Hello -
recently came across the following info re John H. Nibbe, Quartermaster of the Federal tinclad USS Petrel when it was captured on April 22, 1864. Nibbe was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions that day (see below):
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.nibbe/18.1/mb.ashx
NIBBE, JOHN H.; Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient - Civil War
Re: NIBBE, JOHN H.; Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient - Civil War
jasche (View posts)
Posted: 16 Jan 2007 11:12PM GMT
Classification: Cemetery
Surnames: Nibbe
BURIAL INFORMATION
Location: Bremerton, Washington
Cemetery: Ivy Green Cemetery
Born: 1847 Germany
Died: 1902
Source, additional information and cemetery monument photo:
http://www.homeofheroes.com/gravesites/states/pages_go/nibbe...
http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=18&p=surnames.nibbe
NIBBE, JOHN H.; Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient - Civil War
Posted: 12 Sep 2006 9:38PM GMT
Classification: Military
Surnames: NIBBE
Source: http://www.army.mil/cmh/Default.htm
NIBBE, JOHN H.
Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1842, Germany. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served as quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Peterel [sic] during its capture in Yazoo River, 22 April 1864. Standing his ground when a shot came through the stern, raking the gundeck and entering and exploding the boilers, when all the others had deserted the flag, Nibbe assisted in getting the wounded off the guard and proceeded to get ready to fire the ship despite the escaping steam from the boilers at which time he was surrounded on all sides by the rebels and forced to surrender.
Re: NIBBE, JOHN H.; Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient - Civil War New
jasche (View posts)
Posted: 16 Jan 2007 11:12PM GMT
Classification: Cemetery
Surnames: Nibbe
BURIAL INFORMATION
Location: Bremerton, Washington
Cemetery: Ivy Green Cemetery
Born: 1847 Germany
Died: 1902
Source, additional information and cemetery monument photo:
http://www.homeofheroes.com/gravesites/states/pages_go/nibbe...
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8067838
John H. Nibbe
Birth:Nov. 25, 1842
Hamburg, Germany
Death:Jun. 15, 1902
Bremerton
Kitsap County
Washington, USA
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Served as a Quartermaster, U.S. Navy on board the U.S.S. Peterel [sic] during its capture in Yazoo River, Mississippi on April 22, 1864. During the assault on his ship a shot came through the stern, raking the gun deck and exploding the boilers but he stood his ground. When all the others had deserted the flag, he assisted in getting the wounded off the guard and proceeded to get ready to fire the ship. Despite the escaping steam from the boilers he continued with his duties until surrounded on all sides by the Confederates and forced to surrender. His citation was awarded on June 22, 1865 accredited to the State of New York. (bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith)
Search Amazon for John Nibbe
Burial:
Ivy Green Cemetery
Bremerton
Kitsap County
Washington, USA
Record added: Nov 7 2003
By: John "J-Cat" Griffith
Civil War Veterans buried at Ivy Green Cemetery, Bremerton, Washington
Compiled by Don Vatne of Bremerton
NIBBE, John H.
Quartermaster, U. S. Navy
Recipient of the Medal of Honor
He was born in Hamburg, Germany on 25 Nov 1847 and came to America when he was about 14 years old. He first enlisted in the Army and later in the U. S. Navy. He was serving onboard the USS Petrel on 22 Apr 1864 in the Yazoo River, Mississippi when the “tinclad” came under fire from Confederate forces. After the ship had taken heavy cannon hits exploding the boiler, the captain, pilot, and Quartermaster Nibbe were attempting to get the wounded ashore and fire the ship when they were captured by enemy forces. All others had abandoned the ship and fled. For his actions, Nibbe was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was discharged from service on 12 Jan 1865. He came to the Puget Sound area about 1867 working at logging and steamboating. Later he settled in Port Orchard where he operated a general store and post office.
In 1896 he moved to Bremerton, where he operated a general merchandise business and later served as Postmaster. He died on 15 Jun 1902.
http://www.vajoe.com/board/viewtopic.php?pid=28498
NIBBE, JOHN H.
Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1842, Germany. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served as quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Petrel during its capture in Yazoo River, 22 April 1864. Standing his ground when a shot came through the stern, raking the gundeck and entering and exploding the boilers, when all the others had deserted the flag, Nibbe assisted in getting the wounded off the guard and proceeded to get ready to fire the ship despite the escaping steam from the boilers at which time he was surrounded on all sides by the rebels and forced to surrender.
The following description was written by Ed Bearss and appeared in Morningside Notes (1982):
“At 1 p.m., Petrel tied-up to the west bank of the stream near the mouth of Tokeba Bayou, two and one-half miles above the town. A working party was sent ashore to secure rails with which to protect the boilers. The rest of the crew remained at their battle stations. McElroy assigned the task of supervising the loading of the rails to his executive officer, Ensign E. Flanigan. This freed the other deck officers to help the quartermaster and sentries scan the opposite bank for Confederates. Since everything seemed to be going according to schedule, Captain McElroy went below, at 2 p.m., to eat his dinner. After finishing his meal, the captain again stepped out onto the deck. As he emerged from his cabin, the Rebels opened fire on his vessel."
"About noon the commander of the 11th and 17th Arkansas Consolidated Mounted Infantry, Colonel John Griffith, had asked General Adams for permission to attack Petrel. Adams at first objected on the grounds that the attack would be futile, besides needlessly endangering the lives of the troopers. At length Adams yielded and told Griffith to capture the tinclad. Once he had received the "go ahead," Colonel Griffith organized a combat patrol which included two 10-pounder Parrott rifles manned by Owens' Arkansas Battery and a number of sharpshooters from the consolidated regiment. Because the Arkansans were unfamiliar with the area, several men from Companies A and K, Wood's Mississippi Regiment, who had been reared in Yazoo County, served as guides. His preparations completed, Griffith's combat patrol marched via the Andrews' Ferry road. Several hundred yards from the river, the gunners unhitched their teams and manhandled their pieces forward. Screened by the dense forest, the cannoneers emplaced their guns on the bank 400 yards below the gunboat. When Griffith gave the signal, the gun captains pulled the lanyards, and two rifled projectiles screamed toward the targets."
"The Union sailors returned the Rebels' fire with their starboard battery. After several rounds had missed their mark, the Yankees realized their guns could not be brought to bear. At the same time, Captain McElroy rang the bell for full speed ahead. The pilot, however, was unable to spin the wheel fast enough, and before the tinclad had proceeded 200 yards, she grounded. While the crew frantically sought to back the gunboat off the bar, a shot from one of the Confederate guns tipped through the stern, cutting off the steam pipe and disabling the engine. Moments later, a projectile crashed into the magazine, tearing off Gunner's Mate Charles Seitz's legs. This caused Petrel's guns to fall silent for several minutes, while damage control parties effected repairs and Captain McElroy found a replacement for Seitz."
"When the guns again went into action the rate of fire was very slow. Already the after gun had been dismounted, and Griffith's sharpshooters were making life hectic for the loaders. To make matters worse, several of the naval officers behaved badly. Realizing that he was in danger of losing his vessel, McElroy shouted for Acting First Engineer Arthur M. Phillips, to have the engineers ready to fire the gunboat when she could no longer fight. Simultaneously, he ordered small-arms issued to the crew. A shot now smashed through the stern, raking the gun deck and exploding the boilers. To escape being scalded most of the officers and crew scrambled ashore. Nearly all of them succeeded in crossing the swamp and reaching Prairie Bird."
"Besides the captain, the pilot, Kimble Ware, and Quartermaster John Nibbe remained aboard Petrel with the dead and wounded. After the steam had started to dissipate, the captain and the quartermaster helped the wounded ashore. They then prepared to set fire to the stricken gunboat. Obtaining hot coals from the fire box, McElroy placed them among the rails. Before the fire could get a good start, the Confederates crossed the river."
"Probably the first greyclad to reach Petrel was Sergeant Joseph A. Garing of Company A, Wood's Mississippi Regiment. Seeing that the Yankees were deserting the doomed gunboat, Garing stripped off his coat, shoes and hat, and plunged into the river. Other men belonging to Griffith's combat patrol followed Garing's example. Reaching the west bank of the river, the Rebels forced McElroy to surrender. While some of the greyclads pursued the fleeing survivors, others extinguished the blaze. Confederate fatigue parties were put to work removing the tinclad's "fine armament" of eight 24-pounder howitzers. These guns were later sent to Canton, from where they were eventually forwarded to Mobile, Alabama. In addition, the Southerners were able to secure a considerable quantity of valuable stores from the vessel. After they had salvaged everything they could use from the gunboat, the Confederates burned her "to the water's edge."
Here are two URLs with additional info re the capture of the Petrel; please feel free to use/distribute this information in any way you see fit.
http://www.geocities.com/enlistedman/petrel.html
http://www.ebicom.net/~moorer/scripts/wwwboard/messages/1365.html
y.v.o.s.,
Kenneth Byrd