 the civil war the civil war osarep tue 3232010 1619 in 1864 the confederacy attempted to draft him but antoine bellande didn t approve of the idea he was residing in ocean springs at the time the conscript officer was invited to have a drink with him at the ocean springs hotel before they set out to join the confederate army he managed to get the officer drunk and slipped away he offered his services to admiral farragut as a ship pilot he had become acquainted with the great admiral at pascagoula where farragut would visit his sister mrs gurley although serving as a union pilot in early 1864 antoine bellande at the age of thirtyfive years officially entered the union navy as an acting ensign and pilot on december 16 1864 he served primarily on the us steamer  cowslip  the  cowslip  was a sidewheel steamer built in 1863 at newburgh new york as  meteor  the steamer was 123 feet long and had a 7 draft it was armed with a 20 pound rifled cannon and two 24pound smoothbore cannon assigned to the west gulf blockading squadron cowslip arrived at new orleans in february 1864 she carried officers and men as well as delivering mail stores guns and munitions for her squadron cowslip also delivered provisions for refugees the vessel was so versatile that it was used as a tow convoy steamer rescue and salvage boat and also served as a picket and patrol vessel  mobile bay it was at the battle of mobile bay in august 1864 that captain bellande experienced an exciting chapter in his long life he was assigned by admiral david farragut to pilot the union barkentine rigged screw sloop  monongahela  the  monongahela  was built at the philadelphia navy yard in 1862 she had seen action at port hudson louisiana march may 1863 donaldsonville louisiana july 1863 and participated in a number of texas coastal actions before returning to blockade duty off mobile in the summer of 1864 antoine joined the  uss monongahela  off mobile in july 1864 during the fierce battle of august 5 1864 he watched helplessly as the monongahela valiantly rammed the wellarmored confederate ram  tennessee  a brief description of the monongahela s activity in the battle is given by shelby foote 19162005 in   the civil war a narrative red river to appomattox  page 504  farragut s main reliance was on his wooden sloops particularly the  monongahela  and the lackawanna which were equipped with iron prows for ramming their orders were to run the ram  tennessee  down while the others pitched in to do her whatever damage they could manage with their guns accordingly when the  tennessee came within range about 920 making hard for the flagship  hartford   monongahela  moved ahead at full speed and struck her amidships a heavy blow that had no effect at all on the rebel vessel but cost the sloop her iron beak torn off along her cutwater  according to pilot bellande the  monongahela  got the worst of the encounter with the  tennessee  the sides of the rebel ram were protected by heavy armor and chains when they pulled free after ramming the tennessee the deck of his vessel was raked by a withering broadside which removed the head of their water boy from his shoulders he also saw the executive officer of the  monongahela  fall with both legs shattered a shell which dropped into the engine room luckily failed to explode buchanan the confederate commander of the  tennessee  must be lauded generously for his bravery and skill in facing seventeen union ships three of them possessing armor heavier than that of his vessel mounting 157 guns almost all of them larger than those of the  tennessee  after the battle was won antoine piloted the  cowslip  on the following morning transporting the victorious union officers to receive the formal surrender of fort morgan he concluded his memorable duties at mobile bay with the dragging of the harbor to remove any torpedoes or mines captain bellande s share of the prize money was 800 for his one day work during the battle he was discharged from the union navy on february 19 1866 for his excellent service he was given a 450 bonus the daily herald april 13 1914 p 1 in a recently discovered business ledger of the pierre quave store which operated at back bay north biloxi from 18571862 antoine bellande s name appears in an account held in 1857 his future fatherinlaw pierre harvey had accounts at the same store 1033 views  