PASSAGES OF FORTS.
Passage of Fortifications below New Orleans,
April 24, 1862.
FEDERAL.
| WOODEN FLEETS.—FIRST DIVISION. | |
| Guns. | |
| Hartford | 28 |
| Brooklyn | 26 |
| Richmond | 25 |
| Sciota | 3 |
| Iroquois | 7 |
| Kennebec | 4 |
| Pinola | 4 |
| Itasca | 4 |
| Winona | 4 |
| SECOND DIVISION. | |
| Pensacola | 26 |
| Mississippi | 19 |
| Cayuga | 6 |
| Oneida | 10 |
| Varuna | 6 |
| Katahdin | 6 |
| Kineo | 6 |
| Wissahickon | 4 |
CONFEDERATE.
Fort Jackson, 75 guns. Fort St. Philip, 30 guns. Above the forts, two iron-clad rams and eighteen gun-boats. Below the forts, a heavy boom of logs and chain across the river. The river current to be stemmed runs at a speed of about six to seven knots.
On the night of the 22d, two gun-boats were sent up to break the obstructions. The end of the chain was reached and successfully cut under a heavy fire, making an opening wide enough to allow vessels to pass. At 2 a.m. of the 24th the fleet got under way, forming two lines, the first division to take Fort Jackson, and the second Fort St. Philip. The chains were stopped up and down the sides in wake of the boilers; decks were whitewashed and boarding-nettings triced up. Coming under the fire of the forts, the fines were broken owing to the strength of the current and the necessity for feeling the way up in the channel, there being no pilots. The Hartford grounded abreast Fort St. Philip, and whilst in this position a fire-raft was pushed against her, setting her on fire aft. The raft was pushed clear, fire extinguished, and the ship was worked off the shoal. She was hit 32 times; 3 killed, 10 wounded. The Brooklyn fouled the obstructions, and was held for a short time under the fire of Fort St. Philip. Clearing these, she was rammed by the ram Manassas, but the blow was a glancing one. Immediately afterward a gun-boat was seen coming at her full speed. The Brooklyn gave her the port broadside, and disabled her: killed, 9; wounded, 26. Richmond, killed, 2; wounded, 4. Sciota, wounded, 2. Iroquois, killed, 8; wounded, 24. Kennebec fouled the obstructions, and did not get clear until the fleet had passed up; returned to the lower anchorage. Pinola, killed, 3; wounded, 8. Itasca received a shot through her boiler abreast the forts, and drifted down helpless out of action; wounded, 3. The Winona was fouled by the Itasca in getting under way, and did not make the attempt until the fleet had passed, when she was obliged to turn back: killed, 6; wounded, 4. Pensacola, killed, 4; wounded, 33. Mississippi, just after passing the forts, was rammed on the quarter by the Manassas, injured, but not cut through: killed, 2; wounded, 6. Cayuga—the leading vessel in the fight—after passing the forts was attacked by three gun-boats at once: one on the starboard beam she disabled by a broadside; one on the port-bow was driven off by the bow-pivot; one on the port-quarter was taken in hand by the Varuna before she could do harm: wounded, 6. Oneida, just after passing the forts, discovered a gun-boat trying to cross her bow; ran her down and sank her at once: wounded, 3. Varuna, after passing the forts, disabled two gun-boats; was then rammed twice by one gun-boat, and once by another; finding her sinking, her commander ran her ashore, disabling completely both the gun-boats that had rammed him: killed, 3; wounded, 9. Katahdin, uninjured. Kineo, wounded, 8. Wissahickon, uninjured. Total: killed, 37; wounded, 147. The Mississippi, after clearing the fight, was ordered to ram the Manassas, which was seen coming up the river. Running down towards her, the Manassas sheered broad off and ran ashore, receiving two broadsides, which disabled her and set her on fire. She drifted down the river and blew up. Fourteen vessels out of seventeen passed the forts. Of those failing to pass, one was disabled. Of those that passed, one was sunk. Of the Confederate flotilla eleven were captured, and eight—including the ram Manassas—were destroyed. The second ram (Louisiana) did not engage for some reason. Two days afterward, while the flag of truce was flying at the capitulation of the forts, she was set on fire and turned adrift to explode amongst the mortar squadron. She blew up before reaching it.
The fleet that passed the forts went into action on the next day (25th), silenced a line of earthworks, and passing up to New Orleans received its surrender.
Passage of Forts, Mississippi River,
June 28, 1862.
FEDERAL.
| Guns. | |
| Richmond | 25 |
| Hartford | 28 |
| Brooklyn | 26 |
| Iroquois | 7 |
| Oneida | 10 |
| Wissahickon | 4 |
| Sciota | 3 |
| Winona | 4 |
| Pinola | 4 |
| Katahdin | 6 |
| Kennebec | 4 |
CONFEDERATE.
Triple line of earthworks at Vicksburg, mounting about 30 guns.
At 4 a.m. the squadron, steaming up the river in double line ahead (large ships inside with the smaller ones abreast the intervals), came under the fire of the enemy at a distance of 600 yards. The rate of steaming was about three miles per hour. Three ships (Brooklyn, Kennebec, and Katahdin) failed to pass. The Brooklyn, getting fouled with the mortar flotilla, was detained, and under a misapprehension of orders stopped to silence the battery, and dropped down after daylight. The Kennebec held her position astern of the Brooklyn. The Katahdin, having no orders at all, followed the motions of the Brooklyn. Casualties in the part of the squadron which passed: killed, 15; wounded, 30. Duration, two hours; distance gone while under fire, three miles.
Passage of Forts, Mississippi River,
March 14, 1863.
FEDERAL.
WOODEN SQUADRON.
| Guns. | |
| Hartford | 28 |
| Richmond | 25 |
| Monongahela | 14 |
| Mississippi | 19 |
| Albatross | 7 |
| Genesee | 8 |
| Kineo | 6 |
CONFEDERATE.
Earthworks at Port Hudson.—A line of earthworks extending at intervals a distance of about three miles, and mounting 70 guns, most all of heavy calibre.
At 9 p.m. of the 24th, signal was made to weigh anchor and pass the forts up-stream. The vessels except the Mississippi were lashed in pairs (Hartford and Albatross, Richmond and Genesee, Monongahela and Kineo). The mortar fleet below the forts opened a heavy fire on the works, and two light gun-boats took up an enfilading position and shelled the water-batteries. The Hartford passed up without trouble. The Richmond (slowest vessel in the squadron) reached a bend of the river where she was directly within the cross-fire of the batteries, but could not stem the current even with the help of her tow, so she was obliged to turn and go back. The Monongahela reached the bend and the current forced her ashore for about half an hour; getting off finally she started ahead, but was obliged to stop her engine on account of the heating of the journals; drifted down again out of range. The Mississippi ran aground at the bend, but could not be gotten off. After working for half an hour, her guns were spiked, the ship was fired and deserted, and she blew up. Casualties: killed, 12; wounded, 35; missing, 63. One steam frigate lost.
Passage of Fort Morgan,
August 5, 1864.
FEDERAL.
| MONITORS. | |
| Guns. | |
| Tecumseh | 2 |
| Manhattan | 2 |
| Winnebago | 4 |
| Chickasaw | 4 |
| CORVETTES. | |
| Brooklyn | 26 |
| Hartford | 28 |
| Richmond | 25 |
| Lackawanna | 14 |
| Monongahela | 14 |
| Ossipee | 12 |
| Oneida | 10 |
| GUN-BOATS. | |
| Octarora | 10 |
| Metacomet | 10 |
| Port Royal | 6 |
| Seminole | 6 |
| Kennebec | 4 |
| Itasca | 4 |
| Galena | 6 |
CONFEDERATE.
Fort Morgan.—A masonry fort containing 30 guns. Iron-clad ram Tennessee (six 7-inch rifles). Gun-boats Selma, Morgan, and Gaines. A line of torpedoes and pile obstructions across the channel.
Before the Action.
After the Action.
Section through Pilot-House.
CONFEDERATE RAM TENNESSEE.
At 5.30 a.m. the fleet got under way and steamed in in two lines ahead, the four monitors in the starboard line slightly leading and nearest the fort. The port line of wooden ships showed the corvettes towards the fort, with each one having a gun-boat lasted along the port side. The fort opened fire at 7.30, the leading ship (Tecumseh) being within 1400 yards. Just abreast the fort the Tecumseh fouled a torpedo and was sunk. The Brooklyn (leading the second line) stopped her engines and threw the line into disorder, but the Hartford pushing on ahead restored the line and led the way in, all the ships passing the fort. On clearing the narrow channel, the gun-boats were cast off and gave chase to the Confederate gun-boats, the Metacomet capturing the Selma, the other two vessels escaping under the fort. At 8.45 the fleet was all in the bay beyond the fort. The Tennessee then made a rush at the Hartford, and Admiral Farragut made the signal to attack with guns and rams. The Monongahela struck the ram first, a square blow, making no impression, but breaking off its own ram. The Lackawanna then struck a fair blow with no impression, but staving its own bow. The Hartford then rammed, striking a glancing blow and swinging alongside, giving a full broadside without effect. The Lackawanna and Hartford then bore down together but collided, the Hartford’s side being cut down almost to the water’s edge by the Lackawanna. The Lackawanna, Monongahela, and Ossipee then bore down at full speed, but sheered off at seeing a white flag hoisted. During the ramming, the monitors got under the stern of the ram and bombarded her casemate with effect. Casualties: killed, 52; wounded, 170. Monitor Tecumseh sunk with all hands except 11. Corvette Oneida disabled abreast the fort by a shot through the boiler, but dragged through the action by her consort. The injuries to the bows of the ramming ships and to the Hartford’s side were not so severe as to at all disable them. Captured, armored ram Tennessee, wooden gun-boat Selma, 280 prisoners. The steering-gear and smoke-stack of the ram were shot away, the port-shutters were jammed so as to disable the guns, and the ship’s frame was racked so as to make her leak, but not badly. The ramming vessels left no marks.
Passage of the Vicksburg Batteries,
April 16, 1863.
FEDERAL.
IRON-CLAD GUN-BOATS.
| Guns. | |
| Benton | 16 |
| Lafayette | 6 |
| Louisville | 13 |
| Mound City | 13 |
| Pittsburg | 13 |
| Carondelet | 13 |
| Tuscumbia | 5 |
| General Price | 2 |
| Three army transports. | |
CONFEDERATE.
Vicksburg Batteries.—47 heavy guns.
The vessels started from up the river in line ahead, with the transports in rear, the Tuscumbia acting as rear-guard to prevent the transports turning back when once under fire. Leaving the anchorage at 10.30 p.m., they steamed slowly down until coming within sight of the batteries, when they stopped their engines and drifted. The leading vessel was discovered abreast the first battery and fire was opened. The fleet then started ahead fast returning the fire. Two transports turned and started back, but were driven down again by the Tuscumbia, the three vessels suffering severely in the manœuvring, but passing down successfully. Casualties, 12 wounded. Each gun-boat carried a barge-loaded with coal, on the off side. Two barges were sunk, the remainder were carried through safely. One of the transports was disabled, but was taken in tow under fire and brought safely through. Time under fire, one hour.
RÉSUMÉ.
Total number of battles passing fortifications, 5. Successful, 3. Partially successful, 2. Of the latter, one failed on account of a misunderstanding of orders, and one on account of the strength of current rendering the ships unmanageable. In all cases the ships passed the main line of fortifications at a distance of less than 600 yards, and all were subjected to a severe well-aimed fire.