The Republican journal., 1911-04-06


tinctive hats.
created some excitement among the
crew, which was quickly allayed. how
ever, by the calm, cool conduct of her
commander and other officers.
Passing the Ossipee without firing a
gun, at her the ram next steered for the
crippled Oneida and shooting under her
stern fired two broadsides at her in rapid
succession, which destroyed her boats
and cabin furniture, cut away the great
err part of the lower rigging, damaged
her malnmast and one of the heavy gun
carriages and dismounted one gun. For
tunately the enemy fired high, or there
would have been but few left on board
the Oneida to tell the story of her en-
gagement with the dreaded ram.
The fight was now at an end so far as
the Oneida was concerned, which shortly
came to anchor we'll up the bay, while the
Tennessee sought the shelter of Fort
Morgan. AS soon as the Tennessee
reached Fort Morgan her armor was
while not an officer or man on board of
her had been injured in the slightest de-
gree. A few shot holes in her smoke
stack alone told of her conflict with the
wooden fleet. These were soon patched,
and she steered once more for the Hart
ford, now lying quietly at anchor about
three miles up the bay. The moment
that tarragut saw her he signaled to his
monitors and the largest of the wooden
ships to attack the ram, not only with
their guns but bows on at full speed
Then began one of the fiercest naval
combats on record. The Monongahela,
not having anchored, was the first to
make rush at the ram, going through
the water at full ten knots speed, and
yet so bent was Admiral Buchanan in
command of the Rebel ram on the de-
struction of the Hartford that he entirely
ignored every other vessel, not deigning
to take the slightest notice of the ap-
proach of the Monongahela until she was
close aboard on the rams starboard
beam. Then he ordered the Tennessee
helm a-port, which caused the Mononga-
hela to strike her at slight oblique
angle; but the shock was such that many
Of the crews of the two ships measured
their lengths on their respective decks.
THE Tennessee, writes Lieutenant
Wharton, yielded to the impact and spun
swiftly around as if upon a pivot and l
felt as if | was going through the air. -
During the instant of actual contact the
ram fired two shots at her antagonist,
piercing her through and through, while
the Monongahela' whole broadside was
discharged at the ram striking her case
mates and rolling harmlessly off her
sloping sides. 1.-The Monongahela was
hardly clear of US" writes Wharton,
"when hideous looking monster came
creeping up on our port side whose slowly
revolving turret revealed the cavernous
depths of mammoth gun. Stand clear
of the port side, l shouted. A mo lent
later a laundering report shook us. all,
while blast of sulphurous smoke cover
ed our port hole and 440 pounds of iron
impelled by 60 pounds of powder admit
ted daylight through our side where
before it struck US there had been over
two feet of solid wood covered with five
inches of solid iron. This was the only
fifteen-inch shot that hit us fair. 1t did
not come through. for the inside netting
caught the splinters and there was no
loss of life from it. But was glad to
find myself alive after that shot.
The LackaWanna next bore down upon
the Tennessee, although her stem was
torn into the plank ends for distance of
several feet, but no perceptible effect was
produced upon the ram beyond giving
her slight list, from which she quickly
righted. She went on as before, and al
ways heading for the Hartford. Nor did
the Hartford shun the encounter, but
following close in the Lackawanna' S wake
she, too, struck the Tennessee fearful
blow, at the same time pouring her
whole port broadside into her, which the
Lackawanna had failed to do, but did
not do her the least injury.
Surrounded as she was by her enemies
the ram had this advantage, she could
fire or run at any vessel in view, for she
was all alone in the fight, her consorts
having all run away, while our fleet had to
be extremely careful in firing or ramming
in order to keep clear of our own ships.
Indeed, it so happened that the Hartford
in running into the ram the second time
was run into by the Lackawanna and
was cut down within two feet of the
waters edge. Thus for an hour or more
the Tennessee contended successfully
against the entire Union feet; but at the
last it became evident to all on board
that ship that she had too much to con-
tend with, that victory for her was i'm
possible, and defeat certain, unless she
could get for the second time under Fort
Morgan; for which Captain Johnston, in
command of the Tennessee, under orders
from Admiral Buchanan, had steered.
But by this time-to use the language of
Admiral Farragut-the Tennessee was
sore beset. The Manhattan was hang
ing on to her starboard quarter, pounding
her with her fifteen inch gun with solid
shot, the Winnebago, not far off, saluting
her with eleven inch steel balls, and the
wooden vessels ramming her one after
the other in quick succession, with
reckless daring worthy of success.
But the vessel that did the most injury
to the ram was the Monitor Chickas Aw,
commanded by Lieutenant Commander
Geo. H. Perkins, (Which hung" said the
pilot of the Tennessee, ''close under our
STERN" Move as she would the Chicka-
saw was always there firing the two