The Battle of Corpus Christi was fought between August 12 and August 18, 1862, during the American Civil War. United States Navy forces blockading Texas fought a small land and sea engagement with Confederate forces in and around Corpus Christi Bay and bombarded Corpus Christi. Union forces defeated Confederate States Navy ships operating in the area but were repulsed when they landed on the coast.
Background
Texas had been a main source of supplies for Confederate forces during the American Civil War. Union naval operations to blockade the Texas coast began. Despite being in a Confederate state, Corpus Christi was home to both Confederate patriots and Union sympathizers.
Five Union and four Confederate ships were involved in the battle. United States Navy vessels included the sloop USS Belle Italia, the steamer converted to a gunboat USS Sachem, the bark USS Arthur, the schooner USS Reindeer and an armed yacht named USS Corypheus.
Confederate naval forces included at least two armed vessels, a sloop named CSS Breaker, a schooner named CSS Elma, another sloop named CSS Hannah and a merchant steamer, the A.B. or A. Bee.
USS Sachem was originally commanded by Captain H. W. Morris, the former U.S. Navy commander of New Orleans, and was armed with one 20-pounder Parrott rifle and four 32 pounder (15 kg) cannons. The size of her crew was about fifty; she had also participated in several other historic naval engagements such as Hampton Roads and the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Captain Morris is not believed to have fought in this battle. Lieutenant Amos Johnson commanded Sachem. Lieutenant John W. Kittredge was in charge of Arthur, which held over eighty men and was armed with six 32 pounder smooth-bore guns. Kittredge commanded the flotilla and Arthur was the flagship of the force. Corypheus mounted one 30 lb (14 kg) rifled gun and one 24 pounder (11 kg) howitzer. She had a crew of twenty-eight men and was commanded by Acting Master A. T. Spear. Bella Italias armament and crew are not known. Reindeer mustered six 24 pounder howitzers. Little is known of the Confederate ships.
The size of Corpus Christi's garrison included a few militia companies with two M1841 6-pounder field guns. They were later reinforced by militia, some mounted, another two 12 pounders (5.4 kg) and one 18 pounder (8.2 kg) gun. A total of 700 Confederates were involved in the battle. The militia garrison was commanded by Colonel Charles G. Lovenskiold, but he handed his command over to Major Alfred M. Hobby when he arrived with reinforcements. The garrison was based at the citadel in Fort Kinney.
Battle
Corpus Christi Raid
At noon on August 12, just northwest of Corpus Christi, Belle Italia, Sachem, Reindeer and Corypheus were sailing from Aransas Bay through a canal into Corpus Christi Bay when they sighted CSS Breaker. The Union Navy vessels then gave chase to the sloop which was filled with sailors and several Confederate States Army soldiers who were returning from a reconnaissance mission. After a long pursuit the Union ships closed in on the Confederates and opened fire. The Confederate commander chose to ground his sloop and then scuttle it by fire to prevent her capture. A boarding party from Arthur went to take the vessel and prevent the burning. By the time they arrived, the Confederates had already lowered life boats and were escaping overland. The Union sailors boarded the Breaker and put out the fire. Having taken and refloated the prize ship and thus weakened the defenses of Corpus Christi, Union commanders felt it was now time to attack the Confederates defending the town. Knowing that Breaker was gone, Confederates in the bay scuttled CSS Elma and the sloop CSS Hannah.
Blockade
After taking the Breaker, the Union vessels sailed southwest the short distance to Corpus Christi and established a blockade. Sachem and Corypheus were designated the first to bombard the Confederate fort. Lieutenant Kittredge transferred his flag to Corypheus from Arthur which he sent north to procure supplies such as ammunition and food. Belle Italia and Reindeer sat out of range as reserves and the captured Breaker was used as a hospital ship.