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

apart from the fact tndt the exposure -
one of the penalties of rank in the Navy,
it will always be the aim OF the enemy
to destroy the flagship, and such an at
tempt was persistently made. But Pro-
violence did not permit it to be success
full"
The Hartford was already vessel his
toric from having borne the flag of Far
ragut at New Orleans, and was destined
to bear it again on this memorable oc-
casion. The Brooklyn and the Richmond
were sister ships of the Hartford, the
Lackawanna and the Monongahela, some
what smaller, and all the other ships were
of less and less size down to the Itasca,
which vessel was but 500 tons. The Te-
cumseh and the Manhattan were single
turreted monitors of $50 tons. The
Chickasaw and Winnebago were light
draught, double turreted monitors, draw
/ ing but six feet of water and carrying
one 11-inch gun in each of their turrets.
The amount of metal thrown by one
broadside from this fleet was 1928
pounds AS soon as the vessels were in
position they hoisted their ensigns at the
masthead and steered for Sand Island
channel, the monitors joining them as
they crossed the outer bar and taking
up position on the starboard side of the
leading ships, little in advance. The
| Tponvncnl bo Iao6 of no Aaot OF
this time, the steamers Genesee, Pinola,
Pembina, Sebago, Tennessee and Bien-
vile, came to anchor at the station as
signed them, which was outside the bar
near Southeast Shoal, and opened fire
upon Fort Morgan. But they anchored
so far out that their shot did not reach
the fort and failed to attract the atten-
ton of the garrison, as the admiral in
tended they should while his fleet was
running the fort. At 6.45 a. m. the Te
cumseh, which was about hundred
yards in the lead of the Brooklyn and
sharp on her starboard bow, fired the
first guns at the fort for the purpose of
sealing them and then loaded them with
sixty pounds of powder and one 800
pound solid shot ready to engage the
ram Tennessee. At six minutes past
seven the fort opened upon the feet and
was replied to by the Brooklyn, and a
few minutes later the action became
general on both sides. In the early
morning the Confederate feet, at sig
nal from their admiral, emerged from
behind Fort Morgan and took position
echelon across the channel, with their
port batteries bearing upon our feet.
The Selma, on the right. was in the adj
vance and farthest to the northward,
while the ram Tennessee on the left was
little to the westward of the red buoy
and close to the inner line of torpedoes.
The tide being flood she t1oated clear.
Captain McGaph, who was in command
of the Conemaugh, that laid near Grants
Pass, says that the scene was grand be-
yond all description. The forts, batter
les and monitors were enveloped in smoke,
made luminous by the flashes of their
guns, the wooden vessels in plain view
were vomiting fire from stem to stern,
and the grand old admiral in the port
main rigging of the Hartford just below
the futtock shroud was reclining ir
sling fitted for him by the old quarter
master in such manner that he could
use both hands to handle his spy glass
without being compelled to hang on to
the rigging for support and so that he
could turn easily and see all the surround
ings, both front and rear. Beneath him,
on the poop, was his feet captain, Perci-
val Dayton, an officer noted for his pro-
fessional ability and zeal for the service;
and in the top above his head was his
trusty pilot, Martin Freeman, whose
service should ever be remembered with
gratitude by the nation. But whether it
was or not is more than am able to de-
termine. as l have heard nothing from
him since that date and know nothing of
his subsequent career | deem it but pro-
per to add that the three men just men
toned we're all southern men who re-
NAMED true to the old flag. Admiral
Farragut was born and raised near the
scene of his great victory, viz, on the
Pascagoula River, which flows into the
Mississippi Sound and but about forty
miles from Mobile. Pilot Freeman was
his boyhood friend, and Captain Percival
Drayton, though a native of Charleston,
S. c., the very hotbed of secession,
had the nerve to be true to his country.
When the war broke out he owned fine
estate on the coast near Charleston.
During the war he landed on that coast in
the night time with boats crew from
the ship of which he was then in COM
mand, and with his own hand set fire to
his own estate. These were the class of
men that knew what true patriotism
stood for. But throughout the entire
fleet no one was whit behind them in
doing their whole duty. Indeed, from
the powder boys to the commanders on
each and every ship their zeal knew no
bounds, and devotion to duty was man
ifest that was worthy of the descend ants
of the men who had blown up the Phila-