Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-15
PROM THE FLEET OFF MOBILE

Letters from board the Monitor Winnie.
bsgo, and the Gunboat Port KoyaI-The
Sftuat1on of the Forts-The Forts are
Passed-The Ram Tennessee and n
Rebel 6unboat Ours-Buchanan a Pris.
oner-The Tecumseh Blown up-Fort
Gaines Taken-Union Loss Two Hupdr ed
and Forty Mobile Believed to be
Doomed.
From the N. o. Times, Sunday, August IL
WEST GULF BLocKADING SQUADRON, OFF
FORT MORGAN, Aug. 3-To the Editor of the
1tmes-The fleet for the reduction of Mobile,
commanded by Admiral Farragut and COM
posed Of the Winnebago, Chickasaw, Manhat-
tan and Tecumseh, OF the monitor fleet, and
the Hartford, (iag.ship,) Brooklyn, Oneida,
Itasca, Tennessee and Metacomet, OF the wood
en- fleet, will commence tomorrow morning
to pour their iron hail into the Rebel Fort
NJ organ.
The ball was opened this afternoon by the
monitor WlnRebago, who steamed defiaRtly up
20 the fort and threw in a shell or two to give
the rebels a taste Of our quality, She is q
splendid specimen OF monitor naval architec-
ture, and is as buoyant as a cork. On her
your correspondent is located. and we expect
to be first into the fight Tomorrow. Her off,
GERS are every one Of them gentlemen, and have
afforded and will afford me every opportunity
to witness the tight.
Captain Thomas Stevens is we'll known as
an officer s'chock full Of fight and he is ably
seconded by Vol. Lieut.. w. F. Shankland, Pay
LIST Assistant Engineer John Purdy, Ehsigns
Morrisey, Murphy and Whitworth, Acting
Master Megathlin, and Robert Sherman, gum
ner. To this latter gentleman 1 am Indebted
for favors to be remembered hereafter.
or the fighting qualities OF this noble vessel
shalI speak more fully at some future time.
The guns in her forward turret are worked by
steam, and that they are terrible in execution
the rebs will bear me witness.
ON BOARD STEAMSHIP WINNRBAGo, August
.; 1564.-This morning opened beautifully.
Contrary to expectations, the land force under
General Granger failing to co operate, we did
not attempt the reduction of the forts to- day But
Captain Stevens, determined not to be baked
OF his share Of the fight, steamed up in front of
Fort Gaines, and at half past eleven o'clock
this morning threw his first shell at the trans
port NatcheZ, which was unloading troops and
ammunition at the landing in front Of the fort
You should have seen her leave In less tn an
a minute after the shell burst in her neigh bor-
was plainly visible. We gave and received
about dozen shots, but nobody was hurt on
our side.
That you may fully understand the position
of affairs, let me explain: As we lay, head up
the bay, Fort Morgan stands on our right, by
and around the lighthouse, well-known to
many Of your readers. Immediately opposite,
and about five miles Oft, on the northeast end
Of Dauphin Island, is Fort Gaines. Raining
across from Mogan to Gaines is driven a tier
OF piles, fastened together by net work Of
chains. Opposite each fort a channel is left
open Of about fifteen hundred yards in width,
for the use Of blockade runners. In the chan
mel, in front of Fort Morgan, were placed lot
OF buoys, on which the guns Of her water bat
terry are trained. i say acre, for our boys de-
stroyed abouthalf of them last night Outside
the piles are placed the torpedoes.
Just inside of the distractions Is lying the
rebels, pride and hope-the ram Tennessee
and three gunboats. Neither OF these have
dared to show themselves outside, while we
were firing into their transports, but contented
themselves with throwing shot at us at long
range, say about I'VE miles, when they could
have no hope OF hitting us.
LATER.-Orders have just come aboard for
us to go into the night tomorrow, and from the
Quantity OF fight in the captain and officers of
the Wmnebago, and Of the fleet generally can
assure you we shall see fun. !
Everything now betokens success on our
part, and before this reaches you Mobile r a m
convinced, will have fallen.
"WEDNESDAY, August 5-The glory Ia oursi
The victory is with us! 1 have only time to
say tnat we nave nav passed Fort Morgan, and are
The rebel ram Tennessee Is ours and a,so
one of their gunboats. Buchanan the rehaI
commodore, Is wounded, and near is w.
The monitor Ieeumsen was run On torpedo
opposite the obstructions and SINK immedi-
ately. Ali but eighteen Of the Officers and
crew went down with her. Capt. Crayens T
believe, was her commander.
The Chickasaw Is Smelling Fort Powell In
the action to day we have lost about $50 killed
and wounded. Yours, signaily q.
The bearer OF the above letter informs us
mat Fort Powell was blown mp, and Fort
faires taken. We learn from another source
that the fleet which passed the forts consisted
OF fourteen gunboats and four monitors
Another Account.
The FOLLOWING account is furnished us by A.
q. sterrett, VINO was on board the gunboat Port
Royal at the time OF the fight:
FRIDAY, Aug The fleet, consisting Of the
Hartford. Brooklyn. Richmond, Lackawauna.
Ossipee. Monongahela, Oneida, Galena, Port
ROYAL Mefacomet Octorora Seminole Itasca
ans the monitors Tecumseh. Manhattan,
-. iss.2aE -zssa