The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-15

htC SailC u ~ iaik's aiib 'a'h VIZ
sci must be kept astern OF the broad
side of the next ahead: each vessel will
keep "A very little on the starboar3
quarter Of his next ahead. and. when
abreast of the fort. will keep directly
astern. md. as we pass the fort. will
take the same distance on the port
quarter Of the next ahead. To enable
the stern guns 10 fire clear of the next
vessel astern.
IL will be the object of the admiral
to get as close To the fort as possible
before opening fire: the ships. however,
Will open fire the the enemS
opens upon us. with their chase ana
other guns. as fast as they can be
brought to bear. Use short fuses for
the shell and s%hrapnel. and as soon as
within 300 or 400 yards, give them
grape. II is understood that hereto
fore We have fired too high, but, With
grape shot Ii is necessary To elevate a
little above the object. as grape will
dribble from the muzzle of the gun.
II one or more of the vessels be dis
abled. their partners must carry them
through. IL possible. but If they cannot.
then the next astern must render the
required assistance; but as the adj
miral contemplates moving with the
flood tide. IL will only require sufficient
power to keep the crippled vessels in
the channel Carry low steam.
Vessels that can. must place guns up
on the poop and top-gallant ~forecastle,
and in the tops on the starboard side.
Should the enemy fire grape they will
remove the men from the top-gallant
forecastle and poop TO the guns below
until out OF grape range. The how
itzers Must keep up a constant fire
from the time they reach with shrapnei
until outsof its range
ID. u. FARRAGuT. Rear admiral.
Gamma nAinr w IL SpnndFOn
How the Battle Was Fought.
II was 3 o'clock in the morning of
the memorable August 5th. 1864. when
Admiral Farragut awoke from a sound
slumber ant asked. "How Is the wind?"
"Sou-sou-West." was the answer. He
determined then TO proceed To the at
tack at once. Nearly all the crews Of
the various vessels had remained up all
night i'm the expectancy of beginning
the attack In the morning.
At 4:30 the signal was given from
the flagship to get under way, and the
fleet mad toward the distant forts in
a well efin order of battle. Thu
wooden ships We're dashed together in
couples and advanced in columns, the
Brooklyn and Octorara leading, with
Farragut's flagship. the Hartford, and
the Metacomet following. and close
after them the Richmond and Port
Royal. The -four ironclads in single file
steamed abreast of the leaders on the
~starboard side. standing between the
fleet and Fort Morgan. the monitors
being so low i'm the water as to ALLOW
the wooden ships To fire above them.
Never was a fleet more handicapped.
Fort Morgan on the right, Fort Gaiaes
on the left, a fleet of confederate YES
sells dead ahead and the bay and en-
trance filled with torpedoes. A narrow
passage not over a hundre yards wide
had been left unobstructed by piles n
torpedoes for the use OF the blockade
and through this narrow pas
sage Farragut had determined to take
his fleet.
The First Shot.
The first shot of the battle was fired
by the leader of the monitors. the Te-
cumseh, at Fort Morgan. Later the
fort opened fire on the Brooklyn, and
wounded Ensign Cassel. a messmate of
Sigsbee's OF Maine fame. who was then
also an ensign, and as the other Nes-
sells got into range the battle became
general. The confederate gunboatS
steamed out from Fort Morgan and
commenced to deliver a raking fire up
on the fleet.
Farragut's fleet had got fairly abreast
of Fort Morgan when the Tecumseh de-
waited slightly from the line in her
eagerness to attack the ram Tennessee,
and was Immediately struck by "A tor
pedo and went down head foremost.
Confusion now arose among the feet.
The BROOKLYN and Octorara began To
back. which put the other vessels out
of line. and the guns of the wooden
vessels were rendered useless, for the
most part. the BOWS being thrown to-
wards the fort, which raked them Sc
verely.
whats the natter" shouted Farra-
gut from his lofty position under the
futtick shrouds of the Hartford.
"Torpedoes ahead" came back the
answer.
Damn the torpedoes!" cried Farra-
gut. Go ahead. Four BELLS And
he made signal for close order
He ran his flagship ahead and took
the position that he had originally In
tended TO take, a position which his
order shows was changed at the re-
quest of n commander of h Hart
ford. The rest of the vessels followed.
and the line OF battle vas restored.
The rest Of the ships crossed i'm safety
the line Of torpedoes, but as they
crossed the torpedo cases could be
heard knocking against the bottoms
of some of the vessels and the primers
swapping. but non Of the torpedoes
exploded. IL was the confederate idea
TO sink the forward ship OF Farraguts
fleet and thus block the channel, u
| this they failed to accomplish.
Signals were made to cut the haw-
| sers holding the vessels in pairs and To
| attack the escaping confederate YES
sells. The lashings were cut etween
the Hartford and the Metacomet. N
the latter Immediately ran up the bay
In chase of the confederate gunboat