”Report of Acting Master Thomas McElroy.

Woodbridge, October 24, 1864.

Sir : It is my painful duty to report to you the loss of the gunboat Petrel, smoke, the other watch remaining at the guns. I ordered the executive officer (Acting Ensign M. E. Flanigan) to keep the pilot in the pilot-house and engineers on duty at the engine; also that he was to attend to getting the rails on board, Bo that the officers of the deck could look out with the quartermaster and the sentries for the enemy on the opposite side of the river. At 2.20 p. m. left the deck and went to dinner, with orders to executive officer to get under way as soon as the rails were got on board. I had just got up from the table and went on deck when the enemy opened fire upon us with two rifle twelvepounders, Parrott, at four hundred yards distance, astern and out of our eight for the undergrowth. I opened fire with my starboard battery, but they could not be trained far enough astern to reach their guns. At the same time I started the vessel ahead so as to get out of range and turn round so that my guns would bear on the enemy’s guns, but the pilot did not get the wheel shifted soon enough, so that she made about two hundred yards and stopped. While trying to back her off a shot passed through the stern, cutting off the steam-pipe and disabling the engine. About this time a shot passed through the magazine, cutting off the legs of Charles Seits, (gunner’s mate.) This silenced my guns for a few minutes, because I had nobody fit to take his place, as one of the quarter-gunners was already dead. I ordered Acting Master’s Mate Lysander C. Ball, (in charge of powder division,) to take his place in the magazine, which he did. Our fire at this time was slow, as the sharpshooters were firing at the loaders ; the after gun being dismounted, and none of them could be brought to bear on the enemy’s guns. The officers of divisions, Acting Ensign Shepley R. Holmes, in charge of the first division, failed to encourage his men, also Acting Master’s Mate Jesse W. Foster, in charge of second division, and the executive officer (Acting Ensign Michael E. Flanigan) behaved very badly, and the men began to fall back from the guns. I told the acting first assistant engineer, Arthur W. Phillips, to be ready with his division to fire the vessel when we could not fight her any longer. I ordered the most of the men to be armed with rifles. At this time a shot came through the stern, raking the gun-deck, and entering the boilers and exploding them; then the officers jumped on the bank, followed by the crew, and made a disgraceful run for the Prairie Bird, leaving with me the pilot, Kimble Ware, (in the pilot-house,) and Quartermaster J. H. Nibble, who stood his ground when all the officers had deserted their flag. As soon as the steam began to cool a little, (with the assistance of Quartermaster Nibbie,) I got the wounded off the guard on the bank, and got ready to fire the vessel, with the dead still on board. I placed some coals from the furnace among the rails, but could not stand it long for the heat of the steam. At this time the enemy, seeing the officers and men running across the fields, began to cross the river above and below me. Surrounded on all sides, I was then forced to surrender, when they put out the burning rails and took me off at once before I could find out the number of killed and wounded, but I think that ten (10) will cover the number; but you received a true report from the officers, I hope, soon after the action.

To the disgraceful action of some of my officers, and Colonel Schofield not coming to my assistance, as he had promised do, I owe the loss of my vessel. The flag was flying when they boarded the vessel. I hope that you think I did the best I could under the circumstances. I cannot speak in too high terms of the conduct of Mr. Kimble Ware, pilot, and John Nibbie, quartermaster. It will be remembered that I had but ten (10) white men and boys on board; the rest were contrabands, and part of those were sick.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Thomas Mcelroy”