The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-02-15
From Scribner's Monthly for February
Farragut in Mobile Bay.

Farragut in Mobile Bay.
Mlslniormatlon and the love or deaitv il
preference to truth are still responsible for
great variety OF statements received rs verita
Die history. Even such an undeuiabIe occur
renee AS the great naval battle in Mobile Bay
on the morning of the 5tn of August, 1864, ha
become. In nearly tWe.y wears, fairly embroid
cred with unjust poetic fancies. The dignity
OF that event, as reviewed in the past wear o
memorials, has induced the writer Of this paper
to point out some of the errors and mjsrenrn
sentations which he himself has read and re-
read in various publications, since the memor
able tight occurred. of which he was an eve
witness. Believing that, Il generation hence
or after a hundred years from the date of the
battle in Mobile Bay, statements known to be
true will by that time have been disentangled
from imaginative historical writings, the writer
also confidently submits these personal obser
Vatons OF that engagement to the confirmation
OF All clear-eyed survivors of the fight who, like
himself, have no other earthly motive in thus
testiiying than TO write truthfuliy of great
event. In this connection, it is only necessary
to add that, when participating in the engage.
ment named, the writer's station was thar of
signal officer on an elevated position of his yes
Sel,-the nlted States steamer Port Royal, the
third ship in line, and directly astern of the
flagship Hartford. Standing then and there
by the side of Iieutenant-C Commander Bancroft
war in progress" who shall deny-from his
opportunty--his right to pont out flaws in the
facts furnished by historians and others, at
long and safe distances from the scene. and
fashioned i'll the beautiful sunlight of peace?
The account given by Mr.. Losing in his his
tory OF The civil War III America is correct
only in part: the errors in his statement out
weigh the facts. He is correct in giving the
names OF the vessels which participated i'll the
action, with one exception. namC ly: where he
speaks Of the Lancaster butting the Tennessee
tile I0HrHStcr 4r0S nat Hprt, He also fails
10 state how the vessels We're stationed in line
ot-battie previous to passing the torts,-a very
important item for an historian 10 omit.
Mr.. William Page. the artist who painted the
picture Of farragut lashed to the gginG of the
Hartford in Mobile Bay, has also been misil-
formed concerning the true position occupied
by the admiral on that day-at least so far as
the lashng is concerned: and, therefore, his
mastery work of art has been Justly criticised
by many officers and men of that fleet who
unite in considering it an overdrawn picture
Nor has Mr.. Brownell been either exact OF
accurate in his beautiful poem of The Bav
Fight, in locating his hero high in the mizzen-
shroud. All this, however, "S ii WuS, shall be
given further on. For III benefit of Mr. Loss
ing, in case he should ever conclude to revise
and republish his history of The Civil War in
America, and of all others who Were not there.
and who yet may desire to recount the Mobile
OF the preliminary arrangements made by the
admiral and suborulnates of the squadron, pre-
paratory to passing the forts and batteries
which guarded the approaches to Mobile Bay /.
For several days prey ious to the time APP
pointed for making the attack on the enemy,
the vessels lying on the blockade Off Mobile
Bay had been ordered to the Pensacola Navy
Yard, one or two at 4 time, with orders to
"send down yards and top-masts," and land
them with all surplus spars and rigging at that
station, then to coal UP to the fullest capacity
and return to Mobile Bar without delay. This
work accomplished, the iron-clads having AZ
rived, and all things being in readiness, ut
about $50 on the morning of the 18th OF Au-
gust, lS64, sigma! was given on the flag ship for
the fleet to Prepare for battle!' The follow
ing named ships promptly obeyed the signal,
and got under way, iashed together side bv
side, in this order;
Brooklyn and Oct0rOra;
Hartford and Metacomet;
Richmond and Port Royals
LackaWanna and ltascu;
Monongaheta and Seminole;
bSsipee and Galena;
Oneida and kennebec; with the iron-clatls
Manhattan, TecumSeh, Winntbago and Chick
asaw, in the advance and covering the right
flank of the wooden ships.
The next sigma made on the Hartford ADJ
vance toward the enemv,' was answered bV the
vessels, as they slowly steamed
up the main ship-channel toward Fort Morgan
and the Confederate tlotilla. At about hull-past
six O'clock, and when about n mile and a quar-
ter distant from the enemy, our lron clads
opened fire on the fort, but the Confederate
gunncrs did not reply for several minutes, dur
ing which interval the enemys fleet steamed
out from behind the fort aud took positions
across the channel TO dispute our further prog
ress Ihcy then opened a rapid and terrific
fire up"n Ihc Union ships, raking them fore
and aft. Fort Morgan, with her hundred
guns, btlChed forth torrents OF iron hail ut the
same moment The first three or four voleys
from the fort passed higl! over the Union YES
sells. and struck the water at least mile below
Us and down the channel
By this time the fight had become general.
The tlas-ship had made signal to Garry all
steam possible" in order to engage the fort
and the eneuiy's fleet at close range with grape
and canister shot. Al IL few minutes after
seven, when the head vessels of the line were
Were running with iull heads of steam, and
within few hundred yards of the fort, the
Brooklyn and her consort the 0ctorora-hea ad
ships Of the lme--slowed down. tor the IRON
alad Tecumsch, just ahead on the right flank,
had been blown up by il torpedo and was tritg-
cally going down. In that exciting moment,
Admiral Earragut entteavored to have her
move forward, but she failing to do so, signal
was made for the vessels in the rear to Fol
low the IIartford.' The flagship then passed
The Brooklyn, steamed along the west bank of
the channel, and WAS followed by the remain
Ter OF the fleet over q sheet OF water StreWn
with more than hundred torpedoes.
Broadsidc after broadside of grape and can
ster was poured into the fort and water bat
eries by the several ships, as they passed,
while cheers hearty and loud from the Union
sunners rent the air as each vessel passed the
objective point.
The Confederate ram Tennessee made NUM-
Der of vain attempts to strike the Hartford, but
was fortunately prevented from reaching its
shining mark by the monitor Manhattan. Other
sun-boats of the enemy, the Gaines, the Selma,
md the Morgan, also fought desperately with
he wooden steamers. The Hartford, as if
soaded TO desperation by the annoyance and
!amage, received from the Gaines, tnrned sud-
lenly and gave the latter Il hrOadsde which
sent her ashore under the guns of Fort Morgan,
where she burned down to the waters edge be-
ore noon. The Morgan also took refuge under
he guns of the fort, and during the night sue
'eeded in escaping up the bay TO the city Of
Mobile. The Selma was chased about eight
niles up the bay by the Metacomct and the
Port RoYW (nOt by the former alone, as Mr..
Losing has it, and after an engagement of
about ten minutes, at short range, she surren-
Tered to the fire of those two vessels. Mean
ime, sixteen men had been killed and wound
I'd on the decks Of the Selma, and number of
ler guns We're also dismounted, and consider
lble other damage was sustained before she
surrendered.
Immediately, she was boarded by The crews
If the two Union vessels her officers and men
aiken prisoners, and placed on board the Port
Royal and the Metacomet; crew of Union
'tticers and seamen was assigned to duty on
,oard, and the three steamers, in company,
proceeded down the bay to the upper anchor
,ge. There the heavy wooden ships and iron
lads were attacking the ram Tennessee, which
lad steamed up from Fort Morgan for the pur-
,ose of destroying them.
This terrible encounter began about nine
o'clock, A. NJ, one hour Cor thereabouts) after
he Union vessels had passed the forts. Our
leet had now anchored, and the work of clear
ng the decks of the killed and wounded was in
progress, when it was discovered that the Ten
lessee was under way and shaping her course
lireclly for the Hartford.
But Farragut did not wait for the ram to
ome nearer than half mile, before signaling
he monitors and heavy wooden ships to 'Get
lnder way and close in upon the Confederate
Monster and destroy it," The superior speed
# the unarmored vessels enabled them to be
he first to come in close contact with the enc
ny. The Monongahea. commanded by Com
nodor }. III. Strong, was the first of the wood
N ships to strike the Tennessee. She was par
icularly adapted for this encounter,-s
eet of her bow being constructed of solid oak
imber and surrounded by an iron PROV of
,reat weight. She gave the enemy heavy