Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-11-06
BLOWN UP In A MONITOR.
AN INCIDENT OF FARRAGUT'S At
TACK ON MOBILE BAY.
One of the Tecumseh's Crew De-
scribes the Onset OF the Federal
EIeef=A DESTRUCTIVE TornedO

Scr1Des the onset or the Feuerai
Fleet-A DESTRUCTIVE Torpedo.
Carr1ngton Smith writes as follows IN
the Detroit Free Press Il was trans
ferred to the monitor Tecumseh about
ten days previous to the fight in Mobile
Bay, and reached the station with her
only the day before the fight came off.
Farragut had only been waiting for our
arrival to begin the attack, and from
noon on the 4th of August until daylight
of the 9Th was busy time with us.
Every portion of the Tecumseh's machin-
cry was overhauled, her plating ex-
amined, ammunition replenished, and
the sick were landed and new men
drafted to replace them. / had oppor-
tunity before we took our place in line
to look over the prospective battle-ground
and make a private calculation on our
chances. Mobile Bay had long been
the bugaboo of the Federal navy. The
strengthening of its defenses, with the
probable number of torpedoes scattered
about, had been passed from man to
man until even the coal-heavers had come
to consider that point invulnerable.
Fort Morgan, which must be passed at
close range, was a very strong fort,
mounting about fifty guns, while Fort
Gaines, smaller work, mounted over
twenty. A line of piling had been
driven across the bay between the two
works, and the channels were filed with
torpedoes, RATS, booms and tangles of
rope. In addition to the forts there were
one Confederate ram and three or four
gunboats lying above the works in po-
sition to rake any vessel which might
succeed in passing up. The forts mounted
guns throwing pro jectiles weighing from
twenty-four to 10 pounds, and the ram
was iron-plated and had powerful Brooke
rifles and Columbiads. How the crews
of the other ships felt about It cannot
say, but I know that on board the Te-
cumseh we talked the matter over that
night in whispers among ourselves, and
it was agreed that at lie ist half the fleet
would be knocked to smithereens. Next
morning, when we found that the four
monitors were to pass in line inside of the
rest of the fleet and come to a standstill
opposite Fort Morgan while the wooden
vessels steamed past, we felt that we
should be sunk inside of ten minutes.
While this feeling was strong upon us
our enthusiasm for fight was not damp
ened In the least. never saw men more
ready to go into battle, nor more deter
mined to give the enemy the best they
had
We moved about o'clock on the
morning of the 18th, the men having been
piped to early breakfast and the monitor
put in the best possible condition. The
twelve or fourteen wooden ships were
lashed in couples and took the outside
track, while the Tecumseh went ahead
at the signal and led the monitors into
the bay. 1t was a sight long to be re-
membered The Confederatcs were
ready for us, as all knew, and the flags
over the forts streamed away in the light
morning breeze, which scarcely rippled
the surface of the water. On board of
our craft the only sound breaking the
deep stiffness as we moved up was the
throbbing of the machinery. Every man
was in his place, and every voice was 81
lent. We fred the first gun Of the whole
feet, and from that moment every man
felt free to shout and cheer and give
vent to his enthusiasm. The first
shot which struck us was one from
the Confederate feet. 1t was raking
shot and glanced off, but the shock
was sharp enough to be felt ali over the
ship, and SO startled those near the spot
where the shot struck. After that,
although hit repeatedly, we did not mo-
tice the shocks. This was owing to the
fact that every man was busy, and to the
horrible din of our guns. Every time
one was discharged the monitors would
heel to port in way to almost upset us,
while the ears did not lose the shock of
one discharge before another came. We
were moving at slow speed, and dis
charging our guns as fast as possible,
when we suddenly felt our craft lifted
out of the water At the same instant
there was terrible ripping and rending
| of iron and wood. and when we came
down it was to disappear beneath the
water like a stone. have no recollec-
tion of being hurled or thrown, or of
making any effort of my own to escape.
The next thing l knew was struggling
I in the water v ith others, with the
beach so close at hand that could see
the Confederate gunners at their guns
and hear every command given.
They were firing over our heads, and
the fleet was returning the fire, while
I now and then shrapnel or grape shot
{ III AdlCI uS. 4 chW
some of our men striking out for shore,
but being a good swimmer, and seeing
that the chances for reaching one of the
ships was equal, 1 struck out in the OPP
posite direction and was presently picked
up by a boat Ten or twelve Of our
crew were rescued by the same boat, and
we had scarcely been pulled in when
gun on the fort was trained on us and
kept up its fire for about twenty minutes.
Its shots dashed water over Us repeated
, ly, and two OF the cars were splintered,
but we got out of range without having
! man hit.
When the Tecumsch was raised it was
found that a torpedo, which must have
been charged with several hundred
pounds of powder, had blown a large
hole in her bottom and opened almost
every seam in the craft