The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-03-15
ships having nearly all passed up the


river at full speed with full determine
ton to annihllate that fleet when he
was met by the frigate Mississippi COM
ing up and turned his attention to ram
ming her; but the frigate eluded her
and at the same time poured a broad
side into the ram which so riddled her
that he was compelled to run her on
shore to keep her from sinking. The
officers and crew, after setting her on
fire. escaped to the swamps. The ram
subsequently slipped off the bank and
sank.
| presume it is well known to every
one who has taken any interest in the
affairs of the country during the war OF
the Rebellion that the Confederate de-
fences of the Mississippi river were
two forts built by the U. 5. Govern
ment, but taken possession OF by the
Rebels at the beginning of the war.
These forts were located on the river
about Is miles below the city OF New
Orleans, Fort Jackson on the west and
Fort st. Philip ON the east bank of the
river. The armament of the two forts
consisted of 1877 guns, all OF when
could be brought to bear upon the
channel of the river to prevent our fleet
from passing up. There were TWO
chain cables stretched across the river
lust below the forts with tie ends
securely fastened to trunks of large
trees on both banks of the river. The
middle of the chains was kept up by
three old hunks anchored in line across
the river, the chains running across
the decks of each in about the same
manner that they would be IN bulldlne
a floating bridge Then, to add to this,
~ ID ,l,o lo hn1
rams and gunboats that were lying IN
wait for our fleet in bend of the river
Just above the forts, together with a
large number OF RATS to let loose upon
our fleet by setting them on fire ana
sending them adrift when our fleet
made the attack on the forts. The
defences the Rebels had prepared for
the protection of New Orleans seemed
to them to be lmpregnable, ana SO
thought French and an English Ad,
miral, who by the courtesy OF Admiral
Farragut were permitted to go up Tie
river and visit the Rebel forts. On
their return they told Admiral farra-
gut that it would be impossible for any
fleet in the world to pass these forts;
and yet within Y hours after they mad
visited them that old salamander Far
ragut, with but fourteen wooden ships,
had passed the forts in safety, had
DESTROYED all of the Rebel gunboats-
twelve in number-had steered clear OF
all the fire RATS, had received the sur
render of the city of New Orleans and
two days later the surrender of the two
forts, with the loss of but one ship. All
of this is history that has been written
and rewritten by different authors, and
no two alike, and no two agree as to
details. But all are unit as to the
main fact-the admiral got there.
The facts are familiar to all, and as
my ship did not 60 above the forts at
amy time shall contine myself to what
| did see and hear. The line of hulks
and chains THAT INSTRUCTED the channel
between the two forts were considered
bY many to be an unsurmountable OBJ
struction. and admiral Farragut was
determined to remove them If posi-
bic before making the effort to dash
past the forts So on the night of April
2oth, two gunboats, the Pinola, Lieut..
Crosby. and the Itasca, Lieut.. Cald-
well, both under the command of Fleet
Captain Bell, Went up the river for
that purpose. AS these vessels passed
up the river by US Commodore Bell
gave us orders that i'll case they were
discovered by the rebels and fred
upon to open fire upon Fort jackson
with all our batteries and to work
them lively for one hour The mortar
fleet. which laid little below Us and
nearer the west bank of the river, had
the same instructions. These mortar
schooners were instructed to send
bombs into the fort at the rate OF ten
per minute, which would cause bomb
to be fired from each vessel in about
every two minutes, time, and when you
take into consideration that at the dis
charge of each mortar the conclusion
was so great that the men after light
ing the fuse had to run aft as far as
they could get and stand on tiptoe and
with open mouth TO Withstand the
shock, you can get some Idea as to how
hard the work was; and it had to be
kept up for nearly an hour. One bomb
for every twenty minutes was all they
could fire in an all-day siege. The
rebels had big fires burning on shore
where the cables were secured at each
bank of the river, so that when the
gunboats approached the hulks ON
rebels sighted them and opened fire on
them. Then it seemed to me that all
he'll had broken loose The Ports
mouth and Midnight opened Oh the
forts and fired broadside after broad
side in quick succession. Added to this
were the bombs from the mortar fleet
streaming through the air over our
heads-each looking as big as house
on hre-and breaking into hundred
fragments in the vicinity of the fort,
and you can form some idea of that
awful hour. Our fire disconnected
the people in the forts to that extent
that they failed to fire on the gunboats
that were at work disconnecting the
cable, so that they were able to clear it
from two of the hulks which left an
open passage two hundred feet wide
through which the Union fleet passed
on to victory on the morning of April
oath.
On the morning of April oath at 2::30
the fleet got underway to engage the
Rebel forts and to run past them it
possible They were divided into three,
divisions. Commodore Bailey COM
manded the first division of six ships
and led the attack The second division
was composed of the three frigates and
was commanded by Admiral Farragut
in person. Fleet Captain Bell COM
manded the third division of five
gunboats. The engagement was opened
| by the mortar schnoners firing bombs in
| to Fort Jackson at a signal which was
given when all the ships had got into
| oCitiop The ba ripS of the sailing