7. PART VII. ON DECK
89. Attack on Fort Fisher
By ROBLEY D. EVANS (1865)
[_]
Fort Fisher protected the in mouth of the Cape Fear
River, below Wilmington, North Carolina, a favorite entrance
for blockade runners.
The fleet was lying at Hampton Roads, Virginia.
ADMIRAL PORTER assumed command in November, and at once
began assembling a powerful fleet. Every preparation was made
for active service. Boilers and machinery were overhauled,
magazines, shell-rooms, and storehouses replenished, and
constant target practice was had with all guns. By the end of
November the largest fleet ever seen under the American flag
was assembled in Hampton Roads, all classes, from the largest
monitor to the smallest gunboat, being represented. Our
destination was a secret, carefully guarded; but we surmised
from what was taking place that some important move was
contemplated, and in this we were not mistaken. It was evident
from the daily target practice that the Admiral meant we should
hit something when the time for action came, and the landing of
the men on the beach for drill was an indication of possible
shore service.
Early in December the troop ships arrived— thirteen thousand
men under General B. F. Butler
and still our destination was a secret. Toward the middle of
Decemer all our preparations had been completed, and we put
to sea under sealed orders.
Before leaving Fortress Monroe, General Butler had proposed a
powder boat, by the explosion of which he hoped seriously to
injure the forts on Federal Point, including Fort Fisher. Indeed
he was confident that he would dismount most of the guns and
level the works. An old steamer, the Georgiana, had been
loaded with several hundred tons of powder, and turned over
to the navy to explode at the proper spot. A crew of volunteers
had her in charge, and on the evening of December 24, took her
in for the final act of her career. No man in the navy believed for
a moment that she would do much harm, but none of us
anticipated how little injury would come from the explosion.
At eleven o'clock that night Admiral Porter steamed about the
fleet in his flagship, the sidewheeled steamer Malvern, and
made signal: "Powder boat will blow up at 1.30 A.M. Be prepared
to get under way, and stand in to engage the fort! "After that
there was no sleep for any one; we stood and watched and
waited as the hours slowly dragged by. Half-past one came and
no explosion, and we were fearful of some mishap; but just as
the bells struck two o'clock it came. First came a gentle
vibration, then the masts and spars shook as if they would
come down about our cars; and then came the low rumble like
distant thunder, while the sky to the westward was lighted up
for a few seconds, and then great masses of powder smoke
hung over the land like thunder clouds. Surely the powder boat
had blown up, and as the fleet rapidly formed for battle
there was great curiosity everywhere to see what the effect
had been.
At daylight we. were heading in for the fort, and almost in
range, when we saw General Butler's flagship coming in at full
speed, heading straight at Fort Fisher, which looked to us
very grim and strong and totally uninjured. 'Everything was
very quiet until the General got fairly within range, when there
was a flash from the fort and a prolonged roar, and all
the guns on the face of that work opened on his ship. If he had
had any notion that he could land unopposed he was quickly
undeceived, and the way that ship turned and got off shore
spoke well for the energy of her fire-room force! The last we
saw of her she was running cast as fast as her engines could
carry her. The powder boat had proved a failure, and the
General was grievously disappointed. A rebel newspaper
reported that a Yankee gunboat had blown up on the beach
and all hands lost.
We bad been up many of us all night and our only breakfast
had been coffee and hard-tack. As we approached our
position, Commodore Schenck sent me aloft with a pair of
glasses to locate, if possible, some guns that were annoying
him. It was a raw cold morning, and I had on a short double-breasted coat, in the pockets of which I had stowed several
pieces of hard-tack. When I had taken my place in the mizzen
rigging, just below the top, I put the corner of a hard-tack in
my mouth, and was holding it between my teeth while I looked
through the glasses for the guns. I caught them at once, and
saw gunners train one of them around until I could only see
the muzzle of it, which interested me because I knew it was
pointing directly at us. There was a puff of smoke, something
like a lamp-post crossed the field of the glass, and a moment
after the rigging was cut four feet below me, and I swung into
the mast. I at once thought of my hard-tack, but it was gone,
and I never found even a crumb of it. I am sure that I
swallowed it whole. When I had reported what I had made out
of the battery, I was directed to lay down from aloft to my
station, which was in charge of the after division of the guns;
but I hesitated to do so, because my knees were shaking, and
I was afraid the men would see it. However, I had to come
down, and as soon as I reached the deck, I stood up and
looked at my legs, and was greatly relieved to find that they
did not show the nervous tremor which worried me so. I soon
forgot all abou it as I became interested and warmed up to my
work.
We had only eighteen inches of water under us when we
finally anchored and began firing rapidly in
[_]
I.e., between the ship and the bottom.
obedience to signal from the Admiral. There was a wreck of a
blockade-runner between us and the battery at which we were
to fire, and it was evident that this had been used as a target
and that the range was well known. One or two shots were
fired in line with it, each one coming closer to us, and then
they struck us with a ten-inch shot. Four more followed, each
one striking nearly in the same place, on the bends forward of
the starboard wheel, and going through on to the berth deck.
Then for some reason the shot and shell began going over us,
striking the water thirty or forty feet away. Probably the
gunners on shore could not see the splash of these shots,
and thought they were striking us. If they had not changed
their range when they did they would have sunk us in an
hour. As it was, we hauled out at sundown, pretty well
hammered, and leaking so that we had to shift all our guns to
port in order to stop the shot holes.
We had damaged the fort to the extent of dismounting some
of the guns and burning the barracks and officers' quarters.
When the whole line was fairly engaged the sight was
magnificent, and never to be forgotten by those who saw it.
No fort had ever before been subjected to such a fire, and the
garrison could only make a feeble response; most of them
were driven into the bomb-proofs, where they remained till we
hauled off for the night. The heaviest losses on our side had
been caused by the bursting of the one-hundred pound
Parrott rifles ; thirty-five or forty men had beer. killed or
wounded in this way.
90. The Man Who made the
Monitor
By ADMIRAL DAVID PORTER (1863)
[_]
John Ericsson, a Swede by birth, but a genuine American in his way.
WHILE I was fitting out the mortar flotilla, "Ericsson's iron pot "
was approaching completion, and I received orders from the
Navy Department to make a critical examination of the vessel
and report my opinion of her capabilities. After this duty was
accomplished I was ordered to proceed to Mystic,
Connecticut, and examine the Galena, a wooden vessel
sheathed with iron plates, building there under the
supervision of Commodore Joseph Smith.
Arriving at New York, I called on Mr. Ericsson and showed
him my orders. He read them, looked at me attentively, and
said: "Well, you are no doubt a great mathematician, and
know all about the calculations which enter into the
construction of my vessel. You will have many papers to
examine; help yourself, and take what you like best."
"I am no great mathematician,"I replied, "but I am a practical
man, and think I can ascertain whether or not the Monitor will
do what is promised for her."
"Ah, yes! "exclaimed Ericsson, "a practical man! Well, I've
bad a dozen of those fellows here already, and they went
away as wise as they came. I don't want practical men sent
here, sir. I want men who understand the higher mathematics
that are used in the construction of my vessel—men who can
work out the displacements, horse-power, impregnability,
endurance at sea in a gale, capacity to stow men, the motion
of the vessel according to the waves, her stability
as a platform for guns, her speed, actual weight—in short,
everything pertaining to the subject, Now, young man, if you
can't fathom these things you had better go back where you
came from. If the department wants to understand the principles
of my vessel, they should send a mathematician."
"Well,"said I, as the inventor paused to take breath, "although I
am not strictly what you would call a mathematician, I know the
rule of three, and that twice two are four."
Ericsson looked hard at me, his hair bristled up, and the muscles
of his brawny arms seemed to swell as if in expectation of having
to eject me from the room. "Well!"he exclaimed, "I never in all my
life met with such assurance as this. Here the Government sends
me an officer who knows only the rule of three and that twice two
are four, and I have used the calculus and all the higher
mathematics in making my calculations.
"But,"said I, apologetically, "I know a little of simple equations.
Won't that be sufficient to make me understand this machine of
yours? "
"Worse and worse! "exclaimed the inventor. "It would be better
if you knew nothing. Here's a man who tells me he knows a little
of simple equations, and they send him to examine John
Ericsson! "
I was greatly amused with this remarkable man, and entirely
forgave his peculiarities. "Well, Mr. Ericsson,"I said, "you will
have to make the best of a bad bargain, and get along with me as
well as you possibly can. I am perfectly willing to receive
instruction from you."
"Ah, ha! "he exclaimed, "that's it, is it ? and so you think me a
school-master to teach naval officers
[_]
The Monitor was built on a new plan; the two guns were set in a revolving
turret.
what I know ? I'm afraid you're too bad a bargain for me; you
must expect no instruction here. Take what you like best from my
shelves, but you can't have my brains."
"Well, then,"I said, "show me your plans in order, and, if you
won't explain them, let me see what I can make of them."
"Ah, young man ! "said Ericsson, "with your limited knowledge
of simple equations you will run aground in a very short time.
Look at this drawing and tell me what it represents."
"It looks to me like a coffee-mill,"I answered.
Ericsson jumped from his chair with astonishment in his eye. "
On my word of honor, young man, you are vexing, and I am a
fool to waste my time on you. That is the machinery that works
my turn-table or the turret. I have spent many sleepless nights
over it, and now a man who only knows a little of simple
equations tells me it's a coffee-mill! Now what do you think of
that ? "continued Mr. Ericsson, handing me a small wooden
model; "that's my 'iron pot,' as you navy people call it."
I regarded the model with a critical eye, holding it upside down. "
This,"I remarked, "is evidently the casemate "— passing my
hand over the bottom "and this "— pointing to the turret— "is
undoubtedly where you carry the engine."
"Well! well!"exclaimed Ericsson, "never did I see such a— But
never mind; you will learn by and by the world was not made in a
day."
So we went on till at length I informed Mr. Ericsson that I
thought I understood all about his "iron pot."
He was not in a pleasant humor, evidently regarding
me as an emissary sent by the department to try and bring
him to grief. As he did not seem to be in a communicative frame
of mind, I took a malicious pleasure in worrying him.
After learning all I could possibly from the drawings and plans
of the Monitor, I proposed to the inventor to go and examine
the Simon-pure article, and we crossed the ferry to Greenpoint,
where, if I remember rightly, the vessel was building.
Taking off my coat, I penetrated to the innermost recesses of
the Monitor, followed by Mr. Ericsson, who more than once
inquired if my simple equations enabled me to comprehend the
mysteries.
"Wait till I am done with you,"I said; "then the laugh will be
on you, and you'll see what my simple equations amount to."
"No doubt! no doubt!"he replied, "but it will take a big book to
hold all you don't know when you get through."
At last, after an hour spent in examining the vessel, I emerged
from the hold, followed by the inventor, who looked displeased
enough. "Now, sir,"I said, I know all about your machine."
"Yes,"he answered, sneeringly, "and you know twice two are
four, and a little of simple equations."
"Now, Mr. Ericsson,"I said, "I have borne a good deal from
you to-day; you have mocked at my authority and have failed
to treat me with the sweetness I had a right to expect. I am
about to have satisfaction, for on my report depends whether or
not your vessel is accepted by the department ; so I will tell you
in plain terms what I think of your ' iron pot.' "
"Say what you please,"exclaimed Ericsson, glaring
at me like a tiger ready to spring; "nobody will mind what you
say !"
"Well, sir,"I continued, "I have looked into the whole thing
from A to Izzard, and "—gazing steadily at the inventor, not
without apprehensions that he might seize me in his muscular
arms and squeeze the breath out of my body— "I will say this to
the Goernment—in writing, too, so that there can be no mistake."
"Go on, sir, go on! "said Ericsson; 11 you will run on a rock
directly."
"Well, then,"I continued, "I will say that Mr. Ericsson has
constructed a vessel— a very little iron vessel— which, in the
opinion of our best naval architect, is in violation of well-known
principles, and will sink the moment she touches the water."
"Oh,"said Ericsson, "he's a fool! "
"But,"I continued, "I shall say, also, that Mr. Ericsson has
constructed the most remarkable vessel the world has ever seen
-one that, if properly handled, can destroy any ship now afloat,
and whip a dozen wooden ships together if they were where
they could not manœuvre so as to run her down."
Ericsson regarded me in astonishment, then seized my hand and
almost shook my arm off. "To think!"he exclaimed, "that all this
time I took you for a fool, and you are not a fool after all! "
I laughed heartily, as did Ericsson, and we have been the best
of friends ever since.
I telegraphed at once to the Navy Department, "Mr. Ericsson's
vessel is the best fighting machine ever invented, and can
destroy any ship of war afloat."
After examining the Galena, I telegraphed, "I am not satisfied
with the vessel ; she is too vulnerable."
On my return to Washington I met a high official of the navy,
who said to me: "We received your telegram about the
Ericsson vessel. Why, man, Lenthall says she will sink as
soon as she is launched. He has made a calculation, and finds
she will not bear her iron, much less her guns and stores."
Both Fox and Lenthall soon had reason to change their
opinions on this subject; both became strong advocates of
Ericsson's system, and in a short time a number of much larger
vessels of a similar type with the Monitor were commenced,
but were not finished in time to be of use in the most critical
period of the civil war, when we came near meeting with
serious reverses owing to the great energy displayed by the
Confederates in improvising heavy iron-clads.
To Ericsson belongs the credit of devising the Monitor class
of vessels, which gave us a cheap and rapid mode of building
a navy suitable to our wants at the time. Through his genius
we were enabled to bid defiance to the maritime powers which
seemed disposed to meddle with our affairs, and it was owing
to him that at the end of the civil war we were in a condition to
prevent any hostile navy from entering our ports.
91. The Little Monitor and the Merrimac
By CHARLES MARTIN (1862)
COMPANIONS: I will tell you what I saw at Newport News
when the Merrimac destroyed the Congress and the
Cumberland, and fought with the Monitor. It
was a drama in three acts, and twelve hours will elapse between
the second and third acts.
"Let us begin at the beginning"— 1861. The North Atlantic
squadron is at Hampton Roads, except the frigate Congress and
the razee Cumberland; they are anchored at Newport News,
blockading the James River and Norfolk. The Merrimac, the
rebel ram, is in the dry dock of the Norfolk navy-yard.
The Monitor is building in New York City. It is determined to
keep the Merrimac in the dry dock, wait the arrival of the
Monitor, send her out to meet her, and in the action it is
positive that an opportunity will offer to pierce and sink her.
The ram is a terror, and both sides say, "When the Merrimac
comes out! "The last of February, 1862, the Monitor is ready
for sea; she will sail for Hampton Roads in charge of a steamer.
There is a rumor that she has broken her steering gear before
reaching Sandy Hook. She will be towed to Washington for
repairs. The Rebel spies report her a failure— steering defective,
turret revolves with difficulty, and when the smoke of her guns
in action is added to the defects of ventilation, it will be
impossible for human beings to live aboard of her. No Monitor
to fight, the Southern press and people grumble ; they pitch
into the Merrimac. Why does she lie idle ? Send her out to
destroy the Congress and the Cumberland, that have so long
bullied Norfolk, then sweep away the fleet at Hampton Roads,
starve out Fortress Monroe, go north to Baltimore and New
York and Boston, and destroy and plunder; and the voice of
the people, not always an inspiration, prevails, and the ram is
floated and manned and armed, and March 8th is bright and
sunny when she steams down the Elizabeth
[_]
The Merrimac had been a wooden vessel in the old navy, but was cut down—and built up
with sloping bow plates.
River to carry out the first part of her programme. And all
Norfolk and Portsmouth ride and run to the bank of the James,
to have a picnic, and assist at a naval battle and victory. The
cry of "Wolf ! "has so often been heard aboard the ships that
the
Merrimac has lost much of her terrors. They argue : "If she
is a success, why doesn't she come out and destroy us.? "And
when seen this morning at the mouth of the river: "It is only a
trial trip or a demonstration."But she creeps along the opposite
shore, and both ships beat to quarters and get ready for action.
The boats of the Cumberland are lowered, made fast to each
other in line, anchored between the ship and the shore, about
an eighth of a mile distant.
Here are two large sailing frigates on a calm day, at slack water,
anchored in a narrow channel, impossible to get under weigh
and manœuvre, and must lie and hammer, and be hammered,
so long as they hold together, or until they sink at their
anchors. To help them is a tug, the Zouave, once used in the
basin at Albany to tow canal boats under the grain elevator.
The Congress is the senior ship; the tug makes fast to her. The
Congress slips her cable and tries to get under weigh. The tug
does her best and breaks her engine. The Congress goes
aground in line with the shore. The Zouave floats down the
river, firing her pop-guns at the Merrimac as she drifts by her.
The command of both the ships devolves on the first
lieutenants. On board the Cumberland all hands are allowed to
remain on deck, watching the slow approach of the Merrimac,
and she comes on so slowly, the pilot declares she has missed
the channel; she draws too much water to use her ram. She
continues
to advance, and two gun-boats, the Yorktown and the Teaser,
accompany her. Again they beat to quarters, and every one
goes to his station. There is a platform on the roof of the
Merrimac. Her captain is standing on it. When she is near
enough, he hails, "Do you surrender? ""Never! "is the reply.
The order to fire is given ; the shot of the starboard battery
rattles on the iron roof of the
Merrimac. She answers with a
shell; it sweeps the forward pivot gun, it kills and wounds ten of
the gun's crew. A second slaughters the marines at the after
pivot gun. The Yorktown and the Teazer keep tip a constant
fire. She bears down on the Cumriand. She rams her just aft the
starboard bow' The ram goes into the sides of the ship as a
knife goes into a cheese. The
Merrimac tries to back out; the
tide is making; it catches against her great length at a right
angle with the
Cumberland; it slews her around; the weakened,
lengthened ram breaks off; she leaves it in the
Cumberland. The
battle rages, broadside answers broadside, and the sanded deck
is red and slippery with the blood of the wounded and dying;
they are dragged amidships out of the way of the guns ; there is
no one and no time to take them below. Delirium seizes the
crew; they strip to their trousers, tie their handkerchiefs round
their heads, kick off their shoes, fight and yell like demons, load
and fire at will, keep it tip for the rest of the forty-two minutes
the ship is sinking, and fire a last gun as the water rushes into
her ports.
The Merrimac turns to the Congress. She is aground, but she
fires her guns till the red-hot shot from the enemy sets her on
fire, and the flames drive the men away from the battery. She
has forty years
of seasoning; she burns like a torch. Her commanding officer is
killed, and her deck strewn with killed and wounded. The wind
is off shore; they drag the wounded under the windward
bulwark, where all hands take refuge from the flames. The
sharpshooters on shore drive away a tug from the enemy. The
crew and wounded of the
Congress are safely landed. She
burns the rest of the afternoon and evening, discharging her
loaded guns over the camp. At midnight the fire has reached her
magazines— the
Congress disappears.
When it is signalled to the fleet at Hampton Roads that the
Merrimac, has come out, the Minnesota leaves her anchorage
and hastens to join the battle. Her pilot puts her aground off the
Elizabeth River, and she lies there helpless. The Merrimac has
turned back for Norfolk. She has suffered from the shot of the
Congress and the Cumberland, or she would stop and destroy
the Minnesota; instead, with the Yorktown and Teazer, she
goes back into the river. Sunday morning, March 9th, the
Merrimac is coming out to finish her work. She will destroy the
Minnesota. As she nears her, the Monitor appears from behind
the helpless ship; she has slipped in during the night, and so
quietly, her presence is unknown in the camp. And David goes
out to meet Goliath, and every man who can walk to the beach
sits down there, spectators of the first iron-clad battle in the
world. The day is calm, the smoke hangs thick on the water, the
low vessels are hidden by the smoke. They are so sure of their
invulnerability, they fight at arm's length. They fight so near the
shore, the flash of their guns is seen, and the noise is heard of
the heavy shot pounding the armor. They haul out for
[_]
The Merrimac never tried another fight and was at last destroyed by the rebels.
breath, and again disappear in the smoke. The
Merrimac
stops firing, the smoke lifts, she is running down the
Monitor,
but she has left her ram in the
Cumberland. The
Monitor slips
away, turns, and renews the action. One P.M.—they have
fought Since 8.30 A.M. The crews of both ships are suffocating
under the armor. The frames supporting the iron roof of the
Merrimac are sprung and shattered. The turret of the
Monitor
is dented with shot, and is revolved with difficulty. The
captain of the
Merrimac is wounded in the leg; the captain of
the
Monitor is blinded with powder. It is a drawn game. The
Merrimac, leaking badly, goes back to Norfolk; the
Monitor
returns to Hampton Roads.
92. Chasing a Blockade-runner
By CAPTAIN JOHN WILKINSON (1863)
[_]
Nassau, a harbor in the British Baharnas. The blockade runners carried in arms and
other war material, and carried out cotton, always at risk of capture by the Union
vessels stationed there for that purpose.
WE were ready to sail for Nassua on the 15th of August, 1863,
and had on board, as usual, several passengers. We passed
safely through the blockading fleet off the New Inlet Bar,
receiving no damage from the few shots fired at us, and
gained an offing from the coast of thirty miles by daylight.
Very soon afterwards the vigilant lookout at the mast head
called out "Sail ho! "and in reply to the "where away "from
the deck, sang out,"Right astern, sir, and in chase."The
morning was very clear. Going to the mast bead I could just
discern the royal of the chaser, and before I left there, say in
half an hour, her top-gallant sail showed above the horizon.
By this time the sun had risen in a cloudless
sky. It was evident our pursuer would be along side of us
at midday at the rate we were then going. The first orders were
to throw overboard the deckload of cotton, and to make more
steam: the latter proved to be more easily given than executed;
for the chief engineer reported that it was impossible to make
steam with the wretched stuff filled with slate and dirt.
A moderate breeze from the north and east had been blowing
ever since daylight, and every stitch of
canvas on board the square rigged steamer in our wake was
drawing. We were steering east by south,
and it was clear that the chaser's advantages could only be
neutralized either by bringing the Lee gradually
head to wind or edging away to bring the wind aft. The
former course would be running toward the land, besides
incurring the additional risk of being intercepted and captured
by some of the inshore cruisers. I began to edge away
therefore, and in two or three hours enjoyed the satisfaction
of seeing our pursuer slow up and furl his sails.
The breeze was still blowing as fresh as in the morning, but
we were now running directly away from it, and the cruiser
was going literally as fast as the wind, causing the sails to be
rather a hindrance than a help. But she was still gaining on us.
A happy inspiration occurred to me when the case seemed
hopeless. Sending for the chief engineer I said, "Mr. Simoine,
let us try cotton saturated with spirits of turpentine."There
were on board, as part of the deck-load, thirty or forty barrels
of spirits. In a very few moments, a bale of cotton was ripped
open, a barrel tapped, and buckets full of the satu. rated
material passed down into the fire room.
The result exceeded our expectations. The chief engineer, an
excitable little Frenchman, from Charleston, very soon made
his appearance on the bridge, his eyes sparkling with triumph,
and reported a full head of steam. Curious to see the effect
upon our speed, I directed him to wait a moment until the log
was hove. I threw it myself, nine and a half knots. "Let her go
now, sir! "I said. Five minutes afterward, I hove the log again;
-thirteen and a quarter. We now began to hold our own, and
even to gain a little upon the chaser; but she was fearfully
near, and I began to have visions of another residence at Fort
Warren, as I saw what seamen call the "big bone in the mouth"of our pertinacious friend, for she was
[_]
Fort Warren, in Boston harbor, used as a prison.
near enough to us at one time for us to see distinctly the
white curl of foam under her bows. I wonder if they could
have screwed another turn of speed out of her if they had
known that the
Lee had on board, in addition to her cargo of
cotton, a large amount of gold shipped by the Confederate
government?
There continued to be a very slight change in our relative
positions till about six o'clock in the afternoon, when the chief
engineer again made his appearance, with a very ominous
expression of countenance. He came to report that the burnt
cotton had choked the flues, and that the steam was running
down. "Only keep her going till dark, sir,"I replied, "and we
will give our pursuer the slip yet."A heavy bank was lying
along the horizon to the south and east, and I saw a possible
means of escape. At sunset the chaser was about four miles
astern, and gaining upon us. Calling two of my most reliable
officers, I stationed one of them on each wheel-house, with
glasses, directing them to let me know the instant they lost
sight of the chaser in the growing darkness. At the same time
I ordered the chief engineer to make as black a smoke as
possible, and to be in readiness to cut off the smoke by
closing the dampers instantly, when ordered. The twilight was
soon succeeded by darkness. Both of the officers on the
wheel-house called out at the same moment, "We have lost
sight of her,"while a dense volume of smoke was streaming
far in our wake. "Close the dampers,"I called out through the
speaking tube, and at the same moment ordered the helm hard
a star-board. Our course was altered eight points, at a right
angle to the previous one. I remained on deck
an hour, and then retired to my stateroom with a comfortable
sense of security.
At one time during the chase, when capture seemed inevitable,
the kegs containing the gold had been brought on deck, and
one of them opened by my orders, it being my intention to
distribute its contents among the officers and crew. The
chaser proved afterward to be the Iroquois. Feeling confident
that she would continue on the course toward Abaco, and
perhaps have another and more successful chase, I changed
the destination of the Lee to Bermuda, where we arrived safely
two days afterward.
93. Sinking the Tecumseh
By LOYALL FARRAGUT (1864)
FARRAGUT had fully intended to run into Mobile Bay on the
4th of August; but the non-arrival of the Tecumseh from
Pensacola, prevented him from doing so. It was with great
satisfaction that he saw her steam behind Sand Island on that
afternoon, and take up her anchorage with the Winnebago,
Manhattan, and Chicksaw.
On the morning of the 5th, long before day, through the whole
fleet could be heard the boatswains' cheery pipes and calls of
"all hands"and "up all hammocks"—sounds so familiar on
shipboard; and soon after an orderly entered the cabin and
called Captain Drayton. While the Admiral, Drayton, and
Palmer were partaking of their breakfast, daybreak was
reported, but weather threatening rain. The clouds worked
round, however, and in
[_]
Mobile was defended by a fort, a powerful ironclad, and torpedoes. To attack was very
dangerous.
spite of its being Friday, the sailor's day of misgivings, they
congratulated themselves on the good omen. The wind, too,
was west-southwest, just where Farragut wanted it, as it
would blow the smoke of the guns on Fort Morgan.
At four o'clock the wooden ships formed in double column,
lashed in pairs. The Brooklyn was appointed to lead, because
she had four chase guns, and apparatus for picking up
torpedoes.
At half past five the Admiral still sipping his tea,
quietly said, "Well, Drayton, we might as well get under way."
In one minute answering signals came from the whole fleet, the
wooden vessels taking up their respective positions, and
steering for Sand Island Channel, while the four monitors filed
out of Monitor Bay, and formed in a single column to the right
of the wooden ships, the leading one being abreast of the
Brooklyn.
The Confederate vessels had in the meantime taken up their
position in single line across the channel, with their port
batteries bearing on the fleet. The Tennessee was a little
westward of the red buoy and close to the inner line of
torpedoes.
At 6:47 A.M. the booming of the Tecumseh's guns was heard,
and shortly afterwards Morgan replied. As the fleet of wooden
vessels came within shorter range, Farragut made signal for "
closer order,"which was promptly obeyed, each vessel closing
up to within a few yards of the one ahead, and a little on the
starboard quarter, thus enabling such of the ships as had
chase guns to bring them to bear. The ball had opened, but the
enemy had the advantage, and the Union fleet now received a
raking fire from forts and rebel gunboats for fully half an hour
before they could bring their broadsides to bear with effect.
But at the end of that time the Brooklyn and Hartford were
enabled to pour in their broadsides, driving the gunners from
the barbette and water batteries.
By half past seven the Tecumseh was well up with the fort, and
drawing slowly by the Tennessee, having her on the port beam,
when suddenly she reeled to port and went down with almost
every soul on board, destroyed by a torpedo.
Craven, in his eagerness to engage the ram, had
[_]
Barbette guns mounted on a wall, with no roof over them.
passed to the west of the fatal buoy. If he had gone but his
breadth of beam eastward of it, he would have been safe so far
as torpedoes were concerned.
This appalling disaster was not immediately realized by the
fleet. Some supposed the Tennessee had been sunk, or some
advantage gained over the enemy, and cheer after cheer from
the Hartford was taken up and echoed along the line. But
Farragut from his lofty perch, saw the true state of affairs, and
his anxiety was not decreased when the Brooklyn, next ahead,
suddenly stopped. He hailed his pilot, Freeman, above him in
the top, to ask, "What is the matter with the Brooklyn ? She
must have plenty of water there.""Plenty and to spare,
Admiral,"the man replied. Alden had seen the Tecumseh go
down, and the heavy line of torpedoes across the channel
made him pause. The Brooklyn began to back; the vessels in
the rear, pressing on those in the van, soon created confusion,
and disaster seemed imminent. "The batteries of our ships
were almost silent,"says an eye-witness, "while the whole of
Mobile Point was a living flame."
"What's the trouble?"was shouted through a trumpet from the
flag-ship to the Brooklyn.
"Torpedoes! "was shouted back in reply.
"Damn the torpedoes!"said Farragut. "Four bells! Captain
Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!"And the Haqford
passed the Brooklyn, assuming the head of the line, and led
the fleet to victory. It was the one only way out of the
difficulty, and any hesitation would have closed even this
escape from a frightful disaster. Nor did the Admiral forget the
poor fellows who were struggling in
[_]
Not a refined expression, but it is what he said.
the water where the
Tecumseh had gone down, but ordered
Jouett to lower the boat and pick up the survivors.
94. Running the Batteries
By CAPTAIN ALFRED T. MAHAN (1862)
AT ten o'clock that evening the gunboat Carondelet,
Commander Henry Walke, left her anchorage, during a heavy
thunderstorm, and successfully ran the batteries, reaching
New Madrid at one P.M. The orders to execute this daring move
were delivered to Captain Walke on the 30th of March. The
vessel was immediately prepared. Her decks were covered with
extra thicknesses of planking; the chain cables were brought
up from below and ranged as an additional protection. Lumber
and cord-wood were piled thickly around the boilers, and
arrangements made for letting the steam escape through the
wheel-houses, to avoid the puffing noise ordinarily issuing
from the pipes. The pilot-house for additional security, was
wrapped to a thickness of eighteen inches in the coils of a
large hawser. A barge, loaded with bales of hay, was made fast
on the port quarter of the vessel to protect the magazine.
The moon set at ten o'clock, and then too was felt the first
breath of a thunderstorm, which had been for some time
gathering. The Carondelet swung from her moorings and
started down the stream. The guns were in and ports closed.
No light was allowed about the decks. Within the darkened
casement of the pilot-house all her crew save two, stood in
silence, fully armed to repel boarding, should boarding
[_]
The Confederates had heavily fortified Island No. 10 in the Mississippi River.
be attempted. The storm burst in full violence as soon as her
head was fairly down stream. The flashes of lightning showed
her presence to the Confederates, who rapidly manned their
guns, and whose excited shouts and commands were plainly
beard on board as the boat passed close under the batteries.
On deck, exposed alike to the storm and to the enemy's fire,
were two men; one, Charles Wilson, a seaman, heaving the
lead, standing sometimes kneedeep in the water that boiled
over the forecastle; the other, an officer, Theodore Gilmore, on
the upper deck forward, repeating to the pilot the leadsman's
muttered, "No bottom."
The storm spread its sheltering wing over the gallant vessel,
baffling the excited efforts of the enemy, before whose eyes
she floated like a phantom ship; now wrapped in impenetrable
darkness, now standing forth in the full blaze of the lightning
close under their guns. The friendly flashes enabled the pilot,
William R. Hoel, who bad volunteered from another gunboat to
share the fortunes of the night, to keep her in the channel;
once only, in a longer interval between them, did the vessel get
a dangerous sheer toward a shoal, but the peril was revealed in
time to avoid it. Not till the firing had ceased did the squall
abate.
The passage of the Carondelet was not only one of the most
daring and dramatic events of the war; it was also the death-blow to the Confederate defence of this position. The
concluding events followed in rapid succession.
Having passed the island as related, on the night of the 4th,
the Carondelet on the 6th made a reconnoissance down the
river as far as Tiptonville, with
[_]
"Island No, 10 "was heavily fortified by the Confederates
General Granger on board, exchanging shots with the
Confederate batteries, at one of which a landing was made and
the guns spiked. That night the Pitts. burg also passed the
island, and at 6:30 A.M. of the 7th, the
Carondelet got under
way, in concert with Pope's operations, went down the river,
followed after an interval by the Pittsburg and engaged the
enemies' batteries, beginning with the lowest. This was
silenced in three-quarters of an hour, and the others made little
resistance. The
Carondelet then signalled her success to the
general and returned to cover the crossing of the army, which
began at once.
The enemy evacuated their works, pushing down towards
Tiptonville, but there were actually no means for them to
escape, caught between the swamps and the river. Seven
thousand men laid down their arms, three of whom were
general officers. At ten o'clock that evening the island and
garrison surrendered to the navy, just three days to an hour
after the Carondelet started on her perilous voyage. How
much of this result was due to the Carondelet and Pittsburg
may be measured by Pope's words to the flag-officer: "The
lives of thousands of men and the success of our operations
hang upon your decision; with two gunboats all is safe, with
one it is uncertain."
95. Escape of the Sumter
By CAPTAIN RAPHAEL SEMMES (1864)
ON the morning of the 29th of June, hopes were excited by a
report from the pilot that the Brooklyn had left her station;
and speed being got up
[_]
Semmes, later captain of the famous Alabama, was trying at this time to run out of the
Mississippi River.
with all haste on the Slimier, she again dropped down to Pass '
L'Outre, but only to find that the report had been fallacious.
The
Brooklyn was still at anchor, though a slight change of
berth had placed her behind the shelter of a mass of trees.
Once more, therefore, the
Sumter was brought to an anchor—,
but on the day following, her patient waiting was rewarded by
the long-looked for opportunity. On the morning of the 30th of
June the
Brooklyn was again
reported under way, and in chase of a vessel to leeward ; and
no sooner was the fact of her departure fairly verified than
steam was got up for the last time, and the little
Sumter dashed
boldly across the bar, and stood out to sea.
Almost at the last moment, however, it seemed as
though the attempt to escape were again to be baffled by
difficulties on the part of the pilot. The man on board of the
Sumter lost courage as the moment of
trial came, and professed his inability to take the vessel
through the pass thus left free by the departure of the
Brooklyn, alleging as his excuse that he had not passed
through it for more than three months. Happily the man's
cowardice or treachery produced no ill effects; for, as the
Sumter dropped down the river on her way toward the open
sea, another pilot came gallantly off to her in his little boat, and
volunteered to carry her through the Pass.
The Sumter had not yet reached within six miles of the bar
when her movements were perceived from the Brooklyn, which
at once relinquished the far less valuable prize on which she
had been hitherto intent; and changing her course, headed at
top speed towards the bar, in hopes of cutting the Sumter off
before she could reach it. The narrow opening through the bar,
distant about six miles from either of the opposing vessels,
now became the goal of a sharp and exciting race. The Sumter
had the advantage of the stream; but the Brooklyn was her
superior in speed, and moreover, carried guns of heavier
calibre and longer range.
At length the Pass is reached; and dashing gallantly across it,
the little-Sumter starboards her helm and rounds the mud-banks to the eastward. As she does so the Brooklyn rounds to
for a moment, and gives her a shot from her pivot gun. But the
bolt falls short; and now the race begins in earnest.
The chase bad not continued long, when a heavy squall of
wind and rain came up, and hid the pursuing vessel from sight;
but it soon passed away, and the Brooklyn was again descried
astern, under all sail and steam, and evidently gaining upon her
little quarry. On this the Sumter was hauled two points higher
up, thus bringing the wind so far forward that the
Brooklyn was no longer able to carry sail. And now the chase
in her turn began to gain upon her huge pursuer. But she was
getting into salt water, and her boilers began to prime
furiously. It was necessary to slacken speed for a time, and as
she did so the
Brooklyn slowly recovered her advantage. Then
gradually the foaming in the
Sumter's boilers ceased, and she
was again put to her speed. The utmost pressure was put on;
the propeller began to move at the rate of sixty-five revolutions
a minute, and the
Brooklyn dropped slowly but steadily astern.
At length she gave up the chase, and at four o'clock in the
afternoon, just four hours after crossing the bar, the crew of
the
Sumter gave three hearty cheers as her baffled pursuer put
up her helm, and, relinquishing the chase, turned sullenly back
to her station at the mouth of the river.
96. Passing the Forts on the
Mississippi.
By GEORGE HUGHES HEPWORTH (1863)
WE started at four, P.M. ; and anchored just off the Bar, in the
"Father of Waters,"some time the next evening. I was glad of
this; for it gave mean opportunity to see the plantations on
each side of the river, of which I bad heard so much.
Early in the morning, we entered the Southwest Pass, crossed
the Bar, and passed the sunken wreck of the fire-boat which
the rebels had set adrift, in hopes thereby to fire Farragut's
fleet. It ended its
[_]
In the Gulf of Mexico.
[_]
Farragut came tip the river in April, 1862.
ignoble career as it should; finding a grave in Mississippi mud.
The river presented no objects of interest for many miles ;
indeed, not until we reached the Forts St. Philip and Jackson.
Jackson is the principal work, situated on the right bank of the
river, and almost immediately opposite Fort St. Philip. We saw
nothing to remind us of the struggle which gave us New
Orleans, except a gunboat or two destroyed during the fight, and
driven as high as possible on the bank of the river. Yet, said
they who saw the fight, it was a terrible contest. The rebels were
fresh, eager for the fray, and reckless in their daring. They
believed themselves secure against any attack of the Federals.
They had strengthened their fortifications in every possible
way, and had mounted guns which have since been proved
excellent. A picket-guard had been stationed a couple of miles
below to signal the first approach of the enemy. They could
begin to fire at our boats when over two miles distant.
Besides all this, they had three immense iron cables stretched
across the river, to which was attached a bridge ; so that
communication between the two forts was complete. If our fleet
should succeed in getting opposite the fort, this impediment
would bar its further progress; and, before it could get out of
range again, it would be utterly destroyed. Our fleet-commander
was aware of the existence of this chain, and destroyed it in a
very neat way. The water runs, at this point, about three miles an
hour. This tremendous pressure brought a great strain against
the iron ; and, when the floating bridge was attached, the current
pressed against the immense amount of woodwork, and strained
the, cable to its utmost.
Our commander sent one of his fleetest boats a boat with an iron
prow, and sharpened—to stem the current at its utmost speed,
and strike the cable in the centre of the river, where the pressure
was greatest. The experiment was remarkably successful. The
boat hit the chain in just the right place, and it parted as if by
magic; one half the bridge floating to the east side of the river,
and the other half to the west side. I have often, when a boy,
bent a young tree, half as thick as my arm, almost to the ground,
and then, striking it on the upper side where the strain was
greatest, cut it completely through with the quick blow of a
hatchet. It was in the same way that the great chain was broken.
The fleet of the Union came up the river slowly,—feeling its way
along, fearing some infernal machine,— and nothing was heard
on that calm but dark night save the striking of their paddles in
the water. The decks were filled with men, who expected to pay a
heavy price for the victory and who were willing to give their
lives. The pilot, Porter, knew every shoal, every bend, every
snag. If anybody could take our fleet by those forts, Porter was
the man. I have thought, what an hour of intense excitement that
must have been on both sides! The rebels did not believe that
our men would attempt such a hopeless task, yet kept on the
alert ; and on that night, trained cars were listening to catch the
sound of paddle-wheels, and trained eyes were peering through
the darkness. Nobody saw the glorious stars and stripes which
were floating to the breeze from the mast-head of every gunboat.
Nobody saw the stars and bars which were polluting the air
above the forts.
Soon, however, the terrific conflict between right and
wrong began. Our leading gunboats could not have been
much more than half a mile distant from the fort, when the
battle opened by iron hail from the rebel guns. Our boats did
not answer for a while, but kept steadily on, hugging the
farther shore. When, however, they were directly opposite
Fort St. Philip, their voices were heard ; and they poured upon
the rebels a rain which they were not prepared for. Still we
kept right on ; the object being to get by the forts.
What a picture for the historian to draw! The night was so
dark, that the rebels could see to fire, only by the flashes from
our guns, or perchance by the grim blackness of our
gunboats, seen against the lighter background of the sky. I
need not say, that our entire fleet got by the forts; and that
that night's work opened for us the mouth of the Mississippi,
and gave us New Orleans.
97. An Unfortunate Cow
By FRANC B. WILKIE (1862)
IT was a siege of intolerable length, and without any variety to
break the everlasting monotony. During the weeks that we
were there, there was but one event that increased the
pulsation of my blood. The wooden gunboat Conestoga lay
well up the river just out of the range of the batteries, There
were several ammunition boats in the vicinity, which it was
our duty to guard nights. During the day, the Conestoga
would drop out into the stream and down till within range, and
then add her voice to the thunderous concert.
[_]
The siege of Island No. 10 from March 17 to April 7.
This vessel and the ammunition boats at night were laid up on
the west, or Arkansas shore. Between us and the shore there
was a swamp densely covered with cane, so that access to the
boats by land was impossible. One night, about eleven
o'clock, when everybody save those on duty had turned into
their hammocks, the solemn stillness was suddenly broken by
a hail from the deck,—"Who goes there?"—followed almost
instantly by the report of a musket, and scarcely a second
later by the roar of our larboard guns. The next moment I
rushed out of the cabin on deck. It was as dark as Erebus. The
whistle of the boatswain was calling the men to their places,
and there was a rush of flying feet. There were the creaking of
tackle, and then the flash and roar of the larboard guns of the
Conestoga, as they blazed away into the woods and the
darkness. Down the stream in the density of night, activity
was noticeable among the twinkling lights of the fleet. Signal
rockets flashed athwart the gloom; and soon the quick
pulsations of a steam-tug added its voice to the clamor.
It was tremendously exciting for a few moments. I could see
no enemy; grape went crashing through the cane and trees
and splashing into the water. In the obscurity all I could see
that was human on the deck, when a flash from the guns
lighted up the scene, was one of the ship boys—a sucking tar
of about twelve years of age apparently—who was standing
within the taffrail and blazing into the timber with a revolver as
fast as he could cock it and pull the trigger. A tug came
alongside from the fleet, and an officer climbed up on deck
with a lantern. He disappeared down the gun deck, and a little
later the firing ceased.
The report of the sentinel was to the effect that he heard
something splashing through the water, and had challenged it,
and receiving no answer had fired off his musket. Some boats
were lowered and an exploration was made of the vicinity, but
nothing whatever was discovered. When daylight came, amid
the torn canes lay the body of a cow, or portions of a
cow, for she had been riddled with a charge of grape.
It was she, that, wading through the water, had excited the
challenge and alarm of the sentinel, the fierce resistance of the
gallant Conestoga, and a commotion which affected the
entire fleet.
98. Sinking the Albemarle
By JOHN RUSSELL SOLEY (1864)
THE night was dark and stormy, with now and then a heavy fall
of rain. Most of the officers stood or
[_]
The Albemarle, a dangerous ironclad, lay off Plymouth, in the Roanoke River. Lieutenant Cushing
of the Union navy volunteered to destroy her.
sat in the forward part of the launch. The engineers and
firemen were at their post by the engine, and the rest were
stationed in the bow, near the wheel, and in the stern. The last
were to clear the tiller ropes, in case they should foul.
Running cautiously under the trees on the right bank, the
launch proceeded on her way up the enemy's river. It was
Cushing's intention, if he could get ashore unobserved, to land
below the ram' board her from the wharf, and bring her down
the river. To carry out this plan, it was necessary that the
attack should be a surprise; but, failing in this, he was prepared
to attack with the torpedo. In either case he meant to give the
enemy as little warning as he could.
Creeping along silently and stealthily, the launch approached
the landing just below the wharf. just then a dog barked, and a
sentry, aroused, discovered the boat and hailed her. Receiving
no answer, he hailed again and fired. Up to this moment not a
word had been uttered. But in an instant the situation was
changed. The time for surprises was past; and Cushing, giving
up without a second thought his cherished project, at once
threw off all concealment, and in a loud voice called out,
"Ahead, fast!"In the same breath he ordered the cutter to cast
loose, capture the Southfield's pickets, and go down the
river. Pushing on two hundred yards further, he saw for the
first time the dim outlines of the Albemarle, on the port bow,
and close aboard. The light of the fire showed a line of logs in
the water, within which, at a distance of thirty feet, lay the
vessel. The launch was too near the logs to rise over them at
the sharp angle her course was then making, and Cushing saw
that he must sheer off and turn before
he could strike them fairly and with sufficient head-way.
The alarm on board the Albemarle had now become general;
rattles were sprung; the bell was rung violently; and a shower
of rifle bullets was poured in upon the launch. Swan received a
slight wound, and Cushing had three bullets in his clothing,
but no one was disabled. Passing close to the enemy, the
launch took a wide sweep out to the middle of the river; then
turning, it headed at full speed for the ram. As he approached,
Cushing with the rollicking bravado and audacity that marked
all his doings, shouted at the top of his voice, "Leave the ram!
We are going to blow you up! "with more exclamations of the
same kind, in which the others joined. To Cushing, who went
into action with the zest of a school-boy at football, and the
nerve and well-balanced judgment of a veteran, the whole
affair was half sport, even while the bullets were flying around
him, and while be could hear the snapping of the primers, as
the guns of the ram were brought to bear. Luckily they missed
fire, As he came near, Cushing ordered the howitzer to be
trained and fired; and he directed every movement himself,
which was promptly carried out by those in the bow. He says
of—this incident in his report: "The enemy's fire was very
severe, but a dose of canister, at short range, served to
moderate their zeal and disturb their aim."
In a moment the launch struck the boom of logs, abreast of the
ram's quarter port, and pressed over them. As it approached
the side of the ram, the torpedo-spar was lowered; and going
ahead slowly until the torpedo was well under the Albemarle's
bottom, Cushing detached it with a vigorous pull.
Waiting till he could feel the torpedo rising slowly and
touching the vessel, he pulled the trigger line and exploded it.
At the same second, as it seemed to those in the boat, the
Albemarle's gun was fired, while the launch was within a
dozen feet of the muzzle. To Cushing it seemed that the shot
went crashing through his boat, though in fact she was not
touched. A column of water, thrown up by the explosion of the
torpedo, fell in the launch, which was entangled in the logs,
and could not be extricated.
When Cushing saw that he could not bring the boat off, after
refusing to surrender, he ordered the crew to save themselves,
and taking off his coat and shoes, jumped into the river. Others
followed his example; but all returned except three,—Woodman,
and two of the crew, Higgins and Horton. Horton made his
escape, but the other two were drowned.
Cushing swam to the middle of the stream. Half a mile below he
met Woodman in the water, completely exhausted. Cushing
helped him to go on for a little distance, but he was by this
time too weak to get his companion ashore. Reaching the bank
with difficulty, he waited till daylight, when he crawled out of
the water and stole into the swamp not far from the fort. On
his, way he fell in with a negro, whom he sent to gain
information as to the result of the night's work. As soon as he
learned that the Albemarle was sunk, he moved on until he
came to a creek, where he captured a skiff, and in this he made
his way the next night to a picket-boat at the mouth of the
river. The rest of the party, unable either to resist or escape,
surrendered.