1862 — Nov 7, Ammunition explosion, train car, near Lafourche station, Algiers,[1] LA– ~11
–4-11 Philadelphia Inquirer. “Explosion of an Ammunition Car.” 11-27-1862, p. 2, col. 2.[2]
— 11 NYT. “Later From New-Orleans; Explosion…Ammunition Car…Eleven…Killed…” 11-21-1862.
Narrative Information
New York Times: “Havana, Saturday, Nov. 15, 1862.
“The Pajaro del Oceano arrived here on the 13th, bringing news from New-Orleans up the 10th inst. [same month]….
“In an extra published on the 10th inst., the national Advocate states that a train on the Algiers Railroad was destroyed on the afternoon of the 7th, a quarter of a mile distant from the Lafourche Station, by the explosion of the ammunition in a car behind the tender of the locomotive. About twenty officers and privates were wounded, and the limbs of some six or seven persons, supposed to have been in the ammunition car about the time of the explosion, were scattered in all directions. According to the Delta eleven persons were killed by the accident and seventeen wounded. It was supposed, says the same paper, that the accident was caused by a spark from the cigar of some imprudent smoker. The two cars were completely destroyed.” (New York Times. “Later From New-Orleans; Explosion of an Ammunition Car on the Algiers Railroad. Eleven Persons Killed and Seventeen Wounded…” 11-21-1862.)
Philadelphia Inquirer: “Information was received at New Orleans on Friday, the 7th inst. of the explosion of an ammunition car which left Algiers at five o’clock, for General Weitzel’s Brigade.[3] It seems that the train containing the ammunition car had not left the Algiers station much beyond a quarter of a mile, when from some cause as yet unascertained, the explosion took place, spreading death and destruction in their most ghastly shapes around. Various accounts are given of the cause of the disaster. By some it is said to have been caused by sparks from the locomotive, to which the ammunition car was in dangerous proximity. Others are of opinion that the catastrophe was caused by some person or persons smoking in the vicinity of the car. Be this as it may, the following is the official list of killed and wounded, as far as has been ascertained:–
“Killed.–Lieutenants Wheeler and Johnson, Henry Albee–all of the Thirteenth Connecticut Regiment; — Peabody, Eighth Vermont Regiment.
“Wounded.–Lieutenant C. H. Nason, slightly; Corporal Howard, Company C; Corporal Lewis, Company G–all of the Eighth Vermont Regiment; Mr. Champion, sutler, leg broken; F. Newton, L. Hogan, ____ Andrews, Adam Stein, M. Fee–all of the Thirteenth Connecticut Regiment; Major Bassett, slightly; captain Davis, Jno. Thomas (colored), leg broken–all of the First Louisiana Native Guard; H. S. Wilson, engineer, badly; Martin Van Buren (colored), badly, both legs broken.
“Uninjured.–Lieutenant Norman, of the Thirteenth Connecticut Regiment.
“It is further stated that six or seven persons were in the car previous to the explosion, and that these must have all been blown to pieces, as a number of human limbs were afterwards found in the vicinity.
“At one time it was reported that General Butler and staff were involved in the catastrophe; but the rumor turned out to be untrue, as the General and suite went out to the brigade on another train.” (Philadelphia Inquirer. “Explosion of an Ammunition Car.” 11-27-1862, p. 2, col. 2.)
Sources
New York Times. “Later From New-Orleans; Explosion of an Ammunition Car on the Algiers Railroad. Eleven Persons Killed and Seventeen Wounded…” 11-21-1862.
Philadelphia Inquirer. “Explosion of an Ammunition Car.” 11-27-1862, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 7-28-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-inquirer-nov-27-1862-p-2/
Wikipedia. Algiers.” 7-26-2019 edit. Accessed 7-28-2019 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algiers,_New_Orleans
Wikipedia. “American Civil War.” 7-28-2019 edit. Accessed 7-28-2019 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War
Wikipedia. “Godfrey Weitzel.” 6-26-2019 edit. Accessed 7-28-2019 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_Weitzel
[1] Algiers is today a section of New Orleans, annexed to the city as the 15th Ward in 1870. (Wikipedia. Algiers.”)
[2] Four identified dead and 6-7 other persons in the car reported to “have all been blown to pieces…” with only body parts left as indications of their demise.
[3] Probably a reference to Godfrey Weitzel, who, according to Wikipedia was a “German-American major general in the Union army during the American Civil War. He was the acting Mayor of New Orleans during the occupation of the city and also captured and occupied the confederate capitol, Richmond, Virginia.” Blanchard note: New Orleans was taken by the Union on April 25, 1862. Thus at the time of this explosion, the Union was in control.