Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-22
TIL, OneiaI RepOrf of Operations Below
Ntw Orleans Report of Commodore
UNITED SITES SgEAMEE ;,, .LL HAREIET iss5 LANE


OFcer Fsrragdt, with the feet, passed Forts
9 Jackson and st. Phillip 0n the morning of the
2lth, and should be in New Orleans by this
3 time. as he cen meet with no obstacles such as
he has alres1y passed. the way being compare
J lively open before him.
We commenced the bOmbardment OF Fort
? .Jaclaon on the 18th, and continued it without
: intsfnission until the squadron made prepsrs-
tio1s to move The squadron was formed IN
thee lines to pass the forts, Capt. Bailys dlyis-
! en, composed of the following vessels, leading
10 the attack of Fort st. Phillip: Cayuga, Pen
I sacols, Mississippi, Oneida, Verona, Cstahdinr
J Kineo, and Wissabickon; Flag Officer Fsrrsgut
leading the following second line, the Hartford,
Brooklyn and Richmond; and Commander Bell
leading the third division, composed of the fol
lowing vessels Scioto, Iroquois, Pinola, Vino
ns Itaska, and Kenuebec
The steamers belonging to the mortar iotilla,
one of them towing the Portsmouth, were to
enflade the water battery commanding the
approaches The mortar steamers we're the
| Harriet Lane Westfeld, O9asco, Clifton. and
Marine-the jackson towing the Portsmouth.
! The vessels were rather late ia getting under
vay and into line, and did not get fairly started
until haif-past thres a N aud tho UsHai hustle
had spprised the garrison that something was
/ going on,
In an hour and ten minutes Sfter the vessels
under a most terrific FIRE, which they returned
with interest, The mortar feet Iained down
shells or Fort Jackson. TO try and keep the men
from the guns, while the steamers of tie mortar
feet poured in shIapnel upon the water battery
commanding the approach At distsIes, keeping
them comparatively quiet.
When the last vessel Of ours could Dc seen
among the FIRE and smoke to pass the battery
signal was made to the mortaIs to cease firing,
and the hotills steamers were directed to retire
from contest that would soon become unequal
1t was now daylight and the feet having
passed along, the forts began to pay THAR stten-
tion to our little squadron of stesmers--thres of
the gunboats. which passed through There
latter became eGtanglsd in some wrecks and
chains placed IN the river 80 Obs.ruct il, and
which wers only partially removed. One of
these vessels, the Winons, got through ss far a.
Fort st Philip, but having all the guns beAIing
en- her sensibly retired.
The Itasks was taiIly Iiddled, and lad a shot
through her boiler, and the KsnnebeC escaped
unhurt.
l am disposed TO think that our squadron
received but little damage considering the une-
quail contest-one hundred and forty two guns
on board ship opposed to one hundred On shore
In most commanding position.
For thirty minutes after the ships passed, the
fcrts fred very feebly on the vessels that re-
manned outside so much so that the Portsmouth
was enabled TO drop with the current out of
gunshot, though the shot fell pretty freely about
her at last think the fire from the ships must
have been E1Ty destructive of life. The last we
saw OF our vessels they were standing ND the
FtSsE- Some exPfessSas teak place which made
US feel rather uneasy, but which may have been
the rebel gunboets. We could see that our
squadron had not destroyed all the snsmy's yes
sells at the fort, for three " four of Lhem were
moving in all directions, evidently In a state Of
excitement.
Before the feet got out CT sight it was report
ed to me thar the calculated ram Manassas vas
coming out to attack Us, and. sufe enough, there
she was, apparently steaminE along shore, ready
to Pouncs upon To apparently deteuseless nor
tar vessels Two OF OUr sgaasnsrs and solua Of
The mcZtar vessels opened fire o1 her, but 1 soon
discovered that the Manassas could harm nc Sns
again, and ordered the vessels 70 ssvs thsiT
shot She was beginning TO emit smoke fTom
her ports, or holes, and was discovered to be on
fire and sinking. Her pipes we're all twisted
and nddied with shot, and her hull was also well
cut up. She had evidently been used up by the
squadron as they passed along. l tried to save
her as curiosity, by getting bawser around
her and securing her to the bank, but just after
doing so she family exploded. Her only gun
went Of and emitting flames through her bow
port, ike soma huge animal, she gave . plunge
and disappeared under the water,
Next came steamer on FIRE which appeared
to be vessel of war belonging to the rebels; and
after her two others, all burning and floating
down the stream.
Fires seemed to be raging all along up the NV
er, and we supposed that our squadron were
burning and destroying the vessels as they passed
along. It appears, however that the McRas
and two river boats, and their celebrated floating
battery, brought down the night before, were
left unhurt, and were still flying the Confede-
rate flag
The matter of the floating battery becomes
very serious affair. as they are hard at work |
at Fort Jackson mounting heavy rihed guns
on it, which are of no further use to them |
In the fort. She units sixteen guns, is almost !
as formidable vessel as the Merrimsc, perfectly |
shot proof, and has four powerful engines in her
shall q. all events take such steps as will pre-
vent her from destroying anything, and we may |
still hold her in check with the steamers, though
they are rather fragile for such service This |
is one of the bad effects Of leaving an enemy in
the rear. / suppose that the ships fred on her /
they passed through, but that her mail resisted
the shot She had steam on this morning. and /
was moving about quite lively 1 tried to put !
some mortar shell Though her roof, but without |
effect, as she moved of.
The forts are now cut off from all coiamunica
Officer Fsnsgut has cut the wires
l Ihsve sent the Miami around with Gen But /
Ter to the back Of Fort St Phillip. 10 try and !
throw in troops at the quarantine, five miles /
along the forts and at tue sans time open coz (
uuniostion that way With the fag officer ana |
supply him With ammunition, l am also going |
to send part of the mortar dest to the back Of /
Fort Jackson, to cut of the escape Of the garri !
son By that way and stop supplies desarter, /!
L. 1s1- g.c1. 4 I.
plenty of provisions for two mOnths, plenty Of !
ammunition, and plenty Of dlsoomforts.
Our shells set the citadel on IRE tie frat after
mon We opened IL burned trcel5 ior ssven |
hours but thought it fre-raft behind the !
fort as they continually send them down on as |
but without any effect But few casualties oc-
cured to vessels on this side OF tbs forts Ths !
Harriet Lane lost but Ons mSn killed and one !
fear, mortally wounded The WinOns lost three /
killed and three wounded and the ItRsba, with |
fourteen shots through hsg. Lad but few nen /
hurt. These forts can hold our still FOR some
time, and would suggest that tks Monitor aud !
Mystic. they can BE spared, be seut here, !
without LGomsIts delay, 20 settle the question /
TIE mortar feet have been very much ex-
posed and under heavy nTe fUr six days, du-
ri1g which time they kept tie shells going with /
cut inteTmissioD- One Of than, the Maria J. /
Carlton, was sunk by q shot passing through l
bSI nag aIlHSi anu lIeA through Ter DOttOm 4
The hotilla lost but one man killed and six |
wounded. The bearing of the officers and men
was worthy Of the highest praise. hey never t
once tagged during period of six dsys-never {
had en- accident to one of the vessels by firing;
and, when shell and shot were flying thick above !
them, showed not the least desire to have the /
vessels meved to place of safety. The Incl
dents of the bombsrdmsnt viii be mentioned in |
my detailed report
l merely write this hurried letter to apprise the
department of the state of affairs, and shall send
it of at once, Via Havana The sight Of this /
night attack was awfully grand. The river was /
lit up with RATS filed with pine knots, and the /
ships seemed to be fighting literally amidst !
flames and smoke Where we were, the FIRE Of !
the enemy was high and comparatively harmless
am in hopes that the ships above Jared IS
well as we did, though amid such terrific IRE j
it was gratifying to ses that nos e shiip wsyeTed
but stood steady OF her course. and ] am il
hopes and sec no -easOn " doubt It, that they