Battle Plan

Quick. Who uttered the famous command: “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”

Think Civil War. It was Adm. David Farragut who shrugged off warnings that explosives--actually called torpedoes in those days--dotted Mobile Bay, Ala., in 1864. Boldly, he sailed ahead, trouncing the Confederate stronghold.

If you want to brush up on your Civil War history, drop by the Channel Islands Harbor this weekend for a reenactment of this famous Union victory.

In place of Farragut’s fleet, you’ll see the tall ships Californian and Pilgrim of Newport cruise into the harbor for battle. The ships, both replicas of topsail schooners, will attack a “fort” held by the Richmond Howitzers, a group of local Civil War buffs who pose as a Confederate artillery unit during mock conflicts around the state.

The clash may be staged, but it will sound and look much like the real thing. Cannons will boom, musket fire will rattle, and smoke will cloud the air at noon Saturday and Sunday when the two sides face off.

This event--sponsored by Channel Islands Harbor Marketing, the County of Ventura Harbor Department and the Ventura County Maritime Museum--is part of the harbor’s two-months-long Maritime Days celebration.

During the Labor Day weekend festivities, about 50 wannabe soldiers from the Richmond Howitzers and a few other reenactment groups will be camped in tents at the harbor along South Victoria Avenue.

You can tour the encampment for free and see the soldiers get into their roles with dramatic flair, whether it’s to stir potato soup simmering over the fire or clean their guns.

Those who crave more adventure--and don’t mind shelling out for it--can board one of the ships, take part in the battle and then go for a four-hour ocean sail. Both ships are offering package deals for passengers that include the battle, lunch and sail for $75.

Prior to the battle, you can board the vessels for a free look around from 8 to 10 a.m. both days. Plans are to dock the Californian near the Whale’s Tail restaurant off Harbor Boulevard, and the Pilgrim of Newport near the Casa Sirena complex at the end of Peninsula Road.

The Californian is a full-scale replica of the C.W. Lawrence, a 110-foot cutter operated by the Revenue Service (the original name of the U.S. Coast Guard).

Built in 1848, the cutter was assigned to the California coast to catch smugglers and help merchant vessels in distress. But her life was cut short. In 1851 her anchor chain broke outside San Francisco, and the ship was swept ashore and wrecked.

Residents up and down the coast are accustomed to seeing the stately gray Californian pull into port for educational visits. But this time the ship’s hull will sport a new coat of black paint and a gold stripe, thanks to a starring role in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film “Amistad,” about a topsail schooner used to transport slaves out of Africa in 1837.

Equipped with six cannons, the Californian is similar to those ships that took part in the Civil War, according to Steve Christman, president of the Nautical Heritage Society, which owns the boat. This weekend’s reenactment will be as close to history as possible.

“The ship sails in and bombards the fort,” Christman said. The cannons won’t actually hurl real cannon balls. Instead, the special effects will be created with a black powdery substance for the sound and Bisquick baking powder for the gun smoke.

“We’re stretching history a bit,” he said. “But we guarantee we’ll win.”

As for the Pilgrim of Newport, the 118-foot schooner isn’t really Civil War vintage. This replica, also used for educational programs, is a re-creation of a sleek, fast 1700s privateer, like those used during the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and for slave trading.

And the Richmond Howitzers never actually took part in any naval engagements during the Civil War. The unit, which originated in Virginia and was mustered into the Confederate Army in 1861, supplied cannon fire for land-based skirmishes.

Yet these present-day Civil War buffs are sticklers for historical accuracy in nearly everything else. Uniforms, weapons (including five cannons), spectacles, mess kits, horsehair toothbrushes, wooden combs--even Bibles--are either the real McCoy or accurate reproductions.

At Channel Islands Harbor, they’ll set up camp with eight or nine period tents. They’ll cook meals over fires, clean their weapons, prepare for battle--all while keeping in the character of the soldiers they represent.

“People can walk through the camp and ask questions about the war and reenacting,” said Paul DeNubilo of Thousand Oaks, a retired IBM manager who got involved with the group about four years ago.

“This is our first naval engagement,” said DeNubilo, who participates with other members in reenactments at Fort Tejon near Frazier Park. The fort they will defend at the harbor will be made out of hay bales on loan from the Mill store in Santa Paula.

If everything goes as planned, the Richmond Howitzers may get some additional help for the battle. They are attempting to borrow a 45-foot barge to convert into a mock replica of the C.S.S. Tennessee, an “ironclad,” a type of armored warship first used in the Civil War.

“They were squat little boats with iron sloping sides and everyone got down inside to fire,” DeNubilo said. “They were virtually indestructible.”

BE THERE

A Civil War Encampment and Naval Engagement takes place at Channel Islands Harbor on Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Battles start at noon. For information, call 985-4852. For reservations on the Californian, call (800) 432-2201; on the Pilgrim of Newport, (714) 966-0686.