Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-09-29
BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY,
A. Witnessed from the Deck Of the Iron-
Glad "TenneEAee."

As Witnessed from the Deck of the Iron
Glad "TenneSHee."
To the American;
Some days since ] received request
from Commodore p, U. S. navy, to write
him my recollections of the naval battle
in Mobile Bay, August, ga, when Ad.
miral Farragut's fleet entered the harbor.
He is writing an account of it and de-
sired some facts as 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 1t is a
narrative of what was done and witnessed
from on board a 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, !"
Gaines" and Selma" and the iron
clad Tennessee" The first two were
twin vessels of about five hundred tons,
and carried six guns each, none heavier
than sixty-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 builtat Selma, out of timber growing
in that state, in 1853. She was towed to
Mobile, where the iron-platiug 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 hitherto power in the
southern people does this fact re-
veal? 1t 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 slopinp, and twenty
seven inches thick, with a casing of six
inches of iron on her bow and stern and
five on the sides. She carried two seven
inch rife guns, fore and att, and four
six one-iourth.inch rifle on each side, two
each. Her engines, | believe, has Origi-
nally belonged to a Mississippi steamboat.
The complement of her crew about one
hundred and fifty men. A serious defect
in her construction was the run of her
steering apparatus, which was much
CROSSING THE BAR.
And now had to be accomplished what
we esteemed great feat in nautical en-
Dog river bar was between the
vessel and deep water in the lower bay !;
on it at high tide was only eight feet of
water, while che drew fourteen. How to
get her across the bar was the problem.
To do this huge wooden tanks, called
camels, were built to fit her sides, sunk
and fastened by great CHAINS to the yes
sci ; the water being pumped out, their
buoyancy 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 feled in the forest and other camels
built from them. However, in May, '6i,
they were again completed, and by
means of them the Tennessee" weigh
ing upwards of 5000 tons, was lifted
bodily in the air seven feet, and we
passed the bar.
Thus, all told, the confederate squad.
ron consisted OF four vessels, carrying p
guns and 500 men. The federal feet
consisted OF four iron-clads and fourteen
irigates and slOops, carrying 200 guns
and 2,700 men.
GETTING UNDER WEIGH.
1t was 6 a. M, of Aug. 8, 1864, that
the federal feet was seen getting under
weigh and starting for the entrance Of
Mobile bay, 1t was a grand sight to see
when they were all in line, the monitors
leading singly, and the wooden vessels all
lashed together, two and two. On the
Tennessee we had ample time to witness
the pageant, for such it was for half an
hour, before it became a bloody, fiery
reality of war. The water was smooth
as a mill.pond, and the tide was food,
which argued a determination on the
part of the enemy to come in anyway,
for in case of being disabled their vessels
would float in. Our men were at break
fast. They finished, replaced things
in their mess chests, were called to
quarters, the anchor slipped, and
we were
READY FOR ACTION.
The rest of the squadron was signaled
to follow the Tennessee. By this time
the firing between Fort Wagner and the
advancing feet was becoming heavy.
Our vessel led up the narrow channel
and close to the fort. Athwart the
channel and abreast to the fort a row of
torpedoes had long been planted.
THE SWIFT TORPEDO.
had command of the first division OF
guns on the Tennessee, and relieved the
captain of the bow gun personally for an
expected monitor fight at close quarters,
This gun was loaded with l4O-pound
bolt and we awaited the leading monitor,
the "Tecumseh." 1t was never fired at
her. In less time than ! use in writing
this line her bow was seen gradually to
sink-the water rose upon slanting
turret-she was over on her side-her
screw visible in the air and then she was
out of sight. One hundred and thirty
souls perished thus in less than ten sec