The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-23

give their gunners resting spell. By actual
count the number OF shells thrown at Fort
Jackson during this day was 1897, most Of
which fell within the works, causing much
damage and disabling several OF the best
guns. The casualties we're unexpectedly few
In number-one man killed and eleven
wounded This was owing to the fact that
all the men who we're not on duty at the few
heavy guns that were being used, were kept
under cover in the classmates. Gen. Duncan
impressed upon the naval officer having
charge OF the hire rats the necessity o. send
ing them down during the night to dispense
the mortar flotilla; several efforts were made
to do this. but owing to mismanagement the
RATS drifted harmlessly ashore near the forts
AT o'clock In the morning OF the nine
teenth, Porters
HUGE MoRTARs
recommended their hoarse barking, raining
down on the old fort during the day con-
stand storm OF great shells, each weighing 225
pounds. Ever and anon an adventurous gun
boat would poke her nose out faom behind the
point and let fly few shells, but she could
not stand the racket OF our Columbiads and
the Brook gun longer than few minutes,
and she would disappear. One Of these saucy
crafts was badly crippled by our fire, and had
to be towed to place OF safety. This vessel,
we afterwards learned, was the slo0p-ot-war
Oneida, q shot from the Brook gun crashing
through her bulwarks and deck and out
through her opposite side, the splinters that
flew around w0unding seven men.
The enemy's mortar practice was terribly
accurate, and 1t was sad to witness the dam
age done to the old fort, the terre plein,
parade plein, parapets and platforms being
badly cut up. The walls Of this fort-built
more than thirty years ago--were not con-
structed to resist the impact of shot larger
than thirty-two or forty-four pounds; eonse-
quently several OF the enemy's shells, falling
from very high elevation, penetrated into
the classmates. One shell pierced the wall OF
shell room, falling among large collection
.rVNf4I had nxyr,in iahs
would have tumbled the whole fort about our
ears, and brought the siege to premature
conclusion.
COM. PORTER,
knowing the exact position of our two maya
zines, bestows upon them much of his atten-
ton. The wall of one of these was seriously
cracked notwithstanding the thick covering
of sand bags which had been placed over it,
and the danger of an explosion OF our am
munition seemed to be at one time very inn
minent By this days bombardment one
ten-inch and one eigbt-ineh COlumbiad, one
one ten-inch siege mortar in the main work
were disabled; also two rifled thirty-two-
Founders in the water battery were dismount-
ed.
THE FEU INTERNAL
of Porter's mortars was kept up furiousIy
and continuously through the night.
APRIL TWENTIETH
the bombaTdment was constant during the
day. Between II and IL o'clock at night O.
gunboat stole gently up the river under cover
OF the intense darkness, and attempted to
drag off the few SchOoneTS remaining in the
river near the fort, the remnant OF our raft
1t succeeded in disengaging one OF them,
when, being discovered, the guns of the fort
opened upon it, driving the venturesome
| boat back to the feet in hot haste. While
| this was going on the mortar firing was unu-
sually heavy, the enemy using time fuses,
| and bursting their shells above the fort, the
| fragments falling in every direction. This
/ was done to drive our men away from the
| barbette guns, but our brave fellows stood at
| their posts with unwavering fidelity The
partial success of this bold excursion on the
| part OF the enemy was ascribable to the neg
| lpct of the naval authorities to send down ire
RATS to keep the river lighted up, as they had
| been urgently requested to do. / will state
in justification of Gen. Duncan, that the con-
| troll and direction of these RATS had been Ia
ken from him by order of Gen. Lowell, and
| placed In the hands of the senior naval officer
of our mosquito fleet. During the whole
night the bombardment was kept up with un-
abated rapidity.
APRIL TwENTY-FIRsT.
Firing continued all day and night. Five
of our guns were disabled and several men
were wounded. By this time Fort jackson
presented diiapidated appearance; several
Of the casemates were crushed in and num-
DeE Vi Inc guns QaQ Defn T6DUeT6a uDSefYlCe~
able; many large cracks had been made In
the main walls, and the sand bag traverses
over the magazines were seriously damaged.
In fact the fort needed extensive and imme-
date repairs Such being the condition of
affairs, we were greatly rejoieed to hear of
the arrival during the night OF the ironclad
STEAMER LOUISIANA,
under the cover of whose powerful battery we
expected to put things in order again. She
was encased In an armor OF railroad iron
three inches In thickness, bad sloping sides,
with two wheels amidships and concealed
from view, while her armament consisted OF
sixteen guns of heavy calibre, some of them
being ritled ones of the famous Brook
patent-altogether formidable vessel.
APRIL TwENrY-sECoND.
No cessation or Stacking of the enemys
fire, and their huge shells were hurled into
the fort with remarkable precision. The
Feds useu the Alger water tight fuse and
rarely did a shell fail to explode. Those
which fell into the water of the moat would
bury themselves far down into the soft,
muddy bottom, and burst so violently AS to
shake the foundations of the fort Many
aligators were killed by these bombs. Capt.
j. K. Mitchell of the Louisiana, assumed
command of everything afoat. Gen. Duncan
had an interview with him, and was greatly
disappointed to learn that the motive power
OF the Louisiana was incomplete, and
that there, was no probability of her
D1lIS 1cbuy W LuOF6 lOE several uhyS.
This information was a serious
blow to our hopes of relief from that quar-
tar. The fact being established that the
Louisiana could not within a reasonable time
be used for aggressive purposes, Gen. Dun
can urged her commander to place her few
yards below the raft On the st. Philip side,
Immediately under the guns of both forts, in
which position she could rake, and perhaps
dispense the mortar fleet, and thereby afford
US time to make necessary repairs. The Cen
eral most earnestly urged this upon the
captain, assuring him that If such relief was
not extended all of his heavy guns would
probably soon be disabled, SO that when the
enemy's fleet should attempt to engage the
fort at close quarters, or to dash past it, the
chances OF a successful resistance would be
materially diminished. But
CAPT. MITCHELL
resisted these opportunities and positively
declined to remove his vessel to the desig-
mated spot. He wished to remain where he
was, just above st. Philip, until his vessel
should be completed; declared the Louisi-
ana, though having her sides well pro-
tpPtpd Was nOf ghOf-nrOOf q against thA vnTfipaJ