The Washington herald., 1914-08-05

capt Percfval Drayton. commanding
the Hartford. needed no second order TO
put his ship at the head OF the column
Deck Dyed with Blood.
With the screw OF the Hartford going
full speed ahead. and the engine Of
her consort reversed, to aid her in turn
ing. the flagship passed around the
Brooklyn and took the lead.
AS the Hartford steamed across the
line OF torpedoes her officers could hear
humping under her bottcm that told
them the ship was passing directly over
one or more Of those agents Of death.
At that moment the scene on her deck
was sickening even to men hardened TO
sights of bloodshed and war.
shot after shot came through the
side" writes Lieut.. John c. Kinney, an
army signal officer, who was on the
deck with blood and scattering mangled
fragments of humanity SO thickly that
IT was difficult to stand on the deck.
''' The bodies OF the dead were
placed in q long row on the port side.
while the wounded were sent below.
solid shot coming through the
bow struck a gunner in the neck. COM
pletely severing head from body. One
poor fellow - lost both legs by
a cannon ball: as he fell he threw up
both arms just In time to have them
carried away by another shot"
Far above the carnage on the deck
stood Farragut in the port main rigging.
to which he was lashed, directly under
the main top, in which stood the pilot.
At times he reached up and pressed the
pilots foot with his hand to attract his
attention.
Anxiously watching the ships amidst
the smoke astern, Farragut saw the
column gradually straighten out. The
passage OF the channel was soon as
sured. The Hartford was soon past the
fort, and the others were following in
steady procession. Farragut's faith had
been justified.
But this half Of the days fighting
was not ended. The ram Tennessee and
three Confederate gunboats were firing
into the fleet One of the gunboats,
the Selma, fired with great precision.
from heavy rifles.
The ram made for the Hartford, but
finding her beyond reach up the chan
mel, passed on to the Brooklyn. firing
into her. The commander OF the fifth
ship in the line, the Monongahela, on
seeing the ram coming, sheered from the
line and made for 1t, striking a glancing
blow.
This ended the first action as the ram
withdrew. At 7:5s the Hartford, now .
mile beyond the fort, cast on the Meta
comet and sent, her in chase OF the Sell
ma. At S:35 the Hartford anchored. four
miles above the fort. The other ships
were well closed UP. The Oneida, which
brought up the rear, received the last
fire Of the fort. A shell exploded
in her boiler. her steering gear was dis
abled and her captain, Commander J. r.
Iafe Har
the Galena, brought her through
Fort Morgan had fired I91 shots at the
fleet.
Ram Strikes the Hartford.
There was now a IuIl in the ighting
ofN something more than half an hour.
The enemy's three gunboats had been
chased from the scene. One had run
ashore and was burned. Another escaped
into shallow water. The Selma surren-
dered.
While the men on the fleet were clear
ing decks. and relaxing from the strain
OF battle. a squall. with light rain, OBJ
scured the face OF the bay.
Through the mist a lookout on the
Hartford soon spied black smoke toward
Fort Morgan. Word was passed that
the ram was coming. Farragut at once
ordered the feet to weigh anchors and
engage the Tennessee. Then began the
last great battle between wooden ships
and an ironclad. battle in which the
ram. fearlessly engaging ten wooden
vessels and three monitors, made
most gallant fight.
Owing to the slowness. OF the monitors
in maneuvering. Farragut chose his
wooden ships first to meet the ram. The
first struck the ironclad a
heavy blow amidships, but without per
ceptIble effect. Next the Lackawanna
rammed her. and. swinging alongside,
two shots from the ram that
passed clean through her wooden hull.
The Tennessee made straight for the
Hartford. The ship was maneuvered to
receive the blow head on, for received in
any other position II would send her to
the bottom Of the bay.
Fortune favored the Hartford. There |
was a strong tide, and in It the ram was
barely manageable. As she neared the
she swerved slightly. Her iron |
Prov struck against the Hartford's heavy |
anchor, which hung level with the water. |
and was caught upon 1t with such force |
that the anchor bent as II It were wire. |
This broke the force Of her blow.
In the excite1>Set OF the fight, Farra- |
gut jumped on the quarter-rail of the |
Hartford. on the port side, and seizing |
the rigging looked down upon the ram. |
which ranged alOngslde. here again, as |
before. through the solicitude of his off, |
GERS, he was lashed to the rigging.
Tennessee Surrenders.
In the eagerness Of the Federal COM |
manders to rain blows upon the ram the |
Hartford was now In danger of being |
sunk by one Of her own fleet The Lack |
awanna and Hartford. both turning to |
strike the ram. came together with ter
rife force. The Lackawanna's bow cut |
into the Hartford's side too near the |
causing confusion on board
and alarm for Farragut's safety. Amidst |
,ries Of Save the admiral! Get the ad-
niral away from the ship" Farragut was
busy inspecting the damage done. Find
ng his ship in no danger OF sinking. he
ordered her again to attack the ram.
By this time the Tennessee was, In
he words of Admiral Farragut's report.
sore beset." The monitor Chickasaw
was close to her stern. pounding her
With 15-lnch solid shot The steam
loop Ossipee was approaching her at full
'peed, and the heavy sloops Of war
and Lackawanna were also
rying to ram her. 1t was now impos-
'ible for the ram to fire a gun. Her
run ports were jammed, her steering
year was shot away, her smokestack
vas gone. causing her fires to fall low,
md her commander. Admiral Franklin
was seriously wounded.
As. the Ossipee neared her to deliver
blow 4 white cloth on a stan, stuck
through q grating. told Of her surrender.
The Ossipee came up. and her captain,
William e. lie Roy, hailed: