The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-10-01
John Rourke, Naval Fireman.
RccOllcctiOnS of Veteran of the Civil
War. VINO Served i'll Farragut'S Fleet.

u
War. VINO served III Farragut's Fleet.
John ROurke was born in Ireland in
1876. When the civil war broke out he
was fireman by occupation and resid-
ing in Philadelphia December 10, 1861
be enlisted in the L. 5. Navy as coal
cond class fireman and afterward as a
first-class fireman.
He first served on the sloOp-of- war
Brooklyn, from which, in October 1868,
he WAS transferred to the siocp-ofwar
Richmond. In November, 1864, be was
transferred to the flagship Hartford
and was DISCHARGED from her about the
10Th OF October, 1864, at the Brooklyn
navy yard. His duties kept him from
personally seeing how went the battles
in which these war vessels were engag-
ed, though his position was one of
greater danger in action than was usual
ly experienced by the fighting crews of
the ships. 1t was his business to keep
up steam, the motive power Of the
shl ps in or out Of action.
The Brooklyn was off the mouth of
the Mississippi when a blockade run
ner, called the Wild Magnolia, ran out
from Pass L'Outre, and made for the
sea with all the speed she could com
mand. The Brooklyn gave chase and
over hauled and captured the Magnolia
about four p. IN. The prize carried
1900 bales of cotton. In trying 10 es-
with her safety valve tied down and
her captOrs found that her starboard
boiler was ruined. The Magnolia was
taken into Ship Island where Ivy com
mand of Commodore Mckeere, prize
crew of fifteen, OF which Rouke was
one, was put on board and ordered to
Key West. They sailed out March lst
1867, and met very stormy weather
along the Florida coast, during hich
the prize, running on one boiler, and
the prize crew with her, were nearly
lost; but they arrived in Key West on
the 9TH of March.
At Key West they found Admiral
Porter's tlotilla of mortar boats, all
ready to start for the Mississippi river.
The Nagnoiia's prize crew was temper
arily assigned to the mortar tlottilla and
Rouke, as fireman, was taken on board
the Harriet Lane, at that time Porter :
flag ship, on which he went back to tie
Brooklyn, in the Mississippi river, ar
irving there about the 10th of April.
l>G2.
Farragut's fleet was then preparing
Tor an assault on Forts st. Philip and
jackson, the principal defenses of New
Orleans, and feet Of fifteen rebel gun
boats which supported the forts About
the DIST of April, two Of the union gun
boats, dismantIed in preparation for
the job, went up the river and cut the
great chain which the rebels had buoy
Ell on lighters and stretched across the
river 10 delay tarraglt's advance. In
the morning Of April 18th FarraCut's
heet weighed anchor. attacked the forts
and reduced them in a battle of about
four hours duration. Seven men were
killed on the Brooklyn which received
thirty eight shots III her hull and over
twenty shots went through her rigging.
The Union guuboat Verona was lost in
the engagement. The rebels lost the
two forts and had eleven gunboats sunk
and burned. Daring the ti-htthe iron
clad rebel ram Manassas gave the
Brooklyn I terrible jam in the side.
Rouke and his companions in the fire
room could feel the shock of the ram
and hear the firing. He had charge of
the three forward fires and the star
board boiler, anu when he heard the
rebel shots going through the rigging,
WAS only afraid shot might come
through the wooden side Of the shin
and hit the boilers. While anchors
were being weighed TO so into act:o.
two OF Rourke's mates were giving each
other their last messages for home.
should one be killed and the other lost.
3" on fellows must think. the way Won
talk, SAID Rourke. THAT Won are .oju.-
TO funeral instead of 4 fight. :" That's
right, Rourke,' SAID the second enci.
neer. give the boys some encourage
ment; they need it bad enough. Twenty
minutes after the firing began Rourke
and his mates heard roaring cheers