The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-09-08
THE CAPTURE OF FoRr MORGAN.

The Mobile Tribune gets the following particulars
concerning the capture of Fort Morgan from citi-
zen who was present at the time VI the occurrence
From Monday at daylight to Tuesday morning at
O'Clock the fire from the ensmy5 batteries on the
shore was terrible His batteries consisted of some
fifty so-pound PARROTS aud mortars, ami two
l0-inch Dahlgrens, most OF which was within about
two hundred and fifty yards of the fort with heavy
hne Of sharpshooters between it and the fort. A
perfect range was got the citadel, which was to-
tally destroyed It burnt for several hours before il
was cxtjngushed. The fleet did not take az active
q part in the bombardnent the army. The latter
comprised from four to five Thousand men, all West
ern troops. On Tuesday, the 2ad at about O'Clock
the white flag raised, and General Page was
given until o'clock to surrender during which time
he destroyed all the conmissary stores that he could
spiked the guns, and did other damage to the works
At O'Clock it was surrendered.
General Page, 1t Is said, refused to surrender to
General Granger, remarking that he would surren-
der to Farraetlt. Granger told him then to return
to his quarters and he would again open on him.
The surrender was finally made to Granger. The
white troops then marched III and took possession,
and our troops We're formed in line, and marched to
the tune of Yankee Doodle around the fort, and
stacked their AIMS They were then taken ON board
Of transports and sent to New Orleans. The negro
troops were not admitted into the fort.
The enemy's land force, all told, under Granger,
is said to be at least eight to ten thousand-one
thousand cavalry from Iowa the remainder, infantry
and artillery, including about one thousand negro
troops. 81
1t was Lnit oulcef5 UfOkc tDelc SWGfuS
before the surrender.
Some ten or twelve pilots, who live at Navy Cove,
had been forced On the enemy vessels, and now
serving them The casualties on our side were only
three killed and from fifteen to seventeen wounded.
Only one OF the enemy, is said, was killed.
The report that the enemy had a line of sharp
shooters and three howltzers on the glacis is not
true.
The following is Admiral Farraguts report Of the
capitulation of Fort Morgan:
FLAGSHIP HARTFORD,
WEST GULF BLocKADiNG SQUADRON,
MOBILE BAY, August 2j, 1851 J
Sir: had the honor, in my dispatch, No 366, to
report to the department that Fort Morgan surren
dered on the 23d instant to the army and navy,
though at the time that dispatch was written and
mailed the ceremony OF surrender had not actually
taken place.
The correspondence preliminary to that event is
herewith forwarded, (marked Nos L. 3 8 and L., and
the department. will perceive that the terms of ca
pitulation We're the same as in the case Of Fort
Gaines. General Page endeavored to obtain more
favorable terms, but without success.
regret to state that after the assembling Of the
officers at the appointed hour q p NJ for the sur
rener, outside the fort it was discovered, on ex-
animation of the interior, that most of the guns
were spiked and many of the gtln-carriages wan-
tonly injured, and arms, ammunition, provisions,
&c, destroyed, and that there was every reason to
believe that this had been done after the white flag
had been raised. 1t also discovered that Gene
raj Page and several of his officers had swords to
deliver up and, further, that of those which
We're surrendered had been broken.
The whole conduct of the officers of Fort Gaines
and Fort Morgan presents such Il striking oOntras,
il moral principle that cannot fail to remark upon
it. Colonel Anderson who commanded the former
| finding himself i'll position perfectly untenable
aud encountered with supertiuous number Of con-
| SCRIPTS many of whom We're mere boys, determined
to surrender fort which he could not defend, anG
i'll this determination was supported by all his OH
GERS one but from the moment he hoisted the
| white flag lie scrupulously kept everything intact
| aud in that condition delivered 1t over; willis
| General Page and his officers, with Il childish
/ spitefulness destroyed the guns which they hat
said they would defend to the last but which they
never defended at all, and threw away brok
those weapons which they had not the Iaanliness Il
| use against their enemies; for Fort Morgan neve
fired gun after the commencement OF the lombard
ment, aud the advanced pickets Of our army wer
| actually on the glacis.
AS before stated, the ceremony OF surrender tool
/ place at p. NJ and that afternoon all tn
garrison were sent to New Orleans i'll the Unite
States steamers Tennessee and Bienville where the
| arrived safely.
Very respectfully,
| Your obedient servant,
ID. &. FARRaGuT,
Rear Admiral Commanding W. q. b. Squadron.
| Hon. Gide0a IVettes, Secretary Of the Navy, Wash
| lngton.