The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-02-16

little Is known outside OF the State OF
Alabama of the history of this vessel,
which bore the brunt of the battle on the
Confederate side after the Union fleet
had passed the forts.
Thinking that a detailed account of
her building might not be interesting, l
will simply say that she was built at
Selma on the Alabama River in the
winter of 1864 and was towed down to
Mobile to have her plates put on and to
/ receive her armament. Her draught
was IS feet, but she was fioated over
Dog River bar where there was but 8
feet of water, by the use of camels, in
the same manner that Commodore Perry
got his ships into deep water before his
battle on Lake Erie, as described by me
in previous article. On her trial trip,
after they had got her out of the river
and into the bay in March, 1864, she
made eight knots an hour, but was after
wards reduced to sixNby increased draught
caused by her heavy battery and am
munition and the supply of fuel taken on
board after she had been taken down the
bay.
During the time the Confederates
We're putting their forts into condition
as described above, and assembling their
vessels in the bay, they were almost
unmolested. Near the Tennessee in the
bay were anchored three wooden gun
boats, viz, the Morgan, the Gaines and
the Selma, The Morgan carried one
$500 ID. 8-inch gun and five 32-pounders,
the Gaines, one Brooks rifle and five 80
Founders, the Selma, three S-lnch PaiX
hams and one old 32-pounder that had
been rifed and which threw 64-pound
solid shot.
A small squadron of our vessels had
blockaded Mobile Bay since 1861, which
Fort Morgan had welcomed by displaying
under the Confederate flag a United
States ensign Union down, and after the
capture of New Orleans the squadron
was augmented until it had reached the
proportions of feet. But it was not
until every stronghold on the Mississippi
had fallen into our hands, and the Con-
federacy was thereby cut in twain, that
the Government seriously directed its at
tention to the destruction of Mobile.
Accordingly we find Admiral Farragut,
who possessed the confidence of the
Government, making a reconnaissance
January 20, 1864, of the defenses of Mo-
bile Bay. He wrote to the Department
as follows:
81 went over the bar in the gunboat
Octorora, Lieutenant Commander Lowe.
Taking the Tiasca in company as a pre-
caution against accident we paired up to
Sand Island and lay abreast of the light
house on it. The day was uncommonly
fine and the air very clear. We were
distant from the fort about 3 1-2 miles
and could see everything distinctly |
am satisfied that if l had one iron
clad at this time l could destroy their
whole force in the bay, and reduce the
forts at my leisure by cooperating with
the land forces We must have about
$500 men in the rear of each fort to
make regular approaches by land and to
prevent the garrisons receiving supplies
and re-enforcements, the fleet to run the
batteries and fight their f1otilla in the
bay. But without ironclads we should
not be able to fight the enemies vessels
of that class with much prospects of
) success, as the latter could lie on the
stroy them. Wooden vessels can do
y,ntbipcr with Thorn I1p1occ hv, ~rot%ipc,
within one hundred or two hundred
yards, so as to ram them or pour broad
side. | feel no apprehension about
Buchanan's raising the blockade of Mo-
bile. >"
Buchanan was the Rebel Admiral in
charge of the fleet in Mobile Bay, and it
will be remembered that he was formerly
of our navy, and that he had command of
the Merrimac in her fight with the Mont
tor. Early in May the Tennessee, having
been fioated over Dog River by the use
of camels, as before stated, steamed
across this bay, in full view of the block
aiding fleet. Farragut seemed to have
been greatly impressed with her war
like appearance and reported to the De-
partment that, "Unless she fails in some
manner fear that it will be much more
difficult to take Mobile than it would
have been week ago." Day by day,
however, the admiral's spirits rose as
fresh vessels reported to him for duty,
and on July 18th he issued general order
No. 10, wherein after presenting the
manner in which the ships shall be strip
ped for action he says:
''These vessels will run past the forts
in couples lashed side by side as here
after designated. The flagship will lead
and steer from Sand Island across the
bar N. by E. by compass until abreast of
Fort Morgan, then N. w. 1-2 N. until
past the middle ground, then N. by w.,
and the others as designated in the draw
ing will follow in due order to anchor; but
the bow and quarter lines must be pre-
served to give the chase guns a fair
range and each vessel must be kept
astern of the broadside of the next
ahead, with each vessel very little on
the starboard quarter of her next ahead
and when abreast of the fort will keep
directly astern and when we have passed
the fort will take the same distance on
the port quarter of the next ahead to
enable the stern guns to fire clear of the
next vessel cstern. 1t will be the object
of the Admiral to get as close to the fort