New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-09-17
TEE OPERATIONS IN MOBILE BAY
Admiral Farraguc,s OGsciai Hepori-iIOw
the FORTS md he Ensn Tcnnrssee were
Captured Faaragut's k-ilot-fnteresfius


The Ar,nu and Nary Journal for this week
contains the complete Official report of Admiral faria
gut Of h. operations in Mobile Bay. II Is illustrated
with very interesting diagrams explanatory OF tAe on.
erent portions of the feet duing lie aclion We copy
the material paris Of this Interesting document;
MOBILE BAY, August IL 1863
SIR: had the honor to forward the Department. Oh
the evening of the 9Th instant report 81 10! cue ;o
Mobile Bay on the MOI nil Of that day. aud WHICH,
though brief contained all the lnca icts "i ino ~
tack Notwithstanding tie loss oi me- Perte' Any Oh
tis ship. ana the terrible sa'teT to the lecp an we
result OF te eight was Curious victory; and nave
reason f. 81 proud OF the officers, seDneh ana al iuc
Of the squadron under ny command Tor IL has never
fallen to the lot o: officer u BE- thus situated anu
thus sustained Regular discipline III b'ng men 70 any
amount Of endurance bus there IL nature i" " i
den dangers particularly when 20 awluly uesrHcu'e
of human life the torpedo. which requires more lnln
dis eipline 10 overcome
PRELIMINARY PLANS.
Preliminary 10 report o the action OF the 9TH, De
sire to call me attention OF the Dcysttn'' 10 Wv
yious steps taken In Insulation with Gems Caoy ava
GrangeT the stb OF July. had an interview VITA
these officers bolrd the Hartford on tile sGolec, ol
attack upon Forts Morgan aud Games az WIncu IL
be could spare to % perate with the hect trcuil-
stances soon obliged cen Caiby 10 INFORM me tnat ne
could not dispatch sufficient hunter 10 invest 1oth
forts and in reply ! suggested that GaiGes sbOuh DC
the first invested, engaging 10 have force IN tne S'uu
reudy 10 protect the landing Of the army on Danphn
iane IN nc r'aI 90 tnms on 10 ~ iha, duty
On the LIST inst. Gen. Granger velteG me again on te
Hartford In the Weantme the l1cunseh had hllnfh
~ Pensacola, aud Capt Craven Informed me that be
woud be ready in four days for any service We teIe
fore fixed upon the 4h If August ns the day Tor thc
LANDING Of the troops and my entrance into the bay but
owing delays mentioned in Capt. Jenkinss COMMUNE
cation 10 me. the lecumsch was not ready. Gen
Grauger however, ~ my modification. was up T. the
time and the troops actually landed on Dauphln lsini
As subsequent events proved the delay turned To our
advantage a. tie rebels were bnsiy Engaged during
throwing
Gaines all Of which were captured few days alter
ward. The Tecumseh arrived On toe evening 81 the
18th, and everything being propous, proceeded ~ the
attock The following morning As mentioned IN my
previous dspgtch the vessels outside the bar Which
were designed to participate IN the engagement we're
ell under way BY forty minutes past five IN the morning
in the following order abreast and dashed together
Brooklyn Captain james Alden. with the Octorors.
Lieutenant Commander c. II. Green on the pot side
Hartford Capt IN Perciyni Drnyton. with the Meta
comet Lieutenant Commander j. L. Joueti:
Richmond Capt r. A. jenkins with the Port Royal
Li.peuapt Commander Ghera1di. c.u,,
1ackavsha Captain j. b. aaidfchand, with the Semi
mole, Commander Il. Donaldson. -, 4,
Monongaheis, Commander j. II; strong. with the
Rennebec. LeutensDt { Commander W. T. hrCann.
Ussipee Commander W T. LeRoy. with tho liasca
Lieutenant Commander George Brown.
Oneida, Commander j X. Muliany. with the Sa'cnA
Lieutenant G Commander Z. H. Wells. .
The irun.clils Teoumseb. Co pAnder I. A. NJ
Craven, tie Manhattan, Commander j. W. A Niehoi
son the Winnehago. Commander +. ii. stevens ana
tho Chickasaw. Lieutenant -Commander J. IL. iefkihs
u AL eady ahead inside TIE Dnr, ana hfu
dered to take up their positions the side 81
the wooden ships OF between them and Fort Morgan,
for the double purpose of Keeping down the hfe ifo h
water battery aud tic parapet uns Of the io ns wen
as u attack the Tennessee "a soon a the TORT "hs
passed 1t only OF the urgent request Oh thc cap
tains and commanding officers that yielded 10 tHe
Brooklyn being the leading ship oftbe nae ne she had
four chase guns ard ingenious arrangement FOR pick
inc up tOrpedOes ard because IN their judgment the
flagship ought not To be too much exposed THIS be-
ieye 70 be IN error for apart from the fact that expo
=. 4 sha pf ra
ALWAYS be the aim Of the enemy to destroy the flagship
and as will appear in the sequel such atiempt Wa very
pei sist nty made bat Providence did not permit u to
be successful
PASSING THE PORTS.
The attacking fleet steamed steadily up the main ship
channel the Iecumseh firing the Fret shot at 6.7 Al
six minutes past the fort Opered npon and was re
Piled 10 by gun ION the Brooklyn. and Immediately
after the action became senoral IL was son apparent
that there some difficulty ahead. The Biookyi
sOme cause which did not then clearly UNDERSTAND
but which has since been explained by Captain Alden
in his report arrested the advance Of the whole 1cet
while at the time the guns u the fort play ing
with great effect upon that vessel and the Hartford
moment aftar saw the recunseh iuck by torpedo
anu disappear almost instIrtancons, beneath the wsfe
carving with her her gallant commander and nearly ali
her crew determined Ut once. as hid orig inny m
tended take the lead. and after ordering the Meta
comet ~ send boat 10 savc II possible any OF the per
ishine crew dashed ahead with the Hartford. md the
ships followed on their officers believing Tint tly were
were going ~ n noble death with their commander In
chief steamed through between the buoys where the
tnrnedoes v,.re supposed to have been sunk These
bnoys had been preyiuualy examined BY nv Flag Lou
tenant j. Crittenden Watson, IN several nghtl, recon
noisances. Though be had not been able " discover
the sunkon tOrpedes yet We had been assured by rcu
gees deserters and others Of their existence. but 10
leving TINT from their having been sometime IN tho
take the chance u their explosion
HOW TIE TENNESSEE WAS cArTURLD.
From the moment tuI ned 70 the nOrtl.westward 70
cear the middle ground. were enablcd u keep such
broadside fire upon the batteries of Fort Morgan that
their guns did comp uatiyely little injury. just after
we passed The fort which about minutes before
eight O'Clock the Tennessee dashed ont this ship
had been expected, and 10 anticipation of which
had ordered the Monitors Oh starJOard side. ook
further notice Of her than tO return her fire. The
Rebel guiboats Morgan. Gaines and Selma. were
ahead, and the latter particularly annoyed with Il
rking fire. which our guns could not return. Attwo
minutes after eight O'Clock order ed the MetcomeI
cst of and go pursuit Of the Selma. Captain Jouot
after her In moment. and in an hours tire be
had her ~ prize. Sle was commanded by J.. ". Muir
ply. formerly Of the United States Navy. He was
wounded IN the wrist bus executive officer. Lieutenant
COmftock. ana eight OF the crew killed. and seven
eight wounded. Lieutenant Commander Jouett's con
duct during the whole affair commands my wnrmest
concentrations. Tie Morgan and Gaines succeeded in
escaping under the protection Of the guns OF Fort Nor
gan which would have been prevented, had the other
gunbonts teon Us prompt In their movements as the
HeLacomet. Tie want of pilot, however. / believe
was the principal difficulty. Tie Gaines was 80 injured
by lire that she had 10 be ashore where was
subsequently destroyed but the Morgan escaped to No
bile during the night. though she was ehAsed and fired
upan by our cruisers.
Having passed the forts and dispersed the enemys
gunbOas bad ordered most Of the vessels to anchor
when perceived the ram Tennessee standing up for
this ship: this ut fortyiiye minutes past eight
was not long in comprehending hs intentions be- the
destruction II the flagship The monitors undsuch Of
the wooden vessels thought best adapted for the
purpose were Immediately ordered 10 attack the ram
not only With their guns but bows at full speed And
then began Of the herccst naval cOmbats record
The Nonongahela, Commander Strong, was the inst
weasel that struck her. and in doing carried away
own iron prov. together with the cutwater. without
Apparently doing his adversary much injury. The