New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-14


and took part in series Of desperate operations up
the intricate bayous and through the wellngh I'M
penetraDe swamps such it is safe TO say no otheI
naval commander wa ever engaged IN beD paed ui
Ship less potent than his ever have extricated his
gunboa;s from some Of the tight places ana 'angeo
About the middle OF April he ran the batteries OF
vicksburg with his heet, and reducing The deichoe1 "
Grand Gulf secured landing place i0r Oiaul. lls
end was the reduction of Vickburg which surrendereo
July A. 1868. His mortar fleet sheled the Guy s rTl
render 10000 shells had been poured into the Town
and the Notifications beyond T. Beside; ;o Winning 3,s
federate vessels in the Yazoo River and obtained IN
disputed control Of the stream, clearing II OF to
M5siSsppf The southern forces must have found him
disagreeably viglant and busy enemy. ne AeP e
batteries to intercept supplies Intended for the Rebel
strongholds forcing his through maze OF oayons
and Taahatchee into the Yazoo daring the fire Of the
batteries to reach Vcksburg ana rendering ring eVGIi
steamers also patrolled the Cumberland ana len,
nessee Rivers, and once chased Morgan and MS Dalu
on the Ohio for more than 500 miles.
PERIL AND RESCUE on RED RIVER.
The early part Of 1864 was devoted to preparing
for the Red River expedition on the 9TH of March
Porter arrived at the mouth of the Red River with
fifteen ironclads and four lighter steamers and was
there Joined by General A. J. smith with 10000 men,
conveyed from near Vicksburg in transports. Inc
ascent Of the river was promptly begun, ana by thc
middle Of April the most formidable of the lrohcladS
had reached Springfield Landing, fifty miles ABOVE
Alexandria, La. There Porter learned that the lahu
forces under General Banks had met with reverse.
He at once turned back, and was harassed at every
available point by the enemy flushed with their recent
success against the army. This perilous enterprise
in the face of active enemy once more demanded
all Porter's energy, courage ana resource Inc rNc
was shallow and the vessels at best could make only
thirty miles day. After repelling an attack made
600 inf ntr he fleet maL a
thirty miles below Grand EcOre, when the iF0nCdd
Eastport sank and blown up TO prevent her iai8
into the enemy's hands.
Further down the descending squadron was con
fronted by eighteen Rebel guns. The Cricket with
Admiral Porter on board, was ahead, and re-
ceiyed the fire of the entire battery, most Of the
shot going through her Her after gun was struck
and disabled, every gunner being hllled OF "ouHueu
AT that moment another shell eApoueu ud mar av o i b
ward gum sweeping oil every gunner ana leaving qua
one man unwOunded in the fire room. Her decks had
by this time been deserted ADMIRAL pOrpr LOOK con-
mand improviscd gunners from the negroes on board
put an assistant engineer in place OF the cci engineer
where one of the pilots had been wounded ordered the
vessel TO be run past the battery Inns was GGnd
under d terrible FIRE. Tho Adplial now altcnPteu
to head the vessel up stream. but tLis proving I'm
practicable, he let her DRIFT around the point so th
he could with his still scrviccablc guns shell the Con
federac battery in the rear lie then ran MS vSsse
down the river three or four miles, 10 place "hcio
he had directed two ronclads from below 10 meet r
on the way down the vessel ran aground ana ,rcc
hours lost in getting her a1oat In tns aslon,
which added much to the AQHlldls TtpuldllO' b'o
Cricket had been struck thirty eight times ana ad had
twenty-five men-lalf of her crew-disabed ia,
The fleet reached the fails above AeNap s rrSa
impeded and for long time rendered lmpo,sloIo oS
the low water on The rapids ms diitm %T v thc
soldiers under the direction Of Lieutenant Coonel 20
seph Bailey, of the 4th Wisconsin Regiment then oeS
engineer OF the Nineteenth Army Corps Thus the WtleIs
were raised sufficiently to enable the vessels 10 re@eh
the Mississippi in safety.
FORT FISHER TAKEN.
Admiral Porter resumed his patrol OF the Missis
sipp and was after transferred to the command
OF the North Atlantic Squadron In the latter plAco
he rendered excellent service in removing olpcdoes
from the navigable waters of Virginia and North caro-
lima In capturing blockade runners, and I'm cruising
after Confederate craft. Wilmington being AT ms
time the principal port through which the Conioderacy
maintained commercial Intercourse with the World IL
was resolved TO erect its capture III NoVempor'
s64 Admiral Porter, In concert with General fu'cr'
arrived off Fort Fisher the main defence OF the en-
trance to the harbor, and on the Odd he sencch us
batteries. after a bombardment lasting scventy-tvo
minutes Next morning the transports with o,OOo
troops under Butler arrived, but when hali the force
had been landed the General deemed an assault I'M
practicable and withdrew his men. -,
Yielding the earnest request OF Auihliai IOIueI
General Grant at sent forward second mlntay
force which arrived Oh the fort on January ID lrvo
TWO DAYS, bOmhaTdmcnt the fort was carried by as
sault the sailors participating ana loslns IaS Va
NUMBER Inc Cuplu!C W
in February The success OF this important enterprise
was due In great measure to the efficiency OF the Meet
under Admiral Porter and TO his answering ld' l"i'
victory possible.
PEACEFUL DAYS.
coon after the close Of the war Admiral Porter was
reIieved al his own request Of the command Of the
North Atlantic Squadron, and he then avalled himself
Of a few months leave Of absence 10 visit Europe
In september 1861 lie was appointed superintendent
of the Naval Academy then r. established at Ahhap
oils lie held this place until 1867 wheh NC Wa aS
signed 10 special duty at Washington. In 1856 he was
ont 10 san Domingo with 100000, 10 purchase
lease OF SANTANA Bay but finding the Government nara
10 deal WITH gave up the project during the carry part
If General Grants Administration, while Adolph H.
Hore was secretary Of the Navy the Admiral was very
influential in the Department ana was PopuailS IT,
carded as its actual head. -,
rlt Porter was advanced 70 the rank OF Nlce-AdiiiaI'
and when FaFagUt died lie became Admrai' NOT no"
@"o, yth1ut experiencing considerable delay In being
! confirmed Ills commission was datea August 49,
admiral Porter, interest in the efficiency Of the Navy
was unabated 10 the last and few years ago io was
nersonaiIy active in building the torpedo ram Alarm
Vessel Of his own design which has Just been thor
oughiy overhauled and repaired at We Ne" orK navy
YaTd for experimental service at the torpedo training
In November, 1874 during the excitement which
followed the santiago massacre, ne SPOKE I'ee on Eo
subject 10 "A Tribune reporter who called upon NM
He held that delay should be made IN indicating
hight to immunity from s s @ ro Gn t the Geck IL
over we had better haul it in" After ALL Inc
further said our gins moro respected tIah cur
| dag and if DISPOSITION 10 use them a llttc more
was shown IL might he bette for the hae lie eN
pressed warm sympathy for Cuba, and spoke WIZ!
prdp OF the American tars. saying lie had no doubt
6nr bovs wond undertake the capture OF Havana, even
IL they had TO be tOrp"does on the ends OF iogs ana
naddlc Themselves across the Florida Channel
Admiral Porter was the second and last Admiral %
the Navy, as the Office crcltel FOR Fararut ana
was abolished BY act approved January "a 1913 IN
which II was provided that vacancies In that Craze
and the one Immediately below ii should not be nIcd
L ioun I'm am Whatever"
i PERSONAL TRAITS.
| Personally Admiral Porter was a man OF very
genial disposition and great brightness Of thought and
| specch But this very kindness did not keep him
from frequent quarrcs even with members Of his own
family and his best friends. With his brother. the
Commodore. he was not on speaking terms for many
wears and his intimate relations with General Grant
his former coadjutoc in the work of subduing the re
beIon and long one OF his warmcst friends were in