The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-10-05
BATTLE OF MOBILE Ray.
A. HVifaessed from the Deck or the iron.
Clad 'Tennessee-'

As 'vitaessed from the Deck or the iron. |
Clad "Tennessee.-
To the American:
Some days since I received a request
from Commodore P, L. 5. navy. TO write
him my recolle ctions of the naval battle
in Mobile Bay, August, "a, when Adj !
miral Farragut's feet entered the harbor.
He is writing an account of it and de-
sired some facts rs looked at from a con-
federate standpoint. | have complied
with the request, and thinking perhaps
these recollections might interest some of
your readers, / submit the same to your
consideration, only promising that it is a
narrative OF what was done and witnessed
from on board single vessel, and is.
therefore, not a complete story of the
entire action. Respectfully yours,
A. ID. WHARTON.
The confederate squadron consisted of
the wooden gunboats Morgan"
90 Gaines" and q" Selma" and the iron
clad g. Tennessee The first two were
twin vessels of about five hundred tons.
and carried six guns each, none heavier
than xty-fours-with compliments of
say one hundred men. They were built
either at Selma or Mobile and were con
sidered fair gunbOats. Tie Selma
was an open-decked vessel, mounting
four light guns with no bulwarks
about them to protect the men, and had
been a tow-boat Her crew numbered
one hundred men. The " Tennessee "
was built at Selma, out of timber growing
in that state, in 1853. She was towed to
Mobile, where the plating and her
armament were put on, which iron and
which guns had been ore in the ground
probably not more than a year before.
What a hitherto power in the
southern people does this fact re-
veal? II took about four months
to put the casting on, and this, with
the armament, made her draft about
fourteen feet. On her trial trip, March,
| '64, she made nearly eight knots Her
sides and ends were slopinr, and twenty
seven inches thick, with q casing of six
inches of iron on her bow and stern and
five on the sides She carried two seven
inch rifle guns, fore and aft. and four
six oue-.ourth-inch rifle ON each side, two
each. Her engines, | believe, has origi-
naliy belonged to a Mississippi steamboat.
The complement OF her crew about one
bundled and fifty men. 4 serious defect
in her construction was the run of her
steering apparatus. which was much
I exposed.
CROSSING THE BAR.
And now had to be accomplished what
we esteemed a great feat in nautical en-
gineeriug. Dog river bar was between the
veS-e! and deep water IN the lower bay !;
on 10 at high tide was only eight feet Of
water, while she drew fourteen. How TO
f get her across the bar was the problem
To 10 this huge wooden tanks, called
D.. 1,-tl T.
and fastened by great CHAINS 70 the yes
( sci the water beng pumped out, their
buJyancy would raise The vessel and
thus diminish the draft. The camels
. were completed and all ready when they
were fired and destroyed. This caused a
delay of two months, while trees were
being telied in the forest and other camels
built from them. However, in Nav, 81
they We're again completed, and by
means OF them the g. Tennessee" Weigh
ING upwards of 5000 tons, was lifted
bodily i'm the air seven feet, and we
passed the bar.
Thus, all told, the confederate squad
. ron consisted OF four vessels, carrying -
guns and 500 men. The federal fleet
consisted OF four irOn-clads and fourteen
trigstes anR slooPs, carrying 200 guns
and >. ZOO men.
GETTING UNDER WEIGH.
It was s a. m, of Aug. 8, 1864. that
the federal fleet was seen getting under
weigh and starting for the entrance OF
Mobile bay. IL was a grand sight to see
when thew were all in line. the monitors
leading sinrIv. and the wooden vessels all
dashed together. two and two. On the
/ Tennessee we had ample time to witness
the pageant, for such it was for half an
hour before IL became 81 bloody ferv
reality of war. The water was smooth
q p mill-uond. and the tide was food
which argued a determination on the
mart of the enemy 10 come in ANYWAY
for in case of being disabled their vessels
would float in. Our men were at break
fast They finished, replaced thing,
In their mess chests, were called L
quarters. the anchor slipped, and
we were
READY FOR ACTION.
The rest Of the squadron was .ionslef
~ f1Iiovg the Ten1essaa Nv his tim,
the fring between Fort WAGNER and tn,
sdranni6o feet was bacoDiny Leavv
Our va.-si led nm the narrow chanDe
and close ~ the fort Atbwarr the
channel and abreast to th. fort q row O.
t3rDedoes had long been planted.
-r,,,. ,,,-,,.- .rl.,nt,r.o
oun- ON the Tennessee. and relieved the
cantain of the bow cum personally far an
avnacted nlonitor fobt n close Quarters
Til cDn ,yas loaded With I-l1-ronng
bait and we awaited tho Iesdinl, mdnitor
the :. Tec,In,sab ), II was never fra q,
her In les. time tban use in writin,
MS line her how was seen gradually +.
.ink-tbe water rose nnoD a sIaniin.
turra+-sI,o was over on her siJo-Le
screw visible i'm the air and then she wa
out of sight. One hundred and thirt!
souls Perished thus in less than ten sec
onds a few men only were seen to lear
wildly from the turret Is she was vanish
ing. There was no disturbance OF tn
water except The splash and gurgle sh'
made As she went down. The null forct
OF the terrible torpedo expended ltsel
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