At about half-past three o’clock the firing from the forts began to slacken. At four o’clock Fort Jackson was silent, and only the water battery and Fort St. Philip were at work. The mortar shells were falling all around the fort. One appeared to fall into the water battery soon afterward, and silenced it. The gunboats were throwing shells with fine effect, the Kineo in particular. At five o’clock General Butler and his staff went on board the Hartford to confer with Commodore Farragut, and at half-past six the signal was given to discontinue the firing.
A number of men were wounded during the day, and were placed on board of the Katahdin, to be conveyed to the hospital at Pilot Town, down the river.
Night closed around the fleet as it lay at its moorings. The mortar-boats kept up the firing during the night at stated intervals, by divisions, and so continued until the morning of Sunday, the 20th, when the contest was renewed on both sides, with the same zeal and industry as had marked the bombardment of the first two days. During the forenoon a deserter from Fort Jackson came to the shore, and hailed one of the mortar vessels. A boat was immediately dispatched to him, and he was taken on board the Harriet Lane, where he had an interview with Commodore Porter. He was a citizen of Pennsylvania, and reported that great execution had been done by the well-directed fire of the fleet.
Commodore Farragut began to fear, from the protracted resistance of the forts, that they would hold out so long that the supply of shells and material of the fleet would become exhausted, and the enterprise result in a simple blockade. He therefore issued orders for running the forts, at an early opportunity, and arranged the vessels in several divisions for this important undertaking, when the signal should be given to move. While passing the forts, Commodore Porter’s mortar fleet were to engage the batteries, in order to distract and divide the fire of the forts.
During the afternoon, Fort Jackson suspended its fire, but Fort St. Philip sent its iron messengers about the fleet in a perfect hail, without, however, doing much injury. After continuing this work for a short time the fire was slackened, and gradually fell off, a shot only being sent at long intervals.
During the afternoon preparations were made for removing the obstructions which the rebels had placed in the river. The principal of these was a strong and heavy iron chain thrown across the stream, supported by six or eight vessels, which formed a line across from shore to shore. Beyond this battery, and above the forts, lay a fleet of eighteen gunboats, and a monster ram, called the Manassas, a massive and heavily mailed vessel, built expressly for running down and destroying any vessel that it might attack.
About two o’clock the expedition to accomplish this work started on its errand. The night was as dark as could be desired, and, closely watched by the fleet, the Itasca and Pinola left their moorings to cut the chain, and, if possible, destroy some of the vessels supporting it. At a given signal the mortar vessels, which had been keeping up a slow fire, opened a tremendous volley of shell, presenting a spectacle which has seldom been witnessed in naval warfare. The sky was like a vast arch in conflagration from the explosions of the shells, which vaulted upwards, and fell in a meteoric shower upon the forts. From three to eight or ten were in the air almost all the time, and the beauty and grandeur of this vast pyrotechnic display was heightened by the use of the Caston signal lights. Dimly in the distance could be seen the Iroquois, Winona, and Kennebec, who were in the advance of the mortar fleet. A signal light was sent up from Fort Jackson, and both forts opened fire with all their heavy guns.
An hour was spent in this manner, when the Pinola sent a boat down to report that the chain was cut, and that the Itasca was ashore. The forts had slackened their fire, and there was good cause to fear that if she were not rescued before the moon rose, she would be captured by the rebels. Orders were immediately sent to the picket boats, which repaired to her aid, and although the project of blowing up some of the supporting schooners was not accomplished, the vessels all returned in safety, having cleared the river of its barrier. The mortar fleet then subsided into the accustomed routine of a bombshell at regular intervals, to prove to the rebels at the forts that their visitors were at the post of duty.
At two o’clock on Monday morning, the 21st, the moon rose clear and beautiful, lighting up the entire scene. It was the fourth day of the bombardment, and with accustomed promptitude the entertainment of the day commenced with a fire raft, sent down the river from Fort Jackson, larger and more formidable than any that had preceded it. The current was running swiftly, the wind was fresh, and the blazing mass sped fiercely over its watery pathway. It burned with terrific fury, a high wind sweeping its flames back in fiery banners; while the pine knots, crackling and roaring, sent their forked flames leaping like tongues of fire through the dense column of smoke which rolled its huge black pall against the azure of the sky, as it floated past the fleet, scattering a storm of harmless fire on the water. The mortar boats took it in charge, and the men fell to work extinguishing the flames. When this was done it was towed ashore to keep company with its forerunners, a harmless, charred mass of timbers.
During the day the bombardment was continued. The forts for a time responded with more determination even than they had previously exhibited. Attempts were made by the rebels to repair the massive fragments of the chain, and to destroy one of the Federal vessels by a submarine torpedo, but without success. The fifth day proved like the others, but it became apparent that the crisis of the contest was approaching. The mortar boats continued their usual practice during the night, and on the return of day, (Wednesday, the 23d,) renewed the severer labors of the bombardment.