The Daily Phoenix

Unromantic End of the Pioneer War Vessel of South Carolina.

The hull of the old light-ship Wee Hawken, which has been condemned on account of leaks, was sold at auction yesterday morning, by Messrs. W. Y. Leitch and R. S. Bruns, to Capt. Thomas Young, for $350.

This old boat has had a somewhat eventful history, and may be said to have been the pioneer vessel of the Confederate navy in those waters, she having been purchased and put in commission by the State of South Carolina in February, 1861, under the following circumstances:

The Legislature of South Carolina, at the session of 1860-'61, enacted that the Governor should purchase or procure, at an expense of $150,000, three vessels such as he might deem fit for the service proposed, to form a sea-coast police force to prevent the landing of marauding parties, who, it was supposed, might, in the event of hostilities between the two sections, descend upon the coast in vessels of light draft to commit acts of depredation and violence. The defence of the long line of sea-coast against an enemy en force was not contemplated, however, as to render such defences effectual would require means beyond the resources of the State.

In order to carry out the object of this enactment, Gen. A. C. Garlington, the then Secretary of the Interior, appointed a commission, composed of scientific and practical men in this city, to examine all the vessels in Charleston harbor, and also to make inquiry elsewhere, and report whether any could be procured which were adapted to the service intended. Their report satisfied him that there were no vessels in this harbor which were suitable in every respect and could be purchased on reasonable terms. It was believed that they might be bought at the North, but after diligent inquiry only one could be found that it was thought expedient to purchase--the "James Gray," an iron propeller, built for the navigation of the James River.

Lieut. Dozier was despatched to Richmond, and negotiated this purchase of this steamer, at the price of $30,000, to be delivered in Charleston. She arrived here on February 15, 1861, and was fitted out under the name of the "Lady Davis," her armament consisting of two twenty-four pound howitzers. Enlistments of seamen were begun, and had reached the number of thirty, when it was thought best to suspend any further effort to complete this organization on account of the action of the Provisional Congress, looking to the establishment of a navy for the common government.

From that time until the year 1863, the Lady Davis was employed as a police and transport boat about this harbor and along the coast, and in that year she was dismantled and her engines and armament transferred to another gunboat. After 1863 she was lying up in the harbor until the possession of the city by the Federal forces, when she was made a light-ship and stationed over the wreck of the gunboat Weehawken, near Morris Island, and has been employed in this service until she was condemned a few weeks ago.

She is now to be broken up by her new owners and sold for old iron.

Charleston News.