The New York herald., 1864-08-27


| the forts 10 the Mississippi river, the same -
the Kesrsrse In herpnsmorable Aghl With Alabama
NO other alterations made TO them, were these
IS tho Admrsis ooeSdsnes IN woodsa sns q he cid
GLASS The gunbOAts that 70 accompany the soops
NOT s"e: s .ps
wheel vessels and but poorly adapted 70 encounter she
nre o. ana Sasserss Il was therefore ase,minsa % 70
where they would be protected from the shot and shell
thrown from The FORT and IN case either Of the sloops
/ rlin GRAND PLAN OF THE MOVEMENT,
a. originally devised was to commence the advance Al
site the Tort az daylight This seemed desirable as
was supposed that advancing the channel from Sand
the feet would be exposed to : heavy Are, which
would require the vessels frequently 70 yaw
them much longer under Are. The Monitors 70
lead the way, the sloops with their consor, following,
mile asten Of its leader On passing Fort Morgan the
heaviest possible fre was to BIO poured into without
the anchorasc Of the Lover Fleet beyond the
range OF the guns Of OF the fors the Monitors crap
oosod in The bay the design wss to take The in
turn beginning with Powell, the weaker and reduce one
| SOUNDING FOR MISUNDERSTANDING EXPLOITS.
In perfsctng his plans for the movement the Admiral
manifested his wonted unconcern about the torpedoes
| TO use his own language, "torpedoes were never ms
buRbear" Sti he was not neglectru OF them but put
forth every effort to ascertain their Whereabouts and
number ana so guide his fleet as TO avoid them For
this purpose Flag Lieutenant Watson and Mr.. Mckinley,
the Admirals private secretary, made nightly trips
during period OF two or three weeks previ-
ons TO the fight into the bay, sounding the
channel and making observations Of aIl opstruc-
| tons and destructive preparations and arranging
route that would be perfectly practicable free
possible from unseen dangers The exploits of these two
gentlemen and the dangers 10 which they repeatedly
posed themselves in seeking the valuable information
with which they were charged, deserving OF especial
mention and commentator.
TIE COOPERATING LAND FoRcF-GEsFRAl GRANGER.
Admiral Farragu had not designed this attack without
the co operation OF the army After numerous consuta
Il 4
termDed by the latter 10 send efficient land force at
ppon'eS ms :. assist IN IL the great work all lis
win those q the navy 10 the command OF this force
General Candy assigned MAJOR General Gordon Granger
an old officer Of the regular army and whose services in
the present rebellion advanced hin from the rank Of
colonel with which he entered the volunteer service to
that which he now holds. During the war ne has
! cessvey commanded regiment brigade division corps
and department As commander OF the Fourth army
and bravery at Chckamanga, and on . score Of battle
6eds before as well as since that memorable action. he
has unif rny developed the qualities OF careful ise,
| sagacious, brave and enterprisng officer.
| ENERGY
respectable column, numbering about ton Thousand
troops, of all arms originally assigned this expe
dltioo but at late day the exgencies OF the service
mperat,vely 10 other aeds Subsequent consultations
with Admiral Farragu led 10 the determination that the
OF the entire force at first assigned and ae haste was
essential to success force OF between thousand and
Orleans on the 3lst nt with Instructions 10 rendezvous
in Mississippi sound opposite the east end Of Petite Bos
Island. IL was only Af1er almost exerOns
that General Granger this trng force aaoat Every
possible obstacle seemed thrown bis At first the
troops were scattered all over the Gulf department
When brought together they upaCquainted with
each other disorganzed. demoraized dscontented
spiritiess. The commander TO whom they assigned
was perfect stranger 10 them and they 10 him. Trans
poration was lacking even for single regiment. and II
was only after the most unng exertons Of The General
exercised DAY and night without CESSATION that any
means could he obtained for this nucleus OF
an army to its field Of operations.
THIS little force, amply supplied with heavy artillery,
had their neld OF operations Dauphm Island IN the
Of Fort Gaines where they rendered most valuable
| service, though not so couspcuously employed
the navy narrative OF their operations would be in
| teres,ins, but is necessarily omitted
| Entrance of the Fleet Into the Harbor.
Friday morning, the 5n inst, al early dawn, prepara
lions OF unnsIakable character visible in the
feet Vessels being ashed together despatch boats
were hurryng about in all directions signals dis
played and wered, small boats lowered away
and anchored. activity prevailed on every hand II
apparent to the rebels the
the time had arrived that the ability of the
rebel appliances 10 keep hostile feet Of the bay
Circumstances had that prevented strict
plance with the Admiras plan OF commencing the
before dawn but hav ing determined enter the
bay, he manifested not the slightest At giving the
The attempt having determined upon should be put
through despite any and all Disadvantages
1t was six O'Clock wi,s tho sun full hour high when
the final start commenced. The sloops and wooden
three miles southeast OF Sand Island The Monitors
chorcd sand aand channel inside Of Sand Island and
and then moved into The main channel taking posi-
ton in advance OF the wooden feet forming ipe with
distances Of five hundred yards between each In the
/ order that has been published.
THs IMPOSING srEcrAUE
WAS grand and imposing sight to the noble old
fleet moving so quietly esticaly and steadily up 10
the well known batteries and destructive appliances OF
the rebels defying their most determined and desperate
efforts at resistance, challenging tho enemy 10 mortal
combat, confident o' It's ability 10 cope with all defensive
preparations Of the euorseese foe and overcome them
Every vessel was fecled out with all Its bunting. The
and Stripes waved proudly from every peak
sa the only exception being the fore Of the Hartford
which grsced with the broad penpsnt Of the Admi-
! raj.
Al precisely SIX O'Clock and twenty minutes the line
complete, the head OF u then being two miles from
the fort The fecumseb having the advance, sgnalzsd
guns which fell and exploded with remarkable accuracy
| in the snore battery Of the fora The whole line then
moved slowly forward preserving their distance with
much precision, a long taw gun Occasionally being dis
charged reminder to the rebels. should their optics
% the eSu tide psG ab
slow hsadwaythat desirable IN consideration OF the
dangerous and resoherous condition Of the chsuneL As
by letting OF an occasional hundred FOUNDER from their
bows but the firing was exceedingly desultory a.d
withstandng that II was we'll directed passed entirely
IHs nRsr RESPONSE rxon rux yorr
| At precisely O'Clock the Monitors all being
within close range OF the FORT the Tecumseh then being
close under the rebel work. aud entrs past sand
ssuu tue ort opened response 70 our guns Her nrst
sno. we: direc,eda. the Monitor nesi, but mpos
sibe TO ten at which they bad somewhat varied
their courses and we're running 81 different rates Of
speed, the four being apparently clo,s together. The
rebel shell struck the wafer In lbe midt OF them and
| ploded harmlessly
| H1roMrs
The action now became general All our vessels opened
rs the heavy nre our vessels we're now raining
upon u would permit. The fecunseh fred but
disposed 70 her nre and the energies Of her Grew
Tor the coming contest with the Tennessee and ether
rebel vessels When the fort drst opened she nred
shot, and second a. she passed abreast Of the forI
The other Monitors the contrary, loaded and cred
rapidly possible, thcir heavy shell producing most
marked effect on the water battery, which could be
worked only occasionally because of the Are
thus kept upon 10 The wooden shiPa, farther astern,
kept their bow guns al play traverse guns and