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THE 
 
 BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 AND THE CAPTURE OF 
 
 FORTS POWELL, GAINES AND MORGAN, 
 
 BY THE 
 
 COlNIBESrED SEA AND LAND FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, 
 
 UNDER THE COMMAND OF 
 
 REAR-ADMIRAL DAVID GLASGOW FARRAGUT, AND 
 MAJOR-GENERAL GORDON GRANGER, 
 
 August, 1864. 
 
 BY I 
 
 COMMODORE FOXHALL A. PARKER, U. S. N., 
 
 AUTHOR OF " THE FLEETS OF THE WORLD," " FLEET TACTICS 
 
 UNDER STEAM," " SQUADRON TACTICS," 
 
 ETC., ETC. 
 
 ACCOMPANIED BY TWO CHARTS, 
 
 PRINTED IN COLORS. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 A. WILLIAMS & CO., 
 
 283 Washington Street. 
 1878. 
 
 or 
 

 COPYRIGHT, 
 FoxHALL A. Parker, 
 
 1878. \ 
 
 Stereotyped at the Boston Stereotype Foundrj', 
 No. 19 Spring Lane. 
 
 
 V 
 
TO THE 
 
 OFFICERS, SEAMEN AND MARINES, 
 
 WHO SERVED UNDER FARRAGUT, 
 DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 1864, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 RegaeddsTG the reputation for intrepidity gained by- 
 Federal and Confederate sailors and soldiers during our 
 civil war as the common heritage of the American 
 people, I determined, last year, at the instance of The 
 Military Historical Society of Massachusetts, to write 
 the story of Mobile Bay : This, when completed, I read 
 before the Society, (December 10th, 1877,) and the 
 favorable reception it met with has induced me to give 
 it to the public, the more especially as it is accompa- 
 nied with a number of official reports, never before 
 published, which cannot fail to interest the general 
 reader and be of value to the historian. 
 
 As regards my own work, while I can truly say I 
 have spared no pains myself to insure its correctness 
 and completeness, I have to acknowledge my indebted- 
 ness to hosts of friends for their hearty co-operation 
 
 5 
 
6 PBEFACE. 
 
 in my task ; and my especial thanks are due to Major- 
 General Dabney H. Manry, of the late Confederate 
 army, and to Professor A. D. Wharton, Principal of 
 the Fogg School, at Nashville, Tennessee. 
 
 F. A. P. 
 
 U. S. Navy Yard, Boston, Mass., 
 
 Aprils, 1878. 
 
THE 
 
 BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY, 
 
 CAPTURE OF FORTS MORGAN, GAINES, AND 
 POWELL. 
 
 That arm of the Gulf of Mexico, which, extending for 
 thirty-five miles into the state of Alabama, and varying 
 in width from seven to fifteen miles, is known as Mobile 
 Bay, will ever be regarded with interest by the student 
 of history ; for there is scarcely a rood of its shores but 
 has served as the last resting-place of one of the early 
 discoverers, while the bay itself derives its name from 
 the Indian town of Mauvila, whose governor, the gigantic 
 Tascaluga, received Hernando de Soto, seated,^ while all 
 around him stood, and his standard-bearer unfolded that 
 banner which excited the astonishment of the Spaniards, 
 and was so soon to be waved defiantly in their midst : 
 for in Mauvila's blood-stained streets it was that, among 
 other cavaliers of note, De Soto's two nephews fell.^ 
 
 During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Mo- 
 bile Bay fell into the hands of the French and Spaniards, 
 alternately ; in 1812, it was taken possession of by United 
 States troops and annexed to Mississippi territory, and, in 
 
 7 
 
8 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 1819, it became included within the limits of the state 
 of Alabama. 
 
 On the 15th of September, 1814, the stillness that 
 usually hangs over its sluggish waters was for the first 
 time broken by the roar of heavy artiller}^, (for it was on 
 that day that the British squadron, under Percy, was 
 repulsed in its attack on the little redoubt called Fort 
 Bowyer, with a loss of one vessel, the Hermes, and over 
 two hundred men;) and, on August 5, 1864, it was 
 rudely awakened from its half-century slumber by the 
 noise of the great battle which it has become my province 
 to describe. 
 
 Alabama, having thrown her sword into the scale of 
 the Southern Confederacy in January, 1861, turned her 
 first thoughts toward the security of her only seaport, 
 Mobile. To this end. Governor Moore seized upon the 
 United States arsenal in the city, and garrisoned, with 
 state troops, forts Morgan and Gaines.'' As these forts, 
 being at the entrance of Mobile Bay, were the keys to 
 Mobile from the gulf side, a brief description of their 
 condition and armament must now be given. Fort 
 Morgan, on the site of old Fort Bowyer, is a pentagonal, 
 bastioned work, built of brick, whose full scarp wall is 
 four feet, eight inches thick. It is located on the main 
 land, at the west end of Mobile Point, and mounted, at 
 the time of the passage of Farragut's fleet, eighty-six 
 guns of various calibres, consisting of rifled thirty-twos, 
 ten-inch, columbiads, and two seven and eight-inch 
 Brook's rifles. In each of its bastion-flanks were two 
 smooth-bore twenty-four pounders. Twenty-nine addi- 
 tional guns were placed in exterior batteries, of which 
 the most formidable, " the water battery," bore two rifled 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 9 
 
 thirty-twos, four ten-inch columbiads, and one eight-inch 
 Brook's rifle. Within the fort was a citadel, containing 
 quarters for soldiers, whose brick walls, loop-holed for 
 musketry, were four feet in thickness. The garrison of 
 the fort, including officers and men, numbered six hun- 
 dred and forty. 
 
 Fort Gaines, erected on the ruins of Fort Tombigbee, 
 stands at the eastern extremity of Dauphine Island, three 
 nautical miles in a west-northwest direction from Fort 
 Morgan. It is built of brick, in the form of a star, with 
 semi-detached scarp five feet thick, and small works, in 
 angles, for flank defence. When invested by General 
 Granger, it had forty-four gun-platforms laid, but upon 
 only thirty of them were guns mounted, of which three 
 were columbiads, and the rest thirty-two and twenty-four 
 pounders. Its garrison consisted of forty-six officers and 
 eight hundred and eighteen men. 
 
 On the flats, to the southward and eastward of Fort 
 Gaines, innumerable piles were driven, to obstruct the 
 passage of small vessels, and from these, two lines of 
 torpedoes extended toward Fort Morgan, whose eastern 
 limit was marked by a large red buoy. The channel be- 
 tween this and the fort was left open for blockade-run- 
 ners, and, being but a few hundred yards wide, forced 
 every vessel using it to pass close to the fort. 
 
 Such were the works, and such the means employed for 
 guarding the main ship-channel ; but, about six nautical 
 miles northwest of Fort Gaines, there is a narrow cut for 
 light-draught vessels, called Grant's Pass, which it was 
 also deemed necessary to prevent the blockading fleet 
 from getting possession of. For this purpose, between 
 Cedar Point and Little Dauphine Island, on an islet of 
 
10 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 
 
 mostly made-land, covering an area of about half an acre, 
 the Confederates had begun the construction of a re- 
 doubt, which they called Fort Powell. The front face of 
 the work was nearly completed, and in a defensible con- 
 dition, mounting one eight-inch columbiad, and one six- 
 and four-tenths and two seven-inch Brook's rifles. The 
 face looking toward Fort Gaines was about half finished, 
 its parapets being nearly complete, while its galleries and 
 traverses had only been framed. The rear face was with- 
 out parapets, and the ten-inch columbiad and seven-inch 
 Brook's rifle mounted there were exposed from the plat- 
 form up. This part of the fort was encumbered with a 
 large quantity of lumber, which was being used in the 
 construction of galleries, magazines, &c. 
 
 Inside of these defences, to the northward of, and 
 about five hundred yards distant from Fort Morgan, la}'- 
 the iron-clad steamer Tennessee, two hundred and nine 
 feet in length, and forty-eight feet broad, with an iron 
 spur projecting beyond her bow, at a depth of two feet 
 below the water-line, which made her, in public estima- 
 tion, the most formidable ram of her time ; j^et, not 
 trusting to ramming alone for victory, she carried in her 
 casemate — whose sloping sides, covered with armor va- 
 rying in thickness from five to six inches, were supposed 
 to be impenetrable to shot — six Brook's rifled cannon. 
 Of these, two were pivot and the others broadside guns, 
 the former throwing solid projectiles of one hundred and 
 ten pounds weight ; the latter, solid projectiles of ninety- 
 five pounds weight. The ports, of which there were ten, 
 were so arranged that the pivot guns could be fought in 
 broadside, sharp on the bow and quarter, and on a direct 
 line with the keel. Her vital defect was her steeringr 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 11 
 
 gear, which was badly arranged and much exposed. As 
 but little is known, outside of the state of Alabama, of 
 the history of this vessel, which bore the whole brunt of 
 the battle on the Confederate side, after the Union fleet 
 had fairly passed the forts, the following resume of it 
 cannot fail to ppove interesting, I am sure, to tlie ma- 
 jority of my hearers assembled here to-night.* She was 
 built at Selma, on the Alabama River, in the winter of 
 1863-64, and, so soon as her frame was put together, was 
 towed to Mobile to receive her armor and armament, 
 both of which, it is said, were made of iron taken from 
 the ground early in 1863, at the very time that the tim- 
 ber was being cut in the forests, which, after passing 
 through the hands of the shipwright, was used in the 
 construction of her hull. About four months were con- 
 sumed in putting on her plating, and this made her mean 
 draught of water a little less than thirteen feet. 
 
 On her trial trip, in March, 1864, her speed was set 
 down at eight knots; "but this was afterward reduced 
 to six, by the increased draught caused by her heavy bat- 
 tery and ammunition, and the supply of fuel required to 
 be placed on board, after she was taken down the bay." 
 
 And now, the ram being ready, the great problem to 
 solve was, how to get her over Dog River Bar, on which, 
 at high tide, the depth of water was but eight feet. To 
 effect this, long wooden tanks, or caissons, called, in nau- 
 tical language, camels, were prepared, so fashioned as to 
 fit tightly to the Tennessee's bottom. These were to be 
 placed on either side of the vessel, sunk by being filled 
 with water, and then lashed securely in their places with 
 
 * It must be remembered that this paper was prepared at the request 
 of, and read before The Military Historical Society of Massachusetts, as 
 stated in my preface. ^' ■^- !*• 
 
^2 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 
 
 heavy chains, after which, the water being pumped out, 
 they would rise by their buoyancy, and of course lift the 
 ship with them, if the lashings held. 
 
 The camels were just pronounced by their designer 
 ready for service, when they were fired and destroyed ; 
 yet, not discouraged thereby, the Confederates set to 
 work with a will to fell trees for the making of others, 
 which being successfully accomplished, the Tennessee, in 
 May, 1864, was raised some seven feet out of water, and 
 carried across the bar into Mobile Bay. 
 
 Near the Tennessee were anchored three wooden gun- 
 boats, viz., the Morgan, the Gaines, and the Selma. The 
 Morgan carried one sixty-three hundred weight eight-inch 
 gun, and five fifty-seven hundred weight thirty-two 
 pounders ; the Gaines, one eight-inch Brook's rifle, and 
 five fiftj^-seven hundred weight thirty-two pounders ; the 
 Selma, three eight-inch Paixhans, and one old-fashioned 
 heavy thirty-two pounder, converted to a rifle and banded 
 at the breech, throwing a solid projectile weighing about 
 sixty pounds. 
 
 During the time that the Alabamians were putting 
 their forls into the condition described above, and assem- 
 bling their vessels, they were almost unmolested. A 
 small squadron, it is true, had been dispatched, early in 
 May, 1861, to blockade Mobile Bay ,5 which Fort Morgan 
 " welcomed by displaying, under the Confederate flag, an 
 United States ensign with its union down," and, after the 
 capture of New Orleans, that squadron was augmented 
 until it had reached the proportions of a fleet ; but it was 
 not until every stronghold on the Mississippi had fallen 
 into our hands, and the Confederacy was thereby cut in 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 13 
 
 twain, that the government seriously directed its atten- 
 tion to the reduction of Mobile. 
 
 Accordingly, on January 20, 1864, we find Farragut, 
 who possessed all its confidence, making a reconnoissance 
 of the defences of Mobile Bay, and thus writing of them 
 to the Navy Department: 
 
 "I went in over the bar in the gunboat Octorora, 
 Lieutenant-Commander Lowe, taking the Itasca in com- 
 pany as a precaution against accident. We passed up to 
 Sand Island, and laid abreast of the light-house on it. 
 The day was uncommonl}^ fine, and the air very clear. 
 We were distant from the forts three and three and a 
 half miles, and could see everything distinctly. I am 
 satisfied that if I had one iron-clad at this time I could 
 destroy their whole force in the bay, and reduce the forts 
 at my leisure, by co-operation with our land forces, — say 
 five thousand men. We must have about two thousand 
 five hundred men in the rear of each fort, to make regu- 
 lar approaches by land, and to prevent the garrison's 
 receiving supplies and reinforcements ; the fleet to run 
 the batteries, and fight the flotilla in the bay. 
 
 " But without iron-clads, we should not be able to fight 
 the enemy's vessels of that class with much prospect of 
 success, as the latter would lie on the flats, where our 
 ships could not go to destroy them. Wooden vessels can 
 do nothing with them, unless by getting within one hun- 
 dred or two hundred yards, so as to ram them or pour in 
 a broadside. 
 
 " The iron-clad Nashville, I am told by a refugee, will 
 not be ready before March ; and he says Buchanan made 
 a speech to his men, saying that as soon as she is finished, 
 he will raise the blockade, &c. It is depressing to see 
 
14 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 how easily false reports circulate, and in what a state of 
 alarm the community is kept by the most absurd rumors.^ 
 If the department could get one or two of the iron-clads 
 here, it would put an end to this state of things, and 
 restore confidence to the people of the ports now in our 
 possession. 
 
 " I feel no apprehension about Buchanan's raising the 
 blockade of Mobile ; but with such a force as he has in 
 the bay, it would be unwise to take in our wooden 
 vessels, without the means of fighting the enemy on an 
 equal footing. 
 
 "By reference to the chart, you will see how small a 
 space there is for the ships to manoeuvre." 
 
 Early in May, the Tennessee, having been floated upon 
 camels, as we have said, over Dog River Bar, steamed 
 across the bay in full view of the blockading fleet ; and 
 Farragut seems to have been greatly impressed with her 
 warlike appearance. " Unless she fails in some particu- 
 lar," he reports to the department, "I fear it will be 
 much more difficult to take Mobile than it would have 
 been one week ago." 
 
 Day by day now, however, the rear-admiral's spirits 
 rose, as fresh vessels reported to him, and on the 12th of 
 July he issued general order number ten, wherein, after 
 prescribing the manner in which the ships shall be 
 "stript for the conflict," he says: 
 
 " The vessels will run past the forts in couples, lashed 
 side by side, as hereinafter designated. The flag-ship 
 will lead, and steer from Sand Island north by east by 
 compass, until abreast of Fort Morgan ; then northwest 
 half north until past the Middle Ground ; then north by 
 west ; and the others, as designated in the drawing, will 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 15 
 
 follow in due line, until ordered to anchor, but the bow 
 and quarter Hue must be preserved, to give the chase- 
 guns a fair range ; and each vessel must be kept astern 
 of the broadside of the next ahead. Each vessel will 
 keep a very little on the starboard quarter of her next 
 ahead, and when abreast of the fort will keep directly 
 astern, and, as we pass the fort, will take the same dis- 
 tance on the port quarter of the next ahead, to enable 
 the stern-guns to fire clear of the next vessel astern. 
 
 " It will be the object of the admiral to get as close to 
 the fort as possible before opening fire ; the ships, how- 
 ever, will open fire with their chase and other guns, as 
 fast as they can be brought to bear, the moment the 
 enemy opens upon us. Use short fuses for the shell and 
 shrapnel, and, as soon as within three or four hundred 
 yards, give the grape. It is understood that heretofore 
 we have fired too high ; but with grape-shot it is neces- 
 sary to elevate a little above the object, as grape will 
 ' dribble ' from the muzzle of the gun. 
 
 " If one or more of the vessels be disabled, their part- 
 ners must carry them through, if possible; but if they 
 cannot, then the next astern must render the required 
 assistance ; but as the admiral contemplates moving with 
 the flood-tide, it will only require sufficient power to keep 
 the crippled vessels in the channel. 
 
 " Vessels that can must place guns upon the poop and 
 topgallant forecastle, and in the tops, on the starboard 
 side. Should the enemy fire grape, they will remove the 
 men from the topgallant forecastle and poop to the guns 
 below, until out of grape range. 
 
 "The howitzers must keep up a constant fire with 
 shrapnel, from the time they can reach until out of range." 
 
16 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 On July 29, general order number ten was supple- 
 mented by these, Farragiit's last written instructions to 
 his commanders before engaging : " Should any vessel be 
 disabled to such a degree that her consort is unable to 
 keep her in her station, she will drop out of line to the 
 westward, and not embarrass the vessels next astern by 
 attempting to regain her station. Should she repair dam- 
 ages, so as to be able to re-enter the line of battle, she 
 will take her station in the rear, as close to the last vessel 
 as possible. 
 
 " So soon as the vessels have passed the fort and kept 
 away northwest, they can cast off the gunboats, at the 
 discretion of the senior officer of the two vessels, and 
 allow them to proceed up the bay, to cut off any of the 
 enemy's gunboats that may be attempting to escape to 
 Mobile. There are certain black buoys placed by the 
 enemy from the piles on the west side of the channel, 
 across it towards Fort Morgan. It being understood that 
 there are torpedoes and other obstructions between the 
 buoys, the vessels will take care to pass eastward of the 
 easternmost buoy, which is clear of all obstructions." 
 
 While all this was happening afloat, the great general 
 who, after he had taken Vicksburg in violation of every 
 recognized military principle, and beaten Bragg at Mis- 
 sionary Ridge, was invested with supreme command 
 ashore, failed not to recognize the importance of massing 
 troops in Alabama, to co-operate with the fleet. "As- 
 suming," says Andrews, "that the Red River expedition 
 would be successful. Grant, on the 31st of March, 1864, 
 in a despatch to Banks, expressed the opinion that, after 
 reserving a force sufficient to guard the Mississippi River, 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 17 
 
 he (Banks) would have left, according to the last returns, 
 a force of over thirty thousand effective men, with which 
 to move against Mobile ; to which he expected to add five 
 thousand men from Missouri. ' If, however,' he con- 
 tinued, ' 3^ou think the force here stated too small to hold 
 the territory regarded as necessary to hold, I would sav, 
 concentrate at least twenty-five thousand men of your 
 present command for operations against Mobile ; with 
 these, and such other additions as I can give you from 
 elsewhere, lose no time in making a demonstration, to be 
 followed by an attack.' " 
 
 The defeat of Banks, however, inspirited the Confed- 
 erates west of the Mississippi to such a degree, that they 
 at once assumed the offensive ; so that General Canby, 
 Banks's successor, finding ample employment for all his 
 forces in Arkansas and Louisiana, was unable to carry out 
 Grant's instructions, especially as he had been compelled 
 to send six thousand men of his command to Washington, 
 then menaced by Early. Grant thereupon postponed his 
 contemplated movement upon Mobile to a more con- 
 venient season, contenting himself, meanwhile, with send- 
 ing an order to Canby to dispatch to Farragut the troops 
 necessary to invest forts Gaines and Morgan. Circum- 
 stances, however, making it impossible for Canby to spare 
 men enough to invest both forts at once, it was agreed, at 
 Farragut's suggestion, that Gaines should be first invested. 
 
 For this purpose, on the afternoon of August 3d, fifteen 
 hundred men were landed on Dauphine Island by the 
 boats, and under cover of the guns of a flotilla com- 
 manded by Lieutenant-Commander J. C. P. DeKraft. 
 
 The troops, which consisted of detachments from the 
 Seventy-seventh Illinois, Thirty-fourth Iowa, Ninety-sixth 
 2 
 
18 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 Ohio, Third IMaryland Dismounted Cavalry, and Cobb's 
 Colored Regiment of Engineers, under the immediate 
 orders of Brigadier-General McGinnis, and accompanied 
 by General Gordon Granger as commander-in-chief, took 
 up their march, the moment they reached the shore, for 
 Fort Gaines, distant from them fifteen miles. Their 
 progress through the heavy sand was slow and laborious, 
 and when night shut in, with a drenching rain, so intense 
 was the darkness that " three times the skirmish line got 
 in rear of the main column." They pushed forward with 
 spirit, however, until midnight, and then, at the word of 
 command, threw themselves down on the wet ground 
 without a murmur, and slept the sweet sleep of the weary, 
 until awakened by the bugles of the morrow, when they 
 resumed their march, and, before the day closed, were 
 intrenched about the fort, their skirmish line being less 
 than half a mile from it. 
 
 At sunrise, on the 5th, Fort Gaines opened fiercely 
 upon the besiegers; but, an hour later, the sharp crack 
 of its rifles was hushed by the loud, continuous roar of 
 artillery on the opposite side of the channel, where the 
 magnificent spectacle presented itself of Farragut's fleet, 
 wreathed in smoke, — its leading vessels one sheet of fire 
 from their starboard batteries, — forcing the passage of 
 Fort Morgan. 
 
 From the day general order number ten was promul- 
 gated, up to the very moment of conflict, the greatest 
 activity had prevailed in the Union fleet, all of whose 
 vessels had, in turn, visited Pensacola, (but a few hours' 
 sail from Mobile,) to get ready for the fray. In the ships 
 carrying spars, nothing above the topmasts was left stand- 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 19 
 
 ing, and the Richmond had wisely struck and landed 
 even her topmasts and topsail yards. On the outside of 
 each vessel, in the wake of her engines and boilers, chain 
 cables were ranged fore and aft, and, inside, sand bags 
 were placed, from stem to stern, and from the berth to 
 the spar deck ; and, in short, every contrivance that Yan- 
 kee ingenuity could suggest was resorted to for the pro- 
 tection of the vessels and their crews from shot and shell, 
 from splinters and falling spars. 
 
 Farragut had fully intended to run into the bay on the 
 day the troops were landed on Dauphine Island, but his 
 design was frustrated by the non-arrival of the monitor 
 Tecumseh, until the evening of August 4th, when she 
 steamed in and took up her anchorage in the Sand Island 
 channel, with her consorts, the Winnebago, Manhattan, 
 and Chickasaw. 
 
 On the following morning, at four o'clock, the wooden 
 vessels, which were anchored three miles and a half south- 
 southeast of the iron-clads, commenced getting under 
 way, and forming double column, or column of twos 
 lashed together, the starboard vessels of which were the 
 Brooklyn, Hartford. Richmond, Lackawanna. Mononga- 
 hela, Ossipee, and Oneida ; the port ones, the Octorora, 
 Metacomet, Port Royal, Seminole, Kennebec, Itasca, and 
 Galena. 
 
 The inboard and starboard waist and quarter boats of 
 many of the vessels of the fleet had been left at Pensa- 
 cola ; the others were being carried (lowered to the 
 water's edge), or towed, out of harm's way. on the port 
 side of the column, with the exception of the little Loyal, 
 the admiral's steam barge, which, with its saucy howitzer 
 in the bows, was making its way into rebeldom unaided. 
 
20 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 As the Brooklyn had four chase-guns, and was provided 
 with a torpedo-catcher, Farragut, at the instance of liis 
 captains, had given her the lead. "They urged it upon 
 me," he says in his report to the Secretary of the Nav}'-, 
 "because, in their judgment, the flag-ship ought not to be 
 too much exposed. This I believe to be an error ; for, 
 apart from the fact that exposure is one of the penalties 
 of rank in the navy, it will always be the aim of the 
 enemy to destro}' the flag-ship, and such attempt was very 
 persistently made, but Providence did not permit it to be 
 successful." 
 
 The Hartford, a vessel already of historic fame from 
 her having borne the flag of Farragut at New Orleans, 
 was destined to bear it again in triumph on this memorable 
 occasion. She was a screw-ship of the second class, with 
 full sail-power, and of nineteen hundred tons burden ; 
 her extreme length being two hundred and twenty-five 
 feet, her greatest breadth of beam forty-four, and her 
 mean draught of water, with everything in, sixteen feet 
 three inches. Her engines were direct-acting, developing 
 a speed of eight knots, and her greatest speed, under sail 
 and steam combined, was eleven knots. Her armament 
 consisted of eighteen nine-inch Dahlgrens, two one hun- 
 dred-pounder Parrotts, and one thirty-pounder Parrott; 
 and the whole weight of solid projectiles thrown by her 
 at a broadside was nine hundred and eighty pounds. 
 
 The Brooklyn and the Richmond were sister ships to 
 the Hartford; the Lackawanna and Monongahela about 
 five hundred tons smaller; and, from the Monongahela, 
 the vessels of the fleet gradually decreased in size and 
 armament, until we reach the little Itasca," of five hun- 
 dred tons, with a battery of one eleven-inch gun, two 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 21 
 
 thirty-two pounders, of fifty-seven hundred weight, two 
 tu enty-pounder Parrotts, , and one twelve-pounder Dahl- 
 gren. 
 
 The Tecumseh and the Manhattan were single-turreted 
 monitors of the burden of five hundred and fifty tons, 
 whose extreme length was two hundred and twenty-five 
 feet, and extreme beam forty-three feet. The diameter 
 of their ten-inch turrets, in the clear, was twenty-one feet, 
 and each turret carried two fifteen-inch guns. Their 
 side-armor was five, their deck-armor two inches thick, 
 and the height of their decks above water eighteen inches. 
 
 The Chickasaw and the Winnebago were not so heavily 
 armored as their consorts, and differed from them in hav- 
 ing two turrets each, and in their light draught of water, 
 which was but six feet. In each of their turrets were 
 mounted two eleven-inch guns. 
 
 The total weight of metal of the advancing fleet was 
 fourteen thousand two hundred and forty-six pounds ; 
 that thrown by it at a broadside, nine thousand two hun- 
 dred and eighty-eight pounds. 
 
 So soon as the vessels were in position, they hoisted an 
 ensign at each mast-head, and steered for the Sand Island 
 channel, the monitors joining them, as they crossed '' the 
 outer bar," and forming, in column of vessels, on their 
 starboard side, abreast of the Brooklyn, Hartford, and 
 Richmond. 
 
 The morning was a beautiful one, the sea smooth, and 
 the sky unclouded ; and, as the fleet steamed steadily up 
 the main ship-channel, — drum answering drum from van 
 to rear, in hoarse summons to the officers and men of 
 each ship to assemble at their quarters, — De Kraft, who 
 was watching it from the mast-head of the Conemaugh, 
 
22 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 was struck with its "stately appearance and compact 
 order." "I noticed also, with great satisfaction," he re- 
 marks, " that a light breeze was springing up from the 
 westward, which must certainly blow the smoke from our 
 guns, as soon as they opened, full upon the fort and bat- 
 teries." 
 
 At six o'clock, the Confederate vessels, upon signal 
 from their admiral, emerged from behind the fort, and 
 took position, in single echelon, across the channel, with 
 their port batteries bearing upon our fleet. The Selma, 
 on the right, was in advance, and farthest to the north- 
 ward; while the ram Tennessee, on the left, rested a little 
 to the westward of the red buoy, and close to the inner 
 line of torpedoes, upon which, as the tide was flood, there 
 was no damper of her drifting. 
 
 About this time, too, the steamers Gennessee, Pinola, 
 Pembina, Sebago, Tennessee, and Bienville came to an- 
 chor to the southward and eastward of Fort Morgan, and 
 opened fire upon it. The station assigned to them was to 
 the northward of the Southeast Shoal, as close to Mobile 
 Point as they could get, so that they might, in a measure, 
 keep down the fire of the fort, wdiile the fleet was passing 
 it; but through some misunderstanding, perhaps, on the 
 part of their senior officer, Lieutenant-Commander Graf- 
 ton, they were anchored at such a respectful distance from 
 the shore as to render their fire useless. 
 
 At forty-seven minutes past six, the Tecumseh, which 
 was then in the lead, about three hundred yards from the 
 Brooklyn and sharp on her starboard bow, fired her guns, 
 merely for the purpose of scaling them, and then loaded 
 each with sixty pounds of powder and a steel shot, in 
 readiness to engage the ram. 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 23 
 
 At six minutes past seven, the fort opened, and was 
 replied to by the Brooklyn, and, in a few minutes there- 
 after, the action became general on both sides. 
 
 The scene from the Conemaugh was now grand beyond 
 all description : the forts, batteries, and monitors envel- 
 oped in smoke, made luminous by the flashes of their 
 guns; the wooden vessels in plain view, vomiting fire 
 from stem to stern ; and the grand old admiral in the port 
 main rigging of the Hartford, just below the futtock staff, 
 reclining, as it were, in a sort of bridle or swing passed 
 around his back and under his arms, whose ends were 
 fastened to the futtock shrouds, — one hand grasped the 
 rigging, and in the other he held a marine glass; and 
 thus, without danger of losing his hold or footing, he 
 could turn easily in every direction, and see all that was 
 passing below him, on the water and on the land. 
 
 Beneath him, on the poop, was his fleet-captain, Per- 
 cival Drayton, an officer noted for his professional ability 
 and zeal for the service ; and, in the top above his head, 
 leaning against the rail, stood his trusty pilot, Martin 
 Freeman, whose services should ever be remembered with 
 gratitude by the republic. Communicating, through a 
 speaking-tube, with the deck of the Hartford, and sig- 
 nalling with his hands to the commanding olEcer of her 
 consort, Lieutenant-Commander Jouett, who stood on the 
 starboard wheel-house of his vessel, he piloted the flag- 
 ship, amid all the vicissitudes of battle, with a calmness 
 and intrepidity truly heroic. 
 
 And indeed, throughout the whole fleet, a spirit of de- 
 votion to duty was manifested worthy of the descendants 
 of the men who had blown up the Philadelphia in the 
 harbor of Tripoli, followed Perry and McDonough on 
 
24 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 lakes Erie and Champlain, and burned a Mexican schooner 
 moored to the castle of San Juan D'Uiloa. 
 
 The signal quartermaster, with his flags at hand, kept 
 his glass steadily fixed upon the flag-ship. What cared 
 he for shot or shell, if the signals of the admiral were but 
 truly transmitted or replied to? 
 
 The helmsman, with his hands grasping the spokes of 
 the wheel, had ears alone for his captain and the pilot. 
 '■'■Starboard a little f ^'- Port a little!'''' he cried from time 
 to time, echoing the orders of his superiors. 
 
 The leadsmen in the chains gave out their soundings as 
 coolly and deliberately as if they were entering a friendly 
 harbor, and, mingling with the cries of the helmsman, as 
 the water shoaled, came their warning words, " By the 
 ma?-k, three I ^^ or, "^ quarter less four T^ in the musical 
 tones so dear to seamen. 
 
 The bronzed veteran and the old salt who had seen 
 service in Mexico and China stood side by side, at the 
 guns, with the young marine officer and the boy-graduate 
 of the academ3% and each had equal faith in the other ; 
 for all knew that to die for one's country, when need be, 
 is not only '-sweet and decorous," but strictly according 
 to navy teaching, and " the usage of the sea-service." 
 
 And in this faith all went to their posts, prepared to 
 obey the regulations and " fight courageously ; " for, in a 
 fleet where a single shell, exploding in the boiler of a 
 vessel, might subject the engineers and firemen to the fate 
 of Marsyas, or a torpedo or infernal, exploding under her 
 bottom, send all hands journeying ad astra, no one could 
 properly be considered a non-combatant. 
 
 The morale of the Union fleet, then, was what the 
 French would call superb ; all, from the highest to the 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 25 
 
 lowest, placing implicit faith in Farragut, and all pre- 
 pared to take any risks when led by him. Thus, while 
 the captain of the Winnebago was coolly walking back 
 and forth on the bridge of his vessel, giving orders, first 
 to the gunners of one turret, then to those of the other, 
 how to direct their fire, a negro seaman, probably sta- 
 tioned at the life buoy, was as coolly promenading the 
 poop-deck of the Galena. Seemingly unconscious of all 
 that was passing around him, this man, with his hands 
 uplifted to heaven, was loudly singing a negro hj^'mn. 
 God knows what thoughts were passing through his mind 
 on this his day of jubilee ! 
 
 At a quarter past seven, the flag ship signalled to the 
 wooden vessels, closer order, when the column was closed 
 as compactly as possible, the bows of each pair of vessels 
 being within a few yards of the vessels next ahead, and a 
 little on their starboard quarter. 
 
 The fleet was now heading a point to the left of Fort 
 Morgan, its rear being past Sand Island, and 'the van 
 within half a mile of the water battery, whose galling 
 fire, as well as that of the Confederate squadron, could 
 only be replied to by the bow-chasers of its leading 
 vessels. 
 
 By half past seven, the Tecumseh, which still main- 
 tained her position ahead of the Brooklyn, was well up 
 with the fort, and drawing slowly by the Tennessee, 
 leaving her on the port beam. 
 
 At this moment, when the eyes of all were riveted 
 upon the iron-clads, expecting to see them hotly engaged 
 so soon as the Tecumseh should have passed the lines of 
 torpedoes intervening between them, the Brooklyn and 
 the Hartford poured a broadside into Fort Morgan, driv- 
 
26 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 ing the enemy, helter-skelter, from their barbette and 
 water batteries. 
 
 The sight was an inspiriting one, and, in the enthusiasm 
 of the moment, the gallant Craven, who thirsted for the 
 honor of engaging the ram singly, gave the fatal order, 
 Hard a-starhoard ! and dashed straight at her, his course 
 taking him to the westward of the large red huoy. 
 
 The bow gun of the Tennessee, loaded with a steel bolt 
 weighing one hundred and forty pounds, was kept steadily 
 trained upon the monitor as she advanced. " Do not fire, 
 Mr. Wharton," cried Captain Johnston, of the Tennessee, 
 to the lieutenant in charge of her first division, "until 
 the vessels are in actual contact." " Aye, aye, sir," was 
 the cool response of Wharton, as he stepped to the breech 
 of the bow gun, "in expectation of a deadly fight at close 
 quarters." Scarce were the words uttered, when the 
 Tecumseh, reeling to port as from an earthquake shock, 
 foundered, head foremost, with almost every soul on 
 board, destroyed by a torpedo.^ A few of her crew were 
 observed to leap wildly from her turret; for an instant 
 her screw was seen revolving in air — and then there was 
 nothing left to show that the Tecumseh had ever formed 
 one of that proud Union fleet but a small boat washed 
 from her deck, and a number of half-drowned men strug- 
 gling fiercely for life in the seething waters which had 
 closed over their vessel forever. 
 
 Such was the fate of the Tecumseh ! 
 
 Short shrift had they who went down with her ! Yet, 
 short as the time of her foundering was, it has furnished 
 us with one of those magnificent episodes of war which 
 make famous the annals of nations. 
 
 Craven and Mr. John Collins, the pilot of the Te- 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 27 
 
 cumseh, met, as tlieir vessel was sinking beneath them, at 
 the foot of the ladder leading to the top of the turret. 
 
 Great and good men often err ; but they differ from 
 ordinary mortals in this, that they are willing to atone for 
 their errors, even with their lives, if necessary. It may 
 be, then, that Craven, in the nobility of his soul, — for all 
 know he was one of nature's noblemen, — it may be, I 
 say, that in the nobility of his soul, the thought flashed 
 across him that it was through no fault of his pilot that 
 the Tecinnseh was in this peril: he drew back. "After 
 you, pilot," said he, grandly. 
 
 " There was nothing after me," relates Mr. Collins, 
 who fortunately lived to tell this tale of heroism ; " when 
 I reached the upmost round of the ladder, the vessel 
 seemed to drop from under me." 
 
 Yet Craven's words, carried to Heaven by approving 
 angels as evidence of man's Jiumanity to man, will live 
 forever in the book of life, with no tear on the page to 
 efface the record. 
 
 Therefore the navy points with exultation — not regret 
 — to the buoy off Fort Morgan, which watches over his 
 iron tomb. 
 
 " His sword is rust, 
 His body dust, 
 His soul is with the saints, we trust." 
 
 Beholding the disaster to the Tecumseh, the Brooklyn 
 stopped. "What is the matter with the Brooklyn?" 
 asked the admiral, anxiously ; " Freeman, she must have 
 plenty of water there." 
 
 "Plenty of water, and to spare, admiral," replied the 
 
28 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 sturdy pilot ; "but her screw is moving: I tliink she is 
 going ahead again, sir." 
 
 Ahead again! If that were true, it were glorious 
 news indeed ! But no ! By heaven, she backs ! backs 
 full upon the flag-ship ; thus arresting the advance of the 
 whole fleet ; so that the rear presses upon the van, the 
 van upon the rear, and all is disorder and confusion. 
 
 The enemy, not slow to comprehend this condition of 
 affairs, take advantage of their opportunity, and, manning 
 all the guns from which they have so recently been driven, 
 pour in a murderous fire upon our fleet, which meets with 
 but a feeble fire in return. 
 
 " At this critical moment," writes an eye-witness, " the 
 batteries of our ships w^ere almost silent, while the whole 
 of Mobile Point was a living line of flame." The slight- 
 est vacillation then on the part of the admiral, and the 
 battle would have been lost, and the greater part of the 
 fleet destroyed. 
 
 But Farragut was equal to the emergency. His great 
 qualities as a commander, which were apparent to all who 
 were near him in times of extreme peril, were never more 
 conspicuous than on this trying occasion. Danger there 
 was, and disaster there might be ahead, he knew; but 
 astern were sure defeat and dishonor ; and for America's 
 great admiral — the man who was born to be a hero — 
 there could be but one course to steer, that leading 
 straight into Mobile Bay, where the Confederate vessels 
 were awaiting him. 
 
 But between him and the Confederates interposed the 
 Brooklyn, and how to get by her was the question ; for 
 she lay right athwart the Hartford's hawse, bows on to 
 Fort Moro-an. 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 29 
 
 Then was made manifest the soundness of the admiral's 
 judgment in lashing his vessels together by pairs ; for the 
 Hartford going ahead, while the ISIetacomet backed, the 
 bows of the former were swung to the westward, until 
 clear of the Brooklyn's stern, when both vessels gathered 
 headway. As they were slowly passing the Brooklyn, 
 her captain reported "a heavy line of torpedoes across 
 the channel." 
 
 "Damn the torpedoes!" was the emphatic reply of 
 Farragut. " Jouett, full speed ! Four bells. Captain 
 Drayton." And the Hartford, as if eager to bear the 
 admiral's flag to the front, bounded forward " like a thing 
 of life," and, increasing her speed at each instant, crossed 
 both lines of torpedoes, going over the ground at the rate 
 of nine miles an hour ; for so far had she drifted to the 
 northward and westward while her engines were stopped, 
 as to make it impossible for the admiral, without heading 
 directl}'- on to Fort Morgan, to obey his own instructions 
 to "pass eastward of the easternmost buoy." 
 
 As soon as he could get his vessel's head to the north- 
 ward, Alden, the captain of the Brooklyn, "pushed up 
 the channel at full speed, in the Hartford's wake," and, 
 during the fight which ensued with the Confederate ram, 
 displayed his usual gallantry. A good seaman, a skilful 
 officer, whose battle-record attests his bravery, his hesi- 
 tancy at " Mobile's Gate " must needs be ascribed to an 
 error of judgment, since all will admit that in many a 
 stubborn fight elsewhere he served the Republic well. 
 
 While " the guardian of the fleet," as one of the offi- 
 cers who served under him appropriately styles Farragut, 
 was engaged in extricating it from its perilous position, 
 
30 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAT. 
 
 he was not immindful of the survivors of the Tecumseh, 
 whom he beheld in the water near by. " Send a boat, 
 Jouett," said he. " and pick np the poor fellows." Jouett, 
 in expectation of the order, had already dispatched a boat 
 on this humane mission, in charge of Acting Ensign (now 
 Lieutenant-Commander) Henry C. Nields. Starting from 
 the port quarter of the Metacomet, and steering the boat 
 himself, this mere boy pulled directly under the battery 
 of the Hartford, and around the Brooklyn, to within a 
 few liundred yards of the fort, exposed to the fire of both 
 friends and foes. 
 
 After he had gone a little distance from his vessel, he 
 seemed suddenly to reflect that he had no flag flying, 
 when he cbopped the yoke-ropes, picked up a small ensign 
 from the bottom of the boat, and, unfurling it from its 
 staff, which he shipped in a socket made for it in the 
 stern-sheets, he threw it full to the breeze, amid the loud 
 cheers of his men. " I can scarcely describe," says an 
 officer of the Tennessee, "how I felt at witnessing this 
 most gallant act. The muzzle of our gun was slowly 
 raised, and the bolt intended for the Tecumseh flew harm- 
 lessly over the heads of that glorious boat's crew, far 
 down in the line of our foes." 
 
 After saving Ensign Zetlich, eight men, and the pilot, 
 Nields turned, and pulling for the fleet, succeeded in 
 reaching the Oneida, where he remained until the close 
 of the action. 
 
 The order of battle being restored, through Farragut's 
 indomitable pluck and decision of character, the Union 
 fleet sped swiftly by Fort Morgan, each vessel, as she got 
 fairly abreast of the fort, pouring into it such a shower 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 31 
 
 of shell, shrapnel, grape, and canister as, for the time, 
 completely silenced its batteries ; and although many of 
 the vessels were repeatedly hulled by the enemy's mis- 
 siles, as they drew near to or receded from the fort, yet 
 all escaped serious damage, with the exception of the 
 Oneida, which, being the starboard rear vessel of the 
 column, was exposed to the concentrated fire of every 
 gun on Mobile Point not previously dismounted or dis- 
 abled.^ 
 
 She was almost by the fort, however, when a rifled shell 
 passed through her chain armor, and entering the star- 
 board boiler exploded in it, causing sad havoc among the 
 firemen and coal-heavers of the Avatch below, all of whom 
 were either killed outright or fearfully scalded by the 
 escaping steam. x\nother shell, exploding in the cabin, 
 cut both wheel-ropes, while a third set fire to the deck 
 above the forward magazine ; yet, encouraged by the 
 chivalric bearing of their commander, and the fine ex- 
 ample set them by the executive officer and the chief 
 engineer of the ship, the crew of the Oneida behaved 
 splendidl3\ The relieving tackles were instantly manned, 
 the fire put out, and connection between the starboard 
 and port boiler cut oif ; and the Oneida, assisted by the 
 Galena, went on as if nothing unusual had happened on 
 board of her, her guns never for a moment ceasing to 
 respond to the really terrific fire of the enemy. 
 
 When she got beyond the range of the fort, De Kraft 
 signalled to his flotilla to get under way, and approaching 
 Fort Powell as near as the depth of water would permit, 
 anchored his vessels in the form of a crescent, and com- 
 menced a vigorous bombardment of the fort, which the 
 Confederates spiritedly replied to. 
 
32 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 As the Hartford entered Mobile Bay, the ram " dashed 
 out " at her, and failing to overtake her, turned and made 
 for the Brooklj'n, Richmond, and Lackawanna in succes- 
 sion, but missed them all, saluting each, however, as she 
 went by, with a broadside, which did great injury to the 
 vessel, and laid many a brave fellow low, while their fire, 
 in reply, made not the slightest impression on her iron 
 shield. 
 
 Then Strong, in the Monongahela, determined to resort 
 to ramming, and, getting a good position on the Tennes- 
 see's beam, he attempted, at full speed, to run her down. 
 
 The Tennessee, to avoid being struck amidships, put 
 her helm a-starboard, and the two vessels collided at an 
 acute angle, the ram swinging alongside of the Mononga- 
 hela's consort, the Kennebec, whose sharp cutwater cut 
 her barge in two. 
 
 As she lay close aboard of the Kennebec, she succeeded 
 in exploding a shell on that vessel's berth-deck, which 
 killed and wounded several of her officers and men, car- 
 ried away all her ladders, and so filled the ship with 
 smoke that she was supposed to be on fire, and the alarm 
 sounded. This created some excitement among the crew ; 
 which was quickly allayed, however, by the calm, cool 
 conduct of her commanding and other officers. 
 
 Passing the Ossipee without firing a gun at her, the 
 ram next steered for the crippled Oneida, and shooting 
 under her stern, fired two broadsides at her in rapid suc- 
 cession, which destroyed her boats and cabin furniture, 
 cut away the greater part of her lower rigging, damaged 
 her mainmast and one of the heavy gun-carriages, and 
 dismounted the twelve-pound howitzer on the poop. 
 
 Fortunately the enemy fired high, or there would have 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 33 
 
 been few left on board the Oneida to tell the story of 
 her engagement with the dreaded ram. Among the 
 wounded was the gallant Mullany, who had volunteered 
 for the fight, and throughout the whole of it given to his 
 officers and crew '' a noble example of unflinching courage 
 and heroism." 
 
 It was now at an end, so far as the Oneida was con- 
 cerned, which shortly afterward came to anchor well up 
 
 the bay, while the Tennessee sought the shelter of Fort 
 Morgan. 10 
 
 During the time that their flag-ship was engaged in her 
 work of destruction, the Confederate gunboats were far 
 from idle. From their position ahead of the Hartford 
 they had been enabled to keep up a most destructive fire 
 upon her, " a single shot from the Selma killing ten and 
 wounding five men at numbers one and two guns." At 
 a little past eight, however, the admiral, observing that 
 all his vessels were clear of the fort, made signal, — 
 Gfunboats chase enemy'' s gunboats. The signal was hardly 
 above the Hartford's deck, when Jouett, cutting the fasts 
 which bound him to that vessel, started in obedience to 
 it, followed, at some distance, by the Itasca, Kennebec, 
 and Port Royal. 
 
 The Confederates had no course open to them but 
 retreat, keeping up a heavy fire from their stern guns as 
 they fled. A violent rain squall coming on just then, the 
 Gaines was enabled to seek the cover of the fort, which 
 she reached in a sinking condition, her commanding 
 officer running her on shore, and setting fire to her, to 
 prevent her falling into Union hands. 
 
 At nine o'clock, " the Morgan hauled off to starboard," 
 and, at ten minutes past nine, the Selma struck her flag 
 3 
 
34 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 
 
 to the Metacomet.^i She had been well defended. Two 
 of her officers and six of her men were killed, and the 
 number of her wounded amounted to ten, among whom 
 was her captain, Lieutenant-Commander Murphy. 
 
 And now, having witnessed with admiration and pride 
 the heroism of the Union fleet in entering Mobile Bay, 
 despite Fort Morgan, the Confederate squadron, and the 
 torpedoes so thickly strewed in its way, we shall con- 
 template with hardly less pride, and with similar admira- 
 tion, I am sure, the heroic daring of our brothers in arms 
 on board the Tennessee, who, when the forts were passed, 
 and the Confederate gunboats dispersed, resolved unaided 
 to attempt the forlorn hope of wresting victory from three 
 iron-clads and fourteen wooden vessels.^^ 
 
 So soon as the Tennessee reached Fort Morgan, her 
 armor was carefully examined and found intact, while not 
 an officer or man on board of her was injured in the 
 slightest degree, a few shot-holes in her smoke-stack alone 
 telling of her conflict with the Union fleet : these were 
 soon patched, and she steered once more for the Hartford, 
 now lying quietly at anchor about three miles away. 
 
 The moment Farragut saw her coming, he signalled to 
 his monitors and largest wooden vessels "to attack the 
 ram, not only with their guns, but bows on at full speed; 
 and then began one of the fiercest naval combats on 
 record." 
 
 The Monongahela, not having anchored, was the first 
 to make a rush at her, going through the water at full ten 
 miles an hour ; yet so bent was Admiral Buchanan on the 
 Hartford's destruction, that he entirely ignored every 
 other vessel, not deigning to take the slightest notice of 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 35 
 
 the Monongahela's approach until she was close aboard 
 of him, on his port beara. Then he ordered the Ten- 
 nessee's helm a-port, which caused the Monongahela to 
 strike her at a slightly oblique angle ; nevertheless the 
 shock of the collision was such that many of the crews 
 of both vessels measured their lengths on their respective 
 decks. " The Tennessee," writes Lieutenant Wharton, 
 " yielded to the impact, and spun swiftly round, as upon 
 a pivot. I felt as if I were going through the air. ' What 
 is the matter, Captain Johnston?' I asked. 'We've been 
 rammed, sir,' was the response from the pilot-house, 
 where he stood." 
 
 During the instant of actual contact, the ram fired two 
 shots at her antagonist, piercing her through and through, 
 while the Monongahela's whole broadside, discharged at 
 the casemate of the ram, rolled harmlessly down its 
 sloping sides. 
 
 " The Monongahela was hardly clear of us," says Whar- 
 ton again, " when a hideous-looking monster came creep- 
 ing up on our port side, whose slowly revolving turret 
 revealed the cavernous depths of a mammoth gun. Stand 
 clear of the port side ! I shouted. A moment after, a 
 thundering report shook us all, while a blast of dense, 
 sulphurous smoke covered our port-holes, and four hun- 
 dred and forty pounds of iron, impelled by sixty pounds 
 of powder, admitted daylight through our side, where, 
 before it struck us, there had been over two feet of solid 
 wood, covered with five inches of solid iron. This was 
 the only fifteen-inch shot that hit us fair. It did not 
 come through ; the inside netting caught the splinters, 
 and there were no casualties from it. I was glad to find 
 myself alive after that shot." 
 
36 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 The Lackawanna next bore down upon the Tennessee, 
 and although her stern was stove in to the plank ends, 
 "for the distance of three feet above the water line to 
 five feet below it," no perceptible effect was produced on 
 the ram, beyond giving her a slight list, from which she 
 quickly righted, going on as before, and always heading 
 for the Hartford. Nor did the Hartford shun the en- 
 counter; but, following closely in the Lackawanna's 
 wake, she too struck the Tennessee a fearful blow, at the 
 same time throwing her whole port broadside full upon 
 the casemate of the ram, which, like the Monongahela's 
 broadside, failed to injure it in the slightest degree. 
 
 Surrounded as she was by enemies, the ram had this 
 advantage, that she could fire or run at every vessel in 
 viev/, Avhile the Unionists had to be careful not to fire at 
 or come in collision with their own vessels. Indeed, it so 
 happened that the Hartford, while making for the ram a 
 second time, was rdn into by the Lackawanna, and cut 
 down to within two feet of the water's edge. 
 
 Thus, for an hour or more, the Tennessee contended 
 successfully against the whole Union fleet ; but, at the 
 expiration of that hour, it became evident to all on board 
 of her that victory was impossible and defeat certain, 
 unless she could get a second time under the protection 
 of Fort Morgan, for which Captain Johnston, in obe- 
 dience to Buchanan's orders, then steered. 
 
 But by this time, to use the language of Farragut, 
 "she was sore beset." The Manhattan was hanging on 
 her starboard quarter, pounding her with fifteen-inch 
 solid and cored shot ; the Winnebago, not far off, saluting 
 her with eleven-inch steel bolts; and the wooden vessels 
 ramming her, one after the other, in quick succession, 
 
THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 37 
 
 "with a reckless daring worthy of success." But the 
 vessel that undoubtedly inflicted the most injury npon 
 the ram was the monitor Chickasaw, commanded by 
 Lieutenant-Commander George H. Perkins, " which I 
 hung," said the pilot of the Tennessee, " close under our / 
 stern. Move as we would, she was always there, firing ^ 
 the two eleven-inch guns in her forward turret like 
 pocket-pistols, so that she soon had the plates flying in 
 the air." 
 
 Thus, " stormed at by shot and shell," and rammed, 
 every few minutes, by a heavy vessel going at great 
 speed, with three of her wrought-iron port-shutters 
 jammed while half closed, and her steering-apparatus,^^ 
 relieving tackles, and smoke-stack shot awa}-, the Ten- 
 nessee lay, at last, like a log upon the water, — a mere 
 target for her foes. 
 
 Then Captain Johnston, repairing to the berth deck, 
 where Admiral Buchanan was lying, under the surgeon's 
 hands, with a fractured leg, sorrowfully reported to the 
 admiral that resistance was no longer possible. " Do the 
 best you can, Johnston," was Buchanan's reply, " and 
 when all is done, surrender." 
 
 When Johnston returned to the pilot-house, he beheld 
 the Ossipee approaching at full speed, while the fire of 
 our vessels was each instant increasing in intensity. The 
 Tennessee had already/ done her best, and there was no 
 time for dilly-dallying ; so, hastening to the top of " the 
 shield," which was exposed to a perfect shower of solid 
 projectiles, this truly brave man hauled down the Confed- 
 erate ensign with his own hands. — It had been raised in 
 triumph, it was lowered without dishonor. ^^ 
 
 The captured officers and men were transferred to the 
 
38 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAT. 
 
 Ossipee, and soon afterward sent to Pensacola ; and it is 
 pleasant to know that, to this day, they speak warmly of 
 the hospitality extended to them by their captors. 
 
 It will be remembered that, while this fierce naval fight 
 was taking place in Mobile Bay, De Kraft's flotilla, an- 
 chored in Grant's Pass, was busily engaged shelling Fort 
 Powell. During the morning, although the fort was hit 
 several times, no particular damage was done to it ; but, 
 about two in the afternoon, the Chickasaw, steaming up 
 to within seven hundred yards of its eastern face, com- 
 menced a rapid fire with shell and grape, which the enemy 
 was only able to reply to with a single Brook's rifle. A 
 shell, entering one of the sally-ports, passed entirely 
 through the bomb-proof, and buried itself, without ex- 
 ploding, in the opposite wall ; another, and another fol- 
 lowing, burst in the face of the fort, displacing the sand 
 so rapidly that Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, its com- 
 mandant, became convinced that it would soon be ren- 
 dered untenable. He therefore telegraphed to Colonel 
 Anderson, commanding Fort Gaines, Unless I can evac- 
 uate, I ivill he compelled to surrender within forty-eight 
 hours. 
 
 Anderson's reply was. Save your garrison when your fort 
 is no longer tenable. At the time this despatch was re- 
 ceived, it was growing dark, and the Lieutenant-Colonel 
 instantly decided that it would be better to save his 
 command, and destroy the fort, than to allow both to fall 
 into the enemy's hands. The fleet had not yet moved up 
 to intercept his communications, the tide was low, and he 
 could not expect to find another such favorable opportu- 
 nity for escaping; so he silently withdrew, leaving Lieu- 
 
THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 39 
 
 tenants Savage and Jeffers to spike the guns, and blow- 
 up the fort so soon as he should make signal to them that 
 its garrison had reached the main land. This signal was 
 made about 10.30 p. M., just as De Kraft and Lieutenant- 
 Commander Franklin, who had arrived during the day 
 with a mail for the fleet, were returning to the Cone- 
 maugh in a small gig from a visit to the victorious 
 admiral. 
 
 " Now, to find Grant's Pass at night," writes De Kraft, 
 " it was necessary to steer directly for Fort Powell, which 
 loomed up boldly against the clear sky. When within 
 half a mile of it, a bright port-fire was observed to burn 
 for a few seconds ; then a dark column rose suddenly to 
 a great height, and a heavy report and vivid flash an- 
 nounced that Fort Powell had been blown up." 
 
 About daylight the next morning, Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Williams marched into Mobile with every ofiScer and man 
 of his command, consisting of two infantry companies of 
 the Thirty-first Alabama, and a detachment of Culpep- 
 per's Battery, in all about one hundred and forty souls.^^ 
 
 At the same time. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Pome- 
 ro3% commanding the Estrella, hoisted the stars and 
 stripes over the ruins of the fort, and a large force was 
 set to work to remove the obstructions in Grant's Pass, 
 which being soon effected, direct communication by water 
 was once more established between Mobile Bay and New 
 Orleans. 
 
 During the morning of the 6th of August, the fleet 
 was occupied in repairing damages ; but on the afternoon 
 of that day it began to make preparations for a general 
 bombarduient of Fort Gaines on the morrow, the Chick- 
 
40 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 asaw getting under way a little before sunset, and drop- 
 ping several shells into it, as a forerunner of what was to 
 follow. 
 
 The besieging army meanwhile had mounted two thirty- 
 pounder Parrotts and four twelve-pounder rifles, and was 
 hard at work laying down platforms for new guns. 
 
 But Admiral Farragut, knowing full well the fort could 
 not hold out long against such a fire as would be brought 
 to bear upon it, and anxious to spare the further effusion 
 of blood, sent a flag-of-truce boat to the fort, as soon as 
 the Chickasaw withdrew from it, with a request • that 
 Colonel Anderson and his staff would come to see him on 
 board the Hartford. Colonel Anderson accepted the in- 
 vitation, and was accompanied by Major Brown, and both 
 were very kindly received by the admiral in his cabin. 
 
 There were present at this interview, beside the admiral 
 and the two Confederate officers, Major-General Gordon 
 Granger, Captain Pcrcival Drayton, and Major James E. 
 Montgomery, Assistant-Adjutant-General and Chief of 
 Staff of the thirteenth army corps. 
 
 The admiral then said to Colonel Anderson that he had 
 sent for him to advise the immediate surrender of the 
 fort. " Surrounded on three sides by my vessels, and on 
 the fourth by the army," said he, "you cannot possibly 
 hold it. Submit, then, like a man to this hard necessity, 
 and prevent further loss of life." 
 
 Anderson at once saw the force of the admiral's advice, 
 and appreciated its humanity ; but Major Brown de- 
 murred, and wanted to " fight it out," when Farragut 
 told him he could understand his feelings, and was the 
 last man to advise a surrender as long as there was a 
 hope of preventing it ; adding, with much feeling, " Gen- 
 
THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 41 
 
 tlemeu, if hard fighting could save that fort, I would 
 advise you to fight to the death ; but, by all the laws of 
 war, you have not even a chayice of saving it." The 
 major admitted it was a forlorn hope, and finally agreed 
 with his colonel that the surrender was necessary, and it 
 was then and there agreed that it should take place on 
 the following morning, at nine o'clock. 
 
 The officers took a glass of wine together, and signed 
 the surrender, and the meeting broke up. Captain Dray- 
 ton and Major Montgomery being appointed by their 
 respective chiefs to take possession of the fort on the 
 morrow, in the name of the array and navy of the United 
 States. 
 
 Accordingly, at nine A. m. of the 7th, Drayton and 
 Montgomery were admitted into the fort, and, an hour or 
 two later, the besieging army, conducted by Montgomery, 
 appeared before its walls. Then the garrison marched 
 out and stacked their arms, and. the officers delivered up 
 their swords, and Fort Gaines passed into Federal hands, 
 striking its flag to the Navy. 
 
 The Confederates were now embarked in transports 
 and sent to New Orleans, while the Union troops, finding 
 in the fort a large quantity of supplies, "regaled them- 
 selves," according to Andrews, " with the best meal they 
 had had since arriving on Dauphine Island, — corn- 
 dodgers, fried bacon, and coffee." 
 
 Immediately after the surrender of Fort Gaines, Fort 
 Morgan was formally summoned by the admiral and Gen- 
 eral Granger, the message from the former being deliv- 
 ered in person to General Page, who commanded it, by 
 Lieutenant J. Crittenden Watson, that of the latter by 
 Major Montgomery. But General Page expressed his 
 
42 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 determination to defend his post to the last extremity, 
 and preparations were therefore at once made by the com- 
 bined forces to reduce it. 
 
 " On the 9th, at daylight, General Granger's command, 
 now re-enforced by the Twentieth Wisconsin, Thirty- 
 eighth Iowa, and Ninety-fourth Illinois, embarked for 
 Navy Cove, four miles from Fort Morgan, on the bay 
 side." From this point they gradually advanced, until, 
 by the 21st, — a siege train having previously arrived 
 under Brigadier-General Richard Arnold, — the land 
 forces had sixteen mortars and twenty-five cannon in 
 position, within five hundred yards of the fort, the naval 
 battery of four nine-inch Dahlgrens, manned by seamen 
 taken from the Hartford, Brooklyn, Richmond, and Lack- 
 awanna, and commanded by Lieutenant H. B. Tyson, 
 being of the number. 
 
 At daj'light on the 22d, the monitors and other vessels 
 of the fleet took the stations assigned them north, souths 
 and west of the fort, — the army being on the east, — so 
 that it was completely invested. Then began one of the 
 most furious bombardments that sailor or soldier has ever 
 witnessed. It continued all day long without intermis- 
 sion, but after sunset began to slacken, until, by nine at 
 night, it had become slow and irregular. Just then, how- 
 ever, a bright light shot up from the centre of the fort, 
 and it was discovered that the citadel was on fire, when 
 the besiegers sprung with renewed vigor to their guns, 
 whose never-ceasing flashes fairly illumined the sky — six 
 or eight mortar-shells could be seen in the air at once, 
 while the thunder of the artillery was heard even in 
 Mobile. 
 
 Yet amid all the horrors of this disastrous night, with 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 43 
 
 their walls breached, almost every piece of ordnance dis- 
 abled, and the magazines endangered by the conflagra- 
 tion, which raged fiercely for several hours, the garrison 
 of Fort Morgan was not dismayed. Some of the soldiers 
 applied themselves to throwing their powder into the cis- 
 terns, others to spiking or destroying dismounted guns, 
 while others again contended successfully with the de- 
 vouring flames. Among these. Privates Murphy, Ben- 
 bough, and Stevens, of the First Tennessee, were espe- 
 cially commended by their general "for great courage 
 and daring displayed." 
 
 As day dawned, the citadel was again set on fire, and 
 burned until it was consumed. To resist longer would 
 have been madness, and at six A. M. a white flag was dis- 
 played upon the parapet of the fort, when the firing of 
 the Unionists ceased. 
 
 At two in the afternoon the ceremony of surrender 
 took place, and the brave garrison, whose loss had been 
 between fifty and sixty in killed and wounded, was sent 
 to New Orleans in the steamers Bienville and Tennessee. 
 
 Thus the Confederate banner disappeared from view, 
 and the whole of Mobile Bay was ours. 
 
 Yet, remembering that of the actors in this strife all 
 were Americans, we glory not in our brothers' defeat, 
 rejoice not in our victory, save as these have tended to 
 the restoration of the Union. 
 
 God grant that when the next war comes, in every 
 fight, whether by land or by sea, we may stand shoulder 
 to shoulder and side by side, with the star-spangled ban- 
 ner — the emblem of equal rights to all — waving above 
 our heads, and not one single sectional flag to be seen 
 upon the battle-field. \ 
 
44 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 God grant, too, that Farragut's name may ever be re- 
 vered by his countrymen, and that, in remembrance of 
 his glorious services, his patriotism, and his valor, the old 
 Hartford be preserved by us, as the great English nation 
 preserves Nelson's flag-ship, the Victory.!^ 
 
NOTES. 
 
 Note 1. (Page 7.) 
 
 Mauvila era Lugar fortificado. Tenia ochenta casas, aunque en 
 cada una cabian mil Hombres : estaba en un llano, cercado de 
 Maderas hincados, i otros atrevesados con Paja larga, i unas Que- 
 brados, i Tierra, con que se hinchian los huecos, de manera, que 
 parecia Muralla, 6 Pared enlucida con Liana de Albanir, i k cada 
 ochenta pasos havia una Torre, adonde podian pelear ocho Hom- 
 bres, i havia muchas Saeteras con dos puertas, i enmedio de el 
 Lugar havia una gran Placa. — Hekreka. 
 
 Note 2. (Page 7.) 
 
 Tascaluja, sabiendo, por sus correos, que el Governador venia 
 cerca, salio a recebirle fuera del Pueblo. Estava en un cerrillo 
 alto, lugar eminente, de donde a todas partes se descubria mucha 
 tierra. Tenia en su compania no mas de cien hombres Nobles, 
 muy bien adereyados de ricas mantas de diversos aforros, con 
 grandes plumages en las cabe9as conforme el trage, y usanya dellas. 
 Todos cstavan en pie, solo Tascaluya estava sentado en una silla, 
 de las que los Seiiores de aquellas tierras usan, que son de madera, 
 una tercia, poco mas, 6 menos de alto, con algun concavo, para el 
 asiento, sin espaldar, ni bra^eras, toda de una pieca. Cabe si 
 tenia un Alferez con un gran Estandarte hecho de gamuca ama- 
 rilla, con tres barras afules que lo partian de una parte a otra, 
 
 45 
 
46 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 hecho al mismo talle, y forma de los Estandartes que en Espana 
 traen las Compafiias de Cavallos. 
 
 Fue cosa nueva para los Espanoles, ver Insignia Militar, porque 
 hasta entonces no avian visto, Estandarte, Vandera, ni Guion. — 
 Garcilaso i)e la Vega. 
 
 Note 3. (Page 7.) 
 
 El Capitan Diego de Soto Uego a lo mas recio de la batalla, y 
 apenas havia entrado en ella, quando le dieron un flechafo por un 
 ojo, que se salio al colodrillo, de que cayo luego en tierra, y sin 
 habla estuvo agonicando hasta otro dia, que murio sin que huvie- 
 sen podido quitarle la flecha. Esta fue la venganfa que hifo a 
 su pariente Don Carlos, para mayor dolor, y perdida del General, 
 y de todo el Exercito, porque eran dos Cavalleros, que dignamente 
 merecian ser Sobrinos de tal Tio. — Garcilaso. 
 
 Note 4. (Page 8.) 
 
 Fort Morgan, at the entrance of Mobile Bay, was taken this 
 morning by Alabama troops, and is now garrisoned by two hun- 
 dred men. — The Press, January 5, 1861. 
 
 The United States arsenal at Mobile was taken by the seces- 
 sionists at daylight, this morning. It contained six stand of arms, 
 fifteen hundred barrels of powder, three hundred thousand rounds 
 of musket-cartridges, and other munitions of war. There was no 
 defence. — Evening Post, January 7, 1861. 
 
 Note 5. (Page 12.) 
 
 The Natchez Courier of to-day says : " Fort Morgan welcomed 
 the blockading fleet by displaying the United States flag, with the 
 Union down, from the same staff, and below the Confederate 
 flag. — Jfo?/ 27, 1861. 
 
NOTES. 47 
 
 Note 6. (Page 14.) 
 
 Of these " absurd rumors " the following is a specimen : 
 
 Chicago, Thursday, July 31, (1863.) The Times has a special 
 despatch, dated Memphis, 28th instant, which says : " Late ad- 
 vices from the South, by rebel sources, are important. Ten iron- 
 clad gunboats, built in England, and fully equipped, have arrived 
 off Mobile harbor, and three more are on their way. These con- 
 stitute a fleet, ordered by the Southern Confederacy, and purchased 
 in Europe. They mount from ten to thirty guns each, and are 
 said to be mailed with six-inch iron. The blockade was run 
 openly, by the dint of superior strength and weight of metal. 
 Mobile is now considered open to the commerce of the world,^ 
 with the support of the newly-acquired power." 
 
 Note 7. (Page 20.) 
 
 While the Itasca was passing Fort Morgan, her commanding 
 officer, Lieutenant-Commander George Brown, was struck by a 
 splinter, which caused him for some moments great pain. " What 
 is the matter. Brown ? " asked the executive officer of the Ossipee ; 
 "have you been struck by a splinter?" "You may call it a 
 splinter on your big vessel," roared Brown, in reply ; " but aboard 
 this little craft it ranks as a log of wood." 
 
 Note 8. (Page 26.) 
 
 A curious incident of the passage of Fort Morgan is related by 
 several officers : 
 
 When the Tecumseh went down, the crew of the Hartford 
 sprung upon her starboard hammock rail, and gave three loud, 
 defiant cheers. This cheering was mistaken, by the crews of the 
 vessels following the Hartford, as an indication of some advantage 
 gained over the enemy, and taken up by them in succession. 
 
48 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 " I hailed the Lackawanna," says Captain McCann, who com- 
 manded the Kennebec, " to learn the cause of the prolonged 
 cheering. '■The Tecumsch Jias sunk the Tennessee!' some one 
 replied, and in an instant, mij men were cheering as enthusiasti- 
 cally as the others." 
 
 Note 9. (Page 31.) 
 
 " Not to have made mistakes," says Jomini, " is never to have 
 commanded ; " yet the only Jlaio in Farragut's order of battle 
 seems to have been his permitting the Oneida to bring up the rear. 
 Our experience during the civil war showed that, in passing forts 
 and batteries, the last vessel invariably got " peppered ; " there- 
 fore, the starboard rear vessel of the column should have been one 
 whose broadside was to be dreaded. Had the Richmond, for 
 instance, whose fire is particularly commended " for precision, 
 accuracy, and rapidity," been in the Oneida's place, the whole 
 fleet would probably have passed the forts almost unscathed. 
 
 Note 10. (Page 33.) 
 
 Just as the Tennessee made for the fort, her ensign was shot 
 away, creating the impression among the Unionists that she had 
 surrendered, and great was their disappointment when they saw it 
 go up again. 
 
 Note 11. (Page 34.) 
 
 When Farragut made signal Gunboats chase enennfs gunboats, 
 Jouett was off in a moment. His vessel was very fast, but, owing 
 to the fact that she drew much more water than the Confederate 
 gunboats, he found himself, before long, dragrjing the bottom. The 
 executive officer. Lieutenant Sleeper, than whom no cooler man 
 lived, reported to him that the Metacomet had a foot less loater 
 under her bottom than her draught. This was startling; for, 
 
NOTES. 49 
 
 should the vessel ground hard, the pursued might return upon the 
 pursuer, and change the game somewhat. " Call the leadsmen in 
 from the chains, Mr. Sleeper ! " ordered Jouett. Mr. Sleeper 
 looked amazed. " I tell you," said Jouett, who idolized Farragut, 
 and was a strict constructionist, " the admiral has directed me to 
 follow those gunboats, and I am going to do it. Call the men in 
 from the chains at once, sir ; they are demoralizing me ! " At 
 this the crew, who knew their commander well, set up a loud 
 laugh, and the Metacomet continued in pursuit, with the result 
 we know. 
 
 Note 12. (Page 34.) 
 
 While the gallantry of Buchanan's attack upon the Union fleet 
 must be acknowledged, it was certainly most Quixotic to make it. 
 " C'est magnijiqtoe" said an old French officer who witnessed the 
 charge of " The Five Hundred," " mais ce n^ est pas la guerre." 
 
 Note 13. (Page 37.) 
 
 The shot which gave the coup de grace to the Tennessee was 
 that which destroyed her steering-gear. The credit of firing it 
 has been claimed for several vessels, and there is no positive evi- 
 dence regarding it ; but the general opinion of those who were 
 actors in the strife confers the honor upon the Chickasaw ; and 
 the verdict is justified, I think, by the report of the board of offi- 
 cers who held a " strict and careful survey " upon the ram, a few 
 days after the action. The difficulty of establishing a matter of 
 this kind beyond cavil is shown in the fact that several of our 
 commanders lay claim to the honor of shooting away the Ten- 
 nessee's smoke-stack, while Captain Johnston says (page 76) : 
 " At about the same time, the smoke-pipe, which had been riddled 
 by shot, was broken close off to the top of the shield, or upper 
 deck, hy the concussion produced by the ramming process adopted 
 hy the heavy vessels of the enemy,^'' &c., &c. 
 4 
 
50 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 Note 14. (Page 37.) 
 
 As the opinion has been very generally expressed, that Bu- 
 chanan should have made his attack on the Union fleet after 
 nightfall, the following extract from a little memorandum-book, 
 carried by Farragut in his pocket on that memorable 5th of Au- 
 gust, is of great interest, as showing that our admiral was pre- 
 pared for every emergency : " Had Buchanan remained under the 
 fort, I should have attacked him as soon as it became so dark as 
 to prevent Page, amid the smoke of our guns, from distinguishing 
 friend from foe. I intended to go in with the three monitors — 
 myself on board the Manhattan." 
 
 Note 15. (Page 39.) 
 
 It will be observed that General Maury, in his official reports, 
 expresses great indignation at the "precipitate" evacuation of 
 Fort Powell, and the surrender of Fort Gaines ; yet it appears 
 more than probable that, in the light of after experience, this dis- 
 tinguished officer's views must have been materially modified. 
 
 As to Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, there can be no doubt that 
 he acted wisely and prudently ; for, had he remained in Fort 
 Powell, the monitors Chickasaw and Winnebago, and the light- 
 draught gunboats moving up, on August 6th, to within a few hun- 
 dred yards of its eastern face, and crossing their fire with De 
 Kraft's flotilla outside, would have forced a surrender in less than 
 twelve hours, and the garrison, which Williams saved for the de- 
 fence of Mobile, have fallen into our hands. 
 
 With regard to forts Morgan and Gaines, the question seems 
 to be one purely of time. If there had been a Confederate ar77iy 
 marching to the relief of Mobile, it would undoubtedly have been 
 the duty of General Page and Colonel Anderson to hold their forts 
 to the last extremity ; but so far was this from being the case, 
 that General Maury, according to his own statement, was at that 
 
NOTES. 51 
 
 very time sending reinforcements to co-operate with Forrest in 
 holding in check " a force of fifteen thousand men advancing down 
 the Mississippi Central road," while only one thousand " reserves " 
 could be mustered to aid the scanty garrison of four thousand 
 soldiers, citizens, and militia manning the works about Mobile. 
 Remembering, then, that Fort Morgan held out only one day after 
 it was fully invested, the thoughtful reader cannot fail to be im- 
 pressed with the idea that General Page would have done well had 
 he blown up Fort Morgan as soon as the Union fleet was in undis- 
 puted possession of Mobile Bay, and marched his troops to Mo- 
 bile ; and that Colonel Anderson's duty to his soldiers, many of 
 whom were mere boys, required him to act, under the circum- 
 stances, precisely as he did. 
 
 Note 16. (Page 44.) 
 
 The following trova of Mossen Jaime Febrer, an Arragonese 
 troubadour of the thirteenth century, will doubtless be of interest 
 to many readers, since it relates to Don Pedro Ferragut, one of 
 the " conquerors " of Majorca, from whom our Farragut is said to 
 have descended. 
 
 Pedko Fekkagut. 
 Troba 237. 
 Sobre camp bermell una ferradura 
 De finisim or, ab un clav daurat, 
 Pere Ferragut pinta, e en tal figura 
 Esplica lo agnom. La historia asegura 
 Ser aragones, de Jaca baixat. 
 Apres que en Mallorca servi de sargent, 
 Yenint a Valencia, hon gran renom guanya 
 De expert capita per lo dilitgent ; 
 Los anys, e sucesos lo feven prudent 
 Te en lo pelear gran cordura e manya, 
 Perque d totes amies facilment se apanya. 
 
52 
 
 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 The above may be rendered into English thus : Peter Fer- 
 ragut, in order that all might know his agnomen, painted upon the 
 vermilion of his shield a golden nail and horse-shoe. 
 
 History informs us that he was born in Jaca, in Aragon. After 
 serving as a sergeant in Mallorca, he went to Valencia, where he 
 gained great renown as a captain whose age and experience had 
 made him at once adventurous and prudent. He was famous for 
 his skill in the use of arms, and for his great amiability in battle. 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 63 
 
 BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 BY COMMODORE THOMAS H. STEVENS, V. S. N. 
 
 Fair broke the morn off Mobile Bay ; 
 On Morgan's crest its first beams play ; 
 O'er stately ships, and mirrored deep, 
 The blushes of the morning creep. 
 
 Fair broke the morn ; on distant strand 
 The rippling waters kiss the land ; 
 The spirit of repose rests there. 
 To greet the morn so bright, so fair. 
 
 O, Morn of Peace ! no token thou 
 Of changing scene that greets us now. 
 Like phantom craft, at given sign. 
 The stately ships swing into line. 
 
 Stately and grand, in dark array, 
 Slow moves the Fleet for Mobile Bay ; 
 With the first beam of morning sun 
 Booms o'er the sea the signal gun. 
 
 With the first beam of morning sun, 
 With the first flash of signal gun. 
 Fierce broke the battle's angry blast, 
 Through riven hull and shivered mast. 
 
64' THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 The red-lipped guns their missiles sent 
 From ships to forts and battlement ; 
 And fiercer, angrier than before, 
 Like voice of storms, the battle's roar. 
 
 Still swells the storm ; no line of fire 
 Stops the stout heart from its desire ; 
 Resistless as the march of Fate, 
 Slow moves the Fleet to Mobile's Gate. 
 
 Slow moves the Fleet : what stops the way, 
 To bring disaster on the day ? 
 Who dares to deeds of high emprise 
 Counts not the cost, nor sacrifice ! 
 
 To these high praise and meed belong 
 From the celestial sons of song ; 
 Who nobly dares, like Craven strives, 
 Shall live immortal as the skies. 
 
 Dark grew the day ; beneath the wave 
 Bold Craven finds a warrior's grave ; 
 Confused, defenceless, helpless, lay 
 The Union Fleet near Mobile Bay. 
 
 Quickly did foeman's eye discern 
 The changing tide of battle turn ; 
 On iron ships, on ships of oak. 
 Anew the scathing tempest broke. 
 
 Great souls with the occasion rise, 
 Inspired by Him who rules the skies ; 
 With faith unshaken, clear eyes see 
 The means and path to victory. 
 
THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 55 
 
 Lashed to the mast, our great chief saw 
 The coming crisis of the war ; 
 Quick to divine, and firm as rock. 
 His great soul rose to meet the shock. 
 
 Then from aloft was heard the cry, 
 " Forward ! Why linger here to die ? " 
 We saw the Hartford lead the way — 
 The ships once more in firm array. 
 
 Forward and onward sweeps the Fleet, 
 By battered forts, fresh foes to meet ; 
 O'er sunken mines, that strew the bay, 
 Through shot and shell, that round us play. 
 
 Like lions, crouching in their lair, 
 The foemen's ships in wait lie there, — 
 With raking cannon guard the way. 
 Where lay our course, up Mobile Bay. 
 
 Short, sharp, decisive was the stroke, 
 As through their serried line we broke ; 
 Victorious, at noon of day, 
 Anchored our Fleet in Mobile Bay. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 yi*<o 
 
 ATTACK ON THE DEFENCES OF MOBILE. 
 Detailed Report of Rear-Admiral D. G. Farragut. 
 
 United States Flag-Ship Hartford, ) 
 Mobile Bat, August 12, 18G4. 5 
 
 SiK : I had the honor to forward to the department, 
 on the evening of the 5th instant, a report of my entree 
 into Mobile Bay, on the morning of that day, and which, 
 though brief, contained all the principal facts of the 
 attack. 
 
 Notwithstanding the loss of life, particularly on this 
 ship, and the terrible disaster to the Tecumseh, the result 
 of the fight was a glorious victor}^, and I have reason to 
 feel proud of the ofBcers, seamen, and marines of the 
 squadron under my command, for it has never fallen to 
 the lot of an ofiQcer to be thus situated and thus sus- 
 tained. 
 
 Regular discipUne will bring men to any amount of 
 endurance, but there is a natural fear of hidden dangers, 
 particularly when so awfully destructive of human life as 
 the torpedo, which requires more than discipline to over- 
 come. 
 
 57 
 
58 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 Preliminary to a report of the action of the fifth, I 
 desire to call the attention of the department to the pre- 
 vious steps taken in consultation with Generals Canby 
 and Granger. On the 8th of July I had an interview 
 with these officers on board the Hartford, on the subject 
 of an attack upon forts Morgan and Gaines, at which it 
 was agreed that General Canby would send all the troops 
 he could spare to co-operate with the fleet. Circum- 
 stances soon obliged General Canby to inform me that he 
 could not dispatch a sufficient number to invest both 
 forts ; and, in reply, I suggested that Gaines should be 
 first invested, engaging to have a force in the sound 
 ready to protect the landing of the army on Dauphine 
 Island, in the rear of that fort, and I assigned Lieu- 
 tenant-Commander De Kraft, of the Conemaugh, to that 
 duty. 
 
 On the 1st instant General Granger visited me again 
 on the Hartford. In the meantime the Tecumseh had 
 arrived at Pensacola, and Captain Craven had informed 
 me that he would be ready in four days for any service- 
 We therefore fixed upon the 4th of August as the day 
 for the landing of the troops and my entrance into the 
 bay, but owing to delays mentioned in Captain Jenkins' 
 communication to me, the Tecumseh was not ready. 
 General Granger, however, to my mortification, was up 
 to time, and the troops actually landed on Dauphine 
 Island. 
 
 As subsequent events proved, the delay turned to our 
 advantage, as the rebels were busily engaged during the 
 4th in throwing troops and supplies into Fort Gaines, all 
 of which were captured a few days afterward. 
 
 The Tecumseh arrived on the evening of the 4th, and 
 
APPENDIX. 59 
 
 everything being propitious, I proceeded to the attack on 
 the following morning. 
 
 As mentioned in my previous despatch, the vessels out- 
 side the bar, which were designed to participate in the 
 engagement, were all under way by forty minutes past 
 five in the morning, in the following order, two abreast, 
 and lashed together: — Brooklyn, Captain James Aklen, 
 with the Octorora, Lieutenant-Commander C. H. Green, 
 on the port side ; Hartford, Captain Percival Drayton, 
 with the Metacomet, Lieutenant-Commander J. E. Jouett; 
 Richmond, Captain T. A. Jenkins, with the Port Royal, 
 Lieutenant-Commander B. Gherardi; Lackawanna, Cap- 
 tain J. B. Marchand, with the Seminole, Commander E. 
 Donaldson ; Monongahela, Commander J. H. Strong, with 
 the Kennebec, Lieutenant-Commander W. P. McCann ; 
 Ossipee, Commander W. E. Le Roy, with the Itasca, 
 Lieutenant-Commander George Brown ; Oneida, Com- 
 mander J. R. M. Mullany, with the Galena, Lieutenant- 
 Commander C. H. Wells. The iron-clads — Tecumseh, 
 Commander T. A. M. Craven ; the Manhattan, Com- 
 mander J. W. A. Nicholson ; the Winnebago, Commander 
 T. H. Stevens; and the Chickasaw, Lieutenant-Com- 
 mander G. H. Perkins — were already inside the bar, and 
 Had been ordered to take up their positions on the star- 
 board side of the wooden ships, or between them and 
 Fort Morgan, for the double purpose of keeping down the 
 fire from the water battery and the parapet guns of the 
 fort, as well as to attack the ram Tennessee as soon as 
 the fort was passed. 
 
 It was only at the urgent request of the captains and 
 commanding officers that I 3'ielded to the Brooklyn being 
 the leading ship of the line, as she had four chase guns 
 
60 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 and an ingenious arrangement for picking up torpedoes, 
 and because, in their judgment, the flag-ship ought not to 
 be too much exposed. This I believe to be an error ; 
 for, apart from the fact that exposure is one of the pen- 
 alties of rank in the navy, it will always be the aim of 
 the enemy to destroy the flag-ship, and, as will appear in 
 the sequel, such attempt was very persistently made, but 
 Providence did not permit it to be successful. 
 
 The attacking fleet steamed steadily up the main ship- 
 channel, the Tecumseh firing the first shot at forty-seven 
 minutes past six o'clock. At six minutes past seven the 
 fort opened upon us, and was replied to by a gun from 
 the Brooklyn, and immediately after the action became 
 general. 
 
 It was soon apparent that there was some difficulty 
 ahead. The Brooklyn, for some cause which I did not 
 then clearly understand, but which has since been ex- 
 plained by Captain Alden in his report, arrested the 
 advance of the whole fleet, while, at the same time, the 
 guns of the fort were playing with great effect upon that 
 vessel and the Hartford. A moment after I saw the 
 Tecumseh, struck by a torpedo, disappear almost instan- 
 taneously beneath the waves, carrying with her her gal- 
 lant commander and nearly all her crew. I determined 
 at once, as I had originally intended, to take the lead; 
 and after ordering the Metacomet to send a boat to save, 
 if possible, any of the perisliing crew, I dashed ahead 
 with the Hartford, and the ships followed on, their offi- 
 cers believing that they were going to a noble death with 
 their commander-in-chief. 
 
 I steamed through between the buoys, where the tor- 
 pedoes were supposed to have been sunk. These buoys 
 
APPENDIX. 61 
 
 had been previously examined by my flag-lieutenant, J. 
 Crittenden Watson, in several nightly reconnoissances. 
 Though he had not been able to discover the sunken tor- 
 pedoes, yet we had been assured, by refugees, deserters, 
 and others, of their existence ; but believing that, from 
 their having been some time in the water, they were prob- 
 ably innocuous, I determined to take the chance of their 
 explosion. 
 
 From the moment I turned to the northward, to clear 
 the middle ground, we were enabled to keep such a 
 broadside fire upon the batteries of Fort Morgan, that 
 their guns did us comparatively little injury. 
 
 Just after we passed the fort, which was about ten 
 minutes before eight o'clock, the ram Tennessee dashed 
 out at this ship, as had been expected, and in anticipation 
 of which I had ordered the monitors on our starboard 
 side. I took no further notice of her than to return 
 her fire. 
 
 The rebel gunboats Morgan, Gaines, and Selma were 
 ahead; and the latter particularly annoyed us with a 
 raking fire, which our guns could not return. At two 
 minutes after eight o'clock I ordered the Metacomet to 
 cast off and go in pursuit of the Selma. Captain Jouett 
 was after her in a moment, and in an hour's time he had 
 her as a prize. She was commanded by P. V. Murph}', 
 formerly of the United States navy. He was wounded 
 in the wrist, his executive officer, Lieutenant Comstock, 
 and eight of the crew killed, and seven or eight wounded. 
 Lieutenant-Commander Jouett's conduct during the whole 
 affair commands my warmest commendations. The Mor- 
 gan and Gaines succeeded in escaping under the protec- 
 tion of the guns of Fort Morgan, which would have been 
 
62 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 prevented had the other gunboats been as prompt in their 
 movements as the Metacomet; the want of pilots, how- 
 ever, I believe, was the principal difficulty. The Gaines 
 was so injured by our fire that she had to be run ashore, 
 where she was subsequently destroyed ; but the Morgan 
 escaped to Mobile during the night, though she was 
 chased and fired upon by our cruisers. 
 
 Having passed the forts and dispersed the enemy's 
 gunboats, I had ordered most of the vessels to anchor, 
 when I perceived the ram Tennessee standing up for this 
 ship. This was at forty-five minutes past eight. I was 
 not long in comprehending Buchanan's intentions to be 
 the destruction of the flag-ship. The monitors, and such 
 of the wooden vessels as I thought best adapted for 
 the purpose, were immediately ordered to attack the 
 ram, not only with their guns, but bows on at full 
 speed ; and then began one of the fiercest naval combats 
 on record. 
 
 The Monongahela, Commander Strong, was the first 
 vessel that struck her, and in doing so carried away her 
 own iron prow, together with the cutwater, without ap- 
 parently doing her adversary much injury. The Lack- 
 awanna, Captain Marchand, was the next vessel to strike 
 her, which she did at full speed ; but though her stern 
 was cut and crushed to the plank ends for the distance of 
 three feet above the water's edge to five feet below, the 
 only perceptible effect on the ram was to give her a heavy 
 list. 
 
 The Hartford was the third vessel which struck her, 
 but, as the Tennessee quickly shifted her helm, the blow 
 was a glancing one, and, as she rasped along our side, we 
 poured our whole port broadside of nine-inch solid shot 
 within ten feet of her casement. 
 
APPENDIX. 63 
 
 The monitors worked slowly, but delivered their fire as 
 opportunity offered. The Chickasaw succeeded in get- 
 ting under her stern, and a fifteen-inch shot from the 
 Manhattan broke through her iron plating and heavy 
 wooden backing, though the missile itself did not enter 
 the vessel. 
 
 Immediately after the collision with the flag-ship, I 
 directed Captain Drayton to bear down for the ram again. 
 He was doing so at full speed, when, unfortunately, the 
 Lackawanna ran into the Hartford just forward of the 
 mizzen-mast, cutting her down to within two feet of the 
 water's edge. We soon got clear again, however, and 
 were fast approaching our adversary, when she struck her 
 colors and ran up the white flag. 
 
 She was at this time sore beset; the Chickasaw was 
 pounding away at her stern, the Ossipee was approaching 
 her at full speed, and the Monongahela, Lackawanna, 
 and this ship were bearing down upon her, determined 
 upon her destruction. Her smoke-stack had been shot 
 away, her steering chains were gone, compelling a resort 
 to her relieving tackles, and several of her port-shutters 
 were jammed. Indeed, from the time the Hartford struck 
 her until her surrender, she never fired a gun. As the 
 Ossipee, Commander Le Roy, was about to strike her, she 
 hoisted the white flag, and that vessel immediately 
 stopped her engine, though not in time to avoid a 
 glancing blow. 
 
 During this contest with the rebel gunboats and the 
 ram Tennessee, and which terminated by her surrender at 
 ten o'clock, we lost many more men than from the fire of 
 the batteries of Fort Morgan. 
 
 Admiral Buchanan was wounded in the leg ; two or 
 
64 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 
 
 three of his men were killed, and five or six wounded. 
 Commander Johnston, formerly of the United States 
 navy, was in command of the Tennessee, and came on 
 board the flag-ship to surrender his sword, and that of 
 Admiral Buchanan. The surgeon. Doctor Conrad, came 
 with him, stated the condition of the admiral, and wished 
 to know what was to be done with him. Fleet Surgeon 
 Palmer, who was on board the Hartford during the ac- 
 tion, commiserating the sufferings of the wounded, sug- 
 gested that those of both sides be sent to Pensacola, 
 where they could be properly cared for. I therefore 
 addressed a note to Brigadier-General R. L. Page, com- 
 manding Fort Morgan, informing him that Admiral Bu- 
 chanan and others of the Tennessee had been wounded, 
 and desiring to know whether he would permit one of 
 our vessels, under a flag of truce, to convey them, with 
 or without our wounded, to Pensacola, on the under- 
 standing that the vessel should take out none but the 
 wounded, and bring nothing back that she did not take 
 out. This was acceded to by General Page, and the 
 Metacomet proceeded on this mission of humanity. 
 
 I inclose herewith the correspondence with that officer 
 (marked numbers one, two, three, and four.) I forward 
 also the reports (marked numbers five, six, seven, eight, 
 nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, six- 
 teen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, and twenty- 
 one) of the commanding officers of the vessels who par- 
 ticipated in the action, and who will no doubt call atten- 
 tion to the conduct of such individuals as most distin- 
 guished themselves. 
 
 As I had an elevated position in the main rigging near 
 the top, I was able to overlook not only the deck of the 
 
APPENDIX. 65 
 
 Hartford, but the other vessels of the fleet. I witnessed 
 the terrible effects of the enemy's shot, and the good con- 
 duct of the men at their guns, and although no doubt 
 their hearts sickened, as mine did, when their shipmates 
 were struck down beside them, yet there was not a mo- 
 ment's hesitation to lay their comrades aside, and spring 
 again to their deadly work. 
 
 Our little consort, the Metacomet, was also under my 
 immediate eye during the whole action up to the moment 
 I ordered her to cast off in pursuit of the Selma. The 
 coolness and promptness of Lieutenant-Commander Jouett 
 throughout merit high praise ; his whole conduct was 
 worthy of his reputation. 
 
 In this connection I must not omit to call the attention 
 of the department to the conduct of Acting Ensign 
 Henry C. Nields, of the Metacomet, who liad charge of 
 the boat sent from that vessel when the Tecumseh sank. 
 He took her in under one of the most galling fires I ever 
 saw, and succeeded in rescuing from death ten of her 
 crew, within six hundred yards of the fort. I would 
 respectfully recommend his advancement. 
 
 The commanding officers of all the vessels who took 
 part in the action deserve my warmest commendations, 
 not only for the untiring zeal with which they had pre- 
 pared their ships for the contest, but for their skill and 
 daring in carrying out my orders during the engagement. 
 With the exception of the momentary arrest of the fleet 
 when the Hartford passed ahead, and to which I have 
 already adverted, the order of battle was preserved, and 
 the ships followed each other in close order past the bat- 
 teries of Fort Morgan, and in comparative safety too, 
 with the exception of the Oneida. Her boilers were pen- 
 5 
 
66 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 etrated by a shot from the fort, which completely disabled 
 her ; but her consort, the Galena, firmly fastened to her 
 side, brought her safely through, showing clearly the 
 wisdom of the precaution of carrying the vessels in two 
 abreast. Commander Mullany, who had solicited eagerly 
 to take part in the action, was severely wounded, losing 
 his left arm. 
 
 In the encounter with the ram the commanding officers 
 obeyed with alacrity the order to run her down, and 
 without hesitation exposed their ships to destruction to 
 destroy the enemy. 
 
 Our iron-clads, from their slow speed and bad steering, 
 had some difficulty in getting into and maintaining their 
 position in line as we passed the fort, and, in the sub- 
 sequent encounter with the Tennessee, from the same 
 causes were not as effective as could have been desired ; 
 but I cannot give too much praise to Lieutenant-Com- 
 mander Perkins, who, though he had orders from the 
 department to return north, volunteered to take com- 
 mand of the Chickasaw, and did his duty nobly. 
 
 The Winnebago was commanded by Commander T. H. 
 Stevens, who volunteered for that position. His vessel 
 steers very badly, and neither of his turrets will work, 
 which compelled him to turn his vessel every time to get 
 a shot, so that he could not fire very often, but he did the 
 best he could under the circumstances. 
 
 The Manhattan appeared to work well, though she 
 moved slowly. Commander Nicholson delivered liis fire 
 deliberately, and, as before stated, with one of his fifteen- 
 inch shot broke through the armor of the Tennessee, 
 with its wooden backing, though the shot itself did not 
 enter the vessel. No other shot broke through the armor, 
 
APPENDIX. 67 
 
 though many of her plates were started, and several of 
 her port-shutters jammed by the fire from the different 
 ships. 
 
 The Hartford, my flag-ship, was commanded by Cap- 
 tain Percival Drayton, who exhibited throughout that 
 coolness and ability for which he has been long known to 
 his brother officers. But I must speak of that officer in 
 a double capacity. He is the fleet-captain of my squad- 
 ron, and one of more determined energy, untiring devo- 
 tion to duty, and zeal for the service, tempered by great 
 calmness, I do not think adorns any navy. I desire to 
 call your attention to this officer, though well aware that 
 in thus speaking of his high qualities, I am only commu- 
 nicating officially to the department that which it knew 
 full well before. To him, and to my staff in their re- 
 spective positions, I am indebted for the detail of my 
 fleet. 
 
 Lieutenant J. Crittenden Watson, my flag-lieutenant, 
 has been brought to your notice in former despatches. 
 During the action he was on the poop attending to the 
 signals, and performed his duties, as might be expected, 
 thoroughly. He is a scion worthy the noble stock he 
 sprang from, and I commend him to your attention. 
 
 My secretary, Mr. McKinley, and Acting Ensign H. H. 
 Brownell, were also on the poop, the latter taking notes 
 of the action, a duty which he performed with coolness 
 and accuracy. 
 
 Two other acting ensigns of my staff, Mr. Bogart and 
 Mr. Heginbotham, were on duty in the powder division, 
 and, as the reports will show, exhibited zeal and ability. 
 The latter, I regret to add, was severely wounded by a 
 raking shot from the Tennessee when we collided with 
 
68 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 that vessel, and died a few hours after. Mr. Heginbotham 
 was a young married man, and has left a widow and one 
 child, whom I commend to the kindness of the de- 
 partment. 
 
 Lieutenant A. R. Yates, of the Augusta, acted as an 
 additional aid to me on board the Hartford, and was very 
 efficient in the transmission of orders. I have given 
 him the command temporarily of the captured steamer 
 Selma. 
 
 The last of my staff, and to whom I would call the 
 attention of the department, is not the least in impor- 
 tance. I mean Pilot Martin Freeman. He has been my 
 great reliance in all difficulties in his line of duty. Dur- 
 ing the action he was in the main-top, piloting the ships 
 into the bay. He was cool and brave throughout, never 
 losing his self-possession. This man was captured early 
 in the war in a fine fishing-smack which he owned, and 
 though he protested that he had no interest in the war, 
 find only asked for the privilege of fishing for the fleet, 
 yet his services were too valuable to the captors as a pilot 
 not to be secured. He was appointed a first-class pilot, 
 and has served us with zeal and fidelity, and has lost his 
 vessel, which went to pieces on Ship Island. I commend 
 him to the department. 
 
 It gives me pleasure to refer to several officers who 
 volunteered to take any situation where they might be 
 useful, some of whom were on their way north, either 
 by orders of the department or condemned by medical 
 survey. The reports of the different commanders will 
 show how they conducted themselves. I have already 
 mentioned Lieutenant-Commander Perkins, of the Chick- 
 asaw, and Lieutenant Yates, of the Augusta. Acting 
 
APPENDIX. 69 
 
 Volunteer Lieutenant William Hamilton, late command- 
 ing officer of the Augusta Dinsmore, had been invalided 
 by medical survey, but he eagerly offered his services on 
 board the iron-clad Chickasaw, having had much experi- 
 ence in our monitors. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant P. 
 Giraud, another experienced officer in iron-clads, asked to 
 go in on one of these vessels, but as they were all well 
 supplied with officers, I permitted him to go in on the 
 Ossipee, under Commander Le Roy. After the action he 
 was given temporary charge of the ram Tennessee. 
 
 Before closing this report, there is one other officer of 
 my squadron of whom I feel bound to speak, — Captain 
 T. A. Jenkins, of the Richmond, who was formerly my 
 chief of staff, not because of his having held that po- 
 sition, but because he never forgets to do his duty to the 
 government, and takes now the same interest in the fleet 
 as when he stood in that relation to me. " He is also the 
 commanding officer of the second division of my squad- 
 ron, and, as such, has shown ability and the most untiring 
 zeal. He carries out the spirit of one of Lord Colling- 
 wood's best sajdngs : " Not to be afraid of doing too 
 much; those who are, seldom do as much as they ought." 
 When in Pensacola, he spent days on the bar, placing the 
 buoys in the best position, was always looking after the 
 interests of the service, and keeping the vessels from 
 being detained one moment longer in port than was ne- 
 cessary. The gallant Craven told me, only the night 
 before the action in which he lost his life : " I regret, 
 admiral, that I have detained you ; but had it not been 
 for Captain Jenkins, God knows when I should have been 
 here. When your order came, I had not received an 
 ounce of coal." 
 
70 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 I feel I should not be doing my duty did I not call the 
 attention of the department to an officer who has per- 
 formed all his various duties with so much zeal and 
 fidelity. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 D. G. FARRAGUT, 
 Commanding W. Cr. Blockading Squadron. 
 
 Hon. Gideon Welles, 
 
 Secretary of the Navy. 
 
APPENDIX. 71 
 
 THE NAVAL FIGHT IN MOBILE BAY. 
 
 August 5, 1864. 
 
 Official Report of Admiral Buchanan. 
 
 United States Naval Hospital, Pensacola. ) 
 August 26, 1864. 5 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to inform you that the enemy's 
 fleet, under Admiral Farragut, consisting of fourteen 
 steamers and four monitors, passed Fort Morgan on tlie 
 5th instant, about 6.30 A. M., in the following order,, and 
 stood into Mobile Bay : — The four monitors, Tecumseh 
 and Manhattan, each carrying two fifteen-inch guns, the 
 Winnebago and Chickasaw, each carrying four eleven- 
 inch guns, in a single line ahead, about half a mile from 
 the fort. The fourteen steamers, — Brooklyn, of twenty- 
 six ; Octorora, ten ; Hartford, twenty-eight ; Metacomet, 
 ten ; Richmond, twenty-four ; Port Royal, eight ; Lack- 
 awanna, fourteen ; Seminole, nine ; Monongahela, twelve ; 
 Kennebec, five ; Ossipee, thirteen; Itasca, four; Oneida, 
 ten; and Galena, fourteen guns, — in a double line ahead, 
 each two lashed together, the side-wheel steamers off 
 shore, all about one-quarter of a mile from the monitors, — 
 carrying in all one hundred and ninety-nine guns and 
 twenty-seven hundred men. When they were discovered 
 standing into the channel, signal was made to the Mobile 
 
72 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 squadron, under my command, consisting of the wooden 
 gunboats Morgan and Gaines, each carrying six guns, and 
 Selma, four, to " follow my motions " in the ram Ten- 
 nessee, of six guns, — in all twenty-two guns, and four 
 hundred and seventy men. All were soon under way, 
 and stood towards the enemy in a line abreast. As the 
 Tennessee approached the fleet, when opposite the fort, 
 we opened our battery at short range upon the leading 
 ship, the admiral's flag-ship Hartford, and made the at- 
 tempt to run into her, but, owing to her superior speed, 
 our attempt was frustrated. We then stood towards the 
 next heavy ship, the Brooklyn, with the same view ; she 
 also avoided us by her superior speed. During this time 
 the gunboats were also closely engaged Avith the enemy. 
 All our guns were used to the greatest advantage, and 
 we succeeded in seriously damaging many of the enemy's 
 vessels. 
 
 The Selma and Gaines, under Lieutenant-Commandants 
 P. U. Murphy and J. W. Bennett, fought gallantly, and 
 I was gratified to hear from officers of the enemy's fleet 
 that their fire was very destructive. The Gaines was 
 fought until she was found to be in a sinking condition, 
 when she was run on shore near Fort Morgan. 
 
 Lieutenant-Commandant Murphy was closely engaged 
 with the Metacomet, assisted by the Morgan, Commander 
 G. W. Harrison, who during the conflict deserted him, 
 when, upon the approach of another large steamer, the 
 Selma surrendered. I refer you to the report of Lieu- 
 tenant-Commandant Murphy for the particulars of his 
 action ; he lost two promising young officers. Lieutenant 
 Comstock and Master's Mate IMurray, and a number 
 of his men were killed and wounded, and he was also. 
 
APPENDIX. ' 73 
 
 wounded severely in the wrist.* Commander Harrison 
 will no doubt report to the department his reason for 
 leaving the Selma in that contest with the enemy, as the 
 Morgan was uninjured ; his conduct is severely com- 
 mented on by the officers of the enemy's fleet, much to 
 the injury of that officer and the navy. Soon after the 
 gunboats were dispersed by the overwhelming superiority 
 of force, and the enemy's fleet had anchored about four 
 miles above Fort Morgan, we stood for them again, in the 
 Tennessee, and renewed the attack, with the hope of 
 sinking some of them with our prow ; again we were 
 foiled by their superior speed in avoiding us. The en- 
 gagement with the whole fleet soon became general at 
 very close quarters, and lasted about an hour ; and, not- 
 withstanding the serious injurj^ inflicted upon many of 
 their vessels by our guns, we could not sink them. Fre- 
 quently during the contest we were surrounded by the 
 enemy, and all our guns were in action almost at the 
 same moment. 
 
 Four of the heaviest vessels ran into us under full 
 steam, with the view of sinking us. One vessel, the Mo- 
 nongahela, had been prepared as a ram, and was very for- 
 midable ; she struck us with great force, injuring us but 
 little ; her prow and stem were knocked off, and the ves- 
 sel was so much injured as to make it necessary to dock 
 her. Several of the other vessels of the fleet were found 
 to require extensive repairs. I enclose you a copy of a 
 drawing of the Brooklyn, made by one of her officers 
 after the action, and an officer of the Hartford informed 
 me that she was more seriously injured than the Brooklyn. 
 
 * A Court of Inquiry exonerated Commander Harrison from blame in 
 tliis affair. F. A. P. 
 
74 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAY. 
 
 I mention these facts to prove that the guns of the Ten- 
 nessee were not idle during this unequal contest. For 
 other details of the action, and injuries sustained by the 
 Tennessee, I refer you to the report of Commander J. D. 
 Johnston, which has my approval. After I was carried 
 below, unfortunately wounded, I had to be governed b}' 
 the reports of that valuable officer as to the condition of 
 the ship, and the necessity and time of her surrender; and 
 when he represented to me her utterly hopeless condition 
 to continue the fight with injury to the enemy, and sug- 
 gested her surrender, I directed him to do the best he 
 could, and when he could no longer damage the enemy, 
 to do so. 
 
 It affords me much pleasure to state that the officers 
 and men cheerfully fought their guns to the best of their 
 abilities, and gave strong evidence, b}^ their promptness 
 in executing orders, of their willingness to continue the 
 contest as long as they could stand to their guns, not- 
 withstanding the fatigue they had undergone for several 
 hours ; and it was only because the circumstances were as 
 represented by Captain Johnston, that she was surren- 
 dered to the fleet about ten A. M., painful as it was to do 
 so. I seriously felt the want of experienced officers dur- 
 ing the action ; all were young and inexperienced, and 
 many had but little familiarity v/ith naval duties, having 
 been appointed from civil life within the year. 
 
 The reports of Commander Harrison, of the Morgan, 
 and Lieutenant-Commandant Bennett, of the Gaines, you 
 have, no doubt, received from these officers. I enclose 
 the report of Fleet-Surgeon D. B. Conrad, to whom I am 
 much indebted for his skill, promptness, and attention to 
 the wounded. By permission of Admiral Farragut, he 
 
APPENDIX. 75 
 
 accompanied the wounded of the Tennessee and Selma to 
 this hospital, and is assisted by Assistant-Surgeons Booth 
 and Bowles of the Selma and Tennessee, all under the 
 charge of Fleet-Surgeon Palmer, of the United States 
 navy, from whom we have received all the attention and 
 consideration we could desire or expect. 
 
 The crews, and many officers of the Tennessee and 
 Selma, have been sent to New Orleans. Commander J. 
 D. Johnston, Lieutenant-Commandant P. U. Murphy, 
 Lieutenants W. L. Bradford and A. D. Wharton, Second 
 Assistant Engineer J. C. O'Connell, and myself, are to be 
 sent north. Master's Mates, W. S. Forrest and R. M. 
 Carter, who are with me acting as my aids, not having 
 any midshipmen, are permitted to accompany me. They 
 are valuable young officers, zealous in their duties, and 
 both have served in the army, where they received honor- 
 able wounds ; their services are important to me. I am 
 happy to inform you that my wound is improving, and I 
 sincerely hope our exchange will be effected, and that I 
 will soon again be on duty. 
 
 Enclosed is a list of the officers of the Tennessee who 
 were in the action. 
 
 September llth. Since writing the above, I have seen 
 the report of Admiral Farragut, a portion of which is 
 incorrect. Captain Johnston did not deliver my sword 
 on board the Hartford. After the surrender of the Ten- 
 nessee, Captain Giraud, the officer who was sent on board 
 to take charge of her, said to me that he was directed by 
 Admiral Farragut to ask for my sword, which was brought 
 from the cabin and delivered to him by one of my aids. 
 
 ADMIRAL F. BUCHANAN, commanding. 
 
76 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 EXTRACT 
 
 FROM A LETTER OF COMMANDER J. D. JOHNSTON TO 
 THE EDITOR OF THE "PLANTATION," AUGUST 5, 1871. 
 
 " The steering apparatus of the ship was defective from 
 the first, and it seemed almost impracticable to j)rotect it 
 against the inevitable destruction which awaited it in 
 such an engagement. The enemy having discovered, 
 when running into the ship, that the chains leading to the 
 rudder-head were exposed on the after-deck, turned his 
 attention especially to their destruction, which was of 
 course easily effected at such close quarters. At about 
 the same time, the smoke-pipe, which had been riddled 
 by shot, was broken close off to the top of the shield, or 
 upper deck, by the concussion produced by the ramming 
 process adopted by the heavy vessels of the enemy, and 
 the smoke and heat issuing from the broken pipe came 
 down upon the men at the guns with almost insupportable 
 effect. 
 
 " The ports of the ship were covered when the guns 
 were run in for loading, by heavy iron covers, which re- 
 volved on pivots; but it unfortunately happened that 
 those of the bow and stern ports were so jammed against 
 the side of the shield by the enemy's shot, that it became 
 impossible to move them, and it was while superintending 
 a mechanic who was endeavoring to back out one of these 
 pivot bolts, so as to bring the stern gun into action again, 
 
APPENDIX. 77 
 
 that Admiral Buchanan received a wound in his leg, 
 which disabled him completely. The poor machinist was 
 crushed by the same shot so that his remains had the ap- 
 pearance of sausage meat, and one of the gun's crew was 
 also killed by an iron splinter. After the wheel chains 
 leading to the rudder-head were destroyed, the ' relieving 
 tackles ' were used to steer the ship, but she was not long 
 permitted to avail herself of this expedient, a shot having 
 taken away blocks and tackle both, only a few moments 
 after they were resorted to." 
 
 REPORT. 
 
 CASUALTIES IN THE UNION FLEET, IN THE ATTACK ON 
 THE DEFENCES OF MOBILE HARBOR. 
 
 Report of Rear-Admiral D. G. Farragut. 
 
 Flag-Ship Haktford, Mobile Bay, ) 
 August 8, 18G4. J 
 
 Sir : In my despatch, number three hundred and 
 thirty-five, written on the evening of the engagement of 
 the 5th instant, the casualties then reported were forty- 
 one killed, and eighty-eight wounded. 
 
 More detailed reports, since received, make the casual- 
 ties fiftj-two killed, and one hundred and seventy 
 wounded, namely: 
 
 Hartford, 
 Brooklyn, 
 
 [illed. 
 
 Wounded, 
 
 25 
 
 28 
 
 11 
 
 43 
 
78 
 
 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 Lackawanna, 
 
 Killed. 
 
 4 
 
 Wounded. 
 
 35 
 
 Oneida, 
 
 8 
 
 30 
 
 Monongahela, 
 Metacomet, . 
 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 2 
 
 Ossipee, 
 Richmond, 
 Galena, . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 T 
 
 2 slightly 
 
 1 
 
 Octorora, 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 Kennebec, 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 I forward herew 
 
 ith the reports of the s 
 
 urgeons of these 
 
 vessels, giving the names of the killed and wounded, and 
 the character of the wounds. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 D. G. FARRAGUT, 
 Rear-Admiral^ commanding W. G. B. Squadron. 
 
 Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy^ 
 Washington. 
 
 KILLED AND WOUNDED OF CONFEDERATE FLEET, IN 
 ACTION OF AUGUST 5, 1864, MOBILE BAY. 
 
 " Tennessee," Flag-Ship. 
 
 Killed. — John Silk, first-class fireman; "William Moors, 
 seaman. — 2. 
 
 Wou7ided. — Admiral F. Buchanan, fracture right leg; 
 A. T. Post, pilot, slightly in head ; J. C. O'Connell, second 
 assistant engineer, slightly in leg and shoulder; Wil- 
 
APPENDIX. 79 
 
 Ham Rogers, second assistant engineer, slightly in head 
 and shoulder ; James Kelly, B. M., slightly in knee ; 
 And. Rasmison, Q. M., slightly in head ; William Daly, 
 seaman, in head ; Robert Barry, marine, gunshot wound 
 of ear and head; James McKunn, marine, contusion of 
 shoulder. — 9. 
 
 " Selma." p. U. Murphy, Lieutenant commanding. 
 
 Killed. — J. H. Comstock, lieutenant, and executive 
 officer ; J. R. Murray, acting master's mate ; William 
 Hall, gunner's mate ; James Rooney, seaman ; James 
 Montgomery, seaman ; Bernard Riley, ordinary seaman ; 
 J. R. Frisly, landsman ; Christopher Shepard, lands- 
 man. — 8. 
 
 Wounded. — P. U. Murphy, lieutenant, commanding, 
 slightly in wrist ; John Villa, seaman, badly, leg and 
 arm ; Henry Fratee, landsman, badly in hand ; Daniel 
 Linnehan, seaman, slightly in arm ; John Shick, seaman, 
 slightly in face ; John Davis, fireman, slightly ; John 
 Gilliland, seaman, slightly. — 7. 
 
 Total — killed, 10 ; wounded, 16. 
 
 D. B. CONRAD, 
 
 Fleet Surgeon^ C. S. N. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE CONFEDERATE RAM "TENNESSEE." 
 
 Admiral., F. Buchanan, Commander-in-Chief. 
 Commander ., J. D. Johnston. 
 
 First Lieutenant., Wm. L. Bradford, (executive officer.) 
 Lieutenants., A. D. Wharton, E. J. McDermett. 
 
80 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 Masters^ H. W. Perrin, J. Demaley. 
 
 Master's 3Iates, M. J. Beebe, R. M. Carter, and W. S. 
 Forrest. 
 
 Boatstvain^ John McCradie. 
 
 Gunner, H. S. Smith. 
 
 Fi7'st Lieutenant Mari7ies, D. G. Raney. 
 
 Mrst Assistant Engineer, G. D. Lening. c?'-<^>i--'/'<x.-^i ^^ 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, J. C. O'Connell, and John 
 Hays. 
 
 Third Assistant Engineers, William Rogers, Oscar Ben- 
 son, and William Patterson. 
 
 Fleet-Surgeon, D. B. Conrad. 
 
 Assistant-Surgeon, R. C. Bowles. 
 
 y 
 
 officers of the union ships which passed the 
 forts, and were engaged with the confed- 
 erate ram and gunboats. 
 
 " Hartford." 
 
 Rear-Admiral, David Glasgow Farragut, Commander- 
 in- Chief. 
 
 Fleet Captain, Percival Drayton. 
 
 Lieutenant- Commander, Lewis A. Kimberly, (executive 
 officer.) 
 
 Lieutenants, J. Crittenden Watson, A. R. Yates, Her- 
 bert B. Tyson, and La Rue P. Adams. 
 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant, George Miindy. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, G. D. B. Glidden, William H. Whiting, 
 H. H. Brownell, H. H. Heginbothara, Robert D. Bogart, 
 and William L. Dana. 
 
APPENDIX. 81 
 
 Acting Master's Mates, Richard P. Herrick, George B. 
 Avery, William H. Hathorne, William H. Childs, and 
 Joseph J. Finelli. 
 
 Captain Marines, Charles Hey wood. 
 
 Rear-AdmiraV s Secretary, Alexander McKinley. 
 
 Fleet Engineer, William H. Shock. 
 
 Chief Engineer, Thomas Williamson. 
 
 First Assistant Engirieer, Edward B. Latch. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, John Wilson, Isaac De 
 Graff, and H. L. Pelkington. 
 
 Third Assistant Engineer, James E. Speights. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers, William McEwan, T. 
 Benton Brown, and John D. Thompson. 
 
 Fleet Surgeon, J. C. Palmer. 
 
 Surgeon, Philip Lansdale. 
 
 Assistant Surgeons, William Commons, and F. Wool- 
 verton. 
 
 Fleet Paymaster, Edward T. Dunn. 
 
 Paymaster, William F. Meredith. 
 
 " Brooklyn." 
 
 Captain, James Alden. 
 
 Lieutenant- Commander, Edward P. Lull, (executive 
 officer.) 
 ' Lieutenants, Thomas L. Swann, and Charles F. Blake. 
 
 Ensigns, Charles H. Pendleton, and C. D. Sigsbee. " 
 
 Acting Ensigns, John Atter, and D. R. Cassel. 
 
 Acting Master's Mates, Frederick C. Duncan, A. L. Ste- 
 vens, and William H. Cook. 
 
 Chief Engineer, Mortimer Kellogg. 
 6 
 
82 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, John D. Toppin, David 
 Hardie, Haviland Barstow, and George E. Tower. 
 
 Third Assistant Migineers, F. C. Goodwin, Joel A. Bul- 
 lard, and William H. De Hart. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineer^ Henry H. Arthur. 
 
 Surgeon, George Maulsby. 
 
 Assistant Surgeon, H. Smith. 
 
 Paymaster, Gilbert E. Thornton. 
 
 " RlCH]MOND." 
 
 Captain, Thornton A. Jenkins. 
 
 Lieutenant-Commander, Edward Terry, (executive of- 
 ficer.) 
 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant, Charles J. Gibbs. 
 
 Acting Master, Prince S. Borden. 
 
 Ensign, Philip H. Cooper. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, Lewis Clark, Colby M. Chester, and 
 Arthur H. Wright. 
 
 Acting Master'' b Mates, James West, Theodore J. Wer- 
 ner, William C. Seymour, and Walter A. De Witt. 
 
 Second Lieutenant Marines, C. L. Sherman. 
 
 Chief Engineer, Jackson McElmell. 
 
 First Assistant Engineer, Emory J. Brooks. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, Albert J. Kenyon, Absalom 
 Kirby, John D. Ford, and Robert Weir. 
 
 Third Assistant Engineers, William H. Crawford, 
 Charles W. C. Sartar, James W. Patterson, and Thomas 
 McElmell. 
 
 Surgeon, Lewis J. Williams. 
 
 Assistant Surgeon, J. McD. Rice. 
 
 Paymaster, Edwin Stewart. 
 
APPENDIX. 83 
 
 " Lackawanna." 
 
 Captain^ J. B. Marchand. 
 
 Lieutenants, Thomas S. Spencer, (executive officer,) 
 S. A. McCarty. 
 
 Acting Masters, Felix McCurley, and John H. Allen. 
 
 Ensigns, G. H. Wadleigh, and Frank Wildes. 
 
 Acting Ensign, Clarence Rathbone. 
 
 Acting Master's Mates, William J. Lewis, C. H. Foster, 
 and John C. Palmer. 
 
 First Assistant Engineer, James W. Whittaker. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, E. J. Whittaker, and 
 George W. Roche. 
 
 Third Assistant Engineer, Isaac B. Fort. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers, David F. Hennessy, 
 and George W. Sullivan. 
 
 Surgeon, T. W. Leach. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, W. T. Hutchinson. 
 
 Paymaster, James Fulton. 
 
 " MONONGAHELA." 
 
 Commander, James H. Strong. 
 
 Lieutenants, Roderick Prentiss, (executive officer.) O. 
 A. Batcheller. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, D. W. Mullan, James H. Rodgers, 
 George Gerard, and P. E. Harrington. 
 
 Chief Engineer, George E. Kutz. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, Joseph Trilly, J. J. Bissett, 
 Edward Cheeney, and Philip J. Sanger. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineer, Amos C. Wilcox. 
 
 Surgeon, David Kindleberger. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, William B. Lewis. 
 
 Assistant Paymaster, Forbes Parker. 
 
84 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 " OSSIPEE." 
 
 Commander^ William E. Le Roy. 
 
 Lieutenants^ J. A. Howell, (executive officer,) Richard 
 S. Chew. 
 
 Acting Masters^ C. C. Bunker, and C. W. Adams. 
 
 Acting Ensigns^ Charles E. Clark, Henry S. Lambert, 
 and William A. Van Vleck. 
 
 Acting Master's Mates, George Pilling, and William 
 Merrigood. 
 
 Acting Chief Engineer, James M. Adams. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineer, William H. Vanderbilt. 
 
 Acting Second Assistaiit Engineers, Martin H. Gerry, 
 James R. Webb, George W. Kidder, and Alfred Colin. 
 
 Third Assistant Engineer, John Matthews. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineer, William Collier. 
 
 Surgeon, B. F. Gibbs. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, John K. Bacon. 
 
 Paymaster, Edward Foster. 
 
 " Oneida." 
 
 Commander, J. R. Madison Mullany. 
 Lieutenant, Charles L. Huntington, (executive officer.) 
 Lieutenants, Charles S. Cotton, and Edward N. Kellogg. 
 Ensign, Charles V. Gridley. 
 Acting Ensigns, John L. Hall, and John Sears. 
 Acting Master's Mates, Edward Bird, Daniel Clark, and 
 John Devereaux. 
 
 Chief Engineer, William H. Hunt. 
 
APPENDIX. 85 
 
 First Assistant Engineer^ Reuben H. Fitch. 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers^ W. E. Deaver, and 
 Nicholas Dillon. 
 
 Surgeon^ John Y. Taylor. 
 
 Acting Paymaster.) George R. Martin. 
 
 " Metacoimet." 
 
 Lieutenant-Commander., James E. Jouett. 
 
 Actiyig Volunteer Lieutenant, Henry J. Sleeper, (exec- 
 utive officer.) 
 
 Acting Masters, N. M. Dyer, and John O. Morse. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, George E. Wing, John White, and 
 Henry C. Nields. 
 
 Acting Master^s Mates, J. K. Goodwin, and Rufus N. 
 Miller. 
 
 First Assistant Engineer, James Atkins. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineer, George P. Hunt. 
 
 Third Assistant Engineers, George B. Rodgers, James 
 H. Nash, and D. W. King. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, E. D. Payne. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, H. M. Hamman. 
 
 " OCTOROEA." 
 
 Lieutenant-Commander, Charles H. Greene. 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant, William D. Urann, (exec- 
 utive officer.) 
 
 Acting Masters, H. S. Young, and Henry R. Billings. 
 Acting Ensign, George H. Dodge. 
 
86 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 Acting Master's Mates, George P. Gifford, and George 
 W. Adams. 
 
 Acting First Assistant Engineers, William W. Shipman, 
 and M. N. McEntee. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineer, Rozeau B. Plotts. 
 ' Acting Second Assistant Engineer, Jarol Huber. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers, Joseph Kniglit, and 
 Gustav W. Best. 
 
 Assistant Surgeon, Edward R. Dodge. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, Joseph H. Pynchon. 
 
 "Port Royal." 
 
 lAeutenantrCommander, Bancroft Gherardi. 
 
 Lieutenant- Commander, Thomas C. Bowen, (executive 
 officer.) 
 
 Acting Masters, Edward Herrick, and Thomas M. 
 Gardner. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, William Hull, and Fortesque S. Hop- 
 kins. 
 
 Acting Master^s Mates, Eugene V. Tyson, Henry D. 
 Baldwin, William A. Prescott, and Samuel S. Bumpus. 
 
 Acting First Assistant Engineer, Fletcher A. Wilson. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, Francis B. Allen, and 
 Henry Snyder. 
 
 Acting Second Assistant Engineer, John B. McGavern. 
 
 Tliird Assistant Engineer, W. C. F. Reichenbuck. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, Edward R. Hutchins. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, Frank K. Moore. 
 
APPENDIX. 87 
 
 " Seminole." 
 
 Commander^ Edward Donaldson. 
 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant^ John A. Johnston, (execu- 
 tive officer.) 
 
 Acting Master^ William A. Marine. 
 
 Acting Ensigns^ Francis Kempton, Walter S. Church, 
 and David K. Perkins. 
 
 Acting Master's Mates^ C. A. Thorne, and Henry Webb. 
 
 Acting First Assistant Engineers^ Claude Babcock, and 
 Alvin R. Calden. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers.^ William Drinkwater, 
 Patrick I. Hughes, and William H. Whiting. 
 
 Surgeon^ John I. Gibson. 
 
 Paymaster^ Levi J. Stockwell. 
 
 " Kennebec." 
 
 Lieutenant- Commander^ William P. McCann. 
 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant^ Edward Baker, (execu- 
 tive officer.) 
 
 Acting Ensigns^ John J. Butler, Hosea E. Tinkham, and 
 Joseph D. Ellis. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, Lewis W. Robinson, and 
 John S. Pearce. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineer, James Eccles. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, George W. Hatch. 
 
 Acting Assistant Pat/master, Edward T. Baker. 
 
88 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY, 
 
 " Itasca." 
 
 Lieutenant- Commander^ George Brown. 
 
 Acting Master^ Richard Eustace, (executive officer.) 
 
 Acting Ensigns^ Charles H. Hurd, James Igo, and Ed- 
 ward S. Lowe. 
 
 Acting Master's Mates, L. E. Heath, and Marcus Chap- 
 man. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, John Both wick, and George 
 C. Irelan. 
 
 Acting TJiird Assistant Engineers, Charles A. Laws, and 
 Alfred Hojt. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, Henry Brockwood. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, Alfred G. Lathrop. 
 
 " Galena." 
 
 Lieutenant-Commander, Clark H. Wells. 
 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant, Charles H. Wilson, (exec- 
 utive officer.) 
 
 Acting Master, D. W. C. Kells. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, Henry Pease, Jr., and Sanford S. Miner. 
 
 Acting Master's" Mates, Francis Tuttle, and James H. 
 Delano. 
 
 First Assistant Engineer, William G. Buehler. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, Charles H. Greenleaf, and 
 John A. Scot. 
 
 Acting TJiird Assistant Engineers, Patrick Burns, and 
 William Welcker. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, George P. Wright. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, Theodore Kitchen. 
 
APPENDIX. 89 
 
 " Tecumseh." 
 
 Commander^ T. Augustus Craven. 
 
 Lieutenant^ John W. Kelly, (executive officer.) 
 
 Acting Masters^ Charles F. Langley, and Gardner Cot- 
 trell. 
 
 Acting Ensigns^ John P. Lettic, and William Titcomb. 
 
 Chief Engineer^ C. Faron. 
 
 Second Assistant Engineers, F. S. Barlow, and Henry 
 S. Leonard. 
 
 Acting Second Assistant Engineer, T. Ustick. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers, George Relter, and 
 James L. Parsons. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, William A. Danker. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, George Worke. 
 
 " Manhattan." 
 
 Commander, J. W. A. Nicholson. 
 
 Lieutenant, E. M. Schoonmaker, (executive officer.) 
 
 Acting Master, Robert B. Ely. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, John B. Trott, George B. Mott, and 
 Peter France. 
 
 Acting Chief Engineer, C. L. Carty. 
 
 Acting First Assistant Engineer, William H. Miller. 
 
 Acting Second Assistant Engineers, James B. Farrand, 
 and Thomas Finnic. 
 
 Acting TJiird Assistant Engineers, Edward Misset, 
 Charles F. Stroud, and Harrie Webster. 
 
 Assistant Surgeon, John H. Austin. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, H. G. Thayer. 
 
90 TEE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 " Winnebago." 
 
 Commander^ Thomas H. Stevens. 
 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant^ William F. Shankland, 
 (executive officer.) 
 
 Acting Master^ Austrony S. Megathlin. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, James Whitworth, Michael Murphy, 
 and John Morrisey. 
 
 Acting blaster's Mates, Henry C. Atter, John L. Hall, 
 William Edgar, and Charles S. Lyons. 
 
 Acting Chief Engineer, Simon Shultice. 
 
 First Assistant Engineer, John Purdy. 
 
 Acting First Assistant Engineers, James Munroe, and 
 John Wilson. 
 
 Acting Second Assistant Engineers, E. L. Morse, and 
 Philip Allman. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers, Robert D. Wright, 
 James W. Quinn, James Morris, and Thomas J. Myers. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, Joseph G. Bell. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, Henry Gerrard. 
 
 " Chickasaw." 
 
 Lieutenant-Commander, George H. Perkins. 
 
 Acting Volunteer Lieutenant, William Hamilton, (exec- 
 utive officer.) 
 
 Acting Masters, Ezekiel D. Percy, and E. B. Pike. 
 
 Acting Ensigns, George L. Jorden, and J. Louis Harris. 
 
 Acting Master's Mates, Allen A. Mann, M. F. Kershaw, 
 M. G. Jones, and F. A. Case. 
 
 Acting Chief Engineer, William Rodgers. 
 
APPENDIX. 91 
 
 Acting First Assistant Engineer, Charles Chadwick. 
 
 Acting Second Assistant Engineers, Elisha P. Bartlett, 
 James J. Maratta, and Thomas H. Nelson. 
 
 Acting Third Assistant Engineers, Albert H. Goff, Sarill 
 Whitehead, Alexander H. Wiggins, Alfred Wilkinson, 
 Henry Wentworth, and George Harris. 
 
 Acting Assistant Surgeon, Garrett D. Buckner. 
 
 Acting Assistant Paymaster, Edmund S. Wheeler. 
 
ROLL OF HONOR. 
 
 J»io 
 
 The following Roll of Honor is taken from " The Rec- 
 ord of the Medals of Honor issued to the Blue Jackets 
 and Marines of the Navy, under authority of the Con- 
 gress of the United States, for Deeds of Gallantry and 
 Heroism in times of War and of Peace." 
 
 Wilson Bkown, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer " Hart- 
 ford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 " Was stationed at the shell-whip on the berth deck. A 
 man was killed on the ladder above him, and thrown with 
 such violence against Brown as to knock him into the 
 hold, where he lay for a short time senseless ; but on 
 recovering he immediately returned to his station, though, 
 besides himself, only one of the original six belonging 
 there had escaped." 
 
 Thomas Fitzpatrick, 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Hart- 
 ford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 " His gun was disabled by the bursting of a shell, which 
 destroyed much of the material and killed seven men, 
 
 92 
 
APPENDIX. 93 
 
 besides wounding several others, and among them himself. 
 Notwithstanding this, he had the killed and wounded 
 quietly removed ; replaced the breeching, side-tackle and 
 truck, &c. (which had been cut to pieces) ; got a crew, 
 and in a little while was firing the gun again as usual." 
 
 Maetin Freeman, 
 
 Pilot on board of the United States steamer " Hartford," 
 in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 "Was the great reliance of the commanding officer of 
 the ' Hartford,' in all difficulties in his line of duty. 
 During the action he was in the main-top, piloting the 
 ships into the bay. Especially commended to the de- 
 partment." 
 
 James R. Garrison, 
 
 Coal-heaver on board of the United States steamer 
 " Hartford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. " Had one of his great toes shot off ; but without 
 leaving his station at the shell-whip, bound up the wound, 
 and remained at work until again severely wounded." 
 
 John Lawson, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer " Hart- 
 ford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 " Was one of the six men stationed at the shell-whip on 
 the berth deck. A shell killed or wounded the whole 
 number. Lawson was wounded in the leg, and thrown 
 with great violence against the side of the ship ; but as 
 soon as he recovered himself, although begged to go be- 
 low, he refused, and went back to the shell-whip, where 
 he remained during the action." 
 
94 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 John McFarland, 
 
 Captain oi forecastle on board of the United States 
 steamer " Hartford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, 
 August 5, 1864. " Was at the wheel, which has been his 
 station in all of the previous fights of this ship. As on 
 every other occasion, he displayed the utmost coolness 
 and intelligence throughout the action. When the 
 ' Lackawanna ' ran into the ' Hartford,' and for a mo- 
 ment there was every appearance of the men at the wheel 
 being crushed, he never left his station, nor ceased for an 
 instant to attend strictly to his duties. This evidence 
 of coolness and self-possession, together with his good 
 conduct in the other battles of the ' Hartford,' entitles 
 him to the medal." 
 
 Charles Melville, 
 
 Ordinary Seaman on board of the United States steamer 
 " Hartford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. " This man (a loader of the same gun) was 
 severely wounded by a piece of the shell. He was taken 
 below, but would not remain there ; and although scarcely 
 able to stand, performed his duty until the end of the 
 action." 
 
 Thomas O'Connell, 
 
 Coal-heaver on board of the United States steamer 
 " Hartford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. " Although on the sick-list, and quite unwell, he 
 went to his station at the shell-whip, where he remained 
 until his right hand was shot away." 
 
APPENDIX. 95 
 
 William Pelham, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer 
 " Hartford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. " When the crew of the gun to which he belonged 
 was entirely broken up, owing to the number of its killed 
 and wounded, he assisted in removing the latter below, 
 and then immediately returned, and, without any direc- 
 tion to do so, took his place at the adjoining gun, where a 
 vacancy existed, and continued to perform his duties 
 there most faithfully for the remainder of the action." 
 
 William A. Stanley, 
 
 Shell-man at No. 8 gun on board of the United States 
 steamer " Hartford," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, 
 August 5, 1864. " Was severely wounded, but refused to 
 go below ; and continued to perform his duties, until at 
 length he became so weak from loss of blood as to be 
 unable to stand." 
 
 John Brown, 
 
 Captain of forecastle on board of the United States 
 steamer " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, 
 August 5, 1864. Very conspicuous for bravery, skill, 
 coolness, and activity at his gun. 
 
 William Blageen. 
 
 Ship's CooTc on board of the United States steamer 
 "Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 
96 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAT. 
 
 1864. Conspicuous for bravery, performing his duty in 
 the powder division, at a point where the ship was riddled 
 very much, and in the immediate vicinity of the shell- 
 whips, which were twice cleared of men by bursting 
 shells. 
 
 William H. Brown, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Conspicuous for bravery, performing his duty in the pow- 
 der division at a point where the ship was riddled very 
 much, and in the immediate vicinity of the shell-whips, 
 which were twice cleared of men by bursting shells. 
 "Was also wounded. 
 
 John Cooper, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Very conspicuous for bravery, skill, coolness, and activity 
 at his gun. 
 
 J. Henry Denig, 
 
 Sergeant of Marines on board of the United States 
 steamer " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, 
 August 5, 1864. Conspicuous good conduct at his gun. 
 
 Richard Dennis, 
 
 Boatswain's Mate on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Displayed much courage, braver}^, and coolness in 
 operating the torpedo-catcher and assisting in working 
 the bow-chaser. 
 
APPENDIX. 97 
 
 Samuel W. Davis, 
 
 Ordinary Seaman on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Displayed much courage, bravery, and coolness in 
 acting as a lookout for torpedoes and other obstructions. 
 
 Michael Hudson, 
 
 Sergeant of Marines on board of the United States 
 steamer " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, 
 August 5, 1864. Conspicuous good conduct at his gun. 
 
 William Halstead, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Coolness, bravery, and skill in the working of his gun. 
 His conduct was particularly meritorious. 
 
 Joseph Ielam, 
 
 Seaman on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Stationed at the wheel ; behaved with great coolness and 
 bravery, sending the other two men who were stationed 
 with him to replace men disabled at the guns. 
 
 Nicholas Irwin, 
 
 Seaman on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Very conspicuous for bravery, skill, coolness, and activity 
 at his gun. 
 
 7 
 
1 
 
 98 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 John Irving, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Very conspicuous for bravery, skill, coolness, and activity 
 at his gun. 
 
 Burnett Kenna, 
 
 Quartermaster on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Coolness, bravery, and skill in the working of his 
 gun. His conduct was particularly meritorious. 
 
 Alexander Mack, 
 
 Captain of Top on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Activity, zeal, and skill displayed in handling his 
 gun, as well as great courage. Pie was severely wounded. 
 
 William Madden, 
 
 Coal-heaver on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Conspicuous for bravery, performing his duty in 
 the powder division, at a point where the ship was riddled 
 very much, and in the immediate vicinity of the shell- 
 whips, which were twice cleared of men by bursting 
 shells. 
 
 James Machon, 
 
 Boy^ United States steamer " Brooklyn," in the engage- 
 ment in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Conspicuous for 
 bravery, performing his duty in the powder division, at a 
 point where the ship was riddled very much, and in the 
 
APPENDIX. 99 
 
 immediate vicinity of the shell-whips, which were twice 
 cleared of men by bursting shells. 
 
 James Mifflin, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Conspicuous for bravery, performing his duty in the pow- 
 der division, at a point where the ship was riddled very 
 much, and in the immediate vicinity of the shell-whips, 
 which were twice cleared of men by bursting shells. 
 
 William Nichols, 
 
 Quartermaster on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Perfect coolness and dexterity in handling his 
 gun ; always sure of his aim before he would consent 
 to fire. 
 
 Miles M. Oviatt, 
 
 Corporal of Marines on board of the United States 
 steamer " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, 
 August 6, 1864. Conspicuous for good conduct at his 
 gun. 
 
 Edward Price, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Brook- 
 lyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Great coolness and bravery under fire. His gun be- 
 coming disabled by the sponge breaking, leaving the head 
 in the gun, he proceeded to clear it by pouring powder 
 into the vent and blowing the sponge-head out. 
 
100 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 William M. Smith, 
 
 Corporal of Marines on board of the United States 
 steamer " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, 
 August 5, 1864. Conspicuous for good conduct at his 
 gun. 
 
 James E. Sterling, 
 
 Coal-heaver on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Bravery in remaining at his post when wounded, 
 and passing shell until struck down a second time, and 
 completely disabled. 
 
 Samuel Todd, 
 
 Quartermaster on board of the United States steamer 
 " Brooklyn," in the engagement in Mobile Bay, August 5, 
 1864. Conspicuous coolness at the commencement and 
 during the action. 
 
 Thomas Atkinson, 
 
 Yeoman on board of the United States steamer "Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for 
 coolness and energy in supplying the rifle ammunition, 
 which was under his sole charge in the action in Mobile 
 Bay on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. 
 He was a petty officer on board of the United States 
 frigate " Congress " in 1842-46 ; was present and assisted 
 in capturing the whole of the Buenos Ayrean fleet by 
 that vessel, off Monte Video ; joined the " Richmond " in 
 September, 1860 ; was in the actions with Fort McRea ; 
 
APPENDIX. 101 
 
 the head of the passes of the Mississippi ; forts Jackson 
 and St. Philip ; the Chalmettes ; the rebel iron-clads and 
 gunboats below New Orleans ; Vicksburg ; Port Hudson ; 
 and at the surrender of New Orleans. 
 
 Robert Brown, 
 
 Captain of Top on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct in the action in Mobile 
 Bay, on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. 
 He was on board the " Westfield " in the actions with 
 forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the Chalmettes ; and pres- 
 ent at the surrender of New Orleans ; also with the bat- 
 teries at Vicksburg. Joined the "Richmond" in Sep- 
 tember, 1863. 
 
 Cornelius Cronin, 
 
 Chief Quartermaster on board of the United States 
 steamer "Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Commended for coolness and close attention to duty in 
 looking out for signals, and steering the ship in the action 
 in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 
 1864. He has been in the naval service eight years. 
 Joined the " Brooklyn " in December, 1861 ; was in the 
 actions with forts Jackson and St. Philip, and with the 
 rebel iron-clads and gunboats below New Orleans ; was in 
 the action with the Chalmette batteries; present at the 
 surrender of New Orleans, and in the attack on the bat- 
 teries below Vicksburg, in 1862. Joined the " Rich- 
 mond" in September, 1863. 
 
102 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 Thomas Cripps, 
 
 Quartermaster on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct as captain of a gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 August 5, 1864. He was in the "Brooklyn," in the 
 actions with forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the Chalmette 
 batteries ; batteries below Vicksburg ; and present at the 
 surrender of New Orleans. Joined the "Richmond "in 
 September, 1863. 
 
 James B. Chandlee, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for cool- 
 ness and good conduct in the action in Mobile Bay, on the 
 morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. He deserves 
 especial notice for having come off the sick-list, and going 
 to and remaining at his quarters during the entire action. 
 Joined the "Brooklyn" in November, 1861; was in the 
 actions with forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the Chal- 
 mettes ; batteries below Vicksburg ; and present at the 
 surrender of New Orleans. Joined the " Richmond " in 
 September, 1863. 
 
 WiLLiAJVi W. Call, 
 
 Blaster at Arms on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness, energy, and zeal in the action of Mobile 
 Bay, on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. 
 Volunteered to direct, under the orders of the commander 
 of the division, the passing of shells from the shell-rooms. 
 
APPENDIX. 103 
 
 in addition to his duties connected with the care of 
 lights, which he performed most satisfactorily. Has been 
 Master at Arms on board the "Richmond" since Sep- 
 tember, 1860 ; was in the actions with Fort McRea ; at 
 the head of the passes of the Mississippi ; forts Jackson 
 and St. Philip ; the Chalmettes ; the rebel iron-clads and 
 gunboats below New Orleans ; Vicksburg ; Port Hudson ; 
 and present at the surrender of New Orleans. 
 
 William Densmoee, 
 
 Chief Boatswain^ s Mate on board of the United States 
 steamer "Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Commended for coolness and good conduct as captain of 
 a gun in the action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and 
 forenoon of August 5, 1864. He has been in the naval 
 service twelve years ; was on board the ship " St. Louis," 
 blockading off Pensacola and the head of the passes of 
 the Mississippi, until the expiration of his service in 1861; 
 reshipped the same year, and joined the " Brooklyn " ; 
 was in the actions with forts Jackson and St. Philip, and 
 with the rebel iron-clads and gunboats below New Or- 
 leans ; was in the action with the Chalmette batteries ; 
 present at the surrender of New Orleans, and on board 
 the " Brooklyn " in the attack upon the batteries below 
 Vicksburg, in 1862. Joined the " Richmond " in Sep- 
 tember, 1863. 
 
 Adam Duncan, 
 
 Boatswain^ s Mate on board of the United States steamer 
 "Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct as captain of a gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 
104 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 August 5, 1864. He has been six years in the naval ser- 
 vice ; was on board the " Brooklyn " in the actions with 
 forts Jackson and St. Philip, and with the rebel iron- 
 clads and gunboats below New Orleans ; was in the 
 action with the Chalmette batteries ; present at the sur- 
 render of New Orleans, and on board the " Brooklyn " in 
 the attack upon the batteries below Vicksburg, in 1862. 
 Joined the " Richmond " in September, 1863. 
 
 Charles Deakin, 
 
 Boatswain s Mate on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct as captain of a gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 August 5, 1864. He deserves special notice for his good 
 example and zeal in going to and remaining at his quar- 
 ters during the whole action, although quite sick. He 
 has been in the naval service six years ; was on board the 
 " Brooklyn " in the actions with forts Jackson and St. 
 Philip, and with the rebel iron-clads and gunboats below 
 New Orleans ; was in the action with the Chalmette bat- 
 teries ; present at the surrender of New Orleans, and on 
 board the " Brooklyn " in the attack upon the batteries 
 below Vicksburg, in 1862. Joined the "• Richmond " in 
 September, 1863. 
 
 William Doolin, 
 
 Coal-heaver on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct, and for refusing to leave 
 his station as shot and shell passer, after having been 
 knocked down and badly wounded in the head by splin- 
 
APPENDIX. 105 
 
 ters ; and upon going to quarters the second time, lie was 
 found at his station, nobly doing his duty in the action in 
 Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 
 1864. He was in Fort Pickens when it was bombarded 
 by the rebels ; was on board the " Brooklyn " in the 
 actions with forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the Chal- 
 mettes ; the rebel iron-clads and gunboats below New 
 Orleans ; the batteries below Vicksburg ; and present at 
 the surrender of New Orleans. 
 
 Thoivias Hayes, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for 
 coolness and good conduct as captain of No. 1 gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 August 5, 1864. He was on board the " Brooklyn " in 
 the actions with forts Jackson and St, Philip, and the 
 iron-clads and gunboats below New Orleans ; with the 
 Chalmette batteries; batteries below Vicksburg; and was 
 present at the surrender of New Orleans. 
 
 Hugh Hamilton, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for 
 coolness and good conduct in the action in Mobile Bay, 
 on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. Was 
 in the actions with forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the 
 Chalmettes ; the rebel iron-clads and gunboats below 
 New Orleans ; the batteries below Vicksburg ; present at 
 the surrender of New Orleans. Joined the " Richmond " 
 in October, 1863. 
 
1 
 
 106 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 Jaisies McIntosh, 
 
 Captain of Top on board of the United States steamer 
 •' Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct in the action in Mobile 
 Bay, on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. 
 He was present and assisted in the capture of the bat- 
 teries at Hatteras Inlet, and on board the " Cumberland" 
 when she was sunk by the " Merrimac," at Newport 
 News. Joined the " Richmond " in September, 1863. 
 
 John H. James, 
 
 Captain of Top on board of the United States steamer 
 "Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct as captain of a gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 August 5, 1864. He came off the sick-list at the com- 
 mencement of the action, went to his quarters, and fought 
 his gun well during the entire action. He was in the 
 actions with forts Jackson and St. PhilijD ; the rebel iron- 
 clads and gunboats below New Orleans ; the Chalmettes ; 
 the batteries below Vicksburg ; and present at the sur- 
 render of New Orleans. Joined the " Richmond " Sep- 
 tember, 1863. 
 
 William Jones, 
 
 Captain of Top on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct as captain of a gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 the 5th of August, 1864. Joined the " Dacotah " in 
 September, 1861, and was on board the " Cumberland " 
 
APPENDIX, 107 
 
 when sunk by the " Merrimac " at Newport News. Joined 
 the " Richmond " in September, 1863. 
 
 James H. Morgan, 
 
 Captain of Top on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct as captain of a gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 August 5, 1864. He joined the " Colorado " in May, 
 1861 ; volunteered for the United States steamer " Mis- 
 sissippi " ; was in the action with forts Jackson and St. 
 Philip ; the Chalmettes ; Vicksburg ; Port Hudson ; and 
 present at the surrender of New Orleans ; was on board 
 the " New Ironsides," at Charleston. Joined the " Rich- 
 mond" in October, 1863. 
 
 Andrew Miller, 
 
 Sergeant of Marines on board of the United States 
 
 steamer " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 
 Commended for coolness and good conduct as captain of 
 
 a gun in the action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and 
 
 forenoon of August 5, 1864. Was in the actions with 
 
 forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the Chalmettes ; the rebel 
 
 iron-clads and gunboats below New Orleans ; batteries 
 
 below Vicksburg; and present at the surrender of New 
 
 Orleans. 
 
 James Martin, 
 
 Sergeant of Marines on board of the United States 
 steamer "Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Commended for coolness and good conduct as captain of 
 a gun in the action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and 
 forenoon of August 5, 1864. Was in the actions with 
 
108 THE BATTLE OF 3I0BILE BAT. 
 
 forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the Chalmettes ; the rebel 
 iron-clads and gunboats below New Orleans ; Vicksburg ; 
 Port Hudson ; and present at the surrender of New Or- 
 leans, on board of the " Richmond." 
 
 George Parks, 
 
 Captain of Forecastle on board of the United States 
 steamer '' Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Com- 
 mended for coolness and good conduct in the action in 
 Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 
 1864. He joined the "Richmond" in September, 1860; 
 reshipped, October, 1863 ; was in the actions with Fort 
 McRea ; with the rebel vessels at the head of the passes 
 of the Mississippi; in passing forts Jackson and St. 
 Philip ; the Chalmettes ; twice before Vicksburg bat- 
 teries ; at Port Hudson ; was captain of a gun in the 
 naval nine-inch gun battery at the siege of Port Hudson, 
 and present at the surrender of New Orleans. 
 
 Hendrick Sharp, 
 
 Seaman on board of the United States steamer " Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for 
 coolness and courage as captain of one hundred-pounder 
 rifle gun on topgallant forecastle in the action in Mobile 
 Bay, on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. 
 He fought his gun when under the hottest fire from the 
 enem3''s batteries, at short range, with a coolness and 
 effectiveness that won not only the admiration of the 
 commanding officer of the division, but of all others who 
 had an opportunity to observe him. He has been in the 
 naval service thirty-two years; joined the "Richmond" 
 at Norfolk when first put in commission, September 27, 
 
APPENDIX. 109 
 
 1860. At the expiration of his term of service, in 1863, 
 reshipped for the period of three years. He was in action 
 on board of the " Richmond " with the rebels at the head 
 of the passes of the Mississippi ; at the bombardment of 
 Fort McRea, at Pensacola, which lasted an entire day, 
 when he received a severe splinter wound in the left 
 hand which permanently disabled two of his fingers ; and 
 notwithstanding the severity of the wound, as soon as it 
 was dressed by the surgeon he returned to his gun with- 
 out the permission of the surgeon, and persisted in re- 
 maining at his quarters, using his right hand until the 
 action ceased. He was in the actions with forts Jackson 
 and St. Philip, and with the rebel iron-clads and gunboats 
 below New Orleans ; in action with the Chalmette bat- 
 teries ; present at the surrender of New Orleans ; fought 
 the batteries of Vicksburg twice ; was in the memorable 
 attack on Port Hudson, on the 14th of March, 1863 ; was 
 captain of a nine-inch gun in the naval nine-inch gun 
 battery, commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Edward 
 Terry, placed in the rear of Port Hudson during the 
 siege. He was also captain of a gun in the naval battery 
 established at Baton Rouge, and commanded by Lieu- 
 tenant-Commander Edward Terry, after the repulse of 
 the army and death of General Williams at that place. 
 
 Waltee, B. Smith, 
 
 Ordinary Seaman on board of the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct at the one hundred- 
 pounder rifle gun on the topgallant forecastle, and for 
 musket-firing into the gunports of the rebel iron-clad 
 " Tennessee," in the action in Mobile Bay, on the morn- 
 
110 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 ing and forenoon of August 5, 1864. He was on board 
 the United States steamer "Hatteras" when that ves- 
 sel was sunk by the Alabama, commanded by Captain 
 Semmes, off Galveston; joined the "Richmond" after 
 having been exchanged, September, 1863 ; and his good 
 conduct on board of that ship has been of the most ex- 
 emplary kind. 
 
 Lebbeus Simpkins, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for 
 coolness and courage in the action in Mobile Bay, on the 
 morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. He joined 
 the "Brooklyn" in January, 1861; was in the actions 
 with forts Jackson and St. Philip, and the rebel iron-clads 
 and gunboats below New Orleans ; Chalmette batteries ; 
 batteries below Vicksburg ; and present at the surrender 
 of New Orleans. Joined the " Richmond," October, 
 1863. 
 
 Oloff Smith, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for 
 coolness and good conduct in the action in Mobile Bay, 
 on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. He was 
 on board the " Richmond " in the actions with Fort 
 McRea; at the head of the passes of the Mississippi; 
 with forts Jackson and St. Philip; the rebel iron-clads 
 and gunboats below New Orleans; the Chalmette bat- 
 teries ; twice with the batteries of Vicksburg in attempting 
 to pass ; and at the siege of Port Hudson ; and present at 
 the surrender of New Orleans. He has been coxswain 
 
APPENDIX. Ill 
 
 on board the " Richmond " for twenty consecutive 
 months. 
 
 John Smith, 
 
 Second Captain of Top on board of the United States 
 steamer " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. 
 Commended for coolness and good conduct as captain of 
 a gun in the action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and 
 forenoon of August 5, 1864. He was on board the " Va- 
 runa " when she was sunk by the rebel vessels after hav- 
 ing passed forts Jackson and St. Philip ; was transferred 
 to the " Brooklyn " ; and was in the action with the bat- 
 teries below Vicksburg. Joined the "Richmond" in 
 September, 1863. 
 
 Jaimes S]vnTH, 
 
 Captain of Forecastle on board the United States steamer 
 " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended 
 for coolness and good conduct as captain of a gun in the 
 action in Mobile Bay, on the morning and forenoon of 
 August 5, 1864. 
 
 David Spkowle, 
 
 Orderly Sergeant of the Marine Guard on board of the 
 United States steamer " Richmond," Mobile Bay, August 
 5, 1864. Commended for co(>lness, and for setting a good 
 example to the marine guard working a division of great 
 guns in the action of Mobile Bay, on the morning and 
 forenoon of August 5, 1864. Joined the "Richmond," 
 September 27, 1860 ; was in the actions with Fort McRea; 
 the head of the passes of the Mississippi ; forts Jackson 
 and St. Philip; the Chalmettes; the rebel ivon-clads and 
 
112 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 gunboats below New Orleans ; Vicksburg ; Port Hudson ; 
 and present at the surrender of New Orleans. He has 
 been in the service twenty-eight years. 
 
 Alexander H. Truett, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Rich- 
 mond," Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. Commended for 
 coolness and good conduct in the action in Mobile Bay, 
 on the morning and forenoon of August 5, 1864. He 
 was in the actions with forts Jackson and St. Philip ; the 
 Chalmette batteries ; the rebel iron-clads and gunboats 
 below New Orleans; the batteries below Vicksburg; and 
 was present at the surrender of New Orleans. He was 
 present at and assisted in the capture of the piratical 
 steamers " Maramon " and " Marquis de la Habana," in 
 March, 1860, near Vera Cruz. 
 
 John M. Burns, 
 
 Seaman on board of the United States steamer " Lacka- 
 wanna." Severely wounded and sent below under the 
 surgeon's charge ; would not remain unemployed, but 
 assisted the powder division until the action was over. 
 
 Michael Cassidy, 
 
 Layidsman on board of the United States steamer " Lacka- 
 wanna." First sponger of a gun. Displayed great cool- 
 ness and exemplary behavior, eliciting the applause of his 
 officers and the gun's crew. 
 
APPENDIX. 113 
 
 Louis G. Chaput, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer " Lack- 
 awanna." Remained at his gun after he was severely 
 wounded until relieved by another person ; was then 
 taken below, and after reporting to the surgeon returned 
 to his station at the gun, and resumed his duties until the 
 action was over, and was then carried below. 
 
 Adajvi McCullock, 
 
 Seaman on board of the United States steamer " Lacka- 
 wanna." Being wounded, would not leave his quarters, 
 although ordered to do so, but remained until the action 
 was over. 
 
 Patrick Dougherty, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer " Lack- 
 awanna." Took the place of the powder-boy at his gun 
 without orders, when the powder-boy was disabled ; kept 
 up a supply, and showed much zeal in his new capacity. 
 
 John Edwards, 
 
 Captain of Top on board of the United States steamer 
 "Lackawanna." Second captain of a gun. Although 
 wounded, would not, when ordered, go below to the sur- 
 geon, but took the place of the first captain during the 
 remainder of the action. 
 
 Samuel W. Kinnaird, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer " Lacka- 
 wanna." Set an example to the crew by his presence of 
 mind and cheerfulness, that had a beneficial effect. 
 8 
 
114 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 William Phinney, 
 
 Boatswain's Mate on board of the United States steamer 
 " Lackawanna." As captain of a gun, showed much 
 presence of mind and coolness in managing it, and gave 
 great encouragement to the crew. 
 
 John Smith, 
 
 Captain of Forecastle on board of the United States 
 steamer "Lackawanna." Was first captain of a gun, 
 and finding that he could not sufficiently depress his gun, 
 when alongside of the rebel iron-clad "Tennessee," 
 threw a hand holy-stone into one of the ports at a rebel 
 using abusive language against the crew of the ship. 
 
 George Taylor, 
 
 Armorer on board of the United States steamer " Lacka- 
 wanna " ; although wounded, went into the shell-room, 
 and with his hands extinguished the fire from a shell 
 exploded over it by the enemy. 
 
 James Ward, 
 
 Quarter G-unner on board of the United States steamer 
 " Lackawanna." Being wounded, and ordered below, 
 would not go, but rendered much aid at one of the guns 
 when the crew was disabled, and subsequently remained 
 in the chains heaving the lead until nearly in collision 
 with the rebel iron-clad " Tennessee." 
 
APPENDIX. 115 
 
 Daniel Whitfield, 
 
 Quartermaster on board of the United States steamer 
 " Lackawanna." Remarkable coolness as captain of a 
 gun in holding on to the lock-string and waiting for some 
 time whilst alongside of the rebel iron-clad " Tennessee," 
 and firing so that the shot might enter her port. 
 
 William Gardner, 
 
 Seaman on board of the United States steamer " Oneida." 
 Behaved so coolly under fire as to draw the particular 
 attention of the executive officer of the vessel. 
 
 John E. Jones, 
 
 Quartermaster on board of the United States steamer 
 "Oneida." Stationed at the wheel ; was wounded. After 
 the wheel-ropes were shot away, he went on the poop to 
 assist at the signals, and remained there until ordered to 
 reeve new wheel-ropes. 
 
 Thomas Kendrick, 
 
 Coxswain on board of the United States steamer " Oneida." 
 A volunteer from the " Bienville." Attracted the partic- 
 ular attention of the executive officer of the " Oneida " 
 by his excellent conduct. 
 
 William Newland, 
 
 Ordinary Seaman on board of the United States steamer 
 "Oneida." First loader of the after nine-inch gun. 
 Mentioned as having behaved splendidly, and as being 
 
116 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 distinguished on board for good conduct and faithful dis- 
 charge of all duties. 
 
 David Naylor, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer 
 " Oneida." Powder-boy at the thirty-pounder Parrott 
 rifle. His passing-box having been knocked out of his 
 hand, fell overboard into a boat alongside. He imme- 
 diately jumped overboard, recovered it, and returned to 
 his station. 
 
 John Preston, 
 
 Landsman on board of the United States steamer 
 " Oneida." Although severely wounded, he remained at 
 his gun until obliged to go to the surgeon, to whom he 
 reported himself as slightly hurt. He assisted in taking 
 care of the wounded below, and wanted to return to his 
 station, but on examining him it was found that he was 
 wounded quite severely in both eyes. 
 
 James S. Roantree, 
 
 Sergeant of Marines on board of the United States steamer 
 " Oneida." Conducted himself with distinguished gal- 
 lantry, and is mentioned as particularly deserving of 
 notice. 
 
 James Sheridan, 
 
 Quartermaster on board of the United States' steamer 
 " Oneida." Captain of the after nine-inch gun ; was 
 wounded in several places, but remained at his gun until 
 the firing ceased, and then supplied the place of the Sig- 
 nal Quartermaster, who had been injured by a fall. 
 
APPENDIX. 117 
 
 Charles B. Woram, 
 
 Seaman on board of the United States steamer " Oneida." 
 Acting as aid to the executive officer. Distinguished 
 himself for his cool courage, and carried his orders intel- 
 ligently and correctly. 
 
 Andrew Jones, 
 
 Chief Boatsivain' s Mate on board of the United States 
 steamer " Chickasaw." Although his enlistment had ex- 
 pired, he volunteered from the " Vincennes " for the bat- 
 tles in Mobile Bay, and was honorably mentioned by the 
 commanding officer of the " Chickasaw." 
 
118 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS SENT FROM HEAD-QUARTERS 
 MILITARY DIVISION WEST MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 Head-quakters Military Division of the West Mississippi, ) 
 New Orleans, La., August 9, 1864. 5 
 
 IMajor-General H. W. Halleck, 
 
 Chief of Staffs Washington, D. 0. 
 
 Sir : Fort Gaines, with forty-six commissioned offi- 
 cers, and eight hundred and eighteen enlisted men, with 
 its armament, twenty-six guns, intact, aod provisions for 
 twelve months, has surrendered (unconditionally). It 
 was occupied by our own forces at eight o'clock, yester- 
 day morning. 
 
 Fort Powell was abandoned, its garrison escaping to 
 Cedar Point. Its armament, eighteen guns, is in con- 
 dition for immediate service. 
 
 General Granger, reinforced by two thousand men, 
 will immediately invest Fort Morgan, leaving garrisons in 
 forts Gaines and Powell. 
 
 E. R. S. CANBY, 
 
 • Major-Greneral, commanding. 
 
APPENDIX. 119 
 
 Head-quarters Military Division of the "West Mississippi, 
 New Orleans, La., August 24, 1864. 
 
 Majoe-General H. W. Halleck, 
 
 Chief of Staff, Washington, D. C. 
 
 Sm : By the surrender of Fort Morgan we have about 
 six hundred prisoners, sixty pieces of artillery, and a 
 large quantity of material. In the twelve hours pre- 
 ceding the surrender, about three thousand shells were 
 thrown into the fort. The citadel and barracks are 
 entirely destroyed, the works generally much injured. 
 Many of the guns were spiked, the carriages burned, and 
 much of the ammunition destroyed by the rebels. 
 
 The losses in the army were one man killed and seven 
 wounded. 
 
 E. R. S. CANBY, 
 
 Major- Cfeneral, commanding. 
 B. B. K. 
 ff.U. 
 
120 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 EXTEACTS FROM CONFEDERATE OFFICIAL REPORTS. 
 
 Mobile, August 7, 1864. 
 
 Colonel : I have the honor to report the evacuation 
 and destruction of Fort Powell, on the night of Au- 
 gust 5th. 
 
 When the enemy's fleet passed into the bay, the gar- 
 rison consisted of two (2) companies of the Twenty-first 
 Alabama Regiment, and part of Culpepper's Battery, — 
 in all abou»t one hundred and forty men. Water for 
 thirty days was protected from the enemy's fire in the 
 bomb-proof, and other stores for two months. The front 
 face of the work whs nearly completed and in a defensi- 
 ble condition, mounting one eight-inch columbiad, one six 
 and four-tenths-inch rifle, and two seven-inch Brooks 
 guns. The face looking towards Gaines and Little Dau- 
 phine Island was half finished. The parapet was nearly 
 complete, but traverses and galleries had only been 
 framed. The rear had only been commenced. Two guns 
 were mounted, — one ten-inch columbiad, and one seven- 
 inch Brooks rifled. They were without parapets, and 
 exposed from the platform up. This part of the fort was 
 strewed with a large quantity of lumber, which was being 
 used in the construction of galleries, magazines, &c. 
 During the morning, the fort was shelled from five gun- 
 boats in the sound, at long range. The fort was hit five 
 times, but no particular damage was done. 
 
APPENDIX. 121 
 
 I replied with the four guns bearing on that side, with 
 what effect is not known. About 2.30 P. m., one of the 
 enemy's monitors came up within seven hundred yards 
 of the fort, firing rapidly with shell and grape. I replied 
 from the seven-inch Brooks gun (razeed) on the southern 
 angle. It was protected by an unfinished traverse, 
 which however would not permit it to be depressed suf- 
 ficiently for ricochet firing. The gun was loaded with 
 great difficulty, there being no platform for the gunners 
 in the rear, owing to which, and the delay occasioned by 
 a sponge-head pulling off in the gun, I succeeded in firing 
 but three shots from it while the iron-clad was in range. 
 One shot struck on the bow, with no apparent effect. 
 The iron-clad's fire made it impossible to man the two 
 guns in the rear, and I made no attempt to do so. 
 
 The elevating machine of the ten-inch columbiad was 
 broken by a fragment of shell. A shell entered one of 
 the sally-ports, which are not traversed in the rear, passed 
 entirely through the bomb-proof, and buried itself in the 
 opposite wall ; fortunately it did not explode. The shells 
 exploding in the face of the work displaced the sand so 
 rapidly, that I was convinced, that unless the iron-clad 
 was driven off, it would explode m}^ magazine and make 
 the bomb-proof chambers untenable, in two days at the 
 furthest. To drive it from its position I believed impos- 
 sible with my imperfect work, and so telegraphed to 
 Colonel Anderson, commanding Fort Gaines, that unless 
 I could evacuate I would be compelled to surrender 
 within forty-eight hours. His reply was, " Save your 
 garrison when your fort is no longer tenable." 
 
 At the time his despatch was received it was becoming 
 dark. The fleet had not moved up to intercept my com- 
 
122 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 munication witli Cedar Point; I could not expect to have 
 another opportunity for escape, and I decided promptly 
 that it would be better to save my command and destroy 
 the fort, than to allow both to fall into the hands of the 
 enemy, as they certainly would have done in two days. 
 The tide being low, I marched my command to Cedar 
 Point without interruption or discovery. In one narrow 
 channel I found the water overhead, and in crossing it I 
 damaged my ammunition and lost a few muskets (a 
 special report of which will be made). 
 
 Lieutenant Savage was left in the fort, with orders to 
 prepare a train and match, to explode the magazine as 
 soon as he discovered that I had gained the mainland. 
 Lieutenant Jeffers, Acting Ordnance Officer, was directed 
 to spike the guns at the same time. The fort was blown 
 up at 10.30 P. M. Every man was brought off safely to 
 Cedar Point, thence to the city. 
 
 Respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 J. M. WILLIAMS, 
 Lieutenant- Colonel, commanding. 
 
 Col. G. G. Gaenee, Chief of Staff. 
 
 Head-quarters District of the Gulf, 
 
 Mobile, Alabama, August 9, 1864. 
 
 Geneeal: While at Meridian on the 3d instant, I 
 received despatches indicating a land and naval attack on 
 the lower forts. On the 4th instant, a force was thrown 
 on Dauphine Island estimated at two thousand (2000). 
 On Friday, the 5th instant, the enemy's fleet attacked 
 Fort Morgan, at 6.30 A.M. After several hours' bom- 
 
APPENDIX. 123 
 
 bardment, the whole fleet, except one large monitor, which 
 was sunk by our guns, ran by the fort and entered the 
 bay. They numbered (14) fourteen wooden ships, and 
 (3) three iron-clads. The Tennessee, and little gunboats 
 Selma, Gaines, and Morgan, were soon overpowered. 
 The conduct of the Admiral, in the Tennessee, and of 
 the Selma, Captain Pat. Murphy, is spoken of as devot- 
 edly gallant. 
 
 On the same day a monitor ran close up to Fort Powell 
 and cannonaded it for several hours; (5) five gunboats 
 in Mississippi Sound bombarded it at long range. No 
 serious injury was done to the fort, besides disabling the 
 carriage of a ten-inch gun. No officer or man was 
 wounded. That night, Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, the 
 same commander who, in a spirited manner, sustained the 
 attack of Farragut some months ago, evacuated the fort, 
 blew it up, and brought the garrison to this city. Urgent 
 orders were sent to Colonel C. D. Anderson, Twenty-first 
 Alabama, the commander of Gaines, to hold his fort to 
 the last extremity. 
 
 He surrendered his fort with about six hundred (600) 
 good troops in it, on yesterday morning. 
 
 The commander and garrison of Fort Morgan evince a 
 noble spirit of resolution. 
 
 Grant's Pass is now open for transports, and Mobile 
 may be attacked in a short time. Henceforth the place 
 must always be held ready for attack. There are an 
 unusual number of women and children here ; they will 
 not go away until the shells begin to fall, when it may be 
 too late. There is six months' supply of victuals here for 
 a garrison. The ordnance supplies are still insufficient 
 for siege. The citizens, employes, reserves, militia, (2) 
 
124 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 two Louisiana regiments of heavy artillery, (6) six com- 
 panies of cavalry, and a battalion of men selected from 
 companies of correction, in all about (4,000), four thou- 
 sand, now man the works. 
 
 A regiment of reserves, and about (300) three hundred 
 artillerists are en route. Other reserves are under orders 
 to come here — (say 1,000). Last night I received a 
 despatch from my most intelligent New Orleans cor- 
 respondent, stating Canby's force at 3,000. If this be 
 so, no immediate attack upon the city is probable. 
 Forrest telegraphs me that the force advancing down the 
 Mississippi Central road is about 15,000 men. It has 
 forced Chalmers back towards Oxford. Forrest has about 
 (7,000) seven thousand veteran cavalry. I have ordered 
 General Wirt Adams and Liddell to reinforce him, if 
 possible. They may send him 1,000 to 1,500- men, and 
 the State reserves and militia of Mississippi may give him 
 1,500 more. With this I think he can retard, and per- 
 haps defeat the enemy. I go to Meridian this evening. 
 No tidings yet of General Taylor, or of troops crossing. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 DABNEY H. MAURY, 
 
 Major-Creneral^ commanding. 
 
APPENDIX. 125 
 
 Head-quarters Department of Alabama, Mississippi, j 
 
 AND Eastern Louisiana, > 
 
 Mobile, Ala., August 12, 1864. j 
 
 My dear Sir: I received to-day your despatch in- 
 quiring for the particulars concerning the surrender of 
 Fort Gaines. . I have answered as to the main points. 
 When the fleet first appeared to be increasing before Fort 
 Morgan, I was in Meridian, the head-quarters of the 
 department to which I had recently been temporarily 
 assigned. On my return to Mobile, on the 3d instant, I 
 found that, in consequence of the appearance of a land 
 force off Dauphine Island, the garrisons of forts Gaines 
 and Powell had been increased by sending some local 
 troops (Pelham Cadets), marines, reserves, heavy artil- 
 lery — in fact, almost every available soldier at that time 
 in Mobile. It was then believed those would hold out 
 against any attack likely to be made on them, and it was 
 hoped the fleet would not enter the bay. 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, of Fort Powell, aban- 
 doned and blew up his work without having a man 
 injured, nor had any injury been inflicted on any part of 
 his fort. He reports one of his gun-carriages disabled, 
 and one gun temporarily out of use by careless loading. 
 He had under his bomb-proof fully thirty (30) days' 
 water, and two months' provisions. He had hand-gre- 
 nades, revolvers, muskets, and howitzers to defend his 
 fort against launches, and eight (8) heavy guns to use 
 against the ships. The fort had just been connected, by 
 telegraph, with Fort Gaines and with Mobile. On the 
 morning of the 5th, there were seventy (70) negroes, 
 with trenching tools, in the fort; the guns on the east 
 face of the work were mounted and in fighting order, but 
 
126 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 were not yet covered by the parapet, and the men serving 
 them would have been exposed, as are sailors on an ordi- 
 nary man-of-war. 
 
 It is altogether probable that a faithful service of their 
 battery for half an hour would have driven off or sunk 
 the only boat attacking its eastern face, and that it might 
 have been held long enough to compel the fleet to put to 
 sea, or at least to enable Mobile to prepare fully for land 
 attack. 
 
 Fort Gaines was garrisoned by six (6) companies 
 Twenty-first Alabama regiment, two (2) companies First 
 Alabama battalion, forty (40) Pelham Cadets, one hun- 
 dred and twenty (120) reserves, and about forty (40) 
 marines — in all about (600) six hundred good troops. 
 The fort was well supplied for (6) six months. The 
 three (3) ten-inch guns were dismounted* during the 
 bombardment ; twenty (20) guns remained in good order. 
 The fort was uninjured, and could have long withstood 
 attack. The enclosed copy of General Page's despatch 
 reveals all I know of the surrender. 
 
 The important consequence of these misfortunes is, 
 that Mobile is henceforth liable to attack without warn- 
 ing, and must always be ready for siege. I have hereto- 
 fore, as you know, sent from here troops and supplies to 
 other points, which seemed more important or more im- 
 minently pressed; henceforth I must collect and hold 
 here everything necessary for a beleaguered city. 
 
 The heavy armament calls for a great deal of ammuni- 
 tion. The outer line — Morgan, Gaines, and Powell — 
 
 ♦ Temporarily dismounted during the bombardment by the carelessness 
 of the cannoneers ; afterwards remounted, according to information just 
 received. 
 
APPENDIX. 127 
 
 was supplied with three hundred (300) rounds per gun. 
 The guns near the city have not more than two hundred 
 (200). The total number of men now under arms in the 
 whole district is about (6,000) six thousand — about 
 (1,000) one thousand of whom have been under fire, and 
 a large portion are citizens of the place. 
 
 The city has probably more women and children in it 
 than at any time since the war began. 
 I am, sir, very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 DABNEY H. MAURY, 
 
 Major-Creneral^ commanding. 
 
 Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War, C. S. iV., 
 Richmond, Va. 
 
 Head-quarters Department of Alabama, ^ 
 
 Mississippi, and East Louisiana, > 
 
 Mobile, Ala., September 1, 1864. J 
 
 Genekal Samuel Cooper, 
 
 Adjutant and Inspector- Greneral, 0. S. A., Richmond, Va. 
 
 Geneeal : When I was assigned to the command of 
 this department, July 26th, it had been stripped of most 
 of its troops to strengthen the Army of Tennessee. In 
 Mobile, there was not a soldier, except the artillery gar- 
 risons of the forts and bay batteries. Forrest, with six 
 thousand effective cavalry, guarded North Mississippi 
 against a heavy column advancing from Memphis. Gen- 
 eral Wirt Adams, with five or six hundred cavalry, 
 watched Vicksburg ; Colonel Scott, with twelve hundred 
 cavalry, held East Louisiana. A few disorganized frag- 
 
128 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAT. 
 
 ments of brigades, numbering a thousand men, perhaps, 
 with some companies of state reserves, constituted my 
 force in North and Central Alabama. 
 
 The enemy prepared to move on Mobile and North 
 Mississippi simultaneously. 
 
 On the 5th of August, a very formidable fleet of iron- 
 clad and wooden ships, led by Admiral Farragut, after a 
 fierce bombardment of Fort Morgan, ran past that for- 
 tress, and entered Mobile Bay. One iron-clad, the Te- 
 cumseh, was sunk by a torpedo,* and a small gunboat, 
 the Philippi, was destroyed by our fire. On the same 
 day, a monitor ran up within seven hundred yards of 
 Fort Powell, and bombarded it for several hours. The 
 garrison suffered no loss; the fort sustained no serious 
 damage. That night, the commander evacuated and 
 blew up the fort, thus leaving Grant's Pass open to the 
 enemy. He is now undergoing trial before a court- 
 martial. 
 
 On the evening of August 3d, the enemy had landed a 
 force on Dauphine Island, in order to besiege and reduce 
 Fort Gaines. General Page called for reinforcements, to 
 enable him to attack this force, which at that time he 
 supposed to be small. Every available man was sent 
 from Mobile to Fort Gaines. The entrance of the fleet 
 into the bay prevented their return to the city. They 
 were too few to make the proposed attack, but were too 
 many for the proper siege garrison of Fort Gaines, and 
 for the unexplained precipitate surrender made by 
 Colonel Anderson of a work which, faithfully defended, 
 could have held the enemy before it at least as long as 
 Fort Morgan. 
 
 * General Page reports that it was sunk by the guns of Fort Morgan. 
 
APPENDIX. 129 
 
 After firing a few shots, Colonel Anderson, witliout 
 authority, entered into negotiations with the enemy, and 
 on the 7th instant, the Confederate flag was lowered, and 
 the ensign of the enemy raised and saluted. General 
 Page reports that he visited Fort Gaines, and used every 
 proper means to prevent its surrender. He could not 
 with propriety assume command at Fort Gaines, and 
 remain absent from his more important command at Fort 
 Morgan. He ordered Colonel Anderson to be relieved 
 from command, and forbade any surrender unless the 
 Federals should return with Colonel Anderson to the 
 fort. Nothing more is known of this unfortunate affair. 
 It enabled the enemy at once to concentrate all his efforts 
 upon Fort Morgan, which was invested and besieged. In 
 the course of a few days all communication was cut off 
 with that fortress, and we could only infer anything of 
 its fate from the distant sound of the cannon, and the 
 uncertain reports of our scouts along the bay shore. 
 
 After sustaining a very heavy attack b}'- the army and 
 the fleet. General Page surrendered his fort and garrison 
 on the 23d instant. From the statements of the enemy, 
 we learn that their batteries had crowned the glacis. 
 The citadel had repeatedly been set on fire, and the flag 
 of the fort was not lowered until the work was no longer 
 tenable. General Page is also reported to have destroyed 
 everything in the fort which could be of service to the 
 enemy before surrendering. 
 
 I am, General, very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 DABNEY H. MAURY, 
 
 Major- General, commanding. 
 9 
 
130 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 Fort Mokgan, 12 M., August 23, 18G4. 
 
 Major-General D. H. Maury, 
 
 or Commanding Officer^ District Mobile. 
 
 General : I held the fort as long as it was tenable ; 
 the parallels of the enemy had reached the glacis ; tlie 
 walls were breached ; all the guns save two were dis- 
 abled ; the wood- work of the citadel, being repeatedly 
 fired by the shells of the enemy, endangered the maga- 
 zines. All my powder was destroyed, every gun effec- 
 tually spiked, and otherwise damaged, and indeed the 
 whole fort (everything that could prove of value to the 
 enemy) is now a mass of debris. 
 
 I turn this over to their forces at two o'clock to-day. 
 The garrison behaved gallantly, and gained honor for 
 themselves and country. 
 
 Respectfully, &c., 
 
 R. L. PAGE, Brigadier- General. 
 
 Office Torpedo Bureau, Richsiond, August 15, 18G4. 
 
 Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War., C. S. 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to enclose the within telegram, 
 with the remark that, previous to leaving Mobile, I had 
 sixty-seven (67) torpedoes planted where this one acted, 
 and had nine (9) sub-marine mortar batteries under way 
 (three comi)leted) to close the main channel, such as the 
 enemy report kept them out of Charleston ; they being 
 unable to remove them. 
 
APPENDIX. 131 
 
 But my instructions and wishes were frustrated after I 
 left ; the place left open, and the enemy made use of it. 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 G. J. RAINS, 
 Brigadier- General, superintendent. 
 
 Telegram. 
 
 Received at Richmond, August 13, 1864, at — o'clock, 
 — minutes : 
 
 By telegraph, from Mobile, 13, to General G. J. Rains. 
 
 Monitor Tecumseh was sunk hy torpedo in thirty seconds. 
 
 F. S. Baekett. 
 
 ^880 
 ' G. 
 
 [Indorsement.] 
 
 From Lieutenant Barrett, in charge of torpedo de- 
 fences at Mobile, Alabama. 
 
132 
 
 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 ARMAMENT AND WEIGHT OF TROJECTILES OF 
 UNION VESSELS ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE 
 OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 Guns. 
 
 Solid 
 Shot. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Cored 
 Shot. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Shell. 
 lbs. 
 
 Shnp 
 nel. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Grape 
 lbs. 
 
 Cinis- 
 tei. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Brooklyn 
 
 2 100-Pdr. Parrotts. 
 2 60-Pilr. Parrotts. 
 20 IX-inch Guns. 
 
 70 
 60 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 80 
 60 
 72i 
 
 86 
 
 75 
 
 74 
 
 70 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 2060 
 
 1460 
 
 1710 
 
 1672 
 
 1480 
 
 1400 
 
 Octorora 
 
 i 
 
 1 lOO-Pdr. Parrott. 
 
 2 32-Pdr. 33 Cut. 
 
 3 IX-inch. 
 
 4 24-Pdrs. 
 
 70 
 32 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 80 
 26 
 72i 
 20 
 
 86 
 32 
 75 
 26 
 
 334 
 74 
 
 30 
 70 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 404 
 
 219 
 
 429 
 
 479 
 
 289 
 
 270 
 
 Hartford 
 
 2 lOO-Pdr. Parrotts. 
 1 30-Pdr. Parrott. 
 18 IX-inch. 
 
 70 
 30 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 80 
 29 
 724 
 
 86 
 75 
 
 74 
 
 70 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 1790 
 
 1314 
 
 1494 
 
 1522 
 
 1332 
 
 1260 
 
 Melacomet-. 
 
 2 100- Pdr. Parrotts. 
 4 IX-ineh. 
 2 24-Pdrs. 
 2 12-Pdrs. 
 
 70 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 80 
 72i 
 20 
 10 
 
 75 
 26 
 13 
 
 74 
 
 70 
 17 
 11 
 
 
 Total Weight, 
 
 500 
 
 292 
 
 510 
 
 378 
 
 296 : 336 
 
 Mmond.... 
 
 1 lOO-Pdr. Parrott. 
 1 30-Pdr. Parrott. 
 18 IX-inch. 
 
 70 
 30 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 80 
 29 
 72i 
 
 75 
 
 74 
 
 70 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 1720 
 
 1314 
 
 1414 
 
 1350 
 
 1332 
 
 1260 
 
 Port Royal... 
 
 1 lOO-Pdr. Parrott. 
 
 1 X-inch. 
 
 2 ->0-Pdrs. 
 2 IX-inch. 
 2 24-Pdrs. 
 
 70 
 134 
 
 50 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 80 
 103 
 60 
 724 
 
 20 1 
 
 86 
 101 
 
 75 
 26 
 
 74 
 
 69 
 70 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 474 
 
 146 
 
 468 : 389 
 
 1 
 
 148 ' 209 
 
APPEXDIX. 
 
 loo 
 
 NAME. 
 
 Guns. 
 
 SoHa 
 Shot. 
 
 Cored 
 Sl>ot. 
 
 Ids. 
 
 Shell. 
 /ds. 
 
 Shrap 
 ncl. 
 
 If^s. 
 
 Grape. 
 
 C.iiiis- 
 tcr. 
 
 Ih. 
 
 Lackawanna.. 
 
 1 150- IMr. Parrott. 
 1 50- IMr. 
 '2 Xl-inoh. 
 ' -t IX-iiuli. 
 1> 2-t-lMrs. 
 4 U'-lMrs. 
 
 185 
 
 50 
 
 yo 
 
 73 
 
 135 
 
 50 
 136 
 72i 
 20 
 12 
 
 141 
 75 
 26 
 
 125 
 74 
 
 150 
 
 70 
 17 
 11 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 S77 
 
 293 
 
 835 
 
 634 
 
 646 
 
 658 
 
 Seminole 
 
 1 80-rdr. r.irrott. 
 G 3L'-lMrs. 
 1 XI-iiK'h. 
 
 so 
 
 32 
 lGt> 
 
 
 211 
 
 26 
 
 136 
 
 32 
 141 
 
 83i 
 125 
 
 SO 
 150 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 SSS 
 
 
 S21 
 
 S33 
 
 326 
 
 330 
 
 Mononsalela • 
 
 1 ir)0-Pilr. Parrott. 
 
 2 Xl-iiu-h. 
 
 5 3l'-l\hs. 57 Cut. 
 •2 l>4-IMrs. 
 1 U'-Pdr. 
 
 135 
 
 ICG 
 
 32 
 
 
 l.T. 
 
 i;u; 
 
 2G 
 20 
 12 
 
 141 
 32 
 26 
 
 125 
 33i 
 
 150 
 30 
 17 
 11 
 
 
 Total Weiglit. 
 
 627 
 
 
 589 
 
 494 
 
 417 
 
 495 
 
 KenneDec 
 
 1 
 
 1 20-Pdr. Parrott. 
 1 Xl-iiu-h. 
 '2 24-lMrs. 
 I 12-Pdr. 
 
 lOG 
 
 
 19 
 
 136 
 
 20 
 
 12 
 
 20 
 
 141 
 
 2G 
 
 12 
 
 125 
 24 
 
 150 
 17 
 11 
 
 
 Total Weight, 
 
 1(56 
 
 
 207 
 
 225 
 
 173 
 
 195 
 
 Ossipee 
 
 1 100-Pdr. Parrott. 
 
 1 Xl-inoh. 
 
 t: ai'-Pdrs. 42 Cut. 
 o aO-IMr. Parrotts. 
 
 2 12-Pdrs. 
 
 70 
 166 
 32 
 30 
 12 
 
 
 80 
 136 
 26 
 29 
 12 
 
 141 
 32 
 
 12+ 
 
 125 
 33 
 
 150 
 30 
 
 ioi+ 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 542 
 
 
 483 
 
 357 + 
 
 323 
 
 351 -1- 
 
 Itaska 
 
 1 Xl-inch. 
 
 2 20- IMr. Parrotts. 
 2 a2-Pdrs. 57 Cut. 
 1 12-Pdr. 
 
 IGG 
 32 
 
 
 136 
 19 
 2G 
 12 
 
 141 
 20 
 32 
 
 125 
 33i 
 
 30 
 11 
 
 
 Total Weiglit. 
 
 230 
 
 
 238 
 
 245 
 
 192 
 
 71 
 
134 
 
 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 Guns. 
 
 Solid 
 Shot. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Cored 
 Shot. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Shell. 
 lbs. 
 
 Shrap- 
 nel. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Grape. 
 lbs. 
 
 Canis- 
 ter. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 ODCida 
 
 2 Xl-inch. 
 
 3 30-Pdr. Parrotts. 
 
 4 32-Pclrs. 33 Cut. 
 1 12-Pdr. 
 
 1G6 
 30 
 32 
 
 
 136 
 29 
 26 
 12 
 
 141 
 32 
 
 125 
 33i 
 
 150 
 
 30 
 11 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 550 
 
 
 475 
 
 410 
 
 384 
 
 431 
 
 Galena 
 
 1 100-Pdr. Parrott. 
 1 30-Pdr. Parrott. 
 8 IX-inch. 
 1 12-Pdr. 
 
 70 
 30 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 80 
 29 
 72d 
 12 
 
 86 
 75 
 
 74 
 
 70 
 11 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 820 
 
 584 
 
 701 
 
 686 
 
 592 
 
 571 
 
 TecMseli-. 
 
 2 XV-inch. 
 
 440 
 
 400 
 
 350 
 
 358 
 
 332 
 
 197 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 880 
 
 800 
 
 700 
 
 716 
 
 664 
 
 394 
 
 Manliattan-- 
 
 2 XV-inch. 
 
 440 
 
 400 
 
 350 
 
 358 
 
 332 
 
 197 
 
 
 Total Weight, 
 
 880 
 
 800 
 
 700 
 
 716. 
 
 664 
 
 394 
 
 Wlnneto- 
 
 4 Xl-inch. 
 
 166 
 
 
 136 
 
 141 
 
 125 
 
 150 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 664 
 
 
 544 
 
 564 
 
 500 
 
 600 
 
 CMctaw... 
 
 4 Xl-inch. 
 
 166 
 
 
 136 
 
 141 
 
 125 
 
 150 
 
 
 Total Weight. 
 
 664 
 
 
 544 
 
 564 
 
 500 
 
 600 
 
 The armament of Farragut's fleet in 1864 was consid- 
 ered, both in Europe and America, exceedingly formida- 
 ble. How guns have increased in size since then the 
 following extract from Chief Engineer King's valuable 
 " Report on European Ships of War " will show. By it 
 the reader will see that the "Intrepid" throws at a 
 broadside rather more than two-thirds of the weight of 
 metal thrown by our eighteen vessels. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 135 
 
 " The armament of the Inflexible will be composed of 
 four of the heaviest guns (except those making for the 
 Italian vessels) ever constructed, of which the experi- 
 mental eighty-one ton gun completed at Woolwich, and 
 tested, is the type. They are capable of being fired, all 
 four together, at an enemy ahead, astern, or abeam, and, 
 in pairs, toward every point of the compass. 
 
 " The gun is rifled with thirteen grooves, each having an 
 increasing pitch from to 1 in thirty -five calibres. The 
 
 o . 
 
 Size of 
 Powder, 
 
 O u 
 
 To _« 
 
 SI 
 
 >> 
 
 "oj 3 
 > t 
 
 1 ' 
 
 3 
 
 S 3 
 Oh O 
 
 2 •- 
 
 Total Energy 
 developed. 
 
 
 Cu6ic Indies. 
 
 Pounds. 
 
 Poimds. 
 
 Feet. 
 
 To7is per 
 Sg. Inch. 
 
 Foot-tons. 
 
 1 
 
 1.5 
 
 340 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,486 
 
 20.1 
 
 26,030 
 
 2 
 
 1.5 
 
 350 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,505 
 
 20.4 
 
 26,740 
 
 3 
 
 1.5 
 
 350 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,502 
 
 20.3 
 
 26,630 
 
 4 
 
 1.5 
 
 350 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,467 
 
 19.6 
 
 25,406 
 
 5 
 
 1.5 
 
 350 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,475 
 
 18.4 
 
 25,683 
 
 G 
 
 1.5 
 
 350 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,493 
 
 21.0 
 
 26.314 
 
 7 
 
 1.5 
 
 360 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,487 
 
 18.8 
 
 26,103 
 
 8 
 
 1.5 
 
 370 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,495 
 
 19.9 
 
 26,385 
 
 9 
 
 1.5 
 
 350 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,518 
 
 20.5 
 
 27,203 
 
 10 
 
 1.5 
 
 370 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,523 
 
 20.3 
 
 27.383 
 
 11 
 
 1.5 
 
 360 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,519 
 
 21.3 
 
 27,239 
 
 12 
 
 1.5 
 
 360 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,518 
 
 20.0 
 
 27,203 
 
 13 
 
 1.5 
 
 370 
 
 1.700 
 
 1,519 
 
 19.8 
 
 27,239 
 
 14 
 
 1.5 
 
 370 
 
 1,700 
 
 1,517 
 
 20.7 
 
 27,168 
 
 service powder-charge is three hundred and seventy 
 pounds of 1.5 inch powder. The weight of the projectile 
 for the service-shell is one thousand seven hundred 
 pounds, and the bursting charge about one hundred 
 pounds of powder. The details of the series of proof- 
 
136 THE BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY. 
 
 trials at Woolwich, also the tests at Shoeburyness, have 
 been widely published. Still, for reference, it is believed 
 advisable to give (p. 135) the results of the trials last 
 made with the calibre of sixteen inches — that at which 
 the gun is to be used in actual warfare." 
 
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