The Holt County sentinel., 1912-04-26

pealed to By captain u. d. Porter, q.
3. ~. who had been on blockade duty
In the gulf. 10 send ships and soldiers
to New orleans lie said: This should
have been done before. The Missis.
sippi IN the backbone Of the COufed.
eracy."
The plan put down on paper was to
send at once Federal fleet mounting
200 guns. q powerful mortar Hotilla
and an army Of 2O.WW soldiers to ruxe
the forts at the mouth OF the Missis.
sippi. capture New Orleans and fortify
the river bluffs rs far W M vicksburg.
At the same ttne the ironclad gunboats
hemmcd In around ~. Louis and Cairo
and never yet under fire would nght
their way down the river and unite
forces around vEksbufg.
Captain Porter created out Of raw
materials almost the mortar fleet. n M.
culiar adjunct Ut the navy designed Ia
fight against land forts. The required
vessels were not yet owned By the gov.
eminent when the expedition wns plan
ned. They were to number twenty.
each carrying n thirteen inch mortar
md two thirty.two FOUNDER cannon. ~
The sO,ithcrncrs appreciated the
backbone" Importance Of the Missis
sippi for the purpose long before l'res.
ident Lincoln coined the term. In
April. ISL. while the business of sciz.
Ing Federal forts op southern soil was
very brisk. they had hoisted the bon.
ny blu. dag over two old citn,els
standing on opposite sides Of the riv.
er below New Orleans Fort Jackson.
III" first above the mouth. was a star
shaped fortress. built " stone and
mounting seventy four guns. heavy and
light. There were strong iomb proofs
aud casclnatcs aud u citadel Of heavy
masonry. which, III anticipation Of some
raidinv Farraru' they stored with um
mmni'i"n aud supplies for a long siege
Fort Phi'ip, art"ss the river from tor'
Jackson was ihiilf ~ stone and brick
hhd mounted hfiytwo guns
Confederate Defenses.
Tho best chnhn"i NJ the river from
the lar ran near III" west bank under
the guns Of Fort Jackson. This pas
sngcway III" Confcdcraics blocked
With u row of old hunks. anchored ani
bound together With chain cables
Several tugs aud stcn niers fitted out
for battle during the summer and fai,
81 1861 patroll"d the river above tho
line "f hulks. and farther upstream.
"A
securing northern harbors for his
ships. lay the hcw lro,iclad Louisiana
twelve guns. and the Don
d"rous whnlcMlckcd ron ram Mnnns
SITS. Several converted stca nipra cot
ton clad. with heavy bales aroum,
their engines and machinery. complet
cd the river defense iicct SIN an
other ir0nclnd. the Mississippi was on
the ways Ind nearly finished y
Farracut reached the army rcndcz.
vous In person Feb ~. 1872 bat no,
until March ~ were the war stenllcrS
assigned TO him on tho scene.
The fleet which finally went into nc.
ton consisted ~ the first clnss screw
sloops Hartford. BROOKLYN. Richmond
mud Pensacola. the second class s!oops
Oneida. Varnna and iro1uois. the
screw rnnl'onts Caynga, ltasca. Ia.
Inhdin. Ecnb"l@", Klnco Pinoia. Sc'o
In. wInona and Wissnhickon. the snI'
Ing slo"p Portsmouth and the side
wheeler Mississippi
The Mortars Begin 10 Shoot.
On the 10th ~ April the fleet was
well into the channel, within three
miles of Fort Jackson. tn" mortar
boats went into hiding ~ both banks |
" the river, ruriained ~ disguised nv |
he branches III trees The rang" 10
Fort Jackson was ~" milo n,d u half |
md to Fort rhlip Nv" miles
Porcr'> in"ltal> "iri.d fir" upon the |