The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-02-15
hot from tic Manhattan, with the daring

shot from the Manhattan, with the daring
charge OF 69 pounds of powder, pGnctrdted the
| gl7n0r of me Tennessee, passed through her
| double two-inch iron plating, and eight inches
| OF solid oak backing, lodging in the latter; but
| hurting spllnters nearly as long as fence-rails
| in all directions across the deck of the ram, and
which severely wounded the Confederate Ad-
miral Buchanan, besides killing several of his
crew. Meanwhile, the steering apparatus of
| the ram had been seriously damaged. in con-
| sequence of attacks made in the stern by the
monitor Chlckasaw; the Hartford had also shot
away the enemys smoke-stack close down to
the plating, which caused the vessel to fill with
| smoke and gas. Under such circumstances,
| Buchanan deemed it prudent to surrender.
During the engagement the Manhattan's
| boats were shot away; Captain Nicholson was
therefore unable to get on board to receive the
surl ender so bravely earned. A boat from the
Lackawanna soon boarded the ram, received
the surrender of Admiral Buchanan, and car
ried it to the Hartford. Feet-captain johnson
OF the Tennessee afterward stated that he
wished to surrender to Commander Nichol-
son of the Manhattan, as the latter vessel had
conquered him. While the entire fleet behav-
ed well, and did good service in this desperate
struggle, the admirable conduct of Command
er Nicholson in the management of the Man
haitian, and the execution done by her guns,
should have brought him more prominent men,
ton in the official report of the Commander-in-
chief than was there given
The concurring opinion of many officers,
bo til of the regular and the volunteer navy, is
that, had it not been for the 15-inch guns on
our side and the skllful manner in which they
were handled by the men in the turret under
charge of Liteutenant-C Commander Schoonmak-
er, the Federal fleet would have been driven out
of Mobile Bay, or sunk beneath its waters!
Without other depression, we may nov turn
to the station of Admiral Farragut in the rig
SlnS of the Hartford, while passing the forts
We entirely agree with Captain Thornton A.
Jerklns, OF the Richmond and which others
VINO were near the flagship in the battle that
The admiral tcoS not faShed to the riQqing.
When the fleet had crossed the bar and was
inside of sand Island and had approached to
within about one mile and a quarter of Fort
Morgan, Admiral Farragut cOoly and deliber-
ately ascended the starboard man rigging and
halted just beneath the top. Passing his arm
up through the "lubber'S hole" he seized the
foot of the pilot, Martin Freeman by name,
who was standing in the mainlop, giving orders
to the helmSman. The signal quarter master,
III obedience to the orders Of Captain Drayton,
took up hammock-lashing to secure the ad-
mira TO the shrouds, so that in case he should
be killed, his body would not fall overheard or
on the deck; but, by Freeman's advice, the ad-
mira would not allow it to be passed around
him. The VlarermaSter returned with his
lashng 10 the deck; and Farragut, the brave.
passed lhc long line of torpedoes and the Con
federate forts and fleet unscathed, while still
clingng 10 the foot Of his trrsty old pilot, Mar
tin Freeman.
This is the truth which the historian should
receive and record, il lie chooses 10 make note
OF what was but an Incident in that terrible
action Many survivors of that Il will youch
tor the above account. As for Martin Free
man, he still lives in the immediate vicinity of
the bay where the battle was fought-being the
principal keeper OF Horn Island lighthouse, in
Mississippi Sound. Should any one chance to
question this writer's assertion in regard TO the
above matter, he is respectfully referred to Mr..
Freeman, who was probably better acquainted
at the time, with the movements of \ lmrAl
>, Al. n
Captain Percival Drayton, perhaps, except
eI,-and he is known Us the heroic and loyal
son of South Carolina, and tleet-captain Of the
West Gulf Squadron.
The philosophy of Admiral Farraguts chosen
position is easily explained.
During the noise Of the battle, he naturally
desired to be so stationed that when no human
voice could be hetrd aloft, should it be neces-
Sary for hlm to communicate with the pilot,
by tightly grAsping the foot Of that person the
signal would be noticed; and, as fact Mr..
Freeman did respond, and, by bending down,
lent his ear to the ''lubbers' hole" for such
orders as the admiral wished to give him.
70 this day, "old salts smile over the poet-
cal rendering of Farraguts position, rs given
by that worthy non-combatant, Ensign Brown
ell.
At the date of the action, the writer was told
by Lieutenant-COmmander l.. =. Adams, who
commanded a division of guns on the Hartford
and who was slightly wounded in the engage
ment, that Admiral Farragut occupied the
quarter deck during the fight with the Tennes-
see. If this is true, what becomes of Brown
ellis historical poem and Mr.. Pages historical
painting: In one case the beautiful language
of words, and III the other the equally express
Sive language Of lines and coors may, indeed,
survive, but their highest glory-the language
of truth-has certainly departed from both
alike.
TO revert again to Mr.. LOSING, it is to be
seen that he gives the total number Of killed
ana wounded on the { Mon side during the en-
gagement with the forts and the Confederate
fleet, as $50 - 100 killed, and 40 wounded.
Where he procured his figures, it is difficult to
understand; the following is the correct table,
compiled by the writer, at the time, from the
official repOrt Of commanders: