The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-08-27
Saturday Morning, Aug. 81, 1864.
From Mobile Bay.


Farrdguts Victory-1 Gtdncs at its Import
tdnce-1he Rebel Ram Tennesse-Iaside
Vtew or Her Before and AJter the Fiqht
Her great strength and icedkness-I The
Work yet beforuus.
FoRT GAINES, ALA, Aug II, 1864.
In the lull between the pounding of sur
fleet at The portals Of Fort Morgan and its
probable early surrender, it may be not amiss
TO consider carefully the result OF the brilliant
achievement OF our fleet, under the noble old
Admiral.
Unlike most Of the achievements of the war,
this success OF Admiral Farragut, splendid AS
1t was TO superficial observer in its first
fruits, grows into infinitely greater value and
Importance the more We consider and under
stand what it actually has succeeded IN naccom-
piishing.
The triumphant entry Of the fleet inside the
bay under the blazing thunderS OF the guns OF
Morgan and Gaines. and through channel
sown with torpedoes, was an actor which the
pages OF history can show no parallel but all
these accomplished, the work would have
been hall undone had the destruction of the
rebel fleet Inside the harbor been leit incom-
plete. Without undertaking to belittle the
wonderfuf achievement which successfully
carried our feet inside the harbor of Mobile.
am fully persuaded that the victory over the
rebel gunboats, especially the formidable ram
Tennessee, in its immediate and remote results,
was Of at least equal importance to the ma
too to the passage Of the fleet inside the
forts.
Ine rebel ram Tennessee, in the extraordi.
nary fight with nearly half our entire feet.
which took place inside the harbor, proved
herself one OF the most formidable crafts ior
harbor defense which has ever been construe-
ted, aud on inspection OF her which | have
hQE nfagf tod IN. H.
justice the rebel Admiral Buchanan claimed
that she was able to sink anentire fleet.
Her hull was originally intended for a man
of-war, and is put together in the most stanch
and substantial manner in which it is possible
TO build vessel. Her length is about one
hundred and eighty feet.
In form she varies from the old Merrimac.
though evidently modification Of that unior-
tunate and shortlived craft.
Her arHor consists OF two and half inch
iron in bars eight inches wide crossing each
other aud bolted down with one aud three
quarter inch bolts, making five inches of solid
iron. This again IS backed by two feet Of sol
Id OAK throughout the entire portion of the
boat above the water line, understanding some
feet even below thar. From her forward case
m1tes forward, Including her pilot house, an
additional inch Of iron is given her, makiug
six inches OF plating, aud an additional foot,
making three feet ofwooden backing at this
part OF the boat.
Her gun room, if that Is the proper term to
use, occupies about two4thirds of her length,
and is constructed with fat top, composed
of two and half by eight iuch iron bars,
crossed aud bolted together, forming close
lattice work above her gunners, and affording
ventilation while in action. The sides are in-
clined like those of the old Merrimac, and as
before stated, are composed Of five inches oil
iron plating backed with two feet of solid oak
backing, through which, ia the fght with our
fleet, no ball succeeded in piercing. Her ports,
OF which there are two on either side. and one
fore and aft, are closed by means OF iron shut
tiers, which revOiye upon pivot In the cen
ire Of one side, aud are worked by means of
cog wheel on the inside in very simple and
expeditions manner. They are liable, how
ever, TO arrangement, and in the engagement
with our fleet two were actually so deranged
as TO prevent their being opened, while a third,
the at one, was shot away entirely, the pivot
on which it revoked being broken off, and Il
was through this that the fragment of shell
entered which wounded the rebel Admiral, as
he was standing near directing gunner to
clear away some splinters with which it had
become filled.
1t is curious and interesting proof Of the
excelkDce Of our gunners that some ten shots
struck in close conliguiiy 10 this port which it
was early discovered II was impossible for her
crew TO close and in fact this really became
the heel OF Achilles TO the fated Tennessee
Somewhere between forty and fifty shots
struck her during the fight in nearly every
part of the boat, but not one penetrated her
impervious armor. One fifteen-inch shell
from the Monitor Manhattan, as is supposed.
made deep indentaiion which must have
caused her 10 stagger, but bounded eff from
kar rfl. q
however, stove through her two feet Of wood
en- backing, and produced inside all the eyi.
dences of the missiles having come through.
The splinters flew promiscuously in all di-
rections in the neighborhood, inside. The
ram is armed with two seven and an eighth
inch Iifed guns Of the Brooks pattern, fore
and aft, and with four OF the same six-inch
guns in her broadsides.
These effective weapons have been turned
since her capture towards Fort Morgan, and
will doubtless, as old friends, be highly appre-
ciated in the fort By her garrison.
Some eighty superior muskets were also
captured along with the ram in complete or
der.
Nothing. In fact which could render her
more complete in her appointment in any
respect was spared by Admiral Buchanan in
fitting her out; and, as she has been some
two years building, she was about as thor
oughly appointed as il was possible for heI
TO be.
In addition to her armament as described
she was armed with formidable iron prov
for ramming. which made her in that particn
lar in no wise inferior TO the old Merrmac
whose exploits in that line must be fresh IN
the minds Of the reading public still. One
point OF weakness with her was her ruddel
chains, which were on her deck. and covered
only with a half inch Of iron, and were soon
deranged, rendering her, but for an additiona
provision of ropes and blocks, entirely un
manageable. As ii was, the rope substitute
was The means by which her rudder was
managed during more than half of her en-
gagement.
The shooting away Of her smoke stack ha
been given by some as the cause OF her sur
render. Nothing can be more absurd. The
effect OF the loss Of this could do nothino
more than TO lessen her draft slightly, as /
was only shot away above her upper deck
on level with which itfested Of course /
could in no manner have anything to do viii
causing the rams surrender. That fortuiton,
event was the immediate result of the wound
ing of her brave though misguided command
er, the terrible hammering at her by our flee
from every side, the arrangement of her port
and consequent uselessness of three Of he
guns, and the seyering of her rudder chain
rendering her TO great extent unmanage;
bic. Finally, the utter Generalization OF h,
crew at the sight of her fallen Admiral mo
tally wounded, as was supposed at the tim
caused them to run up the white flag and su
render the boat TO our fleet.
The machinery of the Tennessee has bee
greatly improved since first begun, and e
gines of greater power put In than those fir
assigned her. She is, however, by no meaI
swift, as 1t is, though capable OF making grea