Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-24

an hour Jsuett returned with rhe saucy
little rebel in tow.
Meantime, the guns of the Hartford
had crippled the Gaines. and she Was
run aground near Fort Morgan. deserted
and set on fire. The other gu1boat. IN"
Morgan which had kept a safe distance
during the fight retreated under the guns
of Fort Morgan And the great ram,
after making an unsuccessful EFFORT 10
sink or iniure any of the Mon vessels.
and after receiving heavier blow from
the Monongahela than it had inflicted,
also retired to the fort. The other YES
sells of the fleet. each with its own spe-
cial record of bravery. followed the
Hartford past the fort and Joined up IN
the bay.
The roar of the battle was now over;
the fleet came IL anchor. and prepara-
tons We're made to give the hungry men
some breakfast. Those of who had
been perched aloft came down on deck,
and. az. If by a general understanding,
the officers of the Hartford who could
be spared from immediate duty hasten
ed to the wardroom to ascertain now
it had Jared with their messmateS.
We were Just beginning to feel the re-
action following such "A season OF ex-
treme peril and excitement when We
were brought to our senses by the sharp,
Kimberley calling all hands to quarters.
and a messenger boy hurried down to US
with the word THE ram is coming.
Every man FASTENED to his post. | to the
quarter deck. where the admiral and
fleet captain We're standing.
The cause Of the new excitement was
evident al once. The Tennessee had left
F-crt Morgan ard was making at full
speed directly for the Hartford. being
then perhaps mile and a nan distant
The spectacle was grand one, ana was
viewed by the soldiers IN Doth forts wh"
were now out Of range of our guns and
lined the walls Few audiences have
ever witnessed 50 imposing slHht Inc
great ram came on for sanSie- handed
contest with the fleet. She was heiieSed
10 be invulnerabIe and had powerful
donbl> engines. by which she could be
easily handled. while our monitors We're
SO slow-eaited that they We're unable 10
offer any serious obstacle 10 her APP
prua Oh. Farragut himself seemed to place
his chief dependence on lis wooden YES
se's. Doubtless the. crowd Of Confed-
crate soldiers who watched the night eN-
pected TO see the Tennessee sink the
Yankee vessels in detail and the chances
seemed all in its favor.
The admiral wished to order the W2oie
fleet 10 attacn the ram but 10 do this
hr the cumhrous naval code OF siSnalinS
would occupy some moments Of vaiu4hl"
time SO while the quartermaSt"r was
preparing to send ND the tags for tho
general order tho admiral desired me 10
use the army code in starting the fast
est and most formidable vessels.
The Monongabela was lying. with all
steam I'D. on our port quarter. perhaps
an eighth of a mile distant. To send inc
message CAPT S-Run down ram.-Ad.
T." took less than twenty seconds, aAd
herora the signal officer had finished
Misunderstanding the message We could see
he Monongahela moving forward, not
waiting 70 raise FER anchor but slipping
her cable The same message followed
10 cant. Marchand Of the LackaWah''f,
and to the monitor.
Meanwhile the general signal Attack
tho enemy had gone UP to the peak 81
the Hartford and there followed gen
erai slipping Of cables and 4 iI'eili..
rivalry 10 see which could anlcheSi ~
The foe. The Mononsahela. with hei ~ !,
fetal iro., prov was braveiN in the !e@o.
and struck the ram amidsnlps al ~
,p.eti doing no damage 10 the ram, 80
having her own iron prov destroyer anu
beipa otherwise injured. Next came -.
Lackawanna. with NE ieu''
~ felt the snock. while the wooden ho~
:, rhe t-nion ship was badly democrat
lied. r.toi tin.
adj y.;.-iya swung alongside tae idii
which sen; two shot5 through ne. an
E,.,t on her course 20: the ffaI'ioi u
,,liSt. yas nov. the reSt .'c.isei IN me . !;
tacE' 'rre two fiagshfpa apiroacleo
each other, bow to bow, iroE aiaiiIs
n:,, !, was Impossible foi tle iiai
ford with lar lack of speed. TO err
aro,il,4 ara strike the ram on t'e -
nv nu,y safety was in keeping poihleo
directly 20, the bow OF llef assdi'an.
rh. c:rer vessels Of the Meet We're "ii,
able to 60 anything FOR the deiehse "
III. admiral except tn tram tteii sum
~, ts,e ram. Oh which as Yet tae! mac
rot the siiai test erect
l., WIS a thrilling moment for the Meet
ror i yae ey:,l..t that if The ram coulo
strike the Far ford the after mast sln'.
Eu. for tie tx, vessels 10 strike fa'rlN
,,ows on, nouid probably have involved
the destruction of both, for the ran
must nave penetrated TAR into n.
wooden ship thai as the Hartford iille'