Muster Roll of the "C.S.S. Tallahassee."

August-September, 1864.

Transcribed by Terry Foenander.

The following list of personnel of the CSS Tallahassee was transcribed from page 307, series 2, volume 1, of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Additional data from other sources is also included, with the source of the data noted after each entry. All the enlisted personnel, as well as two officers, had previously served aboard the CSS North Carolina [names shown in the rosters of this vessel for the period January to August, 1864], and some had also served aboard the CSS Arctic [an ironclad floating battery which also doubled as a receiving ship]. This is also noted within the text of those entries.

The list of names has been rearranged in alphabetical order, by surname.

William Adams, gunner's mate; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 293, 295 and 296.]

John Ballance, quarter gunner; born in Currituck County, North Carolina, resided in Pasquotank County; occupation, mariner; enlisted as a private in company A, 8th North Carolina State Troops, at age 26, July 22, 1861; captured at Roanoke Island on February 8, 1862; paroled at Elizabeth City on February 21, 1862; exchanged at Aiken's Landing, James River, Virginia, November 10, 1862; transferred to Confederate States Navy, January 20, 1863; also served aboard receiving ship, CSS Arctic, and as captain of foretop, and seaman, aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 279, 294-296; NCT 4, 524.]

H.J. Barwick, [first initial also shown as A., middle name may also be Jackson.] coxswain; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

Mortimer Murray Benton, second lieutenant.

Joseph Best, officer's steward; born in Currituck County, North Carolina; occupation, sailor; enlisted as a private in company B, 8th Regiment North Carolina State Troops, at age 27, August 6, 1861; transferred to Confederate States Navy, January 10, 1863; also served aboard receiving ship, CSS Arctic, and as wardroom steward aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 279, 293, 295 and 296; NCT 4, 535.]

Alexander Black, captain of hold; born in Scotland, and resided as a sailor in Beaufort County, North Carolina; originally enlisted at age 30, December 15, 1861, as a private in company C, 3rd Regiment North Carolina Artillery; transferred to the Confederate States Navy, May 8, 1862; also served aboard receiving ship, CSS Arctic, and aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 293, 295 and 296; NCT 1, 397.]

John Cassidy, boatswain. [Wilmington Journal.]

Henry Collins, captain of forecastle; previously served aboard receiving ship, CSS Arctic, and aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 279, 293, 295 and 296.]

Thomas Condon, landsman; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

Jeremiah Connell, coal heaver; previously served as second class fireman aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

Edward Crenshaw, lieutenant of Marines. [Wilmington Journal.]

Alexander Curtis, acting master. [Wilmington Journal; this name is not shown in other official sources.]

Michael Farrell, second class fireman; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 295 and 296.]

Joseph M. (or V.) Gardner, lieutenant. [Wilmington Journal.]

James Foy Greene, second assistant engineer. [Wilmington Journal.]

Elias Guy Hall, second assistant engineer. [Wilmington Journal.]

Thomas J. Hendricks, ordinary seaman; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

C. Lucian Jones, paymaster; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 295.]

John M. Landford, ordinary seaman; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina [rosters for this vessel show his first name as James]. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

Charles H. Levy, acting first assistant engineer. [Wilmington Journal.]

John J. Lyell, third assistant engineer. [Wilmington Journal.]

John Martin, quarter gunner; previously served as ordinary seaman aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294 and 296.]

William May, boatswain's mate; originally enlisted in New Hanover County, North Carolina at age 32, October 23, 1861, as first sergeant, in company D, 2nd Regiment North Carolina Artillery; transferred to Confederate States Navy, February 18, 1863; also served aboard receiving ship, CSS Arctic, and aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 279, 294-296; NCT 1, 242.]

John A. McKay, ordinary seaman; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina [one of the rosters for this vessel shows his surname as McRay but this may be an error in transcription. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

James Morris, seaman; previously served as ship's cook aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

Peter Nelson, landsman; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

Joseph W. Pate, seaman; born in Beaufort County, North Carolina; pre-war occupation, seaman; originally served as private, in company K, 1st Regiment, North Carolina Artillery; enlisted at age 21, on May 8, 1861; temporarily attached to company B, 61st Regiment, North Carolina troops; captured at Fort Hatteras, August 29, 1861, with his company; exchanged in February, 1862; transferred to Confederate States Navy, July 19, 1863; also served as ship's cook aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296; NCT 1, 166-167.]

Patrick Rafferty, first class fireman; also served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

Henry H. Roberts, acting third assistant engineer. [Wilmington Journal.]

R.M. Ross, acting third assistant engineer. [Wilmington Journal.]

Charles Russell, acting master's mate/gunner's mate. [Wilmington Journal.]

John Saunders, [surname also shown as Sanders] seaman; born Currituck County, North Carolina; occupation, farmer; enlisted at age 20, August 19, 1861, as private in company B, 8th Regiment North Carolina State Troops; transferred to Confederate States Navy, on or about February 9, 1863; also served aboard CSS Sea Bird [name listed in the roster of this vessel for July-November, 1861], receiving ship CSS Arctic, and CSS North Carolina; may have been a brother of Thomas O. Saunders, listed in the next entry. [ORN 2, 1, 279, 294-296 and 306; NCT 4, 540.]

Thomas O. Saunders, [surname also shown as Sanders] seaman; born Currituck County, North Carolina; occupation, farmer; enlisted at age 20, August 19, 1861, as private in company B, 8th Regiment North Carolina State Troops; transferred to Confederate States Navy, on or about February 9, 1863; also served aboard CSS Sea Bird [name listed in the roster of this vessel for July-November, 1861] receiving ship CSS Arctic, and CSS North Carolina; may have been a brother of John Saunders, listed in the previous entry. [ORN 2, 1, 279, 293, 295, 296 and 306; NCT 4, 540.]

William L. Shepperdson, assistant surgeon. [Wilmington Journal.]

John A. Showalter, seaman; previously served as ordinary seaman aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294 and 296.]

John E. Smith, ordinary seaman; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296.]

S.L. Solomons, master at arms; previously served aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 296.]

David Stewart, acting gunner. [Wilmington Journal.]

John W. Tynan, chief engineer.

Stephen F. Walcott, ship's steward; originally enlisted as a private in company K, 1st Regiment North Carolina Artillery, at Beaufort County, North Carolina, August 10, 1861; captured at Fort Hatteras, August 29, 1861, and confined at Fort Warren, Massachusetts; exchanged February 3, 1862; transferred, July 19, 1863, to the Confederate States Navy; also served as seaman, and coxswain, aboard CSS North Carolina. [ORN 2, 1, 294-296; NCT 1, 169, where his surname is listed as Wallcott.]

William H. Ward, first lieutenant. [Wilmington Journal.]

A.V. Wiatt, lieutenant commanding. [ORN 2, 1, 295 and 296.]

John Taylor Wood, commander.

Thomas O. Wroten, captain of afterguard; enlisted in Beaufort County, North Carolina at age 22, April 22, 1861, in company K, 1st Regiment North Carolina Artillery; captured at Fort Hatteras, August 29, 1861; confined at Fort Warren, Massachusetts; paroled February 3, 1862; transferred to Confederate States Navy, July 19, 1863; also served as ship's steward, and seaman, aboard CSS North Carolina, and was highly commended by Commander J.W. Cooke, in a dispatch dated at Plymouth, North Carolina, May 7, 1864, while serving aboard the CSS Albemarle. [ORN 1, 9, 771 and 2, 1, 294-296; NCT 1, 171, where his surname is listed as Wroton.]

Sources of additional data:

NCT - North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster, issued by the North Carolina Department of Archives and History, commencing in 1966; currently (2001) 14 volumes published; references include volume and page numbers.

ORN - Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, entries include series, volume and page numbers.

Wilmington Journal - Information from the Wilmington Journal (North Carolina) of August 30, 1864, showing a "complete list of the officers of the Tallahassee" and provided by Mr. David A. Walker, of Canada, in October, 2004.

© Terry Foenander.

December, 2001 (Updated November, 2004).