I am,

Yours very truly,

Comptroller.

© Terry Foenander.

February, 2002.