New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-06

IsN. ensi strregle the original seat OF tne heoeI
lion the most nvunerable ana pe' ,mWense treasure
and ishor was abandoned, and the enole ~ u aa
freedom was again reiustated upon tne wa ,hat f
The ex cnation of Charleston was ioiIo ~ ee. "
,a,or,n ON The 23d Of February, ana on Inc ~o'. o
Seorge,owh w ro .e tssjf was occupied by Reai.Ad
miral Dahgren.
= $3.50 COS, .nvoy-suRRENDER OF MOBILE AND
TIE REBEL FLEET.
xr,.u y,oe Admiral Farragut left the West Gnf
"lon l.; :, q later Autumn " ls,4 the command de-
v,Jvsd on Commodore james ;. Palmer senior onlcer
ON Tho station This officer continued operations uh'
Ill bs arrival OF Admiral Farragnts successor Acting
- sdmiral Thatcher, who bears testimony " bis
enhsonent efficiency and untrng services ougnout
die attack on the defeDses of Mobile and acknowledges
lso his indebtedness to Commodore Palmer for the adj
rsbe manner in which the vessels had been prepared
DOR aIduous service under that officers supervision.
The resumption of offensive operations against the CITY
"a Mobile under the direction OF Major GeneIa, CANDY,
gas not determined upon until early IN January when
Actinz. Rear Admiral Thatcher. then recently ap
/, inted TO tho command Of the West Gulf squadron
Us ordered to proceed Immediately to NewOrlcans. In
order 10 cooperate with the military commander;
The force placed uuder Acting Rear Admlr al
hatcher was increased By light drsught iron ca9s
,stachcd from the Mississippi Squadron for service IN
dobile Bay Joint movement by anG ana water Mas
arranged and carried into execution lhdieatoS .nas
the Rebels about TO cyacuate the eny ieu W
naval in force ascertain the dcts on
the nth OF March. with five monitors IN s closJ &
Unity the shallow water ana W. rh
init, This movement drew IRON the INSURGENTS sucn
fire as TO place beyond donot that those deeIses were
still Intact ..o o,., -, Noroh IN tho
LEI, hant of Fishers River about seventeen miles from
Ss ,uncton with the bay, and ADVANCED as 1apdy AZ
.hsconditiop OF the road would permit while the naval
ycssels sheled the woods and kept open eommunlca'
aon nv signals with Gen. Candy Tor cooperation Inc
Pebels doubtless believed that the naval yessels were
not able cross the bar OF Blakey kl'er ana even
snceessfu in crossing. that 1t was in their power TO
destroy the boats by their marsh batteries ana Tue IN
.amerable torpedoes with which the river was h'ied
they dd succeed in sinking two Of the monitors and
a ths entrance
these submarine implements OF destruction. although
river had been thoroughly dragged aud man! tor
does we're removed before the vessels went over the
ar Beyond tue sinking OF these vessels and the loss
"a few lives TO serious consequences attended the
rproach TO and capture Of Mobile.
The principal works OF defense between the cit' anu
he fortrcsses which guarded the entrance to the bay
apured in August 1854 by the feet while commanded
nv Vice Admiral Faragut, were Fort Alexis anu span
~ Fort By the 81 Of April these had been completely
Invested by the troops and during the hght OF ne eh
and morning. of the 9Th thew We're after short but se
we're hombardment captured and with them from COO
70 coo men, with sixteen heavy guns WIN the KEY
20 Mobile thus secured the other works OF impor ance
Batter .es Tracy and Huger, were within easy Ieaeh
q ID ON the evening Of toe llth they were evacuated
on the 18Th the troops we're conveyed to the west side
Of city for the purpose o an attack ana the meet
eiled a suitable position for performing its share Of
IL work but it was ascertaned that the CRY was
at Inc mercy Of arms ell the remaining deIenses
having been abandoned. formal surrender was,
therefore demanded by Gen. Granger. and Acting.
Rear. Admiral Thatcher, which was complied with and
possession taken of the ely. The works which en-
vironed Mobile Of immense strength and extern.
Nearly 400 guns were captured some OF them new ana
of the heaviest caliber
The Rebel army evacunting the city. retreated up
the Tombigbee Preparations TO follow and capture
them were far advanced. when. on the 4th 81 May
propositions were received from Commander Farrand
conaudiug the Rebel naysl forces in the waters OF!
Alabama, TO surrender all the vessels officers, men,
and property yet anoa and under blockade on the Tom
bgbee. Tie basis of the terms Of surrender beng lac
those of Gen. Lee were accepted On me l0'h
of May the formal surrender took place and the III
sells were surrendered, and l2 officers 2e5 men and "A
marines paroled and permitted to return 10 their
homes.
Sabine Psss and Galveston the only remaining Rebel
fortified points the Gulf coast soon capitulaed The
forts at the rsinamed place were evaeuited ON the
z5th Of May. and the commandment of the defenses OF
Galveston gave assurances that there would be no o
position to the occupancy of that place by The navy
On tie I'd of June Galveston surrendered, and the
supremacy OF tie Government was once more estab-
Esbed on lie entire coast from Maine to and including
Texas
REDUCTION OF IHE NAVAL FoRcE-1HE SQUAD
R0NS.
Immediately after the fa Of Fort Fisher and the cap
fure Of Wilmington. measures were taken for tie
gradual reduction OF the naval forces employed ON tue
duties Of blockade. The recovery Of Charleston.
Mobile and Galveston just fed st further ciinnuiion
and US these events successfully occurred mthsureS
were promptly taken to reduce The squadron anu
were addressed to Admirals Porter DahleTen Strib-
ling and Thatcher. Informing them thst inc DEPART
nent was OF opinion that the fall OF Fort Fisher
and the possession Of Charleston would enable the DC
artment 10 reduce naval expenses. They were there
ore directed send North such purchased vessels as
eeded extensive repairs aud also any naval stores mat
were not required careful scrutiny II qusti0ns
was enjoned before approvais. aud commhnders oil
squadrous were Informed that that they would be ex
pected 10 use every possible eKertion ana care 10
diminish the expense Of thefT respective commands.
About the LIST Of May orders were issued TO further
reduce the squadrOns IN our domestic waters one-ha
Near the close Of that month further dliIlnution was
directed that the entire force retained IN commission
shond not exceed 100 vessels In the early part OF
July another and still further reduction Wac made leaving
but 30 steamers which, with receiving stoIeshps COM
posed TIE entire bockadiug squadrons on the Atlantic
and the Gull.
On the 3st of July the Potomac hotilla, which under
Commander +. a. Parker. had rendered active service,
was dIsblBdcd.
The Mississippi Squadron comprising at one time
about 100 stepmers gradually reduced. and on The
t4th Of August wholly discontinued. Acting Rear
admiral Lee relieved. and Commodore Livingston,
Who had acquitted himself with energy at tie Norfolk
station. and subsequently at Cairo. WAS Entrusted with
me duty OF dsposng Of The vessels and closing up the
affairs a tlat squadron.
The reduction Of the blockading force involved also
curtailment of the number Of squadr0ns. In June.
therefore. tie North aud South Atlantic SquGdfOns
were consolidated into one. known thereafter os the
Atlantic Squedron. commanded By Acting EeaI-Ad
mirni RadfOd wbo the 9th Uf pri had succeeded
Rear Admiral Porter in tie command Of the North A.
lnntic Squadron. Rear Admiral Dahgren was de-
acbed from the command Of the South Atlantic Squad
ron, aud hauled Gown bis flag ot Washington on the
i2tb ofJuly
pointed eommandant Of the Washington Hayy.Yard
was succeeded by Commodore Joseph Lanman IN the
command Of the Atlantic Squadron on the 10Th OF DC
toheT
napded bv Acting ReaT.Admirai Striking, and the
West Gllf Squadron. under ACHING K'pr' AdmirI
Thatcher was also cOusummated. and thereafter This
force was known az the GuIf Squadron. AcJne Keai
Admiral Thatcher remained in command, and Acting
Adrtif "A Eftil, u