Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-08
RHEUMATISM

same treatment. To this request General
Page promptly responded, and We passed
out, and in eight hours were all safely
housed In the ample hospital. where we
were treated by old naval friends in the
warmest and kindest manner. Medical
Director Turner was in charge, and We
remained there until December, when
Admiral Buchanan, being able 20 hobble
around on crutches, was conveyed TO
Fort Warren, with his aides, and l was
sent back to Mobile. in Captain Jouetts
ship, under a flag.
Daily with the Admiral IN the hospital
at Pensacola for four months, he ex-
planned his whole plan of action to me of
that second fight in Mobile Bay, as fol-
lows:
IT did not expect to do the passing yes
sells any serious injury. The guns OF
Fort Morgan were thought capable OF
doing that. / expected that the monitors
would then and there surround me ana
pound the shield in, but when all the
Federal vessels had passed up and an
chored four miles away, then l saw that
a long siege was intended by the army
and navy, which, with its numerous
transports at anchor under Pelican IS
land, were debarking nearly 10000 imam
try. Having the example before me OF
the blowing up Of the Merrimac In the
James river by our own officers, without
a fight. and their being caught IN such
trap. I determined, by an unexpected
dash into the feet. to attack ana 40 II
all the damage in my power; to eXpen9
All nv ammunition and what little coal
had on board (only six hours steaihlhs!'
and then. having done all l could with
I t,aH IN under
guns of the fort, and, being without mo-
tive power there 10 lie and assist in re-
pulsing the attacks and assaults on the
fort"
The unexpectedress of the second at
tack is well illustrated by Admiral Far
ragut's remark at the time. After having
anchored all hands were piped to break
fast. when the officer on duty on the
deck Of the Hartford. seeing the ram
slowly heading up the bay for the Fede-
raj fleet. reported the fact 70 Admiral
Farragut while he was taking breakfast.
"Whatl Is that SOP he inquired Just
like Buchanan's audacity! Signal TO all
frigates to get under way Immediately
and run the ram under and attack at
once"
The greatest injury done to the Ten
nessee was by the Chickasaw, command
ed by Captain G. II. Perkins. our plot
in pointing It out TO Captain Johnson
said: That ironclad is hanging TO US IKE
a dog and has smashed our shield al
ready. Fight him! Sink him II you CAM
The Chickasaw really captured the Ten
nessee.
The Confederate torpedoes, planted al
the entrance TO Mobile Bay, were the
first of the kind and were very primitive
beer
keg filed with powder and anchored by
chains to a big, fiat piece of iron called
a mushroom" Projecting from the
swinging top, some four feet under water
were tubes Of glass filed with sulphuric
acid. causing rapid chemical combustion,
and finally a mass Of fire, thus exploding
the powder. They had been planted so
long that many leaked, only one out OF
ten remaining intact, and this fact ex-
plains why so many were run over Dy
the Federal fleet without exploding.
During the four months that we were
guarding the entrance TO Mobile Bay We
were not by any means safe from the
danger Of our own cOntrivances one
hot July morning we officers were up on
tina fat deck of the ram enjoying the
sea breezes, when a floating black OBJECT
was observed bobbing up and down. we
supposed at first that it was some sort
of devil-fsh with its young, IS we had
killed one with its calf" only a few
weeks previously, but the motion was too
slow. evidently. A telescope soon re-
vealed the fact that IT was torpedo
drifting in with the food tide. We could
not send a boat crew after it 10 tow 1t
out of the way. We could not touch It.,
we could not guide It. There was no
means in our power TO divert IL from Its
course. Finally. at the suggestion or
CAPTAIN David Eainy OF the marines, he
brought UP his whole guard with loaded
muskets, who at once began TO shoot
at the floating keg We sunk 1t not a mo-
ment too soon, for IL only disappeared
under the water about twenty feet from
the ram.
The wound received by Admiral Buch-
anan was from a fragment OF iron, either
a piece Of solid shot or part Of the plating
of the ram, which fractured the large
bone OF the leg The Admirals aides
were Lieutenants Carter and Forrest.
They tenderly nursed him during the en-
tire four months of his confinement IN
the hospital at Pensacola, accompanied
him TO Fort Warren. cared for him while
here. and brought him back 10 Richmond
after his exchange. Carter is now Well
known citizen OF North Carolina. For
rest. until ten years ago. lived in Virginia.