The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-05
THE SHIP TENNESSEE
A DESCRIPTION OF THE CONFLICT
IN MOBILE Bar.
One OF the Men Who Was Aboard the ves-
sci Tells OF Her Surrender and
the Reason Why.

1
| Of the bloody drama to see to 1T that the
names Of their comrades who fell on the
| losing side are not transmitted TO history
as rebels and traitors, but as patriots as
true as the world ever saw, earnestly
| engaged In the defence Of the right, as
/ God had given them TO see the right
Great as was the disparity or numbers
between the Federal and Confederate ar
| mics between the naves IL was lar
| greater. IL indeed. we had anything Wor-
| thy Of the name; still Confederate VIC
| tory in Hampton Roads revoluuonlzed
| tho navies of the world, while In the
/ fight on the Tennessee we suffered ue-
| feat Faragut might best describe IN t"e
| language OF Pyrrhus at his first encounter
| with the Romans: another such Victory
| would cost him his army
| On the point OF narrow sand prom
ontorg OF some little elevation which
| ,uts far in between Mobile Bay and the
! C;rIf NJ Mexico. stands Fort Morgan
commanding the eastern or main channel
| of tho entrance to the Bay, five miles 10
! the Southwest. Fort Gaines guards the
western entrance, only navgable for
small vessels. out side the fort Faragut,
with n numerous fleet, menaced an attack.
| Torpedoes and other distractions We're
ulnCp1
entrance for blockade runners Fort Nor
gan was garrlsoned by about four hun
dred men. under the command Of General
Richard RamroD Page. The Confederate
naval squadron, consisting OF the iron
clad Tennessee with four small wooden
vessels. under the command Of Admiral
Franklin Buchanan, were anchored In the
lower Bay.
At early dawn on the morning Of the 5th
of August, 1863. the officer on watch
reported the Federal fleet with steam up,
heading for the fort. All hands were
called TO quarters and orders given to
prepare the ship for action.
Now, sanding the decks 10 catch the
blood yet unspilied was not a very as
surfing procedure IN view of the tremen-
dous odds which confronted us. The Ten
nessee was screw propeller and went
into commission with about one hundred
men, company OF marines with the
following officers: Franklin Buchanan,
Admiral; James W. Johnston, Virginia,
Captain: william l.. Bradford Alabama,
Executive officer; Wharton and Benton.
Of Tennessee and Kentucky First and
Second Lieutenants; Perrin, OF Louisiana,
Master; Shining, Chief Engineer; s. c.
Raney Marine officer. Of Florida; Con-
rad and Bowles. Surgeon and Assistant,
Of Virginia.
Her battery consisted OF ten inch rifle
Brooke guns, two fore and aft. three
broadside. eight an all: her armor was
six inches Of iron over fourteen inches
Of solid timber, held together with two
inch iron bolts.
She was constructed something after
the order of the old Merrimac, but much
stronger; her sharp iron PROV would have
been formidable as ram. but she lacked
speed for this purpose. Her portfolios
We're protected by heavy iron shutters,
which proved disadvantage In the fight.
The Federal feet moved up majestical
~ I'm single file. II was a sublime specta-
Gle, but distance lent enchantment TO
the view" 1t was at once perceived
that Faragut had received large acces-
sions 10 his force during the night, among
which were three double turreted iron
clad monitors, one OF which formed the
van. Suddenly a white cloud OF smoke
cnyeloped the front, and roar OF ar
tillery begins, the fleet pouring broadside
after broadside into the fort as they
pass in. The iron monitor Tecumseh.
Just in advance Of the flag ship Hart
for. as II Is entering the channel, |
strikes torpedo, and sinks in few min |
utes.. The whole crew, one hundred and |
thirty, except four, are drowned.
This "aused the fleet 10 halt, and Just ]
here Faragut's biographer, Mr.. Los |
sing. says he prayed for divine guidance, |
whether he should proceed or not. Being |
answered I'm the affirmative, he gave the |
order TO advance. I don't know about |
the prayer; K was short. but the poor |
fellows on the Tecumseh did not have |
time 10 say that much. AS they came |
inside the bay our guns opened on them. |
and our little wooden ships fought SAL |
iantly, but were soon disabled and cap |
tu-ed. But one escaped ingioriously ike /
the Spartan at Thermopylae 10 tell the /
tale. We had now 10 fight the whole /
fleet single handed. They poured their |
shot thick and heavy upon us at short /
range, but with little effect, while our |
guns played havoc on their wooden ships |
After a severe engagement Of thirty |
minutes or more a strange thing was |
seen: a whole Federal feet, consisting |
OF the strongest VESSELS IN the navy, |
manned by the best men in the service,
retreatlng before one single ship. They |
ran up the bay beyond reach OF our guns,
and anchored. We held the field. The
admiral ordered the men 10 have
breakfast AS soon as this was over
the crew was mustered on deck. he
mounted q gun carriage and addressed |
them I'm a stirring speech As he closed IN |
the language of Nelson at Trafalgar on |
THE country expects every man 10 do
his duty" with a wild huzza the men |
rushed to their guns. As we bore down
upon them under a full head or steam !
they seemed 10 be greatly astonished.
There was rushing TO and fro and sig |
mailing I'm hot haste" But there were
brave men on those ships, and they were
getting ready 10 receive us. Faragat,
himself southerner as we're Jenkins
and Jouett.
We dashed IN among them. but they
were too fleet for US. We could not use
tho ship as a RAM but a fight with
heavy artillery was precipitated, which
beggarded description. Then was the noise
Of conflict, arms upon drmor. clashinS. |
brayed horrible discord" Suddenly the I
firing ceases. we come I'm collision with /
The ship is gradually be-
ing upset, everything movable gravi-
tates 20 one side. IL seems as If We are /
about 10 suffer the fate OF the ROYAL /
George, but after a few violent osclla- /
tons the ship comes 10 an equill-
brium, and the fight goes on. This |
was occasioned by one OF the enemys /
ships, the MonOnghela, trying 20 run
over and sink us, which Il very nearly /
succeeded In doing Under the inces
SAINT storm Of ponderous missiles hurled |
upon us at close range. every joint and |
rib In the ship seemed to culver and |
shake. A messenger comes 10 inform us 1
that the admiral is wounded; he Is
brought on the berth deck and placed on /
a mattress We find that he has suffer
ed a fracture OF the leg. He had a |
similar wound in the Merrimac fight.
In a short time a messenger comes from |
Captain johnson saying the ship is |