The Hebe was a British iron twin screw steamer, 165 feet long, beam of 23 feet, depth of 13-1/2 feet, with a draft of 10 feet. It was built in 1863 at London, England, and was laden with coffee, medicine, clothing, and quartermaster's supplies. She was run aground in the early morning of August 18, 1863 in seven feet of water by the U.S.S. Niphon and the U.S.S. Shokokon on Federal Point along a narrow low beach about 1-3/4 miles from Camp Wyatt and 8 miles north of New Inlet in a northeastern gale.

The captain and crew escaped in boats and most of the cargo was landed. Three (3) Union boats capsized while trying to board the grounded Hebe, and fifteen (15) Union sailors were captured, but four (4) escaped later. A two-gun Whitworth battery shelled the Union ships. On August 20th, six (6) Union ships shelled the wreck.

On August 23rd, the Confederate Whitworth battery was disabled and one Whitworth and one Armstrong gun were captured by a Union raiding party from the U.S.S. James Adger and the U.S.S. Minnesota under cover of the U.S.S. Niphon, the U.S.S. Stockton, and the U.S.S. Western World. The Hebe's boiler and machinery were destroyed by shelling.

"On Sunday, the 23d, Admiral Lee ran up the beach to the position where the English steamer Hebe had been driven on shore, and forming in line of battle with the Minnesota, Niphon, Stockton, James Adger, and Western World, attacked a battery supported by the rebels to protect her and the working parties engaged in removing her cargo.

"Engagement lasted about two hours, resulting in the dispersion of the rebel force of 300, killing of 8 men, and the wounding of 1; the capture of 2 guns — one an Armstrong and the other a Whitworth — and the total destruction of the Hebe; the capture of army clothes and other things that the rebels had got ashore.

"In addition to this, an expedition under Captain Cushing, an hour before this, captured a schooner of 18 men near Old Topsail Inlet. The schooner was lying close in to shore. Captain Cushing ran in with 6 men in a boat, and, by giving orders to an imaginary fleet of boats, deceived the enemy and made them surrender."

At 4:45 a.m. on the morning of August 18th, in a blowing gale from the northeast, he saw a steamer burning black smoke about five (5) miles north-by-west, and Fort Fisher bearing west-south-west and about four (4) miles from his ship, the U.S.S. Niphon. When his ship approached to within a mile of the steamer, which turned out to be the Hebe, the blockade runner ran aground and the crew escaped in boats.

Acting Ensign Breck sent a boat with ten (10) men to set the Hebe on fire since there was no apparent way to capture the abandoned blockade runner. He then sent two (2) more boats, and the U.S.S. Shokokon sent one boat to assist. One of his boats was driven on shore and the crew taken prisoners by some enemy cavalry. His other boat succeeded in retrieving two (2) of the earlier men off, and the boat of the U.S.S. Shokokon managed to retrieve two more of his earlier men. Acting Ensign Breck then sent a fourth boat to attempt to rescue the remaining men, but it capsized, and they were all captured by the enemy.

He reported that some fifty or sixty (50-60) enemy riflemen, besides the cavalry, kept up a constant fire on the boats, as well as firing on his men scouring the wrecked Hebe. A Whitworth two-gun battery kept up a constant fire at point-blank range, but no one was hurt by either rifles or large shot. He reported that his running rigging was somewhat cut up, and there are a lot of shot marks about his masts and bulwarks, but the U.S.S. Niphon had no damage of consequence, except for the loss of three (3) boats.

He reported that he saw some men lying on the beach killed, but he was not sure if they were his or the enemy's. He had his ship to shell the wreck for three (3) hours until he saw flames break out, thinking the Hebe was now destroyed. The seas became quite rough so he decided to withdraw and return to his patrolling station with the other ships of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. He ended his report with noting the Hebe's cargo: drugs, coffee, clothing, and provisions. She had an iron propeller similar to the Kate. The weather prevented his men from getting her off without damage.

He was on the second boat sent to the Hebe, with orders to fire her. He found the Hebe to be "hard and fast aground in seven feet of water." She was evidently from Bermuda bound for Wilmington, with a full cargo of coffee, drugs and medicines, clothing, and a few bales of silk. He found the engines still in motion, but the boilers were without water. His men gathered all the combustibles in the after cabin and fore hold, using bulkheads, furniture, etc. to spread the flames, should it become necessary to burn the wreck.

At 5:45 a.m., a cutter with five (5) men arrived to run a line to him from the U.S.S. Niphon, but the line parted, the boat swamped, and the five (5) men waded ashore, within ten (10) rods of the wreck. Acting Ensign Dewey ordered the men to take possession of one of the Hebe's boats, wihch were lying abreast of the wreck on the beach, but three (3) Confederate cavalrymen opened fire with rifles, and the five (5) men surrendered.

At 8 a.m., a Confederate cavalry force of bout forty (40) men showed up and began firing on the U.S. Navy men aboard the Hebe. Acting Ensign Dewey hauled his boat alongside, set the Hebe on fire fore and aft, and made preparations to abandon her; but while alongside, his boat "stove in and filled," and he was forced to abandon it. He then put out the fires on the Hebe and signaled the U.S.S. Niphon for assistance, all the while under rapid fire from the enemy.

At 10:30 a.m., the U.S.S. Shokokon and the U.S.S. Niphon sent more boats to their assistance. Since the ocean was so rough, he and his men had to swim to the approaching boats. Four (4) men were rescued in this manner; the rest, unable to swim, were forced to remain behind. Acting Ensign Dewey grabbed a line from the U.S.S. Shokokon's boat and secured it to his "stoved in and filled boat;" it was freed and he returned to the U.S.S. Niphon, leaving behind five (5) to be captured by the enemy.

On August 18th, Acting Assistant Paymaster Theodore Barker (U.S.S. Niphon) reported the names and ranks of the men "missing" from this day's actions.

On August 18th, Acting Master's Mate James Porteous (U.S.S. Niphon) reported the amount of ammunition, shell, rifles, pistols, and cutlasses, expended and lost on this day during the running ashore and destruction of the blockade runner Hebe: 5 revolvers, 6 rifles, 9 pistols, 10 cutlasses, 54 32-pounder shell and cartridges, 26 Parrott shell and cartridges, 32 howitzer shell and cartridges, 95 rifle shell and cartridges, 50 revolver cartridges, 10 musket cartridges, and 1 battle axe.

"Sir: I have the honor to report that I stood down near the wreck of the Hebe, and found her high up on the beach. She appeared to be burnt out inside, and her foremast gone. She also seemed full of water and the sea breaking over her. Her boats and those of this steamer were hauled up on the beach; also some other articles from the wreck. A large number of people were on the shore near the Hebe.

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"J.B. Breck,
"Commanding United States Steamer Niphon."

"Sir: At daylight on the 18th instant the steamer Hebe attempted to run into Wilmington by the New Inlet entrance.

"Being headed off by the Niphon, Acting Ensign Breck commanding, she chose to head ashore a few miles above Fort Fisher (on Federal Point), and her crew escaped in boats. It was then blowing a gale from the northeast, with a heavy sea.

"As there was no prospect of getting the Hebe off, she was set on fire by a boarding party from the Niphon and Shokokon, Lieutenant W.B. Cushing commanding, after the boarding party had been captured by the enemy, who, with two pieces of artillery and riflemen, well protected by the sand hills close by, fired sharply upon the boarding party and upon the vessels, whose firing was affected by the heavy swell.

"The Niphon lost two boats, which were swamped, and fifteen persons, by capture principally, viz: Acting Ensign W.H. Crowningshield, Acting Master's Mate John Paige, Acting Third Assistant Engineer William Mason, five petty officers, five seamen, and one ordinary seaman. Of the Niphon's boarding party, Acting Ensign Dewey and three men were saved by the boats of the Shokokon and Niphon.

"Acting Ensign Breck reports very favorably of the good and gallant conduct of Acting Ensign Crowningshield and the officers and men with him.

"Lieutenant Cushing and Acting Ensign Breck deserve credit for their good conduct on this occasion.

"The Hebe is an iron propeller, and like the Kate, she was thoroughly burned as the water in her would allow.

"On my return to the blockade here from a brief and active tour of duty in the sounds, I moved this and other vessels to the wreck, which the enemy was protecting and discharging of some damaged cargo.

"The enemy was driven off, and two rifled pieces (one a Whitworth) captured and brought off, with some ammunition.

"The wreck was fired into as a target and with a view to the effective destruction of the boilers and machinery, as the latter could not be saved.

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

"S.P. Lee,
Acting Rear-Admiral, Comd'g N.A.B. Squadron."

Per orders, he steamed towards the Hebe, which was lying close to the beach, about six (6) miles north of Fort Fisther, the U.S.S. Niphon leading, and the flag-ship following his vessel, the U.S.S. James Adger. At 8:00 a.m., he was within 500 yards of the wreck when he opened fire on the enemy, which immediately returned fire with two (2) pieces of artillery on "sand hummocks, about one hundred yards from and abreast of the Hebe.

He then approached to within 300 yards and sent a boat, led by Acting Ensign Charles F. Keith, to determine whether the wreck was practicable to haul off, and to determing the condition of the engines. The rebels onshore immediately opened up with muskets and a Whitworth gun. Soon after reaching the wreck, the boat was recalled, and was fired upon again, with one of his men being wounded.

The rebels also fired upon the wrecked Hebe and struck the hull three (3) times. One shot passed through the air-jacket, smoke-pipe of donkey boiler, cut in two an iron main-rope stancion, and through both sides of the port waist boat, destroying all of her oars. Another shot cut the starboard wheel, then passed through the starboard bulwarks. The third shot demolished a mess chest, cut through five (5) planks of the berth deck over the starboard boliers.

About 9:15 a.m., the rebels ceased firing. Commander Patterson then commenced firing on the wreck with shell from the 9-inch pivot, unloaded shell from the Parrott, and solid shot from his 32-pounders. He was then ordered via signal to send a boat to work with other boats from the squadron in seizing the abandoned cannon of the Confederates. At 2:30 p.m., the guns had been secured, his boat returned, and the U.S.S. James Adger left the wreck of the Hebe.

Per orders, the U.S.S. Minnesota followed the U.S.S. Niphon and the U.S.S. James Adger to within 600 yards of the wrecked Hebe north of Fort Fisher. A Confederate two-gun rifled battery was discovered behind a sand hill just back of and near to the wreck. Several shot from this battery passed over, between his masts, and one struck under the sill of No. 9 port, cutting two planks half way through.

At 8:30 a.m., the U.S.S. Minnesota opened on the enemy battery with 5" shell, which caused the enemy to cease firing and to abandon the two (2) guns. Commander Harrison sent another boat to verify that the enemy had retreated, and it was confirmed. Since the Hebe was full of water, he had his guns to open fire in order to destroy her boilers and machinery. At 10:30 a.m., he sent a launch and four (4) cutters, under Fleet Capatin Crosby, to retrieve the abandoned cannons; they returned by 2:30 p.m.

Gunner Charles W. Homer (U.S.S. Minnesota) reported that the flag-ship fired over 172 shells and 1,977 pounds of powder on August 23rd.

His boats brought off the Confederate battery of two (2) guns that had been protecting the wrecked blockade runner Hebe from August 18-23rd. The enemy had been driven off by the flag-ship that morning. He provided a detailed description of each gun and associated ammunition captured. His men found a lot of rubbish on the beach, including cloth and blankets, which they burned.

On the morning of August 18th, he spotted a steamer ashore about eight (8) miles north of Fort Fisher, and found it to be the "anglo rebel steamer Hebe." She was on the beach and the U.S.S. Niphon was near, making preparations to board her. One of the U.S.S. Niphon's boats succeeded in going alongside, but was stove, leaving the crew on the deck of the wreck. It was blowing a gale from the northeast, making it lee-shore for us, and in the heavy sea two (2) more boats from the U.S.S. Niphon were swamped and their crews either shot, drowned, or taken prisoners by the enemy, who kept up a constant fire from infantry and artillery.

Lieutenant Commander Cushing then sent in a boat from the U.S.S. Shokokon and succeeded in rescuing two (2) men of the U.S.S. Niphon. He then threw a shell into the forward of the Hebe to warn the three (3) men to leave her, and as soon as they reached the beach, he commenced a heavy fire that soon riddled the wreck. Twice she was on fire from his shells, and twice the sea extinguished the flames. However, a shell exploded abaft of the smoke-stack, her decks blazed up, and continued to burn until she was a wreck. His fire was kept up from one to three (1-3) hundred yards range. The enemy's artillery fired at the U.S.S. Shokokon for about four (4) hours, but all shells passed over and did no damage. However, the U.S.S. Shokokon was marked considerably by musket bullets.

Unknown Artillery Unit — Led by Unknown

Unknown Cavalry Unit — Led by Unknown

U.S.S. Niphon — Acting Ensign Joseph B. Breck,

U.S.S. Shokokon — Lieutenant Commander W.B. Cushing,

U.S.S. James Adger — Commander T.H. Patterson,

U.S.S. Minnesota — Commander N.B. Harrison,

U.S.S. Stockton — Led by Unknown.

U.S.S. Western World — Acting Master Samuel B. Gregory

Encyclopedia of Civil War Shipwrecks by W. Crag Gaines, P.121.

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume XXIX, Part I, PP.77-78.

Report of the Secretary of the Navy 1863, PP.146-155.

https://cfcwrt.org/The%20HEBE%20Incident.pdf