The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-06-19
TO furnish an army Of million Of men, should

how little, Ii anything, ID said az to the deeds
ana conduct q our sailors In the war Of 1912
much the greater share Of glory Of achievement
accrued To the naval arm Df tho countrys power.
and In the war with Mexico, AMI in our late
war, substantially none IL given to the navy.
Why this diffcrence2 In the war oil ls1a we
had the strongest navy power on earth with
which to cope In the war with Mexico and the
late war there was no naval warfare except con-
Confederate service, like the fight between the
@kearsace" and the Alabama" The commander
OF the latter forgot his duty to the government.
Tor his mission upon the ocean was TO destroy
and cripple orr commerce. and not to fight our
war-ships He suffered himself TO be lcd into
conflict with one OF our gnnboa.s wherein, II h,
had succeeded, he would have only destroyed
one ont Of hundreds of like ships of this enemies.
and II he was beaten his own snip. more damag-
Ing to the Northern cause than any army of his
confcderates in the field, was lost never to be
PLACED.
We scarcely decorate sailor's grave. But
few were killed in action, and OF those the larger
number so lost, alas, have no graves, no CO..
fined toulbs unles the frigatcs Congress aud
"Cumbtrland," which wen. down in the waters
OF the James under the at, ack OF the "Mcrri-
mae" their brave crews standing to their guns
until the water buried them alive, are re,nem-
led by us a. the consecratcd burial places OF
by far the larger number of scamcn who were
done to death in battle during the war. Ii Con-
gress shall eyo- do what ought to be done for
the sailors in the late war. a naval monument
should be built, ae well might be dem, over the
hulks of E thoss tIigates. in memory Of as great
an exhibition of American pluck and obedience
to duty as has ever been witnessed by land or
sea.
The passage Of the forts near New Orleans by
Farragut--an exploit of naval warfare never ex-
celled III clualed-placel him first of the bril-
liant sea gods" o, the worll, and the most
seeing and strategic, NJ well as the most oar
ing, OF naval commanders.
1t was worth living for, II there was nothing
else. to have had t iat scene impressed upon tn !
memory.
II was tropical night. 80 calm and stil that
low mist hung clin2iGgly to tho shores and
across the vide rolling waters OF the Misss -ippi.
Ranged in two divisions, up and dosn the
stream, lay the Federal tieet, the g-ship Hart
ford about two mills below Fort JackSo,, q
cascmated work. armed, also. with guns ea
barbette. Sheltered by the edge Of the forest
which grew down into the water, lay twcn.y-
one schooncrs. each having thirtecn-inch NOR
tar On her deck, which had been for nearly eight
days throwing shell At the fort every twenty
minutes.
The second division OF the fleet, under COM
mand OF Capt. Bailey. las parallel to Farragut's .
division, ,arcr the left bank Of the river, on
which was Fort st. Phillip. strong, but not a
casemated work. Both these forts were fully
armed with eight and tcn-inch Columbiads and
six-inc rifles, the heaviest ordnance then
ship, the sloop- of-war Portsmouth, had been
towed into position i'll the early ntghtfali, and
moored where her batteries at easy nge could
command the water battery of Fort Jackson:
Every preparation had been made for silencing
the enemys guns as the fleet passed the Iorts
The Port guns of the first division were loaded
with grape and canister and their muzzles de-
pressed so as to reach the embrasures of the
classmates of the fort which lie just above the
water that flowed by its base. The guns on
the right side OF that division were left unloaded
because Bailey's division would be between
them and Fort St. Philip. In his division the
reverse was done: the right guns were loaded
with grape and canister, and the left guns. next
Farraguts division, were left unloaded to pre-
vent accident.
Between the fleet and the forts lay the remains
of the enormous chains hoated on schooners
ing. as the commanders Of the forts thought, an
impossible barrier to navigation. Py daring
reconnaissance this chain had been cut and the
cables OF the schooners on which IL was carried
had been slipped, 50 that the chains on both
| sides were floatcd down parallel to the line of
the shore, and instead Of an obstruction. the
chains became guide to the channel on either
hand.
It Is now o'clock in the morning. The NOR
tars for hours had ceased their play. The forts
are silent. Nothing is seen but the lights 81 the
truck Of the tOpgallant mZzen- n-mast OF the Hart
ford. the signal to make sail The canking Of
windlasses as the anchors were hove up only are
heard to the music OF the boatswain's whistle.
In almost the space Of time In which 1t can he
told the two divisions Of the fleet were steadily
| steamin2 up the river against a fonr-knot cnr-
rent at measured speed OF eight knots. The
few minutes almost seemed hours before q sim
gle gun flashing from Fort Jackson showed that
the movement was known. Twenty MOI; ars
burst forth together, sending their heavy shells
miles lighting mn the heavens with their blaz-
ing fuses. which began TO rain down in broken
the Portsmouth opened upon Fort jackson with
her starboard battery. kecping up a rapid and
continuous fire until the last vessel had passed.
| division followed at once by ali the guns Of
| Fort jackson opening fire upon Farragut 3
| division. which he boldly steers within 800
| that short range. the guns were served with the
utmost auickness Of fire, SO tina, the booming
| cannon of both sides made one continuous
deafening roar; the rolling smoke in the misty
night wrapped everything in darkness impenc-
| trable. save as the flashes Of explosions famed
out like the red lightnings from low hanging
| mortar beats were seen fiying overhead. high In
| the air at one time, then rolling down stream
OF fire and shot upon the ill-fated cannoncers of
! the fort. Bravely and well do they stand to and
| serve their guns amid the death shot falling
| thick and fast on every hand
Under the fire of Bailcy's division, il IL quick
silenced. and his division was RAISING her guns
| in safety. Projected by their easements. the
| gunners or Fort jackson did not give Farra-
| CUTS division 50 easy q success. The fire OF
| Fort jackson is incessantly kept up with pre-
| cision. 40 that it seemed impossible that the
| Hartford, a wooden ship, a. were the others,
could live while passing through that volcano OF
| fre.
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