The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-05-29

the order said. You will proceed up
the Mississippi river and reduce tile
defenses which guard the approaches
to New Orleans" Herein was no hint
that the southern Confederates might
show open hostility to the progress Of
a Yankee fleet up the Mississippi riv-
err" But they did.
The southerners appreciated the
backbone" importance of the Missis-
sippi, for the purposes long before
President Lincoln coined the term. In
April, 1861, while the business Of seiz-
ing Federal forts on southern soil WAS
very brisk. they had hoisted the bon
ny blue flag over two old citadels
standing on opposite sides of the river
below New Orleans. Fort Jackson, the
first above the mouth, was a star
shaped fortress. built Of stone and
mounting seventy-four guns, heavy
and light. There were strong bomb
proofs and classmates and a citadel of
heavy masonry which, in anticipation
of some raiding Farragut, they stored
with ammunition and supplies for a
long siege. Fort Philip, across the
river from Fort Jackson, was built of
stone and brick and mounted dfty-two
guns.
The best channel up the river from
the bar ran near the west bank under
the guns of Fort Jackson. This passage
way the Confederates blocked with q
row of old hulks anchored and bound
together with chain cables. Several
xY,,, ,,>l e4o, va Gt+pl ,n,E for hnffla
during the summer and fall of 1861 pa.
trolled the river above the line of
hulks, and farther up stream, in actual
waiting while Farragut was securing
northern harbors for his ships, lay the
new ironclad Louisiana, mounting
twelve guns. and the ponderous whale
backed iron ram Manassas. Several
converted steamers, cotton clad, with
heavy bales around their engines and
machinery, completed the river defense
feet. Still another ironclad, the Missis-
sippi, was on the ways and nearly fin
ished. In the minds of the hopeful Gre.
oles this vessel alone could sweep the
river of anything afloat if she got ready
in time. All told, there were 166 guns
on shipboard and in forts waiting 10
welcome Farragut whenever he felt
inclined to proceed up the Mississippi
river" with his wooden feet. Torpc-
does had not then come into general
use, but the Louisianians had another
internal invention for the occasion iii
the shape of fire RATS loaded with in
fammabIes to be sent among the enc
my's ships.
Farragut reached the army rendez-
vous in person Feb. 20, 1862. but not
until March IS were the war steamers
assigned him on the scene. Some of the
ships sen down were too heavy to
cross the sand bar at the mouth of the
river even after tightening, and two
weeks time was lost in getting the feet
in position to move against h enemy.
Even then the largest vessel of the
squadron, the fifty gun frigate Colora-
do, did not cross the bar. The fleet
which finally went into action consist
ed of the first class screw sloops Hart
ford. Brooklyn. Richmond and Pensa-
cola, the second class sloops Oneida.
Varuna and l%roquois, the screw GuiF
boats Cayuga, Itasca, katahdin, hen-
nebec, Kineo, Pinola. Sciota, Winona
and W~issahickon, the sailing sloop
Portsmouth and the side wheeler Mis-
sissippi. Not an ironclad in the bunch.
yet three ironclads We're up the river,
expecting in due time to rival If not
eclipse the exploits of the terrible Mer-
rimac in Hampton Roads March =.
Porter's mortar tlotilla comprised six
wooden steamers acting as %consorts
and tenders fer the twenty wooden
mortar schooners.
Half of the month of April slipped
by before the fighting ships were
across the bar. The Richmond stuck in
the mud every time she tried to cross
under Il pilot. Finally Captain Porter
took the wheel and guided her over at
the first attempt. The Mississippi was
stripped of her coal. guns. sail, spars
and provisions, and then it required
six steamers, Juggling eight days. to
pull her through.
On the 10th Of April the feet was
well into the channel. within three
miles of Fort Jackson. Porter's NOR
tar fleet went into hiding on both
banks OF the river. curtained or dis
guised Ivy the branches of trees. Tue
range to Fort jackson was one mile
and a half and to Fort Philip two
miles.
For nearly five days the mortars
poured shells into the forts, averaging
a hundred shots an hour. After firing
oyer 1000 shells the men at the guns
were exhausted, one schooner was
sunk and the rest badly damaged by
the heavy concussion. The schooner
sunk was the only serious effect of the
return fire from the forts. although
they fought furiously. Farragut held
his ships in hand for the grand attack.
The night of the 10th Captain Bell
again ventured up the river and cut
away n stretch of the cable obstruc-
ton for the ships to pass in single file.
The enemy opened a hot fire on the
party, but failed TO stop the work.
With the channel free it was up to
Farragut to proceed as he had been or
dered or sink his ships in the attempt.
He prepared to hoist the signal for adj
vance the night of the 23d of April, but
the carpenters of the flagship Hartford
were at work down the river. and he
didn't care TO risk battle in a wooden
shell without means at hand to patch
the shot holes. This delayed the dash
ut the forts one day.
GEORGE l.. KlLMER-