and men, on February 19, 1863. The squadron was stationed behind Fort Sumter in order to stop any Union ships that made it past the obstructions. What made this flotilla unusual, and hence its appellation of "special", was that the boats were armed with spar torpedoes, a highly controversial weapon of war that some considered "uncivilized". Webb assembled this squadron with a few cutters and a lot of canoes and skiffs, all armed with 20-foot long poles with a 60-pound torpedo. The only thing the small flotilla was lacking were steamers and Capt. John Randolph Tucker ordered Webb to contact a local merchant and acquire the steamers "quietly and pleasantly if possible" or seize them, if not. While present when Admiral Du Pont's fleet crossed the Charleston Bar on April 6, 1863, Webb's squadron was not called into action that day. Eager to make use of the torpedoes, Tucker, Gen. Beauregard and Webb hatched a plan on April 10 that would "shake Abolitiondom to [its] foundation." They decided to attack each of the seven Union ironclads by three torpedo boats, but in the several days it took to get the extra boats required, the Union ironclads had left Charleston. CSS Atlanta Commodore Josiah Tattnall III, Flag Officer commanded the southern region of the Confederate States, especially Savannah, Georgia. He was expected to repeat his success commanding the CSS Virginia in crushing the wooden Union ships in the James River. Tattnall was handicapped in bringing this to fruition because of the blockade. In May 1863, Webb replaced Tatnall as commander of the CSS Atlanta ironclad, launched in 1862, and flag officer of the Savannah Squadron, with "the implied condition of his appointment being that he should 'do something' with her..." Webb proclaimed that "the whole abolition fleet" had "no terror" for him. Considered by the citizens of Georgia to be the most powerful Confederate warship because of its fast speed of 7 knots, as well as its armament of four Brooke rifles, the Atlanta was difficult to maneuver. Special difficulties were caused by its 16-feet draft in the shallow waters surrounding Savannah. Another problem was the scarce airflow of its tight, armored roof, which caused profound heat and humidity. The Atlanta suffered profuse leaking. The ship's helm was already difficult to steer because it was simply unwieldy: the ship frequently stalled into sand banks along the side of the river. Webb