Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-01
BATTLE Of
MOBILE BAY
JOSEPH MCDONALD OF THIS
CITY DESl RIDES THE CON-
ELlCT.
HE WAS A GUNNER
ON THE OSSIPEE.
Which Performed Deadly Work in the
Engagement-Capt. Wainright's
Badge Presented to His Son.

Joseph ,whC has 'been 4 resi-
dent of Butte for many years, was IN
the navy during the civil war and is
chock fun of information concerning
some of the naval battles that took pla &c
during the trouble between the north ana
south HIS service covered "a period or
which time he was carpenters maze on
the Pensacola, for two years and q half
and gunner on the Ossipee the balance
of the time. Through the entire period
he kept book in which everything OF
Importance that tranapired was Jottet:
down for future reference. Mr.. McDon-
nall, is possessed of a wonderful memo
~ which, aided by his log book, enables
him to give a very interesting ana vivid
picture of some OF the naval con.kcts in
which he took ..art.
1.-The Pensacola was one of THE steam
ers that ran the IolockaIie in the Po-
tOmac," said he TO an liner Mounta n
reporter today. 'fShe was on her way to
join the western Gulf squadron under
Admiral Farragut. While going through
the gulf OF Mexico she struck coral reef
and remained tfhere six days and as
many nights. While stuck, her crew
captured three pirate crafts and took
them to Turtle cove, where they were
retained until we got the ship clear.
was on the Pensac Ola when she ran the
blockade e: New Orleans ana Slaughter
House point below the c:.y, but after
wards the cract lail in New Orleans
two years ting quad duty, as she hsd
been disabled from 'he effects of ram
ming gunJoats. In that BLOCKADE S me
twenty rebel gurEboats were destroyed,
In fact only two escaped. One of these
was the lMcRae, which drifted down the
river sternwa1ds. We were so busy
dashing into the others that we let her
go by and she soon passed the Whole
fleet. Some off her own men afterwards
scuttled and sunk her, however, to pre-
vent her from falling prey TO the union
gunboats. When the Pensacola first
started out she rad crew of $50 men,
but after the battle of Mobile Fay only
"a remained. the others having been
killed or died of fever. I have recently
learned that Owen Thornton, who was
blown UP in a mine here about a year
ago, was also in THE Mobile Bay fight,
being a gunner CT the Mettacpnet.
"Wthen the Harriet Lane was cap
tured." continued Mr.. Mcdonald Cap
tain Wainligh5 was killed and marine
wv tHC pattoS III oiil Has y anu ) ~ t'l II
to the sleeve of his ccat. Afterwards
,this marine deserted the union serv.ce
and Joined the confelerates out was az
rested ana sent to the Parish prison.
One CO orr own men was in the same
prison The deselter told our man hcrN
he came by the badge and our man
pronn:'l.y stole it from him and turned
it over to me later on. kept that badge
/. iIfN 1,,
right, Jr., q son of the man killed on the
.HarriQt Lane, arrived in Butte on his
way from Fort Assinabc.ne to Fort
Grant. Arizona, and / hua,t ga him up and
gave it to him, explaining now l came
into possession OF it. Young Wainrisht
is a captain in troop a of the third
cavalry. After giving him the badge he
told :na ne had also received the Sword
and silver watch carried by his fs.,her.
Marie Wainwright, the actress, is
daughter Of the Obi captain.
'' But, to get down to little history Of
the lighting. While 1 was on the
Ossipee. The 5th of August 1864 found
that part of the West Gulf squadron un-
der command of Admiral Farragut, w.
ing off Mobile bay. Preparations for
cattle had been going on for several
""S ~AA 'oaiu Tic oSSIDtS we 1dQ
been very briskly getting the ship strip
oed Tor action. Things were quite lively
On deck. While some were slowing
away all loose gun tackles and putting
everything in shape FOR a general en-
sagement. the carpenters mate and
myself We're outside of the ship fasten-
ing the large anchor chain to the side
that would be next to the port in
passing. We had plank hung over the
ships side with ropes long enough to
allow the plank to sink about knee deep
ln the water with our weight and this
gave us better chance to drive the large
spikes between the links of chain close to
the2zNater line, Pieces of oak boards
were used on the spikes to serve as
heads. The chain was lowered over the
side and fastened one bite at time un-
til the whole side of the ship was cover
ed as far as the machinery and boilers
reached. All the time we were on this
plank sharks We're diving back and forth
under the ship, turning over on their
backs to look al our white legs; ana
while the plank under our feet prevented
them from making any attempt to bite,
at the same time they made us feel I'M
comfortable.
I'm the evening Of August 4. all hands
were called to muster on the quarter
detA and Captain Leroy informed us
that on the following day we would pass
Fort Morgan and engage the enemy's
fleet inside of the bay. He said we
would no doubt have some sharp work
to do, and hoped that every man would
do credit to the flag that waved over US.
to which we responded with three hearty
cheers and tiger. He also said that If
any of us had money or Jewels that we
desired to have sent to our friends we
should give them to the paymaster and
they would be left in gunboat that was
not going to pass the ports; and if we got
through all right they would be returned
to us. In closing his remarks he said the
time had come when he would take us
into a place which we would no doubt