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From "On the Hills of Home" by Cal Sharpe (1972):
Page 3
"Jack, another Civil War veteran, was serving on the Merrimac when the Confederates battled the Monitor to a draw at Hampton Roads, March 9, 1862. Returning home after the war, he sought his fortunes in Texas where he reared his family."
Pages 14-17
The following story concerning the Civil War record of our Great-Uncle Jack Sharp was sent to us by Mrs. Georgia L. Page, Wilshire Village, Dunlavy Court, So., Apartment No. 10, Houston 6, Texas, who so wonderfully trusted us (a total stranger) with so valuable a record of her father, with the warning, "Guard this with your life," which we did, making a copy and returning it immediately. We are indebted to the following cousins, who led us to Mrs. Page: Miss Effie Davis, 712 Avenue A. N. W., Winter Haven, Florida; Henry F. Davis, 1425 N. 29th St., Birmingham, Alabama; Mrs. Robert H. Ridley, 3548 University Bldg., Dallas, Texas; and Dan Chester Griffin, 202 East Bdwy., Farmington, New Mexico.
Andrew Jackson Sharp, third son of Daniel Sharp, adds an interesting page to the Sharp family history in his account of the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in 1862, as he was a member of the crew of the Merrimac throughout the battle.
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The veteran was interviewed by B. C. Utecht, a reporter of the Calvert News, Calvert, Texas, with the following headlines:
TEXAN, LAST SURVIVOR OF MERRIMAC CREW, SETS HISTORY STRAIGHT ABOUT IRONCLAD
Man who was present at world-famous battle with the Monitor declares that his ship was not destroyed then, but later by the crew of the Merrimac itself.
Calvert, Texas, Nov. 24.
In this good year 1923, when prohibition is still an issue despite the Eighteenth Amendment, it is difficult to believe that for a while during the War Between the States that it was even a bigger issue, that upon it perhaps rested the fate of the Union of Confederacy.
The North isn't aware that it was an issue. The North isn't aware how near it came to losing or at least to have suffered disastrous delay of the conflict. Nor does the South know it. Historians have missed the event. However, since the historians did not know of the incident they could not record it. The prohibition issue, which had such great bearing on the fortunes of the North and South was an animated live question for only one night, and but fifty men were involved. Of those fifty, only one is alive, and it is he who discloses for the first time a Civil War incident that turned out in favor of the Union, for which even now, 60 years later, she may congratulate herself.
Andrew Jackson Sharp, 85 years old, a farmer living between Calvert and Franklin, congratulates both North and South, for he believes the country is better off united. And it is Sharp who tells what a factor prohibition was one night back in the ironclad Confederate ship, when he was a sailor on the Merrimac. He was present when the Monitor and Merrimac, rechristened the Virginia by the South, had their world famous battle. He was with the Merrimac when its own crew destroyed the vessel to keep it out of Federal hands. He is the only member of the Merrimac crew now living.
Plan to relieve Richmond
When Grant's armies were hammering at Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, Captain Technor, then commanding the Merrimac, conceived the bold plan of taking the vessel up the James River and attacking Federal ships, breaking the blockage, and attacking the Union land forces where possible and relieving Richmond.
History fails to mention these plans. After the Merrimac and Monitor battled in Hampton Roads, the Merrimac was all but forgotten by chroniclers. In fact they had left a false impression that the Merrimac was so badly disabled by the Monitor that it was of no further service. Sharp says otherwise. The Merrimac, or Virginia, suffered some damage from the Monitor's guns, but it was damage that was easily repaired, and the warship then was in as good shape as before.
But now about this prohibition; "Out plans were well laid," said the aged veteran as he sat reminiscing on the veranda of his home. "The Merrimac had been thoroughly gone over, and we had plenty of ammunition and were in shape for good work. We were close to the mouth of the James River, and in order to steam up-stream it was necessary for us to raise the ship about two feet so that we could cross the bar at that point. To do this it was necessary to throw off ballast.
"We began the job of lightening the vessel about 9 o'clock that night. Now, as everyone knows, sailors in every navy are, or were, supplied with whiskey rations. Both the navies of the North and South were furnished rum. While busy throwing off ballast, so we could head up the James to relieve Richmond, members of the crew got hold of a barrel of whiskey and drank it down with a large dipper. A little of this was all right - But they kept at it too long and were soon tipsy. No officer was at hand at the time. The men continued throwing off iron ballast until all of it went overboard. I remonstrated with them, raising quite a row and they argued back with me. I told them of the danger, but it did no good and we had quite a tilt. Soon I saw that our ship, instead of being raised only two feet, was up five feet, exposing the wooden sides. This was due to throwing away all of our ballast. I hurried to Captain Technor and explained the situation, but by that time it was too late. Federal ships were not far from us, and they could see us plainly because of the five foot difference. A shot from one of theirs into our wooden sides would have done for us. So the plan to go to the relief of Richmond was abandoned for lack of ballast control protection on such an undertaking, and decided to attack the Union fleet off Newport News instead."
Sharp's story of the Merrimac's destruction of Union vessels near Fortress Monroe and the fight with the Monitor closely lines up with that given in histories.
Just who is responsible for the building of the Merrimac is in doubt, and Sharp believes that the credit should go to various officers and engineers of the Confederacy. He was a great admirer of Buchanan and says he was far more efficient than Technor.
Secret leaks out
Anyway, soon after the Confederates began building the ironclad, the first in the history of the world, word leaked out here and there and soon the North knew that somewhere on the Virginia coast the South was constructing a dread ironclad monster. Then it became a race. The North wanted a ship to offset the Merrimac, which had been sunk at the Norfolk Navy Yard and raised by the Confederates, John Erricson began building the Monitor, as everyone knows, a very different appearing ship than the Virginia. The latter was much larger with a slanting roof, which also formed the sides, heavily sheathed with iron above the water mark. The vessel had an armament of two seven-inch rifles, two six-inch rifles and six nine-inch smooth bores.
Shortly before noon on March 8, 1862, says Sharp, the Merrimac just completed, attended by the Raleigh and Beaufort, entered Hampton Roads and headed for the Union fleet off Newport News. There was much suppressed excitement on board, for the crew was about to try an entirely new experiment in warfare. They were confident and could hardly wait for the moment for attacking the Union fleet. The Northern fleet consisted of the frigates Minnesota, Roanoke and Congress, each having 50 guns, the heaviest armed ships in the Union Navy. When the Merrimac was a quarter of a mile away, the Congress delivered a broadside, but the shot had no effect on the Merrimac's armor, and when the latter returned the fire, the shot crashed through the Congress with terrible effect, as could be seen from the Merrimac's peep holes. When 300 yards from the Cumberland, the latter opened fire upon the Merrimac and failed to hurt or stop her. The Confederate ship then drove her prow into the side of the Cumberland, leaving a hole four feet in diameter, and at the same time poured shot into her, after which the Cumberland soon sank. The crew aboard the Merrimac found victory easier and the havoc worse than they expected. Officers and men were elated, but they were not through. The Congress had run ashore and the Merrimac approached within 150 yards, raked the vessel with shot, set it afire, and the Congress then surrendered. The Minnesota ran ashore at a point where the Merrimac could not go, and from a distance of one mile fired without effect on the Minnesota. The Union losses were nearly 300 men. The Merrimac then returned to a sheltering cove to renew the attack next day. News of the fight spread great alarm all over the North, especially in Washington, where Secretary of War Stanton ordered that the Potomac, below the capital, be blockaded to keep out the Merrimac. The North feared a daily repetition of the Hampton Roads havoc all along the coast.
Merrimac is surprised
But as said above, it was a race. The Monitor commanded by Lt. John L. Worden, was on it's way from New York and entered Hampton Roads at 9 o'clock that same night and anchored near the Minnesota. At 6 o'clock next morning, the Merrimac appeared bearing down upon the Minnesota. Sharp confirms that the Merrimac did not see the Monitor for a while and when it did, could not make out what it was, as it was so unlike a warship. The Monitor had a revolving tower only 20 feet across and 10 feet above the water. As the Merrimac came up, the Monitor slipped in between it and the Minnesota, and the Merrimac fired one shot at the strange craft to feel her out. The shot missed, which was not odd, as there was little to fire at. The Monitor replied with an 11 inch shell, which jarred the Merrimac, but did no harm, and the crew still thought they would have Victory. Both ironclads then began a terrific fusillade that lasted for five hours, neither suffered any great damage, as far as one could see at the time, but finally the Merrimac (and it was a good piece of strategy), steamed off for the Minnesota. There was no use firing at the Monitor. This move was unlooked for and the Merrimac, firing upon the Minnesota, set the ship afire before the Monitor could prevent it. In a few moments, the Merrimac found herself grounded. This did make the Merrimac's crew uneasy, for if they were forced to remain there for hours, perhaps even the iron sheathing might give way to constant fusillades. The Monitor battered away, but luckily for the Merrimac she soon was able to float and steamed down the river, the Monitor following. The two vessels did not engage again.
First reports were that the Monitor either destroyed or rendered helpless the Merrimac, but Sharp says the damage was not great although repairs were needed. The Merrimac's smokestack was riddled, and the iron prow was broken, two gun muzzles were broken and there was a leak.
"After midnight, we ran the ship ashore, although actually we were a mile from it, due to shallow water. We piled overboard and waded in, the water being
cold and up to our chests. We returned to the Merrimac about 4 o'clock in the morning, set it afire, and when the blaze reached the magazine, it exploded with a roar and burst of flame that could be heard and seen for miles."
Ballast changed war's result
"If we had thrown away only sufficient ballast to cross the bar, we could have gone up the river and played havoc with the Federal ships, and I think we could have kept them out of Richmond. At least we could have delayed it, and this was the turning point of the war. When Richmond was evacuated, Lee soon afterward surrendered to Grant. After we destroyed the Merrimac, the crew split up. The party I was with walked 28 miles to Richmond. Later, I went to Drewry's Bluff, on the James River, and remained there until the end of the war. When peace was declared, I returned to Alabama, and then moved to Texas. Captain Buchanan was the first commander of the Merrimac, and was with it, when it fought the Monitor, but he was wounded and Technor succeeded him. I never have seen any of the Merrimac's crew since the war ended."
When the writer drove with a friend to the Sharp homestead, the aged veteran was in the barnyard, about a hundred yards distant, but his eyes are still good, although not quite as keen as when he noticed that the Merrimac was raised too high by it's crew. "Hello there," he yelled out cheerily. "I don't know who you are, but go on to the porch and I will be with you in a minute." He walked slowly toward the house, using his cane, smiling and repeating his welcome. Sharp is somewhat bent and his hair and beard are gray, but his face, for a man of his years, has few wrinkles. He has been married twice and has had eight children. His oldest son, John H. Sharp, resigned recently after serving 22 years as Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of Texas. Another son, Jay Sharp, is a doctor in Franklin, Texas. A grandson, Archer D. Gray, is Vice President of Gulf Oil Company, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
The large prosperous farm of over 1000 acres out on Beck Prairie is visited often by his children and grandchildren, who number over one hundred, having lived in the same community for fifty three years. The old homestead has a picturesque setting, the wide galleried home sitting in the center of a yard, profuse with flowers, shrubbery and cedar trees. Sharp is popular in his section; he talks rapidly and clearly. "When the war broke out in '61, I hated to see the United States divided and I was against slavery, but the South was my country, and I gladly fought for it. Now it is one great prosperous nation, and I am glad I lived to see this day."
When Sharp left the Merrimac, together with the rest of the crew, orders were issued that the men leave everything behind. However, the Texan carried with him a rifle, pistol and saber. A few years ago, he gave the rifle away. He doesn't know what became of the saber, but he still has the pistol. In Sharpe's home are many relics, books, magazines and pictures of members of his family, including a picture of himself in middle age. He proudly pointed at this picture on the wall. "That was me when I was younger, doesn't look much like now, eh?" The picture showed a robust pleasant faced man wearing a black beard. "And see that picture, that's my son, he was in the World War." Over the door is framed a motto which says, "Call again," but it doesn't need to be there for Sharp and his wife remind you frequently that you are "at home" and to call often. He said as we left, "History had it wrong, or didn't tell all. If we had got to Richmond, there would have been a different story."
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On January 27, 1960, The LaFayette Sun, published in LaFayette, Chambers County, Alabama, carried the full text of the story as told by Uncle Jack himself, and was read by thousands. To the editor, Mr. Bonnie Hand, we convey our sincere thanks, since many copies were made available to anyone who might wish one to keep. Several will go to Texas and Canada, especially to Georgia Page, whose original was torn and faded, also to Dan C. Griffin and Mrs. Robert Ridley, who were so instrumental in locating Georgia for us. And by "us," we mean the self-appointed committee of three, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Sharpe, and Miss Novie Jane Benton, the retired Florida school teacher, whose travels have been from Hackensack, and spent the night at Frontenac. We have left no stone unturned, or should we say unread, to assemble this information for the benefit of those who may come after us.
Before passing on to other members of his family, we feel that a final note concerning Uncle Jack would be in order here. He was born in 1838 in the Cumberland Mountains of East Tennessee. Two or three of his brothers and maybe one sister were born there before their father, Daniel, moved them to Alabama. From all reports he was a live wire, and had a mind of his own. It would seem that this Sharp family did not believe in slavery, and neither did they possess any slaves, yet were divided in their decisions as to which side to join when the Civil War came on. Uncle George and Uncle Tom joined the Union Army, while Grandfather Henry and Uncle Jack fought on the Confederate side.
The latter two felt that they should help the South fight it's battles, since they intended to make the South their home, and they could better live with their decisions. Uncle Jack acquired quite a sizable farm out on Beck Prairie, and reared eight children. His devotion to duty, his keen interest in the welfare of others, along with his alertness to utilizing opportunities, have been reflected in his children. He wrote many interesting letters as his daughter, Georgia, spoke of writing in the "Old Uncle Jack zest."
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Jack moved west in 1859. He kept a running subscription to the LaFayette Sun newspaper all his life & wrote many letter's to the editor that were published in the paper.
His 4 sons liked their names so much they each named a son after themselves.
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http://cssvirginia.org/vacsn3/crew/virginia/crewlist.htm
Crew of the C.S.S. Virginia
Sharp, Andrew Jackson, Landsman
The ORN muster roll lists him as "Spark, Andrew J."
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His granddaughter graciously provided a picture as well as an extract from a family newsletter. He gave an interview in 1923 about the Virginia. Originally with Company #1, Claibourne Guards (Claibourne Parish, LA), 2nd Louisiana Regiment, he served until the end of the war. He was born 13 Mar 1838 (father: Daniel) in the Cumberland Mountains of East Tennessee, before his family move to Alabama. After the war, he returned to Alabama before moving to Texas. He was married twice and raised eight children. His oldest son was Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of Texas and apparently was on the Texas Supreme Court. He died 5 Feb 1928 in Franklin, TX and is buried in the Nesbitt Cemetery.
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"Texan, Last Survivor of Merrimac Crew, Sets History Straight About Ironclad," Calvert News, Calvert, Texas, Nov. 25, 1923.
(He was not the last survivor. ~ HR)
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Name: A. J. Sharp
Gender: Male
Burial Date: 06 Feb 1928
Burial Place: Beck Prairie
Death Date: 05 Feb 1928
Death Place: Franklin, Robertson, Texas
Age: 89
Birth Date: 13 Mar 1838
Birthplace: Tenn.
Occupation: Farmer
Race: White
Marital Status: Married
Father's Name: Daniel Sharp
Father's Birthplace: Tenn.
Mother's Name: Martha Sharp
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B59007-2
System Origin: Texas-EASy
GS Film number: 1477495
Reference ID: p 1 cn 3
Citing this Record:Texas Deaths and Burials 1903-1973
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1860 Cannot locate?
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1870 (Louisiana? Texas?)
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1880 Robertson Co., TX
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
A J Sharp Self M 42 TN
Sarah I Sharp Wife F 26 TX
Mc Daniel Sharp Son M 12 LA
Lula Sharp Dau F 11 LA
Wm Lee Sharp Son M 9 TX
Georgia L Sharp Dau F 7 TX
John Henry Sharp Son M 6 TX
Ida Sharp Dau F 3 TX
Victoria May Sharp Dau F 1 TX
Wm H Points Sson M 5 TX
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1900 Robertson Co., TX
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Andrew Sharp Head M 62 TN
Sarah J Sharp Wife F 46 TX (3 born, 3 living)
Andrew J Sharp Son M 15 TX
Georgia L Gray Dau F 28 TX
Ruth Gray Gdau F 9 TX
Archie D Gray Gson M 5 TX
Raymond J Gray Gson M 3 TX
*Where did W. H. Points go? Did he die young?
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1910 Robertson Co., TX
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Andrew Sharp Head M 72 TN
Sarah Sharp Wife F 52 TX
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1920 Robertson Co., TX
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Andrew J Sharp Head M 82 TN
Sarah J Sharp Wife F 64 TX
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