Year: 1865

Correspondence OF Inc Herao.


MOBILE BAY, March %.


THE SINKING OF THE MILWAUKEE.


On Tuesday afternoon the Winnebago
and Milwaukee weighed anchor and steam
ed in the direction OF Spanish Fort for the
purpose of shelling out rebel transport
which was supposed to be laden with
troops and supplies fer the garrison there.
The transport left after the first two or
three shells were fred.


The water battery opposite Spanish Fort
then opened fire on the Monitors, and
though they were two miles distant, one
gun Supposed to be Whitworth), threw
shells far beyond them.


The Winnebago and Milwaukee were
ordered to return to their positions in line
of battle, and from one of the officers Of
the former vessel learn that the Ailwau-
kee struck torpedo in backing, and that
at q quarter past five o'clock she slowly
settled to the bottom, sinking by the stern


From another naval officer learn that
Captain ellis, of the Milwaukee, asked
permission to shell the battery, which was
Immediately granted. After firing about
dozen shots Captain Gillis requested per-
mission to anchor and silence the fort.
This request the Admiral refused, and Or
dered the Milwaukee to return to the feet,
when, in backing into line, she struck q
torpedo and sunk One man was injured
by the explosion. The officers and crew
were rescued without difficulty by the boats
of the other vessels, which instantly came
alongside. As she sank in only ten feet Of
water, the crew were enabled to reach her
deck and remain in perfect safety until
taken off, The explosion of the torpedo,
! learn, was not heard great distance,
and but for the spray, the splashing Of the
water, and the heaving and settling Of the
Monitor, many who were looking at her at
the time would not have known what had
taken place.


SINKING OF THE OsAaK.


The weather on Wednesday afternoon
was glorious. The loss of the Milwaukee,
through the devilish ingenuity of rebel
torpedo planting, was terrible trial to
the hearts of our gallant officers and sea-
men on board the other Monitors; who
only waited for orders to advance and en-
gage the enemy, and on receiving them
would no doubt as boldly have left the
line for that purpose as. their unfortunate
predecessors had done twenty hours pre-
vious. The Chickasaw, Kickapoo, Winne-
bago, the sunken Monitor and the Ootoro-
"a were in line, the Usage being st anchor
. short distance astern. Fearing that the
latter might foul with the others, the
Usage got under weigh for the purpose Of
steaming ahead and anchoring under the
east shore, on the edge Of the channel.
As she was preparing to cast anchor she
struck and exploded q torpedo on the star.
board bow, which injured her so seriously
that she sunk almost instantly.


When the explosion took place, John
Tonant, captain of the forecastle, and
William Boyson, chief boatswains mate.
were standing by the anchor to "let 60"
They, with the anchor, were blown thirty
feet in the air. Both men were killed.


During the confusion consequent upon
the disaster, report spread that six men
were killed, ten or twelve wounded. and
all the tiremen missing. It was soon dis
covered, however, that only four men were
killed and six wounded. The names of
two of the killed I have already given you;
the others were Lewis Dewall, master-at-
arms OF the lower deck, and William Pa
ger. The names of the injured I could not
learn.


New York city, it appears, did allow
Itself to become very much excited over
the news of Lees surrender. The Times