The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-13
Naval operations Before Mobile.
Rebel Fort slIeneed.

From the Washington Star
UNITED STATES STEAMER J. P. JACKSON.
MISSISSIPPI SOUND, Feb. Is.
EDITOR STAR This vessel has been
bloekading the Mississippi Sound for
the past eighteen months, and you can
believe me when tell you this is one
of the most monotonous stations in the
Gulf Squadron. cruising around the
Sound by day, and blOckading Hone
Island Pass at night, where vessels from
the different rivers emptying in the
Sound would have to pass out to escape
the blockade Returning to the station
last night at the Pass, Sve met the gun
boats SebagO, Octoraro and Calhoun
coming up the Sound, TIE two former
boats of the new style, double-enders
and side-wheel.
We of course were curious to know
their business in the Sound, and soon
learned sufficient to suspect that the
long-wished-for event was about to take
place. c., the attack upon Mobile and
It's defenses; and we were not long left
in doubt Of the fact, for at daylight this
morning, we espied six of the famous
mortar (bomb) schooners outside, wait
ing to be piloted in the Pass, which
duty devolved upon Us. We soon had
them all inside, and at A. NJ the feet
stood up the Sound for the rebel fort at
Grants Pass, and known as Fort Grant
These sehooners gainedno small amount
Of notoriety as Porter's (bummers NOR
tar hotilla, in the reduction of Forts St
Phillip and Jackson, on the Mississippi
river, adthe,time our brave Admiral ran
the gauntlet and captured New Orleans.
Arriving off Grants Pass, the feet an
chOred; the mortar schoOners were
soon engaged briskly in sending down
and housing topmast, and dismantling
themselves for action. The afternoon
being misty and untavorable, nothing
was done but mature our preparations
for the morning.
February l6.-At daylight we were
moving and engaged in placing in pO-
sition the three schoOners assigned to
our charge BY 9 a. NJ we had them
placed in position. The other gun
boats and mortars were then in posi-
ton The ball was opened at $50 A.
NJ by the flagship Of the feet, the
0ctorasr, firing the first shell. The
mortars and gunboats following, we
were soon sending compliments
into the rebel fort in the shape of
46-pound Sawyer rife shells. The
mortars being too far off, their shell
feel short Of the mark The gunboats
drawing too much water to get in near
er without grounding, their shell most
ly fell short Not so with all the rebel
shots, some of which displayed most
excellent practice of gunnery, whizzing
around our bow, then our stern, and
next over our heads, and falling close
alongside, making one feel anything
but comfortable
This did not last long. Our gunner
soon got his range, and after firing three
Wild shots, the next seven successive
shots from our rifle were delivered di-
rectly into the rebel fort 1t was a
gratifying and exciting sight when our
projectiles exploded to see the sea shells
(Of which the fort is constructed prin-
cipally) and sand and timber flying up
in the air. At almost every shot, We
elected the applause Of the feet. and
Dy 4A-op1 We HtttA tue lO4t COuApAtlCl1
silenced At 1890 we ceased firing, to
allow the men dinner, we having fred
forty-one shots altogether, twenty-five
of them falling into the fort and ex-
ploding. There must have been sad
havoc among the rebel garrison, as
numbers were seen being carried away,
apparently dead or wounded, from their
guns After dinner the mortar boats
made sail and stood up closer to the
rebel fort, and the whole feet was soon
engaged with the rebs. After firing
seven shots from our rife, our gun burst, .
not seriously enough to injure any one
still utterly disabling the gun and rem
dering US with our smooth-bore guns
useless
The rebels this afternoon directed F..
all their shots at us, not paying any at
tention to the other vessels. We did not
withdraw for some time afterward, feel T.
ing 10th to fall back till ordered by the !.
fag-oticer to do so When our com +.
mander went on board to report the I
accident he was very highly compli- /.
mented upon the splendid practice OF /.
our gunnery. All the line officers agree /
that the practice displayed to-day by
the Jackson was admirable 1t is Z. 4
NJ, and all quiet, the firing having ceas- +
ed at sunset We have our stations /.
against surprise, etc, for the night. ]
suppose operations viii be resumed I
again tomorrow morning.
February l7.-At daylight this morn
ing we found the weather too uniaVor- /
able for further operations. Our boiler
leaking very seriously, the senior officer /
ordered US to Ship Island to repair,
where we are now.