The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-12-10
PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Farragut's attack on the Mobile
Forts.
BY ASST. SURGEON 7. xrSsos coAs.

At midnight tonight, wind and weather
favoring, our fleet will form in line OF battle
At four O'Clock in the morning, the attack which
has been snriously awaited by both parties for
two years. will be made. The .SjogO is to be
dashed alongside the Bro0LiyH, the largest vessel
OF the fleet, and We are to lead rfIe advance. ]
trust an accident which Lefell US yesterday, will
not interfere with our part Of the programme.
Our starboard paddle-bOx was smashed, and our
wheel slightly injured. We are repairing to-day.
The Brooklyn and Richmond have hDwitzers in
their tops, and will drop shot upon the rebels
heads, from a height Of eighty feet We shall
pass close to the forts, within 200 or 900 yards,
go that their gunners may Ere over our heads.
and that ours may fire grape-shot into their
faces. Ny station is on the berth deck, directly
over the powder magazine. The officers are in
the most friendly mood Tonight, talking over the
prospects Of tomorrow. and leaving directions
aud addresses with each other.
AUGcsT 5fH.-At' sunrise this morning the
line of attack was formed. First the four Moni-
tors, then the Brooklyn, the Harford, the Rich
mond, and four other shiIa, all in pairs, eighteen
vessels in all, making a solemn procession two
miles long. The Hartford was all in a Aatter of
signals. The ships moved snail-like into thcir
positions. We, with four other ships, took sta
tions without, to lombard Fort Morgan while
the procession should pass. Soon the Monitors
began to move more briskly. The middle and
rear ships began to close up; the movement is
flirly begun.
The TecusHseh opened the fight with shell from
l5-inch guns: they fell short. Fort Morgan an
swered with shell that passed far beyond the for
ward ships, and exploded near the middle Of our
line. Now the Monitors are right abreast of the
fort. Each ship in the feet runs up the flag to
each masthead the rebels fly their own; and a
tremendous broadside from the Hartford begins
the fight in earnest The ships sweep rapidly
mp. and in FIVE minutes more, have entered, the
great cloud Of smoke, lighted with incessant
flashes Of red FIRE, that hangs between them and
the fort. For nearly half an hour the guns
boom at the rate of sixty explosions per minute.
We and the other ships of the reserve, 1.-THE Se6Ggo
was too badly injured to join the adrance,) flank
the fort, and pour in shell. The shot whistle
over our heads in reply, but do not strike us.
Now comes the calamity of the day. The Te-
ernpeh, already past the fort, and leading the
way mp the bay, strikes n torpedo, which explodes
under her turret, and in a few minutes has gone
to the bottom. But the rest of the feet make
~ E-N1~" DVAOAV III W Il OHCE lHc Liulc
of the first shot, the last ship has passed the
famous fort, and the thunder Of our guns is
checked for awhile. We Withdraw from action,
and watch the progress up the bay of the tri-
%umphant fleet.
LATER DATE-Now the TscuDnseh lies near Us,
deep under water. with sixty gallant men drown
ed in her. Imagine them beating their iron-cage
in the death struggle-the water pouring in. and
filing all around
The PhiEPpi, one of our dispatch boats, had
rashly gone in too far. and was now aground
opposite the fort, which opened fire upon her.
The crew deserted her after setting her on fire.
and for an hour we watched the burning hull;
saw her shotted guns go off. and her magazine
precisely as the thing is laid down in
the books
AuGUsT sTn.-The Stars and Stripes appear ON
Fort Gaines, as yesterday they floated from Fort
II vel. The side-door is now opened into Mo-
bile Bay, and our feet will receive supplies
through it. One victory a day for the last three
days The newspapers will give the particulars.
Il will take more than u day to reduce Fort Nor
gan. We are now going in shore 10 take away
AUGUST 9TH-Went to New Orleans in COM
pany with two OtSer vessels, to carry the prison
ers captured at Fort Gaines. There were more
than SOC of them. They were not n superior
class of men. Many were lads between fifteen
and eighteen years of age, and many were - white
trash" OF course, there were some intelligent
faces among the lot, and | took a great fancy to
one young fellow who said he belonged TO the
Mobile Cadets, and who was about seventeen
years old, a gentlemanly, intelligent boy. He
seemed as if he might belong to one of the arts
tocratic families of the South. lie was bitterly
leans / said to him, :. Perhaps when we next
meet we shall be shooting at each other" He
answered, Il hope So" Yet he thanked me in
sincerest manner apparently for " the kind
ness of our officers. ! hope the young rascal
will live to learn a better faith and practice in
politics than any the South can teach him. But
the chances are that he with many thousand
more must 60 under, that his city must be burn
and be scwed with salt, and other of their
cities likewise. before any good thing can come
of this doomed COnlederacy.
ArGUST IOrH.-We landed our prisoners. and
then all the officers had 4 run on shore. | found
the old path to the city library, and had a pleas
ant time in reading the English Magazines. In
the evening VIC got under way, and raced the
Genesee down the river, getting slightly beaten.
We beat her IN coming up, however.
ArGrsr 1lIH.-Reached our old anchorage.
and saw our gallant feet riding at anchor in its
hard-won position within the bay. 1t was a