The National tribune., 1905-10-05
wAsHNeroN, THURSDAY


creeping up the hill. Suddenly the fir
ing on both sides ceased, and shortly
afterward three bonfires We're seen to
blaze out within the fort, their positions
forming a triangle, at which Mr.. Gill
looked at his watch and said: Three
O'Clock: the fort is ours. boys" The
water battery was shortly lighted up.
and rockets were sent up toward the
middle of the channel to Mobile. At
this three quick flashes as of powder
thrown on a fire at Gen. Canbys head
quarters answered the joyful signal"
What a pity the General should he
routed from his well-earned slumber
after this by the 12ith Ill.
My diary will corroborate Comrade
Bird. Co. 3. goth Wis in so far as / of
the navy saw it. My diary says:
THE advance of the army landed on
the eastern shore near Alabama City,
on Thursday, March 16. 1865, and with
the I'd Me. Cav, from Pensacola. had a
slight brush with the enemy.
Monday, March 20, 1S65.-This
morning there were lying at anchor,
with us off Fort Morgan ready to steam
up to the front, the gunboats Genessee
and Albatross the Cincinnati, Tinclad
AZ, and three monitors. The others had
already been sent TO the support Of the
army that had landed its advance on
Thursday. All got under way at 10
a. m, and followed Commodore Thatch
er in his dispatch boat Glasgow. After
passing a monitor on duty off Ala bama
City, on the eastern point of the bay.
we commenced to shell the woods. We
found that many of the fuses to a lot
of 200 percussion shells recently re-
Ceived had been tempered with, only
five out of GO bursting. rendering them
useless except as solid shot. AS solid
however. SWafhS
the trees that must have made staying
in that vicinity rather unpleasant.
When we neared the upper
fleet the Itasca, Octorora, Sciota, the
tug Pink and a monitor, and even the
diminutivc tug Ida, took hand at it,
lodging around among the larger Ves-
sells to carry orders. and barking like a
little pug imagining he is taking a very
prominent part in melee among the
big dogs. At my particular station at
the relieving tackle and sharpShOOter. /
had nothing to do, and could watch the
proceedings. A &ttle skiff pushed off
from the shore as if to visit some of our
vessels. but the men acted as il badly
frightened upon near approach to any
OF our fleet. At times they seemed to
be very green at the oars, lifting the
blades high above their heads and maxi
ing other curious movements. Again
they would rush into the very line of
fire of some vessel. as if insane. AS
that ship at once moved ahead to get
beyond the line of the boat in every
instance. / concluded the boats crew
knew what they were about and that
our officers also knew what their ac-
tons meant. At o'clock we hauled off
and anchored with the upper fleet
After dark we steamed down to some
place unknown to me, where our troops
had encampcd. Very rainy all night
and the army boys must have unpleas-
ant beds on such night
TUESDAY. March 81. 1S65.-We had
up anchor before daylight for the lower
feet at Fort Morgan, and started back
at 10 a. m. reaching the upper fleet at
noon. AT p. M. word came that the
main army was landing at Fish River
and we were ordered down with the
cnessec, the monitors and No. AZ (tin-
clad) to cover the landing. At about
p. m. we began to shell the woods
ahead of the army, and fired 40 shells
he fore S p. m. The landing was appar-
emily without opposition. On my two
hours lookout that night / saw FIVE
army transports arrive and shoot into
the little bay at the mouth Of the river,
while others were continually landing
stores on the bay shore. The 2d Me.
Cav. had a sharp fight with the rebels
on the back road on Tuesday, showing
that our shells cna bled the main army
to march unmoleSted.'
Sunday. March IS. 1865, we covered
the advance of the army till we ran our
ships nose into the mud just above
Towards wharf. Coming up we fired
hut three shells, all by Boatswain's Mate
Granger, upon Capt. Crosby's Gate
Rear-Admirai Pierce Crosby special
order. The first took 90 feet from the
middle of the long wharf: the second
sent section of a battery flying for the
shore from wharf house at the outer
end. Reaching the gap in the bridge,
they had to leave their guns and take
TO the water to wade. The third raised
a dust among pile Of sawdust at the
sawmill just above Towards wharf. and
another skedaddle of rebel gunners took
place Here the navy had to stop for
lack of water and the army to take up
the fight.
In 19 days the navy lost six vessels
by torpedoes and the army three al
though we had boats continually drag
ging Appatache Channel every night,
catching 33 in net stretched across
the narrow channel In one night-Jo-
81 phi a. Stuart. Palo Alto, Cal, Meta
comets launch's fighting boat's-crew"