The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-03
FARRAGUT'S GREAT FEAT
PASSING or THE BATTERIES AT
PORT HUDSON DESCRIBED AGAIN.
The Adventures of the Hartford Tn
der Fire for Two Hours-AImost
Aground Under the Batteries.
New York Tribune.

the most picturesque as we'll as one or the
most valuable in its results was the passing
of the Confederate batteries at Port Hud-
son, on the Mississippi, by Admiral Farra-
gut and his Subsequent patrol of the river
above that point. The admiral's own opin
ion of the achievement was expressed in a
letter which he wrote home soon after the
event He said:
MY last dash past Port Hudson was the
best thing l ever did, except taking New
Orleans" Abundant testimony to the i'm
portance If the step, was also given at the
time both by Union officers whom it as
sisted ard by the Confederates large num-
bers of whom it put on exceedingly short
rations.
In the late winter and early spring of 1868
F4rragut's fleet was at New Orleans. 1t
was we'll understood that the Confederates
on both banks. of the Mississippi and
throughout that neighborhood generally re-
ceived the bulk of their supplies from Texas
and through Mexican ports, and that most
of these supplies were conveyed to the
Mississippi by the way of the great Red
river and other smaller streams from the
west. 1t was finally determined that Farra-
gut should take several vessels past the
batteries OF Port Hudson, which were
manned by large Confederate force, and
thereby cut off the supplies upon which the
Southern troops depended. He himself
would lead the expedition on his flagship,
the steam sloop-of-War Hartford. With
him at this time on visit was his son
Loyal, then only boy 1t is interesting to
hear description of the action as it was
seen and participated in by the latter Mr..
Farragut who was formerly in the army,
in ri
and said the. other day, when asked aeoiit
the passing of the batteries:
Il was only a youngster at the time, you
know, and in order that l might visit my
father l had been assigned to a regular
rating on board the Hartford in the sum-
mer of 1862. was kind of clerk, and my
1868, that we moved up with seven ships
from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and
low Port Hudson. Our vessels were the
Hartford. the Richmond, the GeneSee, the
Monongahea, the Albatross, the Kineo and
the Mississippi. All but the last were
equipped with both sails and steam-screw
steamers-but the Mississippi was big
old-fashioned sidewheel steamboat SUCH as
the passage of the batteries the officers and
men were busy making the usual, prepare
items for fight. These consisted in clearing
away all Superf1uouS SparS, placing SPLINTER
MEETINGS. etc. The Hartford had her lower
yards athwartships. resting on the ham
mock MEETINGS, and chain cables were
swung on each side from the extreme ends
Other chains were coiIed vertically along
the sides, especially in front of the boilers
This Was done on all the ships. Every ef-
fort was always made to protect the boil
ers and engines, upon which. SO much de-
pended. qf-
GETTING UNDER WAY.
cit was little after dark ON the evening
of March % when we got under way from
Profits island. about. seven miles below
Port Hudson. In my capacity of signaller,
Al H.
fleet to get under way and follow the flag
ship in echelon order 1t was done by dis
playing a red lantern over the stern of the
Hartford, which led Answering lights soon
showed that the ships were ready. They
proceeded by twos, according to a plan
which had been found to work we'll else
where. Each of the three SloopS, the heavier
vessels, had gunboat dashed to her port
side-the side opposite the enemyS batter
les at Port Hudson The advantage of this
order was that the stronger ship protected
the weaker and it was of great value also
to have two sets of engines to depend upon.
The Mississippi, as theTodd one of the sew
en-, came after the three pairs, and behind
her at considerable distance were a num-
Der of mortar boats, guarded by the iron
clad Essex. 1t was not intended that these
should pass Port Hudson, their purpose be-
ing to engage the shore batteries and divert
the fire from us as much as possible While
we were passing.
TT was a warm, damp night, without a
against the strong current and the water
in the river was so low that the ship bot
tom-the Hartford drew about seventeen
feet-often actually touched and scraped ON
the river bed We were IN danger OF
grounding at almost any time, ana II 1t had
not been for our pilot, old Carroll, who
thoroughly, we should very likely have done
So The admiral placed great confidence III
some of the officers protested against his
besetting fault Of drunkenness The ad-
miral knew that as long as Carreil was So
Der he had no superior, and probably no
equal among the Mississippi pilots.
''As the ship steamed on my father
walked up and down the poop watching Tor
the first sign of the enemys guns. re-
member his stopping once to tell me the
best way of stanching a wound or using
tourniquet if | should be hurt The men
were at the guns, and every oncer was on
the alert at his post. At last fires began to
CLEAN along the banks and rockets were
sent up. Having located US as Wen as they
could the ConfederateS began hrlng from
a battery a little in front of us. When we
got UP so that our broadsides. could reply
the Hartford's guns did good work she
carried Dahlgren nine-inch guns, eleven on
n side The fires of the batteries on shore
were our targets and the men blaZed away
az them vigorously Far from needing 10
he urged on the gunnerS had to be re-
strained and many Of the admiral ORDERS
at this time were given 10 stop 700 raplu
firing.
A MAGNIFICENT SCENE.
II was a WIG, SCSHS, d. lnS
action grew hotter The numerous bonfires
on the shore lighted up the river and the
lines OF batteries .blazed up brilliantly with
blue and yellow flames. The shells thrown
by the mortar boats in our rear were whiz-
ling like meteors. There was a continual
roar from the great number of guns con-
stantly in use. Many shots and shells
struck the ship, but did very little damage.
We were exceedingly fortunate.
Then new difficulty arose. The smoke
became so thick and hung so low over the
ship that the pilot could not see ahead,
even from his post in the miZzentop. where
he had gone for better view. and from
where he was communicating with the deck
by means of a speaking tube. The firing
was instantly stopped. and it was found,
to our horror that the current had turned
the ships bow toward the east bank until
we We're almost aground under the bat
teries. The next ship. the Richmond, was
dangerously near us. too j don I KNOW Just
how near we came to running ashore; some
said that we touched bottom once; but L
know that the overhanging banks. with
their trees and vines. doomed up fearfully
close in front of US 1t was critical mo-
ment. Then we had reason to BE- thankful
for the gunboat Albatross alongside US.
Her engines backed Vigorously and finally
succeeded III turning us around, with our
head up the river again. This happened
Just where the stream makes z sharp bend
and the current is especially strong.
IA few minutes after we were Well start
ed again It was reported that there was a
usually without foundation. of rams bear
is7tr down llu0n us. WAS n continual bugDedr