Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-16

/ WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-Ihe following
official dispatches have been received BY
the Navy Department:
FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, !
MOBILE BAY, Aug. 5, 1864
SIR: | have the honor to report TO the
Department that this morning | entered
Mobile Bay, passing between Forts Nor
gan and Gaines, and encountering the
rebel ram Tennessee and gunboats oil
the enemy, viz, Selma, Morgan, and
| Gaines
The attacking feet was under way BY
SIS AM, in the following ORDER The
BROOKLYN, with the 0ctoria on her port
side: the Hartford With the Metacomet;
the Richmond. with the Port Royal; the
Saekawana. with the Seminole; the Mo-
nongahela, With the Tecumseh; the o.
sipee, with the Irasco; and the Oneida.
With the G.Iena On the starboard of
the feet was the proper position Of the
Monitors or iron clais.
Fort Morgan opened on "a at ten
minutes p2st seven o'clock and soon al
Ter this the action became lively
We strained up the main ship char
nel There was some difficulty ahead,
and the Hartford passed on ahead Of the
Brooklyn.
At forty minutes past seven the mon
itor Tecumseh was struck BY a torpedo
aud sunk, going down very rapidly. aud
carrying down with her all the officers
and crew, with the exception of the
pilot and eight or ten men who we're
saved by boat that I sent from the
Metaconet, which was along side Of me
The Hartford had passed the boats be-
fore eight clock.
Finding myself raked by the rebel
gdnboats | ordered the Metaeomet to
cast off and go in pursuit Of them, one
OF which, the Selma, she succeeded in
| capturing.
All the vessels bad passed the forts at
thirty minutes past eight, but the rebel
ram Tennessee was still apparently IN
injured in our rear.
A signal was at once made to the fleet
to turn again and attack the ram, and
not only TO Ere upon, but with orders TO
run her down at foil speed The Mo-
nongahela was the FIRST that struck her,
and although she may have injured her
/ badly, yet she did net succeed in dis
| abling her. The Laekawanna also
/ struck her, but Intellectually The Gag
| ship gave her severe shock from her
bow, and as she passed fred whole
| paint broadside Of solid 9-inch shot and
thirteen pounds Of powder at distance
Of not more than II feet The iron
eIads were closing upon her, and the
| Hartford and the rest Of the feet we're
bearing down upon her, when at 10 a
! NJ she surrendered.
The rest Of the rebel feet, viz. the
Morgan and the Gaines, succeeded in
getting off Fort Morgan. This termi-
mated the action for the day
Admiral Buchanan sent me bis sword,
being himself badly wounded with COM
pound fracture Of the leg, which il is
supposed will have 10 be amputated
Having had many of my own men
wounded, aud the surgeon Of the Ten
nessee being very DESTROYS to have Ad-
I mirnl Buchanan removed to the hospi-
tai, | sent flag Of truce to the com.
manding officer Of Fort Morgan, Richard
/ q Page, 10 say that IL he would allow
the wounded of the feet, "a we'll as their
| own, 10 be taken TO PensAcpis, where
! they could be better cared for than here,
| would send ous one Of our vessels, pro.
vided she would be permitted to return,
bringing back what she did not take out
! Gen Page consented, aud the Metacomet
was dispatched
Total loss on our side, 40 killed and
! So wounded. On the rebel ram we're
captured 20 officers and about 10 men
1 on the Selma were taken 90 officers and
meu.
I viii send a detailed dispatch by the
first opportunity.
Very respectfully,
Your obedieut servant,
CSignedl d. @. FARRAevr,
Rear Admiral,
Com'dg w G. B Squadron.
To Hon. GIBSON WELLS, Secretary OF
the Navy.
The New Orleans Era says Admiral
Farrsgut chose al admiral position in
going into the fight and maintained il
throughout all the terrible firing. De.
terTninsd at once to overlook the enemy
aud watch the movements OF his own
fleet, he assembled to the msin-iop Of
the Hartford and was there dashed fast
/ speaking trumpet was run down to the
deck aud an officer stationed at the lower
end to receive the Admitsis orders and
pass them to the officers whose duty il
was to see them executed. This proved
i~-Se q most admirable arrangement