The times., 1899-10-01

was to be night action the gun decks had
been wliitewaShed. Sc that even by the dim
light of the battle lanterns the gunners
might see all objects about them. HAM
mccks and nettings were stretched above
the decks TO catch flying splinters from the
spars overhead. Late at night the admiral
in his long boat was pulled from. ship to
ship to view the preparations made and to
be sure that each captain understood his
orders.
sinking Of the Manassas.
On April "a at O'Clock in the morning
the fleet formed in line of battle headed
by the Cayuga. AS the Federal fleet came
abreast of the forts, the Confederate squad
ron. led by the ram Manassas, came down
the stream. The Manassas made dash
for the frigate Brooklyn and struck her
glancing blow. The shot from her bow
gun was returned by a tornado of iron from
the big frigate. The ram backed off and
again struck the Brooklyn which was saved
only by the coils OF chain which had been
draped over her side AS the. dawn was
breaking the Manassas found herself under
the bows of the Mississippi. which was
quickly bearing down upon her. The Ma
masses lodged the blow, but in doing so
she ran ashore and she lay there under
the guns of the Mississippi. Captain
Smith, of the Mississippi, was not slow in
taking advantage of this and taking up a
favorable position he pounded away at the
Manassas. The heavy shots broke through
the iron plating of the ram and her crew
fired the ship and fed to the woods
The Attack on Port Hudson.
In March, 1863, the Mississippi. while at
tempting to pass the batteries at Port Hud-
son, ran aground under the guns of Con-
federate fort. Many men went overheard
in an attempt to escape and it is narrated
that Dewey, seeing a seaman struggling in
the water his right arm paralyzed by n
gun shot, went to the assistance OF the
man, helped him to floating spar and then
towed him ashore.
Loss of the Mississippi.
A letter describing the loss of the Mis-
sissippi was printed soon after the ship
went down. 1t follows:
The Mississippi, obedient to the orders of Ad-
miral Farragut brought up the She had
reached point directly opposite the town. and
her officers were coDgTatulating themselves upon
having passed through the greatest danger. the
ship, UP to that time, not having sustained
single casualty. The Monongahela not being in
sight, orders given to increase the speed,
that the space between the ships might be closed
The atmosphere being humid, the smoke hung
close the surface OF the river, and there was
nothing disceTn;ble but the flames from cur own
and our enemies pieces. The ship, which had
acquired rapid headway. grounded the right
bank of the river, directly opposite the terminus
of the Port Hudson and Clinton Railroad Her
engines immediately reversed. and the order
was given by Captain Smith for the men to fire
with all possible rapidity, their safety depending
epcu keeping the enemy from their guns. The
men. responded with alacrity, and in the short
space OF thirty five minutes they fred 25l shots
During this time Engineer Rutherford made every
exertion to get the ship afoat. but without SIC
cess Captain Smith, finding it impossible 10
save the vessel, gave orders to make instant prep
aratiors to destroy the ship and save the crew.
Orders were given to the chief engineer to de
stroy the engines and cut the outward connect
ing pipes This being DONE the water flowed
rapidly into the ship. The sick and wounded
were conveyed board the ironclad ram Es-
sex, and the remainder of the crew were con-
yeyed 10 the right bank OF the river which had
been cleared by the gunboats OF the presence OF
Confederate sharpshooteTs- Before the crew left
the ship every preparation made to destroy
her by collecting c0mbustibles in the forward and
after parts of the vessel. Unfortunately she was
fred forward before the order was given. This
became known TO the crew, and there being but
three small boats for them, many jumped over
board and it is feared were drowned in attempt
ing to escape Some others, seven in all, includ
ing Marine Captain Fontene Assistant Engineer
Brown. and Masters Mate Francis fell into the
hands of the enemy. Just before The order was
given TO abandon the ship shot from the enc
wounding all but four men at their guns After
seeing that all the survivors of his crew were
clear CT the ship, and every pTecaution made 10
destroy her. Captain Smith, Lieutenant Dewey
Ensign Batchelder, and Assistant Engineer Tower
spiked most of the guns and left the ship, which
wrapped in smoke and flame, drifted Downstream
and blew up.
In this procession in the Mississippi Riv-
er the ships Hartford and Albatross led,
than came the Monongahela and Kineo, the
Richmond and Genesee and last was the
Mississippi The Monongahela and the
Kineo both grounded, but got free. Dewey
made two trips in the ships cutter between
the Mississippi and the Richmond.
From the Mississippi Dewey went on
board the Essex. and in this ship saw some
splendid lighting along the levees of the
Mississippi.
The Attacks of Fort Fisher.
| After the loss of the Mississippi Dewey
was ordered to the gunboat Agawam of the
North Atlantic squadron
He was executive officer of the Agawam
| from May to August, 1864. and while be-
fore the batteries near Richmond was very
much under fire. On August 13 a shot
! from the Confederates passed through the
smokestack and shell exploded On the
| quarterback killing two men and wound
| ing six. one dying a few hours later from
| his wounds.
The Agawam was small double ender
| sidewheel gunboat of 974 tons. She vas
bought by the Government from G.. W.
Lawrence at Portland, Me-, for $4,000 and
was delivered to the Navy in the summer OF
| 1862. Her armament consisted of two 100
Founders, four 9-inch smoothbores. two "a
FOUNDERS, one 12-pounder, and one IL
1 r;H rOId Or-
tober 10, 1867, for $37 900. There were with
| the Agawam in the two attacks on Fort
| Fisher and operations al the mouth of the
| Cape Fear River, the Colorado, Wabash Ton
which Dewey made his first cruise) the
/ Minnesota New Ironsides, SuSquehanna
| Canandaigua, Juniata, Tuscarora. Mohican
Powhattan. Seneca, Shenandoah, Pawtuck-
| ct, Ticonderoga Mackinaw, Maumee, Yam
| tic, Kansas Nyaek, Unadilla, Huron, Pc
| quot Santiago de Cuba, Taeony, Osceola
| Chippewa Sassacus, Maratanza, Rhode ISL
and, Monticello, Mount Vernon, r. R. Guy
| Ier Quaker City, Ioseo. Vanderbilt, Nereus
/ Malvern, Saugus. Pontoosic, Canonicus
Mahopac, Gettysburg. Brittania, Bucking-
i ham, Little Ada, Nancemond, Tristan
| Shandy Fort jackson, and Howquah.
From the Agawam Dewey went to the
| Colorado and on this ship was exposed Il
| the heaviest fighting during the two at
tacks on Port Fisher. December "a an6
| %. 1864, and January Il. 1865.
Rear Admiral Porter in his report on tht
| capture of Fort Fisher. dated United States
| flagship Malvern, Cape Fear River, January
28, 1865, says:
First and foremost on the list OF commodores
| is Commodore ii. X. Thatcher. Full OF zeal and
| patriotism, his vessel always ready for ac-
| ton and when he did go into il his ship was
| handled with admirable skill. No vessel in the
,ou,n,lrnr r-aa 80 much cut nI as the CnInra6n