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.