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

within three or four hundred yards give
the grape. 1t is understood that hereto
fore we have fired too high, but with
grape shot it is necessary to elevate a
little above the object, as grape will
dribble from the muzzle of the gun. If
one or more of the vessels be disabled
their partners must carry them through
If possible; but if they cannot, then the
next astern must render the required as
sistance, but, as the Admiral contem-
! plates moving with the flood tide, it will
only require sufficient power to keep the
crippled vessel in the channel Vessels
that can must place guns upon the poop
and topgallant forecastle and in the tops
on the starboard SIDE. Should the en-
envy fire grape they Will remove the men
from the topgallant forecastle and poop
to guns below until out of grape range.
The howitzers must keep up a constant
fire with shrapnel from the time they
can reach until out of range. Should
any vessel become disabled to such de-
gree that her consort is unable to keep
her In her station she will drop out of
line to the westward and not embarrass
the vessels next astern by attempting to
regain her station. Should she repair
| damages so as to be able to re-enter the
line of battle she will take her station in
the rear, as close to the last vessel as
possible. So soon as the vessels have
passed the fort and kept away North
| west, they can cast off the gunboats at
the discretion of the senior officer of the
Two vessels and allow them to proceed
up the bay to cut off any of the enemy's
gunboats that may be attempting to es-
cape to Mobile. "
Admiral Farragut had made applica-
ton to General Grant for troops enough
to invest both Fort Gaines and Fort Nor
gan on the land side. But Gen. Grant
did not have them to spare at that time.
He did, however, send 1900 men under
the command of Gen. Gordon Granger
who landed on the upper end of Dauphin
Island, August 3rd, and took up their
march for the fort, and on the morning
OF the 9th had entrenched themselves
within one mile of Fort Gaines. So that
there was no possible way for this gar
rison to escape either by land or water.
Having spent some years in that vicin-
lty, both during and after the war
leaving the waters of Mobile Bay and
Mississippi Sound in 187O-Isthink that l
can give description of the location so
that no one can fail to comprehend it.
This Dauphin Island, upon the south
west end of which is located Fort Gaines.
is fifteen miles long and forms the south
west side of Mobile Bay and the south
east side of Mississippi Sound. At the
upper end of this island is a small strait
connecting Mississippi Sound with Mobile
Bay, called Grants Pass. 1t was so named
tor man by the name of Grant who
had dug out the channel and driven piles
along its sides to keep it from filling and
had established toll gate and collected
toll from small vessels passing to and
from. This pass entered Mobile Raw
about half the distance up the bay, and
1t was blockaded by U. S. gunboats from
the Mississippi Sound. There was
small island made by drifting sand at
the upper part of Dauphin Island and on
it the Rebels had built small fort
which they called Fort Powell. This
tort was not completed at the time of
the naval attack but was well garrison
ed August 3rd, General Gordon Granger
with l,5OO men had landed on Dauphin
Island and the night of August 4th had
invested Fort Gaines on its only land
side, to prevent that garrison from re-
| celving supplies and from making their
escape by land provided Farragut was
successful in getting into the bay.
From the day General order No. 10 was
promulgated up to the very moment of
tne conflict the greatest activity prevail
ed IN the Union fleet. All of vessels had
In turn visited the Pensacola Navy yard,
Which was then in our possession, and
not many miles away, and there Invested
themselves of everything that was not
needed in the coming fray. Spars,
yards, sails and spare boats were sent on
shore, and on the outside Of every vessel,
in the wake of her engine and boiler
chain cables were ranged fore and aft,
and inside sand bags were placed from
stem to stern. In fact, every contriv-
ance that Yankee ingenuity could sug
gest was resorted to to protect the ships
and their crews from the shots of the
enemy.
Farragut had fully intended to run in
to the bay on the day that the troops
landed on Dauphin Island, but was de-
layed on account Of the non-arrival of
one of the ironclads. But on the night
of the 18th the Tecumseh arrived and took
up position three miles in advance of
! the wooden fleet with her consorts, the
Winnebago, the Manhattan and the
Chickasaw. On the morning of August
9Th, at o'clock, the wooden ships began
to get underway, and formed double
column; or columns of two's dashed to-
gether. The starboard vessels were the
Brooklyn, Hartford, Richmond, Lacka-
wanna, Monongahela, Ossipee and Oneida,
and on the port side were the Octorora,
Metacomet, Port Royal, Seminole, Ken
nebec, Itasca and Galena. As the Brook
Ign had chase guns, and was provided
with torpedo catcher, Farragut, at