Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-25

Ign, in coming up the river, got out
OF her course: She ran upon ono Of
the hulks and became entangled. There
and severe one from st. Philip. She got clear
and starred again up stream. She did not get
lar up before the Manassas rammed her. Not
having sufficient headway the ram did not effect
Brooklyn passed close abreast Fort st. Philip,
Into which she poured tremendous broadsides.
~ the flashes the gunners could be seen run
silenced. Passing on, the Brooklyn by her shells
Set the confederate Warrior on fire and she was
run ashore. The Brooklyn was under fire an
hour and half. The Richmond brought up
the rear OF the second division. She steamed
steadily and worked her guns with great regu-
lar1ty. Her loss was small.
THE THIRD DIVISION
was led by the Sciota with Captain Bell. Pass.
ing the forts under fire she got above and
burned two confederate steamboats,. The Iro-
son. She was raked from ST. Philip, and also
Dy the McCrea, which gave her grape and caD-
lster. She passed through a group OF rebel
gunboats treating each TO broadside. The
Pinola was the last ship that passed the fort,
and got up in time to put some OF her shells
Into The rebel gnnboats. The Kennebec be-
fee until broad daylight The Itasca received
shot In her boiler from Fort Jackson that
made her go down stream. The WfnOna got
astray among the hulks and could not get freq
ia time
WHEN THE FIGHT WAS OVER
and the rebel fleet had been either captured or
destroyed it was daylight. The passage OF the
forts and the subsequent engagement had
teen made, however, In darkness. Tae burn
Ing bonfires only lit up the place where the
distractions in the river were. Above the fire
OF the guns lighted up the river ftfully. The
bursting OF shells, the burning RATS and YES
as grand as Il was terriflc But the forts had
been passed. They surrendered on the 29th.
The fleet passed on up and laid New Orleans
under neT guns. General Butler was landed
with his troops aud occupied the city. New
Orleans was IN the hands Of the United States
government and the confederacy was split
geographically.
In this river fight was accomplished a feat In
naval warfare which had no precedent, and
which Is still without parallel except the one
furnished by Farragut himself two years later
at Mobile. Starting with seventeen wooden
vessels, he had passed with all but three of
them, against the swift current of river but
half mile wide between two powerful earth.
works which had long been prepared for him,
his course impeded by blazing RATS, and I'M
mediateIy thereafter had met the enemy's fleet
OF fifteen vessels, two OF them irOn-clad, and
And all this with the loss Of but one ship from
his own squadron.
FARRAGUT GOES Up THE RIVER ON BUSINESS.
On the afternoon Of April 26th Farragut went
up the river to capture the two forts at Carroll
ton, eight miles above New Orleans BE found
the works deserted, the guns spiked, and the
carriages burning. He had sent several vessels
up to take possession of Baton Rouge and Nat
Chez. Farragut was next ordered by the de-
partment to ''clear the river through" He
reached vieksburg In his flagship, the Hartford,
without accident save going aground one night,
He did not like his commission. He wanted
TO ATTACK MOBILE AT ONCE,
taking advantage OF the panic which his recent
successes had wrought. A small military force
followed Farragut in transports. He did not
make the contemplated attack on Vicksburg at
this time because there was no chance, In the
as the enemy were In such force having at their
command $4,000 men within an hour by rail-
road. It was impossible for the troops in the
determined to open the river through at every
hazard. He was ordered to CT II together all his
available vessels, including Porter's mortars,
and
PROCEED TO vICKsBURG.
General Butler now sent six regiments and
two batteries In short time fleet OF
steamers was vending its way to Vicksburg.
The mortars were placed In position and began
firing on the 26tn OF June. The range, how
ever, was defective; they were moved up closer.
At O'Clock on the morning OF the 2Sth they
opened In earnest. The vessels which took
part in this engagement were the Hartford.
Richmond, Brooklyn, Iroquois, Oneida, Wissa-
Porters gunboats. In addition. there were the
mortar boats The fleet got under way In the
early morning about o'clock and steamed up
In double line OF sailing. The Richmond Hart
were nearest the rebel batteries. Porter with
his gunboatS came up and opened a very inter
est1ng fire upon the enemy, while the mortars
were not idle. Battery after battery from the
shore opened. The ridge OF bluffs upon which
they were situated seemed one solid sheet of
flame. The Hartford fred slowly and denber.
ateJy.
CLEANING OUT THE CONFEDERATE BATTERIES.
Her guns did much damage and reached the
batteries on the summit. The whole fleet fired
admirably. The execution was soon apparent
The rebel batteries at times did not reply at al
for several minutes They were soon silenced
In two hours the whole fleet had passed the
batteries except the rear division. which con-
sisted or the Brooklyn, katahdin and Kennebec
TIE fleet was very fortunate; only few hard
Knocks We're received. The casualties fifteen
k1lltd and thirty wOunded-WeIe very small
consideIing the time 1t was under fire. In his
report OF this affair Farfagut wrote to the Navy
department:-''The forts can be passed and we
have, done It and can do it again as often as
may be required of u.s. 1t will not, however, be
an easy matter for us 10 do more than silence
the batteries for time. as long as the enemy
has large force behind the hills TO prevent our
landing and holding the place.
FARRAGUT THANKED.
In August he received his commission as Rear
Admiral and copy OF the resolution of thanks
passed by Congress- Returning to New Orleans
he found plenty of work now and then to do in
5ubdu1ng neighboring towns and forts and
fighting rebel cruisers in the western part OF
the gulf, and in blockadng Mobile. He chafed
somewhat at this duty, and once, when there
had not been fighting for quite whiIe de-
plored In letter that his men were getting
somewhat demoralized. They were thirsting
for fight, he said.
THE NEXT IMPORTANT MOVEMENT
OF Farragut was the passage of the batteries at
Port Hudson. Here, as at Vicksburg, the river
makes sharp turn. In this engagement there
were the mortar schooners, five gunboats and
four ships. The Hartford was lashed to the
gunboat Albatross, the Richmond to the Gen.
esee, and the MOnODgaheia to the KineO. The
Mississippi being side. wheel steamer could not
take gunboat with her.. At dark March 14th,
1868, the signal OF attack was made by red
lantern displayed over the stern of the Hart
lord. AS the ships dropped into line the Hart
ford which led. steamed ahead slowly. Night
was closing In rapidly. The enemy opened IRE
by the signal OF rocket Bont1re3 were started
on shore. The Hartford (Farragut's ship)
ran aground directly under the enemy's
guns, but touched only moment and
was off again. She passed the bat
terles, having been under fire an hour and
ten minutes She reached place OF safety,
and anchored about one O'Clock a. m. She was
the only vessel OF the attacking force that
passed the batteries. The Mississippi took fire
and was exploded when the flames reached the