Connecticut western news., 1902-05-01
H April to 20. Is62 S
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ing r5ueraI rorIs 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 casemates and a citadel of heavy masonry which, in anticipation of some raiding Farragut, They stored with ammunition and supplies for long siege. Fort Philip, across the river from Fort Jackson, was built of stone and brick and mounted fifty-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 a row of old hulks anchored and bound together with chain cables. Several tugs and steamers fitted out for battle 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 ManassaR Several converted steamers, cotton clad, with heavy bales around their engines and machinery, completed the river defense fleet. Still another ironclad, the Missis- sippi, was on the ways and nearly an- ished. In the minds of the hopeful ere 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. to welcome Farragut whenever he felt inclined to proceed up the Mississippi river" with his wooden fleet. Torpe- does had not then come into general use, but the Louisianians had another internal invention for the occasion in the shape of fire rafts loaded with in- fiammables 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 sent 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 fleet in position to move against the 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 IroQuois, the screw gun boats Cayuga, Itasca, Katahdin, Ken nebec, Kineo, Pinola, Sciota. Winona and Wissahickon. the sailing sloop Portsmouth and the side wheeler Mis- sissippi Not an ironclad in the bunch, yet three ironclads were up the river, expecting in due time to rival if not eclipse the exploits of the terrible Mer- rimac in Hampton Roads March 8. Porters mortar dotilla comprised six wooden steamers acting as consorts and tenders for 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 a 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, tugging eight days, to pull her through.
 On the 16th of April the fleet was we'll into the channel, within three miles of Fort Jackson. Porter's nor tar fleet went into hiding on both guised by the branches of trees The range to Fort Jackson was one mile and 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 over 2,OO0 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 20th Captain Bell again ventured up the river and cut away a stretch of the cable obstruc ton for the ships to pass in single file. The enemy opened hot fire on the
 party, but failed to stop the work.
 With the channel free 1t 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 ad-
 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 at the forts one day.
 GEORGE L. KILMER.