Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-17

the sketch Of the preparations of the Acct Ia
capture New Orleans, published In last satur.
days STAR, furnishes the following account nj
the passing Of the forts below New Orleans.
AS Farragut's fleet moved quietly nm the
Mississippi, toward Forts Jackson and az. phil.
ippe, before daylight on the morning of Apri,
%, 1862, slow progress was made on account
of the rapid current, but good order prevailed.
The mortars now redoubled their fire averag.
ing one shot minute. As we advanced nm the
river, the course of the bombs, making a semi.
circle In the air, appeared to change so much
that 1t seemed as II the missiles ,vonld
soon be falling upon our decks. About
halfpast three the first gun was fred from
the forts, In a minute another and a SECOND
later another, and very soon the reports were
too rapid to be counted. The little punboat
Cayuga, Commander Harrison, and the flagship
Of Capt. Bailey, which were q little I'm advance.
received this terrible blast, but held nohiv r.
their course. The Verona and Oneida followed.
This much could be seen from our ship ithe
Hartford) as we were firing our bow guns only.
Our place was about the middle of the line.
The vessels ahead and the forts had added the
smoke n'nht from ON their guns to an already dark
was deafening. The bombs from the morfars
appeared to be coming directly upon us, and in
There was nothing on earth to guide us hut tho
flashes OF the gums of the forts and battery and
even IT., these gould not always be seen, so dense
In full play and every man had all he could
attend to. In firing q broadside, the guns on
one siae were not all discharged at once. The
most forward gun was brought to bear first.
then the next after one and SO on. Sometimes
the forward gun fired two or three rounds be.
lore the after guns came into range.
THE SCENE ON DECK.
AS we came abreast Of Fort jackson every
gun was in full blast and the deck was the
scene of the greatest activity. Some guns were
1 nei9g run out loaded, some were being
loaded, and others were flying back
n from 20 the ports, Eeeoiling from their dis
greatest rapidity, every man at his station and
working as If the whole issue depended on his
i ma sxertions The smoke grew SO thick
man next to him, aud we either fired at the
enemy's flashes or by the reports. We now be-
Shot and shell. This was an Indication to US US
an idea of the noise, 7 would say that there
est caliber in full blast The men had stood
Dravely at their guns for over an hour,
and the guns crews were greatly weakened
left worked with redoubled energies. All
the appliances of naval warfare were now
an an Inc guns s were loaded and fred
main hatch was In active service lowering the
Killed and wounded. Sand was sprinkled on
great demand, and the carpenters mate and
his assistants were swinging over the side
patching shot holes. The mems faces were
powder, the murderous smell of burned powder
aud fresh blood and the screaming OF shot and
shell created feeling that can never be forgot
ten ana only realized by experience.
THE FIRE RAFT.
We now discovered ON our port bow large
fire raft coming down upon us. 1t looked as If
the whole river surface was on fire. AS 1t came
closer we saw that the rebel iron clad Manassas
was alongside and guiding 1t straight for us.
The helm was put to port to avoid It, and this
run us hard aground, with our bow-spirit over
towards Fort st. Philippe. Luckily the enemy
thought we were going to land men, and left
battery. II this had been braveIy worked at
this time it would easily have silenced the
Hartford and destroyed her. We did not es-
Kept firing upon US mercilessly. AS soon as
we grounded the fire raft struck us under
the port fore rigging and swung her length
our destruction sure, cast off and turning
started up the river, only to meet the fate pre-
pared for US. The intense heat had softensd
the pitch In the HarttOrd's seams SO that it ran
down the side. The tarred rigging was as in
hammable as the pitch, so that we fell an easy
prey to the fire raft Almost as soon as it came
alongside, the pitch from the seams ignited
and the flames spread rapidly up the forward
main rigging on the port side: This was the
side on which we were doing the fighting and
the flames soon drove the men from their guns.
and created confusion among both men and
officers.
THE PANIC ON BOARD.
1have heard Of stampeded soldiers throwing
away their guns, knapsacks and clothes that
they might not be impeded in their flight We
felt just about that way at this time. The mag
azines were closed, and the men, driven from
their work, moved about aimlessly and ex-
ctedly. l was standing near the main hatch,
wondering what should do, when masters
mate came along, and, grabbing one Of the
main hatch gratings, hurried with it towards
the fOrecastle. The ship seemed to me lost, and
L followed the pYamnla of the M mt
to jump overheard with the grating when I
could no longer endure the heat. l had made
cited men when heard a commanding voice
above all the din and confusion. Turning /
could just distinguish through the smoke
forward among the excited men and called
through a speaking trumpet take your places
at fire quarters" He would tap this one on the
peatins re earters s His dstn wasf esI
bearing and calm fearless manner had an In
Simultaneous effect on the men, calming the
ing one ashamed of his fears. Farragut was
walking at his side, and Lieut.. Thornton was
their works he captan order 1n Was o qaakyy
taken up by the men and passed through the
ship, so that in a few moments every man was
at his station and doing his best to combat the
flames.
Just at this time a shell exploded in the cabin,
starting fire, which was not discovered until
it had made considerable Roadway The old
ship seemed doomed, and it looked as If only a
miracle could save her. She was so hard
aground that the engines with all their power
could afford no relief; in flames from the water
to the masthead from the fire raft; the cabin
ablaze from the exploded shell, and the vessel
the center of a terrible storm of shot and shell.
1overheard q conversation between Capt VAIN
right and Mr.. Purdy, who was In charge of
the engines. In which the captain ordered
Purdy to increase the power of the engine by
reducing the water, at the risk of bursting the
DOiler-tO do anything to get the vessel afioat,
In a few minutes the ship began to lump SO
that one could scarcely stand on deck; but she
came of and
CLEARED THE FIRE RAFT
at the same time, calling forth a spontaneous
cheer from every man aboard. The men
fought the fire with renewed vigor and soon
had it extinguished, and were again in their
Of the ship and crew was wholly due to Capt
wainwright. His powerful voice claimed the
attention of the men, his tall form and COM
manding presence, and his cool, fearless man.
ner, inspired all who saw or heard him, with his
own courage, and made men feel that with such
q leader there was nothing to fear. From this
time till his death he was the idol of his crew,
AS we headed up stream we came close upon
the Brooklyn, just passing Fort Jackson. The
cheer from the Hartford We soon emerged
from the smoke and came upon
THE ENEMY's FLEET.
It was warm work still, but seemed only fun
compared with what we had just been through.
We continued firing just the same at anything
and everything that did not fly our flag Our
attention was particularly claimed by q large
river steamer crowded with soldiers She was