Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-09

GRAND NAVAL ENGAGEMENT WITH FORTS
JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP.
The Rebels Fight with Desperation.
Their Cbqin-cLad haLts and FHe-sLipS Destroyed.
THE UNION SQUADRON MOVES Up THE
MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI
The particulars of the brilliant naval battle
with the forts below New Orleans, are given
in full and interesting letters to the New York
Times aud Boston Journal. We extract be-
low some OF the more important portions of
them, which have not before been published;
PREPARING FOR THE BoMBARDMENr.
Our fighting force consisted Ui six sloUpS Of
war, sixteen gunboats, aud twenty one mortar
vessels. There were also few ships barks
and schooners, containing Goals, ordnance, and
other stores, lowering i'll the rear vi our fleet.
This squadron was anchored on the 18th ult.,
below forts jackson aud St. Philip, prepared
for the attack. The entire fleet, except three
of the mortar schooners, were bound near the
vest shore, the more advanced vessels being
less than a mile distant from chain barrier,
supported upon hulks, which the enemy had
stretched across the river. The vessels were
arranged in parallel lines, the trigates and
gunbOats on the outside, and the mortar
schooners inside literally moored TO the stumps
and margin OF the stream. The mortar
schooners afforded a small target for the enc,
my To fire at, at the best, but still further to
/ secure them, their maSts were dressed with
| evergreen and chappere, ill they looked as
VI
FIRE SHIPS OF THE REBELS.
On the morning OF the 18th The rebels sent
! down large tlatboat filled with cords OF pine
wood on fire. Cables were slipped and there
was a season of general excitement among
the fleet, which feared there might be tOrpe-
dos or other internal cUntrivaDCes concealed
i'll the burning wood. But ii did no injury.
Before another of the fire RATS appeared tile
commodore had prepared the feet TO receive
them handsomely Soon a column of black
smoke was seen approaching from the vicni-
ty OF the forts. Signal lights were made, and
Instantly hundred boats shot out toward the
raft, which now was blazing iiercely and cast.
ing a wide zone Of light upon tue water.
Two or three OF the gunhoats then get under
weigh and steam boldly toward the unknown
thing OF terror, One of them, the Westlield,
Capt. Renshaw, gaIlantly opens her steam
valves, and dasheS turiously upon it, making
the sparks fly and timberS crush with the
force OF her blow. Then stream OF water from
her hose plays upon the blazing mass. Now
the small boats lay alongside, coming up he
ter SHELTER, and actively employing their men.
We see everything distinctly i'll the broad
glare-men. oars, beats, buckets and ropes.
The scene looks phantOm-like, supernatural !;
intensely interesting, extremely exciting, in
eXtrlcably confused But finally the object
ly burning, is taken out OF range OF tue an.
chored vessels and lowed ashore, where ii is
slowly consumed. AS the boats return they
are cheered by the fleet, and the scene chang
es TO one of darkness and repOse, broken Oc-
casiOnally by the gruiPhai OF Il seaman when
boat, sen; on buslnl SIS from one vessel to an
other, passes through the fleet We have
contempt, for fire RATS. They have proved,
like many other things, to be weak inven-
tiOns OF tie enemy
THE COMMANDMENT COMMENCES.
Fire was opened ON the morning Of Good
Friday, April 18th. The engagement was
opened by fort jackson. and the gunboat Or
race was the first to reply. Presently the
bomb tiOtiIIa commenced throwing its shells,
somewhat slowly at first, but with increasing
Tapidity as the sailors became accustomed to
their work, until bomb was sent from each
vessel, on an average, once in five minutes.
There were 70 shots fired from the fOI Is dur
ing the first hour and half, the larger num-
Der of which came from fort jackson. Most
of them passed over the masts OF the schoon-
erS on the lett, dropping in range of those on
the other shore, but from $50 to 200 yards
short After while, however, the rebels got
the range OF these six vessels accurately, and
the balls fell about them, especially from fort
Phillip, terribly thick and fast. In return, tile
bombs were directed Spiritedy upon the tort,
aud with such effect that the enemy slackened
his fire. Ii is wonderful that our vessels were
not smashed 10 pieces. Solid shot struck the
water close beside them, wetting the men with
the spray, or lodging in the soft mud of The
river bank, directly between the schooners,
throwing ,hick column of earth high up above
their maSis. But only three OF them were
struck, and not a soul was injured OH board OF
them In the meantime the enemy were busy
plotting mischief with their fire RATS, which
the fleet had learned how to dispose OF. The
brave fellows on the schOoners did not relax
their fire. The quick sharp bark of the NOR
tars was incessant. Following each report is
an awful rushing whrr-r-r-rr, as though
ten thousand humming tops were whrling IN
the air. The practice was pronounced TO be
excellent. Every bomb plunged in and about
the forts, marking The place of its tall by
throwing up columns of gray earth, which
looked like fountains of muddy water, or if
exploding in the air, by the spiashes which
the scattered fragments made as they dropped
into the river, or sank deep into the clay soil
OF its banks. The war waged in this way all
day. AT intervals the fire OF the enemy was
brisker than at others. AS nearly as we
could judge the rebels were unable to stand
long under our fire at their barbette guns, but
reiterated TO their classmates, where, having
gained rest and fresh supply Of courage,
they would return only to be driven away
again after firing a few rounds The Tor
ceased firing at p. NJ, and the sChOOners
ceased operations at uightfall.
LETTER OF COMMODORE FARRAGUT.
The bomUardment lasted SIX days and five
nights. The following letter, written by COM
mander Farragut, when, with a large squa-
dron, lie had run by the forts, and was hot
from the conflict, has the ring OF the true
metal -
Dear Porter We had Il rough time OF it,
as Boggs will tell you, but, thank God, the
number OF killed and wounded was very
small, considering. This ship had two killed
and eight wounded. We destroyed the ram
in a single combat between her and the old
Mississippi, but the ram backed out when she
saw tile Mississippi coming ut him so RAM
PANTY, and he lodged her and ran on shore,
whereupon Smith put two or three broadsdes
through INN and knocked him all to pieces.
The ram pushed a fire raft on to me, and in
trying to avoid it | ran the ship on shore. He
again pushed the fire raft on me, and got the
ship on fire all along one side. l thought 1t
was all up with us, but we put il out aud got
OIL again, proceeding up the river, fighting
our way. We have destroyed all but Two Of
the gunbOats, and these will have to surrender
with the forts. intend to follow up my sue
cess and push for New Orleans, and then
come down and attend TO the forts, SO you
hold them in stdiu quo until | come back. |
think II you send flag OF truce and demand
their surrender they will yield, for their inter
course with the city is cut off We have cut
the wires above the quarantine and are now
| going ahead. / took 300 or 400 prisoners at
| Quarantine They surrendered aud paroled
them not to take up arms again. could not