The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-03

! esst HOit Morgan whenever the officer
commanding it saw proper to do 60.
What we were puzzled about was in re.
gard to the time that it would be done.
We could see that the fleet outside had
been heavily reinforced but we thought
that possibly it was on account of the
presence Of the Tennessee in the lower
bay. Still we were not surprised when
on the morning of the 9th day of Au-
gust, 1864, We saw the Federal fleet NOV.
ing in double line straight for the chan.
mel. 1t was magnificent sight, but by
no means pleasant one to che Confed.
crates stationed at the land batteries and
on board the Tennessee and her frail
wooden tenders.
The advancing fleet numbered eighteen
| vessels in all, fourteen of which were
wooden ships of war, not man traps like
our own, and four monitors.
| Two of these monitors, the Tecumseh
and the Manhattan, were far more pow
erful vessels than their predecessor of
Hampton Roads fame, for each carried
two l5.inch guns instead of l1-inch guns
like the old Monitor. The other two
monitors were double turreted and
mounted 1l-inch guns.
The enemy's wooden vessels were
lashed together in pairs, SO that If one
should happen to be sunk the crew might
be rescued by her consort. They came
steadily on, answering with their thun.
deEirg broadsides the fire fiom our ianG
batteries and vessels. If only they could
be made to stop and fight it out, the old
adage that lone gun ashore is worth ten
ahoat," would still be made to hold good
But that, very properly, is no part of
tarraguts programme, and the Federal
| fleet moves rapidly on.
Suddenly shouts of triumph are heard
from our water batteries. There are only
three monitors where moment ago there
were four! One of them has suddenly
disappeared beneath the waves. Sunk,
perhaps, by torpedo.
Tho monitors were steamiug in advance
OF the enemy's wooden vessels and near.
er than the latter to the Confederate bat
teries. The sinking of the monitor was
followed by pause in the advancing
fleet, the pair of vessels in the lead,
which, we afterwards, learned, were the
Brooklyn and the Octarora, stopping to
signal.
Then it was that Farragut displayed
the impetuous bravery characteristic Of
him. His flagship, the Hartford, with
the Metacomet, commanded by the gal
liant Jcuett, lashed TO her side, was the
second in the line. and they dashed on
past the halting Brooklyn, and we're soon
out of reach OF our fire.
The Tennessee made for the Hartford.
with tbs hope Of ramming her, but the
latter had the heels of us. Want of
motive power was the great defect in the
Tennessee. The Hartford being safely
In the bay, we gave our attention to the
rest of tbs fleet that were now rapidly
following the lead of their Admiral be.
yond the reach of our shore batteries.
Owing to their vastly superior speed,
they eluded all our efforts to ram them
and got safely in.
OUR WOODEN GJNBoATs.
The Selma, Capt. Murphy, had gal.
lantly taken position ahead of the Hart
ford and Metacomet, and kept up rak.
ing Are on them during their advance up
the bay, but finally, she ~ss compelled
to trust to her heels for safety, and even
then she trusted in vain. The Metacom-
ct soon overhauled her and forced her to
surrender. The last shell fred at the
Selma struck down Lieut.. Comstock, the
brave young officer who commanded her
broadside guns. A fragment of the she'll
tore sway his breast Stand to your
guns, men !" were the words that he
barely had time to utter ere he fell for
ward dead.
Capt. Bennett in the Gaines had
fought his ship until she was on the
point of sinking under his feet. Then
he beached her, set her on fire and es-
capped with bis crew in the ships boats.
The Morgan had not received a scratch
aud there was talk of court martial.
but probably the crowd;ns of great
events towards tfia close of the war pre-
sea::eeii:: i. ,.a III
"INTo THE JAWS OF DEATH"
! The cnemy's feet were now anchored
perhaps e couple OF miles mp the Bay,
while the Tennessee lay at anchor off
/ Fort Morgan.
What was to be dvue with her?
AS regiment is to an army corps, 80
was tho Tennessee to the fleet that had
iuat entered Mobile Bay
Ninety mine men out of hundred
would, in Bnchanan's place, have de.
cihed that the ship should remain where
abe was and shsre the fate of Fort Nor
gam
Not so with him. All retreat had baen
cutoff for the Tennessee; She was like
man doomed to die, and the brave old
the highest possible price.
The Tennessee got under way aud
! steamed directly towards the sSeab hes.
tile aeet. Like the charge of the Light
Brigade cit Was not war, but a specta-
cle." There was speedy signalling from
the enemy's flag ship, followed by the
slipping of cables and the movement of
the whole ,heet towards u.s. Two of their
heaSiest vessels, running nearly sat full
speed, one after the other struck us
amidsbips with their iron prows. The
"knuckle" saves us and we keep on our
course, heading directly for the Hartford
and saluting her with cur bow gun as we
neared her. She two was making straight
for us-thei two old Admirais were COM
ing to oilSse quarters truly but Just In
time the Hartford very properly sheered
clear of us. AS, thatw;, vessels pasae>,,
one another, elese ehoard. The Hartford
delivered q broadside. We tried to re-.
turn the compliment, but: two of our
three guns missed FIRE.
BY this time the whole fleet we're
tumbling in upon ns, freely using their
prows aud their great guns. Against the
former the knucsle stiIl protected US, but
the latter soon reduced the Tennessee to
a helpless wreck. The rudder chains
were gone, the armor had been crushed
in by the l5inch shells of the enemy's
! monitor, and The Ssi!an: Old Admiral
lay wounded by the fragment of q shell.
Nothing remained but to surrender, aud
| that we might houorablY have done to q