UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY VOLUME II 8499 A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY FROM 1775 TO 1901 BY EDGAR STANTON MACLAY, A.M. AUTHOR OF A HISTORY OF AMERICAN PRIVATEERS REMINISCENCES OF THE OLD NAVY EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL OF WILLIAM MACLAY (U. S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1789-1791) WITH TECHNICAL REVISION BY LIEUTENANT ROY CAMPBELL SMITH, U. S. N. NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. II ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1901 COPYRIGHT, 1893, 1898,' 1901, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED AT THE APPLETON PRESS, U. S. A. May, 1901. NOTE TO VOLUME II OF THE EDITION OF 1898. IN the present edition of this work the second volume has undergone important changes. Some new chapters have been added, among them, Attack on the Wyo- ming, Cruising against Slavers, and Sea Power in the Civil War. Many items of minor importance have been incorporated in the text, and some of the first accounts of naval occurrences have been elaborated. The author realizes that the history of our navy is a subject of vast and rapidly increasing importance in the estimation of the American people, and he would be glad to receive any additional suggestions or items of interest bearing on it, so that they may be used in future editions. Our navy is pre-eminently a growing navy, and a comprehensive record of it must neces- sarily keep pace with its growth. E. S. M. OLD FIELD POINT, SETAUKET, LONG ISLAND, N. Y., May 1, 1S98. v 450386 CONTENTS. PART FOURTH. MINOR WARS AND EXPEDITIONS 1815-1861. CHAPTER I. WAR WITH ALGIERS. PAOE England's Mediterranean policy Hostility of Algiers Two squadrons sail for the Mediterranean Defenses of Algiers Capture of the Mashouda and the Estido Decatur brings the Dey to terms Off Tripoli and Tunis Sad loss of the pervier0. H. Perry be- fore Algiers Our cruisers in the Mediterranean . . . 3-22 CHAPTER II. SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. Growth of piracy Death of 0. H. Perry Active operations against the pirates Death of Lieutenant Allen Attack on the Fox Young Farragut's account Capturing piratical craft The Foxardo affair Cutting out the Federal Tattnall off Matamoras The Greek pirates Our war ships at Naples 23-43 CHAPTER III. QUALLA BATTOO. Treacherous attack on the Friendship Murder of her crew Her recapture The Potomac on the scene Capture of Qualla Battoo 44-61 CHAPTER IV. CRUISING AGAINST SLAVERS. Audacity of slavers Experience of the Contest Important capture by the Cyane M. C. Perry's experience with King Crack The Louisa Beaton The Chatsworth 62-71 vii viii CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. Captain Thomas ap C. Jones occupies Monterey Arrival of a British PAGE squadron Capture of Los Angeles Loss and recapture of that town Battle of San Gabriel Battle of Mesa . . . 72-87 CHAPTER VI. IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. Gallant boat service Capture of Guaymas and Mazatlan Heroic de- fense of the mission house The relief of Heywood . . 88-98 CHAPTER VII. WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. First failures Capture of Frontera and Tabasco At Tampico Cut- ting out the Creole Dangers of the climate Bombardment and capture of Vera Cruz Second attack on Tabasco . . . 99-118 CHAPTER VIII. THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. First attempts to open up Japan Congress determines on a final at- tempt M. C. Perry selected to command the expedition Arrival in Japanese waters Perry's splendid diplomacy The President's letter delivered Second visit of the American squadron Success of the expedition 119-132 CHAPTER IX. SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. The Wilkes expedition In seas of ice A narrow escape Cruising in the Pacific Ocean On the coast of California The Dead Sea expedition Search for the Sir John Franklin explorers In the Frozen North 133-150 CHAPTER X. MINOR OCCURRENCES. Tragedy in the Somers The St. Louis and the Hussar At the Bar- rier Forts "Blood thicker than water "Attack on Formosa- Trouble with Paraguay 151-156 'CONTENTS. kt PART FIFTH. THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865. CHAPTER I. BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. FAQB Condition of the navy Firing on Suinter Rescue of the Constitution Patrolling the Potomac Capture of the Judah The Trent affair Cutting out the Royal Yacht The Rhode Island and Connecticut Affair of the Jamestown 159-174 CHAPTER II. HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. Defenses of Hatteras Inlet Bombardment of Forts Hatteras and Clark Race on Hatteras Island Loss of the Fanny The Port Royal fleet Off Port Royal Dupont's plan of battle Surrender of the enemy 175-197 CHAPTER III. PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. Defenses of Roanoke Island The national fleet Capture of Roanoke Island Fight between the gunboats Capture of New Berne Bombardment of Fort Macon Lieutenant Cushing's narrow es- cape 198-217 CHAPTER IV. THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. Burning of Norfolk navy yard Rebuilding the Merrimae The Con- federate squadron enters the Roads Sinking the Cumberland The Congress on fire Grounding of the Minnesota Gloom in the North 218-235 CHAPTER V. BUILDING THE MONITOR. First ideas about the Monitor Grave doubts about her worth Im- aginary and real objections to the Monitor system Origin of the name " Monitor "Compared with the Constitution . . 236-243 CHAPTER VI. IRON VERSUS IRON. The Monitor nearly founders Arrival in Hampton Roads Battle be- tween the two ironclads Ramming attempted Worden disabled Victory for the Monitor Fate of the ironclads Preparing for the second attack by the Merrimae Loss of the Monitor . 244-266 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. PAGE Building a Western navy Manning the gunboats Skirmishing at Co- lumbusBombardment of Fort Henry Gallant fight of the gun- boatsA lively chase up the Tennessee Walke attacks Fort Don- elson Bombardment of the fort Its surrender The Tyler and the Lexington at Pittsburg Landing Fitch on the Ohio . 267-290 CHAPTER VIII. ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. Defenses of Island No. 10 A night attack The Carondelet runs the batteries Battle of Fort Pillow The great fight at Memphis The attack on St. Charles 291-305 CHAPTER IX. BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. The affair at the Head of the Passes The New Orleans expedition- David Glascoe Farragut His arrival on the scene of operations Defenses of New Orleans The Confederate fleet The bombard- ment by the mortar schooners Daring night expeditions . 306-324 CHAPTER X. PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. A council of war Farragut's line of battle The ships under fire- Fire rafts Great peril of the flagship Between the forts The ubiquitous ram Manassas Above the forts Fall of New Or- leans 325-349 CHAPTER XI. OPERATION ON WESTERN RIVERS. Farragut's great task He passes the Vicksburg batteries Walke's desperate battle with the ram Arkansas The Arkansas runs the gantlet of the national fleet Farragut fights the ram under Vicksburg's guns Destruction of the ram The new ironclads Attack on Arkansas Post and St. Charles Loss of the Queen of the West Loss of the Indianola Repulse at Fort Pember- ton '. 350-373 CHAPTER XII. THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. Farragut passes Port Hudson Sinking of the Lancaster Porter passes Vicksburg Attack on Grand Gulf River skirmishing Donaldsonville The Red River expedition Bache's spirited at- CONTENTS. x i PAGE tack Captain S. P. Lee in command Minor occurrences on the Western rivers 374-386 CHAPTER XIII. ATTACK ON THE WYOMING. Preparations of the Japanese Land and naval defenses Attacks on the French and Dutch McDougal's splendid dash Complete victory of the Americans 387-396 CHAPTER XIV. OFF MOBILE BAY. First action off Mobile Building the ironclad Tennessee The Con- federate squadron An attempted night attack Defenses of Mo- bile Farragut's instructions On the eve of the great battle, 397-407 CHAPTER XV. FAERAGUT PASSES FORT MORGAN. The night before the battle The great fleet under way The Hart- ford opens fire Lashing Farragut to the rigging Sinking of the Tecumseh Craven's nobility Ensign Neilds' gallantry The monitor Winnebago in action Commander Thomas Holdup Stevens in action Dreadful carnage in the Hartford " Damn the torpedoes ! " Confusion in the line The Tennessee in the fight Ramming the Confederate ironclad Critical position of the Oneida Heroic officers 408-435 CHAPTER XVI. ABOVE THE MOBILE FORTS. Chase of the Confederate gunboats Jouett takes the Selma A lull in the battle " Follow them up, Johnston ! " Preparing for the final struggle Buchanan singles out the Hartford Ramming the Tennessee The monitors in close action National ships in collision Surrender of the Tennessee Losses and injuries- Caring for the wounded Gallant officers Attack on Fort Spanish Losses from torpedoes 436-456 CHAPTER XVII. OPERATIONS OFF CHARLESTON. Raid of the Palmetto State and the Chicora First and second at- tacks on Fort McAllister The defenses of Charleston Ironclads attack Charleston The Weehawken- Atlanta fight Attack on Fort Wagner A boat expedition against Fort Sumter Loss of the Housatonic Surrender of Charleston .... 457-474 xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVIII. THE RAM ALBEMARLE. Importance of the North Carolina sounds Building the Albemarle The ram's attack on the Southfield and Miami Battle between the national gunboats and the ram Roe's splendid dash Lieu- tenant William Barker Gushing Attempts to blow up the ram Cashing'* daring attack Its complete success Capture of Plymouth 475-490 CHAPTER XIX. ATLANTIC AND GULF COAST. Difficulties of the blockade Port Royal Island Patrolling Southern waters A reverse at Galveston and Saline Pass In Virginia waters Fort Fisher Capture of Wilmington . . . 491-507 CHAPTER XX. CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. Careers of the Sumter and Florida Maffltt's daring Stevens chases the Florida Maffitt arms his prizes Catching an Amazon Collins captures the Florida English " neutrality "The Hap- pahannock Career of the Georgia Narrow escape from burn- ing Her capture by the Niagara Great damage inflicted by the ShetiandoahThe Stonewall Jackson Other Confederate cruisers 508-522 CHAPTER XXI. THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. Fitting out the Alabama Eluding national cruisers The ffatteras sunk by the Alabama The Alabama cruises in the South At- lantic and in the East Indies Puts into Cherbourg Compared with the Kearsarge Winslow waits for the Alabama The great battle American gunnery wins English "international" law 523-534 CHAPTER XXII. BLOCKADE RUNNERS. Southern dependence on European markets Effectiveness of torpedo warfare Confederate privateering promptly checked Develop- ment of blockade running English ports the center Difficulties of blockade running" Tricks of the trade " The Charlotte and Stag Chase of the Kate Some clever captures Breck's gallant exploit British naval officers as blockade runners English sym- pathy (and something more) for the South .... 535-548 CONTENTS. xiii CHAPTER XXIII. SEA POWEE IN THE CIVIL WAR. PAGE Historical review Strategetical importance of the Mississippi River system Value of these waters to Northern States If the South had sea power Navy indispensable 549-559 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE In the Monitor's turret Frontispiece Scene of the naval operations in the Mediterranean .... 10 Scene of the naval operations on the Pacific Coast .... 76 Scene of the naval operations in the Mexican Gulf . . . 100 Map of the United States 163 Scene of the naval operations on the Potomac 167 Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds 179 Plan of the battle of Port Royal 191 Dupont's circle of fire Facing 194 Scene of operations on Roanoke Island 199 Diagram of the battle of Hampton Roads 225 Raking the Congress at every shot Facing 230 Monitor and Merrimac 250 Scene of the naval operations on the upper Mississippi . . . 274 Bombardment of Fort Henry Facing 278 Ironclads attack Fort Donelson Facing 284 Island No. 10 292 Commander Walke runs the batteries at Island No. 10 . Facing 298 Battle of Memphis Facing 302 Kennon fires through his own bow Facing 332 Farragut's fleet passing the forts Facing 346 Scene of the naval operations on the Western rivers .... 356 Map of Mobile Bay Facing 398 Diagram of the battle of Mobile Bay Facing 412 Farragut's fleet going into action Facing 418 Battle of Mobile Bay Facing 440 At close quarters Facing 442 Diagram showing where the Tennessee was rammed .... 445 Deck plan of the Tennessee and her appearance after the battle Facing 452 Map of Charleston Harbor and vicinity .... Facing 458 xv i LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOI Ironclads attacking Fort Sumter Facing 466 The Confederate ironclad Atlanta Facing 4G8 A typical ferry gunboat ....... Facing 495 Chasing a blockade runner Facing 508 The last of the Alabama Facing 52(5 PART FOURTH. MINOR WARS AND EXPEDITIONS. 1815-1861. CHAPTER I. WAR WITH ALGIERS. MENTION has been made of England's Mediterra- nean policy, which was to encourage the Barbary States in piracy, so that by paying them an annual tribute and by the aid of her fleets her commerce was freed from molestation while that of weaker maritime nations was constantly exposed. In his Observations on the Commerce of the American States Lord Shef- field said : "The armed neutrality would be as hurtful to the great maritime powers as the Barbary States are useful. The Americans can not protect themselves from the latter ; they can not pretend to a navy." A fair interpretation of these diplomatic words is given by Smollett in his history when he says: "The exist- ence of Algiers and other predatory states which en- tirely subsist upon piracy and rapine, petty states of barbarous ruffians, maintained, as it were, in the midst of powerful nations, which they insult with impunity, and of which they exact an annual contribution, is a flagrant reproach upon Christendom ; a reproach the greater, as it is founded upon a low, selfish, illiberal maxim of policy." By means of this policy Great Britain secured a monopoly of the Mediterranean car- rying trade, at that time the most important in the world. But England was mistaken, as she has been on other memorable occasions, as to the ability of the United States to defend itself. After three years of bloody war (1802-1805) we subdued the Barbary States and secured privileges that were denied to European pow- 4 WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1812. ers, and in a short time the Yankee skipper was driv- ing, "his diplomatic cousin "from the mercantile marts of the world. It was not to be expected that the Eng- lish merchant would look upon his American rival with any degree of complacency, and he only awaited the opportunity to "knife" the dangerous competitor. The War of 1812 afforded this opportunity. The United States needed all its energies in the struggle for independence on the high seas, and, as the British merchant rightly conjectured, could not look after its interests in the Mediterranean. Immediately upon the declaration of war British emissaries informed the Bar- bary States that the United States as a maritime na- tion would be swept from the face of the earth, that its commerce would be annihilated, and that England would consent to peace only upon the stipulation that the United States forever afterward should build no ship of war heavier than a frigate. Stimulated by this assurance, and smarting under the punishment the United States had given them in 1805, the Barbary States assumed a hostile attitude. No sooner had the Dey of Algiers learned of the declaration of war than he hastened to pick a quarrel with the American consul at Algiers, Tobias Lear. He suddenly remembered that the Americans measured time by the sun, while the Moors reckoned it by the moon, and peremptorily demanded the difference in tribute, which during the seventeen years the treaty had existed amounted to about half a year, or twenty- seven thousand dollars, in the Dey's favor. In view of the war with England, Mr. Lear acceded to the Dey's extortion ; and that potentate, relying upon the assur- ance that the United States navy would be annihilated, soon found another pretext for dissatisfaction. He complained that the stores that were sent by the United States in the sailing ship AllegTiany, in lieu of tribute money, were of inferior quality, and on the 25th of July, 1812, he said that "the consul must depart in 1812. ALGIERS MAKES WAR. 5 the AUeghany^ as he would not have a consul in his regency who did not cause everything to be brought exactly as he had ordered." l About this time two large ships laden with powder, shot, cables, anchors and naval stores, sufficient to equip the entire Algerian fleet, arrived at Algiers under the escort of an English man-of-war a present from the British Government. The Dey lost no time in sending his corsairs out in search of American merchant ships. Fortunately, most of our traders, on learning of the probability of a war with Great Britain, had sought places of safety, so that only one vessel, the brig Edwin, of Salem, com- manded by George Smith, was captured. She was taken on the 2,5th of August, 1812, while running from Malta to Gibraltar, and her commander and crew, ten in all, were sold into slavery. The Dey's buccaneers, in their eagerness to enslave Americans, even boarded a vessel sailing under Spanish colors, and took from her a Mr. Pollard, of Virginia, and held him in bond- age also. Tripoli and Tunis, on the assurance of British agents that the United States navy would be swept from the seas in less than six months, allowed four prizes of the American privateer Abellino, which had been sent into their ports, to be recaptured by British cruisers. Our little navy was so occupied with its fight against the mistress of the ocean that these outrages could not be attended to immediately, but the Govern- ment secretly sent an agent to Spain to act in behalf of the friends of the captives and offered a ransom of three thousand dollars for each of them. The Dey rejected the offer, and defiantly expressed his determination of increasing the number of captives before entering upon negotiations. English predictions relative to the United States, from the 4th of July, 1776, to the present day, have been an almost unbroken list of disappointments. The case 1 Mr. Lear's report to the Secretary of State, July 29, 1812. Q WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815. in hand is one of them. When the British agent in- formed the Dey of Algiers that "the American flag would be swept from the seas, the contemptible navy of the United States annihilated and its maritime arse- nals reduced to a heap of ruins," he had, apparently, good grounds for that belief. That a navy of seven- teen efficient vessels, mounting fewer than four hun- dred and fifty guns, could exist in the face of a thou- sand war ships carrying nearly twenty-eight thousand guns, was indeed one of the marvels of naval history. But at the close of that struggle the United States navy had been increased to sixty-four vessels, mounting more than fifteen hundred guns, while the officers and crews had been trained in the severe school of war, and had developed into as fine a naval personnel as ever sailed the sea, They had humiliated the haugh- tiest flag on the ocean with overwhelming disasters, and, flushed with victory and confident in their prow- ess, they were just in the humor for chastising the insolent Turks of Algiers. Five days after the treaty with England had been proclaimed, or February 23, 1815, the President of the United States recommended that war be declared against Algiers. Two squadrons under the orders of Captain William Bainbridge were detailed on this serv- ice, the first assembling at Boston, and the second, commanded by Captain Stephen Decatur, at New York. It was a striking proof of the confidence the Government had in Captain Decatur, and how little it held him accountable for the loss of the President, that he was placed in this important command while the court-martial was still investigating the capture of his ship. The squadron collected at New York was the first to get under way, sailing May 20th, and having on board William Shaler, consul general to the Barbary States, who, with Captains Bainbridge and Decatur, had lull power to wage war or negotiate peace. The New 1815. DEFENSES OF ALGIERS. 7 York squadron consisted of the 44-gun frigate Guer- riere, Captain Stephen Decatur; the 38-gun frigate Macedonian, Captain Jacob Jones ; the 36-gun frigate Constellation, Captain Charles Gordon ; the 18-gun sloop of war fipermer, Master -Commandant John Downes ; the 18-gun sloop of war Ontario, Master- Commandant Jesse D. Elliott ; the 12-gun brig Fire- fly, Lieutenant George W. Rodgers ; the 12-gun brig Flambeau, Lieutenant John B. Nicholson ; the 12-gun brig Spark, Lieutnant Gamble; the 10-gun schooner Spitfire, Lieutenant A. J. Dallas ; and the 10-gun schooner Torch, Lieutenant Wolcott Chauncey ; total, ten vessels, mounting two hundred and ten guns. At the request of Captain Decatur, all the surviving offi- cers and men who had served under him in the Chesa- peake, the United States and the President were per- mitted to sail in the Guerriere, and nearly all availed themselves of the opportunity. It was no contemptible foe that the American fleet was directed against. The Algerian navy alone con- sisted of five frigates, six sloops of war, and one schooner ; in all, twelve vessels, carrying three hundred and sixty guns more than fifty per cent stronger than Decatur' s squadron. Their frigates carried 18- and 12- pounders, while their sloops were armed with 12-, 9- and 6-pounders. Their vessels were well equipped and manned, and their crews were thoroughly trained in modern warfare. The Algerian admiral, Rais Hammida, was the terror of the Mediterranean. He came from the fierce race of Kabyle mountaineers, who routed with great slaughter the French army under General Trezel, and again defeated the French under General Valee. Hammida had risen from the lowest to the highest place in the Algerian navy. It was he who captured, by boarding in broad daylight, a Portuguese frigate within sight of Gibraltar, and again, in 1810, with three frigates, boldly offered battle to a Portu- guese ship of the line and three frigates off the Rock WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815 - o of Lisbon. Soon afterward he captured a Tunisian frigate, under the command of an admiral, in single ship action. Comparative forces. American fleet : 10 vessels, mounting 210 guns. Algerian fleet : 12 vessels, mounting 360 guns. Besides this formidable naval force, the city of Al- giers itself was strongly fortified. It was built on the slope of a hill in the shape of a triangle, the base of which, a mile long, fronted the sea, while the sides rose like a pyramid, the apex being crowned by the casbah the ancient citadel of the deys-five hundred feet above sea level. The harbor, formed by an artificial mole, was defended by double and triple rows of heavy batteries, mounting two hundred and twenty guns. The town was protected by walls of immense thickness and mounted heavy guns, so that over five hundred pieces of ordnance bore upon the maritime approaches of the place. So strong were the defenses of this city that in the following year (1816), when England was compelled to act against the Barbary States, five ships of the line, five frigates, four bomb ketches and five gun brigs were deemed by the Lords of the Admiralty too small a force to send against it, while Lord Nelson, in a conversation with Captain Brisbane, mentioned twenty-five ships of the line as a requisite force. 1 When a few days out Decatur's squadron encoun- tered a violent gale, in which the Firefly sprung her masts and she was compelled to return to port. After- ward she joined Captain Bainbridge's squadron and went with it to the Mediterranean. The other vessels of Decatur's squadron continued on their course for the Azores. As the ships approached the coast of Portu- gal a careful lookout was maintained. Every sail was spoken to, and every inquiry made that might lead to the discovery of the Algerian squadron, which, it was 1 Life of Lord Exmouth, p. 309. 1815. SEARCHING FOR THE ENEMY. 9 thought, might be cruising in the Atlantic for American merchantmen. Finding no traces of the enemy, Cap- tain Decatur approached Cadiz to ascertain if Rais Hammida had passed the Straits of Gibraltar. Not wishing to make known the presence of an American naval force in these waters, he did not enter the port, but communicated with our consul by boat. It was learned that an Algerian squadron, consisting of three frigates and several smaller vessels, had been cruising in the Atlantic, but it was believed that it had passed into the Mediterranean. Still being in doubt as to the admiral's whereabouts, and wishing to take him by surprise, Captain Decatur arrived off Tangier June 15th, and from our consul at that port learned that Rais Hammida but two days before had passed the straits in the 46-gun frigate Maskouda, mounting 18- and 12-pounders, and was sailing up the Mediterranean with the intention of touching at Carthagena. Satisfied that he was on the right track, Decatur immediately headed for Gibraltar, where he anchored on the same day and learned that the Algerian ships had hove to off Cape Gata, waiting for a tribute of half a million dollars which Spain was to pay for the continuation of peace. Scarcely had the American squadron arrived at Gibraltar when a dispatch boat was observed getting under way, and upon inquiry it was found that it was making for Cape Gata to notify Rais Hammida of the presence of an American squadron. Soon afterward other boats were seen making off in the direction of Al- giers, evidently for the purpose of warning the Dey. Well knowing how easily the Moorish ships could elude him by running into some neutral port should they be warned of their danger, Captain Decatur promptly made sail again, hoping to come upon the admiral before the swift dispatch boats could reach him, and with a fair breeze the American ships stood up the Mediterranean. On the following night (June 10 WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815. 16th) the Macedonian and the brigs were sent in chase of several sails that were descried inshore, so that by daylight the squadron had become widely scattered. In the early dawn of the 17th, when the vessels were nearly abreast of Cape Gata, twenty miles from land, the Constellation discovered a large ship flying the flag of the grand admiral, and Captain Gordon sig- naled " An enemy to the southeast." Every precaution was taken to conceal the nationality of the American ships, as the Algerian had several miles the start and was within thirty hours of Algiers. Accordingly the Constellation was ordered back to her position on the beam of the flagship, while the other vessels quietly hauled up toward the unsuspecting Moor. The stranger was soon made out to be a frigate headed toward the African coast, lying to under her three topsails, with Scene of the naval operations in the Mediterranean in 1815. the maintopsail to the mast, evidently waiting for some communication from the shore. Master-Commandant Lewis asked permission to make sail and chase, but Decatur rightly conjectured that the news of his arrival in the Mediterranean had not reached the Algerian, so he gave the signal, "Do nothing to excite suspicion," and continued to bear down on the Moor. In this manner the ships gradually drew near, care- fully concealing all signs of hostility, as it was thought 1815. IN FULL CHASE. 11 that they would be taken for a British squadron. While they were still a mile from the chase, the Constellation, by some mistake of a quartermaster, hoisted American colors. To counteract this the Guerriere and all the other vessels showed English flags. But the mischief had been done. In an instant the Moor's rigging was swarming with men, and in an incredibly short time she was under a cloud of canvas and headed for Algiers. "Quicker work," remarked a spectator, "was never done by better seamen." The rigging of the American cruisers was now also alive with activity. Men were running up the shrouds and swinging out on the yards from dizzy heights ; orders were shouted from the quar- ter-deck to be echoed by the shrill piping of the boat- swain's whistle ; all was hurry and seeming confusion a startling contrast to the quiet that had pervaded the squadron but a moment before. Soon the great frigates were bowing under mountains of white canvas, the noise and confusion had subsided as suddenly as it arose, and the silence on their decks was disturbed only by the waves which, hurled back from the bows, dashed themselves against the sides of the ship. Every sail that would hold the wind was set, for Decatur feared that the Moor might elude him in the coming night, or gain a neutral port. The Constellation, being the south- ernmost ship in the squadron and nearest to the enemy, soon opened fire at long range, and several of her shot were seen to fall aboard the chase. Finding that he could not escape on this tack, the Moor suddenly came about and headed northeast, with a view of running into Carthagena. The pursuing ships promptly fol- lowed the mano3uvre, and the change brought the On- tario into such a position that she was obliged to cross the enemy's course about a quarter of a mile distant. But the Guerriere, passing between the Constellation and the Epermer, bore down to close. As the American flagship came within range the Turks opened fire, and the musketry soon became ef- 12 WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815. fective, wounding a man at the GuerrierJs wheel and injuring several others. Decatur, however, reserved his fire until his ship just cleared the enemy's yard- arms, when he poured in a full broadside. The havoc among the Algerians was awful. Their admiral, Rais Hammida, who had been wounded by a shot from the Constellation and refused to go below, and was resting on a couch on the quarter-deck, animating his men, was literally cut in two by a 42-pound shot. The Guer- riere's men coolly loaded again, and before the smoke had cleared away they poured in a second broadside. At this second fire one of her main-deck guns burst, shattering the spar deck above and killed three men and wounded seventeen. No signal of surrender had yet been made by the Turks, but a few of their men in the tops bravely re- mained at their posts and continued the action until shot down by American marines. Not wishing to shed blood unnecessarily, Decatur passed ahead and took a position off the enemy's bow, where he was out of range. Availing themselves of this, the Mussulmans put their helm up and endeavored to escape. This manoeuvre placed the little 18-gun brig Epermer directly in the course of the huge Algerian ; but, instead of getting out of the way, Master-Commandant Downes boldly opened his puny broadsides and took a position under the frig- ate's cabin ports, so that by skillfully backing and fill- ing away he avoided a collision, and at the same time poured in nine broadsides, which compelled the enemy, after a running action of twenty-five minutes, to sur- render. Decatur afterward remarked that he had never seen a vessel more skillfully handled, nor so heavy a fire kept up from one so small. The Guerriere now took possession, while Master-Commandant Lewis and Midshipmen Howell and Hoffman w r ent aboard with the prize crew. The Mashouda had been severely cut up, and her decks presented a dreadful scene. Splashes of blood, fragments of the human body, pieces of torn 1815. CAPTURE OF THE ESTIDO. 13 clothing and the general debris of battle were seen on all sides. Thirty out of a crew of four hundred and thirty-six men were killed or wounded, while four hun- dred and six prisoners were taken. The Guerriere's loss from the enemy's fire was" three killed and eleven wounded. In the afternoon after the capture Captain Decatur made a signal for all the officers of the squadron to come aboard the flagship. On being conducted to his cabin they found the table covered with Turkish dag- gers, scimiters, yataghans and pistols. Turning to Master-Commandant Downes, Captain Decatur said : "As you were fortunate in obtaining a favorable posi- tion and maintained it so handsomely, you shall have the first choice of these weapons." Each of the other officers selected some memento of the fight, in the order of their rank. The Mashouda was sent to Carthagena under the escort of the Macedonian, while the remain- der of the squadron, after taking prisoners aboard, set out in search of the other Algerian vessels, which were thought to be in the vicinity. On the 19th of June, while they were approaching Cape Palos, a suspicious brig was sighted, and the American ships immediately gave chase, while the stranger made every effort to get away. After a hard run of three hours the brig suddenly ran into shoal water, where the frigates could not follow, but the Htpervier, the Spar ft, the Torch and the Spitfire con- tinued the pursuit and soon opened fire. Upon this the brig, still keeping up a running fire, ran ashore be- tween the towers of Estacio and Albufera (which had been erected on the coast for the purpose of observing the approach of Barbary pirates in their kidnaping expeditions), and the Moors took to their boats, one of which was sunk by shot from the pursuing vessels. The Americans took possession and secured eighty- three prisoners. The prize proved to be the Algerian 22-gun brig Estido, with a crew of one hundred and WAR WITH ALGIERS. l815 - eighty men, twenty-three of whom were found dead on Sr decks The prize was floated off and sent with the gerian vessels would make for Algiers, determined to sail for that port in the hope of cutting them off A council of the officers was called, which resolved that this was the time for securing a treaty with the Dey, and it was decided to blockade the squadron and bom- bard the town if he failed to come to terms. On the 28th of June the squadron appeared before Algiers and on the following morning the Guerriere displayed a white flag at the fore and Swedish colors at the mam- a signal for the Swedish consul, Mr. Norderling, to come aboard. About noon the consul arrived, accom- panied by the Algerian captain of the port. Decatur asked the latter what had become of the Algerian squadron, to which the port captain replied, "By this time it is safe in some neutral port." " Not the whole of it," responded Decatur, "for we have captured the Mashouda and the Estido." The Moor discredited the information, until a lieutenant of the Mashouda, emaciated and weak from his wounds, stepped forward and confirmed the news. Greatly affected, and trem- bling for the remainder of the squadron, the Moor inti- mated that peace might be negotiated, and inquired what terms were demanded. A letter from the Presi- dent of the United States to the Dey was handed to him, in which the only conditions of peace were the absolute relinquishment of all claim to tribute in the future and a guarantee that American commerce would not be molested by Algerian corsairs. The captain of the port suggested that the commissioners should land according to custom, and then enter upon the negoti- ations, but as his real object was to gain time this was promptly rejected, and Decatur insisted that the treaty be negotiated on board the Guerriere or not at all. The Moor then went ashore to convey the news to his master. 1815. THE DEY BEGS FOR TIME. 15 On the following day, June 30th, the captain of the port boarded the Guerriere with full powers to nego- tiate. Decatur had determined to strike a mortal blow at their system of piracy, and he gave as the only terms that all Americans in the possession of Algiers be given up without ransom, all their effects (which long since had been distributed) be made good in money, Chris- tians escaping to American vessels should not be re- turned, the sum of ten thousand dollars should be paid to the owners of the Edwin, and from this time the re- lations between the two nations be precisely the same as those between all civilized nations. The Moor urged that it was not the present Dey who had declared war against the United States, but Hadji Ali, who for his great cruelty had been surnamed the " Tiger," and that he had been assassinated March 23d, and his Prime Minister, who had succeeded him, had been murdered April 18th ; that Omar Pasha, the present Dey, who for his great courage had won the title of "Omar the Terrible," had no agency in the war and was not ac- countable for the acts of his predecessors. But Decatur was inexorable. The Algerian captain requested that a truce might be declared until he could lay the terms before the Dey, but this also was denied. He then asked for a truce of three hours, but Decatur replied : "Not a minute ! If your squadron appears before the treaty is actually signed by the Dey, and before the American prisoners are sent aboard, I will capture it." In great trepidation the Moor hastened ashore, and it was understood that if his boat was observed returning to the Guerriere with a white flag in the bow it meant that the Dey had acceded to the terms. When he had been absent about an hour an Al- gerian ship of war was discovered approaching from the east. It was filled with Turkish soldiers from Tunis. Decatur promptly ordered his vessels to be cleared for action, and, laying his Turkish scimiter and pistols on the capstan of the Guerriere, he called the men aft and 16 WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815. addressed them in his usual hearty style. But before the vessels could fairly get underway the port captain's boat was observed pulling energetically from the shore with a white flag in her bow. Somewhat vexed, Decatur waited for it, and when it was within hailing distance asked if the treaty had been signed and the prisoners released. He was answered in the affirmative, and soon the boat ran alongside and the captives were brought aboard. It was a pitiful sight to see these men, wasted and emaciated by their years of bondage, greeting their fellow-countrymen. Some of them lovingly kissed the American colors, others wept for joy, and some gave thanks to the Almighty for the unexpected deliverance. In less than sixteen days from the time the squadron arrived on the scene of trouble a more advantageous treaty than had ever been made with a foreign power had been signed by the Dey, and all the demands of the American Government were complied with. After signing the treaty the Dey's Prime Minister reproach- fully said to the British consul : " You told us that the Americans would be swept from the seas in six months by your navy, and now they make war upon us with some of your own vessels which they have taken." The vessels referred to were the Macedonian, the fipervier and the (new) Guerriere. The iipermer^ Lieutenant John Templer Shubrick, was now sent to the United States with a copy of the treaty and the ten liberated captives. The little brig passed the Straits of Gibraltar on the 12th of July and never was heard from again. A vessel answering to her description was seen by the British West India fleet during a heavy gale, and as several of the merchantmen foundered in that storm it was thought possible that the Bpermer might have been in collision with some of them. On board the lost man-of-war were Captain Lewis and Lieutenant Neale, who had married sisters on the eve of their departure for the Mediterranean and were now returning after the successful termination of 1815. TUNIS BROUGHT TO TERMS. 17 the war. Lieutenant Yarnell (who had distinguished himself in the battle of Lake Erie) and Lieutenant Drury also were aboard. Midshipman Josiah Tattnall, afterward commander of the celebrated Merrimac, was in the JSpervier just before she sailed on her fatal voy- age, but exchanged places with a brother officer in the Constellation who was desirous of returning home. Captain Decatur now gave his attention to Tunis and Tripoli, which regencies had allowed the prizes of the American privateer AbelUno to be seized by British cruisers. These towns also were strongly fortified and had a considerable naval force. The American squad- ron anchored before Tunis on the 26th of July, and with his usual promptness Captain Decatur informed the Bey that only twelve hours would be allowed him in which to pay forty-six thousand dollars for allow- ing the seizure of the AbelUno 's prizes by the British cruiser Lyra. Mordecai M. Noah, United States con- sul at that place, who conveyed the terms of the treaty to the Bey, describes the interview: " 'Tell your ad- miral to come and see me,' said the Bey. ' He declines coming, your Highness, until these disputes are settled, which are best done on board the ship.' 'But this is not treating me w r ith becoming dignity. Hammuda Pasha, of blessed memory, commanded them to land and wait at the palace until he was pleased to receive them.' 'Very likely, Your Highness, but that was twenty years ago.' After a pause the Bey exclaimed : 4 1 know this admiral ; he is the same one who, in the war with Sidi Jusef, of Trablis, burned the frigate ' [the Philadelphia]. 'The same.' 'Hum! Why do they send wild young men to treat for peace with old pow- ers? Then, you Americans do not speak the truth. You went to war with England, a nation with a great fleet, and said you took her frigates in equal fight. Honest people always speak the truth.' ' Well, sir, and that was true. Do you see that tall ship in the bay fly- ing a blue flag ? It is the Guerriere, taken from the Brit- 47 lg WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815. ish. That one near the small island, the Macedonian, was also captured by Decatur on equal terms. The sloop near Cape Carthage, the Peacock, was also taken in battle.' The Bey laid down the telescope, reposed on his cushions, and, with a small tortoise-shell comb set with diamonds, combed his beard. A small vessel got under way and came near the batteries ; a pinnace with a few men rowed toward the harbor, and a man dressed in the garb of a sailor was taking soundings. It was Decatur." The Bey decided to accept the terms, and afterward received Decatur with every mark of respect. A brother of the Prime Minister brought the money, and, turning angrily upon the British consul, said: "You see, sir, what Tunis is obliged to pay for your insolence. You should feel ashamed of the disgrace you have brought upon us. I ask you if you think it just, first to violate our neutrality and then leave us to be destroyed or pay for your aggressions?" From this port Decatur proceeded to Tripoli, where he dropped anchor on the 5th of August, and with his usual straightforwardness came to the object of his mission. His terms with the Bashaw were thirty thou- sand dollars for the two prizes of the Abellino seized by the British cruiser Paulina, a salute of thirty-one guns from the Bashaw's castle to the flag at the American consulate, and that the negotiations take place in the Guerriere. At first the Bashaw put on a bold front, and, assembling his twenty thousand Arabs, manned his batteries and threatened to declare war ; but when he heard of the treatment Algiers and Tunis had re- ceived he promptly changed his demeanor, the more speedily when he observed the American squadron making preparations to renew the scenes of the bom- bardment of 1804. The Governor of Tripoli boarded the Guerriere with full power to negotiate. On the assurance of the American consul that twenty-five thousand dollars would cover the loss of the prizes, 1815. A MOMENT OF PERIL. 19 Decatur consented to this redaction, provided that ten Christians held by the Bashaw as slaves be re- leased. "Two of these slaves were Danish youths, countrymen of the worthy Mr. Nissen, who had been so indefatigable in exercising kind offices toward the officers of the Philadelphia while they were captives in Tripoli. The others were Sicilians, being a gentle- man with his wife and children who had been captured together and involved in one common misfortune." 1 These conditions having been acceded to by the Bashaw and the money handed over, the Guerriere's band was landed, and treated the natives to a purely American rendering of " Hail, Columbia ! " Having adjusted the difficulties with the Barbary States in true man-of-war style, Decatur sailed for Sicily and landed the captives, and the rest of the squadron made for Gibraltar. While the Guerriere was beating down the coast from Carthagena alone, against a moderate breeze, she met the remainder of the Algerian squadron, which had put into Malta. Fearing that the treacherous Moors might be tempted to renew hostilities under such favorable circumstances, Captain Decatur cleared for action, and, collecting his crew on the quarter-deck, addressed them as follows : "My lads, those fellows are approaching us in a threat- ening manner. We have whipped them into a treaty, and if the treaty is to be broken let them break it. Be careful of yourselves. Let any man fire without orders at the peril of his life. But let them fire first if they will, and we'll take the whole of them." The crew was sent back to quarters and all was expectation and silence, while care was taken not to approach too near the primed and leveled guns, lest they might be ac- cidentally discharged. On came the Algerian ships in line of battle, seven in all four frigates and three sloops. They passed close to the Guerriere in ominous 1 Mackenzie's Life of Decatur, p. 278. 20 WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815. silence, until their last ship, the admiral's, drew near and hailed, "Dove andante ? " (Where are you going 2) To this Decatuf defiantly, replied "Dove mi piace" (Where it pleases me). Nothing followed this gruff re- tort, and the ships continued on their courses. On the 6th of October Captain Decatur's squadron assembled at Gibraltar, where it found the vessels under Captain Bainbridge : the 74-gun ship of the line Independence, the 44-gun frigate United States, the 36-gun frigate Congress, the 18-gun sloop of war Erie, the 16-gun brig Boxer, the 16-gun brig CTiippewa, the 16-gun brig Saranac, the 12-gun schooner Enterprise, the 12-gun brig Firefly and the 5-gun sloop Lynx. The imposing appearance presented by the two squad- rons united at England's impregnable stronghold so soon after the cessation of hostilities occasioned no lit- tle chagrin in the British garrison, and caused some merriment among the Spanish and foreign residents. They took delight in pointing out the Guerriere, the Macedonian, the Epermer and the Boxer names long associated with Britishnaval supremacy, but now calmly flying American colors under the frowning Rock of Gib- raltar and before the sullen faces of its garrison. The frequent recurrence of such names as Java, Erie, Cham- plain, Peacock, Ontario, Penguin, Frolic, Reindeer, Avon, Cyane and Levant, gave rise to much ill feeling and brought about several duels. English officials had circulated a report that the Americans were not allowed to build ships of the line, but the appearance of the noble Independence contradicted them. It was not to be expected that the Dey of Algiers, on reflection, would calmly submit to the unusual con- ditions of his American treaty without many regrets. Some of the consuls of European nations at Algiers also were mortified at the affair, and encouraged the Dey in the belief that "it was disgraceful to the Faithful to humble themselves before Christian dogs" in this man- ner. The discontent of the Dey was further increased by 1815. A SECOND SQUADRON BEFORE ALGIERS. 21 the treaty that he succeeded in negotiating with Lord Exmouth, shortly after Decatur's squadron left Algiers. Notwithstanding the fact that the British squadron consisted of six line of battle ships, two fiigates, three sloops of war, a bomb ship and several transports, he consented to pay nearly four hundred thousand dollars for twelve thousand Neapolitan and Sardinian captives. Encouraged by this "diplomatic victory "over Lord Exmouth, the Dey became bolder, and on the departure of the English ships, the American consul, William Sha- ler, had an audience with the Dey and gave him the copy of Decatur's treaty that had been ratified by the Senate and was brought out in the/aoa, Captain Oliver Hazard Perry. The Dey affected not to understand why it was necessary to "ratify" a treaty, and said he believed it to be unsatisfactory to the United States Government. He was indignant because a brig cap- tured by Captain Decatur on the coast of Spain within the three-mile limit had been delivered up to the Span- ish authorities. The Dey abruptly terminated the con- ference by remarking that the Americans "were un- worthy of his confidence." The next day he refused to hold another audience with Mr. Shaler, and referred him to the vizier, who returned the ratified treaty with insulting expressions, upon which Mr. Shaler hauled down his flag and went aboard the Java. In antici- pation of some trouble of this sort a squadron had been collected off Algiers : the 44-gun frigate United States, Captain John Shaw ; the 36-gun frigate Constel- lation Captain Charles Gordon ; the 44-gun frigate Java ; the 18-gun sloop of war Erie, Master-Commandant William Crane ; the 18-gun sloop of war Ontario, Mas- ter Commandant John Downes. This squadron sailed from Port Mahon early in April and arrived before Al- giers on the 8th of April. When the Americans heard of the action of the Dey they drew up their squadron in a position to bombard the Algerian war ships at the mole. Arrangements also were made for a night at- 22 "WAR WITH ALGIERS. 1815. tack. All the boats in the squadron, with twelve hun- dred volunteers, were divided into two flotillas, one of which was to attack the water battery and spike the guns while the other was to carry the land batteries. Ladders were prepared for scaling the walls, and cut- lasses and boarding-pikes were sharpened. Captain Gordon was to command the expedition, and Captain Perry to be second in command. But on the night the attack was to be made the commander of a French frigate discovered the preparations and informed the Dey, who became so alarmed that he quickly came to terms, with renewed expressions of friendship, and the treaty was formally signed. From Algiers the squadron visited Tripoli, Syra- cuse, Messina and Palermo. At the latter port it was learned that the Bey of Tunis also was dissatisfied with the conditions of Decatur's treaty, and on the 18th of June the squadron appeared at that port, upon which the Bey retracted his warlike utterances. The United States, the Constellation, the Erie and the Ontario, under the command of Captain Shaw, were now detailed for the Mediterranean squadron, while the remainder of the American fleet sailed for America in October. Shortly afterward the 74-gun ship of the line Washington, Captain Isaac Chauncey, arrived at Gibraltar and became the flagship of the squadron. CHAPTER II. SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. THE success of the United States in securing its in- dependence of Great Britain encouraged the Spanish colonies in America to throw off the yoke of the mother country, and a long series of bloody wars followed. The process of revolutionizing governments, at best, is generally attended by acts of violence, and when un- dertaken by the ignorant and depraved people of the Spanish- American colonies it led to rapine and piracy. When the standard of rebellion was raised in these provinces adventurers and outlaws from many coun- tries flocked to it, ostensibly to serve against Spain, but in reality attracted by the prospects of plunder. Shortly after the second war between the United States and Great Britain the republics of Buenos Ayres and Venezuela commissioned swift-sailing ves- sels, manned by twenty-five to one hundred men, as privateers to prey on Spanish merchantmen. It was not long before these ships began to plunder vessels of neutral nations, and, as their first acts of violence were not promptly checked, piracy soon spread to an alarm- ing extent. Like their confreres of the preceding cen- tury, who began their depredations with prayer, these "patriots afloat" at first went to sea with a religious benediction and were denominated "Brethren of the Coast." Piracy became so lucrative that the farmers and salt-makers living near the sea abandoned their calling and took to buccaneering. Concealing their boats and schooners in creeks and coves, they attacked unsuspecting merchantmen, plundered the vessels, and 23 24 SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1819. after murdering the crews or setting them adrift, as the exigencies of the occasion required, they returned to their homes. If a man-of-war visited the scene of out- rage, or the civil authorities made an investigation, the buccaneers suddenly resumed their original vocation, and in this guise gave false information. It was not long before the pirates had organized themselves into a secret service, by means of which messages as to the movements of cruisers and merchantmen were sent along the coast in an incredibly short time. The local authorities and some of the high officials connived at the nefarious practice, while many merchants in the large cities boldly announced that they dealt exten- sively in goods " at a peculiarly low figure." Although not every instance of piracy was attended by murder, yet there were many cases of wanton cruelty and cold- blooded butchery that the cheap novels have failed to exaggerate. A drifting hulk, with strong boxes broken open, the hold plundered, and here and there splashes of blood on the cabin furniture or bulwarks, and putre- fying corpses scattered about the decks covered with sea birds feeding on the carrion, were the unmistakable evidences of their work. The Government of the United States was anxious to maintain friendly relations with the republics of Buenos Ayres and Venezuela, which it had been the first to recognize, but at the same time reports of out- rages on American merchantmen continued to come in with alarming frequency, and in 1819 Captain Oliver Hazard Perry was called upon to perform the delicate task of putting a stop to piracy while still retaining the good will of these republics. The John Adams, flag- ship, the Constellation, Master-Commandant Alexander Scammell Wadsworth, and the Nonsuch, Lieutenant Alexander Claxton, were detailed for this duty. The principal point to be obtained from the Venezuelan Government was a complete list and description of all the privateers it had commissioned, so that American 1819. CAPTAIN PERRY IN THE ORINOCO. 25 cruisers would have less difficulty in distinguishing the miscreants. Captain Perry arrived at the mouth of the Orinoco River, July 15, 1819, and as there were only sixteen feet of water on the bar he shifted his flag to the Nonsuch and began the ascent of the river. He describes this journey in his private journal as follows : " The sun, as soon as it shows itself in the morning, strikes almost through you. Mosquitoes, sand flies and gnats cover you, and as the sun gets up higher it be- comes entirely calm, and the rays pour down a heat that is insufferable. The fever that it creates, together with the irritation caused by the insects, produces a thirst which is insatiable, to quench which we drink water at a temperature of eighty-two degrees. About four o'clock in the afternoon a rain squall, accompanied by a little wind, generally takes place. It might be supposed that this would cool the air, but not so, for the steam which arises as soon as the sun comes out makes the heat still more intolerable. At length night approaches, and we go close inshore and anchor. Myr- iads of mosquitoes and gnats come off to the vessel and compel us to sit over strong smoke created by burning oakum and tar, rather than endure their terrible stings, until, wearied and exhausted, we go to bed to endure new torments. Shut up in the berth of a small cabin, if there is any air stirring not a breath of it can reach us. The mosquitoes, more persevering, follow us and annoy us the whole night by their noise and bites, un- til, almost mad with the heat and pain, we rise to go through the same troubles the next day." On reaching Angostura, three hundred miles up the river, July 26th, Captain Perry asked for the list of commissioned privateers, and said that the American schooner Brutus, commanded by Nicholas Joly, had been illegally condemned and sold in a Venezuelan port. President Bolivar being away with the army, Vice-President Don Antonio Francisco Zea gave the American officer an audience and promised to furnish 26 SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1819. the desired information in a few days. At that time the town was afflicted with fever, and two Englishmen, liv- ing in the house with Captain Perry, died from it. The crew of the Nonsuch became sickly, while the Creoles were dying almost every day. The surgeon of the Nonsuch also was taken down with the fever. But still Perry remained in the plague-stricken place day after day, waiting for an answer to his communications. The natives of the place were opposed to the Americans and friendly to the English, and paragraphs from Eng- lish papers hostile to the United States were trans- lated and printed. On the llth of August Captain Perry received an official reply to his demand, in which indemnity was promised. The Vice- President urged him to remain until August 14th, in order to attend a dinner to be given in his honor in the name of the Gov- ernment. In spite of the danger, Captain Perry deemed it his duty to remain in the fever-stricken place, as he feared a refusal might give offense. He sailed from Angostura on the 15th, and on the night of the 17th reached the bar, where he was detained by a strong southwest breeze. During the night occa- sional dashes of spray fell, over the Nonsuch, and, de- scending the companionway, fell on Captain Perry, who was sleeping in his berth, but did not arouse him. At four o'clock in the morning he awoke with a chill, and it was not long before he showed all the symptoms of the dreaded fever, and on the 24th of August he died aboard ship just as the Nonsuch reached Port of Spain, Trini- dad. It happened that many of the officers and men of the British regiment stationed at this place had served in the battle of Lake Erie and entertained the highest respect for Captain Perry, and remembered his kind- nesses to them when they were his prisoners. When it was known that he was about to visit Trinidad, ex- tensive preparations were made to give him a cordial reception ; and when the dead body of the American commander was brought ashore the preparations for 1821. CRUISING FOR PIRATES. 27 festivity were changed into mourning. Captain Perry was buried with the highest civic and military honors, Sir Ralph Woodford, the governor, attending the fune- ral with his entire suite. Perry's body afterward was removed to Newport, R. I. 1 It was not until 1821 that piracy became so general in the West Indies as to compel the United States Gov- ernment to take vigorous measures against it. In the autumn of this year the following vessels were detailed for service in the West Indies The 18-gun sloop of war Hornet, Master-Commandant Robert Henley ; the 12-gun brig Enterprise, Lieutenant Lawrence Kearny ; the 12-gun brig Spark; the 12-gun schooner Shark; the 12-gun schooner Porpoise, Lieutenant James Ramage ; the 12-gun schooner Grampus, Lieu- tenant Francis Hoyt Gregory ; and three gunboats. Considering the extent to which piracy had grown, the innumerable hiding places in which the marauders could conceal themselves and the facilities offered by the officials, it could not be expected that this force would accomplish much. Yet great activity was dis- played by the commanders of these vessels, and Lieu- tenant Kearny, while cruising off Cape Antonio, Octo- ber 16th, came upon four piratical craft in the act of plundering three American merchantmen. As the ves- sels were close inshore, where there was not enough water for the Enterprise to follow, Lieutenant Kearny promptly manned five boats and sent them to the res- cue. On the approach of the Americans the bucca- neers, after setting fire to two of the schooners, made sail to escape. Two of their schooners and one sloop, having about forty men aboard, were captured and taken to Charleston. A month later Lieutenant Kearny destroyed a resort of the pirates near Cape Antonio, 1 On November 16, 1825, Thomas Macdonough, the hero of the battle of Lake Champlain, died at sea, ten days out from Gibraltar, homeward bound. After the War of 1812 he was active in the service, and had just been relieved of the command of the Mediterranean squadron when he died. 28 SUPPRESSION OP PIRACY. 1821-1822. and on the 21st of December he captured a piratical schooner, but its crew of twenty-five men escaped. While in the vicinity of this place the Enterprise, on the 6th of March, 1822, captured four barges and three launches with one hundred and sixty men. In the meantime, October 29, 1821, Master-Commandant Eobert Henley, in the Hornet, captured the schooner Moscow, which he sent into Norfolk ; and on the 17th of January, 1822, a boat party of forty men under Lieuten- ant James Freeman Curtis, of the Porpoise, captured a piratical schooner. Manning the prize, Curtis pro- ceeded some ten miles down the coast and captured in handsome style the principal rendezvous of the pirates, making three prisoners and destroying five vessels, one of them " a beautiful new 60-ton schooner." Piracy in the West Indies had become too wide- spread to be checked by a few captures, and in the spring of 1822 the American squadron was placed under the command of Captain James Biddle, and was re-enforced by the 38-gun frigate Macedonian, flag- ship ; the 36-gun frigate Congress ; the 28-gun cor- vette John Adams ; the 18-gun sloop of war Peacock, Master-Commandant Stephen Cassin ; and the 12-gun schooner Alligator, Lieutenant William Howard Allen. One of the first captures made by this squadron was effected by the Shark, Lieutenant Matthew Calbraith Perry, and the Grampus, Lieutenant Gregory. In June these little cruisers overtook and after a sharp fight captured the notorious pirate Bandar a D'San- gare, and another piratical craft. Meeting the Con- gress at sea, July 24th, they put all the prisoners aboard the frigate, while the Shark and the Grampus continued their cruise, and before the season was over Lieutenant Perry captured five buccaneering craft. Near St. Croix the Grampus captured the famous pirate brig Pandrita, a vessel of superior force. While cruising on this station, August 16, 1822, the Grampus chased a brigantine that was flying Spanish 1822. DEATH OP LIEUTENANT ALLEN. 29 colors, but, believing her to be a pirate, Lieutenant Gregory insisted on her surrender. In reply to his summons he received a discharge of cannon and mus- ketry, which was promptly returned, and in less than four minutes the stranger hauled down her flag. On boarding, she was found to be the privateer Palmira, of Porto Rico, which had recently plundered the American schooner Coquette. The prize carried one long 18-pounder and eight short 18-pounders, with a crew of eighty-eight men, of whom one was killed and six were wounded. The Grampus was uninjured. The Palmira was one of the many vessels sailing with a privateer's commission that had resorted to piracy as the shortest road to wealth. On the 28th and 30th of September the Peacock, Master-Commandant Stephen Cassin, captured five piratical craft. This success was followed, November 8th, by a spirited attack on three piratical schooners. While lying in the harbor of Matanzas, Lieutenant Allen, who had distinguished himself in the Argus-Pelican fight, in 1813, heard that three schooners flying the black flag and manned by about three hundred men were forty-five miles up the coast, with five merchantmen in their possession. Promptly getting under way, Lieu- tenant Allen came upon the buccaneers on the following day, and as the shoal water prevented the Alligator from closing on them the boats were ordered out. The pirates immediately made sail, and at the same time opened a heavy fire on the pursuing boats. One of their musket shot struck Lieutenant Allen in the head while he was standing in his boat (which was in ad- vance of the others) animating his men by his example, and soon afterward another ball entered his breast, and in a few hours he died. The Americans continued the chase and captured one of the schooners, besides re- capturing the five merchant vessels. The pirates did not wait to be boarded, but took to their boats and es- caped with their two remaining schooners, not, however, 30 SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1822-1823. without a loss of fourteen killed and a large number of wounded. The American loss was three killed, two mortally wounded and three injured. The captured schooner mounted one long 12-pounder, two long 6- pounders, and four light guns. Lieutenant Allen was born in Hudson, N. Y., on the 8th of November, 1790, and entered the navy as a midshipman January 1, 1808. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant July 24, 1817, and displayed great gallantry in the Argus-Peli- can fight. Halleck wrote a poem on his death. In the night of November 19th the Alligator was lost on Carysford Reef, but her officers and crew were saved. The service in which the American squadron was engaged was peculiarly hazardous and exhausting. Much of the work was done in open boats, so that the men were not only exposed to the enemy's bullets but to the fierce rays of the sun, while the cruisers were continually in danger of hurricanes and wreck on the treacherous shoals. From the proximity to swamps and sickly localities, fever and malaria were not the least dangerous of their foes. The connivance of the local authorities enabled many pirates to escape when chased to shore, and it was only with considerable di- plomacy that Captain Biddle secured permission to land and pursue them into their haunts. It became more and more apparent to the Government that a larger number of small craft was necessary for this service, because of the shoal waters and narrow creeks in which the marauders took refuge. Early in 1823 Captain David Porter was appointed commander of the West India forces, but before sailing from the United States he secured five barges fitted with twenty oars each for the service. They were appropriately styled the mosquito fleet, and were named the Mosquito, the Gnat, the Midge, the Sandfiy and the Gallinipper insects with which their crews were destined to be un- pleasantly familiar. To this force were added eight small schooners armed with three guns each, named 1823. THE ATTACK ON THE FOX. 31 the Greyhound, the Jackal, the Fox, the Wildcat, the Beagle, the Ferret, the TFeaseZ and the Terrier. A New York steam ferryboat, about one third of the size of the present vessels, was fitted up for the service and named the Seagull. The store vessel Decoy, mounting six guns also was purchased. Captain Porter's flag- ship was the Peacock, and the other cruisers under his orders were the John Adams, the Hornet, the Spark, the Grampus and the Shark. The entire force under his command was not equal to three first-rate frigates. Arriving off Porto Rico in March. 1823, Captain Porter made it his first object to secure the co-operation of the local authorities, and with that end in view he dispatched the Greyhound, Master-Commandant John Porter, March 3d, with a letter to the Governor of Porto Rico. Not getting a prompt reply, he sent the Fox, Lieutenant W. H. Cocke, into the harbor to inquire about the governor's answer. As the Fox was standing into the port a shot was fired over her from the fort, and as she did not immediately heave to another shot was fired, which killed Lieutenant Cocke. The fort followed this up with four other shot, when the Fox came to anchor under its guns. On making an in- quiry, Captain Porter was informed that the governor was absent and had left orders to the commander of the fort to allow no suspicious vessels to enter, and it was in pursuance of this order that the Fox had been fired upon. It was the general belief of the American officers that the act was a retaliation for the capture of the Palmira. The matter was reported to the Govern- ment, but nothing further was done. The American naval force was now divided so as to scour the northern and southern coasts of St. Domingo and Cuba, after which the vessels were to rendezvous at Key West, where Captain Porter intended to build hospitals and storehouses and to make it his headquar- ters. In carrying out this programme, the Greyhound, Lieutenant Lawrence Kearny, and the Beagle, Lieuten- 32 SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1823. ant J. T. Newton, came upon a nest of pirates at Cape Cruz and destroyed eight of their boats, besides a bat- tery mounting a 4-pounder and two swivels. This was not done without a fierce struggle, and the wife of the pirate chief fought with desperate ferocity before she was overpowered, while her children kindled fires to warn other piratical resorts in the neighborhood. Many human bones and quantities of stolen merchan- dise were found in a cave near by. Midshipman David Glasgow Farragut, who commanded the landing party, gives a graphic description of this attack in his Jour- nal as follows : "Cruising all through the Jardines and around the Isle of Pines we kept a watchful eye on the coast, but nothing occurred until one day when we were anchored off Cape Cruz in company with the Beagle. Kearny and Newton went on shore in one of the boats to see if there was any game in the neighborhood. The boat's crew was armed as usual, and had been on shore but a short time when a man suddenly crossed the path. 1 From his suspicious appearance one of the sailors, named McCabe, leveled his gun at the stranger and was about to pull the trigger, when his arm was arrested by Kearny, who asked what he was aiming at. 'A d d pirate, sir,' was the response. 'How do you know?' 'By his rig,' said the man promptly. By this time the fellow had disappeared ; but our men had scarcely taken their seats in the boat in readiness to shove oil, when they received a full volley of mus- ketry from the dense woods or chaparral. The fire was returned as soon as possible, but with no effect as far as could be ascertained, the pirates being well con- cealed behind the bushes. On board the Greyhound we could hear the firing, but could render no assist- ance, as Lieutenant Kearny had the only available boat belonging to the vessel. Kearny reached us at dark, re- lated his adventure, and ordered me to be in readiness to land with a party at three o'clock the next morning. 1823. A LAND ATTACK. 33 "The schooner was to warp up inside the rocks to cover the attacking party. I landed, accompanied by Mr. Harrison, of the Beagle, the marines of both ves- sels, numbering twelve men, and the stewards and boys, making in all a force of seventeen. We had or- ders to keep back from the beach, that we might not be mistaken for pirates and receive the fire of the vessels. We were all ignorant of the topography of the coast, and when we landed found ourselves on a narrow strip of land covered with a thick and almost impass- able chaparral, separated from the mainland by a la- goon. With great difficulty we made our way through marsh and bramble, clearing a passage with cutlasses, till we reached the mouth of the lagoon. We were compelled to show ourselves on the beach at this point, and narrowly escaped being fired upon from the Grey- Ttound, but luckily, covered with mud as I was, Lieu- tenant Kearny with his glass made out my epaulet and immediately sent boats to transport us across to the eastern shore. We found the country there very rocky, and the rock was honeycombed and had the appearance of iron, with sharp edges. The men from the Beagle joined us, which increased my force to about thirty men. The captain, in the meantime, wishing to be certain as to the character of the men who had fired on him the previous evening, pulled boldly up again in his boat with a flag flying. Scarce- ly was he within musket range when from under the bluffs of the cape he received a volley of musketry and a discharge from a 4-pound swivel. There was no longer any doubt in the matter, and, considering that the enemy had too large a force to imperil his whole command on shore, Kearny decided to re-embark all but my original detachment, and I was ordered to attack the pirates in the rear while the schooners at- tacked them in front. The pirates had no idea that our schooners could get near enough to reach them, but in this they were mistaken, for, by pulling along 48 34 SUPPRESSION OP PIRACY. 1823. among the rocks, our people were soon able to bring their guns to bear on the bluffs, which caused a scat- tering among the miscreants. My party all this time was struggling through the thicket that covered the rocks, the long, sharp thorns of the cactus giving us a great deal of trouble. Then there was a scrubby thorn bush, so thick as almost to shut out the air, rendering it next to impossible to get along any faster than we could hew our way with the cutlasses. The heat had become so intense that Lieutenant Somerville, who had accompanied us, fainted. Our progress was so slow that by the time the beach was reached the pirates were out of sight. Now and then a fellow would be seen in full run, and apparently fall down and dis- appear from view. We caught one old man in this difficult chase. " Our surprise was very great, on returning to make an examination of the place lately vacated by the pi- rates, to find that they had several houses, from fifty to one hundred feet long, concealed from view, and a dozen boats and all the necessary apparatus for tur- tling and fishing as well as for pirating. An immense cave was discovered, filled with plunder of various kinds, including many articles marked with English labels, with saddles and costumes worn by the higher classes of Spanish peasants. In the vicinity were found several of these caves, in which a thousand men might have concealed themselves and held the strong position against a largely superior force. We con- tented ourselves with burning their houses and carry- ing off the plunder, cannon etc., and returned to the vessel. The only man we captured, who had every ap- pearance of being a leper, was allowed to go. "My only prize on this occasion was a large black monkey, which I took in single combat. He bit me through the arm, but had to surrender at discretion. In our first march through the swamp our shoes be- came much softened, and in the last many were com- 1823. MARCHING IN MUD. 35 pletely cut from the feet of the men. Fortunately for myself, I had put on a pair of pegged negro brogans and got along pretty well, while some of my comrades suffered severely. One of the officers lost his shoe in the swamp, and one of the men, in endeavoring to re- cover it, was mired in a most ludicrous manner one arm and one leg in the mud and one arm and one leg in the air. Nothing could exceed the ridiculous appear- ance we made when we got to the shore. My panta- loons were glued to my legs, my jacket was torn to shreds, and I was loaded with mud. The men under Somerville saluted me as their commander, but the sight was too much for all hands and there was a gen- eral burst of laughter. Another ridiculous incident of the expedition may as well be mentioned. When we had advanced about half a mile into the thicket I or- dered a halt, to await the preconcerted signal gun from the schooner to push forward as rapidly as possible. At this moment I heard a great noise in our rear, and it occurred to me that the pirates might be behind us in force. In forming my men to receive the attack from that direction, I made a most animated speech, encouraging them to fight bravely, but had scarcely concluded my harangue when, to my great relief, it was discovered that the noise proceeded from about ten thousand land crabs making their way through the briers." 1 About the 1st of April the Fox, the Jackal, the Gal- linipper and the Mosquito, under the orders of Master- Commandant Cassin, kept guard on the northwestern coast of Cuba and gave convoy to a large fleet of mer- chantmen. Hearing that a suspicious-looking vessel was in the neighborhood, Master-Commandant Cassin dispatched the Gallinipper, Lieutenant Cornelius Kin- chiloe Stribling, in search of it. In the early dawn of April 8th Lieutenant Stribling discovered a strange 1 Farragut's Journal. og SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1823. craft working close inshore, and opened fire on her with musketry for the purpose of bringing her to. The stranger responded with a discharge of round shot, grape and small arms, at the same time making stren- uous efforts to escape, but finally she was compelled to run ashore, and all her men, except two who escaped, were killed. The prize was the fast-sailing schooner Pilot, of Norfolk, armed with a long 12-pounder, and had been captured by the pirates only eight days be- fore. The leader of the pirates was the notorious Domingo, who showed a "nice sense of honor" by forwarding to Captain Porter and his officers letters that he had found in the Pilot, remarking that he did not "wish to deprive them of the pleasure of hearing from their friends." About the same time that Master-Commandant Cas- sin captured the Pilot, he destroyed several resorts of the pirates and three of their schooners. Entering a bay noted as a rendezvous for pirates, he discovered a felucca standing out, which, on being chased, ran ashore and her crew escaped into the woods. It was a newly coppered boat propelled by sixteen oars, and evidently was just setting out on its first marauding expedition. Lieutenant Newell, while cruising with the Ferret in the vicinity of Matanzas, discovered a heavily armed barge in a bay and sent his only boat to reconnoiter. Scarcely had the boat got within musket shot when a number of pirates on shore ran down to the water's edge and opened a brisk fire on the Americans, and some of their shot took effect at the water line of the boat, so the party was compelled to return to the Fer- ret. Lieutenant Newell then stood inshore and opened fire on the barge and seven boats that were seen on the beach ; but as it was blowing a heavy gale, and the Ferret could fire only when staying, she soon desisted and made sail for Matanzas to secure another boat. On his way to that port Lieutenant Newell fell in with an 1823. CAPTURE OF THE CATALINA. 37 English brig, and, obtaining a boat from her, he imme- diately returned to the attack. But the pirates had retreated to a lagoon some miles inland, taking with them all but two of their boats. About three months after Captain Porter arrived at Havana several acts of piracy were reported, and he or- dered the Gall/nipper, Lieutenant William II. Watson, and the Mosquito, Lieutenant William Inman, having aboard five officers and twenty-six men in all, to cruise around the island and keep a careful lookout for the buccaneers. In carrying out these instructions Lieuten- ant Watson had reached the bay where Lieutenant Allen had been killed the year before, when a large topsail schooner, and a launch filled with men, were discovered working along the shore toward the anchorage of sev- eral merchant vessels. The Galli nipper and the Mos- quito showed their colors and bore down on the stran- gers, upon which the schooner hoisted the Spanish flag and opened a rapid fire, and at the same time made sail to escape. In the long chase that followed the Amer- ican barges were exposed to the pirates' fire. Having run close inshore, the schooner and the launch anchored with springs on their cables, and made preparations for an obstinate defense. Although there were from sev- enty to eighty of the pirates, and the entire force of the Americans was only thirty-one men, Lieutenant Watson gave the order to attack, and in spite of a hot fire the Americans, shouting "Hurrah for Allen!" dashed at the buccaneers and drove them into the sea. Not wait- ing to take possession of the prizes, the Gallinipper and the Mosquito sailed past, and were soon in the midst of the swimmers, and, laying about right and left, exterminated several dozens of them. With the aid of the local authorities, nearly all the miscreants were either killed or captured. None of the Americans were injured. The schooner proved to be the Catalina, mounting one long 9-pounder and three 6-pounders, commanded by Diabolito, or Little Devil, a notorious 38 SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1823-1824. pirate of the West Indies, who, on refusing to surren- der, was killed in the water. The Catalina had been taken recently from the Spaniards, and was on her first piratical cruise. Lieutenant Watson took five prison- ers, whom he handed over to the authorities when he arrived at Havana. Taken altogether, this was one of the most brilliant aifairs of the year. Lieutenant Watson died shortly afterward from yellow fever. Driven from the sea by the activity of the American naval force, many of the freebooters continued their depredations on land, and soon became as great a terror to the inhabitants of the towns and villages as they had been to merchantmen on the high seas. Several estates near Matanzas were plundered, and so many atrocities were committed on the outskirts of the cities that finally it became necessary to send the cavalry and infantry after them. Further operations against the pirates was inter- rupted by the yellow fever that broke out at Key West in August, 1823. Several of the men died, and Captain Porter and some of the officers were taken down. Find- ing that there was little chance of overcoming the dis- ease in this malarious place, Captain Porter sailed for the North with most of his vessels, and after the men had recovered in the pure air he returned to the scene of action. The principal feature of the naval operations of 1824 was the celebrated Foxardo affair. On the 26th of October Lieutenant Charles T. Platt, of the Beagle, learned that the storehouse of the American consul at St. Thomas had been broken into and goods valued at five thousand dollars taken from it. It was believed that the stolen property had been carried to Foxardo, a small port on the eastern end of Porto Rico. Lieu- tenant Platt anchored off that port, and, waiting upon the civil authorities, informed them of his mission and asked their assistance in recovering the plunder and apprehending the robbers. The town officers treated 1824. THE FOXARDO AFFAIR. 39 him with great incivility, and as the American lieuten- ant had landed without his uniform they demanded his commission. On his producing that paper it was pro- nounced a forgery, and Lieutenant Platt was arrested on the charge of being a pirate. He and Midshipman Robert Ritchie, who accompanied him, were placed under arrest, and were only released and allowed to re- turn to their vessel after being subjected to great in- dignities. On hearing of this affair, Captain Porter, having his flag on the John Adams, anchored off the port with the Beagle and the Grampus, and the boats of the John Adams, under the command of Master- Commandant Alexander James Dallas, ran into the harbor. In a letter dated November 12th, addressed to the alcalde, Captain Porter demanded an explana- tion of the treatment the American officers had re- ceived, giving that magistrate one hour for an answer. The letter was sent by a lieutenant under a flag of truce. While waiting for an answer, Captain Porter noticed that preparations were being made in a shore battery to fire on him, whereupon he detailed a detach- ment of seamen and marines, who captured the bat- tery and spiked the guns. Captain Porter now landed, and, after spiking a 2-gun battery that commanded the road, he reached the town in half an hour. Find- ing that the people were prepared to defend them- selves, he halted to await the flag of truce. In a short time the alcalde and the captain of the port appeared and offered ample apology to Lieutenant Platt for the indignities to which they had subjected him, and expressed regret at the whole occurrence, upon w r hich the Americans returned to their ships. This affair incurred the displeasure of the United States Government, and, in an order dated December 27, 1824, Captain Porter was ordered home, and on being tried by court-martial he was sentenced to be suspended from the service for six months. Believing that he had been wronged, Captain Porter resigned, and 40 SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1824-1825. entered the Mexican navy, where he remained until 1829, when he was appointed by President Jackson as United States consul-general at Algiers. Afterward he became the Minister to Turkey, and he died at Pera, March 28, 1843. His body was brought home, and is buried in the grounds of the Naval Asylum at Phila- delphia. The only other naval operations in the West Indies in 1824 were the capture, by the Porpoise, Lieutenant Skinner, of a schooner which had been deserted by its crew, and the recapture of a French vessel from the pirates by the Terrier, Lieutenant Paine, the pirate crew escaping to the shore. On the 4th of February, 1825, the Ferret was capsized in a squall off Cuba and five of her men were lost, the rest of her crew being rescued by the Seagull and the Jackal. Captain Porter was succeeded by Captain Lewis Warrington, who followed out much the same plan of operations that had been adopted by his predecessors. Such a vigilant watch was maintained that from this time but few instances of piracy were reported. Hear- ing that a piratical sloop was in the neighborhood of St. Thomas, Lieutenant John Drake Sloat, of the Grampus, who was cruising in that vicinity, March, 1825, secured a trading sloop, and, disguising her as a merchantman, placed in her two lieutenants and twen- ty-three men. The ruse proved successful, and the piratical craft running alongside opened fire, which the sloop promptly returned, and after an action of forty- five minutes the pirates ran their vessel ashore and es- caped in the woods. Ten of them were taken prisoners by Spanish soldiers, and two were killed. All the pris- oners were executed by the Government of Porto Rico, among them being the notorious pirate Colfrecinas. In the same month the Seagull, Lieutenant McKeever, and the Gallinipper, fell in with the British frigate Dart- mouth and two English armed schooners. Believing that they were in the vicinity of a nest of pirates, Lieu- 1825-1828. CUTTING OUT THE FEDERAL. 41 tenant McKeever entered into an arrangement for the co-operation of the boats of the frigate, on condition that he should command the party. While they were approaching a bay on the afternoon of March 25th, the masts of a vessel concealed by bushes were discovered, and on being hailed the stranger showed Spanish colors and trained her guns on the advancing boats. Leaving one boat on guard and landing with the rest of his men, so as to cut off the retreat of the pirates on land, Lieu- tenant McKeever ordered the commander of the vessel to come ashore. After much hesitation the leader of the pirates complied, but immediately attempted to run away. In the meantime the men in the boat on guard had boarded the piratical vessel, and after a stubborn resistance overpowered the pirates, their loss being eight killed and nineteen taken prisoners. The prize carried two 6- pounders and four swivels, and was manned by thirty-live men. Numerous bales of Amer- ican merchandise were found concealed in the bushes on shore and also in the hold of the vessel. The schooner was sailing under a forged Spanish commis- sion. On the following day Lieutenant McKeever chased a fore-and-aft rigged boat on shore, the crew escaping to the woods. This practically ended the active operations in the West Indies, but, in order to impress the lesson on the minds of evil doers, a squadron was maintained in those waters for several years, and in December, 1828, oc- curred an incident that showed the necessity for it. In this year the 18-gun sloop of war Erie, Master-Com- mandant Daniel Turner, was ordered to convey General William Henry Harrison, minister to the United States of Colombia, to that country. Touching at the island of St. Bartholomew, Master-Commandant Turner met the privateer Federal, belonging to Buenos Ay res, and learned that she had recently captured an American vessel under the plea that she had Spanish property aboard. The governor of the island was asked to sur- 42 SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY. 1828-1832. render the Federal, which had run under the guns of the fort, and on his refusing to do so a boat party, led by First-Lieutenant Josiah Tattnall, of the Erie, was sent against the privateer. Setting out on a dark night, and favored by occasional rain squalls, the Americans pulled with muffled oars into the harbor unobserved and carried the Federal with little opposition. Some difficulty was experienced in tripping the anchor, and during the delay the fort opened a heavy but ill-directed fire. The privateer was finally got under way, and in a few minutes was brought safely out of the harbor. No loss was sustained on either side. The Federal was sent to Pensacola. Four years after this (August 10, 1832) while cruis- ing off Matamoros in command of the Grampus, Lieu- tenant Tattnall learned that the merchant vessel Wil- liam A. Turner, of New York, had been plundered the day before by the Mexican war schooner Monte- zuma. Meeting the Montezuma off the bar of Tam- pico a few days later, Lieutenant Tattnall captured her within sight of the Mexican forts and several of their cruisers, and secured seventy-six prisoners. The prize carried three guns, one of them mounted on a pivot. As cholera broke out in the Grampus about this time, Lieutenant Tattnall landed his prisoners and made for Pensacola, where his ship was thoroughly cleaned. Returning to Tampico, he heard that the Mexicans were detaining in that port an American vessel laden with two hundred thousand dollars in specie, and, being anxious to secure the money, the Mexicans got up a pretext for detaining her, and held her under the guns of the fort. Availing himself of a favorable night, the American commander headed a boat attack and succeeded in bringing the merchant- man out of the harbor. Not only was the navy active in suppressing piracy in the West Indies, but in the Mediterranean also our cruisers gave material assistance in running down the 1832. THREATENING NAPLES. 43 buccaneers. During the struggle of Greece for inde- pendence from Turkey several of the Greek war ves- sels perpetrated outrages on merchantmen of neutral nations, and on May 29, 1825, an American vessel from Boston was seized by one of their privateers. In 1827 Lieutenant Louis M. Goldsborough (afterward rear- admiral), while in command of four boats and thirty- five men of the United States sloop of war Porpoise, recaptured after a desperate struggle the English brig Comet, which was in the possession of Greek pirates. Lieutenant John A. Carr singled out the pirate chief and killed him with his own hand. One of the Ameri- cans was killed in this attack, while many of the pirates were exterminated. Several of the Mediterra- nean powers thanked Lieutenant Goldsborough for this affair. During the reign of Joseph Bonaparte and Murat in Naples (1809-'12) a number of American vessels were confiscated by the Neapolitans, and shortly after the War of 1812 Captain Daniel Patterson was or- dered to assist the American consul at Naples, John Nelson, in collecting two million dollars indemnity money. The first demand of the consul was haugh- tily rejected. A few days afterward the 44-gun frig- ate Brandywine sailed into the beautiful harbor of Naples. The demand for indemnity was then renewed, but only to be treated as the first. In a few days the 44-gun frigate United States joined the Brandywine at Naples, and four days afterward the Concord, also dropped anchor in that harbor. The Bourbon Govern- ment now began drilling troops, and made great prep- arations for resisting the expected bombardment, but it still refused to pay the claim. Two days after the Concord's arrival the John Adams appeared in the harbor and greatly added to the excitement in the town. Finally, on the appearance of two more Ameri- can war ships the Neapolitans yielded. CHAPTER III. QUALLA BATTOO. Ox the 7th of February, 1831, the American mer- chant vessel Friendship, of Salem, Mass., commanded by Mr. Endicott and manned by fourteen men, was lying at anchor off the Malay town of Qualla Battoo, on the northwestern coast of Sumatra, taking in a cargo of pepper. As the place was about four degrees north of the equator, the weather was hot and sultry, and the Americans found that the least physical exertion was attended with great exhaustion. On the day in question there was scarcely any breeze, and the sun beat down on the deck of the Friendship with over- powering force, seeming to cause the planks to warp and the oil to ooze from the seams and the rigging. Even the natives employed in loading the ship per- formed their tasks with more than ordinary indolence and listlessness. As there was no harbor at this place, the Friendship lay about half a mile off the town, ex- posed to the open sea, and carried on trade with the natives by means of boats. At this part of the coast the island rises abruptly out of the water in bold head- lands and precipitous ridges, which culminate, a few miles inland, in the lofty Bukit Barisan mountain range, seven thousand to ten thousand feet high, while within sight of Qnalla Battoo the peak of Mount Be- rapi holds its proud crest twelve thousand feet above the sea. Luxuriant vegetation and dense forests come down to the water's edge in many-hued verdure, and, extending along the coast in both directions as far as 44 1831. ATTACK ON THE FRIENDSHIP. 45 the eye can reach, present a scene of enchanting tropical loveliness. For many miles along the coast a tremendous surf beats unceasingly upon the beach. Assuming form a great distance from the shore, it gradually increases in volume, and moving rapidly landward until it attains a height of fifteen to twenty feet, it falls like a cascade, nearly perpendicularly, on the shore with a tremendous roar, which on a still night can be heard many miles up the country. None but the most experienced na- tive boatmen dared to venture in it, and when trading vessels stopped at Qnalla Battoo they invariably sent their boats ashore in charge of Malays. Even then a landing could be effected only at the entrance of the swift mountain streams that made their way to the sea, breaking gaps here and there in the line of foam that girded the western coast of Sumatra. At Qnalla Bat- too a turbulent stream tumbled through the town, and meeting the surf it melted a comparatively smooth pas- sage through the breakers to the open sea. The pepper, which was the chief article of commerce at this place, was grown on the high table-lands some miles from the coast, and was brought down to the sea on bamboo rafts, the navigation of which along the tortuous moun- tain streams and dangerous rapids was a feat requiring no little skill and hardihood. On the day the Friendship lay off Qualla Battoo a light haze rendered the beach somewhat indistinct, but well knowing the treacherous and warlike disposition of the natives the Americans in the ship maintained an unusually sharp lookout. According to custom, the boats of the Friendship had been placed in charge of Malays to be navigated through the surf. A large quantity of pepper had been purchased, and Mr. En- dicott, with his second mate, John Barry, and four sea- men, were on shore at the trading depot, a short distance up the river, superintending the weighing of the pep- per and seeing that it was properly stowed away in the 46 QUALLA BATTOO. 1831. boats so that the salt water could not reach it. The first mate and the remainder of the crew were aboard the Friendship ready to receive the boats and take aboard their cargoes. After the first boat had received its freight at the trading post it was manned by na- tive seamen and rowed to the mouth of the river, but instead of putting directly to sea, as it should have done, Mr. Endicott who had remained at the trading post, keeping a careful eye on all that was going on noticed that the boat had run ashore and had taken aboard more men. Supposing that the Malays in charge of the boat required additional help to get through the unexpectedly heavy surf, Mr. Endicott did not feel alarmed, and continued weighing out pep- per for the second boat load. He was sufficiently on the alert, however, to detail two of his men to watch the progress of the boat toward the Friendship and order them to report anything that was out of the usual course. As a matter of fact, the Malays in the first boat, in- stead of taking aboard additional seamen to help them through the surf, as the Americans at the trading sta- tion had supposed, exchanged places with an armed body of warriors, double the number of the boat's crew. Then, standing boldly to the surf, the warriors concealed their weapons while the boat continued on its way toward the unsuspecting merchantman. The first mate of the Friendship noticed an unusual num- ber of men in the boat, but he, like Mr. Endicott, sup- posed that the surf had increased in violence, and that an additional number was necessary to pull through it. Consequently the Malays were allowed to come along- side, and when they had made fast to the Friendship's gangway the larger part of them clambered over the side and gained the deck, concealing their short dag- gers in their clothing. Ever fearful of treachery, the first mate of the Friendship endeavored to prevent so many Malays from coming aboard, but, affecting not 1831. MURDER OP AMERICAN SEAMEN. 47 to understand his words or gestures, they continued to press over the side until more than twenty of them were on deck. In keeping with their treacherous in- stincts, they, instead of beginning an attack on the Americans, whom they outnumbered three to one, im- mediately scattered to different parts of the vessel and pretended to be absorbed with wonderment at her guns, rigging and equipment. Somewhat relieved by their apparently harmless curiosity, the mate allowed them to remain, while he and his men devoted their at- tention to getting the boat load of pepper aboard and stowing it in the hold. While he was thus busily engaged several of the Malays drew near and affected interest in the process. Seizing a favorable moment, they, with a swift, catlike motion for which they were celebrated, drove their daggers hilt deep into the mate's back. He turned quickly around and attempted to defend himself, but he had been mortally wounded, and falling, upon him with the fierceness of tigers, the Malays soon dis- patched him. Observing the treacherous deed, five of the American sailors made a rush to assist the mate, but they were set upon by the other Malays in the ship and two were instantly killed, while the other three were made prisoners and reserved for a horrible fate. The remaining four sailors in the Friendship, seeing that it would be useless to contend against such num- bers, jumped overboard and struck out for the land. They soon discovered, however, that the attack was a widespread conspiracy, for whenever they were raised on the crest of a wave and caught glimpses of the beach they saw that it was lined with armed warriors, who were shouting and brandishing their weapons. Seeing that it was worse than useless to attempt to land, the four swimmers held a brief consultation and then changed their course to a promontory, where the na- tives could not follow them, and after a swim of sev- eral miles they reached a place of comparative safety. 4g QUALLA BATTOO. 1831. As soon as the treacherous Malays got complete pos- session of the ship they clambered up the bulwarks and rigging, and by gesticulating with their arms and weapons conveyed the news of the capture to their confederates on shore, and in a short time several boat loads of the miscreants had put off through the surf, and on gaining the decks of the merchant vessel began to rifle her of every article of value. Having taken everything out of her, even to the copper bolts in the timbers, they cut her cables and attempted to run her ashore, hoping to break her up and secure the iron in her. In the meantime the two seamen who had been de- tailed by Mr. Endicott to watch the boat, observing the excitement on board the Friendship and the men plunging into the sea, reported the matter to their commander, who immediately inferred that a treacher- ous assault had been made on his ship. Hastily order- ing his men into the second boat, which was waiting at the trading depot, he hurriedly pulled down the river in hopes of getting through the surf and possibly regaining possession of the ship before his retreat was cut off. He left the trading post not a minute too soon, for the natives on shore rushed for the boat and endeavored to intercept it; but by dint of hard row- ing, and after running a gantlet of missiles from both banks, the Americans managed to reach the mouth of the river. Although Mr. Endicott had escaped the savage foe on land, he found that he was confronted with the probability of perishing in the surf. At this critical moment a friendly Malay named Po Adam, rajah of the neighboring tribe of Pulu Kio, who had come to Qualla Battoo in his armed coasting schooner, deserted his vessel, as he feared the attack might be extended to him, and swam to the American boat. When Mr. Endicott saw him he exclaimed, "What, Adam, you come too?" to which the Malay replied in broken English. "Yes, captain. If they kill you they 1831. A GALLANT RECAPTURE. 49 must kill me first." By the aid of Po Adam the American boat managed to get through the breakers, but just as it had cleared the line of surf it was met by several Malay war canoes filled with warriors, who en- deavored to cut off her retreat. So precipitate had been the flight of the Americans that they forgot to bring their firearms with them, and were now defense- less. Po Adam, however, had a saber, and by put- ting on a bold front and by a valorous flourishing of the sword he kept the warriors at a distance, and the boat got to sea unmolested. Finding that it was impossible to recapture his ves- sel, Mr. Endicott, after picking up the four seamen who had jumped overboard, steered for Muckie, a small town twenty miles to the south, in search of as- sistance. He reached the place late at night and found three American merchant vessels a ship and two brigs- anchored there, the commanders of which, on hearing of the treacherous attack on Mr. Endicott's vessel, re- solved to attempt her recapture. On hundreds of occa- sions, which the historian has failed to record, the American merchant tar has proved himself to be a brave and daring sailor, and the case in hand was no exception. On hearing of the dastardly murder of their fellow-countrymen, the commanders of the three American merchant vessels promptly got under way, and appeared before Qualla Battoo on the following day. To the demand for the restoration of the Friend- ship the rajah of Qualla Battoo insolently replied, "Take her if you can," upon which the American vessels ran as close to the land as the shoal would allow, and opened a brisk fire with what guns they could bring to bear. In those days of piracy and outrage on the high seas all well-equipped merchant vessels carried a considerable armament, and their crews were as carefully trained in the use of fire- arms as in the handling of sails. The fire opened by the three American merchantmen was no child's play, 49 50 QtJALLA BATTOO. 1831-1832. as the Malays in the Friendship soon found out, and notwithstanding that they returned it with consider- able spirit and the forts at Qualla Battoo (which mounted several heavy guns) opened with effect, they soon discovered that they were at a disadvantage. Im- patient at the prospect of a protracted bombardment, the three American commanders determined on the more expeditious method of a boat attack, although none of them had a crew that numbered over fifteen men, and the Malays had re-enforced their comrades in the Friendship. Accordingly, three boat loads of armed men put off from the merchant vessels and made a dash for the Friendship in gallant style. The Malays at first opened an ill-directed fire, but they soon became panic-stricken at the steady advance of the American boats, and plunged into the sea and made for the beach, where they were assisted ashore by their friends. On regaining possession of the ship Captain Endicott found that she had been rifled of everything of value, including twelve thousand dollars in specie, and this compelled him to abandon the voy- age. The total loss to the owners of the ship was forty thousand dollars. When the news of the outrage on the Friendship reached the United States, the 44-gun frigate Potomac, Captain John Downes, lay in New York harbor wait- ing to convey Martin Van Buren, the newly ap- pointed minister to the court of St. James, to England; but hearing of the affair on the coast of Sumatra, Pres- ident Jackson promptly ordered the Potomac to sail for the scene of violence and visit summary vengeance on the piratical Malays. Captain Downes got under way in August, and arrived off the coast of Sumatra early in February, 1832. f When the Potomac drew near the scene of the outrage Captain Downes dis- guised his ship, as he was anxious to attack the Qualla Battooans before they knew of the arrival of an Ameri- can war ship in that part of the world. The guns of 1832. THE POTOMAC OFF QUALLA BATTOO. 51 the frigate were run in, the ports closed, the topmasts housed, the sails rigged in a slovenly manner, and every precaution taken to give the frigate the appear- ance of a merchant craft. In this guise the Potomac, under Danish -colors, appeared off Qualla Battoo, Feb- ruary 6, 1832, just a year after the treacherous attack on the Friendship. Scarcely had she dropped anchor when a sailboat rounded a point of land and made for her. When it came alongside it was found to be laden with fish and manned by four Malays from a friendly tribe, who desired to sell their cargo. Fearing that these men, if allowed to depart, might announce the arrival of the frigate to the Qualla Battooans, Captain Downes detained them on board until after the at- tack. At half past two o'clock the whaleboat was sent toward the shore under the command of Lieutenant Shubrick to take soundings. The men in the boat were dressed as the boat crew of an Indiaman, and in case they came to a parley with the natives Lieuten- ants Shubrick and Edson were to impersonate the cap- tain and supercargo of a trading vessel. As the natives lined the shore in great numbers and assumed a hostile attitude, no attempt was made to land, and having sat- isfied himself with the situation of the river, Lieuten- ant Shubrick returned to the ship at half past four o'clock. Everything now being in readiness, Captain Downes announced that the boats would leave the ship at midnight, and from five o'clock to that time the men selected for the expedition were at liberty to employ their time as they pleased. As the attack was likely to keep them late on the following day, many of the men improved the opportunity to sleep, using gun carriages, coils of rope and sails for pillows. Some of the more restless, however, in the face of the impend- ing conflict, found it impossible to sleep. They were scattered about the ship conversing in low tones with their messmates, placing in trusty hands some token 5 2 QUALLA BATTOO. 1832. of affection, such as a watch or a Bible, to be delivered to relatives or friends in case they fell. Promptly at midnight all hands were summoned to quarters, and in an instant the gun deck was swarming with men, some with weapons in their* hands, others girding on cutlasses, and all hurrying to their stations, while the boats were lowered and brought along the gangway on the off side of the ship, so that the natives on shore could not discover what was going on, even if they had been on the watch. The men silently and rapidly descended the frigate's side and took their places, and as each boat received its load it dropped astern or was pulled ahead and made fast to the lee boom to make room for others. The debarkation was made with the greatest secrecy, nothing breaking the silence of the hour except the splashing of the waves against the dark hull of the frigate, the chafing of the cables in the hawse holes, the whispered command of the officers as the boats came to and from the gang- way, or the muffled rattle of the oars in the oarlocks as the boats shoved off to take their prescribed positions. So much care in maintaining silence, however, seemed unnecessary ; for the roaring surf, which even at the distance of three miles could be distinctly heard aboard the ship, would have drowned all noise. The light of the morning star was just discernible through a dense mass of dark clouds resting on the eastern horizon when the order was given to shove off and make for the land. The boats formed in line, and with measured stroke stretched out for the beach. When they had covered about a third of the distance "a meteor of the most brilliant hue and splendid rays," wrote an officer of the Potomac, "shot across the heaven immediately above us, lighting the broad expanse with its beams from west to east. We hailed it as an earnest of the victory and the bright augury of future fame." The bright star in the east had shone fully two hours before the boats gained the landing 1832. LANDING SAILORS AND MARINES. 53 place, and as the keels of the boats grated on the beach the men jumped out and hastened to their positions, each division forming by itself. The boats, with enough men to man them, were directed to remain together just outside of the surf until further orders. No delay was allowed in beginning the march. Lieutenant Edson and Lieutenant Tenett led the van with their company of marines. John Barry, second mate of the Friendship^ who had come out in the Poto- mac as a master's mate, now acted as a guide. Lieu- tenant Ingersoll followed the van with the first division of seamen, Lieutenant Hoff's division of musketeers and pikemen then came, and after this Lieutenant Pinkham with the third division, while Acting Sailing- Master Totten and a few men brought up the rear with the 6-pounder, called "Betsy Baker." After marching along the beach some distance the column turned abruptly inland and struck into the dense jungle. The fusileers, "a company of fine, stout and daring fel- lows," 1 now distributed themselves in advance and on each flank of the little army, to guard against ambus- cades. Lieutenant Hoff and three midshipmen, with the second division of musketeers and pikemen, then wheeled off to the left with his division and were soon lost to view in the thick foliage. He had been ordered to attack the fort on the northern edge of the town. As soon as he came in sight of this stronghold the Malays opened a sharp fusillade with cannon, muskets, spears, javelins, and arrows. The Americans returned the fire and then made a rush for the gate of the stock- ade, and, bursting it open, engaged the enemy in a short but fierce hand-to-hand encounter, in which the pikes and cutlasses of the seamen were employed to advantage. The open space within the palisade was soon cleared, but the Malays retreated to their citadel 1 Journal of one of the Potomac's officers. 54 QUALLA BATTOO. 1832. on the high platform, hauling up the ladder leading to it, and for two hours fought with great bravery. Im- patient at the delay, Lieutenant Hoff directed his men to tear up some of the poles forming the stockade and improvise ladders with them. Having done this, the men made a rush for the citadel from opposite direc- tions, and, placing their ladders against the high plat- form, clambered up and made short work of the des- perate defenders. Eajah Maley Mohammed, one of the most influen- tial chiefs on the western coast of Sumatra, com- manded this fort, and fought with the ferocity of a tiger. After receiving numerous bayonet thrusts and musket balls he fell, but even in his death throes he continued to brandish his saber and to inflict injuries on the Americans around him, until a marine finally dispatched him. But as soon as the rajah fell, a woman, who from the richness of her dress was sup- posed to be his wife, seized his saber and wielded it with such energy that the Americans fell back, loath to make war against a female. She rushed at them and severely wounded a sailor on the head with a blow of her saber, and with catlike dexterity she aimed another blow at him which nearly severed the thumb from his left hand. Before she could repeat the stroke she fainted from loss of blood from a wound previously received, and, falling upon the hard pavement, soon died. At this fort twelve of the Malays were killed and many times that number were wounded. While this fight had been going on at the northern fort, Lieutenants Edson and Tenett, with the marines and the first division of musketeers and pikemen under Lieutenant Ingersoll, had discovered the fort in the middle of the town, and after a short and bloody con- flict carried it by storm and put the enemy to the sword. In this attack one of the marines was killed, one dangerously wounded, and several slightly wound- 1832. DESPERATE DEFENSE OF THE MALAYS. 55 ed. The Malays sustained greater loss here than at the first fort. It was now daylight. The first division, under Lieutenant Pinkham, had been ordered to attack the fort in the rear of the town, but it had been so skillfully concealed in the jungle that Mr. Barry was unable to find it, and the division retraced its steps and joined the fusileers under Lieu- tenant Shubrick and the 6-pounder commanded by Acting Sailing-Master Totten, in an attack upon the most formidable fort of the town, which was on the bank of the river near the beach. Here the principal rajah of Qualla Bat too had collected his bravest war- riors, who announced their determination to die rather than surrender ; and they kept their word. The entire force of the division advancing to attack this strong- hold was eighty-five men. As soon as the Americans came in sight the Malays opened a hot fire of musketry, and followed it up with a rapid discharge of their swiv- els, which, as usual, were mounted in a commanding position on the high platform. "The natives were brave, and fought with a fierceness bordering on desper- ation," wrote one of the Potomac's officers who was in the division. "They would not yield while a drop of their savage blood warmed their bosoms or while they had strength to wield a weapon, fighting with that undaunted firmness which is the characteristic of bold and determined spirits, and displaying such an utter carelessness of life as would have been honored in a better cause. Instances of the bravery of these people were numerous, so much so that were I to give you a detail of each event my description would probably become tiresome." The Americans returned the enemy's fire with a brisk discharge of their muskets, and a sharp fusillade was maintained for some time, but with little effect upon the stout barricades. Anxious to complete the work of destruction as soon as possible, Lieutenant Shubrick left a body of men in front of the fort to en- 5 g QUALLA BATTOO. 1832. gage the attention of the Malays, while he, with the fu- slleers and the "Betsy Baker," made a detour through the woods to gain the rear of the fort unobserved. The manoeuvre was successful, and in a few minutes the flanking party reached the river bank behind the cita- del. Here three large, heavily armed schooners (the largest being the boat they had captured from Po Adam the year before), employed by the Malays in their piratical excursions, were discovered anchored in the river and filled with warriors awaiting a favor- able opportunity to take a hand in the fray, and acting as a cover to the rear of the fort. Before the pirates realized it Lieutenant Shubrick had opened on them with his 6-pounder and raked the schooners fore and aft. This was followed up with a well-directed fire of musketry from the fusileers, which killed or wounded a great number and caused the surviving Malays to jump overboard and escape to the woods. The natives, however, succeeded in getting sail on the largest of the schooners, and in a short time they ran her up the river, where she was out of gunshot. Unknown to the Americans, Po Adam had sighted the Potomac some days before, and believing her to be an American frigate, he had collected a band of his warriors, and, stealing along the coast, concealed him- self in the woods on the outskirts of Qualla Battoo. When he saw the marines and seamen land and attack the town he drew nearer and lay in ambush with his men on the south bank of the river, awaiting an oppor- tunity to attack. Po Adam noticed the Malays in the schooner, and when they moored her to the south bank so as to be safe from further attack by the Americans, he rushed from his place of concealment with his men, boarded the schooner, killed five of the Qualla Bat- tooans, and put the remainder to flight. By this time it was broad daylight. Having completed the circumvallation of the rajah's citadel, Lieutenant Shubrick gave the signal for a 1832. A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. 57 simultaneous assault on front and rear, when the Americans attacked the outer stockade, and by hack- ing with axes succeeded in wrenching the massive gate from its place. The Malays were prepared for the at- tack, and the first American who exposed himself was shot through the brain, and three others fell, wounded. Unmindful of this, the hardy sailors rushed into the large open space within the palisades and drove the Malays to the high platform, where they made their final stand. To add to the confusion, the stockade that had been captured by the division under Lieuten- ants Hoff and Edson had been set on fire in pursuance of orders, and by this time the flames had spread and now threatened to ingulf both the Americans and the Malays. Great columns of smoke rolled up while the fire and blazing sun rendered the heat almost unen- durable. Scores of Malays were fleeing through the secret passages in the jungle, carrying such articles as they esteemed valuable, while beasts and reptiles, dis- turbed by the heat, were making their way through the forest in all directions. Finding that they were firing at a disadvantage, the men in charge of the "Betsy Baker" seized the little gun, carried it to an elevation on the upper side of the fort, and reopened with a steady and well-directed fire of grape and can- ister. Many Malays were laid low ; but so rapid was the fire that the ammunition was soon exhausted, and it was necessary to send to the boats for another supply. In the meantime Lieutenants Hoff and Edson, hav- ing performed the task allotted to them, came up with their divisions and joined in the attack on the principal fort. They were ordered to take a position between the fort and the water, where they poured in an effect- ive cross fire upon the doomed pirates. But the Ma- lays kept up a brave and spirited defense, and were still shouting to the Americans in broken English " to come and take them." The men who had been sent to 58 QUALLA BATTOO. 1832. the boats for more ammunition for the "Betsy Baker" now returned with ten bags containing forty musket balls each. So eager were the crew of this gun that it was now overloaded, and at the third discharge it was dismounted and the carriage rendered useless for the remainder of the action. At this moment the flames in the central fort, which had been captured by Lieu- tenant Edson, reached the magazine, and it blew up with tremendous force. Seeing that further service could not be derived from the 6-pounder, Lieutenant Shubrick ordered a general assault on the citadel, and at the word the men sprang from cover, made a rush for the stockade, and, clambering up the platform in any way they could, overpowered the few remaining Malays and put them to the sword, and soon the American flag waved from the platform in triumph. The victorious Americans now turned their atten- tion to the fort on the opposite side of the river, which had kept up an annoying fire from its 12-pounder, but it was found to be impracticable to ford the deep and rapid stream, and as the surf was growing heavier every minute, Lieutenant Shubrick caused the bugle to sound the retreat. While they were returning to the beach a sharp and well-sustained fire was unex- pectedly opened on the Americans from a jungle. It proved to be the fort for which the division under Lieutenant Pinkham had searched in vain. The Americans promptly returned the fire and then ad- vanced to carry the fort by storm, and one of the hot- test fights of the day ensued. The Malays fought with the energy of despair, but in a short time were overpowered, and were either put to the sword or es- caped in the jungle, leaving many a bloody trail on the grass as evidence of their punishment. The Americans then reassembled on the beach and began the roll-call, to ascertain their casualties and to discover if any had been left in the jungle. It was found that two men had been killed and eleven were BOMBARDING QUALLA BATTOO. 59 wounded. The bodies of the dead and wounded were carefully lifted into the boats, and the entire expedi- re-embarked, and pushing off through the surf pulled for the frigate. Of the Malays, over one hundred were killed and two hundred wounded. Learning that a number of Malays had gathered in the rear of the town, Captain Downes, at noon on the following day (February 7th), weighed anchor and stood in about a mile from the shore and opened a heavy fire on the fort on the south bank of the river. Another object of this second day's attack was to con- vince the Qualla Battooans that the United States did possess "ships with big guns" and knew how to use them. The rapid discharge of the Potomac's long 32- pounders appalled the natives, for they had never be- fore heard such a terrible noise. For more than an hour the heavy shot from the frigate plowed their way into the wooden stockades, carrying death and destruc- tion in their path. At a quarter past one o'clock white flags began to appear at different points along the beach, and the Potomac ceased firing, and about six o'clock in the evening a native boat was seen making its way through the surf, with a white flag at the bow, pulling for the frigate. By seven o'clock it came alongside, and it was learned that it contained messengers from the surviv- ing rajahs with overtures for peace. On being taken aboard they were conducted to Captain Downes, and, bowing themselves to the deck in humble submission, they pleaded for peace on any terms "if only the big guns might cease their lightning and thunder." Cap- tain Downes impressed upon the envoys the enormity of the offense of the Qualla Battooans in attacking American seamen, and assured them that the full power of the United States Government was behind the humblest of its citizens in any part of the globe, and that any future misconduct on the part of the Malays toward an American citizen would be met with even gO QUALLA BATTOO. 1833-1838. greater punishment than has just been meted out to them. 1 Although this summary vengeance on the Qualla Battooans had a salutary effect on the natives of this coast, yet it required another bombardment before the lesson was fully impressed upon their minds. On the night of August 26, 1838, while the American trading ship Eclipse, Captain Wilkins, was loading with pep- per at a village called Trabagan, twelve miles from Muckie, two canoes came alongside with the commod- ity. The Malays asked for permission to come aboard, and as their spokesman, named Ousso, was recognized by the second mate as being an old trader, the request was granted. In pursuance with the customary cau- tion exercised by Americans doing business with these natives, their arms were taken from them as they came over the side of the ship and locked up. The work of weighing the pepper then went on, when Ousso re- proached the Americans for locking up their arms as being a breach of good faith among old acquaintances, and the mate very foolishly returned the weapons. Scarcely had this been done when one of the natives approached Captain Wilkins and mortally wounded him in the back. About the same time the too good- natured mate was dangerously injured in the loins, while some of the crew scrambled up the rigging and others jumped overboard. The cook, who had been placed in irons for insubordination, begged for his life, promising to reveal where the specie and a quantity of opium were kept. Having secured this plunder the 1 In the following year (July 28, 1833) Captain William Bainbridge, the hero of the Constitution- Java action, died at Philadelphia. After the War of 1812 he was twice sent to the Mediterranean as the commanding officer of that squadron, having for his flagship the 74-gun ship of the line Independence the first time, and the 74-gun ship of the line Columbus when he assumed command in 1819. On his deathbed his mind dwelt on the sea. and shortly before he died he called for his sword and pistols. As they were not given to him, he raised himself up by a great effort and shouted for all hands to " board the enemy ! " 1838. SECOND BOMBARDMENT OF QUALLA BATTOO. 61 specie amounting to eighteen thousand dollars the natives fled with the cook. At this time the American 44-gun frigate Columbia and the corvette John Adams, under the orders of Commodore George C. Reid, were making a cruise around the world. Hearing of the outrage on the Eclipse, Reid appeared off Qualla Battoo December 20, 1838, and through our old friend, Po Adam, learned that the chief of the Qualla Battooans, Po Chute Abdullah, had received two thousand dollars of the stolen money, and that one of the murderers was harbored there. On the failure of the natives to deliver the money or the man, Reid bombarded the place. He then proceeded to Muckie, where more of the money and the murderers were. As the natives here also failed to give satisfaction, that place was bombarded, a detachment of men was landed and the place destroyed. Satisfied with meting out this punishment, Reid sailed away without attack- ing Trabagan, the scene of the outrage. Returning to Qualla Battoo, the Americans again demanded the money. Po Chute Abdullah, terrified by the fate of Muckie, confessed that he had received the specie, but declared that it had been distributed among his peo- ple and he could not get it back. To avoid having his settlement destroyed, he promised to return the money at a specified time. Treaties were then made with a number of chiefs along this coast, whereby they bound themselves to protect traders sailing under the Amer- ican flag. CHAPTER IV. CRUISING AGAINST SLAVERS. EARLY in the century the United States entered into an arrangement with Great Britain for the suppression of the slave trade on the west coast of Africa. It would be difficult to overestimate the hardships and dangers to which our officers were exposed while en- gaged in this service. The fever-laden coast made it hazardous for white men to approach. To be assigned to this station meant death to many a gallant tar, the sick lists sometimes including half the ship's company. Many of the slave ships also were heavily armed, and being manned by unusually large crews they were prepared to make a good defense, as was demonstrated on more than one occasion. In fact, some of these slavers became out-and-out pirates, and were quite as dangerous to merchantmen as to negroes. After the War of 1812 some of the swift-sailing privateers which had done good service in that struggle were turned into slavers, as their great speed and heavy armaments gave them every advantage. It was cus- tomary for these vessels to sail from home ports, hav- ing on board alleged Brazilian, Spanish, French or Italian passengers, and when on the slave coast the crew went ashore and the "passengers" took posses- sion of the ship under a foreign flag, a double set of ship's papers being made out in some instances to ac- commodate this "lightning change." In this way American cruisers were foiled by the display of foreign colors and papers, while English war vessels found 1820. AUDACITY OF SLAVERS. 53 themselves barred by the Stars and Stripes. As the vigilance of American and English war ships increased, the slavers diminished the size of their vessels so as more readily to elude detection. A good illustration of the audacity of these sea- pests is given in Commodore Edward Trenchard's journal. A trading vessel on this coast, showing American colors, had aroused the suspicions of the commander of the British gunboat Contest. The Eng- lish refrained from making a search of the trader, con- tenting themselves with keeping close to her so she could do no mischief. Day after day the vessels sailed in company, until the Yankee skipper, finding that he could not ship his cargo of slaves for in truth he was a slave trader challenged the British commander to a friendly sailing match to last twenty-four hours. The challenge was accepted, for the Englishmen could not restrain their desire to " win a race." This they easily did, as the crafty Yankee purposely retarded the prog- ress of his boat so as to allow the gunboat to get as far ahead as possible, and under cover of night, when the , cruiser was out of sight, the Americans ran inshore where the slaves had been following the boat for days took on the human freight and before daylight were fairly homeward bound, and not the faintest suggestion of the Contest anywhere to be seen. One of the first American cruisers to be sent to the slave coast was the 20-gun sloop of war Cyane, Com- mander Edward Trenchard. Her officers were Lieuten- ants Matthew Calbraith Perry, Silas H. Stringham, William Mervine, Voorhees and Hosack, Midshipmen Montgomery, H. C. Newton, Sanderson and William Hudson, and Acting- Master's Mate Jacob Morris. The Cyane had not been long on this station when early in April, 1820, Captain Trenchard received secret information that there was a group of slavers at a certain point along the coast whose capture would prove a heavy blow to the iniquitous traffic. His in- 4: CBtTKIXG AGAINST SLAVEBS. MM formant told him that seven slavers were at that mo- ment at the mouth of the Gallinos River waiting for a gang of several thousand slaves to arrive from the interior. Commander Trenchard resolved to come upon the slavers unannounced and if possible seize them all an exceedingly hazardous and difficult undertaking for one cruiser to attempt, for, as has been said, the slavers usually were heavily armed and manned, and their combined force undoubtedly was several times greater than that of the little Cyane. As Trenchard drew near the mouth of the Gallinos he shortened sail, intending to enter the river under cover of night and come upon the slavers unawares and before they could get to sea and escape. The plan was successful. When day was about to break, the sloop of war was in the mouth of the river, and in the gray light of dawn the masts and spars of two brigs and six schooners at anchor close inshore were made out. That the slavers were keeping a sharp lookout is attested by the fact that they discovered the sloop of war almost as soon as they were made out by the cruiser, and in an incredi- bly short time they were under sail endeavoring to escape, excepting one of the brigs and one schooner, which seemed to be unmoved by the apparition of the massive spars and heavy rigging of the cruiser, and re- mained quietly at anchor as if undisturbed by a guilty conscience. At the first intimation that the slavers were endeavor- ing to escape Trenchard gave orders to put about in chase, and for a few minutes there was the liveliest kind of bustle and seeming confusion in the cruiser as the men sprang up the shrouds and scrambled out on the yards to make sail. The broad entrance to the river gave the chase a fair opportunity to escape, and realizing this the Americans crowded on every stitch of canvas that would hold wind. As there was a fresh breeze at the time all the vessels were soon bowling 1820. IN FULL CHASE. 65 along at a smart rate, heeling over under clouds of can- vas on the port tack. It was here that Trenchard displayed great bravery in approaching the enemy. He took advantage of the formation of the coast so that the fleeing craft could sail in one direction only, thereby preventing them from scattering and enabling the Cyane to come up with all. In this the intrepid Trenchard courted a serious danger, for it kept the six slavers in a bunch and enabled them to combine their forces on the little cruiser. After an exciting chase of an hour the Cyane had gained sufficiently on the slavers to head off the fore- most, whereupon Trenchard tacked about and stood inshore so as to come to close quarters. About this time, 7 A. M., the wind failed, leaving the vessels be- calmed and just out of gunshot. Observing that some of the schooners were getting out their boats with a view of towing to a place of safety, Trenchard ordered the Cyane's boats to be manned and prepared for a boat attack. The order was carried out in gallant style. The launch, first cutter and starboard quarter boat were lowered and manned, and at 8 A. M. dashed toward the nearest schooner, notwithstanding the om- inous pointing of heavy guns at them and the loud threats of the slavers to blow the boats out of water if they persisted in coming nearer. Several shots were fired. Unmindful of this the Americans nerved them- selves for a dash, and after a strong pull boarded the first vessel. She proved to be the American schooner Endymion, commanded by Alexander Mc- Kim Andrew. When Mr. Andrew saw that his threats to blow the boats out of water were unavailing, he hastily got into one of his boats and pulled toward the land. Noticing this from the deck of the Cyane, Trenchard ordered his quarter boat, under Lieuten- ant Montgomery, in pursuit, and after an exciting race the fugitive was captured. Midshipman New- 50 QQ CRUISING AGAINST SLAVERS. 1820. ton and a prize crew were placed aboard the En- dymion. At this moment a fresh breeze sprang up, and the launch and cutter, which were then pulling toward the second schooner with a view of boarding her also, soon found that they were losing ground instead of gaining, for the schooner, having all her sails set, was gradually drawing away from them. Upon discovering this the two boats returned to the Cyane, and that vessel set sail and resumed the chase. At 8.30 A. M. the Endym- ion picked up the quarter boat which had captured Mr. Andrew and followed the Cyane. But the breeze, although quite fresh for a time, began to fail again, and at noon Trenchard sent Lieutenant Stringham in the first cutter, Lieutenant Voorhees in the launch, and Lieutenant Mervine in the second gig to make a second boat attack on the slavers. This time the boats succeeded in getting alongside the chase, and took successively the brig Annita, commanded by Pedro Pushe ; the schooner Esperanza, Luis Montefort ; the schooner Dasher, Thomas Munro ; the schooner Eliza, Constant Hastings ; and the schooner Louise, Francis Sablon. An examination of these vessels showed that they were all "deeply engaged in the traffic of slaves. There is but one, however, of those under foreign flags that we can ascertain is acting in contravention to the above law. This is the schooner Esperanza (formerly the United States revenue cutter Alert), now under Spanish colors. She sailed last from Charleston, S. C., without a clearance, at which place she enlisted the major part of her crew of American citizens. Her ap- parent captain is a Spaniard by the name of Monte- fort, but her real captain and probable owner is a Mr. Ratcliffe, an American, and who is now on shore col- lecting his complement of negroes." Having captured six of the slavers by one bold stroke, Trenchard hastened back to the mouth of the 1820. A GALLANT CAPTURE. 67 Gallinos, where a brig and a schooner had remained apparently indifferent to the fate that awaited them. These vessels were taken without opposition, and one was found to be the schooner Science or Dechosa, and the other was called the Plattsburg or Maria Gat- tlireust. After a search they were reported upon by the examining officers as follows: "The DecJiosa or Science, of New York, is owned in New York ; sailed from that port in January last and touched at Porto Rico, where she changed her name and came imme- diately to this coast, landed her cargo and made arrangements for receiving her slaves. There is little doubt of her being American property, and conse- quently we are of opinion that she is violating the laws of the United States. We can only learn that the Maria Gatthreust or Plattsburg, of Baltimore, sailed from Baltimore in December last, where she shipped her crew and cargo of goods ; she touched at Cuba, at which place she changed her character and proceeded to this coast in quest of slaves. The num- ber of men and her strong armament induces us to be- lieve that she is not only a vessel engaged in the traffic of slaves, but she is fully prepared to commit pirat- ical aggressions on the flag of any nation." All of these prisoners were sent to the United States in the Eliza for trial. By this daring act Trenchard cap- tured seven slavers and probably one pirate. The blow was a severe one and did much toward checking the traffic. Shortly after this affair the Cyane put into Port Praya. As she entered the port the Americans fired the customary salute of seventeen guns. As the shore batteries replied with only fifteen, Trenchard promptly sent Lieutenant Voorhees ashore to demand an ex- planation. The officials apologized for the slight and caused two more guns to be discharged. 1 We get some 1 Private Journal of Captain Trenchard. 68 CRUISING AGAINST SLAVERS. 1820. idea of the danger of cruising on the African coast by the fact that while the Cyane was on this station the English war brig Snapper in eight months lost eleven officers and twenty men in a crew of about fifty all told. In April, 1820, Trenchard reported to the Secre- tary of the Navy that thirty-six of his men were pros- trated by the malady. In consequence of this alarm- ing condition the Cyane was ordered home and the Hornet took her place. By the provisions of the Webster- Ashburton treaty the United States agreed to maintain a squadron mounting not less than eighty guns on the coast of Africa, for the suppression of the slave trade ; and in carrying out this section of the treaty Captain Matthew Calbraith Perry, on the 20th of February, 1843, was ordered to the African coast in command of the 20-gun sloop of war Saratoga, flagship, the 38-gun frigate Macedonian, and the brigs of war Decatur and Por- poise. Prior to the arrival of this squadron on its station the American trading vessel Mary Carver had been seized by the natives, and her commander, Mr. Carver, was tied to a post, and for three hours the women and children tortured him by sticking thorns into his flesh. The Edward Barley also was seized by the Africans, and her master, Mr. Burke, her mate and cook were murdered. When Captain Perry heard of these outrages he sent the Porpoise, Lieutenant Stellwagen, disguised as a merchantman, to the Berribee Coast, where the mur- ders had been committed. As soon as the Porpoise dropped anchor a number of natives came aboard, and evidently would have murdered the crew had the vessel been a merchant craft, as they supposed. This was all the American commander wanted to know, and, sailing away without injuring the natives or revealing the character of his vessel, Lieutenant Stellwagen made his report to Captain Perry. On the 29th of Novem- ber, 1843, the squadron anchored off Berribee and de- 1820. DEATH OP KING CRACK 0. 69 raanded the restoration of the Mary Carver's cargo and the surrender of the murderers. After a number of "palavers" Captain Perry agreed to land and hold a conference with King Crack O within the stockades. This negro was a giant, and Captain Perry had been warned of treachery, but in spite of the danger the intrepid American attended the conference with a small guard. In the middle of the interview King Crack O suddenly seized Perry with one hand and attempted to reach his iron spear (the handle of which had twelve notches in it, indicating the number of men he had slain) with the other. The sergeant of marines promptly shot the king and then bayoneted him twice ; but the gigantic negro, frothing at the mouth, continued to fight with the ferocity of a demon, and it took three men to control him. The other blacks retreated to the camwood and opened a fire on the Americans, using the copper bolts of the Mary Carver as bullets. They were soon put to flight, however, and their town burned, King Crack O dying the next day. On the 15th of December, while the squadron was at a point fifteen miles down the coast, the woods sudden- ly resounded with war horns, bells, gongs, etc., and a fire was opened on the American boats pulling toward the shore. A detachment of men was landed and four towns were destroyed. The good effects of these se- vere measures were felt many years afterward. Swift runners carried the news a thousand miles along the coast, and on the 16th of December a treaty was con- cluded at Great Berribee. When Lieutenant Andrew Hull Foote reached the slave coast in December, 1849, in the brig of war Perry, he found that the American brigantine Louisa Beaton had been overhauled by the British cruiser Dolphin under suspicion of being engaged in the slave trade. The people in the brigantine expressed great indig- nation over this proceeding, and so far asserted their 70 CRUISING AGAINST SLAVERS. 1820. innocence that the English commander made a dis- avowal of the act and offered an indemnity. As showing the extreme delicacy of this service, it will be added that the Louisa Beaton was in truth a slaver, and after being released by the authorities got away with a cargo of human freight. In the following year (June 7, 1850) Foote over- hauled a large ship showing American colors off the coast between Ambriz and Loanda. As the American boarding officer came aboard to search, he noticed that her name on the stern was " Martha, of New York," yet as soon as her master recognized the uniform of the American officers he hauled down his colors and claimed the protection of the Brazilian flag. He then threw overboard his writing desk, and boldly declared that the ship was a Brazilian and that the Americans had no right to search. Unfortunately for this man his writ- ing desk floated, and, on being recovered and searched, papers were found showing that he was a citizen of the United States, and that three fifths of the ship belonged to an American living at Rio Janeiro. A further search showed that there were twenty -six thousand gallons of water aboard and sufficient quan- tities of farina and rice the common food of negroes to feed two thousand men. Besides this there were wooden spoons, iron boilers for cooking purposes, man- acles used for securing slaves, and the ship was fitted with what was known as a u slave deck." As the proofs were too strong against him the master con- fessed that he expected to take on a full cargo of ne- groes that night. He was seized and sent with his men to New York and his ship was condemned as a slaver. Not long after this the Perry seized the American brigantine CTiatsworth and held her for adjudication, but she was released by the court as not having suffi- cient evidence against her to establish her character as a slaver. Afterward the Chatsworth was again seized 1820. SEIZURE OF THE CHATSWORTH. 71 and this time two sets of papers were found aboard her. Again she was sent home and this time was condemned. These energetic measures, together with the vigi- lance exercised by the American and British cruisers on the slave coast, gradually stamped out the ne- farious traffic, so that in a few years after the seizure of the Chatsworth the slave trade virtually was stopped. CHAPTER V. CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. ON the night of September 6, 1842, while the Pacific squadron, under the command of Captain Thomas ap C. Jones consisting of the 44-gun frigate United States, flagship, the 20-gun sloop of war Cyane, Commander Cornelius Kinchiloe Stribling, the 16-gun brig of war Dale, Commander Thomas Aloysius Dornin, and the 12-gun schooner Shark was at anchor in the harbor of Callao, the British frigate Dublin, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Thomas, suddenly appeared off the port, took a look at the American cruisers, and put to sea again without giving information as to her destination. Under ordinary circumstances the action of the British admiral would not have excited more than passing comment for the Dublin had been on the western coast of South America fifteen years, and was constantly running from one port to another. But her behavior on this particular occasion aroused Captain Jones' sus- picions. For some time it had been rumored that England and France were in secret negotiation with Mexico for the cession of enormous tracts of land on the Pacific slope. These rumors were particularly ap- plicable to Great Britain, as it was well known that Mexico was heavily in debt to British merchants, and there seemed to be no other way of meeting the obliga- tion. England had never lost sight of France's first proj- ect of founding a Western empire. It has been shown that the French ministry caused a chain of trading posts in reality fortresses to be erected along the 72 1812. ENGLAND'S POLICY. 73 Great Lakes and down the Ohio and Mississippi Eivers to New Orleans, with the view of uniting the Canadas and Louisiana into one vast domain, which would cut off the English colonies on the Atlantic seaboard from the Great West. When the Canadas passed under British rule the English endeavored to carry out this plan for the purpose of confining the United States east of the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers ; but the naval victories on Lake Champlain and Lake Erie, and the battle of the Thames, in the War of 1812, frustrated this, and as a last resort the British ministers projected the most formidable expe- dition of the war against New Orleans, at a time when negotiations for peace were pending, hoping to secure a footing at the mouth of the Mississippi River, and thus establish a claim on the vast territory drained by its confluents. This was in keeping with England's policy of occupying strategic positions on the coasts of other nations in all parts of the world. By fortify- ing the little island of Heligoland, at the mouth of the Elbe, England for many years exercised a controlling influence over the German states, and by holding the Channel Islands she was a constant menace to France. Her impregnable strongholds at Gibraltar and Malta gave her a dominating influence over Spain, Portugal, Italy and other Mediterranean nations, and the occu- pation of Hong- Kong on the island of Victoria, near the mouth of several large rivers in China, put her in a threatening attitude toward that country. This "hold- ing the clinched fist " close to the aquiline nose of Uncle Sam, so far as the Mississippi River was concerned, was prevented by the American naval forces at Lake Borgne and by General Jackson. But England was always on the watch to secure more strategic points. Captain Jones had been put on his guard by the Government, and had recently read in a Mexican paper that war was likely to be declared between the United States and Mexico, if indeed hostilities had not CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 1842-1846. already begun. All these circumstances made the American commander suspect that the Dublin was bound for California for the purpose of occupying towns along the coast, and knowing that the policy of the United States was to extend its territory to the Pacific Ocean, he promptly got to sea with his entire squadron on the 7th of September. As soon as the ves- sels had gained an offing he called a council of his offi- cers and laid the facts before them, and they came to the conclusion unanimously that it was their duty, at all hazards, to prevent the British from obtaining a foothold in California. The United States and the Cy- ane hastened northward, while the Shark returned to Callao and the Dale made for Panama with dispatches for the Government. Captain Jones reached Monterey on the afternoon of October 19th, but saw nothing of the Dublin. He heard enough, however, to convince him that his suspicions were well founded, and he in- sisted on the surrender of the place ; but on the follow- ing day he learned that war did not exist between the United States and Mexico, and he promptly made amends for his hasty action. That the Government was not displeased with the vigilance of this officer is shown by the fact that he was not censured for the part he had played ; but, as some action was necessary to conciliate Mexico, he was removed from the com- mand of the squadron. War was not declared between the United States and Mexico until May, 1846, and, learning of the bat- tles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, Captain John Drake Sloat, who had succeeded to the command of the Pacific squadron, sailed from Mazatlan on the 8th of June in the 44-gun frigate Savannah, Captain William Mervine, and arrived at Monterey July 2d, where he found the Warren, the Cyane and the Le- vant. Landing two hundred and fifty seamen and ma- rines, under Captain Mervine, he took possession of the place, and a week later the Portsmouth, Com- 1846. THE ENGLISH AT MONTEREY. fo mander John Berrien Montgomery, took formal pos- session of the magnificent bay of San Francisco and the adjoining territory. Sutler's Fort, on Sacramento River, Bodega and Sonoma also were occupied. On the 16th of July the 80-gun ship of the line Collingwood^ Admiral Sir George F. Seymour, arrived at Monterey, and on the 19th of July Major John Charles Fremont, who was exploring California at the head of a company of topographical engineers, reached the same place with one hundred and sixty mounted riflemen, and placed himself under the orders of Captain Sloat. In his Four Years in the Pacific in H. M. S. Collingwood, Lieutenant Walpole of the royal navy says : " Fremont and his party were true trappers. They had passed years in the wilds, living upon their own resources. Many of them were blacker than the Indians. Their dress was principally a long, loose coat of deer skin, tied with thongs in front ; trousers of the same, of their own manufacture. They are allowed no liquor tea and sugar only." u lt was a day of excitement when we entered Monterey," says Major Fremont in his Memoirs. "Four of our men-of-war were lying in the harbor, and also the Collingwood. Looking out over the bay, the dark hulls of the war vessels and the slumbering cannon still looked ominous and threaten- ing. There lay the pieces on the great chess-board before me with which the game for an empire had been played." No doubt Admiral Seymour would gladly have had a pretext for seizing the territory, and inci- dentally recapturing the Cyane and Levant, which had been taken from the English in 1815, but he was checkmated by the superior force that Captain Sloat had collected at Monterey, and after an exchange of civilities he sailed on the 23d of July for the Sand- wich Islands. Anxious to interrupt communications between Gen- eral Jose M. Castro, commander of the Mexican forces in California, and Mexico, Captain Sloat sent Major CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 1846. Bartara Los Angeles , San Luis Key San Diego Fremont with one hundred and fifty riflemen in the Cyane, Commander Samuel Francis Dupont, to San Diego. The Cyane arrived off that port on the 25th of July. Landing on the afternoon of the same day, Lieuten- ant Stephen Clegg Rowan hoisted the American colors and placed a garrison there under the com- mand of Lieutenant George Minor. On the 30th of July the Congress took pos- session of San Pedro, seaport of Los Ange- les and the seat of the Mexican Govern- ment in California. Desiring to return to the United States on account of his health,Captain Sloat, on the 23d of July, 1840, turned over the command of the squadron to Cap- tain Robert Field Stockton (who had recently arrived in Monterey) and sailed for Panama in the Levant. Finding that all the seaports on the Californian coast were in the possession of the Americans, Captain Stockton planned an expedition against Los Angeles. Leaving the Savannah on guard at Monterey, the Portsmouth at San Francisco, the Warren at Mazatlan and the Erie at the Sandwich Islands, Captain Stock- ton, on the 1st of August, sailed from Monterey in the Congress. Stationing a small force at Santa Barbara, he appeared off San Pedro August 6th, and, landing three hundred and fifty sailors and marines, estab- Scene of the naval operations on the Pacific coast. 1846. STOCKTON MARCHES UPON LOS ANGELES. ff lished a camp and began the arduous task of drilling the sailors in military tactics. "There were only about ninety muskets in the whole corps. Some of the men were armed with carbines, others had only pistols, swords or boarding-pikes. They presented a motley and peculiar appearance, with great variety of costume. Owing to their protracted absence from home the supplies of shoes and clothing had fallen short, and the ragged and diversified colors of their garments, as well as the want of uniformity in their arms and accoutrements, made them altogether a spec- tacle both singular and amusing." 1 Captain Stockton fully realized the importance of securing the strategic places in California before the several thousand well- armed and well- mounted soldiers then scattered in dif- ferent parts of the State could come together. The many narrow passes, mountain ranges, and undula- tions of the land favorable for resisting invaders gave the Mexicans a great advantage. Their forces at Los Angeles also outnumbered the Americans three to one, and it was only by putting on a bold front that Captain Stockton had hopes of conquering them. Several days after the camp at San Pedro had been established a flag of truce appeared on the hills, and Captain Stockton determined on a stratagem to deceive the enemy as to his force. "He ordered all his men under arms and directed them to march three or four abreast, with intervals of considerable space between each squad, directly in the line of vision of the ap- proaching messengers, to the rear of some buildings on the beach, and thence to return in a circle and con- tinue their march until the strangers had arrived. Part of the circle described in the march was con- cealed from view, so that to the strangers it would ap- pear that a force ten times greater than the actual number was defiling before them. When the two 1 Life of Captain Robert F. Stockton, p. 119. 78 CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 1846. L bearers of the flag of truce had arrived, he ordered them to be led up to him alongside of the artillery, which consisted of several 6-pounders and one 32- pound carronade. The guns were all covered with skins in such a manner as to conceal their dimensions excepting the huge mouth of the 32-pounder, at which the captain was posted to receive his guests. He sup- posed that in all probability neither of them had ever before seen such an instrument of war, and that the large and gaping aperture of the gun, into the very mouth of which they were compelled to look, would be likely to disturb their nerves. As his purpose was that of intimidation, he received them with sternness, calculated to co-operate with the impression produced by the artillery. . . . The messengers brought over- tures for a truce, but, as this was merely a ruse to gain time, Captain Stockton ordered them to tell General Castro that he would not negotiate with him on any other terms than those of absolute submission to the authority of the United States. Having delivered this message in the most fierce and offensive manner, and in a tone significant of the most implacable and hostile determination, Captain Stockton imperiously waved them from his presence with the insulting imperative Vamose ! The Mexicans made haste to escape from the presence of an enemy apparently so ferocious and formidable, and their ominous retiring glances at the terrific gun showed but too plainly that the work of intimidation was effectual. When they were beyond hearing Captain Stockton expressed the opinion to his officers that these messengers would carry to General Castro's camp such an account of their observations as would supersede the necessity of any very desperate battle." 1 Forming his little army into a hollow square, with his baggage and provisions in the center, Captain 1 Life of Captain Robert F. Stockton, p. 120. 1846. LOS ANGELES CAPTURED. 79 Stockton, on the llth of August, began his tedious march to Los Angeles. Having only a few horses, the sailors seized the ropes attached to the heavy artillery and ammunition carts and dragged them over hills and valleys of sand under the burning rays of a semitrop- ical sun. On the 12th he met a courier from General Castro with a pompous message informing Captain Stockton that u if he marched upon the town he would find it the grave of his men." The American com- mander replied : "Then tell your general to have the bells ready to toll in the morning at eight o'clock. I shall be there at that time." Stockton was as good as his word, and on the 13th of August he met Major Fremont's detachment, which had come up from San Diego, and entered Los Angeles unopposed. The Mexican general, having dispersed the bulk of his army, mounted his best men on his swiftest horses and made all speed for Sonora. The following day, August 14th, Andres Pico (the former governor) and General Jose Maria Flores surrendered and were liberated on parole. The news of the capture was sent overland to Washington by the celebrated scout Kit Carson. Or- ganizing a civil government for the entire State, with Major Fremont as the head of it, Captain Stockton sailed northward on the 5th of September, leaving a garrison under the command of Lieutenant Archibald H. Gillespie, of the marines. Major Fremont also re- turned north for the purpose of enlisting men at Sacra- mento to take part in an expedition that Captain Stockton was planning against Acapulco. While these operations were taking place along the coast of California, the Warren, Commander Joseph Bartine Hull, and the Cyane, Commander Dupont, were active in cruising along the western coast of Mexico and capturing hostile vessels. Thirteen or fourteen prizes were taken by them. Captain Stockton, in his official report, said Commanders Hull and Dupont "deserve praise for the manner in which they have blockaded 80 CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 1846 and watched the Mexican coasts during the most in- clement season of the year." A spirited affair was undertaken by the boats of the Warren under Com- mander Hull. The celebrated privateer MaleJc Adhel had run into the harbor of Mazatlan, and Lieutenant Hull manned his boats and, pulling directly into the harbor, captured the vessel and brought her out. Early in October a courier from Los Angeles arrived at San Francisco with the startling announcement that both Pico and General Flores, regardless of their parole, had secretly collected the remnants of their army and were besieging the American garrison in the Govern- ment house at Los Angeles. It was also learned that the Mexicans were attacking the garrison at Santa Barbara, and were advancing upon the little force under Lieutenant Minor at San Diego. Captain Stockton immediately dispatched the Savannah to the scene of trouble. Arriving at San Pedro, Captain Mervine found that the American garrison at Los Angeles had been forced to capitulate, and was awaiting the arrival of an American cruiser. Captain Mervine landed a detachment of seamen and marines, and began the march to the capital ; but he had not advanced more than twelve miles when he came upon the Mexicans and a field piece intrenched in a commanding position. Unfortunately, the Americans were destitute of artil- lery, but, gallantly charging, they drove the enemy from cover. The Mexicans, being well mounted, car- ried off their field piece and, after retreating a short distance, formed another line. The Americans charged again, but Captain Mervine, finding that he was losing valuable men and that the enemy could repeat these tactics with comparative impunity, retired to San Pe- dro, closely followed by General Flores with eighteen hundred soldiers. In this affair the Americans had several men killed or wounded. Captain Stockton sailed from San Francisco on the 12th of October in the Congress, having in company 1846. LANDING AT SAN DIEGO. 81 the transport Sterling, with Major Fremont's corps, consisting "of one hundred and seventy good men" 1 aboard. On the way down the coast the vessels be- came separated in a fog, and as the weather was clear- ing up the Congress met the merchant vessel Barnsta- ble and learned that the American garrison at Monterey, under the command of Lieutenant W. A. T. Maddox, of the marines, was threatened by an uprising of the people. Running into the bay, Captain Stockton landed fifty men and three pieces of artillery, under Midshipmen Baldwin and Johnston, and then contin- ued his course southward. Arriving at San Pedro on the 23d of October, he landed three hundred men and established a camp. Hearing that the garrison at San Diego under Lieutenant Minor was besieged, and find- ing that the harbor at San Pedro was too exposed, Captain Stockton, after a few skirmishes with the ene- my, changed his base of operations to the former place. In attempting to cross the bar at San Diego the Con- gress grounded. A second attempt to get the ship over was successful, but she grounded in the bay, and heeled over so much that it became necessary to shore her up with spars. While she was in this condition the Mexicans made a furious attack on the town. As many men as could be spared were landed under Lieu- tenant Minor and Captain Gillespie, and they drove the enemy back. Being greatly in need of horses and live stock, Cap- tain Stockton sent Captain Hensley and Captain Gib- son with a detachment of men into Lower California for a supply, and these officers soon returned with ninety horses and two hundred head of cattle. Another expedition under Captain Gillespie was planned against the enemy's camp at San Bernardino, but before it got under way Captain Stockton received word from Brig- adier-General Stephen W. Kearny that he had crossed 1 Memoirs of John Charles Fremont, p. 577. 61 gg CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 1846. the mountains from Santa Fe with one hundred dra- goons, and desired to open communication with the American naval forces. Captain Gillespie, with Lieu- tenant Beale, Midshipman James M. Duncan and ten carbineers, together with a force of twenty-five volun- teers under Captain Gibson and a field gun, were or- dered to march immediately and effect a junction with him, which was done early in December. Early on the morning of December 6th General Kearny attacked the Mexican forces at San Pasqual, commanded by Cap- tain Pio Pico, but was repelled with the loss of one of his guns and eighteen men killed and fifteen wounded, among the latter being General Kearny him- self, Lieutenant Beale and Captain Gillespie. The general now found himself besieged by a force that was hourly growing stronger. On the night of Decem- ber 7th Lieutenant Beale, with Mr. Godey and an Indian scout, slipped through the enemy's lines, and, after enduring great hardships, reached the American camp at San Diego on the night of December 9th. The position of the American forces in California was extremely critical. Elated with the recapture of Los Angeles, the repulse of Captain Mervine on the road to that town, the abandonment of San Pedro by the powerful American squadron, and most of all by the de- feat of General Kearny, the Mexicans were rallying in great numbers. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Captain Stockton resolved on prompt and decisive measures. The first thing to be done was to relieve General Kearny at San Bernardino. Accordingly, the attack on Los Angeles was postponed, while Andrew F. V. Gray, on the 10th of December, with two hundred and fifteen men, was sent in all haste to the aid of the general. That young officer carried out his instruc- tions with spirit, and by making forced marches he reached the besieged dragoons and escorted them to San Diego. Captain Stockton began his march upon Los Angeles December 29th. His entire force now con- 1846. AN EXHAUSTING MARCH. 33 sisted of nearly six hundred sailors and marines, Gen- eral Kearny's sixty dismounted dragoons, six light guns and a howitzer. There were only two hundred muskets in the whole army, the sailors being armed with carbines and boarding- pikes, while the few horses were unfit for the march, and soon gave out. The road to Los Angeies, about one hundred and forty-five miles long, was intersected with deep ravines, sand hills and deserts, affording many strong positions where a handful of determined men could have im- peded seriously the progress of an army. The first day of the march was occupied in crossing the dry, sandy bed of San Diego River and in reaching Solidad, the guns and ammunition carts being drawn two thirds of the way by the officers and men. ''After an ad- vance of a quarter of a mile we found what labor was in store for us. Almost every ox team became stalled in the sandy bed of the dry river, and had to be dragged across by the troops. On a dead level the half-starved oxen managed to drag the carts, but when we came to a hill or a sandy bottom the troops had to pull them along. These extra labors were of hourly occurrence, and when we reached the place where we were to camp for the night the men were almost ex- hausted." 1 "Our men were badly clothed, and their shoes generally were made by themselves out of canvas. It was very cold, and the roads heavy. Our animals were all poor and weak, some of them giving out daily, which gave much hard work to the men in dragging the heavy carts, loaded with ammunition and provi- sions, through deep sands and up steep ascents." 2 On the morning of the second day the men came to Cap- tain Stockton in squads and begged for twenty-four hours of rest. This, at first, was granted, but realiz- ing that every day was increasing the enemy's strength, 1 Recollections of the Mexican War, Vice-Admiral Rowan. 2 Official Report of Captain Robert F. Stockton. 84 CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 1846-1847. Captain Stockton after a few hours resumed the march, in spite of urgent requests for rest. During the day straggling parties of Mexican horsemen appeared at different points along the route, showing that the ene- my was on the alert and not far off. On the second day several of them appeared in front of a house on a hill, waving their lances in defiance ; but on the ap- proach of the advance guard they disappeared as sud- denly as they came. When the little army had cov- ered about two thirds of the distance, messengers bear- ing a letter from General Flores were met, but Captain Stockton refused to read the missive, saying that the Mexican commander had broken his parole and would be shot if he again fell into the hands of the Ameri- cans. On the 2d of January Stockton reached San Luis Rey, and on the 3d a courier was dispatched to com- municate, if possible, with the corps under Major Fre- mont. Continuing his march, Captain Stockton on the evening of January 7th approached San Gabriel River, and by sending out scouts he discovered that the Mex- icans were intrenched between him and the river, apparently determined to give battle. Early on the following morning all the firearms were discharged and reloaded, so as to insure their being in good condition. Incidentally it was a reminder that the 8th of January was the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans. Having assigned every man to his position, and giving careful instructions how to proceed, Captain Stockton resumed the march at 9 o'clock in the morning, and on reaching the plains formed his army in a hollow square with the baggage and provisions in the center. When he was within two miles of the river the enemy, six hundred strong, appeared in three divisions on the hills on the opposite side of the San Gabriel. As the Amer- icans approached the ford where the river was about fifty yards wide, a body of one hundred and fifty Mex- icans crossed the San Gabriel at another point and en- 1847. BATTLE OF SAN GABRIEL. 35 deavored to drive a herd of wild mares into the Amer- ican ranks, but failing in this they retired across the river to their position about six hundred yards from the water. The main body of their army, two hundred strong, with two pieces of artillery, was stationed op- posite the ford. As the Americans approached the crossing place the Mexicans opened a heavy fire, one of their cannon balls striking Frederick Strauss, a seaman of the Ports- mouth, in the neck and killing him instantly. Some of the other Americans were wounded about the same time, but in spite of their exposed position they strug- gled across the stream, while the officers and men as- sisted the mules in dragging the two 9-pounders through the deep sand. As soon as the advance guard had crossed the 9-pounders were unlimbered, and al- though exposed in the open plain they were loaded and fired with such precision that one shot knocked a Mexican gun out of its carriage. It was five minutes before the Mexicans recovered from the confusion created by this well-aimed missile, but finally twenty of them ran from their cover and hastily fastening las- soes to the gun dragged it to the rear. About this time the Mexicans made a flank movement and endeav- ored to capture the two 6-pounders in the rear of the American army, but they were repelled by the marines under Lieutenant Jacob Zeilin. The Mexican right wing then attempted to rout Captain Stockton's left, but it was repelled by the musketeers under Lieuten- ants William B. Renshaw and H. B. Watson and Mid- shipman John Guest. Everything now being in readiness, Captain Stock- ton gave the word to charge, and the men rushed for- ward with great spirit. The Mexican center withstood the attack for some time, but finally broke and fled. At this moment their right wing wheeled round and charged the American rear, which was encumbered with baggage, horses and cattle, but Captain Gillespie 8G CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA. 1847. opened such a well-directed fire that the enemy was again repelled. The Americans were now in full pos- session of the enemy's breastworks, and "the band playing Hail Columbia and Yankee Doodle announced another glorious victory on the 8th of January." 1 In this affair the Americans lost two killed and had nine wounded, while that of the enemy was about seventy killed and one hundred and fifty wounded. Anxious to follow up his advantage, Captain Stock- ton ordered the tattoo to be beaten at an early hour that evening, with the intention of resuming the march on Los. Angeles at daybreak. At midnight the picket men were fired upon, and, fearing a general attack, Captain Stockton in a few minutes had his little army under arms, but finding that it was nothing more than a few straggling prowlers the men returned to their blankets. At 9 o'clock on the following morning the Americans were again formed into a hollow square, with the baggage and animals in the center, and re- sumed the march ; but they had not proceeded more than six miles when they were again confronted by the Mexican army intrenched in a strong position on the plains of Mesa. When within range the enemy opened fire from a masked battery, which killed an ox and a mule of the American provision train. The fire was returned by the 6-pounder, under Acting- Master William H. Thompson. Observing that the enemy was dividing his cavalry so as to attack three sides of the American square simultaneously, Captain Stockton ordered his men to reserve their fire until they could distinctly see the faces of their foe. " The appearance which the Mexicans made on this occasion, mounted on fine horses, gayly caparisoned, with ribbons and pen- nons streaming in the breeze, was brilliant and exciting. On they came at full gallop, the earth quivering be- neath their hoofs, their bright weapons flashing in the 1 Official report of Captain Stockton. 1847. SEAMEN IN A HOLLOW SQUARE. 37 rays of the sun, apparently with desperate valor bent on hurling themselves upon the small, compact and silent mass that awaited their charge. But when they had approached as near as Captain Stockton thought proper he gave the signal, and a deadly fire checked their gallant advance." 1 Three times the Mexicans rallied and charged the hollow square, and three times they were repelled by the unflinching bravery of the little army, leaving many a horse galloping over the plains with an empty saddle. At last they retired in confusion, and on the following day Captain Stockton entered Los Angeles in triumph, where he was joined on the 15th of January by Major Fremont's corps. In the battle of the 9th the Americans had one killed and five wounded, including Lieutenant Rowan and Captain Gillespie. Besides those already men- tioned, the naval officers in these brilliant affairs were Lieutenant Richard L. Tilghman ; Acting- Lieutenants B. F. B. Hunter and Edward Higgins ; Midshipmen Benjamin F. Wells, P. Haywood, Robert C. Duvall, William Simmons, George E. Morgan, J. Van Ness Philip, Theodoric Lee, Albert Almand, Edward C. Grafton, J. Fenwick Stenson, Joseph Parrioh and Ed- mund Shepherd ; Surgeons Charles Eversfield, John S. Griffin and Andrew A. Henderson ; Purser William Speeden ; Captain Hensley, Captain Turner, of the dra- goons, Captain Miguel de Pedrovena, Captain William H. Emory, of the topographical engineers, and Lieu- tenant Davidson. Soon after his brilliant victories Captain Stockton joined a party of hunters, and cross- ing the Rocky Mountains made his way overland to the United States. Captain William Brandford Shubrick succeeded him in the command of the Pacific squadron, re-enforcing it with the 54-gun ship of the line Inde- pendence and the 16-gun brig of war Preble. 1 Life of Captain Robert F. Stockton, p. 147. CHAPTER VI. IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. WHILE this vigorous campaign was under way in the north the vessels stationed on the coasts of Mex- ico and Lower California had not been idle. After landing Major Fremont's corps at San Diego, in July, 1846, the Cyane, Commander Dupont, appeared off San Bias on the 2d of September. A detachment of men under Lieutenant Rowan landed, spiked all the guns in the place (twenty-four in number) and then re- tired without the loss of a man. Running into the Gulf of California, Commander Dupont learned that a Mexican gunboat had sailed from Mulije for Guaymas, and, making all sail, he appeared off that port on the 6th of October. Discovering two gunboats and a brig in the harbor, he demanded that they be surrendered, but the Mexicans burned the gunboats and warped the brig into a cove within pistol shot of the shore, where two streets leading from the barracks opened on her. These barracks were in a commanding position and contained several hundred soldiers, besides artillery. It was thought that the brig thus defended was safe. But evidently the Mexicans had not heard of the dar- ing cutting-out expeditions for which the United States navy is famous. Determined to have the brig, Commander Dupont ordered out his launch and cutter under the command of Lieutenant G. W. Harrison, who was assisted by Lieu- tenant Higgins and Midshipman Lewis. The Cyane then hauled close inshore and opened a heavy fire, while the boat party, pulling toward the cove, boarded 88 1846. GALLANT BOAT SERVICE. 89 the brig and began towing her out. Not wishing to injure the town unnecessarily, Commander Dupont now ceased firing, whereupon the Mexicans ran from their cover and opened a sharp discharge of musketry and artillery on the boat. This was returned by Lieu- tenant Harrison and the Cyane, and again the enemy ran to cover. In a short time, however, the boat party was in the line of the Cyane's fire, so that her gunners were compelled to desist. This was a signal for the Mexicans to resume their fire on the boats, and a party of Indians on the other side of the cove opened a cross fire. Seeing the danger of his men, Commander Du- pont reopened his broadside, and by skillfully throw- ing his missiles over the heads of the boat party again routed the Mexicans and held them in check until his men were out of danger and the brig burned. Running down to Mazatlan, the Cyane maintained such a vigorous blockade of that port that the town soon began to suffer for want of provisions, and in or- der to secure them the enemy attempted to run the blockade in small coasting vessels. As the only means of intercepting them, the Americans manned their boats and kept up this hazardous service many weeks. By keeping close inshore the coasters secured the sup- port of cavalry with flying artillery. On two occasions the Americans succeeded in cutting off four of these blockade runners, and at one time, while three of the Cyane's smallest boats, under the command of Lieuten- ant Harrison, were returning from an expedition of this nature, two launches and two barges, carrying sixty soldiers, put out of the harbor in pursuit, the Cyane being some miles seaward. Notwithstanding the fact that the Mexicans had the support of their artillery on shore, Lieutenant Harrison turned on his pursuers and gallantly advanced to give battle. On coming within range both sides opened a sharp fire, but the Mexicans soon turned, ran their boats on the beach and escaped on shore. In her cruise off these 90 IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. 1846-1847. coasts the Cyane and her boats captured twenty-three craft of all kinds. Some idea of the hardships and dangers to which the American officers and seamen on this coast were exposed may be gained from Lieutenant Tunis Augus- tus Macdonough Craven's journal, under date of De- cember 21, 1846, when his ship, the Dale, was off Mon- terey. " In standing out to the northwest, the weather being quite thick and the rain pouring down in tor- rents, we came very near running into a low point of land forming the north point of the bay. We were obliged to haul by the wind, which had increased to a gale and suddenly shifted to the northwest, blowing strong. On neither tack could we clear the shore. Night came on ; we could not regain the port ; the rain poured down in violent squalls and the wind at times raged furiously ; the lee shore was by calculation- not more than nine miles off. We could not carry much sail, and were obliged to reduce what little we had. A tremendous swell set in from the southwest, and we felt that it was fast driving us toward the fatal shore. But the Almighty rendered us assistance when the hand of man was powerless." Late in October, 1847, the Congress, Captain La Valette, and the Portsmouth, Commander Montgomery, hove to off Guaymas, and, landing two heavy guns on an island commanding the town, opened a heavy fire at sunrise on the following day, and in three quarters of an hour the enemy surrendered. All the water- front batteries were then destroyed, but on the evening of the same day General Campujano approached the place with a large force. Landing a detachment of seamen and marines, Captain La Yalette prepared to defend the place, but the Mexican general, being de- serted by many of his soldiers, left the Americans in quiet possession. Leaving the Portsmouth at Guay- mas, Captain La Yalette ran over to Loreto, and, standing down the coast, joined the Independence and 1847. GUAYMAS CAPTURED. 91 the Cyane at Cape San Lucas on the 16th of October. In November the Dale, Commander Thomas O. Self- ridge, relieved the Portsmouth at Guaymas. While on his way to that place Commander Self- ridge learned that one hundred and fifty Mexican sol- diers, under the command of a chief called Pineda, had captured Mulije and were overawing the inhabitants, the majority of whom were friendly to the United States. The bold table mountain and broken crags of Mulije were made out September 30th, and soon after- ward the Dale brought her broadside to bear on the town, while Lieutenant Craven with fifty men in four boats pulled up the creek to cut out a schooner. This was done in handsome style, and although many Mexi- can soldiers were in sight they offered no resistance. On the following day Lieutenant Craven landed on the right bank of the creek with eighty officers and men, including Lieutenant William T. Smith, Lieutenant Tansill, of the marines, Past Midshipman James M. Duncan, and Midshipmen Thomas T. Houston, J. R. Hamilton and W. B. Hayes, and drove the Mexicans, one hundred and forty strong, three miles inland. Several ambuscades were prepared for the Americans, but the steadiness of the seamen carried everything before it. Two of the Americans were wounded. Lieutenant Craven, with Midshipman Hamilton and eleven men, was then placed in command of the schooner Libertad, fitted with a 9-pounder for the service, and was ordered to cruise in the Gulf and interrupt the enemy's communications. On the 9th of November Lieutenant Craven cut out the sloop Alerta from the harbor of Mulije. The Dale in the meantime had crossed over to Guaymas, and on the 17th of November Commander Selfridge landed with sixty-five men and marched upon the town. When he reached the plaza the Mexicans opened an unexpected fire from the houses that surrounded the place, which inflicted a severe 92 IN THE GULP OP CALIFORNIA. 1847-1848. wound on the commander's foot and compelled him to return to his ship. It was discovered that four hundred soldiers were concealed in the houses. The Mexicans believed that they had the Americans in a trap. "Every house breathed fire from its doors and windows, and the officers thought that the whole party was doomed to destruction ; but the men were so well handled by Lieutenant Smith [who succeeded to the command], and their fire was so effectively poured upon the Mexicans, who were sallying from the houses and forming, that the enemy was thrown into the ut- most confusion. A flight commenced, about four hun- dred Mexican soldiers being routed by about seventy seamen. In this affair Lieutenant Tansill commanded the marines and led that gallant little band into the thickest and hottest part of the fight." 1 Thirty of the Mexicans were killed or wounded. Hearing that a body of Mexican soldiers had taken a position at Cochori, Lieutenant Yard, commanding the Dale, on Sunday morning, January 80, 1848, sent a boat party under Lieutenant Craven to attack them. Pulling four miles up the coast, the Americans landed some distance from the enemy's camp, and, cautiously making their way along the shore at night, suddenly came upon the Mexicans and routed them. Thirteen prisoners, including Captain Mendoza and a lieutenant, were taken, and five Mexicans were killed. Leaving Lieutenant Charles Hey wood with four mid- shipmen, twenty marines and a 12-pounder in the old mission house at San Jose, a small village twenty miles northeast of San Lucas, Captain Shubrick, on the even- ing of the same day (November 9th) sailed for Mazatlan with the Independence, the Congress and the Cyane, with the intention of capturing that important com- mercial center, which yielded an annual revenue of three million dollars to Mexico. As soon as the Ameri- 1 Journal of Lieutenant Craven. 1847. SEIZURE OF MAZATLAN. 93 can vessels came in sight of the town they made for positions prescribed by Captain Shubrick. The Inde- pendence anchored in a bend in the peninsula west of the town, and as her broadside swung round her lighted ports loomed up in the darkness like a walled city. The Congress took a dangerous but important position in the old harbor, where her guns could sweep the roads leading from that side of the town, while the Cyane and the Erie (the latter having joined the squad- ron off the port) boldly stood into the new harbor, and trained their guns on the town. Early on the following morning Captain La Valette went ashore with a formal demand for the surrender of the place, but Colonel Telles, the Mexican commander, tore up the paper with insulting expressions and dared the Americans to attack. As soon as he heard of this Captain Shubrick ordered out the boats of the squad- ron and formed them in three lines under the command of Lieutenant Watson, Lieutenants Kowan and Page commanding the left and right wings. The boats from the Congress, commanded by Lieutenant John T. Liv- ingston, had five pieces of artillery, which had been captured in Lower California. Notwithstanding the protection the stone walls and sand hills afforded the Mexicans, they did not open fire. Pulling directly for the landing, the Americans, six hundred in all, formed on the beach and marched to the town, and under a salute of twenty-one guns from the Independence hoisted the American flag. Captain Shubrick organ- ized a municipal government for Mazatlan, with Cap- tain La Valette at the head of it, while a commission consisting of Commander Dupont, Lieutenant Chatard, Purser Price and Thomas Miller arranged the terms of occupation. Pursers W. H. Greene and Speeden, as collectors of this port, in five months received nearly three hundred thousand dollars in duties. A garrison held the city till the close of the war. Colonel Telles encamped not far from the town and 94. IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. 1847-1848. endeavored to cut off all communication with the inte- rior. On the 20th of November a land party of ninety- four sailors, commanded by Lieutenant Seldon, and sixty-two men in boats, under Lieutenant Rowan, pro- ceeded up the coast to Urias with a view of dislodging a detachment of Colonel Telles' troops. At daylight of the following day the Yankee sailors landed, and charged the Mexicans and soon dispersed them. Lieu- tenant Seldon's party, " having fallen into an ambush of the enemy's advance guard, was severely handled, losing twenty killed or wounded." 1 Having secured this important city, Captain Shu- brick sent out several expeditions against the smaller ports on the western coast of Mexico. Early in Jan- uary, 1848, he sent the storeship Lexington, Lieuten- ant Theodorus Bailey, against San Bias. Lieutenant Bailey appeared off that place on the night of January 12th, and, landing a party of men under the command of Lieutenant Chartard, brought off two pieces of artil- lery and the customhouse boat. Soon afterward Char- tard landed at Manzanilla and spiked the guns in that place. The Mexicans now had not a serviceable gun on their western coast except at Acapulco. In the meantime several attempts were made by the enemy to recapture the posts taken by the Americans, the most serious being that against the garrison in the mission house at San Jose. On the 19th of November a large force of Mexicans unexpectedly appeared before that place and called upon the Americans to surrender ; and although Lieutenant Heywood's force consisted of only twenty marines and four officers and twenty vol- unteers, he promptly refused to do so, prepared for a desperate defense, and placed Midshipman McLanahan and twelve men in a private dwelling adjoining the mis- sion house. Late in the day the Mexicans began the attack by the rapid discharge of a 6-pounder, but find- 1 Lieutenant Rowan's Recollections of the Mexican War. 1847-1848. HEYWOOD'S HEROIC DEFENSE. 95 ing that ineffectual they prepared a different plan. At ten o'clock that night they made a sudden assault in the front and rear of both houses, at the same time re- opening the fire from their 6-pounder. The Americans responded with a 9-pounder, and with such good aim that the Mexicans sought the cover of buildings, from which they kept up a desultory fire until daybreak, when they retired. On the following night they concentrated their entire force on the mission house and endeavored to carry it by assault. On they came w r ith yells and shouts that were intended to strike terror into the hearts of the garrison. Their first object was to break down the front door and capture the 9-pounder which had caused them so much annoyance the day before. But Lieu- tenant Heywood, ever on the alert, was equal to the emergency, and had stationed some of his best men at the gun. Waiting until the enemy was within good range, the Americans discharged the gun, which brought down the Mexican leader with several of his men, and put the others to flight. At the same time a strong party of Mexicans with scaling ladders was ap- proaching the mission house from behind, but, meeting with a hot fire and discouraged by the repulse of their comrades in front, they also fled. On the following morning a whaling vessel anchored in the bay, and, supposing her to be a man-of-war, the enemy retired. In these attacks the Americans had three men wounded, while the Mexicans left eight men dead on the field. Soon afterward Lieutenant Heywood re- ceived a small re-enforcement to his garrison. On the 22d of January, 1848, the Mexicans renewed their attacks on this heroic little garrison, and suc- ceeded in capturing Midshipmen Warley and Duncan, with six men, who were on the beach in front of the mission house, these men having no intimation that the enemy was in the neighborhood until a large body of cavalry dashed along the shore. This left Lieutenant 96 IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. 1848. Heywood with only twenty-seven marines, ten seamen and twenty volunteers. It was soon discovered that this sudden dash of the Mexican cavalry was only the beginning of a determined effort on their part to crush the feeble garrison in the mission house. Fleeting glimpses of mounted horsemen hovering in the vicinity warned Lieutenant Heywood that the enemy was at hand in force and was about to renew his treacherous warfare. By the close of January the mission house was completely surrounded, and all avenues of retreat or succor were cut off. The inhabitants long since had fled, with the exception of fifty women and children who sought the shelter of the fort and were dependent on the scanty rations of the garrison. By the 4th of February the enemy had drawn his lines around the mission house and fired on all who exposed themselves. Finding that something must be done immediately, Lieutenant Heywood, on the 6th of February, with twen- ty-five men, made a dash at a party of Mexicans who had taken a strong position in a house at the lower end of the street, and dislodged them ; but as the Ameri- cans could not spare men to hold the place the enemy returned to it as soon as the victors had retired to the mission house. On the following day the Americans made another successful sortie, but sustained the loss of one man. Considering the overwhelming force of the Mexicans, this was a substantial victory for them, for although they lost fifteen, killed or wounded, their great numbers enabled them to withstand the loss. Evidently it was their plan to worry the garrison, pick- ing off a man here and there until the Americans should be so reduced that resistance would be hopeless. The Mexicans soon got complete possession of the town, and, placing strong bodies of men in a church and other buildings near the mission house, they kept up an incessant fire. A few days afterward, while passing a window, Midshipman McLanahan was mortally wounded by a bullet in the neck, and during the fol- 1848. A DESPERATE ATTACK. 97 lowing night the enemy erected an earthwork that com- manded the place where the Americans obtained their supply of water, so that the garrison was compelled to dig a well. While they were engaged in this arduous task, the Cyane, Commander Dupont, on the evening of February 15th, appeared in the harbor, but, not under- standing the situation, made no attempt to relieve the mission house until the following day. At daylight on February 16th Commander Dupont got out his boats with ninety-four seamen and marines, with Lieutenants Rowan and Harrison, Acting-Master Fairfax, Midshipmen Shepherd, Lewis and Vander- horst, and Sergeant Maxwell, and, pulling for the beach, effected a landing. The Mexicans prepared to dispute the road from the beach to the mission house, and hav- ing the protection of trees, houses and sand hills, were in a position to make a serious resistance. Notwith- standing a galling fire, Commander Dupont moved steadily on, returning the enemy's fire as well as he could, and fighting for every inch of ground he passed over. It was with difficulty that the impetuosity of the seamen could be restrained, for they were eager to come into close quarters with the "varmints" and "lay the enemy aboard," but Commander Dupont wisely con- cluded that he would lose the advantage of a compact force if his men became scattered in a charge, and so with great patience he continued to push his way steadily toward the mission house. Step by step the Mexicans were driven back, and one vantage point after another was wrested from them by the hardy Yankee tars. The Cyane was unable to bring her guns into play without danger of injuring her own people, but the crew watched the contest with great interest, every success being heralded with cheers. Finding that they had been driven back almost to the point where the men in the mission house could fire on them in the rear, the Mexicans made a final stand at the junction of two streets, when Commander Dupont 52 98 IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. 1848. arranged his men for a charge and at the word they rushed to the attack. Just at this moment Lieutenant Heywood made a sally from the mission house, and, after dislodging a body of Mexicans in a neighboring house, joined the forces under Commander Dupont, and being attacked in both front and rear, the Mexicans broke and fled. In this brilliant affair the Americans had three killed and eight wounded, while the enemy had at least thirteen killed and many more injured. This was the last serious effort of the Mexicans to regain their ground on the Western coast, although sev- eral guerrilla bands continued to overrun the surround- ing country. With a view of checking these maraud- ing expeditious, the Americans sent out several parties that succeeded in surprising a number of these bands. By making a forced march on the night of March 15th a detachment of the garrison at La Paz, commanded by Captain Steele, of the New York regiment, surprised the Mexican camp at San Antonio, put the enemy to flight and captured Midshipmen Warley and Duncan and the six men who had been taken on the 22d of Jan- uary on the beach before the mission house at San Jose. On the 20th of April Lieutenant Heywood and his men were relieved at San Jose by a detachment of troops from a volunteer regiment and returned to their ship. At the close of the war Captain Shubrick sailed for home in the Independence, while Captain Thomas ap C. Jones, in the 74-gun ship of the line Ohio, became commander of the Pacific squadron. CHAPTER VII. WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. THE distant booming of artillery at the battle of Palo Alto, May 8, 1846, announced to the American squadron at Point Isabel, under the orders of Captain David Conner, that war between the United States and Mexico had begun. Ignorant of the result of that bat- tle, and fearing that the enemy might attack the garri- son at Point Isabel, where the supplies of the army were guarded by a small body of troops under Major Monroe, Captain Conner landed five hundred seamen and marines in charge of Captain Francis Hoyt Greg- ory, of the Raritan, for additional protection. But the victories of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma ren- dered this precaution unnecessary, and on the 18th of May Captain John H. Aulick, with about two hundred seamen and marines, pulled fifteen miles up the Rio Grande in boats, and, effecting a junction with the army, established a post at Barita. .Shortly after the beginning of hostilities Captain Conner received orders from the Government to main- tain a vigorous blockade of all the Mexican ports in the Gulf, and in order that these instructions might be properly carried out the following vessels were placed under his command : The 44-gun frigate Potomac, flag- ship ; the 44-gun frigate Cumberland, Captain Forrest ; the 44-gun frigate Raritan, Captain Gregory ; the 10- gun side- wheel steamer Mississippi, Captain Matthew Calbraith Perry ; the 20-gun sloops of war Falmouth, Saratoga, St. Mary's, Albany, John Adams ; the 10- gun brigs Somers, Lawrence, Porpoise, Perry, Trux- 99 100 WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1846. Isabe/ tun ; and the 9-gun screw steamer Princeton. In ac- cordance with his instructions Captain Conner scattered his vessels along the entire Mexican coast from the Eio Grande to the Tabasco River, making Pensacola his base of operations. On the 15th of August he collected a naval force before Tuspan, but while the Truxtun was endeav- oring to enter the harbor she grounded, and, being exposed to a heavy lire from the batteries, was compelled to surrender. All her officers and men, with the exception of Lieutenant Hunter and a boat's crew, fell into the hands of the enemy. This un- fortunate affair was shortly fol- lowed by two unsuccessful at- tacks upon Alvarado, the most important port on the coast east of Vera Cruz. In August Cap- tain Conner dispatched several light-draught vessels against this place, but they were unable to get over the bar. On the 16th of October a second attempt was made, but this also was unsuc- Scene of the naval operations in the Mexican gulf. cessful. The Mississippi managed to get in range of the formidable batteries of this port and caused some damage, while the steamer Vixen, towing the schooners 1846. FIRST FAILURES. 101 Bonita and Reefer close inshore, ably supported her ; but the steamer McLane, while endeavoring to tow into action the second division of gunboats, consisting of the Nonita, the Petrel and the Forward, grounded on the bar. The attack was abandoned and the ves- sels returned to a safe anchorage. This inauspicious opening of naval operations in the Gulf greatly en- couraged the Mexicans, and threw a shadow of dis- couragement and distrust over the American squadron. One of the first points to be gained by the navy was to secure the neutrality of Yucatan, and to this end it was deemed advisable to capture Tabasco, through which town supplies could be forwarded to Mexico. On the 16th of October Captain Perry sailed from An- ton Lizardo, and on the 23d he appeared off Frontera, a small port at the mouth of Tabasco River, with the following vessels: The steamers Mississippi, Vixen and McLane, and the schooners Bonita, Reefer, No- nita and Forward, having on board a detachment of two hundred marines from the Raritan and the Cum- berland, under the command of Captain Forrest. Frontera was the scene of Cortez's first battle on Mex- ican soil. The Mexican shipping at this place con- sisted of two steamers plying between Tabasco and Frontera, one brig, one sloop, five schooners and many boats and lighters, all admirably adapted for the diffi- cult navigation of these waters. Having observed the grounding of the McLane at Alvarado, and supposing that the American steamers were too heavy to cross the bar, the Mexican commander at Frontera, General Bravo, dared the Americans to attack him. But so rapid were the movements of the squadron that he was taken by surprise. On arriving off the bar Captain Perry hastened aboard the Vixen, and, with the Bonita and Forward in tow and accompanied by a detach- ment of Captain Forrest's men in barges, dashed across the bar and made all speed for the Mexican flo- tilla, which was moored in fancied security under the 102 IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1846. guns of the battery. Great volumes of smoke were observed ascending from the smokestack of the steam- ers, the largest of which was the Petrita, showing that every effort was being made to get up steam and escape up the river ; but before the Mexicans could effect their object the Americans boarded, and ate a hot sup- per that the Aztecs had prepared for themselves. The United States flag was then hoisted over the town. Leaving Lieutenant Walsh with a few men to hold Frontera, Captain Perry, early on the following day, began the difficult ascent of the river, hoping to come upon the Mexicans before they had time to strengthen their defenses, and the 24th and 25th of October were spent in this ascent, the steamers Vixen and Petrita towing the sailing vessels. At two o'clock in, the after- noon of the 25th Captain Perry reached a difficult bend in the rapid stream called the Devil's Turn, a few miles below Tabasco, at which point there was a breastwork with four long 24-pounders advantageously mounted. Expecting some resistance at this place, Captain Perry landed a detachment and marched upon the breast- work, but it was found that the enemy had retired. The flotilla, with the exception of the McLane, which with her usual luck had grounded some distance below, arrived at Tabasco, seventy-two miles above Frontera, at three o'clock in the afternoon. Forming the vessels in a line so as to sweep the principal streets, Captain Perry sent Captain Forrest ashore .with a demand for the surrender of the town ; but the Governor, assuming a spirit of bravado, replied, "Fire as soon as you please." Three shots were fired from the Vixen, which brought down the flagstaff on the fort, and several Mexican officers then came aboard, begging that hostil- ities might cease until they could negotiate the terms of surrender. Not wishing to inflict unnecessary in- jury, Captain Perry assented, and at five o'clock Cap- tain Forrest with two hundred men landed, but as they were awaiting the word to advance they were fired 1846. EXPEDITION TO TABASCO. 103 upon by Mexican troops concealed in a chaparral. The Americans returned the fire as well as they could until night came on, when they retired to the flotilla. At daylight the next morning (October 26th) the Mexi- cans opened fire on the vessels, but were silenced after a few discharges of grape and canister. A delegation of the principal inhabitants and foreign residents now waited upon Captain Perry, and assured him that the firing had been done against the wishes of the people and that they desired to surrender. Having effected the object of the expedition, Cap- tain Perry prepared to move down the river. One of his prizes, in charge of Lieutenant William A. Parker and eighteen men, ran hard aground, and while in this condition it was attacked by eighty Mexican soldiers. Lieutenant Parker defended himself gallantly, and although one of his men was killed and two were wounded, he succeeded in holding the enemy at bay. Observing the difficulty he was in, Captain Perry sent Lieutenant Charles W. Morris to re-enforce him. Lieutenant Morris passed the gantlet of musketry from both sides of the river, but while standing up in his boat and cheering his men he was mortally wounded and fell back into the arms of Midshipman Cheever. He died November 1st in the Cumberland, and was buried on Salmadina Island. For this treachery Cap- tain Perry opened a fire on the town, which he kept up for half an hour. The American flotilla arrived at Frontera at midnight ; but the prize Alvarado, ground- ing on the shoals at Devil's Turn, was blown up. One of the prizes, the Champion, a fast river boat, which had run between Norfolk and Richmond, was taken into the service as a dispatch boat and placed under the command of Lieutenant Lockwood. Leaving the McLane and the Forward to maintain the blockade off Frontera, Captain Perry returned to Anton Lizardo, where he rejoined the squadron under Captain Conner. On the 20th of September Captain 101 WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1846. Perry, with the Mississippi, the Vixen, the Bonita and the Petrel, took possession of Laguna, where he left Commander Joshua Ratoon Sands with the Vixen and the Petrel to watch the place, while Lieutenant Benham, of the Bonita, was made commanding officer of the vessels collected off Tabasco River. In order to divert the attention of the enemy from the main object of the naval operations in the Gulf, which was the capture of Yera Cruz, several expedi- tions of minor importance were undertaken. Learning from the wife of the American consul at Tampico that no resistance would be made to an attack on that place, Captain Conner, on the 14th of November, collected the following vessels before that town: The Raritan, the Potomac, the Mississippi, the Princeton, the 8t. Mary's, the Vixen, the Nonita, the Bonita, the Spit- fire and the Petrel, besides one hundred seamen and marines from the Cumberland. Santa Anna, the Mex- ican general, endeavored to raise an army of deserters from the American forces, and made particular efforts to induce the Irish Roman Catholics to desert. A dis- tinct brigade of the Mexican army was formed under the name of Santo Patrico, and seventy to eighty men were enlisted in it, but as a rule the Irish were loyal to their colors. The smaller vessels immediately crossed the bar, and, landing one hundred and fifty men, took possession of the town without opposition. Two merchant vessels and three gunboats were cap- tured. From this place Commander Josiah Tattnall proceeded with the Spitfire and the Petrel eighty miles up Panuca River to a small town of the same name, and on the 19th of November he destroyed all the mu- nitions of war collected there. On the night of November 20th, while the brig Somers was on blockade duty, off Vera Cruz, a boat put out from that vessel containing Lieutenant Parker, Passed-Midshipmen Rogers and Hynson and five sea- men, boldly entered the harbor and boarded the bark 1846. CUTTING OUT TOE CREOLE. 105 Creole, laden with munitions of war and securely an- chored under the guns of the castle. Lieutenant Parker surprised the guard of the brig, and after burning her escaped without injury, thus adding an- other to the list of brilliant cutting-out expeditions for which the American navy is famous. Shortly after this Passed-Midshipman Rogers and Surgeon Wright, of the Somers, while on shore for the purpose of ob- taining a better view of the fortifications around Vera Cruz, were surprised by a party of Mexican soldiers. Surgeon Wright escaped, but Mr. Rogers was captured and taken to the city of Mexico, where he narrowly escaped being hanged as a spy in spite of the fact that he wore his uniform. Afterward Mr. Rogers escaped, and with Lieutenant Raphael Semmes joined General Scott's army before Maxico, and served with distinc- tion in the military operations against that city. On the 8th of December, while chasing a blockade runner, the Somers capsized, carrying down with her Acting- Master Clem son, Passed-Midshipman Hynson and nearly forty men, constituting half of her crew. The John Adams and the boats of English, French and Spanish war vessels near by assisted in rescuing the remainder of her crew. Congress afterward awarded gold and silver medals to the foreign officers who en- gaged in this work. It was not the Mexicans alone that our officers and sailors were called upon to fight. They were con- stantly exposed to malaria and fever arising from the low swampy grounds along the coast near which the vessels were compelled to anchor. Decayed kelp along the shores caused a sour, nauseating effluvia to hang over the ships at night, which soon became more fatal than the enemy's bullets. Myriads of insects, coming from the malaria- laden districts, attacked the men night and day and inoculated them with disease. Frequent night attacks of roving bands of guerrillas compelled the men to turn out and stand by their IQQ WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULP. 1846-1847. guns until daybreak, exposing them to the drenching dews and poisonous miasma. The sick list increased at an alarming rate, and the sick bay was always crowded. In one week four officers died, and the staff of surgeons was so reduced that at one time there was only one physician for seven ships, and only two assist- ants in the hospitals. In July, 1847, yellow fever broke out in the Mississippi, and she was sent to Pensacola. Captain Perry himself was taken down with sickness, but, changing his flag to the German- town, July 16, 1847, he returned to the scene of op- erations. The difficulty of securing fresh provisions also brought on symptoms of scurvy, and with the view of giving the men something besides salt meat the several ports along the coast were occupied through- out the war. Having diverted the enemy's attention from the great object the Americans had in view the capture of Yera Cruz Captain Conner collected a fleet of sev- enty vessels of war and transports, having on board General Scott's army of 12,603 men, before Vera Cruz early in March. This town was the scene of Cortez's landing, and of the French debarkation in 1830, and again in 1865. It was strongly defended by massive walls of masonry and by the famous castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, which was on an island in the harbor, half a mile from the shore. The defenses were under the command of German artillerymen. In order that such a large number of men might be quickly landed in the face of an enemy, sixty-five boats, about thirty-five feet long, were constructed. At sunrise, March 9th, the steamers Spitfire and Vixen, with the gunboats Petrel, Bonita, Reefer, Falcon and Tampico, ran close inshore on the island of Sacrificios to cover the landing, as it was thought that the enemy might be concealed be- hind sand hills, but after a few discharges of grape and canister only a few horsemen were routed. The troops were landed in beautiful style. At a signal the 1847. BOMBARDMENT OF VERA CRUZ. JQ7 boats put out from the frigates and transports for the beach, and as fast as the men were landed they occu- pied the sand hills, each regiment planting its stand- ard and collecting its men around it. By ten o'clock that night ten thousand men with arms, ammunition and provisions had been landed. At dawn of March 10th the Spitfire ran into the harbor, and when within a short mile of the castle opened a spirited fire on the town and batteries, which was maintained two hours, when she was ordered back. From a Mexican newspaper that found its way into the squadron a few days afterward it was learned that many of her shells had been thrown into the heart of the city and to the gate of the market place. The chief purpose of the Spitfire's attack was to discover the position of the Mexican guns, and as the enemy promptly returned the cannonading from every gun that would bear, this was accomplished. From the 10th to the 20th of March the army was occupied in getting batteries into position, and in the meantime the enemy kept up a desultory fire, which did consid- erable injury. On the 20th of March Captain Perry arrived, and on the 21st he superseded Captain Conner in command of the Gulf fleet. The Mexicans had entertained great hopes of yellow fever breaking out in the American squadron and do- ing more injury than they could expect to do with their cannon. Vera Cruz was the breeding place of the disease, and March was one of the months in which it assumed its most malignant form. The Americans were in great danger from this lurking enemy, for mos- quitoes and flies from the shore visited the ships in myriads and carried the germs of the disease in their bites. Another peril to which the Americans were ex- posed, and on which the enemy counted, was the strong northerly gales which swept the approaches to the harbor with great fury. In the gale of March 21st the Hunter went down, and it was only by the greatest 108 WAR IN TIIE MEXICAN GULP. 1847. exertions that Captain Perry managed to rescue her crew of sixty men. On the 22d of March a formal demand was made for the surrender of Vera Cruz, which was haughtily rejected, and two guns were fired in defiance. On the afternoon of the same day the Americans opened lire from their batteries, and the Mexicans replied with spirit. Desiring to come to closer quarters, Commander Tattnall on the 23d of March got his division, consist- ing of the steamers Spitfire and Vixen and five schoon- ers, under way, and leaving one of the schooners at Point Honorios opened fire on the city. To draw the enemy's attention from that point, he boldly stood out to sea as if he intended to rejoin the squadron at Sac- rificios ; but on clearing the shoal water at Point Ho- norios he suddenly changed his course, and, leading his division directly for the castle, hove to within grape- shot of bastion San lago and opened a tremendous fire. The Mexicans were either taken completely by surprise or hoped to lure the boats to certain destruction, as they thought, for they did not fire a shot until the six little vessels hove to and began their fire. Then began a terrific cannonading from all the Mexican guns that would bear, and it seemed as if the division was doomed. "All expected to see us sunk, and that we escaped without loss is a miracle. The shot and shell rained around us and kept the water in a foam, and yet but three of the vessels were struck, two of the schoon- ers and the Spitfire, the last by a shell which exploded directly under the quarter and knocked a plank out of the quarter boat. Not a man was hurt." 1 For an hour this terrific cannonading was kept up, when Tatt- nall slowly retired, cheered by the men of General Worth's army. Even before this affair Commander Tattnall had won the reputation of being an intrepid and fearless officer. While a lieutenant in command 1 Commander Tattnall in a private letter. 1847. TATTNALL'S AUDACIOUS ATTACK. 1Q9 of the Pioneer (1835) he was ordered to convey Santa Anna, who had recently been captured by the Texans, to Vera Cruz. At that time the Mexican leader was exceedingly unpopular in his own country, and it was freely predicted that he would be shot the moment he placed his foot on Mexican soil. Arriving at Vera Cruz, Lieutenant Tattnall landed with his passenger. Crowds of angry citizens and soldiers awaited them, but, boldly taking Santa Anna's arm under his own, the American lieutenant walked up the main street. The crowds for a time gazed upon the two unprotected men in silent amazement until they reached a guard of soldiers who saluted, when the crowds burst into cheers. Lieutenant Tattnall remained with Santa Anna several days, until the Mexican could gather his friends around him. The course taken by the young lieuten- ant undoubtedly saved Santa Anna's life. On the 21st of March General Scott asked Captain Perry for the loan of six heavy shell guns from the fleet. Captain Perry replied : "Certainly, general, but I must fight them." Scott was anxious to man the guns with his own troops, but Captain Perry, ever jeal- ous of the reputation of the navy, said, " Wherever the guns go their officers and men must go with them." General Scott finally consented to the formation of a naval battery, and within an hour after obtaining this permission Captain Perry manned his boat, and, pulling under the stern of each of the war vessels, announced that guns were to be landed from the fleet and manned by seamen. The news was received with cheers. A position known as Battery No. 4, opposite Fort Santa Barbara, was assigned to the naval battery. Two 32- pounders from the Potomac^ one 32-pounder from the Raritan, one 68-pound Paixhan from the Mississippi, one from the Albany and one from the St. Mary*s were landed at night, with double crews, the junior officers casting lots for the service. This battery "was constructed entirely of sand sewed up in bags. It had 110 WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1847. two traverses six or more feet thick, the purpose of which was to resist a flanking fire. The guns were mounted on their own ship's carriages on platforms, being run out with side tackles and handspikes and their recoil checked with sand bags. The balls were stacked within the sandy walls, but the magazine was stationed some distance in rear. The cartridges were served by the powder boys, as on shipboard, a small trench being dug for their protection while not in transit." x Having obtained the exact distance to the eaemy's batteries by a system of triangulation, the naval bat- tery was ready for service shortly before ten o'clock on the morning of March 24th. Just as the last gun was being cleared of sand and sponged the Mexicans dis- covered the battery and opened fire with a good aim that showed they had determined the range some time before. This fire was the signal for seven forts to con- centrate their attention on Battery No. 4, and 10- and 13-inch shells were dropping around the seamen with uncomfortable frequency. Captain Aulick, who com- manded the battery the first day, responded with spirit, and began pounding away at the enemy in true man- of-war style. Such was the precision of his fire that a shot aimed by Lieutenant Baldwin carried away the flagstaff of Fort Santa Barbara. This was greeted with tremendous cheering, but a moment afterward Lieuten- ant D. Sebastian Holzinger, a German officer in the employ of the Mexicans, with a young assistant leaped over the parapet, recovered the flag and nailed it to the stump of its staff, although at one time he was nearly covered with the debris thrown up by American shot. So rapid and well sustained was the fire of the naval battery that by half past two o'clock in the afternoon its ammunition was exhausted, and Midship- man Fauntleroy was sent to Captain Perry with a re- 1 Griffis' Life of Captain Perry, p. 227. 1847. WORK OF THE NAVAL BATTERY. m quest for more. At four o'clock a relief party under Captain Isaac Mayo (who had served as a midshipman in the Hornet- Penguin fight) arrived and continued the work of hammering the Mexican forts. This was done so effectually that, although the walls were built of massive shell rock, the naval battery soon cut through the curtains of the redoubt to the right and left and finally made a breach thirty-six feet wide ; but at night the enemy filled the gap with sand bags. On this day Lieutenant Baldwin, of the St. Mary's, was wounded. During the night the sailors were employed repairing the breastworks, while the mortar schooners every now and then circled the sky with beautiful flights of shells. At daylight, March 25th, the naval battery renewed its fire, and the Mexicans concentrated four batteries on this earthwork, aiming even more ac- curately than the day before. Early in the day one of their shells dropped in the battery but did no damage, and several of their solid shot entered the embrasures, which were unusually wide to admit of a larger sweep of the guns. Seeing that the castle was paying particular atten- tion to the naval battery, Captain Perry ordered the Spitfire, Commander Tattnall, and the Vixen, Com- mander Sands, each having two gunboats in tow, to run into the harbor and divert the enemy's attention. "What point shall I engage, sir?" asked Tattnall. "Where you can do the most execution, sir," was the reply ; and taking him at his word, the young com- mander stood into the harbor in the most audacious manner, and, forming a line about eighty yards from the castle, opened a furious cannonade. Not satisfied with this, he stood in still closer, actually taking a position within the Punto de Hornos, where for half an hour he was the center of a terrific fire. His vessels were almost hidden in the spray raised by the storm of iron that rained around them, but either the bold- ness of the attack or the nearness of the vessels pre- 112 WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1847. vented the Mexicans from inflicting any considerable injury. Fearing that the little vessels would be blown to atoms, Perry signaled them to retire ; but Com- mander Tattnall either could not or would not see the signal and continued his attack. Captain Perry finally sent a boat with peremptory orders for the return of the division. Loath to give up his congenial occupa- tion, Commander Tattnall retired slowly with his face to the enemy, keeping up his fire as long as the guns would bear. Fort San lago now opened its fire on the naval bat- tery, but after Captain Mayo had turned several guns on it it was silenced, and about two o'clock in the afternoon the enemy abandoned it. Jumping on a horse, the gallant captain hastened with the news to the army. "As he rode through the camp Gfeneral Scott was walking in front of his tent. Captain Mayo rode up to him and said, ' General, they are done ; they will never fire another shot.' The general in great agitation asked, ' Who ? your battery the naval bat- tery?' Mayo answered, 'No, general, the enemy is silenced.' General Scott, in his joy, almost pulled Cap- tain Mayo off his horse, saying, ' Commodore, I thank you and our brothers of the navy in the name of the army for this day's work.' " l In the two days' fight the naval battery had four men killed, struck mostly by solid shot on the head or breast, while five officers and five sailors were wounded. Many of these men were hurt by splinters from yucca or cactus bushes in the chaparral. Among the killed was Midshipman Thomas Brandford Shubrick, a son of Captain Irvine Shubrick. He had just arrived on the scene of action in the Mississippi, and went to the battery full of life and enthusiasm. While in the act of aiming a gun at the tower he was struck by a solid shot, which took off his head. Commander Tattnall, 1 Griffis' Life of Captain Perry, p. 235, 1847. LOSSES IN THE NAVAL BATTERY. 1 13 who visited the naval battery during the engagement, describes his experiences as follows: "I landed and walked to our battery on the first day, and on reaching it saw stretched in a cart and dead a most noble sea- man, an old boatswain's mate of mine in the Saratoga. His fine manly face, calm and unchanged, I could not mistake. Another poor fellow was lying in a cart se- verely wounded, to whom I offered a few words of con- dolence. In a few minutes afterward, when they had removed him to what was deemed a place of safety, he was again wounded." l While this attack was in progress Captain Perry planned a boat attack on the water batteries of Yera Cruz for the night of March 25th, which he proposed to lead in person. The boats were formed in a column, and studding-sail booms of the Mississippi were made into ladders. But before these plans could be put into execution the Mexicans sounded a parley from the city walls, and at 8 A. M. the firing ceased. On the 26th of March a heavy gale set in from the north, which blew twenty-six transports to shore. In one of the gales a brig, fouling the Potomac, lost her masts. On the 28th of March the town was unconditionally sur- rendered, and on the following day the army and navy took possession. Captains Aulick and Alexander Sli- dell Mackenzie represented the navy in the negotia- tions. The capture of Vera Cruz opened the way for the army to march upon the capital by the shortest route. Being greatly in need of horses, General Scott asked for the co-operation of the navy in securing a number of animals that the Mexicans had collected at Alva- rado. The steamer Scourge, Lieutenant Charles G. Hunter, was immediately ordered to blockade the port, while Captain Perry was to follow with a larger naval force. General Quitman in the meantime was to pro- 1 Commander Tattnall in a private letter. H4 WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1847. ceed by land and cut off the enemy's retreat. Lieu- tenant Hunter reached the bar off Alvarado on the 30th of March, but he allowed his zeal to exceed his instruc- tions, and began an immediate attack on the defenses of the place. On the following day the enemy retired up the river, leaving Lieutenant Hunter in quiet pos- session of the town and four schooners. Sixty guns were captured, thirty-five of which were shipped to the United States as mementoes of the war. Leaving a garrison at Alvarado, Lieutenant Hunter hastened up the river, chasing the enemy to Tlacahalpa, which he also took without opposition. Thus the apparent object of the mission was accomplished before Captain Perry arrived, April 2d ; but the overhaste of Lieuten- ant Hunter enabled the Mexicans to escape through the mountain passes with the greatly desired horses before General Quitman could cut off their retreat. Lieutenant Hunter was tried by court-martial and dis- missed from the service. Captain Mayo was placed in charge of the government of Alvarado, and occupied his time in securing the submission of towns in the interior, the majority of which meekly submitted ; but in one of these expeditions some resistance was offered, and an American pfficer and five men were wounded. In carrying out his plan of occupying every port on the coast through which the Mexicans could obtain supplies, Captain Perry next turned his attention to Tuspan, off which port the brig of war Truxtun had been lost the year before. The American squadron appeared off the town on the 17th of April, but owing to shoal water only the light- draught vessels could get over the bar. The place was defended by a fort on the right and one on the left bank of the river, many of the guns of which had been taken from the ill-fated Truxtun. The batteries were admirably situated for sweeping all approaches from the sea, and the guns were manned by six hundred and fifty Mexican sol- diers under General Cos. On the 18th of April Captain 1847. FALL OF TUSPAN. 115 Perry led the attack in the Spitfire with fifteen hun- dred officers, seamen and marines, and four pieces of artillery. Captain Samuel Livingston Breese com- manded the landing detachment. As soon as the as- sailants were within range the Mexicans opened a spirited fire, both from their batteries and with mus- ketry on shore ; but the Americans steadily advanced, and they fell back. The loss of the Americans in this affair was three killed and five officers and six seamen wounded. Having secured all the ports on this coast, the Gov- ernment decided to raise the blockade, in order that commerce might be resumed and the revenues redound to the benefit of its treasury. Cruising along the coast, Captain Perry destroyed a fort mounting twelve guns at Coazacoalcos. Leaving the bomb vessel Stromboli on guard at this place, and the Albany and the Reefer at Tuspan, Captain Perry turned his attention to Ta- basco, which place, as no garrison had been left to hold it, had again fallen into the hands of the enemy. On the 14th of June he collected the following vessels off Frontera : The Mississippi, the Raritan, the Albany, the John Adams, the Decatur, the Germantown, the Strombolf, the Vesuvius, the Washington, the Scor- pion, the Spitfire, the Scourge, the Vixen, the Etna and the Bonita. Entering the river with the light- draught vessels on the same day, Captain Perry shifted his flag to the Scorpion and began the difficult ascent of the stream. As the flotilla was approaching Devil's Bend it was suddenly attacked by one hundred Mexi- cans concealed in the dense chaparral on the banks. Captain Perry was standing on the deck of the Scor- pion under an awning, and miraculously escaped in- jury, although the canvas and woodwork of the steamer were riddled with shot. The Scorpion, the Washing- ton and the surf boats returned the fire, and soon afterward a 10-inch shell from the Vesuvius dispersed the Mexicans. HQ WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1847. At six o'clock the vessels anchored for the night near Seven Palm Trees, and, as a precaution against surprise, barricades of hammocks were so arranged as to resist a night attack. Shortly after midnight a vol- ley of musketry from the bushes startled the Amer- icans, but as it was not followed by a general attack the men returned to their rest. On the following morn- ing Lieutenant William May, while pulling ahead in a boat for the purpose of discovering the channel, was wounded by a party of Mexicans concealed in a breast- work called La Comena. Finding that the navigation of the river at this point had been obstructed by the Mexicans, Captain Perry landed with a detachment of his men and ten guns, with a view of attacking the fort from the rear. The banks of the river at this point were from thirty to forty feet high and almost perpendicular, and it was only by the united efforts of many men that the cannon were hoisted up. The enemy evidently supposed this movement was impossi- ble, and was taken completely by surprise. Rapidly forming the line of march. Captain Perry, with the pioneers under Lieutenant Maynard, led the way toward the rear of the fort, closely followed by the marines under Captain Edson and the- artillery under Captain Mackenzie, Captain Mayo acting as ad- jutant general. At a place called Acahapan he came upon the Mexicans with two pieces of artillery strongly intrenched, but they fled on the approach of the Amer- icans. As Captain Perry's little army came in sight of the fort, the gunboats under Lieutenant David Dixon Porter, which had gallantly advanced up the river in spite of their exposed position to co-operate with the land forces, were greeted with cheers. Captain Perry's men then rushed to the assault, while the veteranos, leaving their cooked meal behind, fled. Advancing about a mile farther up the river, the Americans at- tacked Fort Iturbide, mounting six guns. One of the shot from the fort struck the Spitfire's wheel, but did 1847. SECOND ATTACK ON TABASCO. 117 not disable her. Observing that the enemy was flinch- ing from his guns, Lieutenant Porter landed with sixty- eight men, and carried the fort by assault. The way to Tabasco was now clear, and the town was taken pos- session of on the 16th by a detachment from the Scor- pion and the Spitfire under Lieutenant Sidney Smith Lee. During the land attack on the forts several of the Americans were overcome by the heat and the ex- ertion of dragging the heavy ordnance through the mud. The total loss of the Americans in this expedi- tion was two officers and seven seamen wounded. After remaining here six days, Captain Perry left the Scorpion, the Etna, the Spitfire and the Scourge, with four hundred and twenty men under Commander Abraham Bigelow, as a garrison, and returned to Fron- tera. On the 25th of June seventy Mexicans made a sudden attack on a party of twenty seamen who were on shore at Tabasco. A short struggle followed before the enemy was repelled, in which the Americans had one man wounded and the Mexicans had one killed and six wounded. That night one hundred and fifty Mexican soldiers made an attack on the guard in the plaza, but were repelled. Captain Bigelow improved his time by sending out small parties to subdue roving bands of Mexican soldiers that occupied the ranchos in the outskirts of Tabasco. On the 30th of June he marched with two hundred and forty men and two field pieces to attack five hundred Mexicans who had intrenched themselves in a village called Tamultay, three miles distant. Approaching within a quarter of a mile of the place, Commander Bigelow fell into an ambush, but steadily returned the fire and put the enemy to flight. In this affair the Americans had two killed and five wounded. This was the last action of the war in which the Gulf squadron was directly engaged. A detachment of marines under Lieutenant-Colonel Watson accom- panied the army under General Scott, and in the attack 118 WAR IN THE MEXICAN GULF. 1847-1848. on Chapultepec, September 13th, they were among the volunteers who attacked the castle under the leader- ship of Major Levi Twiggs, of the marines. Captain Reynolds, of the marines, led the pioneer storming party. Major Twiggs was killed in the first advance. In the stubborn hand-to-hand conflict, in which the Mexicans showed more than usual courage, the marines were conspicuous for their bravery. They were also foremost in the charge along the causeway leading to the Belen gate, and when the Americans entered the capital, September 14th, Lieutenant Watson and his marines were assigned to the difficult task of keeping the criminal classes in order. In these battles the ma- rine corps had seven men killed and four wounded. Peace between the United States and Mexico was made February 2, 1848. In this war the United States had about one hundred thousand men under arms, fifteen thousand of whom were in the navy. CHAPTER VIII. THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. FROM the time when Marco Polo brought news, in 1295, of a large island inhabited by a warlike and highly civilized race east of Corea, Japan had been the goal toward which many ambitious explorers di- rected their energies. The vague rumors of Zipangu or Jipangu haunted Columbus night and day and touched upon the grand inspiration of his life. To his thoughtful mind they first awakened passing fan- cies, then serious reflections, but only to be laid aside by the seeming absurdity of his conclusions. But still again the recurring thoughts clung to him with strange persistency. Jipangu ! To the east of Cathay ! Could it be reached by sailing west ? Japan was destined to be brought within the pale of civilized nations not by Columbus, but by an officer of the United States navy, a nation whose existence was a result of Columbus' great discovery. In 1549 the Jesuits, led by Francis Xavier, gained a footing in Japan, and, rapidly ex- tending their influence, they aspired to temporal as well as spiritual power, so that in 1587 a decree of banishment was directed against them. Other edicts of expulsion were issued, but it was not until 1637, and after thousands of lives had been sacrificed, that they and their doctrines were driven from the empire. It was the recollection of the dangerous interference of the priests in government matters, and the resulting civil wars, that made Japan for so many years a her- mit nation. Many attempts were made by Europeans to trade with the country, but they were always met 119 120 THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 1797-1850. with the same reply : "So long as the sun shall warm the earth, let no Christian be so bold as to come to Japan ; and let all know that the King of Spain him- self, or the Christian's God, or the great God of all, if he violate this command, shall pay for it with his head." As early as 1797 Robert Shaw showed the United States flag at Nagasaki, and in the same year Captain Charles Stewart, while in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, stopped at Deshima, where, al- though he was supplied with water and provisions, he was not allowed to land. Various other attempts were made by American merchantmen to trade with the natives. President Jackson in 1831 appointed Ed- mund Roberts as agent "to open trade in the Indian Ocean," but he died at Macao in 1836, before he reached Japan. In 1845 Congress resolved that it was advis- able to open Japan and Corea, and in the following year Captain James Biddle anchored at Uraga with the 90-gun ship Columbus and the Vincennes ; but the authorities refused to negotiate with him, and as he was instructed "not to do anything to excite a hostile feeling or a distrust of the United States," he sailed away without accomplishing his purpose. In 1846 Captain David Geisinger, commanding the East India squadron, sent Commander James Glynn in the Preble to Nagasaki to obtain the release of eighteen American seamen from the whaler Lawrence, who were confined by the Japanese. Arriving at Nagasaki April 17th, Commander Glynn found that the Japanese were great- ly elated at what they considered a victory over Cap- tain Biddle's squadron, and he determined to tolerate no trifling. Breaking through the cordon of guard- boats that surrounded the Preble as soon as she dropped anchor at Nagasaki, he brought his broadside to bear on the city. He waited two days without getting the prisoners, and then threatened to open fire, and after many parleys and excuses the men were brought aboard the Preble on April 26th. By 1850 the American flag 1851-1853. CAPTAIN AULICK RECALLED. 121 had become familiar to the Japanese, and in a twelve- month, according to the native records, "eighty-six of the black ships were counted from the shore." The increasing commerce with China, the growth of whale-fishing, and the rapid development of Cali- fornia made it necessary to open Japan, and in 1851 Congress decided to send an expedition to that coun- try. Captain John H. Aulick was placed in command of it, and was ordered to carry the Brazilian min- ister Macedo to Rio de Janeiro in the SusqueJianna on his outward passage. Captain Aulick sailed from Norfolk June 8th, landed his passenger, doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and, after attending to some dip- lomatic business with the Sultan of Zanzibar, pro- ceeded to Hong-Kong and began his preparations for the Japan expedition ; but while at this place he re- ceived orders relieving him of the command. In the mean time Captain Franklin Buchanan assumed charge of the expedition, and afterward it was learned that the Government was displeased at some remarks that Captain Aulick was alleged to have made in reference to the Brazilian minister, declaring that he was being carried to Brazil at Aulick's expense. But Macedo subsequently exonerated Captain Aulick of all blame. On the 24th of March, 1852, Captain Matthew Cal- braith Perry was appointed commander of the East India squadron, and was ordered to carry out the instructions given to Captain Aulick. Commander Henry A. Adams, Commander Franklin Buchanan, Commander Sidney Smith Lee, and Lieutenant Silas Bent, who was in the Preble at Nagasaki, were to be associated with him in his negotiations. Captain Perry left Norfolk in the Mississippi, November 24, 1852, and arrived at Hong-Kong April 6, 1853, where he found the sailing vessels Plymouth, Saratoga and Supply and the steamer SusqueTianna. With these he appeared off Uraga, early in July, 1853. As the American squadron approached the coast of 122 THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 1853. Japan, early on the morning of July 8th, the fog gradually faded before the rays of the rising sun and revealed the beautiful scenery of the place in all its glory. Bold headlands clothed in bright verdure came down to the water's edge, sparkling and smiling as the sun fell upon the dew. Fishing-boats return- ing after their night's work, and junks with their huge square sails passing up the harbor to the metropolis, laden with the produce of the empire, dotted the bay in all directions, while towering over all was the per- fect cone of Fusiyama, or Peerless Mountain, with her head still in a cap of snow. As the American ships drew near the town the native boatmen scurried away in fear and amazement, and when those ahead of the squadron paused for a moment to gaze at the great splashing wheels of the steamer, they thought they were at a safe distance ; but when they observed the huge steamers bearing down upon them without a thread of canvas set they were panic-stricken, and sud- denly taking to their sculls, did not pause again until they had hauled their boats up high and dry on the shore. Captain Perry now cleared his ships for action, for, although he came with the most pacific intentions, he was determined to be ready for any emergency. Fur- thermore, he was convinced that a bold front, backed by a good showing of force, would impress the natives with the dignity and power of the nation he repre- sented. Several large boats bearing official flags soon put off from the shore for the American ships, evidently for the purpose of boarding and inquiring their busi- ness ; but no attention was paid to them. The steam- ers, with the Plymouth -and the Saratoga in tow, passed majestically by, leaving the official boats far behind, vainly struggling to catch up with them, and no doubt much mystified and perplexed at the inex- plicable method of propulsion. About five o'clock, when the squadron anchored off Uraga, the reports of 1853. ARRIVAL IN JAPANESE WATERS. 123 two guns were heard, and an instant later a ball of smoke exploded in the sky. They were day rockets, giving notice of the arrival of strangers. A great num- ber of boats now surrounded the American ships, so as to cut off communication with the shore. The Jap- anese had long regarded all foreigners as mercenaries, who would undergo any indignity for the sake of gain. The Dutch especially had submitted to the most de- grading humiliation in order to hold their trade with that country. To the Japanese, familiarity meant con- tempt a cringing deference was met with insolence and arrogance, while lack of ceremony and pomp was taken as proof of weakness and fear. Captain Perry had determined on a different policy, and when the native boats attempted to make fast to the ships their lines were promptly cut, and when some endeavored to climb up the chains they were ordered back at the point of the bayonet. Being informed through the interpreter that only their highest officials would be allowed on board, the natives fell back, but still sur- rounded the ships and kept a jealous eye on them. A boat now came alongside of the Mississippi, and an official motioned for the gangway to be lowered. As his request was ignored, he showed an order for the ships to leave the harbor immediately ; but the Ameri- cans replied that no orders would be received except from the officials of the highest rank. One of the na- tives, who spoke Dutch, now asked several questions, from which it appeared that the squadron was ex- pected they undoubtedly having learned of the in- tended visit through the Dutch of Nagasaki. It was then suggested that the Americans appoint some officer corresponding to the rank of the vice-governor of Uraga, and meet him for a conference. After some intentional delay this was agreed to, and Lieutenant John Contee was delegated to receive the official. The gangway was lowered, and the vice-governor and one aid were allowed to come on board. Captain Perry, 124: THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 1853. in keeping with his policy of exclusiveness, remained in his cabin, communicating with the vice-governor through Lieutenant Contee. The natives were now in- formed of the nature of the visit, and, in response to the vice-governor's reiterated requests that the squad- ron go to Nagasaki, the Americans steadily insisted on having negotiations conducted near the capital of the empire. The vice-governor furthermore w r as informed that the Americans would not tolerate any indignity, and that they considered the surrounding of their ves- sels with boats an insult, and if they were not imme- diately ordered off they would be fired upon. When this was interpreted to the vice-governor he left his seat, and, going to the gangway, motioned the boats away. This had the effect of dispersing them ; but several remained at a little distance, keeping a sharp lookout. This was the first point gained in the mission. The vice-governor soon afterward left the ship, saying that he had no authority to promise anything, but that an official of high rank would visit it the next morning. In the still watches of the summer night many of the officers and men kept the deck, curious to observe the strange land in which they had arrived and to dis- cuss the doings of the day. The dark waters were filled with globelike jelly fish. Innumerable native craft, with their fantastically decorated paper lanterns at bow and stern, glided to and fro over the peaceful waters of the bay, centering their long scintillating rays of light on the ships, as if jealously watching every movement. Once in a while some coasting-junk, blanched and ghostly with ocean brine, hurried into port, as if still fearing the typhoon dragons, and moved swiftly up the bay ; and when the hardy mariners passed the American squadron with a wondering stare they quickly vanished in the direction of the metrop- olis. Beacon fires lighted the harbor on all sides, while bodies of troops marching and countermarching gave token of the excitement on shore. Rockets were sent 1853. SURPRISE OF THE NATIVES. 125 up at frequent intervals, and fire-bells were rung. The town itself was thoroughly aroused, people hurrying from house to house, or burning incense before their gods, supplicating with deep intonation that the "smok- ing ships," which had so nearly ground some of their fishing-boats to pieces, might be removed. Other na- tives were assembling on the beach and gazing at the great vessels in profound amazement. The busy hum of wakefulness, together with the beating of drums and the deep, waving vibrations of the great temple bells, filling the air with melancholy music, caused the Americans to feel that they w T ere indeed in a strange land and among strange people. At sunrise a boat put off from the shore and took a convenient station near the visiting squadron, and on leveling glasses at it, the Americans saw that it con- tained artists sketching the ships. About seven o'clock two large boats, one of them flying a three-striped flag, indicating an official of the third rank, 1 ran alongside, and Yezaimen, Governor of Uraga, came aboard with his suite. Captain Perry refused to show himself, but appointed Commanders Buchanan and Adams and Lieutenant Contee to receive any communications. The governor, arrayed in a "rich silk robe of an em- broidered pattern resembling the feathers of a peacock, with borders of gold and silver," emphasized the state- ment of his subordinate namely, that the Americans must go to Nagasaki. But the Americans insisted on delivering the letter near the capital, and the governor then said that the answer would be sent to Nagasaki. It was now observed that the governor used a different title for the President and the Emperor, upon which the American officers affected much displeasure, and requested that the same title be applied to "both. This was conceded, and perceptibly raised the Americans in the governor's estimation. The latter then said that he 1 Mito Yashiki : A Tale of Old Japan, p. 180. 12 6 THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN". 1853. would send an express to Tokio for further instruction, and on being asked how long that would take, he re- plied, "Four days." As a few hours' steaming would have brought the ships within sight of the capital, the American officers declared that they would wait only three days, and if an answer was not received within that time they would move the squadron nearer to the city, so as to enable the Japanese to get their reply in less time. This evidently was what the governor most feared, and in much trepidation he consented to have the reply in three days. While this conference was being held, several well- armed boats had been sent out from the squadron to take soundings. Observing them, the governor in- quired what their business was, and on being told, he said that it was against the laws and that they must return. The Americans replied that the American laws compelled them to take soundings and make hydro- graphic surveys in all strange waters, and that they were bound to obey American laws as well as Japanese. As these boats were approaching some earthworks mounting a few light guns, native soldiers armed with spears, lances, swords and matchlocks came down to the water's edge for the purpose of showing the for- eigners that they were on the alert and fully prepared to resist any attempt to land. They made the best possible showing of their matchlocks, evidently with the idea of impressing the Americans with the fact that the Japanese were not so far behind the times in the matter of firearms as might have been thought. One of the boats pulled within a hundred yards of the sol- diers, when a lieutenant, with the promptness becom- ing a man-of-war's man, whipped out his spyglass with a resounding crack and leveled it at a dignified warrior who seemed to be in command. The movement, harm- less in itself, had a most unexpected effect, for the Japanese supposed some deadly weapon was being aimed at them, and the glass revealed to the lieuten- 1853. DIPLOMATIC DELAYS. 127 ant's eye a confused mass of fluttering garments, anti- quated armor, and flipflapping sandals, for the digni- fied warriors had dropped the austerity of their bear- ing, and, gathering up their skirts, got behind the earthworks with more haste than dignity. On the following day (Sunday) a boat came along- side with some high officials ; but permission to come aboard was refused, as the Americans held the day sacred. On this day Captain Perry conducted the services in person, and the familiar tunes of Old Hundred and "Before Jehovah's awful throne, ye nations, bow with sacred joy " were probably for the first time wafted across the waters of the bay. On Monday surveying parties were sent farther up the bay^ accompanied by the Mississippi, and this so alarmed the governor that he immediately came aboard the flagship to inquire the cause of it. He was informed that the American commander intended to survey the entire bay, as the squadron expected to return in the following spring for an answer. On Tuesday, the day appointed for receiving a re- ply from Tokio, three large boats ran alongside the Susquehanna, and the governor and his interpreter came aboard. After a long discussion it was finally agreed that the letter from the President would be re- ceived in a building on the beach near Uraga, by an official of the highest rank in the empire, especially ap- pointed by the Emperor. Then again came up the ever- recurring question of Nagasaki, the governor saying that, although by special act of courtesy on the part of the Emperor the letter would be received at Uraga, yet the answer must be given at Nagasaki. To this Captain Perry sent the following message : " The com- mander in chief will not go to Nagasaki, and will receive no communication through the Dutch or Chinese. He has a letter from the President of the United States to deliver to the Emperor of Japan or his Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and he will deliver the original to none 12 8 THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 1853. other. If this friendly letter of the President to the Emperor is not received and duly replied to, he will consider his country insulted and will not hold him- self accountable for the consequences. He expects a reply of some sort in a few days, and he will receive such reply nowhere but in this neighborhood." No one was more aware of the impossibility of com- pelling by force of arms this spirited people to come within the community of nations than Captain Perry himself. Such a measure would not only have resulted disastrously, but would more than ever confirm the Japanese in their seclusion. A resort to any other than pacific measures was furthest from Captain Perry's intentions, yet he was fully alive to the importance of a strong presence with which to maintain the dignity of his country and impress the Japanese with the honor and value of the treaty he sought. His prompt resent- ment of the slightest indignity or lack of ceremony was admirably calculated to arouse the respect of this pe- culiar people. The governor left the ship, saying that he would shortly return. This probably was for the purpose of consulting higher officials, who undoubt- edly were concealed in Uraga to superintend the pro- ceedings. In the afternoon the governor again came aboard, and after a long discussion it was agreed that Thursday morning, July 14th, should be set aside for the ceremony of delivering the letter. There was to be no discussion of the subject, but merely an inter- change of compliments, after which the Americans were to sail away and return in the following spring for an answer. Early on the morning of the 14th the steamers weighed anchor and stood around a point of land where the ceremony was to be held, and anchored so as to command the landing-place. When this was done, the governor and his interpreters, richly dressed in silk and gold, came aboard and were escorted to their place on the quarter deck, and a signal now called 1853. PERRY'S SPLENDID DIPLOMACY. 129 fifteen cutters and launches from the different ships around the Susquehanna. Commander Buchanan led the boats in single file, each of which was escorted on either side by native craft. As the procession of boats drew out to its full length toward the land, the bright flags, gorgeous banners, and lacquered hats, glistening in the sunlight, presented a beautiful and imposing spectacle. When the boats were halfway to the land, Captain Perry, in full-dress uniform, stepped to the gangway, and, with a salute of thirteen guns, entered his barge and was rowed to the landing-place. As his boat reached the shore the American officers and men drew up in a double line to receive him. The land procession was then formed one hundred marines, whose figures were in striking contrast to the diminu- tive Japanese, leading the way, followed by one hun- dred seamen. Captain Perry, guarded on each side by a gigantic negro and preceded by two boys car- rying the President's letter, came next. This letter and accompanying documents "were in folio size, and were beautifully written on vellum, and not folded, but bound in blue silk velvet. Each seal, attached by cords of interwoven gold and silk, with pendant gold tassels, was incased in a circular box six inches in diameter and three in depth, wrought of pure gold. Each of the documents, together with its seal, was placed in a box of rosewood about a foot long, with lock, hinges, and mounting all of gold." l Arriving at the reception-hall, Captain Perry and his suite entered a tent about forty feet square, where were seated two princes, who had been delegated to receive the letter. As the Americans entered, the princes courteously bowed and motioned their guests to a seat on the right. Further than this, however, they showed no curiosity or interest, but preserved a grave and stolid composure. For some minutes after 1 Official report of Captain Perry. 54 130 THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 1853. the company had been seated a profound silence pre- vailed. Finally, the Governor of Uraga, who acted as master of ceremonies, said that the princes were ready to receive the letter, upon which the two boys, who were at the lower end of the hall, marched up with the rosewood boxes, closely followed by the negroes, de- posited them in a scarlet box prepared by the Japanese, and retired in perfect silence. A paper from the princes acknowledging the receipt of the letter was then given. It read as follows : "The letter of the President of the United States of North America and copy are hereby received and delivered to the Emperor. Many times it has been said that business relating to foreign countries can not be transacted here in Uraga, but at Nagasaki. Now it has been observed that the admiral, in his qual- ity of ambassador of the President, would be insulted by it. The justice of this has been acknowledged, con- sequently the above-mentioned letter is hereby received in opposition to Japanese law. Because the place is not designed to treat of anything from foreigners, so neither can conference or entertainment take place. The letter being received, you will leave." Again a deep silence pervaded the hall. Captain Perry then said that within a few days he would leave for China, and return in April or May for an answer. When asked if he would come with all the four ships, he replied, "With many more." The governor then informed the Americans that there was nothing more to be done, and, bowing to the right and left, he passed out of the hall. Upon this Captain Perry and his suite rose and retired also, the- two princes standing until they had left the apartments. The interview had not lasted thirty minutes, during which the severest for- mality had been observed. The procession again formed and the Americans returned to their ships. Captain Perry determined to explore the bay in the direction of the capital before he sailed away, for the purpose of marking out the channel and impressing 1853-1854. MAKING THE TREATY. 131 the natives with their inability to obstruct his move- ments. Accordingly, when the governor, who had ac- companied the Americans aboard the Susquehanna, learned where the squadron was going to sail, he pro- tested ; but, unmindful of this, the American boats continued their work until the 17th, and, having come within sight of Shinagawa, a suburb of Tokio, the squadron sailed for China. While visiting Macao, in November, waiting for the time for his return to Tokio, Captain Perry learned that the French admiral had left port suddenly with sealed orders, and nearly at the same time the Russian Admiral Pontiatine returned from Nagasaki with four vessels. Fearing that the French and Russians were contemplating a visit to Tokio, Captain Perry decided on a midwinter voyage to Japan in order to forestall them, notwithstanding the fact that navigation of the China Sea at that time was considered exceedingly hazardous. Accordingly, on the 12th of February, 1854, he appeared in the bay of Tokio with the steam- ers Susquehanna, Mississippi and Poiohatan, and the sailing vessels Macedonian, Southampton, Lexing- ton, Vandalia, Plymouth and Saratoga. Five days were spent in a courteous altercation with the Jap- anese officials as to where the squadron should anchor, the natives insisting that it should remain near Uraga, while Captain Perry was equally firm in having his ships go farther up the bay, declaring the anchorage at Uraga to be unsafe. Finally Yokohama was decided upon, and a treaty house was built at the present Eng- lish Hatoba, where the Union Church is situated. On the 8th of March the Americans landed with pomp and ceremony and began the negotiations. No little risk was involved in landing, for, as was afterward learned, there were several fanatics among the Japanese guards who had sworn to kill Perry. The negotiations extended over several days. On the first day Captain Perry asked why the grounds surrounding the treaty 132 THE EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 1854-1860. house had been fenced in with large mats ; and being told that it was to prevent the Americans from seeing the country, he requested that they be taken down, as he considered it an indignity ; and his request was complied with. Finally, on the 31st of March, the terms of the treaty were agreed upon, and Simoda and Hakodate were opened to the Americans for commerce, under certain restrictions. On the 29th of July, 1858, Townsend Harris, American consul general, in the pres- ence of Commander Josiah Tattnall, signed the main treaty between the two countries, and on the 13th of February, 1860, a Japanese embassy of seventy-one persons left Yokohama in the Powhatan for Washing- ton. And thus one of the greatest diplomatic triumphs of the age was recorded. Washington Irving wrote to Perry : "You have gained for yourself a lasting name, and have won it without shedding a drop of blood or inflicting misery on a human being. What naval com- mander ever won laurels at such a rate ? " A residence of seven years in Japan has enabled the author to ap- preciate the great firmness, the rare diplomacy and indomitable perseverance that were shown by Captain Perry in bringing to a successful end his negotiations with this spirited and highly intelligent people. On July 11, 1854, Perry concluded a commercial treaty with the king of the Lew Chew Islands, a small group south of Japan. By the terms of this compact the natives were to furnish pilots to American vessels approaching their harbors, and in case of shipwreck our people were to be provided for. The most remark- able clause in this treaty, one which reveals Perry's splendid tact and diplomacy, was that by which the natives agreed to set apart and hold sacred a grave- yard for American citizens. CHAPTER IX. SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. NOT only has the navy been of incalculable value in the wars of the United States, but in scientific and ex- ploring expeditions also it has been of great service. On the 18th of May, 1836, Congress authorized an ex- pedition for the purpose of "exploring and survey- ing the southern ocean, as well to determine the exist- ence of all doubtful islands and shoals as to discover and accurately fix the position of those which lie in or near the track of our vessels in that quarter and may have escaped the observation of scientific navigators." Lieutenant Charles Wilkes was placed in command of the expedition, and on the 19th of August, 1838, he sailed from Hampton Roads with the 18-gun sloop of war Vincennes, flagship ; the 18-gun sloop of war Pea- cock, Lieutenant William L. Hudson ; the 12-gun brig of war Porpoise, Lieutenant Cadwalader Ringgold ; the storeship llelief, Lieutenant Andrew K. Long ; the tender Sea Gull, Passed-Midshipman J. W. E. Reid ; and the tender Flying Fisli, Passed-Midshipman Sam- uel R. Knox. Although the great object of this expe- dition was to enlarge the circle of commerce, it was also intended to acquire scientific knowledge, and for this purpose the following men accompanied it : Hora- tio Hale, philologist ; Charles Pickering and Titian Ramsey Peale, naturalists ; Mr. Couthouy, concholo- gist ; James Dwight Dana, mineralogist ; Mr. Rich, botanist ; Mr. Drayton and Mr. Agate, draughtsmen ; and J. D. Brackenridge, horticulturist. In crossing the Atlantic the vessels sailed about four 133. 134 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1838-1839. miles apart, to take soundings and ascertain the tem- perature in the various currents. After remaining a week at Madeira the ships headed southward, touched at the Cape Verd Islands, and arrived at Rio de Ja- neiro on the 23d of November. They left that port on the 6th of January, 1839, and made Orange Harbor, Tierra del Fuego, their base of operations for explora- tions in the Antartic Ocean. On the 25th of February, Lieutenant Wilkes, in the Porpoise, accompanied by the Sea Gull, made sail for the south pole. At day- light, March 1st, they fell in with ice islands and flur- ries of snow, and about noon an island was discov- ered, but owing to the surf it was impossible to land. Toward night another volcanic island was sighted, and at daylight, March 2d, O'Brien and Ashland Islands were discovered. On the 3d of March the vessels reached Palmersland. Lieutenant Wilkes wrote : u lt was a day of great excitement to all, for we had ice of all kinds to encounter, from the iceberg of huge quad- rangular shape, with its stratified appearance, to the sunken and deceptive masses that were difficult to per- ceive before they were under the bow. I have rarely seen a finer sight. The sea was literally studded with these beautiful masses, some of pure white, others showing all the shades of the opal, others emerald green, and occasionally, here and there, some of a deep black. Our situation was critical, but the weather favored us for a few hours. On clearing these dangers we kept off to the south and west under all sail, and at 9 P. M. we counted eight large ice islands. Afterward the weather became so thick with mist and fog as to render it necessary to lay to till daylight, before which time we had a heavy snowstorm. A strong gale now set in from the southwest ; the deck of the brig was covered with ice and snow and the weather became exceedingly damp and cold. The men were suffering not only from want of sufficient room but from the inadequacy of the clothing." 1839. IN ANTARCTIC SEAS. 135 By the 5th of March the gale had greatly increased and the vessels were in danger of being hurled against the icebergs. This, together with the appearance of incipient scurvy, resulting from constant exposure, in- duced Lieutenant Wilkes to head northward and re- turn to Orange Harbor. On the same day the Porpoise and the Sea Gull set out on their antarctic cruise (February 25th), the Pea- cock and the Flying Fish also got under way, but on the 27th they encountered a heavy gale and became separated. After waiting twelve hours in vain for her consort, the Peacock continued her cruise to the south and experienced moderate weather until the 4th of March, when she encountered another severe gale. The weather continued boisterous, with frequent squalls of snow and rain, but on the llth it again cleared off. The Peacock was now continually beset with icebergs, fogs, and flurries of snow, so that navigation became exceedingly difficult. " The ship was completely coat- ed with ice, even to the gun deck. Every spray thrown over her froze, and her bows and decks were fairly packed with ice." On the 25th of March the Peacock fell in with the Flying Fish, which vessel had not been heard from since the gale of February 27th. Lieu- tenant Walker reported that he had penetrated south as far as 70. As both vessels were now in danger of being frozen in, and as they were not provisioned for a long imprisonment, Lieutenant Hudson called a coun- cil of his officers, and it was determined to head north- ward, and accordingly the vessels slowly made their way out of the antarctic circle. At midnight, March 29th, the people of the PeacocTc were startled by the smell of smoke, which issued from the main hold. All hands were instantly called to quarters, and on open- ing the main hatch dense volumes of smoke rolled out. With much difficulty the flames were extinguished. On the 1st of April, Lieutenant Hudson dispatched the Flying Fish, with his report, to Orange Harbor, while 136 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1839-1840. he continued his course to Valparaiso, where he ar- rived on the 21st of April and found the storeship Relief. About the middle of May the Vincennes, the Porpoise and the Flying Fish also arrived at that port. The Sea Gull and the Flying Fish had sailed from Orange Harbor together, but had become sepa- rated in a gale, and the former was never heard from again. Soon afterward the Relief was sent to the United States, as she was a dull sailer and greatly im- peded the movements of the other vessels. The remainder of the squadron crossed the Pacific Ocean, examining many islands, and arrived at Syd- ney, New South Wales, on the 29th of November. Here it was determined to attempt another antarctic cruise, and the Vincennes, the Peacock, the Porpoise and the Flying Fish, on the 26th of December, stood out of the bay and headed for the south. On the 2d of January, while in a dense fog, the Flying Fish be- came separated from the squadron and did not again join it, and on the following day the Peacock also parted company. In hopes of falling in with these vessels, Lieutenant Wilkes made for Macquarie Island, the first rendezvous, and arrived in its vicinity on the 7th. On the 9th he made the second rendezvous, but still failed to meet the Flying Fish. The early sepa- ration of this tender had a most unfortunate effect on the officers and men of the entire squadron ; coming so soon after the loss of the Sea Gull, it caused a depres- sion of spirits and gloomy forebodings that rendered the antarctic cruise doubly hazardous. " Men-o'-war's men," wrote Lieutenant Wilkes, "are prone to prog- nosticate evil, and on this occasion they were not want- ing in various surmises. Woeful accounts were soon afloat of the distress the schooner was in when last seen and this in quite a moderate sea." On the 10th of January the squadron met an ice- berg about a mile long and one hundred and eighty feet high. The weather now became misty, with occa- 1840. SEAS OF ICE. 137 sional flurries of snow, while icebergs were so numer- ous as to necessitate changing the course several times. About nine o'clock on January llth a low. point of ice was discovered, and on rounding it the explorers found themselves in a large bay. Moving swiftly ahead for an hour and a half, they reached its limit, where their course was abruptly checked by a compact barrier of ice. The vessels were then hove to until, daylight. It was a perfect night ; no sound broke the great silence except the ghostly rustling of the ice- fields. The morning of the 12th dawned with a dense fog, during which the Porpoise was lost sight of, and the entire day was spent in beating out of the bay, a heavy fog frequently rendering it impossible to see more than a ship's length ahead. The Peacock, since her separation from the squad- ron (January 3d), had made for Macquarie Island, and succeeded in landing two men on it. The place was found to be uninhabited, except by vast flocks of pen- guins, which on the approach of the explorers sav- agely flew at them, snapping at their clothing, heads and limbs in a most unpleasant manner. The Peacock resumed her course southward, and on the 15th of January fell in with the Vincennes and the Porpoise at the above-mentioned barrier. The three vessels now cruised westward along the outskirts of the ice barrier, hoping to find some open- ing through which they could penetrate farther south. On the 16th of January land was seen over a long stretch of ice-fields from the masthead of the Peacock, and during the following night the Vincennes, by making short tacks, endeavored to gain as much south- ing as possible. "Previously to its becoming broad daylight," wrote Lieutenant Wilkes, "the fog rendered everything obscure, even at a short distance from the ship. I knew that we were in close proximity to ice- bergs and field ice, but from the report of the lookout at sunset I believed that there was an opening or large 138 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1840. bay leading to the south. The ship had rapid way on her and was much tossed about, when in an instant all was perfectly still and quiet. The transition was so sudden that many were awakened by it from a sound sleep, and all well knew, from the short experience we had had, that the cessation of the sound and motion usual at sea was a proof that we had run within a line of ice an occurrence from which the feeling of great danger is inseparable. The watch was immediately called by the officer of the deck. Many of those below were seen hurrying up the hatches, and those on deck were straining their eyes to discover the barriers in time to avoid accident. The ship still moving rapidly along, some faint hopes remained that the bay might prove a deep one and enable me to satisfy my sanguine hopes and belief relative to the land. The feeling is awful and the uncertainty most trying, thus to enter within the icy barriers blindfolded, as it were, by an impenetrable fog, and the thought constantly recurring that both ship and crew are in imminent danger. On we kept, until it was reported to me by attentive listen- ers that they heard the low and distinct rustling of ice. Suddenly a dozen voices proclaimed the barriers to be in sight, just ahead. The ship, which a moment before seemed as if unpeopled, from the stillness of all on board, was instantly alive with the bustle of performing the evolution necessary to bring her to the wind, which was unfavorable to a return on the same tack. After a quarter of an hour on her new tack ice was again made ahead, and the full danger of our situation was realized. The ship was suddenly embayed, and the extent of sea room to which we were limited was ren- dered invisible by the dark and murky weather ; yet, that we were closely circumscribed was evident from having made ice so soon on either tack, and from the audible rustling around us." After four hours of great danger and difficult navigation the Vincennes was ex- tricated from her perilous position. 1840. SURROUNDED BY ICEBERGS. 139 On the 17th of January Lieutenant Wilkes ordered the Peacock and the Porpoise to continue their ex- plorations independently of each other, as he presumed that the rivalry between the several ships' companies would stimulate them to greater exertions. But the three vessels cruised in sight of each other, skirting along the ice barrier in a westerly direction, and on the 23d of January the Peacock discovered an opening that seemed to reach the land to the south. Standing into the bay at five o'clock in the morning, January 24th, the ship suddenly made stern-board, and while attempt- ing to box off from some ice under the bow she was brought with great force against another mass of ice, which destroyed her rudder. As the ship was found to be rapidly entering the ice all hands were called, but every effort to direct her course failed. Scarcely a moment now passed without a collision with the ice, every blow threatening to sink the ship. In the hope of bringing the rudder again into use, a stage was rigged over the stern, but on examination the rudder was found to be so much injured that it was impos- sible to repair it in its place, and preparations were made for unshipping it. In the mean time the position of the vessel, surrounded by masses of ice and driving farther and farther into it toward an immense wall- sided iceberg, was every instant growing more critical. In consequence of her being so closely encompassed all attempts to get her on the other tack failed, and it was decided to bring her head around by hanging her to an iceberg with ice-anchors. The anchor was attached, but scarcely had the hawser been passed aboard when the ship took a sudden stern-board, and the rope was literally dragged out of the men's hands before they could get a turn round the bits. The ship now drove stern foremost into the huge masses of ice, striking the rudder a second time, wringing it off the head and breaking two of the pintles and the upper and lower brace. 140 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1840. As the wind began to freshen and the floe ice to set upon the ship, the sails were furled and the spars were rigged up and down the ship's side as fenders. Boats were again lowered and another attempt was made to plant the ice anchors, but the confined space and the force with which pieces of ice ground against each other was so great that the boats proved nearly as unmanageable as the ship. After much exertion, how- ever, the ice-anchors were planted and the hawser hauled taut, and for a time there was comparative security, as the vessel hung by the anchors. But the ice continued to close in rapidly, gradually crushing and carrying away the fenders, and the wind, changing to seaward, rose with the appearance that foreboded bad weather. At 11.30 A. M. the anchors, in spite of the exertions of the officers and men who were near them, broke loose, and the ship was again at the mercy of huge floating masses. A rapid stern-board was the consequence, and a contact with the ice island vast, perpendicular, and high as the masthead appeared inevitable. Every possible preparation was made to meet the expected shock. The spars were got out and preparations were made to cockbill the yards. " While these preparations were going forward," wrote Lieutenant Wilkes, "the imminence of the dan- ger lessened for a while the anchors again held, and there was a hope that they might bring the vessel up before she struck. This hope, however, lasted but for a moment only, for the anchors, with the whole body of ice to which they were attached, came in, and the ship, going astern, struck, quartering upon a piece of ice which lay between her and the great ice islands. This afforded the last hope of preventing her from coming in contact with the ice island ; but this hope failed also, for, grinding along the ice, she went nearly stern foremost and struck with her port quarter upon the island with a tremendous crash. The first effect of this blow was to carry away the spanker boom, the 1840. A NARROW ESCAPE. -^ port stern davit, and to crush the stern boat. The star- board stern davit was the next to receive the shock, and as this is connected with the spar-deck bulwarks the whole of them were started ; the knee, a rotten one, which bound the davit to the taffrail, was broken off, and with it all the stanchions to the plank sheer as far as the gangway. Severe as the shock was, it happened fortunately that it was followed by as great a rebound. This gave the vessel a cant to starboard, and, by the timely aid of the jib and other sails, carried her clear of the island and forced her into a small opening. While doing this, and before the vessel had moved half her length, an impending mass of ice and snow from the towering iceberg, started by the shock, fell in her wake. Had this fallen only a few seconds earlier it must have crushed the vessel to atoms. It was also fortunate that the place where she struck the ice island was near its southern end, so that there was but a short distance to be passed before she was entirely clear of them. This gave more room for the drifting ice, and permitted the vessel to be worked by her sails. The relief from this pressing danger, however, gave no as- surance of ultimate safety. The weather had an un- usually stormy appearance, and the destruction of the vessel seemed inevitable, with the loss of every life on board. After dinner the former manceuvring was re- sorted to, the yards being kept swinging to and fro in order to keep the ship's head in the required direction. She was laboring in the swell, with ice grinding and thumping against her on all sides ; every moment some- thing either fore or aft was carried away chains, bolts, bobstays, bowsprit, shrouds. Even the anchors were lifted, coming down with a surge that carried away the eyebolts and lashings, and left them hanging by the stoppers. The cutwater also was injured, and every timber seemed to groan." Boats were now lowered for the purpose of planting ice anchors ahead of the ship, and after two hours of 142 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1840. hard work, during which the frail craft were in con- stant danger of being crushed by the ice, this was ac- complished. At four o'clock it began to snow violently. The rudder was then unshipped and laid on the quarter- deck for repairs, and all night the ship was tossed help- lessly about, every moment in imminent danger of being ground to pieces by the huge masses of ice. She remained in this position till the afternoon of the 24th of January, when, favored by a fresh breeze, she at last cleared the ice and gained the open sea. During this time the Vincennes was making her way along the ice barriers, examining every opening that seemed to lead to the continent, which was dis- tinctly seen over the fields of ice. Having proceeded as far as 97 East without being able to reach the land, Lieutenant Wilkes, on the 21st of January, headed north for Sydney, where he arrived on the llth of March, and found the Peacock at anchor there. The Porpoise, after parting company with the other vessels on the 22d of January, skirted along the ice-bound coast in a westerly direction, and on the 30th she fell in with two French exploring ships under the command of Captain D'Urville. Having met the usual series of storms, icebergs and perils of antarctic navigation, the Porpoise, after reaching a point 100 East, and 64 65' South, set out on her return northward, and on the 5th of March made Auckland Isle. The Flying Fish, whose separation from the squadron in January had caused so much anxiety, was compelled, on account of her unseaworthy condition, to return to port. During the summer of 1840 the squadron was en- gaged in exploring the islands of the Southern Archi- pelago, and while examining one of the islands of the Fiji group in July, a party of Americans in a launch and a cutter was compelled by a storm to run into a bay for shelter. In beating out of the place the cutter ran on a reef, and while it was in this situation the natives attacked it, and as the ammunition of the 1840. IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 143 Americans had been spoiled by water they abandoned the cutter and returned to the Vincennes. A detach- ment of seamen, in eight boats, under the command of Lieutenants Wilkes and Hudson, promptly landed and burned the village. On the 24th of July the explorers were again attacked by the treacherous islanders. Past- Midshipman Joseph A. Underwood, with a small party of sailors, landed for the purpose of trading, but he was met with hostility. He ordered a retreat to the boats, upon which the savages, many of whom were armed with muskets, began a furious assault. Re-en- forcements were landed, and the Americans succeeded in putting the islanders to flight ; but Midshipmen Underwood and Henry Wilkes were mortally wound- ed, and one seaman was badly hurt. Lieutenant Ringgold then landed with a detachment of seventy officers and men, at the southeast end of the island, and marched upon a village in the vicinity, destroying the crops and plantations as he advanced. The village was defended by stockades formed by a circle of cocoa- nut trees planted a few feet apart, the intervening space being filled in with strong wickerwork. Behind this was a trench, in which the defenders could crouch in safety while firing through loopholes, and outside of the stockade was a ditch filled with water by no means a despicable stronghold even for disciplined troops to attack. The savages, confident in their se- curity, greeted their assailants with derisive shouts and flourished their weapons in defiance. By means of a rocket the Americans set fire to the huts within the stockade, and at the same time they opened a sharp fire of musketry, which killed a chief and six of his men. Upon this the savages fled by an opposite gate, leaving their town to be consumed by the flames. In this attack one American was severely wounded. Lieu- tenant Ringgold pursued the savages northward toward the only remaining village on the island, where he was joined by a boat party under Lieutenant Wilkes, who 144 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1840. had already destroyed the village. The next day the entire population sued for peace and promised good behavior in the future. In August the squadron sailed for the Hawaiian Islands, and on the 2d of December Lieutenant Hud- son, in the Peacock, accompanied by the Flying Fish, made an extended cruise among the Bowditch, Samoan, Ellice, and Kingmill Islands, returning to the Hawai- ian Islands early in 1841, after a cruise of nineteen thousand miles. On an Island of the Kingmill group one of the American sailors was captured by the na- tives, but was not missed until the seamen regained their boats. Inquiries were then made for him, but the natives professed ignorance. After waiting two days in vain for some news of the man, Lieutenant Hudson ordered the Flying Fish to cover the landing, and an attacking party of eighty men, under Lieuten- ant Walker, made for the shore. Efforts to ransom the man proving unavailing, a rocket was fired into the crowd of natives that had assembled on the beach, and this was followed up by a discharge of musketry, which killed twelve of the warriors and put the rest to flight. The detachment under Lieutenant Walker then landed, and as the natives still failed to produce the lost sea- man their village was destroyed. Lieutenant Hudson afterward sailed for the coast of Oregon, but while attempting to cross the bar of Colum- bia River, July 18th, having no pilots aboard, he ran the Peacock aground. To make matters worse, the tide fell, and as the sea was rising, the ship was soon wrecked. Lieutenant Hudson and his crew managed to get ashore, and they were rescued some time after- ward by the Vincennes. As early as 1818 Captain James Biddle, in the sloop of war Ontario, had ex- plored the Pacific coast and taken formal possession of extensive tracts in the name of the United States. After carefully exploring the harbors and rivers on the Pacific slope, and sending a land expedition from Ore- 1840-1848. ON THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. 145 gon to Yerba Buena (now San Francisco) under the command of Lieutenant George Foster Emmons, Lieu- tenant Wilkes returned to the United States by way of the Cape of Good Hope, arriving in New York in June, 1842, after an absence of three years and ten months. On the 26th of November, 1847, Lieutenant William Francis Lynch sailed from New York in the storeship Supply for an exploring expedition to the Dead Sea. He arrived in the Mediterranean early in 1848, and leaving his ship at Smyrna, he proceeded to Constanti- nople, where he received the necessary permission for his explorations. Returning to Smyrna, he made sail, and landed at Haifa on the 21st of March. At this place the two boats that had been constructed espe- cially for the difficult navigation of the Dead Sea and the river Jordan, one made of copper and the other of galvanized iron, were placed on trucks and drawn across the country to Tiberias, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The party consisted of Lieuten- ants Lynch and John B. Dale, Passed-Midshipman Richmond Aulick and eleven seamen. Their supplies were transported by twenty-three camels and twenty horses. At Tiberias the expedition was divided : one detachment was to embark in the boats, pull down the sea to the river Jordan, and descend that tortuous and rapid stream to the Dead Sea ; while the other division, mounted on camels and horses, was to make the same journey by land, keeping as near to the boat party as possible, so as to defend it from wandering Arabs, or to assist in the navigation of the stream. On the 10th of April, 1848, the expedition left Tibe- rias, and pulling down the Sea of Galilee began the hazardous navigation of the Jordan. The distance from this sea to the Dead Sea is not more than sixty miles, but the course pursued by the Jordan is over two hundred miles, and in this stretch there is a fall of thirteen hundred feet. In covering this distance the 55 146 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1848-1850. Jordan rushes through narrow defiles, hurls itself down fearful rapids, boils over sunken rocks and twists around sharp curves at a tremendous speed, rendering it impossible for any craft, except those specially con- structed, to pass. Down this rushing torrent the ad- venturers boldly headed their craft. They repeatedly struck on rocks, and at times the entire crew was com- pelled to leap into the torrent and force the boats over difficult places. After a perilous passage of eight days they reached the desolate waste of water appro- priately called the Dead Sea. Here a permanent en- campment was established, from which numerous sci- entific and exploring expeditions were made. After several weeks spent in this manner, Lieutenant Lynch occupied twenty-three days in measuring the depres- sion of the Dead Sea below the level of the ocean, which he found to be thirteen hundred and twelve feet. On the 24th of May, 1850, an expedition organized by Henry Grinnell, of New York, and commanded by Lieutenant Edwin J. De Haven, sailed from New York in search of Sir John Franklin's arctic explorers. Lieu- tenant De Haven's vessels consisted of two heavily re- enforced brigs, the Rescue and the Advance. By the first of July they were fairly in Baffin's Bay, and six days later, while making for what appeared to be an unobstructed sea, they became imbedded in an ice- pack and were imprisoned twenty-one days, drifting northerly at the rate of a mile a day. Freeing them- selves from the pack on the 28th of July, the little brigs, on the 19th of August, entered Lancaster Sound, where on the same day they met the steamer Lady Franklin, of Captain Penny's relief squadron. Two days later the Advance met the schooner Felix, com- manded by Sir John Ross, which was also searching for Franklin's party. While off Radstock Bay, Au- gust 25th, the Advance discovered the first traces of the lost Franklin party, in the shape of a flagstaff and a ball, and, on landing, unmistakable evidences of an 1850-1851. IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 147 encampment were found. Two days later the Ameri- cans began a search for the lost explorers and found three graves with wooden headboards, the inscriptions on them showing that they belonged to the lost explor- ing-party. On the llth of September the Advance and the Rescue began their return passage, but the arctic winter set in before they could gain the open sea. After beating around for several weeks in a vain endeavor to force a passage, preparations were made for passing a winter in the Arctic Sea. Unfortunately, they were caught in the open channel, and during the winter months they were carried from one place to another by the ever-drifting ice, and their position was rendered more dangerous by the cracking of the ice, which at any time was liable to ingulf the stores that were deposited on the ice-field. On the 5th of December a crack in the ice several yards wide opened along the side of the Advance, so that she was again in her element ; but two days later the immense ice-fields began to grind their edges to- gether, catching the little brig between them. A vessel less substantially built would have been crushed like an eggshell. As it was, the little brig strained and groaned, and so far resisted the pressure that the ice- floe slipped under her and raised her bodily out of the water, with her stern eight feet higher than her bow. " On the llth of January, 1851," wrote Lieutenant De Haven, "a crack occurred between the Advance and the Rescue, passing close under our stern. It opened and formed a lane of water eighty feet wide. In the afternoon the floes began to move and the lane was closed up, and the edges of the ice coming in contact with so much pressure threatened the demolition of the narrow space which separated us from the line of fracture. Fortunately, the floes again separated, and assumed a motion by which the Rescue passed from our stern to the port bow, and increased her distance from us seven hundred yards, when she came to a 148 SCIENTIFIC AND EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 1851. stand. Our stores that were on the ice were on the same side of the ice as the Rescue's, and, of course, were carried with her. The following day the ice re- mained quiet ; but soon after midnight on the 13th a gale having sprung up from the west, it was once more got into violent motion. The young ice in the crack near our stern was soon broken up, the edges of the thick ice came in contact, and a fearful pressure took place, forcing up a line of hummock which approached within ten feet of our stern. The vessel trembled and complained a great deal. At last the floe broke up around us into many pieces, and became detached from the sides of the vessel. The scene of frightful commo- tion lasted until 4 A. M. Every moment I expected the vessel would be crushed or overwhelmed by the mass of ice forced up far above our bulwarks. The Rescue, being further removed on the other side of the crack from the line of crushing, and being firmly imbedded in heavy ice, I was in hopes would remain undisturbed ; but this was not the case, for, on sending to her as soon as it was light enough to see, the floe was found to be broken away entirely from her bow, and there formed into such high hummocks that her bowsprit was broken off, together with her head and all the light woodwork about it. Had the action of the ice been continued much longer she would have been destroyed. Sad havoc had been made among the stores and provisions left on the ice, and a few barrels were recovered ; but a large portion were crushed and had disappeared." On the 29th of May, 1851, the sun again appeared, having been concealed eighty-seven days, and the dreary night of the arctic winter had passed away. On the 6th of June a movement in the ice-floe liberated the brigs, and, shipping their rudders and leaving a portion of their false keels in the ice, they began their homeward voyage, the Advance arriving in New York on the 20th of August and the Rescue on the 7th of September. 1852-1854 A FISHERY DISPUTE. ^49 The seizure of seven American fishing-vessels by British cruisers, acting under the orders of Admiral Seymour, aroused the indignation of the New England States, and on July 31, 1852, Captain Matthew Calbraith Perry, in the Mississippi, sailed from New York for the scene of trouble. He visited Halifax and Cape Breton, Prince Edward's Island, and found that be- tween two thousand and three thousand American craft were engaged in this industry, "furnishing a nursery for seamen of inestimable advantage to the maintenance of the interests of the nation." 1 The difficulty grew out of two interpretations of the clause "three miles from the coast and bays," the Americans differing from the English in their views as to what size of indenta- tion constituted a bay. The result of Captain Perry's visit was the reciprocity treaty with Canada in 1854, which lasted ten years. In the summer of 1881 Commander Winfield Scott Schley, U. S. N., now a captain, was in Boston Navy Yard, where he heard of the expedition to Lady Frank- lin Bay, commanded by Lieutenant Adolphus W. Gree- ly, U. S. A. Commander Schley remarked, "Well, I suppose some naval officer will have to bring the ex- plorers back," little thinking at the time that he would be selected for the perilous undertaking. The explor- ers embarked in the Proteus, July, 1881, and after a remarkably favorable passage landed at Fort Conger, Grinnell Land, in August. The Proteus returned home, leaving enough provisions to support the ex- plorers three years. It was arranged that another sup- ply vessel was to be sent to Fort Conger in the fol- lowing summer and another in the year after that ; so Greely's party were left with every assurance that they w T ere perfectly safe. According to this understanding the relief vessel Neptune was sent northward in the summer of 1882, but was prevented by the ice from 1 Official report of Captain Perry. 150 GREELY EXPEDITION. It 51. reaching the explorers. In the following summer the Proteus endeavored to reach Fort Conger, but the vessel was sunk and her crew narrowly escaped death. Such was the alarming condition of the Greely ex- pedition in 1884, when Commander Schley was called upon to command the third relief expedition. The ves- sels Thetis, Bear and Alert were placed under his or- ders. Commander Schley left New York May 1, 1884, arriving at St. John's May 9th. From this place the two vessels made their way north. After many weeks of battling with the ice, Commander Schley found the seven survivors of the twenty-five men composing the Greely expedition under a tent near Cape Sabine. Commander Schley, in his Rescue of Greely, p. 222, graphically describes the rescue: "It was a sight of horror. On one side, close to the opening, with his head toward the outside, lay what apparently was a dead man. His jaw had dropped ; his eyes were open, but fixed and glassy ; his limbs were motionless. On the opposite side was a poor fellow, alive, to be sure, but without hands or feet (those members having been frozen off), and with a spoon tied to the stump of his right arm. Two others, seated on the ground, in the middle, had just got down a rubber bottle that hung on the tent-pole, and were pouring from it into a tin can. Directly opposite, on his hands and knees, was a dark man with a long matted beard and tattered dressing-gown with a little red skull-cap on his head and brilliant, staring eyes." This was Greely. The other survivors were Sergeants Elison and Fredericks, Bierderbick the hospital steward, and Privates Connell, Brainard and Long. Had the rescue been delayed a few days longer even this wretched remnant of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition would not have re- mained alive to tell the story of their terrible suffer- ings. With great difficulty Commander Schley got the men aboard his ships and made his way back to the United States. CHAPTER X. MINOR OCCURRENCES. IN December, 1842, the United States brig of war Somers, Commander Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, an- chored in New York harbor after a protracted cruise, and announced that one of her midshipmen, Philip Spencer, the boatswain's mate, Samuel Cromwell, and an ordinary seaman, Elisha Small, had been hanged at the yardarm during the cruise on suspicion of mutiny. The announcement caused the greatest excitement throughout the country, especially when it was learned that the men had been executed without trial and that Spencer was the son of the then Secretary of War. The Somers had sailed from Norfolk, Va., for a cruise in the West Indies and off the West African coast, hav- ing on board a number of cadets, or "naval appren- tices," as they were then called. After cruising off the African coast the Somers made for St. Thomas. While nearing the West Indies on the night of November 25th, Midshipman Spencer, in a mysterious manner, asked the purser's steward, John W. Wales, to get on top of the boom, as he had something of the utmost importance to communicate and was fearful of being overheard. Having reached a safe place, Spen- cer a youth of nineteen years after having received Wales's oath to secrecy, said he was the ringleader of twenty of the seamen who had arranged to instigate a sham fight in a few nights, during which the officer of the deck was to be thrown overboard and the other officers were to be murdered, and then they were to become pirates. Wales accepted the proposition to 151 152 MINOR OCCURRENCES. 1843. become one of the gang, but on the following day he reported the affair to the purser, and in a few minutes the whole matter was laid before Mackenzie, who only said: "I regard the story as monstrous and improba- ble, and am under the impression that Spencer has been reading piratical tales and was amusing himself with Wales." A close watch was kept on Spencer, however, and he was observed examining the charts and taking down notes. It also was noticed that he asked the sailing master the rate of the chronometer, and was very intimate with the seamen. This induced Mac- kenzie to examine the young midshipman personally. The latter admitted his conversation with Wales, but declared that it was all a joke. Spencer was arrested and placed in irons. An investigation of his effects revealed a mysterious-looking paper having the names of the officers and crew spelled in Greek, and opposite to each name were the words "sure" or "doubtful," and puzzling pen marks. On the night of Spencer's arrest there was a mys- terious falling of a topmast and an unnecessary con- fusion among the seamen in clearing away the wreck- age, which so far confirmed Mackenzie's suspicion that he armed all the officers and placed double guards. These suspicions had been further increased by the fact that Cromwell and Small had been detected in holding clandestine meetings with Spencer while he was in irons on the quarter-deck, and the result was that Cromwell and Small also were placed in irons. Mackenzie then assembled the crew and apprentices, and warned them that he was acquainted with Spen- cer's plans and would proceed to extreme measures on the first attempt to carry out their suspected mutiny. On the following day the officers reported that the men worked discontentedly and showed a sullen spirit, and that they frequently collected in groups and con- versed in a suspicious manner. Mackenzie's suspicions 1842-1853. TRAGEDY IN THE SOMERS. 153 of a mutiny increased during the four days Spencer was kept in irons, and he summoned his six officers in council. It was decided that the three men under arrest were "guilty of a full and determined intention to commit a mutiny in this vessel of a most atrocious character," and it was recommended that they be put to death at once. This was done promptly, no trial or examination of the men having been- made, save in Spencer's case already noted. All of them protested their innocence to the last. The bodies were buried at sea. Others of the suspected crew were placed in irons and carried to New York, where they were re- leased by order of the Secretary of the Navy. A court to inquire into the conduct of the Somcrs' officers was at once instituted. The excitement all over the coun- try was intense, powerful supporters being found for each side. A court martial quickly followed the court of inquiry, which resulted in a verdict of "Not guilty." Cooper, the naval historian, voiced the dominating sen- timent of the people when he said of Mackenzie's act, "If not one of basest cowardice, it was of lamentable deficiency of judgment. There were a number of highly creditable affairs in which the navy of the United States was engaged, which, occurring in times of peace, attracted little at- tention and were soon forgotten. While in command of the sloop of war St. Louis at Smyrna, July 2, 1853, Commander Duncan Nathaniel Ingraham boldly pre- pared to attack the Austrian war ship Hussar, which was considerably superior in force. Aboard the Hus- sar was Martin Koszta, an Austrian who, two years before, in New York city, had declared his intention of becoming an American citizen. Having incurred the displeasure of the Austrian Government, Koszta was seized while in Smyrna on business and confined in the Hussar. Ingraham cleared for action, and de- clared that he would attack the Austrian war ship if Koszta was not surrendered by 4 p. M. Before that 154 MINOR OCCURRENCES. 1856. hour, however, satisfactory arrangements were made and battle was averted. While endeavoring to protect the property of Amer- ican residents in Canton, China, November 16, 1856, just before the beginning of the war between England and China, Commander Andrew Hull Foote, of the sloop of war Portsmouth, was fired upon by one of the forts. His demand for an apology being refused, he got the permission of Captain James Armstrong, com- mander of the Asiatic squadron, to avenge the insult. Landing with two hundred and eighty-seven sailors and marines and four howitzers, November 20th, after the Portsmouth, the San Jacinto, Commander Henry II. Bell, and the Levant, Commander William Smith, had bombarded the Chinese, Foote attacked the forts. There were four of them, built of massive granite eight feet thick, and mounting in all one hundred and sev- enty-six guns and garrisoned by about five thousand men. On account of the shoal water, tji boats could not run close in to the bank, whereupoi](ourtnen jumped into the water waist deep and wadea~fo the shore, where they formed into three columns, led by Com- manders Foote, Bell and Smith, while Captain John D. Simmes led the detachment of marines. Making a detour so as to gain the rear of the first fort, the men waded through the soft mud of the rice fields, drag- ging the howitzers after them. Fording a creek, they charged the works, which mounted fifty-three guns, many of them of the heaviest calibers. The Chinese fled with a loss of about fifty killed. The fort on the opposite side of the river now opened on the victorious Americans, but was soon silenced by the guns in the captured fort. An army from Canton threatened the rear of the Americans, but our seamen opened such a galling fire that the enemy retreated. On the following day our cruisers and boats ad- vanced iipon the remaining forts. While under a heavy fire one of the San Jacinto's boats was raked 1859-1867. "BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER." ^55 by a 64-pound shot, which killed three and wounded seven of the crew. The Portsmouth 1 s launch also was sunk. In spite of this fire, our men eagerly pressed forward to attack the second fort, which mounted forty-one guns. This place was carried in handsome style at 4 p. M., and its guns were turned on the third fort, which also surrendered. Meantime a detachment of marines had captured a 6-gun battery on shore. Early on November 22d the fourth and last fort, mount- ing thirty-eight guns, was captured, the total loss of the Americans in these attacks being twelve killed and twenty-eight wounded. About four hundred of the Chinese were killed. Having accomplished their pur- pose, the Americans returned to their ships. Mas- ter George Eugene Belknap commanded one of the launches, and assisted in undermining and blowing up the works. Three years after this, Captain Josiah Tattnall ren- dered a conspicuous service to the English and French gunboats that were attacking the Chinese forts at the mouth of the Peiho River, China. While attempting to remove the obstructions in the river, June 25, 1859, the eleven gunboats under the command of Admiral Sir James Hope were unexpectedly fired upon by the Chinese forts, and a desperate battle followed, in which several hundred of the English were killed and they were finally routed. Tattnall, as a neutral, had wit- nessed the affair in the chartered steamer Toey-Wan, and exclaiming, "Blood is thicker than water," called for his launch, and, pulling through the thickest of the fire, visited the British flagship. Just before reaching the vessel the American boat was sunk by a Chinese shot, the coxswain was killed and Lieutenant Stephen Decatur Trenchard was dangerously wounded. During the half hour or more the Americans were aboard the boat crew assisted the English in firing the guns. Afterward the Toey-Wan towed up the English reserves and brought them into action. Although this 156 MINOR OCCURRENCES. 1859-1867. was a violation of the neutrality of the United States, Tattnall was not seriously punished for the affair, and he won the gratitude of the British for his heroism. The expression ' ' Blood is thicker than water " was con- spicuous at the dinner given to Rear- Admiral Erben and Captain Mahan in London, June, 1894. Learning that the American bark Rover had been wrecked on the southeast end of the island of For- mosa, and that her crew had probably been murdered, Commander John Carson Febiger, in the AsTiuclot, ap- peared off that island, April, 1867. The officials dis- claimed all responsibility for the affair, saying that the outrage had been perpetrated by a horde of savages over whom they had no control. Febiger returned to Rear-Admiral Henry H. Bell, then commanding the Asiatic squadron, with this report, upon which the admiral sailed for Formosa with the Hartford and the Wyoming, and on June 13th landed one hundred and eighty-one men, under Commander George Eugene Belknap, who gallantly drove the savages into the in- terior and burned their huts. While leading a charge into one of the numerous ambuscades skillfully pre- pared by the natives, Lieutenant-Commander Alexan- der Slidell Mackenzie was killed. A few months later, January 11, 1868, Rear-Admiral Bell was drowned while endeavoring to enter Osaka River, Japan. Lieutenant- Commander Francis John Higginson, now rear-admi- ral, was present on this occasion and assisted in recov- ering the admiral's body. On January 25, 1859, Captain William Branford Shubrick arrived at Asuncion, Paraguay, with a fleet of nineteen vessels, carrying two hundred guns and twenty-five hundred men, to take decisive measures against the people of that country for firing on the United States steamer Water Witch the preceding year. Hostilities were averted only by the prompt apology and payment of indemnity by the Paraguayan Gov- ernment. Shubrick was highly complimented for his spirited management of this affair. PART FIFTH. THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865. CHAPTER I. BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. WHEN President Lincoln came into office, March 4, 1861, the navy of the United States consisted of ninety vessels, of which twenty-one were unserviceable, twen- ty-seven were out of commission, and forty-two were in commission. The forty-two vessels in commission were the screw frigate Niagara, returning from Japan ; the first-class screw sloops of war San Jacinto on the coast of Africa, Lancaster in the Pacific, Brooklyn at Pensacola, Hartford in the East Indies and Richmond in the Mediterranean ; the second-class screw sloops of war Mohican on the coast of Africa, Narragansett in the Pacific, Iroquois in the Mediterranean, Pawnee in Washington, Wyoming in the Pacific, Dakota in the East Indies, Pocahontas returning from Yera Cruz and Seminole at Brazil ; the third-class screw steamers Wyandotte at Pensacola, Mohawlc and Crusader at New York and Sumter and Mystic on the coast of Africa ; the side-wheel steamers Susquehanna in the Mediterranean, Powhatan returning from Yera Cruz and Saranac in the Pacific ; the sailing frigates Con- gress on the coast of Brazil and Sabine at Pensacola ; the sailing sloops of war Cumberland returning from Yera Cruz, Constellation. Portsmouth and Saratoga on the coast of Africa, Macedonian at Yera Cruz, St. Mary's, Cyane and Levant in the Pacific ; the John Adams and the Vandalia in the East Indies ; the St. Louis at Pensacola ; the side-wheel steamers Michigan on Lake Erie, Pulaski on the coast of Brazil and Sagi- naw in the East Indies ; the storeship Relief on the 159 160 BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. 1861. coast of Africa, the Release and the Supply in New York ; and the steam tender Anacostia in Washington. From this list of the vessels in commission it will be seen that only eleven, carrying about one hundred and thirty-four guns, or less than half of the entire force, were in American waters, while the other vessels were scattered all over the globe and the most for- midable vessels in American waters were in a Southern port. 1 This disposition of the navy had been made under the preceding Administration in the interests of the Confederacy that was so soon to be formed. Al- though orders recalling the vessels stationed on the African coast had been made out as soon as possible after March 4th, they did not begin to arrive at home ports until some months later. A number of the cruisers were commanded by Southern officers, and it was confidently asserted that they would run their ves- sels into some Southern port and deliver them over to the Confederacy ; but it speaks well for the loyalty of the navy that no attempt of this kind was made. In the sailing vessels, 32-pounders and 8-inch shell guns were the principal armaments, while the new steam frigates and sloops of war were armed with 9-, 10- and 11-inch Dahlgren smooth-bore shell guns. The 10-inch guns were usually mounted as pivot guns. The total 1 The vessels that were out of commission but could be readily made available for service were the screw frigates Roanoke, Wabash, Colorado, Merrimac and Minnesota ; the first-class screw sloop of war Pensacola ; the side-wheel steamer Mississippi ; the third-class side- wheel steamer Water Witch ; the ship of the line Vermont ; the sailing frigates Potomac, Brandywine, St. Lawrence, Raritan and Santee ; the sailing sloops of war Savannah, Plymouth, Jamestown, Germantoum, Vincennes, Decatur, Mar- ion, Dale and Preble ; the brigs of war Bainbridge, Perry and Dolphin ; and the steam tender John Hancock. The unserviceable vessels were the screw frigate Franklin on the stocks at Kittery ; the side-wheel vessel Ful- ton ; the steam floating battery Stevens ; the ships of the line Pennsylvania, Columbus, Ohio, North Carolina, Delaware, New Orleans, Alabama, Vir- ginia and New York the sailing frigates Constitution, United States and Columbia ; the store and receiving vessels Independence, Fredonia, Fal- mouth, Warren, Allegheny and Princeton. 1861. INCREASING THE NAVY. 161 number of officers of all grades in the navy on August 1, 1861, was fourteen hundred and fifty- seven, besides whom a large volunteer force was called for, and seven thousand five hundred volunteer officers enrolled before the close of the war. Three hundred and twenty-two officers resigned from the United States navy and en- tered the navy of the seceding States, of which number two hundred and forty-three were officers of the line. The number of sailors in the navy at the opening of the war was seven thousand six hundred, which num- ber was increased to fifty-one thousand five hundred before the close of hostilities. A glance at the map will show how inadequate was this force to blockade the extensive and intricate coast line of the seceding States. From Chesapeake Bay with its many tributaries, down the Atlantic seaboard and along the Gulf to the Rio Grande, were three thousand miles of coast line broken by many harbors and inlets, which it was necessary to blockade. See- ing the impossibility of accomplishing this essential object with the force in hand, the Government imme- diately began increasing its naval power. By purchas- ing every merchant craft that could be adapted to war purposes, either as a transport or a fighting vessel, the Government secured a large fleet that proved effective in the kind of warfare for which it was designed. The construction of eight additional sloops of war was begun, and contracts with ship-builders were entered upon for heavily armed and iron-plated gunboats. The latter were ready for commission in three months, and became famous as the "ninety-day gunboats." Thirty-nine double end side- wheel steamers for river service were also rapidly pushed to completion, while several ironclads were' begun. By these energetic measures the strength of the navy was greatly in- creased, and at the close of the war the United States was the most powerful maritime nation in the world. The Secretary of the Navy during the civil war 56 162 BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. 1861. and for several years after was Gideon Welles. Realiz- ing the necessity of having a professional man near him in this great emergency, Mr. Welles secured Lieu- tenant Gustavus Vasa Fox for assistant secretary. Mr. Fox entered the navy as a midshipman in 1838, and rose to the rank of lieutenant, but in 1856 he re- signed. He always took a deep interest in the navy, and was one of the first to proffer his services when they were needed. The chiefs of bureaus at the begin- ning of Lincoln's administration were : Yards and Docks, Captain Joseph Smith ; Construction, John Lenthal ; Provisions and Clothing, Horatio Bridge ; Ordnance and Hydrography, Captain George W. Ma- gruder ; Medicine, Surgeon William Whelan. These were the men (excepting Captain Magruder, who re- signed and entered the Confederate service) who had the management of the United States navy at the out- break of and during the civil war, and to them in a large measure is due the credit of raising the nation from one of the least to the greatest maritime power in the world. The seceding States were not only desti- tute of war vessels, but did not have a large merchant marine. Furthermore, they were deficient in skilled mechanics, shipyards and plant with which to build a navy, and while they had able officers they were lack- ing in trained sailors. Such being the case, the navy of the Confederacy, except in a few notable instances, remained on the defensive. Previously to the firing on Fort Sumter the South- ern forces at Charleston had assumed such a threaten- ing attitude as to leave no doubt as to their intention of gaining possession of that stronghold. Repeated calls were made by Major Anderson, commander of the fort, for re-enforcements, but the new Administra- tion was beset with many difficulties and perplexities. In the mean time the steamer Star of the West, which had attempted to re-enforce Fort Sumter early in the year, had been fired upon by the State batteries near 1861. THE SEAT OF WAR. 163 164: BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. 1861. Charleston and failed to accomplish its mission. Be- tween the 7th and the 10th of April, the sloops of war Pawnee and Pocahontas, the steamers Harriet Lane and Baltic and two tug boats, sailed separately from New York with provisions and re-enforcements for Sumter. At three o'clock in the morning of April 12th the Baltic and the Harriet Lane arrived off Charleston, and three hours later the Pawnee hove in sight. While the commanders of these vessels were approaching the harbor they heard the report of shotted guns; soon afterward smoke was seen in the direction of Fort Sumter, and by daylight the contin- uous roar of heavy artillery proclaimed that civil war had begun. When it was seen that the American flag was still waving at Sumter, Commander Stephen Clegg Rowan, of the Pawnee, immediately declared his inten- tion of running in to the relief of the garrison. But Lieutenant Gustavus Vasa Fox, commander of the expedition, would not consent to so perilous an under- taking, and all day long they lay off the harbor, watch- ing with agonized interest the pitiless rain of iron that fell upon the fort. Early on the morning of the 13th dense volumes of smoke were seen rising from the fort, showing that the woodwork was burning, and at four o'clock in the afternoon the heroic defenders surren- dered. Fort Sumter was evacuated on the 14th of April, and its garrison was placed in the Baltic and taken to New York. On the day Sumter was fired upon the frigate SaMne and the sloop of war Brooklyn arrived at Fort Pickens, in Pensacola harbor, and land- ed re-enforcements. The old frigate Constitution, which at the begin- ning of hostilities was lying at Annapolis as a training ship, was in great danger of falling into the hands of the Confederates, which would give a sentimental sup- port to their cause. About this time the Eighth Massa- chusetts Regiment, under Brigadier-General Benjamin Franklin Butler, was in the vicinity, and with the aid 1861. LIEUT. PHELPS IN THE POTOMAC. 165 of a detachment of these troops the ship was guarded until towed to New York. This was as narrow an escape as the Constitution ever had from having any other than the American flag floating at her gaff. One of the most important and dangerous services in the war, and yet one that was least likely to lead to fame, was that of surveying the Southern rivers, bays and sounds, and replacing the buoys. On the with- drawal of Virginia from the Union the Confederates promptly removed all light-boats and buoys and de- stroyed the range of guiding marks in the Potomac River. This, together with the destruction of the Gun- powder and Nye bridges in Maryland and the hostility of the people in Baltmore, for the time almost cut off Washington from communication with the North. Realizing the necessity of regaining the control of this water-way, the Government cast about for an officer to perform the perilous duty of surveying the stream and replacing the buoys. Lieutenant Thomas Stowell Phelps was selected, by ballot of a board consisting of the chiefs of departments, as an officer "skilled in sur- veying." On his arrival in Washington early in May, Lieutenant Phelps found at the navy yard six river steamboats and the armed tender Anacostia. He se- lected the Anacostia and a large steamer called the Philadelphia for his work. Four 12-pound army field guns were placed aboard the PJiiladelphia, two mount- ed on each end, covered with old canvas, so as to con- ceal them as much as possible from the enemy. Be- sides the crew, a company from the Seventy-first New York Regiment was placed aboard. The work of surveying the Potomac was imme- diately begun and was steadily pushed to comple- tion, although the men engaged in it w^ere constantly exposed to the enemy's bullets. The Anacostia, an exceedingly slow boat, was soon lost sight of, so that most of the work was done by the Philadelphia. The crew was carefully concealed, and the surveying party IQQ BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. 1861. was judiciously stationed so that the two leadsmen, the pilot and helmsmen in the pilot-house, and Lieuten- ant Phelps directing the work with the draughtsman Charles Junkin near him to assist in angling, were the only people in view. Thus organized, the men rapidly advanced with their work, and on the first night they anchored near Blackistone Island. The people on both sides of the river were hostile, and when the boats anchored at night the greatest care was necessary to guard against surprises. At Aquia Creek the Con- federates had erected a battery of eighteen or twenty guns, and as it was particularly important that this part of the river should be surveyed, Lieutenant Phelps boldly ran under the guns, so near that even without the aid of a field glass the gunners could be seen with lock strings in hand ready to fire. For two hours the guns were kept trained upon the little steamer as she passed to and fro over the water, frequently so near as to require extreme depression of the cannon to keep them bearing, and at no time beyond easy reach of the iron messengers. But not a gun was fired. A few years afterward it was learned that Colonel William F. Lynch, the commander of the battery, refrained from firing because he believed her to be the "property of some poor devil who had lost his way, and from her appearance was not worth the powder," although he said that both the officers and men "were crazy to try and sink the vessel, and vainly -implored for permis- sion to do so." 1 If they had suspected her character and object she would have been promptly riddled with shot. Lieutenant Phelps accomplished his work in the most thorough manner, and he was highly compli- mented by the Navy Department. For a few months after the firing on Sumter there was a lull in the excitement. In the mean time a patrol of Potomac River was maintained night and day. 1 Rear- Admiral Phelps to the author. 1861. PATROLLING THE POTOMAC. 167 This hazardous service was performed by Commander James Harman Ward with the improvised gunboats Freeborn, a side-wheel steamer carrying three guns, the Anacostia, a propeller carrying two guns, and the Scene of naval operations on the Potomac. -Resolute, carrying two guns. With these vessels Com- mander Ward, on the 31st of May, opened fire on the batteries at Aquia Creek, and in two hours drove the Southerners from the lower batteries to the guns they had mounted on the hill. As the National vessels 168 BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. 1861. could not elevate their guns sufficiently to drive the enemy from his second position, Commander Ward re- tired, with little or no damage to his flotilla. On the following day the sloop of war Pawnee, Commander Rowan, came down from Washington, and the attack was renewed. For five hours a spirited fire was main- tained, which finally drove the Confederates from their position. In this affair the Pawnee was struck nine times. On the 27th of June Commander Ward at- tacked the enemy at Mathias Point. A body of sailors was landed under the command of Lieutenant James C. Chaplin, of the Pawnee, and the vessels opened a heavy fire. While in the act of sighting a gun, Com- mander Ward was shot in the abdomen, and he soon died. About this time a large body of Confederate soldiers approached the sailors under Lieutenant Chap- lin and compelled them to return to their boats. Lieu- tenant Chaplin was the last man to retire, and aroused much admiration by his coolness. The vessels were unable to withstand the enemy's fire, and retreated, with a loss of one killed and four wounded. 1 Captain Thomas Tingey Craven succeeded Com- mander Ward in command of the Potomac flotilla. On the night of October llth, Lieutenant Abram Davis Harrel, with three boats, entered Quantico Creek, de- stroyed a schooner that the enemy had anchored there, and escaped in spite of a heavy fire. Many daring cut- ting-out exploits like this took place along these waters 1 James Harman Ward was born in 1806 in Hartford, Conn. He en- tered the navy as a midshipman March 4. 1823, and with several other mid- shipmen received his education in the military school at Norwich, Vt. He was in the Constitution in 1824-'28, and became a lieutenant March 3, 1831. From 1845 to 1847 he was an instructor in the Annapolis Naval Academy, and in 1849-'50 he commanded the Vixen, of the home squad- ron. On September 9, 1853, he was made a commander, and in May, 1861, he was ordered to the command of the Potomac flotilla. He was the authcr of two text-books that were used in the Naval Academy many years- Manual of Naval Tactics and Elementary Course of Instruction in Naval Ordnance and Gunnery. He also wrote Steam for the Million. 1861. GALLANT CAPTURE OP THE JUDAH. 169 which can not here be recorded. The several command- ers of the patrol of the Potomac who succeeded Captain Craven were Commanders Robert Harris Wyman, An- drew Allen Harwood and Foxhall Alexander Parker. On the 24th of June the Pawnee, Commander Rowan, in co-operation with Ellsworth's Zouaves, compelled the Confederates to evacuate Alexandria, and Lieutenant Reigart B. Lowry, landing with a detachment of sea- men, took possession of the town in the name of the United States. About this time a dashing cutting-out affair occurred at Pensacola. The Confederates had been fitting out the schooner JudaJi as a privateer in the navy yard in that harbor, and as an additional protection a thousand soldiers were stationed on the wharf near by. At three o'clock on the morning of September 14th a boat party from the frigate Colorado, under the command of Lieu- tenant John Henry Russell consisting of the launch with thirty-nine men ; the first cutter, Lieutenant John G. Sproston, with eighteen men ; the second cutter, Lieutenant Francis B. Blake, with twenty-six men ; the third cutter, Midshipman Tecumseh Steece, with seventeen men set out to capture the Judah. When about a hundred yards from the schooner the boats were discovered by sentinels and fired upon. The men bent to their oars, and in a few minutes the first and third cutters were alongside the wharf and the sailors landed. Only one man was found on guard, and he was shot, while in the act of discharging a gun, by Gun- ner Borton. The other boats made directly for the schooner, where a desperate hand-to-hand encounter took place, some of the Confederates getting into the tops and firing with effect. Assistant Engineer White, with a coal-heaver, rushed into the cabin, where they kindled a fire and soon had the vessel in flames, upon which the men returned to their boats. By this time a large crowd of soldiers and civilians had gathered on the wharf and opened a straggling fire, which was re- 170 BEGINNING OP HOSTILITIES. 1861. turned with, six discharges of the boat howitzer. About twenty of the boat party were killed or wounded, 1 Lieutenant Russell being among the latter. That officer was highly complimented by the Navy Department for this handsome affair. Lieutenant Sproston was killed June 8, 1862, in Florida, by an outlaw. From this time to the close of the war there was little or no activity around Pensacola, except on November 22, 1861, when the Niagara and the Richmond joined Fort Pickens in the bombardment of Fort McRae. Having heard that the British mail steamer Trent would sail from Havana, November 7th, for England, with two agents of the Confederate Government, John Slidell and James Murray Mason, with their secretaries, Messrs. Eustis and McFarland, on board as passengers, Captain Charles Wilkes (who had commanded the Vin- cennes in her celebrated scientific and exploring expedi- tion around the world in 1838-'42), of the San Jacinto, stationed his vessel in the passage of the Old Bahama Channel, where the Trent was likely to pass. About eleven o'clock in the morning of November 8th the lookout in the San Jacinto reported the smoke of a steamer approaching, and soon afterward the Trent was made out from the deck. Captain Wilkes immedi- ately sent his crew to quarters, and about 1 P. M. 2 he unfurled his colors and fired a shell across the Eng- lishman's bow. Mr. Moir, commander of the Trent, showed English colors and continued on his course, upon which Captain Wilkes fired another shot. This brought the Trent to. A boat was sent alongside under the orders of Lieutenant Donald McNeill Fair- fax, who reported to Captain Wilkes that the Con- federate agents insisted on force being used in their removal from the packet. Lieutenant James Augustin Greer accordingly was sent with an armed party, and the Confederate commissioners and their secretaries 1 Bear- Admiral Russell to the author. Midshipman Francis John Iliggin- son, now rear-admiral, was wounded by a musket shot in this gallant affair. * Rear-Admiral Greer to the author. 1861. THE SAN JACINTO-TRENT AFFAIR. 171 were transferred to the San Jacinto. The affair was managed so cleverly by Lieutenant Fairfax that the commander of the Trent forgot to throw his ship as a prize on the hands of Captain Wilkes a neglect for which the Admiralty and the Southerners expressed much disappointment, as it undoubtedly would have involved the United States and Great Britain in war. The Trent proceeded on her way to England, and Cap- tain Wilkes made for the United States with his pris- oners, who after some delay were placed in a fort near Boston. The news of this proceeding aroused great excitement both in the United States and in Europe, and nearly caused a war with England. France de- nounced the act and assumed a threatening attitude. After the excitement had subsided the Government disavowed the act of Captain Wilkes and released the commissioners, who, on January 1, 1862, sailed for England. On the 7th of November, when the sailing frigate Santee, Captain Henry Eagle, was off Galveston, Tex- as, Lieutenant James E. Jouett volunteered to run into the harbor and destroy the steamer General Rusk, which was being fitted by the Confederates as a war vessel, and the schooner Royal Yacht, mounting one 32-pound gun. Leaving the Santee at 11.40 P. M. that night, with forty men in the first and second launches, Lieutenant Jouett pulled boldly into the harbor and made for the General Rusk, then lying at a wharf about seven miles from the frigate. Pass- ing the Royal Yacht, Lieutenant Jouett had almost reached the General Rusk when his boat grounded and was run into by the second launch, the noise of the collision discovering the party to the Confederates, who immediately opened fire, and several steamers started out in pursuit. Seeing that it was impossi- ble to carry the General Rusk now that her people were aroused, Lieutenant Jouett determined to board the Royal Yacht. 172 BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. 1861. Orders were given for the "first launch to board on the starboard beam and the second launch to board on the starboard bow." 1 While yet two hundred yards from the Royal Yacht the launches were hailed twice, but, paying no attention to them, the boats dashed forward. Just as the first launch ran alongside, Wil- liam W. Carter, the gunner, fired the 12-pound howitzer, the shell crashing through the schooner's side at the water line. The recoil of the gun, however, gave the launch stern-board, leaving Carter, who had leaped upon the schooner's deck, unsupported. By a great effort the launch was brought alongside again, but just as Lieutenant Jouett had boarded he was dangerously wounded in the arm and lung by a sword bayonet fastened to a pole held by a Confederate. Drawing the blade from his side, Jouett felled his assailant with it, and rushed to the aid of Carter. Twice during the desperate struggle in the schooner the retreat was sounded and the party began to pull back without their leader, and twice the first launch was brought back. The crew of the Royal Yacht, thirteen in all, was finally got in the launch, and after an exhaust- ing pull and several narrow escapes they were safely placed aboard the Santee. In this handsome affair the Nationalists had one man killed, two officers and six men wounded two of them mortally. The Royal Yacht was destroyed, but the loss of the enemy is not definitely known. One of the first difficulties to be overcome by our naval administration in the civil war was that of sup- plying the blockading ships with fresh provisions, ice, medical stores, and the transportation of the sick and wounded northward. Nothing could exceed the mo- notony of the blockade service, especially off the fever- stricken coasts of the Gulf States. Long spells of foggy weather kept the vessels in a damp and unhealthy con- dition, which, together with the difficulty of getting 1 Rear-Admiral Jouett to the author. 1861-1865. GREEN CAPTURES THE ALVARADO. 173 fresh meat and vegetables, had a most depressing effect on the men. Early in the war the Government secured two small steamers, which were rechristened Rhode Island and Connecticut, and kept them constantly employed throughout the war as messengers from the Northern ports to the several blockading squadrons. The Rhode Island was commanded (1861-1865) by Com- mander Stephen Decatur Trenchard, afterward Rear- Admiral. In the course of the war she steamed fifty- six thousand two hundred miles. The value of this service is touchingly illustrated by Flag-Officer James S. Lardner, when he wrote to Trenchard at Key West, October 6, 1861 : " Many thanks for your kind note and handsome present of fruit, most acceptable in these scorching times. I regret extremely that the fever prevents me from having the pleasure of seeing you. . . . With the present weather there is no danger of new cases. . . . There has been only one death in the last ten days." ' 4k Only one death " tells the story of their sufferings. Besides having rooms fitted for carrying ice, special luxuries not allowed in general rations, these steamers were fitted with conveniences for taking North the offi- cers' wash. The paymaster for the entire fleet also took up his quarters in these steamers. The Rhode Island and Connecticut were fitted with heavy guns and per- formed service as gunboats ; in fact, toward the close of the war the former was relieved of supply duty and ordered to cruise in the West Indies. Early in August, 1861, Commander Charles Green, of the sailing sloop of war Jamestown, had an exciting chase after a blockade runner off the mouth of the St. Mary's. The stranger was discovered in the morning. Green promptly gave chase, and in a moment both vessels were under full sail. Finding that he could not escape, the Confederate commander ran his ship aground, when a party of soldiers hastened to the shore 1 Private letter from Lardner to Trenchard. 1Y4 BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES. 1861-1862. to assist. Green sent his boats to take possession, the Confederates opening tire with musketry and artillery. They also endeavored to get a cannon from the shore to the stranded vessel, but the National boats frustrated this, and in a few minutes gained her deck, her officers and crew escaping on the other side in boats. The prize was the sailing ship Alvarado, of and for Boston from Cape Town, and the Nationalists believed that she had been captured by the enemy or that her mas- ter was endeavoring to run her into a Southern port. The last entry made in the log evidently written by a female was, "We are chased by a man-of-war, but I think we will escape her and get safely into St. Mary's." As it was impossible to get her afloat, Green caused the prize to be burned. "It was a gallant affair," wrote Lieutenant Trenchard, who arrived at Fernandina in the Rhode Island at that time, "on the part of the Jamestown, and the officers and crew de- serve the greatest credit for the daring exploit. They were exposed during the greater part of the time to a heavy fire from the artillery brought to bear on them from the shore." l On the morning of July 4, 1862, while the Rhode Island was about seventeen miles southwest of Gal- veston, engaged in her duties as a supply vessel, chase was given a strange vessel close inshore, which promptly ran aground. A force of cavalry and infantry ap- peared on the beach to assist in unloading and defend- ing her, but a well-directed fire from the gunboat put them to flight. Three boats, commanded by Paymas- ter Douglass, Ac ting- Pay master Pennell, and Engineer McCutcheon, of the Rhode Island, boarded the vessel, which was found to be the English schooner Richard O'Brien from Jamaica. A few days before she had been warned off by the De Soto. Securing a part of the cargo of rum, sugar and drugs, the Nationalists destroyed the prize and returned to the Rhode Island. 1 Private Journal of Rear- Admiral Trenchard. CHAPTER II. HATTEBAS AND PORT ROYAL. IN keeping with his determination to repossess the United States of all the forts, arsenals and harbors that had fallen into the hands of the Confederates, Presi- dent Lincoln convened a board of officers for the pur- pose of examining the coast defenses and deciding upon a comprehensive plan of operation. This board, consisting of Captain Samuel Francis Dupont and Cap- tain Charles H. Davis, of the navy, Major John Gr. Bar- nard, of the army, and Professor Alexander D. Bache, of the Coast Survey, met in June, 1861, and after a careful examination into the topographical and hydro- graphical peculiarities of the Southern ports, their de- fenses and their importance to the cause, a well-ad- justed plan of attack was laid before the President. The primary object of this scheme was the interruption of all communication between the Southern States and their foreign sympathizers. From the mouth of the Rio Grande to Chesapeake Bay the coast is indented with many safe harbors, the defenses of which were mostly in the hands of the enemy, while places like Pamlico Sound and Port Royal had so many and such intricate approaches that it was almost impossible to prevent ingress or egress of blockade-runners. From the 25th of June to the 4th of August Confederate cruisers brought into Hatteras Inlet sixteen prizes. The first of the series of attacks proposed by the board was directed against the forts that commanded the main entrance to Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. The rivers Neuse, Roanoke, Pamlico and Chowan, reach- 175 176 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. ing far into the interior, the Dismal Swamp Canal, con- necting Albemarle Sound with Norfolk, and the sev- eral inlets from the ocean afforded every convenience to the light-draught British blockade-runners, which were constructed expressly to navigate these shoal waters, bringing in rifles, ammunition, heavy guns, iron plates and military stores, and taking out cotton for English manufacturers. Hatteras Inlet, the main entrance to these waters, was strongly guarded by for- tifications, so that a squadron would be unable to fol- low a blockade-runner into the sound, while the lesser inlets were closed to the heavy vessels by shoals and bars. The fortifications at Hatteras Inlet, built by the State of North Carolina and constructed with consider- able skill, consisted of Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark, on the southern end of Hatteras Island, a barren strip of land forty miles long and about half a mile wide. Fort Hatteras, an earthwork covering about an acre and a half of ground, with a bombproof chamber, mounting twenty-five guns, 1 commanded the inlet proper, while Fort Clark, a redoubt with five 32-pound guns, commanded the approach from the sea. On the 26th of August a fleet of war vessels and transports under the command of Flag-Officer Silas H. Stringham, with nearly eight hundred and sixty troops under the command of Major- General Ben- jamin F. Butler, together with some schooners and surfboats to be used in landing, sailed from Hampton Roads. The vessels were the steam frigates Minnesota (flagship), two 10-inch, twenty-eight 9-inch, fourteen 8-inch, two 12-pound guns, Captain Gershom Jaques Van Brunt ; the steam frigate Wafoash, two 10-inch, twenty-eight 9-inch, fourteen 8-inch, two 12-pound guns, Captain Samuel Mercer ; the sloop of war Cum- berland, twenty 9-inch, four 24-pound guns, Captain John Marston ; the sloop of war Susquehanna, fifteen 1 Scharf's History of the Confederate Navy, p. 370. 1861. SOUNDS OP NORTH CAROLINA. 177 8-inch, one 24-pound, two 12-pound guns, Captain John S. Chauncey ; the sloop of war Pawnee, eight 9-inch, two 12-pound guns, Commander Stephen Clegg Rowan ; the steamer Monticello, six 8-inch guns, Commander John P. Gilliss ; the steamer Harriet Lane, five guns, Captain John Faunce ; the transports Adelaide, Com- mander Henry S. Stellwagen ; George Peabody, Lieu- tenant Reigart B. Lowry ; and Fanny, Lieutenant Pierce Crosby. Late in the afternoon of the next day these vessels rounded Hatteras Lighthouse and an- chored. From this point to Hatteras Inlet, thirteen miles, the surf rolls on the beach with great violence, making it exceedingly dangerous for boats to land, and in view of this difficulty the expedition had been pro- vided with iron surfboats, which were to ply between the land and two schooners anchored just outside the breakers. At 6.40 A. M., August 28th, the Pawnee, the Harriet Lane and the Monticello ran close inshore at the point selected for landing about two and a half miles above the forts so as to cover the debarkation of the troops. After three hundred and fifteen men had been placed ashore the increasing surf made it im- possible for the remainder to land. Persisting in their efforts to get more men ashore, the surfboats were violently hurled on the beach and destroyed, while a boat from the Pawnee, in endeavoring to make a sec- ond landing, was swamped and its crew narrowly es- caped drowning. The men ashore were thus left with- out provisions or water r.nd with only two howitzers for their protection, and most of the ammunition had been made useless by water. To make their position more critical, the threatening weather compelled the gun- boats to stand offshore, where they were out of range. . In the mean time the Minnesota, the Wabasli, the Cumberland and the Susquehanna approached Fort Clark, and at 10 A. M. they opened a heavy fire. This was the first real test in this war of the efficacy of wooden ships against earthworks, and the result was a 57 178 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. matter of widely differing speculation on the part of the officers. Captain Stringham, instead of anchoring his ships so that the enemy could acquire the range, kept them in constant motion, passing and repassing the batteries at varying distances, so that each shot from the fort was only a test of the range, and the Con- federate gunners were compelled to fire at a moving target. The great success of this plan caused National commanders to imitate it in several instances afterward in the war. The shot from the fort rarely struck, while shells from the ships speedily drove the gunners to shelter. By 12.25 P. M. the enemy's flag was carried away, and the gunners were observed running toward Fort Hatteras or leaving the shore in boats. Signal was now made in the vessels to cease firing, and at 2 P. M. Fort Clark was occupied by the troops who had been landed early in the day. At four o'clock in the afternoon the Monticello was ordered to push into the inlet, as it was thought that the enemy had abandoned both forts. Carefully feeling her way among the breakers, the little gunboat con- tinued on her tortuous course, although frequently grounding, in hopes of getting into deeper water in the sound beyond, and when she turned the spithead where there was so little water that she could not proceed, Fort Hatteras opened on her. Commander Gilliss promptly responded, but for fifteen minutes the gun- boat was in a most perilous position, and had not the larger ships immediately reopened their broadsides and silenced the enemy she would have been destroyed. As it was, she was struck five times by 8-inch shells, once amidship on the port side, the shot lodging in a knee. Another shell on the same side struck a davit, and drove fragments of both the shell and the davit through the armory, pantry and galley. A third shot carried away part of the fore-topsail yard, another en- tered the starboard bow and lodged in the knee at the forward end of the shell locker, and a fifth shot entered 1861. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE MONTICELLO. 179 the starboard side amidships, passed across the berth deck, went through paint locker and bulkhead, crossed the fire room and landed in the port coal bunker, rip- Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. ping up the deck in the gangway over it. After the Monticello had escaped from this tight place, the can- nonading from the National ships was renewed with 180 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 18G1. great effect until 6.15 p. M., when the signal to haul off was given, and the squadron was made snug for the night, the Pawnee, the Monticello and the Harriet Lane running close inshore so as to protect the troops that had been landed. On the abandonment of Fort Clark that morning the troops who had landed early in the day took pos- session of the work ; but owing to its proximity to Fort Hatteras shells from the squadron fell among them, and, finding their position dangerous, they abandoned the fort. Returning to the place where they had landed, they made preparations for passing the night and re- pelling an attack which they had every reason to ex- pect would be made upon them. They had been com- pelled to go through the severe work of the day without food or water, and, with the exception of a few sheep and geese which they captured and cooked on swords and bayonets, they had nothing to eat until the follow- ing day. To make their lot even more miserable, it began to rain, and as they were destitute of tents or shelter of any kind they were compelled to lie out on the drenched sands. In the night the enemy was re- enforced by the arrival of a regiment and supplies from New Berne, but fortunately the Confederates were too busy repairing the damages of the bombardment, and in making preparations for a desperate resistance on the morrow, to give any attention to the stranded troops. At half past five on the following morning, August 29th, the squadron prepared to renew the bombard- ment of Fort Hatteras, in which work the Confederates had now concentrated all their forces. At 8 A. M. the SnsqueTianna opened fire, shortly followed by the Minnesota, the Wdbash and the Cumberland. In this attack fifteen- second fuses were used, and so ac- curate and rapid was the firing that three shells some- times exploded within the fort about the same instant. "The shower of shell in half an hour became literally tremendous, falling into and immediately around the 1861. BOMBARDMENT OF FORT HATTERAS. 131 works not less, on an average, than ten each minute, and, the sea being smooth, the firing was remarkably accurate. One of the officers counted twenty-eight shells, and several others counted twenty as falling in a minute." 1 No men could long stand such a terrible downfall of iron as that. The Confederate gunners were soon driven from their stations, and, in spite of the remonstrances and commands of their officers, rushed to the bombproof chamber and filled it to its utmost capacity, while those who could not get in sought shelter in other parts of the fort. When three hun- dred men were thus closely packed together in the bombproof chamber, a huge shell entered through the ventilator and landed among them. A fearful panic ensued. The dark chamber was filled with smoke and dust, while each man was struggling to get out of the narrow doorway before the explosion. Fortunately the fuse wpnt out, but the alarm was given that the place was on fire, and the magazine, separated only by a thin partition, wa^ in imminent danger of exploding. The probability of being blown to atoms in no way tended to abate the panic, and it was not until most of the men had gained the open air that they realized that immediate danger had passed. Bat the garrison had escaped only to be exposed again to the merciless shells that fell around them. Shortly afterward another exploded over the maga- zine, threatening to ignite it. Seeing that a shot would surely pierce the powder mine in a short time, while it was impossible to reply with a single gun, the commander called a council of the officers at 10.45 A. M., and a few minutes after eleven o'clock the white flag was raised. The squadron immediately ceased firing, while troops marched up and took possession. Several Confederate gunboats, which had been watching the bombardment from the sound, 1 Scharf's History of the Confederate Navy, p. 373. 182 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 186L waiting for an opportunity to take part in the fight, now fled. Six hundred and fifteen prisoners, including their commander, Captain Samuel Barron, were uncon- ditionally surrendered. The enemy had four killed and about twenty-five wounded, while the National forces escaped without the loss of a man, and sustained no damage in their ships. The prisoners were taken to New York in the Minnesota and confined on Gov- ernor's Island, while a garrison under Colonel Rush Christopher Hawkins was placed in the fort. All the vessels of the squadron made for different points, ex- cepting the Pawnee, the Montlcello and the Fanny. This was one of the most brilliant, successful and clean- cut enterprises ever undertaken by the United States navy. The style in which Captain Stringham received the troops on board and sailed away on the same day, the wonderful accuracy of the squadron's fire, and the capture of over six hundred men without the loss of a single man or the slightest injury to his squadron, were most creditable. Although the possession of the forts at Hatteras In- let gave the National forces control of the main en- trance to these inland seas, there were other openings through which English smuggling craft could enter and feed the rebellion. One of these inlets, called Ocra- coke, was twenty miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, and Beacon Island, commanding the passage, was about to be fortified with twenty heavy guns. As it was of great importance to secure or destroy these guns, Lieutenant James G. Maxwell, in the steamer Fanny, with sixty-seven men, and a launch from the Pawnee with twenty-two sailors and six marines, hav- ing a 12 pound howitzer under the command of Lieu- tenant Thomas H. Eastman, was sent against this place. The party set out early in the morning of September 16th, and by eleven o'clock was about two miles from Beacon Island when the Fanny ran aground. While the launch was sounding for the channel, a sailboat 1861. LOSS OF THE FANNY. 183 containing two men was captured, and by their aid the Fanny was floated off and piloted within a hundred yards of the fort. This proved to be a deserted octag- onal earthwork containing four shell rooms and a bombproof chamber one hundred feet square. Lieu- tenant Maxwell burned the gun-carriages, while the four 8-inch shell guns and the fourteen 32-pounders were made useless by firing solid shot at the trunnions. All the lumber on Beacon Island was then collected in the bombproof chamber and fired, also a storeship that had been run ashore ; and while this was being done Lieutenant Eastman was sent to Portsmouth vil- lage, a mile distant, with the launch, where four 8-inch guns were found and destroyed. Having thoroughly executed his orders, Lieutenant Maxwell returned to Fort Hatteras on the 18th, without the loss of a man. The Confederates next fortified Roanoke Island, so as to secure Albemarle Sound and an inlet to the north ; and with a view of frustrating their plans the steamers Geres and Putnam, with the Twentieth Indiana Regi- ment, Colonel W. L. Brown, were dispatched Sep- tember 29th to occupy the northern end of Hatteras island. In the afternoon of the same day this force arrived at its destination, but the water was found to be so shallow that even light-draught steamers could not get nearer than three miles from the beach, so that the men were obliged to debark in boats. Two days later, October 1st, the steamer Fanny started out with arms, ammunition, clothing and provisions for the troops. The commander of the Confederate naval forces in these waters, Captain William F. Lynch, who led the Dead Sea exploring expedition in 1848, learned of the approach of the Fanny, and came out of Croa- tan Sound with the Curlew, armed with a 32-pound rifled gun and a 12-pound smooth-bore ; the Raleigh, two 6-pound howitzers ; and the JunalusJca, one 6-pound gun. The Fanny was a transport carrying 184 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. two light rifled guns. Just as the unsuspecting Nation- alists were anchoring near the troops and preparing for the tedious process of landing their cargo on the beach, the enemy's flotilla, headed by the Curlew, came in sight. As soon as they were within range they opened fire, which the Union gunboats promptly returned, at the same time hurrying off a boat-load of stores to the land ; but before the boat reached the beach the enemy had come to close quarters. The Fanny fired nine shot, one striking one of the gun- boats in the bow, but the superior weight of the Con- federate guns soon compelled her to surrender, with her valuable cargo and forty-nine men. Encouraged by this success, the Confederates deter- mined to capture the entire Indiana Regiment, consist- ing of six hundred men, and then march upon Fort Hatteras. Their plan was to land troops above the In- dianians, and also a large body of soldiers below, so as to cut off their retreat. Having captured the regiment, their entire force was to embark on the flotilla, move swiftly down the sound and attack Fort Hatteras be- fore the alarm could be given. On the 4th of October, just as the Confederate troops under Colonel A. R. Wright had begun this movement, and when Colonel Brown was preparing for a desperate defense, orders were received from Fort Hatteras for the National troops to retreat. Accordingly the soldiers who, on account of the loss of the Fanny, were destitute of stores began the difficult march of forty miles over marshes, through inlets and across sand, with a confi- dent enemy in hot pursuit. Observing this movement, the second division of the Confederate troops, under Colonel Shaw, made all haste down the sound in the gunboats, hoping to land and cut off the retreat of the Indianians ; and, realizing their danger, the men has- tened the march until it became a race between them and the steamers. During the night the National forces succeeded in passing the Confederates before 1861. SHELLING THE ENEMY. 185 they could land, and after enduring great hardships they reached Hatteras Lighthouse, where they met a relief party from the fort under Colonel Hawkins. In this aifair the National troops had forty-four men taken prisoners. Finding that the Indianians had escaped them, the Confederates turned toward the northern end of the island to pick up any stragglers that might have eluded them during the pursuit. While this was going on, Lieutenant Daniel L. Braine, in the gunboat Monti- cello^ which was coasting along the seaward side of Hatteras Island, noticed several vessels on the sound, and a regiment of soldiers carrying a Confederate flag marching in a northerly direction. They were the Confederate troops retreating after the unsuccessful pursuit of the Indianians. Lieutenant Braine promptly stood close inshore, and at 1.30 p. M. opened a heavy fire, which had the effect of hastening the Southern- ers' march, for they rolled up their flag, broke ranks and ran for the place where their flotilla was await- ing them. The Monticello easily kept up with them, and as they were confined to a narrow island they were constantly exposed to her fire. When they ar- rived at the landing-place they sought refuge in a clump of trees. About this time two men were ob- served on the beach signaling the Monticello. A boat was sent to them, and in attempting to swim through the breakers one of them was drowned, but the other succeeded in reaching the boat, and reported himself as a private of the Indiana regiment who had just ef- fected his escape. He directed the gunners to a clump of trees in which a number of Confederates had taken refuge, and a few shells drove them from shelter. The enemy had now been followed four miles along the coast, and, as most of them had gained their flotilla, the Monticello, at 5.25 P. M , returned to her station. On New Year's eve Commander Oliver S. Glisson, of the steamer Mount Vernon, sent a detachment of 186 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. men in two boats to destroy a lightship that was an- chored in fancied security under the guns of Fort Cas- well. This vessel formerly had been stationed off Fry- ing-Pan Shoal, but it was naw armed with eight guns as an additional defense to the fort. The boat party boarded the lightship, and after setting her on fire re- treated without the loss of a man, although exposed to a heavy fire from the fort. The first point along the Southern seaboard that had been suggested for occupation was now in the hands of the National forces. The second and equally impor- tant object to be gained was to secure a safe harbor, where workshops could be erected and vessels put in repair and supplied, thus avoiding the great waste of time in frequent voyages to Northern ports. The in- troduction of steam in ships of war made a convenient coaling-station almost a necessity. As it was, the steamers engaged in the blockade on the Atlantic sea- board were far removed from a base of supplies, and as only a limited amount of coal could be carried in each vessel, much time was lost in running from the block- aded ports to coaling-stations in the North. Another difficulty under which the blockade was maintained was the frail construction of many of the blockading ships. A large proportion of them were river or Sound steamers chartered for the emergency, and, having heavy guns mounted on them, were especially liable to strain and leakage ; consequently they were contin- ually in need of repairs, which could not be effected at sea, and when they were obliged to run several hundred miles to a Northern port the blockade was weakened. The introduction of iron ships, or ships plated with that material, being somewhat of an ex- periment, gave rise to innumerable little alterations in the hull, armament or machinery, which, owing to the peculiar difficulties of working this metal, could be done only by extensive machinery in some friendly port. 1861. DEPARTURE OF THE GREAT FLEET. 187 These considerations determined the Government upon securing a safe harbor on the Southern coast, where the largest vessels could enter. Some of the ports suggested were Fernandina, Brunswick, Port Royal, and Bull's Bay. On the 29th of October the fleet destined for this purpose sailed from Hampton Roads, under the command of Flag-Officer Samuel Francis Dupont, with sealed orders, and, after some delay outside the harbor in forming the vessels in the shape of an inverted V, it stood down the coast. Aboard the transports were twelve thousand troops, under the command of General Thomas W. Sherman. The fleet consisted of the steam frigate Wabash, flag- ship, two 10-inch, twenty-eight 9-inch, fourteen 8-inch, two 12-pound guns, Commander Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers ; the steam sloops of war MoJtican, two 11-inch, four 32-pound, one 12-pound guns, Commander S. W. Godon ; Seminole, one 11-inch, four 32-pound guns, Commander John P. Gilliss ; Pawnee, eight 9-inch, two 12-pound guns, Lieutenant Robert H. \Vy- man ; the sailing sloop of war Vandalia, four 8-inch, sixteen 32- pound, one 12-pound guns, Commander Francis S. Haggerty ; the gunboats Augusta, Com- mander Enoch G. Parrott ; Pocahontas, Commander Percival Dray ton ; Bienmlle, Commander Charles Steedman ; Vnadilla, Lieutenant Napoleon Collins ; Ot- tawa, Lieutenant Thomas Holdup Stevens ; Pembina, Lieutenant John P. Bankhead; Seneca, Lieutenant Daniel Ammen ; Curlew, Acting-Lieutenant Pendleton G. Watmongh ; Penguin, Acting- Lieutenant Thomas A. Budd; the R. B. Forbes, Lieutenant Henry S. Newcomb ; the Isaac Smith, Lieutenant James W. A Nicholson. On the day before this fleet sailed from Hampton Roads twenty-five storeships and coalers had sailed under the escort of the Vandalia. With a view of concealing the destination of the fleet, these vessels were ordered, in case they became separated, to ren- 188 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. dezvous off Savannah. The fleet, after leaving Hamp- ton Roads, met with fair weather until about noon of November 1st. Off Cape Hatteras a dull leaden sky and a fresh southeast wind gave warning of a storm. As the afternoon wore on, the wind increased to a steady gale, and Captain Dupont made signal for every vessel to take care of itself. When night fell on the angry sea the vessels scattered far and wide, and occasionally a few of them could be seen staggering under storm sails. A peculiar feature of the gale on this night was the phosphorescent animalcule which lighted up the frothing waves with strange brilliancy. Through the long watches of that anxious night the com- manders of the vessels kept the deck, while huge drops of rain, driven by the fierce wind, struck their faces with the sting of pebbles. It was fully expected that many of the vessels would founder, for, aside from the regular war vessels and the gunboats, few of the craft were constructed for an ocean voyage, many of the transports being New York ferryboats. When day broke on November 2d, only one gunboat could be descried from the masthead of the flagship, and the greatest apprehensions were felt for the safety of the fleet. On the morning of the 3d the Seneca was dis- patched to the blockading fleet off Charleston, with instructions to Captain James L. Lardner, of the Sus- quehanna, to detain the vessels of the squadron de- tailed for the Port Royal expedition off Charleston until nightfall, so as to deceive the enemy as to the destination of the fleet. When the Seneca was sighted off Charleston Fort Sumter fired an alarm gun, which was repeated on shore, the Confederates evidently believing her to be the advance guard of the fleet that was to attack their city. But these efforts to conceal the destination of the fleet were unnecessary, for a few hours after it left Hampton Roads the following telegram was sent to Governor Pickens, 1861. A LIVELY RECONNOISANCE. 189 of South Carolina, and to Generals Dray ton and Rip- ley: "RICHMOND, November 1, 1861. " I have just received information, which I consider entirely reliable, that the enemy's expedition is intended for Port Royal. " J. P. BENJAMIN, Acting Secretary of War" The Waba.sk continued on her way to Port Royal, where, in the course of a few days, the scattered ves- sels began to heave in sight, many of them reporting narrow escapes from foundering. The Governor went down on the 3d. She had on board six hundred and fifty marines, under the command of Major John G. Reynolds, and they were saved only by the greatest exertion of the officers and crew of the Sabine, Captain Cadwalader Ringgold, and the Isaac Smith. In spite of every effort, however, seven men were lost. In order to assist the Governor, the Isaac Smith was com- pelled to throw overboard all her guns except one 30- pounder. The army transport Peerless also went down, but her crew was rescued by the Mohican, Lieutenant Henry W. Miller, of the latter, being highly compli- mented for his efforts in saving the drowning men. Three other transports also failed to arrive before the attack was made ; they were the Belmdere, the Union and the Osceola. On arriving off Port Royal, Captain Dupont found that the usual landmarks for determining the channel had been destroyed, and that the buoys were displaced, which rendered it exceedingly difficult and dangerous to get the vessels over the bar. Under Captains Charles H. Davis, and Boutelle of the Coast Survey, in the Vix- en, accompanied by the Ottawa, the Seneca, the Paw- nee, the Pembina and the Curlew, the sounding party, although at times subjected to a heavy fire, rapidly discovered the channel and returned the buoys to their proper places, so that the gunboats and transports were brought over the bar without accident. The three gun- boats under Commodore Tattnall were observed coming 190 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. down to engage. As Dupont's flagship was not in sig- naling distance, Lieutenant Stevens, then the senior officer of the gunboats, gave the order for chase. The Confederate vessels were driven under the guns of the fort, but on the following day the enemy's flagship, the Savannah, probably in Tattnall's absence, came within range and fired on the gunboats at twenty-five hundred yards. A single shell from the Seneca, aimed by Lieu- tenant Ammen, struck the Savannah abaft the star- board wheelhouse, and had the fuse not failed to ignite the Savannah would have been sent to the bottom. As it was, she promptly retreated. Earlier in the morning the Ottawa, under Commander John Rodgers, with Brigadier-General Horatio G. Wright aboard, in company with the Seneca, the Curlew and the Isaac Smith, made a reconnoisance in the harbor, exchanged a few shot with the fort, and sustained some damage in their rigging. Great difficulty was experienced in getting the Wabash over the bar, which even at flood tide allowed only two feet for the vessel's keel, but on the 5th of November she was taken across and an- chored with the rest of the fleet. Port Royal was guarded by two formidable earth- works, one at Hilton Head, called Fort Walker, after- ward named Fort Welles, and the other, two and a half miles across the Roads, at Bay Point, called Fort Beauregard, afterward called Fort Seward. Fort Walker had two 6-inch rifled guns, twelve 32-pound- ers, one 10-inch and one 8-inch columbiad, three 7- inch seacoast howitzers, one 8-inch howitzer, and two 12- pounders ; in all, twenty-two guns. Fort Beauregard proper was armed with five 32-pounders, one 10-inch and one 8-inch columbiad, one 6-inch rifled gun, and five 42-pound seacoast guns. In some outworks flank- ing the main work, commanding the land approaches as well as the channel near by, were three 32-pounders, two 24-pounders and two 6-inch Spanish guns ; in all, twenty guns. At the farther end of Hilton Head and 1861. DUPONT'S PLAN OF BATTLE. 191 near the wharf were one 10-inch columbiad, two 5^-inch rifled guns, and two 12-pound howitzers. The com- mander of these forts was Thomas F. Dray ton, a brother of Commander Percival Drayton, of the Pocohontas. The Confederate naval force, which was under the com- mand of Commodore Josiah Tattnall, who had been one of the most dashing and successful officers in the old Plan of battle at Port Royal. navy, consisted of the steamer Savannah, Lieutenant John N". Maffit; the Samson, Lieutenant J. S. Ken- nard ; and the Jtesolute, Lieutenant J. Pembroke Jones, each mounting two 32-pounders. Having collected his forces within the bar, Captain Dupont summoned the commanders aboard the flag- ship and gave them instructions for the attack. His 192 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. orders were for the WabasTi to lead the line of battle, to be followed by the Susquehanna, the Mohican, the Seminole, the Pawnee, the Unadilla, the Ottawa, the Pembina and the Vandalia, the last being towed by the steamer Isaac Smith. These vessels were to pass up the Roads in the order given, on the Bay Point side, delivering their port broadsides on Fort Walker, and their starboard guns, if possible, on Fort Beaure- gard, until they had reached a point two miles above the fort, where they were to turn and come down the Roads in the same order on the Fort Walker side, using their bow guns so as to enfilade that work as they ap- proached, their starboard guns when they came abreast and their quarter guns as they drew away. Having completed the circuit, the line was to repeat this ellipse manoeuvre, until the forts surrendered. A second line, consisting of the gunboats Bienmlle, Seneca, Curlew, Penguin and Augusta, was to flank the movements of the main line while passing up the Roads, but on reaching the first turning-point, two miles above Fort Bean regard, it was to remain there and hold the ene- my's flotilla in check, and it was particularly enjoined not to allow them to attack the transports. By this admirable arrangement the ships were kept in rapid and constant motion, which prevented the enemy from obtaining an accurate range. The 7th of November dawned bright and clear, with scarcely a ripple disturbing the broad waters of the bay. Early in the morning the signal was given to get under way, and the vessels dropped into their pre- scribed positions. At 9 A. M. the signal for close order was shown, and the imposing lines of battle advanced steadily toward the enemy at the rate of six knots an hour. At 9.26 A. M. Fort Walker opened with her heavy guns, and was quickly followed by her sister fort, but the shot fell short. Soon afterward the Wa- bash opened with her bow guns, which were promptly seconded by the other vessels in the advancing fleet. 1861. THAT TERRIBLE CIRCUIT OF FIRE. 193 When in full range the WabasTi opened her formidable broadsides, and as her example was promptly followed by the other vessels the engagement became general. The enemy's flotilla had dropped down the Roads and fired with great skill ; but as the National ships majestically swept past the forts and came to the turning-point, where their powerful broadsides came into play, the Confederate gunboats fled up Skull Creek. When the flanking line of Dupont's gunboats wheeled off from the main line to take a position north of Fort Walker, so as to open an enfilading fire, the Confederate gunboats came out again, evidently under the impression that the fleet was retreating, but the Seneca soon drove them up the creek. While the bombardment was in progress the PocaTiontas, which had been detained by the storm, joined in the attack and opened an enfilading fire. The WabasTi, still leading the unbroken line, now turned down the Roads toward Hilton Head. As the vessels came within long range they opened a most de- structive enfilading fire with their bow guns ; for the Confederates, not expecting an attack from that side, had mounted only one 32-pounder in that part of their works, and this was soon shattered by round shot. At 10.40 A. M. the WabasTi was abreast of Fort Walker, distant not more than eight hundred yards, when she delivered a broadside with great effect, at which time the vessels astern of her were still enfilading the enemy with their pivot guns. The Susquehanna next came abreast of Fort Walker and discharged her heavy broadside, and by this time the WabasTi had again loaded and hurled in a second torrent of death- dealing missiles. All the vessels were now reloading and firing as rapidly as possible at the disconcerted enemy, and in order that the column might not pass the forts too rapidly the engines were slowly reversed. At 11 A. M. the WabasTi reached the place in which the ellipse had been started, and now again turned up the Roads. 58 194 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. Being the flagship, she received the largest share of the enemy's attention. One shell passed between Cap- tain Dupont and Captain Rodgers, narrowly missing each of them. Fort Beauregard was passed in the same order as before, and received a heavy fire so long as the ships were in range. By 11.20 A. M. the WabasTi had again reached the northern turning-point of the ellipse, and for the second time bore down to engage Fort Walker at close quarters. The moment the bow guns came within range the same enfilading fire was opened by each vessel in turn, so that by the time the Wabasli and the Susquehanna were delivering their broadsides the vessels astern were pouring in a destruc- tive cross fire. In this circuit Captain Dupont passed three hun- dred yards nearer to Fort Walker than at the first, so as to destroy the range which the enemy's gunners had secured before the ships had passed them on their first circuit. "At half past eleven o'clock," says an eyewitness, "the WabasTi and her consorts drew near to Hilton Head again. Occasionally the pivot guns of the WabasTi and the SusqueTianna threw a shell into the battery, but the grand affair was yet to come. At 11.50 A. M. the ships were again enveloped in a dense cloud of white smoke, and a few seconds later the shells were bursting in the battery in a splendid man- ner. The sand was flying in every direction, and it seemed impossible that any one in the battery could be saved from death. The Confederates now worked only two guns, but I will give them the credit of saying that they worked them beautifully." 1 By this time over two hundred shells had been dropped into the fort. Dr. Buist, the surgeon in the fort, was killed by a shell, and his body was buried by the falling of a par- apet. Ten minutes after twelve, the National ships were out of gunshot, preparing to repeat their ellipse. 1 Correspondent of the New York Herald. 1861. CAPTURE OF PORT ROYAL. 195 A few minutes before this the flag at Bay Point had been lowered, but as the ships passed out of range it was rehoisted. The Wabask now for the third time headed northward on that terrible circle of fire, and at 12.20 P. M. Bay Point opened on her, but was silenced when the National broadsides came into play. The flanking gunboats took a position north of Fort Walker, and, being within six hundred yards, kept up an en- filading fire that "annoyed and damaged us excess- ively," as General Dray ton expressed it. These vessels drifted so near to Fort Walker that "the enemy's sharpshooters, concealed in depressions of the shore, opened a heavy fire on us, to which we replied with our 24-pound howitzers loaded with canister." 1 The transports now got out one hundred surfboats in readiness to land the troops, and at half past two o'clock the Wabash again got under way, and running close to the batteries fired one gun. As the enemy did not reply, it was believed that the works were aban- doned. The line of battle accordingly came to anchor, and Commander John Rodgers put off in a boat with a flag of truce. With some degree of awe the entire fleet, now resting on its guns, watched the whale-boat pull out from the wing of the huge frigate and make its way like a cockleshell toward the grim and silent fort. Thousands of eyes centered on the little boat with increasing interest as she drew nearer the shore. Her keel soon grated on the beach, and the officers were seen to jump out, approach the fort and enter, and for a time they were lost to view. Then Com- mander Rodgers was seen scrambling up the highest part of the ramparts, carrying the American colors with him : and at the first glimpse of the beautiful ensign the long suspense gave place to tremendous cheers from every craft in the fleet. Lieutenant Daniel Ammen, of the Seneca, landed 1 Rear-Admiral Stevens to the author. 196 HATTERAS AND PORT ROYAL. 1861. soon afterward with thirty armed men and hoisted the flag over a small frame house that had been used by the enemy as headquarters. On abandoning the fort the Confederates had planted torpedoes with wires at- tached to them in different parts of the works, and one of the machines was placed under the floor of this house. Scarcely had Lieutenant Ammen and his men left the place when "a dull explosion was heard, a cloud of smoke went up, and when it passed away there was no vestige of the house." 1 One of the sea- men had caught his foot in a wire, igniting the torpedo. The man was knocked senseless, but fortunately no lives were lost. By sunset it was discovered that Fort Beauregard had been abandoned ; and on the follow- ing morning the Union flag was waving over that work also. The National loss in this affair was only eight killed and twenty-three wounded, which must be at- tributed to the masterly manner in which the attack had been planned and carried out by the commander- in-chief. The enemy's loss was eleven killed, forty- eight wounded and four missing. 2 A chart of the Southern coast was found in General Dray ton's head- quarters, on which were indicated in red ink the posi- tions of Confederate batteries. This was of great as- sistance in the operations on the Atlantic seaboard. An eyewitness describes the scene in Fort Walker immediately after its surrender as follows: "On the line along the front three guns were dismounted by the enfilading fire of our ships. One carriage had been struck by a large shell and shivered to pieces, dis- mounting the heavy gun mounted upon it and send- ing the splinters flying in all directions with terrific force. Between the guns and the foot of the parapet was a large pool of blood mingled with brains, frag- ments of skull, and pieces of flesh evidently from the 1 Am men's Atlantic Coast, p. 29. 8 Official report of Brigadier-General Drayton. 1861. A SCENE OP DEVASTATION. 197 face, as portions of whiskers still clung to it. This shot must have done horrible execution, as other por- tions of human beings were found all around it. An- other carriage to the right was broken to pieces, and the guns on the water front were rendered useless by the enfilading h're from the gunboats on the left flank. Their scorching fire of shell, which swept with resist- less fury and deadly effect across this long water pond, where the enemy had placed his heaviest metal en bar- bette without taking the precaution to place traverses between the guns, did as much as anything to drive them from their works. The fort was plowed up by shot and shell so badly as to make an immediate re- pair necessary. All the houses and many of the tents about the works were perforated and torn by flying shell, and hardly a light of glass could be found intact in any building. The trees in the vicinity showed marks of heavy visitation. Everything, indeed, was in ruins." CHAPTER III. PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. ALTHOUGH the capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark gave the National forces control of Hatteras Inlet and Pamlico Sound, yet the enemy was still in possession of the important towns of New Berne and Washing- ton, and the large rivers on which they were situ- ated, besides holding undisputed sway in Albemarle Sound. From the latter place light-draught steamers passed into the Atlantic and preyed on the coastwise commerce. Furthermore, it was rumored that several ironclads of the Merrimac type were in course of con- struction, and would prove formidable antagonists to the frail wooden vessels that composed the National fleet in these waters. 1 The possession of Albemarle Sound was necessary before Norfolk could be attacked from the rear, or any attempt made against the Con- federate inland communications. Realizing the im- portance of these waters, the enemy, after the loss of Fort Hatteras, began fortifying Roanoke Island, which commanded the only entrance to Albemarle Sound from the south. The island is nine miles long and three miles wide in its broadest part, and was defended by several batteries, which, together with the neighbor- ing marshes and the difficulty of navigating the nar- row channels or landing troops, rendered the place a stronghold. The only road running the length of the island was guarded, at a point where the swamp ex- tended from it on each side to the water's edge, by a 1 For map of the North Carolina naval operations, see page 179. 198 1862. DEFENSES OF ROAXOKE ISLAND. 199 masked battery of three guns, which were trained to sweep the approach for several hundred yards, while trees and other obstructions were placed across the causeway to impede an attacking party. Two miles north of this battery was Fort Bartow, commanded by Lieutenant B. P. Loyall. This was a heptagonal earthwork, five sides of which mounted eight 32-pound smooth-bore guns and one 68-pound rifled gun, while a battery of three field pieces pro- tected the rear. A mile and a half above this was Fort Scene of operations at Roanoke Island. Blanchard, mounting four 32-pound smooth-bore guns ; and one mile above this was Fort Huger, mounting 200 PAML1CO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 1861. twelve 32- pounders, rifled and smooth-bore, commanded by Major John Taylor, formerly of the United States navy. On the eastern side of the island was Ellis Bat- tery, mounting two 32-pounders. Opposite Fort Hu- ger, on the mainland, was Fort Forrest, mounting seven 32-pounders. This work, like the others, was built on the marsh at the edge of the channel, canal boats and piles being used as foundations, which ren- dered a land attack almost impossible. Across the channel, between Fort Forrest and Fort Bartow, was a double row of piles and sunken vessels, which effectu- ally obstructed the channel leading into Albernarle Sound ; and just above this barrier the Confederate squadron, under Commodore Lynch, was held in readi- ness to assist the forts. It consisted of the steamers Seabird, Lieutenant Patrick McCarrick ; the Curlew, Commander Thomas T. Hunter ; the Ellis, Lieutenant J. W. Cooke ; the Beaufort, Lieutenant W. H. Parker ; the Raleigh, Lieutenant J. W. Alexander ; the Fanny, Midshipman Tayloe ; and the Forrest, Lieutenant James L. Hoole; each carrying one rifled 32-pound gun, while the Seabird had an additional 30-pound rifled gun. The Confederate forces in all did not num- ber four thousand men. One of the first steps to be taken in the contem- plated expedition against Roanoke Island was the buoying and sounding of the intricate channels leading to Pamlico Sound. In this perilous work Lieutenant Thomas Stowell Phelps, in the coast-survey steamer Corwin, was engaged in November, 1861, and although frequently fired upon by the Confederates on shore, he pushed it to a successful termination. On November 15th the heavily armed Confederate steamer Chocura opened on the Corwin, driving the surveying boats from their work. Lieutenant Phelps promptly re- sponded with his two brass chasers, "unequaled in the service for their extraordinary range, loaded with pebble powder and Hotchkiss shell, four or five miles 1862. A GREAT FLEET. ^l was their range," 1 and soon put the enemy to flight. The storm that scattered Dupont's fleet shifted the entire channel at Hatteras about fifty feet. Early in January, 1862, twelve thousand soldiers, commanded by Brigadier- General Ambrose E. Burn- side, and a naval force under the orders of Flag-Officer Louis M. Goldsborough, with Commander Stephen Clegg Rowan as divisional commander, was detailed for an expedition against Albemarle Sound. The naval part of the expedition consisted of a promiscu- ous assortment of ferry, river and tug boats, armed with guns. They were in no way adapted for war pur- poses, and could easily be disabled by a single shot. Even the firing of their own guns strained them seri- ously. The troops and vessels were ordered to ren- dezvous at Annapolis, from which place they pro- ceeded early in January to Fort Monroe. The vessels, as they passed each other down the Potomac, "saluted with their steam whistles," wrote General Burnside, "while the band played and the troops cheered, the decks being covered with bluecoats, some chatting, others sleeping, others writing their last letters to their loved ones at home. On the night of January 10th they arrived at Fort Monroe. The harbor probably never presented a finer appearance than on that night. All the vessels were illuminated, and tho air was filled with the strains of initial music and the voices of brave men. Not a man in the fleet knew his destina- tion, except a few officers, yet there was no complaint or inquisitiveness, but all seemed ready for whatever duty was before them. Much discouragement was ex- pressed by nautical and military men high in author- ity as to the success of the expedition. The Presi- dent was frequently warned that the vessels were unfit for sea, and that the expedition would be a total fail- ure. Great anxiety was manifested to know its des- 1 Rear- Admiral Phelps to the author. 202 PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 18G2. tination. One public man was very importunate, and in fact almost demanded that the President should tell him where we were going. Finally the President said, * Now, I will tell you in great confidence where they are going, if you will promise not to speak of it to any one.' The promise was given, and Mr. Lincoln said, * Well, now, my friend, the expedition is going to sea.'" 1 The motley marine force sailed from Hampton Roads on the night of January llth, and by the 13th most of the vessels had arrived off Hatteras Inlet. 2 While entering the Sound the little steamer Picket, in which were General Burnside and several staff officers, 1 Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. i, p. 662. 2 The vessels collected for the expedition were : The Philadelphia, flag- ship, two 12-pound guns. Lieutenant Silas Reynolds ; the Stars and Stripes, four 8-inch, one 30-pound Parrott, two 12-pound guns, Lieutenant Reed Werden ; the Louisiana, one 8-inch, three 32-pound, one 12-pound rifled gun, Lieutenant Alexander Murray : the Hetzel, one 9-inch, one 80-pound rifled gun, Lieutenant II. K. Davenport ; the Underwriter, one 8-inch, one 80-pound rifled, two 12-pound guns, Lieutenant William N. Jeffers; the Delaware, one 9-inch, one 32-pound, one 12-pound gun, Lieutenant Stephen P. Quackenbush; the Commodore Perry, four 9-inch, one 32-pound, one 12-pound gun, Lieutenant Charles W. Plusser ; the Valley City, four 32- pound, one 12-pound gun, Lieutenant James C. Chaplin ; the Southfield, three 9-inch, one 100-pound gun, Lieutenant C. F. W. Behm ; the Commo- dore Barney, three 9-inch, one 100-pound gun, Acting-Lieutenant Richard T. Renshaw; the Hunchback, three 9-inch, one 100-pound gun, Acting- Lieutenant Edmund R. Colhoun; the Morse, two 9-inch guns, Acting- Master Peter Hayes; the Whitehead, one 9-inch gun, Acting-Master Charles A. French; the 7. .ZV. Seymour, one 30-pound rifled, one 12-pound gun, Acting-Master F. S. Wells ; the Shawsheen, two 20-pound rifled guns, Acting-Master Thomas G. Woodward ; the Lockwood, one 80-pound, two 12-pound guns, Acting- Master George W. Graves ; the Ceres, one 30-pound rifled gun, one 32-pound gun, Acting-Master John McDiarmid ; the Put- nam, one 20-pound rifled, one 32-pound gun, Acting- Master William J. Hotchkiss ; the drinker, one 30-pound rifled gun, Acting- Master John E. Giddings ; the Granite, one 32-pound gun, Acting-Master's-Mate Ephraim Boomer. Besides this force there were forty-six army transports, each armed with one small gun, under Commander Samuel F. Hazard, of t'.ie navy. As the channels in Albomarle Sound were exceedingly shallow, vessels drawing more than eight feet of water could not be operated in them. 1862. CASUALTIES. 203 was almost sunk by two large vessels that dragged their anchors and came near crushing her between them. On the way to Hatteras Inlet the old steamer PocaJiontas was so much injured as to compel her officers to run her ashore, and of her cargo of one hundred and thirteen horses ninety were lost. The large transport City of New York also went ashore and became a total wreck, and a part of her cargo of four hundred barrels of gunpowder, fifteen hundred rifles, eight hundred shells, and other valuable stores, was lost. Her officers and men clung to the rigging all night, and were rescued on the following day. The gunboat Zouave sank after crossing the bar, and while passing from headquarters to the ships in a surf- boat Colonel J. W. Allen and Surgeon Frederick A. Welles were drowned near Cape Hatteras by the swamping of the boat. Although the expedition had arrived off Hatteras Inlet by the 13th of January, it was not until the 4th of February that all the vessels were brought over the bar. This delay was caused by many of the transports drawing more than eight feet of water. Early on the morning of February 5th the gun- boats formed in three columns, led by the Stars and Stripes, the Louisiana and the Hetzel, and, carefully feeling their way, proceeded up the channel, the sound- ing boats being kept ahead to ascertain if the buoys had been displaced. In some places the channel was so narrow that two vessels could not ride abreast. By evening the fleet anchored off Stumpy Point, as it was impossible to follow the channel at night. On the next morning the vessels got under way, but at 11 A. M., two miles above Stumpy Point, a dense fog com- pelled them to anchor again. Captain Goldsborough then shifted his flag to the Southfield, taking with him staff officers Commander Case, Captain's Clerk Fisher as signal officer, and Lieutenants T. R. Robeson and N. S. Barstow. At nine o'clock, February 7th, while 204: PAML1CO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 18G2. the vessels were drawing near Roanoke Island, the Ceres, the Putnam and the Underwriter, led by Com- mander Rowan, were sent a quarter of a mile in ad- vance of the fleet to feel the way, and to ascertain if Sandy Point, the place selected for debarkation, was fortified. The gunboats mounting 9-inch guns now massed themselves around the flagship in anticipation of a fight, and by 10.30 A. M. the enemy's gunboats were observed taking a position behind the line of piles. The Underwriter shelled Sandy Point, and in twenty-five minutes signaled that it was not fortified. The army transports Picket, Acting-Master Thomas Boynton Ives ; the Huzzar, Acting-Master Frederick Crocker ; the Pioneer, Acting-Master C. E. Baker ; the Vidette, Acting-Master I. L. Foster ; the Ranger, Act- ing-Master S. Emerson ; the Lancer, Acting-Master M. B. Morley ; and the Chasseur, Acting-Master John West, formed in close order and opened a heavy fire on Fort Bartow, Fort Forrest and Fort Blanchard, which was returned by the enemy. . At 11.30 A. M. the vessels advanced to cover the landing of the troops at Sandy Point. A heavy fire of shrapnel and shell was thrown on shore, and at the same time an animated cannonade was maintained with the Confederate gunboats and the land batteries. By noon the action had become general, the enemy returning the fire with promptness and skill. At 1.30 p. M. flames were observed in Fort Bartow, and in an hour it was destroyed. The Confederate gunboats had taken position at fourteen hundred yards and fired with considerable accuracy, and suffered somewhat in return. Early in the fight the Forrest was disabled in her machinery, and her young commander, Lieutenant Hoole, was badly wounded in the head by a piece of shell. She then ran under the guns of Fort Forrest and anchored. About 3 P. M., when the fire was heavi- est, the troops embarked in light steamers and boats, and effected a landing in Ashby Harbor. But while 1862. CHARGE ALONG THE CAUSEWAY. 205 they were approaching the shore, a large body of Con- federate soldiers with a field piece attempted to dis- pute the landing, upon which the Delaware. Com- mander Rowan, took a position south of Fort Bartow, and with a free use of 9-inch shrapnel put the enemy to flight. While this was going on, Fort Bartow and Fort Blanchard, at 4. 30 P.M., were silenced, and the Confederate steamers retired behind Fort Huger, ap- parently much injured. At five o'clock, however, they returned to the attack, and with the forts opened a heavy fire ; but in forty minutes they again retired, the Curlew disabled and seeking refuge behind Fort Forrest. A heavy shell had dropped on her hurricane deck and gone through her decks and bottom as if they were so much paper. The batteries slackened fire, and by 6 P. M. Fort Bartow alone was replying to the attack, firing only at long intervals. As it was fast growing dark, the order to cease firing was given, but the work of landing troops was pushed until mid- night, when about a thousand men, together with six navy howitzers, under the orders of Midshipmen Ben- jamin J. Porter and Hammond, were placed ashore. At daybreak, February 8th, General Foster's bri- gade, consisting of the 23d, the 25th and the 27th Mas- sachusetts, and the 10th Connecticut regiments, with the navy howitzers, moved forward, and after fording a creek came upon the Confederate pickets, who dis- charged their muskets and retreated to their main body. The National forces soon reached the road running northward, and after a march of a mile and a half came in sight of the battery of three guns which commanded the causeway through the marsh. The 27th Massachusetts was now detailed to the right, with orders to force its way through the morass, and if pos- sible rout the enemy's sharpshooters, while General Reno's brigade, consisting of the 21st Massachusetts, the 51st New York and the 9th New Jersey, pushed through the swamp and thick undergrowth on the left, 206 PAML1CO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 1862. so as to turn the enemy's right wing. At nine o'clock the 25th Massachusetts, with the navy howitzers, be- gan the attack along the causeway. The fire at this point soon became heavy, the enemy firing with de- liberation and accuracy upon the exposed assailants, while the National troops, stopping to remove the large timbers from their path, could not fire as effec- tively. Just as the ammunition for the howitzers was giving out, General Parke, with the 4th Rhode Island, the 10th Connecticut and the 9th New York (Hawkins Zouaves), came to their support ; but it was impossi- ble to continue the attack until the howitzers were re- plenished, unless the enemy's position was carried by storm. For this hazardous undertaking Colonel Haw- kins gallantly offered his services. His men formed with fixed bayonets and started for the Confederate guns, leaping over fallen trees and other debris at the top of their speed, yelling, "Zou ! Zou ! Zou ! " The on- slaught was irresistible, and the Confederates deserted their guns after the first fire. Leaving the redoubt to be secured by the troops that were behind them, the Zouaves followed up the road in hot pursuit of the fleeing enemy, until they reached the path leading to Fort Bartow, where they halted, as it was understood that a large body of troops guarded the land approach to that fort. While they were thus waiting, General Foster's command came up, and the Zouaves were or- dered to secure the battery at Shallowbag Bay, while the remainder of the brigade, after leaving a regiment to march against Fort Bartow, resumed the pursuit of the fleeing Confederates to the north. Abreast of Fort Blanchard a flag of truce was met, and after a brief negotiation two thousand Confederates uncondition- ally surrendered, and about the same time six hundred men surrendered at Fort Bartow. At the time General Foster was attacking the three- gun battery on the causeway the gunboats under Com- 1862. ROWAN'S HANDSOME DASH. 207 mander Rowan moved up the channel and opened a heavy lire on the forts. But at ten o'clock the order "Cease firing" was given, as it was thought that the troops might be attacking the forts from the rear. At 1 P. M. the Underwriter, the Valley City, the Sey- mour, the Lockwood, the Geres, the Shawsheen, the Putnam, the Whitehead and the Bririker were or- dered to break through the line of piles that crossed the channel leading into Albemarle Sound. This was done in gallant style, and by five o'clock the vessels had gained the other side. About the same time the United States colors were seen waving from Fort Bar- tow, and a few minutes later the enemy fired the wood- work in Fort Forrest, and the steamer Curlew, both blowing up in the night. In this affair the navy had six men killed, seventeen wounded and two missing, while the troops had forty- one killed and a hundred and eighty-one wounded. The Confederate loss, owing to the protection afforded by their earthworks, was much less. Two thousand six hundred and seventy-five prisoners were taken, to- gether with three thousand small arms. In his official report, Captain Goldsborough, while speaking in the highest terms of all his officers, specially commended the gallantry of Commanders Rowan and Case. Driven from Roanoke Island, the Confederates col- lected the remnants of their forces and made a gallant stand at Elizabeth City, which guarded the approach to the Dismal Swamp Canal. The National forces entered Albemarle Sound on the morning of February 9th, with the following gunboats, under Commander Rowan : Delaware (flagship), Louslana, Hetzel, Under- writer, Commodore Perry, Valley City, Morse, Lock- wood, Ceres, Shawsheen, Br inker and Putnam. Mak- ing their way among the treacherous shoals, they dis- covered two steamers at three o'clock in the afternoon, heading for Pasquotank River, and gave chase, but without success. By sunset the National gunboats ap- 208 PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 1862. preached the river, and at 8 P. M. they dropped anchor about ten miles below Cobb's Point. At daylight, February 10th, they advanced toward Elizabeth City, where the six Confederate gunboats were drawn up in line of battle three hundred yards behind a battery mounting four 32-pounders. The Commodore Perry, the Morse and the Delaware, flanked by the Ceres on the right, led the advance. As the ammunition of the National gunboats had been reduced to twenty rounds, Commander Rowan issued orders that no gun be fired except within short range, where every shot would tell. The gunboats steamed rapidly up the river, passed the battery without slackening speed and made straight for the enemy's flotilla. The Commodore Perry, steer- ing for the Confederate flagship, the Seabird, ran her down and crushed in her sides, so that she began to sink. The Ceres, selecting the Ellis, ran alongside and carried her by boarding, but not without a desper- ate resistance on the part of her men, w T ho did not sur- render until their commander, Lieutenant Cooke, had been badly wounded. The Delaware chased the Fanny ashore, where she was blown up by her own men. The Black Warrior was run ashore and burned, her crew escaping on shore ; and Captain Lynch's boat, in which he was endeavoring to get into action, was cut in two by a shot. The Appomattox, Captain Sims, attempted to escape by the canal, but drew too much water and was blown up. The Valley City and the WMtehead meantime returned to the battery on land, and soon compelled it to surrender. Thus in fifteen minutes four of the enemy's steamers were destroyed, one captured, and two, the Raleigh and the Beaufort, put to flight up the Pasquotank River, where they escaped to Nor- folk by the Dismal Swamp Canal. The National loss in this affair was two killed and two wounded ; that of the enemy was considerably greater. Two days later Lieutenant Murray, with the Louisiana, the Under- writer, the Commodore Perry and the LocTcwood, took 1862. NARROW ESCAPE AT WINTON. 209 possession of Edenton, and on the 13th Lieutenant Jeffers, with the LocTcwood, the ShawsJieen and the WTiitehead, went to the mouth of the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal, dispersed some Confederate troops that had collected there, and sank two schooners so as to obstruct the canal. On the 19th of February Commander Rowan, with eight gunboats and a small detachment of troops under the command of Colonel Hawkins, ascended Chowan River to Winton, where it was rumored there were a number of Union men who would enlist if they had an opportunity. Being a little suspicious of these reports, Colonel Hawkins, as the vessel approached Winton, stationed himself in the crosstrees of the Delaware^ mainmast, so as to get a better view of the town. As the vessels were about to run alongside the wharf, at 3.30 P. M., a negro woman stood on the shore waving a welcome to them ; but from his elevated posi- tion Colonel Hawkins caught a glimpse of the glistening barrels of many muskets in the bushes on shore and two pieces of artillery trained to sweep the wharf. He gave the warning to the officer of the deck just in time to prevent a landing, and the vessels passed on at full speed, clearing the wharf by less than ten feet. Finding that they were discovered, the Confederates opened fire, riddling the bulwarks and masts of the vessels, but fortunately hurt no one. Under cover of the flotilla's guns, Colonel Hawkins landed with his men, dispersed the enemy, and destroyed all public stores in the place. The expedition then returned to the sound. Control of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds being secured, the next step was to capture the towns ad- joining these waters, the most important of which was New Berne, a town of six thousand inhabitants, con- nected by rail with Beaufort and Richmond, at the junction of the Neuse and Trent rivers. The naviga- tion of the Neuse was obstructed a few miles below 59 210 PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 1862. the town by twenty-four vessels locked together with cables and spars and sunk across the channel ; their masts, appearing above the water, were firmly inter- woven with timbers and chains, so as to make it ex- ceedingly difficult for an enemy to break through even when not under fire. A second and perhaps more for- midable obstruction was placed a short distance down the stream. It consisted of a row of piles across the channel, driven firmly into the bed of the river and hav- ing their heads cut off below the water. A second row, with heads capped with sharp iron, was driven across the first row at an angle of forty-five degrees, so that the iron heads pointed down stream, and, being sub- merged, would pierce the thin hulls of steamers com- ing up the river. In front of this barricade were thirty torpedoes, fitted with trigger lines attached to the piles so as to explode when a vessel struck, each torpedo containing two hundred pounds of powder. A large raft laden with cotton saturated with turpentine was in readiness to be fired and sent down the narrow channel on the approach of a hostile squadron. These formidable obstructions were supplemented with forts and earthworks, which had been constructed with great labor and considerable skill. The first fortification, Fort Dixie, about six miles from New Berne, mounted four guns. Then came Fort Thompson, mounting thir- teen guns, which was four miles below New Berne ; and a mile above this was Fort Ellis, with eight guns. Two miles from New Berne was Fort Lane, with eight guns, and within a mile of the town was Union Point, with two guns. All these works were on the south side of the river, their land approaches being guarded by rifle pits, while a movable battery on a railroad track en- abled the enemy to send speedy re-enforcements to any threatened point. After ascertaining the character of these defenses, General Burnside determined to land his troops at Slocum Creek, ten miles below New Berne, and attack 1802. ATTACK ON NEW BERNE. 2H the forts from the rear, while the flotilla was to open a bombardment from the river. Accordingly, early on the morning of March 12th the naval expedition left Hatteras Inlet, the vessels under the orders of Com- mander Rowan consisting of the steamers Delaware (flagship), Stars and Stripes, Valley City, Commodore Barney, Southfield, Brinker, Louisiana, Hetzel, Com- modore Perry, Underwriter (now commanded by Lieu- tenant A. Hopkins), Hunchback, Morse and Lockwood. About half past two o'clock in the afternoon the ad- vance division of gunboats reached the mouth of the Neuse, where it was learned that two steamers had been discovered in Pamlico River and 'might come out and cut off some of the transports. The Loekwood was detailed to watch them, and at five o'clock chase was given to a small steamer that was reconnoitering the fleet, and the steamer hastily retired under the guns of the fort. The flotilla then anchored for the night off Slocum's Creek. At eight o'clock on the following morning, March 13th, the troops, with six boat howitzers, under the command of Lieutenant Roderick S. McCook, assisted by Captains Drayton and Bennett of the marines, landed under cover of a heavy fire of grape and shell from the gunboats. The Commodore Perry then ran up the river and opened an animated fire on Fort Dixie, which was maintained until dark, while the troops got under way and continued their march over heavy roads till 9 P. M. At daylight on the 14th the march was resumed, and by seven o'clock they came in sight of Fort Thompson and began the attack. For two hours a fierce conflict raged in front of the earthworks and rifle -pits. The naval howitzers under Lieutenant McCook being deployed to the right made a splendid fight under a heavy fire of grape and shell from six of the enemy's guns. Between 9 and 10 A. M. the troops ran short of ammunition, when they were ordered to charge with the bayonet. This was done 212 PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 1862. with great spirit, and after a momentary repulse they carried the earthworks and put the enemy to flight. This left the road clear to New Berne, for after their defeat at Fort Thompson the Confederates abandoned their remaining posts. During this attack a heavy fog settled over the river, making it difficult for the gunboats to manoeuvre ; but as soon as the first gun was heard on the morning of the 14th, the Delaware, the Hunchback and the Southfield opened fire on Fort Dixie. As no reply was made by the fort, a boat was sent ashore, and the place was found to be deserted. The gunboats next ad- vanced against Fort Ellis and fired a shell into it, causing the magazine to explode. At this moment the troops were hotly engaged in the rear of Fort Thomp- son, and the gunboats approached the barriers and fired at the earthwork from a distance. Learning that his shells were falling near the National troops, Com- mander Rowan ceased firing, and, boldly taking the lead, drove his vessel against the line of piles and tor- pedoes. Fortunately the torpedoes failed to ignite, else the flagship and her gallant commander would have been blown to atoms. The iron-pointed piles were more effective. The Commodore Perry, running against one of them, broke oft 5 the head and carried it for some time sticking in her hull. The Commodore Barney also had a hole cut in her bottom, while the Stars and Stripes was severely injured. Without waiting to repair damages, the gunboats hastened to get abreast of Fort Thompson, so as to par- ticipate in the fight at close quarters ; but just as they cleared the line of obstructions the troops carried the fort by storm and greeted the approaching steamers with the National colors. Upon this, Commander Bo wan passed rapidly ahead, threw a few shells into Fort Lane, and, getting no reply, ordered the Valley City to take possession. The remaining gunboats pushed up the river and took possession of New Berne 1862. FORT MACON. 213 just as the enemy had fired the town in several places. At this moment some steamboats and a schooner laden with commissary stores were discovered attempting to escape up the Neuse, whereupon the Delaware gave chase and compelled one of the steamers to run ashore, while the other two with the schooner were captured. By noon the gunboats had complete possession of the town. The flames started by the Confederates were extinguished, and all the arms and public stores were secured. At two o'clock in the afternoon the victori- ous National troops appeared on the opposite bank of the Trent, and before night were transferred to the New Berne side. In this affair the navy had two men killed and eleven wounded, all in Lieutenant McCook's command. The loss of the land forces, on account of their exposed position, was much greater. The next point of attack in this quarter was Fort Macon, a massive work mounting nearly fifty guns, but manned by only four hundred and fifty men, and two hundred and fifty of these were reported as being unfit for service. Late in March General Burnside landed troops and erected batteries on the narrow peninsula, at the end of which was Fort Macon, and by April 23d the fort was cut off from all communications. The Na- tional batteries consisted of three 30-pounder Parrott rifled guns, under the command of Captain L. O. Mor- ris ; four 10-inch mortars, under the command of Lieu- tenant M. F. Prouty ; and four 8-inch mortars, under Lieutenant D. W. Flagler. At 5.40 A. M. on the morn- ing of April 25th the bombardment was begun. The naval force consisted of the gunboats Daylight (flag- ship), Commander Samuel Lockwood ; CMppewa, Lieu- tenant Andrew Bryson ; State of Georgia, Commander James F. Armstrong, and the Gemsbok, Lieutenant E. Cavendy. At 9 A. M. these vessels, although not in- tended for participation in the bombardment, came into range and opened fire. At first their shot fell wide of the mark, but soon, in spite of the heavy sea, 214: PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 1862. they secured the range and enfiladed the fort. After being in action two hours they were compelled by the increasing sea to haul off into deeper water. In this short fight the GemsboJc suffered somewhat in her rig- ging, and a 32- pounder shot struck the Daylight near the gangway, passed through the engine room, carried away a portion of the iron stairway, broke Engineer Eugene J. Wade's left arm, entered the captain's cabin and lodged in the port side. The shore batteries, how- ever, bore the brunt of the conflict. Their fire was ex- ceedingly effective, driving the enemy from his water batteries and silencing his remaining guns one by one, until at four o'clock the fort was surrendered. Compared with the more important naval operations in the war, the service on the North Carolina sounds was of minor importance, but owing to the peculiar difficulties under which our officers and men labored it called for great endurance and gallantry. The facili- ties for constructing ironclads afforded by the several rivers entering Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds com- pelled the National forces to make frequent incursions to such towns as Washington, Plymouth and Hamil- ton, to assure themselves that such craft were not in course of construction. If the Confederates could com- plete an ironclad, it would soon clear these waters of the frail wooden steamers that constituted the Na- tional naval force ; and, in spite of great watchfulness, as will be seen in another chapter, they succeeded in completing a powerful ironclad, constructed especially for operations in these shallow waters. On the 9th of July the Commodore Perry, the Geres and the Shaw- sheen, under the command of Lieutenant Charles W. Flusser, with forty soldiers, forced the barricades in Roanoke River and steamed up to Hamilton. The nar- row channel compelled the steamers to move cautious- ly, while the high, thickly wooded banks gave the Confederate sharpshooters every opportunity to pick off the officers and men. Notwithstanding a loss of 1862. EXPEDITION AGAINST FRANKLIN. 215 one man killed and ten wounded, Lieutenant Flusser reached Hamilton, where he captured the steamer Wil- son and destroyed the battery and earthworks, and returned unmolested. On the 3d of October a detachment of troops under Major-General John A. Dix and a naval force under Lieutenant Flusser advanced against Franklin. When about two miles from that town the steamers Commo- dore Perry (flagship), Hunchback, Lieutenant Edmund K. Colhoun, and the Whitehead, Acting-Master Charles A. French, while endeavoring to round a bend in the river, were tired upon by riflemen in ambush. The stream at this point was so narrow that even these lit- tle steamers could not turn round, and they could not elevate their guns sufficiently to reach the high banks. Nothing remained but to push ahead, which they did, only to find themselves cut off from further progress by barricades across the river. In the mean time the enemy greatly increased in numbers, and the fire of musketry made it extremely hazardous for any man to expose himself on deck or at an open port ; and at the same time the Confederates began to fell trees across the stream below the ensnared gunboats so as to cut off their retreat. The National troops failed to co-operate with the navy, and "having no support from the army we had to fight a large force of the enemy with only three gunboats." * The situation was nearly hopeless, but after much difficulty the steamers man- aged to turn their heads downstream, and slowly pushed their way through the fallen timbers and were again free. In this affair the navy had four men killed and eleven wounded. On the 23d of November the Ellis, Lieutenant Wil- liam Barker Gushing, steamed up the river Onslow with a view of surprising the town of that name, seiz- ing arms and other military stores that had been col- 1 Rear-Admiral Colhoun to the author. 216 PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. 1862. lected there, and capturing the Wilmington mail. When five miles up the river the Ellis met an out- ward-bound steamer laden with cotton and turpentine, which the enemy burned to prevent capture. By one o'clock in the afternoon Lieutenant Gushing arrived at Onslow, where twenty-five stands of arms, two schoon- ers and the Wilmington mail were captured, and an extensive salt-work was destroyed. At daylight the next day, while returning down the river with the schooners, the Ellis was fired upon by two pieces of artillery from the shore ; but after an hour of spirited cannonading the enemy was silenced, and Lieutenant Gushing proceeded on his way. About five hundred yards from a bluff, however, the pilot ran the Ellis aground, the headway forcing her over a sand bank and into deeper water on the other side, which was sur- rounded by shoals. Every effort was made to get her into the channel again, but in vain. Several men were now sent to secure the two pieces of artillery which had just been silenced on shore, so that they could be used in defense of the Ellis, but on reaching the place it was found that they had been carried off. When night came on, one of the captured schooners was brought alongside, and everything in the Ellis was transferred to it except the pivot gun, some ammunition, two tons of coal, and a few small arms ; but still the steamer could not be moved from her position. The men were then placed in the schooner and ordered to make the best of their way down the river and there await Lieutenant Gushing, who, with six volunteers, resolved to remain in the Ellis and fight her to the last plank. Early the next morning, November 25th, the Confederates opened on the steamer with four rifled guns from as many points of the com- pass. Lieutenant Gushing replied to this cross fire as well as he could, but his boat was soon cut to pieces, and the only alternative was surrender, or flight in an open boat which for a mile and a half would be ex- 1862. LIEUT. CUSHING'S NARROW ESCAPE. 217 posed to the enemy' s fire. The plucky lieutenant chose the latter, and after setting the Ellis on fire and load- ing her 32-pounder for the last time, he pulled away with his men, leaving her flag flying, and made down stream with all speed. After a hard pull the men escaped the batteries and passed the bar just in time to elude the Confederate cavalry, which had galloped around in the hope of cutting them off before they could gain the open sound. The Ellis shortly after- ward blew up. CHAPTER IV. THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON KOADS. THE successful introduction of iron in the construc- tion of merchant vessels had turned the attention of naval architects to the utility of that material in ships of war. The great objection that had hitherto been urged against it was that shot, in passing through, left an irregular hole, which could not be easily plugged. In the days of wooden war ships shot holes below the water line were easily repaired by stoppers made to fit 12, 18, 24 or 32-pound shot, as the case required. But this objection was soon overcome by plating the ships so heavily as to render them impervious to shot, while iron gave the further advantage of water-tight bulk- heads and greater security against fire. The scarcity of large timber, both in England and in France, was a powerful stimulus in the introduction of iron in ship- building. In 1859 the French launched la Gloire. a timber- built steam frigate resembling a line of battle ship cut down and incased with four and three quar- ters inches of iron. She carried thirty-four 54-pound guns and two shell guns forward, her draught being twenty -seven and a half feet and her speed eleven knots an hour. In that year the French and English navies stood as follows: Forty line of battle ships, forty-six frigates and four iron-plated ships on the side of the French, and fifty line of battle ships and thirty- four frigates for the English. The ominous "four iron-plated ships " on the French list turned the scale heavily in favor of France. The wooden line of battle ships and frigates were suddenly found to be valueless, 218 1860-1861. NORFOLK NAVY YARD. 219 and many that were on the stocks were not completed. In great alarm the Admiralty, in 1860, hastened the construction of the ironclad steam frigate Warrior, the first of this type in the British navy. The central por- tions of her sides were plated with four and a half inches of iron, and her speed was thirteen and a half knots an hour. Shortly before the civil war began, Captain Charles Stewart McCauley, commandant of the Norfolk Navy Yard, was cautioned by the Government to do nothing that might lead the people of Virginia to think their loyalty to the Federal Government was doubted. The State was then debating the question of secession, and it was feared that any step to fortify or destroy the navy yard at Norfolk by the United States officials might precipitate hostilities. The attitude of the State authorities became so threatening, however, that on the 19th of April Captain McCauley determined to de- stroy the stores and vessels there, the latter consisting of the old ship of the line Pennsylvania, the sailing frigate Cumberland, the steam frigate Merrimac, five large sailing vessels, the sailing sloops of war German- town and Plymouth and the brig Dolphin. Before the work of destruction was begun the Pawnee, Captain Hiram Paulding, having on board Captain Wright, of the engineers, and a regiment of Massachusetts volunteers, steamed up Elizabeth River, on the 20th of April, to assist in saving the vessels and destroying whatever could not be removed. It was eight o'clock in the evening when the Pawnee came in sight of Norfolk, and as the breeze made it impossible for her answering signal to be distinguished aboard of the National ships in the yard, preparations were made to attack her. Seeing that the officer in charge of the pivot gun aboard the Cumberland was ready to fire on the Pawnee, and realizing that Captain Pauld- ing would be likely to return it under the impression that the yard was actually in the hands of the Confed- 220 TUE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1861. erates, and that he had been lured into a trap, Lieuten- ant Allen, of the Pennsylvania, with great presence of mind, suggested that his people cheer the Pawnee. By this means the other National vessels knew that the approaching stranger was a friend, and a possible dis- astrous fight between the ships was thus averted. At twenty minutes after four o'clock on the morn- ing of April 21st a rocket was sent up as a signal for the ships and the woodwork in the navy yard to be destroyed, and in a few minutes all the shops, houses, and war vessels, excepting the Cumberland and the Pawnee, were set on fire. But the most valuable part of the stores, with two thousand cannon of the best make, fell into the hands of the Confederates, and was distributed over the South. The charge of pow- der that was to blow up the dry dock failed to ignite. The Cumberland was in great danger of being cap- tured, for the enemy had obstructed the channel with sunken vessels ; but the powerful chartered steamer Keystone State, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur Trench- ard, and the tugboat Yankee, after an hour of persist- ent ramming, succeeded in crushing through the ob- structions. The 40-gun frigate Merrimac, of three thousand five hundred tons, after burning to the water's edge, sank before the flames had made serious headway on her lower hull. On the 30th of May she was raised, and her hull and engines were found to be intact. She was then placed in the dry dock, and her upper wood- works were raised to the level of the berth deck, which was three and a half feet above the light water line. On this deck, for one hundred and seventy feet amid- ships, bulwarks consisting of twenty inches of pitch pine covered with four inches of oak, and sloping at an angle of thirty-five degrees, were built, meeting the roof seven feet above the deck. Outside of this twenty-four inches of solid wood backing were laid rolled-iron plates two inches thick and eight inches 1862. BUILDING THE MERRIMAC. 221 wide, in horizontal courses, and over this again were laid similar plates running up and down, the four inches of iron being bolted through with If -inch iron rivets, which were secured on the inside. The shot- proof casemate was covered with a light grating twenty feet wide and about one hundred and sixty feet long, forming the promenade deck. Forward of the smoke- stack was the pilot house, protected by the same thick- ness of iron as the sides. Forward and aft of this gunroom the vessel's hull was decked over so as to be awash when in fighting trim, and attached to the bow and about two feet under water was a cast-iron ram projecting some distance beyond the cutwater. This formidable craft was pierced for ten guns, the ends of the gunroom being rounded so as to carry 7-inch rifled guns, which, being mounted on pivots, could be fired abeam or in the keel line forward and aft. The broad- side armament consisted of two rifled 6-inch guns and six 9-inch Dahlgren guns. The four rifled guns were heavily re-enforced by 3-inch steel bands shrunk around the breech. This novel craft, renamed by the Confederates Vir- ginia, was built after a model made by John L. Porter, a constructor in the Confederate navy, which was sim- ilar to some rough drawings prepared by Lieutenant John M. Brooke, formerly of the United States navy. The work of rebuilding the Merrimac was carried on by Constructor Porter, the repairing of the engines was done by Chief-Engineer William P. Williamson, of the Confederate navy, and Lieutenant Brooke provided the rolled-iron plates and the heavy batteries. The difficulties of rebuilding the Merrimac were greatly enhanced by the lack of machinery and experienced laborers. The Confederacy was well supplied with engineers and officers of the old navy, but the skilled mechanics were largely in the North, while the work- shops in the Norfolk Navy Yard had been almost de- stroyed by the conflagration. The only mills in the 222 THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1862. South at this time capable of rolling the plates were the Tredegar works at Richmond. Such being the extraordinary difficulties under which the builders of the new Merrimac labored, it is surprising that their designs were ever realized. Work on the formidable craft, however, was steadily pushed ; and when, toward the close of 1861, news came through the lines that an ironclad vessel was being built at New York, it stimulated the Confederates to redoubled ef- forts. But, in spite of their greatest exertions, it was not until March, 1862, that the new Merrimac ap- proached completion. She was placed under the com- mand of Captain Franklin Buchanan, recently of the United States navy, who had a naval staff of officers, many of whom had been in the old service. They were Lieutenants Catesby ap Rogers Jones, Charles C. Simms, Robert D. Minor, Hunter Davidson, John Taylor Wood, John R. Eggleston, Walter R. Butt; Midshipmen R. C. Foute, H. H. Marmaduke, H. B. Littlepage, W. J. Craig, J. C. Long and Thomas R. Rootes ; Paymaster James A. Semple, Surgeon Din- widdie B. Phillips, Assistant-Surgeon Algernon S. Gar- nett, Captain of Marines Reuben Thome, Engineer Henry A. Ramsay, Assistant Engineers John W. Tynan, Loudon Campbell, Benjamin Herring, Jack and Wright ; Boatswain Charles H. Hasker, Gunner Charles B. Oliver, Carpenter Hugh Lindsay, Clerk Arthur Sinclair, Jr. ; Volunteer- Aids Lieutenant Douglas A. Forrest and Captain Kevil, of the infantry. The Merrimatfs crew of three hundred and twenty was largely made up of volunteers from the army around Yorktown, Richmond and Petersburg. An hour before noon on the 8th of March, 1862, the Merrimac cast loose from her moorings in Norfolk and steamed down Elizabeth River. Up to the last moment she was crowded with mechanics, coalers and laborers, many of whom were put ashore after the vessel was well under way, and so great had been the confusion 1862. THE MERRIMAC'S CONSORTS. 223 and haste in the last few weeks that not a gun had been fired. The crew had not been exercised even in the ordinary duties of man-of-war's men, the engines had not made a single revolution, the officers and men were strangers to each other, while the ship itself was a bold experiment, a complete revolution in naval war- fare, which had not undergone the test of even a trial trip. In short, the people of the Merrimac were about to make one of the most hazardous experiments in naval warfare. Captain Buchanan for some time had been suffering from nervous prostration, and the doc- tors had pronounced his case hopeless ; but, undaunted by the great risks involved, he shipped his cables and stood down the river, loudly cheered by Confederate soldiers who lined the shores. From the first it was seen that the engines were unsatisfactory, making only five knots at the best, while the great length of the craft and her twenty-two feet draught made her ma- noeuvres in the narrow channels exceedingly difficult and limited. In the James River lay the Confederate 12-gun steamer YorJctown, Captain John R. Tucker ; the 2- gun steamer Jamestown, Lieutenant-Commander Jo- seph N. Barney, and the 1-gun river tug Teaser, Lieu- tenant-Commander William A. Webb, ready to join the Merrimac in the attack on the National ships. The YorMown (or Patrick Henry) was partially protected by 1-inch iron plates, which were secured abreast of her boilers, and, running a few feet forward and aft of her machinery, extended a foot or two below the water line. Iron shields in the form of a V were also placed on the spar deck forward and aft of the engines, to afford protection from raking shot. The Merrimac was escorted down Elizabeth River by the steamers Beaufort, Lieutenant-Commander William H. Parker, and RaleigJi, Lieutenant-Commander Joseph W. Alex- ander, mounting one gun each. Leaving the Beaufort and the RaleigJi at SewelPs Point, Captain Buchanan 224 THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1862. pushed boldly into the south channel alone, and headed for Newport News, where lay the United States 50-gun frigate Congress, Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, and the 24-gun sloop of war Cumberland, Commander William Radford, anchored in fancied security under the guns of the Federal batteries, which commanded all water communications to Richmond by way of James River. It was of great importance to the Southern cause that these interruptions to their communications should be removed. Farther down Hampton Roads, off Fort Mon- roe, were the sailing frigate St. Lawrence, Captain Hugh Young Purviance, and the steam frigates Roanoke and Minnesota, Captain Gershom Jaques Van Brunt, the last two being sister ships of the old Merrimac. It was a beautiful spring morning, and the gentle sea breeze scarcely rippled the waters of the Roads. The National ships, with their towering masts, swung lazily at their anchors, their rigging strung with dry- ing clothes. Barges and cutters rocked gently at the booms, while officers and seamen walked quietly about the decks in the ordinary routine of duty or listlessly whiled away the time in various occupations. On shore the same feeling of security and ease prevailed, the soldiers going through their drills, their polished bay- onets and musket barrels glistening in the bright sun- light, while others were busy with preparations for the midday meal. Everything betokened an entire absence of fear or suspicion of danger. Early in March Com- mander William Smith had been detailed from the Congress, and although he had turned over the com- mand of the ship to his executive officer, Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith, he was still aboard waiting for a steamer to carry him North. Observing the Merrimac, he volunteered his services while the frigate was in danger. Commander Radford, of the Cumberland, was attending a court of inquiry in the Roanoke, some miles down the Roads, leaving Lieutenant George Upham Morris in charge of the ship. There had been 18G2. A PEACEFUL SPRING MORNING. 225 so many rumors about the Merrimac that some of the National officers had become skeptical of her prowess, and anticipated little trouble from her. At nine o'clock on the morning of March 8th the people in the Union ships noticed the smoke of two steamers over the woodl.mds that concealed Elizabeth River from the Cumberland's lookout. Two hours later a trailing line of smoke lying along the course of the river indicated the approach of a third steamer, and at noon the three Confederate vessels were distinctly seen from the decks of the Cumberland moving down the river toward Se well's Point. The gunboat Zouave, lying alongside the Cumberland, was ordered to run down to Pig Point and ascertain who the strangers 60 226 THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1862. were. When the Zouave had proceeded about two miles on her mission her officers saw what looked to them like the roof of a large barn belching forth smoke from a chimney, and they were somewhat mystified as to what it could be. It was decided finally that it was the Merrimac, and the 32-pounder Parrott gun of the Zouave was trained on the stranger and six shot were fired at her ; but the enemy took no notice of this, and the Zouave was recalled to the Cumberland. A little before one o'clock the Merrimac emerged from the river, and came in full view of the National ships. The peaceful scene in the Roads was speedily trans- formed into one of hurried preparation for battle. The soldiers on land paused in their several occupations to gaze at the novel craft in astonishment and curiosity until the sharp call to arms sent them to their batteries. On board the men-of-war, the shrill piping of the boat- swain's whistle mingling with the rapid orders of offi- cers indicated a scene of unwonted activity. The rig- gings were quickly cleared of the "wash," boats were dropped astern, booms swung alongside, decks cleared for action, magazines opened, extra sentinels stationed, ammunition piled in symmetrical rows on deck and the guns loaded, while down in the cockpit tables were cleared and bandages arranged in convenient reach, and the surgeons polished their glittering instruments and awaited their duties in grim silence. All this time the Merrimac, with her ports closed, well in advance of her escorts, had been steadily mov- ing toward the Congress and the Cumberland, and by one o'clock she was within long range. About this time the Cumberland opened with her heavy pivot guns, which were shortly followed by those of the Con- gress and the shore batteries, but the huge projectiles glanced harmlessly from the iron mail of the leviathan, while on she came in majestic silence. About half past two o'clock, when within easy range, the Merrimac opened her bow port and fired her 7-inch rifled gun, 1862. BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER. 227 which was aimed by Lieutenant Simms. The shot hulled the Cumberland's quarter, and killed or wound- ed most of the crew of her after pivot gun. Both Na- tional ships, now only a hundred yards distant from the Merrimac, delivered full broadsides from their power- ful batteries, which would have blown any wooden craft out of the water ; but the storm of iron glanced from the Merrimatfs plating with no more effect than so many pebbles. Franklin Buchanan had a brother in the Congress Paymaster McKean Buchanan but this did not deter him from his purpose of destruction. He returned the fire of the National ships deliberately and with deadly effect from his bow gun, and when near enough the four starboard ports of the Merrimac were raised, four black muzzles were run out, four long tongues of flame leapt from her side, and four shells crashed into the wooden hull of the Congress. Not waiting to repeat this terrible blow, Buchanan kept steadily on under full head of steam for the helpless Cumberland, with a view of testing the power of his ram. The iron prow of the Merrimac struck the Cum- berland nearly at right angles under the fore rigging in the starboard fore channels. The shock was scarcely felt in the ironclad, but in the Cumberland it was ter- rific. The ship heeled over to port and trembled as if she had struck a rock under full sail, while the iron prow of the Merrimac crushed through her side and left a yawning chasm. In backing out of the Cumber- land, the Merrimac left her iron prow inside the doomed ship. Following up the blow by the discharge of her bow gun, she backed clear of the wreck. In re- sponse to a demand for surrender, Lieutenant Morris defiantly answered, "Never ! I'll sink alongside." For three quarters of an hour the Merrimac and her con- sorts concentrated their fire on the doomed Cumber- land, and the Confederate gunboats YorMown, James- town and Teaser came down from James River and joined in the attack. 228 THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1862. The National commanders now realized the hope- lessness of the struggle, but, with that indomitable heroism which has ever characterized the American seaman, they prepared to fight to the last plank rather than permit the enemy to secure the ships. Many of the men stripped to the waist, took off their shoes and hoisted tank after tank of cartridges on deck so that the water could not cut them off from their ammuni- tion. The scene in the Cumberland soon became awful. One shell, bursting in the sick bay, killed or wounded four men in their cots. More than a hundred of the crew very soon were killed or wounded, the cockpit was crowded, the decks were slippery with blood and were strewn with the dead and dying, while the inrush- ing waters and the rapid settling of the ship too plainly indicated that she would soon go to the bottom. In order to prevent the helpless wounded on the berth deck from being drowned, they were lifted up on racks and mess chests, and as the ship settled more and more they were removed from this temporary refuge and carried on deck and placed amidship. This was all that their shipmates could do for them, and when the ship finally went down they perished in her. The heroic commander of the Cumberland maintained the fight with superb gallantry. It was not long before the ad- vancing water drove his men from the guns on the lower deck, but they immediately manned the upper batteries and renewed the unequal struggle. The red flag "No quarter" was run up at the fore, as it was re- solved to sink with the ship rather than let her fall into the hands of the enemy. As soon as possible boats were lowered and made fast to a line on the shore side, but the ship was settling perceptibly. All this time the guns of the Cumberland were trained and fired at the enemy as rapidly as possible, and a man in the Merrimac who ventured outside of the casemate was cut in two. At half past three o'clock the forward magazine in the Cumberland was flooded, and the 1862. ATTACK ON THE CONGRESS. 229 water had reached the gun deck and was creeping around the gun carriages, when five minutes later the order was given for every one to save himself. The ship listed heavily to port and went down amid a roar of escaping air. The colors at the gaff were dragged beneath the water as the ship settled on the bottom, but the other ensigns at the mastheads were still visi- ble, reaching a few feet above the water. "No ship," said Lieutenant Wood, of the Herrimac, "was ever fought more gallantly." After ramming the Cumberland, the Merrimac stood up the channel with a view of turning round and attacking the Congress. During the thirty-five minutes required for turning she maintained a fire on both ships. Three times she raked the Congress from stem to stern with 7-inch shell. Seeing the hopeless- ness of the struggle, and observing that the ironclad was preparing to ram his ship, Lieutenant Smith slipped his cables, set his fore topsail and jib, and with the aid of the gunboat Zouave ran ashore under the National batteries, where the shoal water would not allow the Merrimac to follow. The Merrimac, at 3.40 P. M., accompanied by her consorts, approached the Congress. After some ma- noeuvring she secured a position from one hundred and fifty to two hundred yards, where she could rake the Congress with her entire broadside, to which the Con- gress could not reply except with her two stern chasers. The murderous shells tore through the frigate with horrible effect. Lieutenant Smith was soon killed, but still the heroic crew fought on against tremendous odds, while the blood running out of her scuppers spattered the decks of the gunboat Zouave, which was lying alongside. The gunboats Raleigh and Beaufort, tak- ing advantageous positions, also poured in a heavy fire. But in spite of the fearful condition of the ship and the terrible losses she had sustained, Lieutenant Pen- dergrast, upon whom the command had devolved, main- 230 THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1862. tained the unequal contest for more than an hour after the sinking of the Cumberland, and did not surrender until one of his two stern guns had been dismounted and the muzzle of the other was knocked off. By this time fire had broken out in several places in the ship. At 4.40 P. M. the Congress lowered her colors and dis- played a white flag, upon which the gunboats Beaufort and Raleigh ran alongside to take off her crew and fire the ship. Not understanding the situation, the shore batteries opened a hot fire of cannon and small arms, which com- pelled the steamers to haul off with only thirty prison- ers and the colors of the Congress. This flag was rolled up and taken to Richmond, and three days afterward, when it was unrolled in the presence of Jefferson Davis and several of his Cabinet officers, it was found to be saturated with blood in several places. It was hastily rolled up and sent to the Navy Department, where it was probably destroyed when that building was burned at the close of the war. The Teaser also was driven off in an attempt to burn the Congress. This fire not only killed Lieutenant Tayloe and wounded Lieutenant Hutter of the Raleigh, who were assisting the wound- ed out of the frigate, but also injured some of the people in the Congress. The remainder of the Na- tional crew endeavored to escape to the shore by swim- ming or in boats. Observing this, the enemy opened with hot shot, and soon had the ship in flames, and she burned all that afternoon and far into the night. About this time a rifle ball from the shore struck Bu- chanan and Flag-Lieutenant Minor, so that the com- mand of the Merrimac devolved on Lieutenant Jones. When the news of the loss of the Cumberland and the Congress reached Washington, Sunday morning, Cap- tain Joseph Smith, father of the commander of the Congress, was attending church. After the service was over Secretary Welles informed him that the Cum- berland had been sunk and the Congress had surren- 1862. TREACHERY OF A PILOT. 231 dered. "What!" exclaimed the veteran, "the Con- gress surrendered? Then Joe is dead." The Secretary reassured the veteran by saying that the casualties were as yet unknown, but the heartbroken commodore replied : " Oh, no ; you don't know Joe as I do. He'd never surrender his ship." 1 While this spirited fight was going on, the frigates Minnesota, RoanoTce and St. Lawrence, which had been lying at Fort Monroe, seven miles below, got un- der sail, and with the assistance of tugboats set out for the scene of action. The Minnesota was the first to get under way, and, running past a brisk fire from the battery at Sewell's Point, hastened upstream, but when about a mile and a half from the scene of action she grounded. Why this ship, with one of Norfolk's best pilots in charge of her, should have run upon a well-known shoal at such a critical moment may well excite suspicion of treachery, and a deeper investiga- tion reveals it. On the declaration of Mr. Mallory, the Confederate Secretary of the Navy, it is learned that " the pilot of the Minnesota, although bound by an oath of fealty to the United States, was also under sworn allegiance to the Confederacy and in the service and pay of its Department of Marine, and the strand- ing of that ship was in obedience to instructions from the office in Richmond, where information of the dis- aster was received in one hour and fifteen minutes after its occurrence." The pilot was discharged from the United States service April 19, 1862, and immediately on his arrival at Norfolk he was appointed second pilot in the Merrimac. The RoanoJce and the St. Lawrence also grounded a little above Fort Monroe. Having completed the destruction of the Cumber- land and the Congress, the Merrimac, at five o'clock 1 Joseph B. Smith entered the navy as a midshipman October 19. 1841. Going through the usual routine of a young naval officer, he became passed midshipman. August 10, 1847; master, August 22, 1855; and lieutenant, September 14, 1855. 232 THE MERRIMAC IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1862. in the afternoon, turned her attention to the stranded Minnesota, the St. Lawrence and the Roanolce. For- tunately, the water in the north channel at that time was so low that the ram was compelled to take the south channel and attack the frigates from that quar- ter. This placed the middle ground between her and the ships, so that she could not approach nearer than a mile until high tide. At this long range the ironclad opened fire, but only one shot struck, and that passed through the bow. The light-draught consorts of the Merrimac took a position at easy range, where the Minnesota could bring but one heavy gun against them, and before they were driven off they had in- flicted serious injury. One of their heavy shells "passed through the chief engineer's stateroom, cross- ing and tearing up the deck over the cockpit, and striking the clamp and knee in the carpenter's state- room, where it exploded, carrying away the beam clamp and knee, and completely demolishing the bulk- heads, setting fire to them and ripping up the deck." * Two shells passed through a port, carried away the planking and timbers, and splintered several beams and casings. Another shell passed through the main- mast about fourteen feet above the deck, cut away one third of the mast, and parted some of the iron bands. Another shot passed through the hammock netting abaft the main rigging, striking the spar deck on the starboard side, cutting through four planks, then, ric- ochetting, carried away the truck and axle of a gun carriage and injured the water-ways. For about an hour and a half this unequal combat was kept up, the Minnesota using her 10-inch guns against the ironclad, while her single stern chaser played on the mischievous gunboats. It is doubtful if Captain Van Brunt could have held out long under the dreadful fire of heavy shells that was steadily and 1 Official report of the carpenter. 18G2. PERIL OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 233 deliberately rained upon him at this range. At 6.30 p. M. the St. Lawrence was floated off, and in tow of the tugboat Cambridge was brought into range, but while still half a mile from the combatants she again grounded. Her approach, however, relieved the Min- nesota of the distressing fire of the Confederate gun- boats. The St. Lawrence then discharged several broadsides at the Merrimac, but with no effect. In return she received a heavy shell that penetrated the 1 starboard quarter about four inches above the water line, passed through the pantry of the wardroom and into the stateroom of the assistant surgeon on the port side, completely demolished the bulkhead, and then struck a strong iron bar that secured the bull's-eye of the port. It then bounded into the wardroom, where it was spent. Fortunately it did not explode, and no person was injured. It was now seven o'clock in the evening, and was so dark that the pilots refused to keep the Merrimac longer in her present position, as the fast ebbing tide threatened to leave her aground. Accordingly, her head was turned toward Sewell's Point, and shortly afterward she anchored there with her consorts for the night, intending to renew the work of destruction on the following morning. Thus ended the most disastrous day in the career of the United States navy. Of her crew of four hundred and thirty-four men, the Congress had one hundred and thirty killed or drowned, including her commander, and a large number of wounded, and thirty taken pris- oners. The Cumberland, with a crew of three hundred and seventy-six, had one hundred and twenty killed or drowned, and a large number of those w T ho escaped to the shore were wounded. On the part of the enemy, two were killed in the Merrimac, and eight, including Captain Buchanan, were wounded. The total loss of the Confederates, including the gunboats, was twenty- one killed or wounded. Although the Merrimac had been the target for more than one hundred heavy guns, 234 THE MERRIMAO IN HAMPTON ROADS. 1862. her casemate had not been materially injured. But everything exposed was swept away. Her flagstaff had been repeatedly shot away, and her colors were several times fastened to the smokestack, but only to be car- ried away again. The flag was finally fastened to a boarding pike. Stanchions, railings, davits, steam pipes and boats had been demolished, while two of the broadside guns had been disabled by having their muz- zles shot away. Further than this she was as danger- ous as ever, and only awaited the return of daylight and tide to complete the destruction of the wooden vessels in the Roads. The disastrous results of this day's fight spread the profoundest gloom over the North, and caused corre- sponding rejoicing in the South. Extraordinary meas- ures for protecting Northern ports were suggested, for the appearance of the " terrible monster" was momen- tarily expected at all the seaports. Anything strange or abnormal pertaining to the sea is peculiarly liable to the wildest exaggeration among the average landsmen. The Merrimac certainly was a "new fish" in naval architecture, and she had proved her terrible power. It is not strange, then, that immediately following the announcement of the disaster of March 8th the wildest reports found credence. The scuttling of the noble frigate St. Lawrence, so as to obstruct the channel of the Potomac, was seriously considered, while the only measure proposed possessing the elements of success was considered a prodigious joke : this was stretching a huge fish net across the Potomac so as to entangle the Merrimac's propeller. The President called a special meeting of the Cabinet, and the fear was freely expressed that the whole character of the war was changed. The proposed peninsular campaign was ren- dered impracticable if the base of operations was at the mercy of the Merrimac, and the blockade of the most important Southern port would be raised. Nothing now, in the opinion of all, could prevent the iron mon- 1862. GLOOM IN THE NORTH. 235 ster from destroying all the ships in Hampton Roads, making her way up the Potomac, and laying Wash- ington in ashes. Then, after raising the blockade of other Southern ports, she would turn northward and lay the great seaports under enormous contribution. This done, there could be no doubt that England and France would acknowledge the independence of the Confederate States. Such were the hopes of the Mer- rimad's people as they rested that night off SewelPs Point and dreamed of easy victory on the morrow. Such were the fears of the loyal sailors as with dread and agony they awaited the renewal of the bloody scene. Nothing but an act of Providence could save them. And that act of Providence was at hand. CHAPTER V. BUILDING THE MONITOR. ON October 4, 1861, four months after the raising of the Merrimac at Norfolk, the Government entered into a contract with John Ericsson, of New York, for the construction of a war vessel of such type as the world had never seen and few had ever dreamed of. An iron-plated raft one hundred and seventy-two feet over all, forty-one and a half feet beam and eleven and one-third feet depth of hold, and a revolving iron turret containing two 11-inch Dahlgren guns, were the strik- ing features of this novel craft. As less than two feet of the hull was to appear above water, the target sur- face was reduced to a minimum ; and as a further se- curity, this surface was plated with five layers of iron, each -of which was one inch thick, while the deck was protected by two layers of half-inch plates. The tur- ret, twenty feet in diameter, inside measurement, and nine feet high, was built of eight layers of one-inch iron plates ; and the roof was protected by railroad iron, while the propeller and the rudder at the stern and the anchor at the bow were protected by the over- hang of the deck. The pilot house on deck forward was made of massive bars of iron, and a movable iron plate, an inch and a half thick, covered the top of it. The idea of such a war ship was suggested to John Ericsson nearly half a century before, by observing the motions of the lumber rafts on the lakes in Sweden. He wrote to Gustavus Vasa Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, under date of October 5, 1875 : " I found that while the raftsman in his elevated cabin experi- 236 1861. DEVELOPMENT OF THE MONITOR IDEA. 237 enced very little motion, the seas breaking over his nearly submerged craft, these seas at the same time worked the sailing vessels nearly on their beam ends." Ericsson's enmity for Russia, the old-time enemy of his native land, seems to have been the principal mo- tive in developing and perfecting this raft idea of naval warfare, and on the outbreak of the war between the northern empire and the Franco- Anglican alliance he sent the plan of a monitor, in 1854, to the Emperor of the French. Napoleon III was not much impressed with the scheme, and wrote : "I have found your ideas very ingenious and worthy of the celebrated name of their author, but I think the results to be obtained would not be proportionate to the expenses or to the small number of guns which could be brought into use." Napoleon III prided himself upon his knowl- edge of artillery ; but when he saw how badly his cruisers fared in the Black Sea, and how the Russian squadron was able to steam into Sinope and destroy the Turkish fleet, he was greatly chagrined, and, says William Conant Church : " If he did not take Ericsson's plan, he certainly adopted the suggestion of armor de- fense, and built five armor-clads, England following in humble imitation with an equal number on the same general plan." On the 8th of August, 1861, a naval board, consist- ing of the veteran Captains Joseph Smith and Hiram Paulding and Commander Charles Henry Davis, was appointed by President Lincoln for the purpose of ex- amining plans for ironclad vessels. Among the hun- dreds of novel suggestions laid before this board was the plan, in a modified form, that Napoleon III had rejected. At the outbreak of the civil war Ericsson perfected a few details of this craft and forwarded it to Washington in the care of C. S. Bushnell, of New Haven, Conn. " I succeeded at length," said Mr. Bush- nell, "in getting Captains Smith and Paulding to prom- ise to sign a report advising the building of one trial 238 BUILDING THE MONITOR. 1861. battery, provided Captain Davis would join with them. On going to him I was informed that I might ' take the little thing home and worship it, as it would not be idolatry, because it was in the image of nothing in the heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth.'" The idea of a turret had been suggested before Ericsson's Monitor. Theodore Ruggles Timby, in 1841, planned a system of coast defense based upon the idea of a revolving turret, either on land or afloat, and in 1859 Captain Coles, of the British navy, perfected a revolving cupola on a vessel in the form of a raft, but it was never properly tested. Three types of armored vessels were finally recommended by the naval board for adoption the floating battery Ironsides, the Galena and the Monitor. In recommending the last type the members of the board exhibited a courage seldom equaled in naval history. The weight of pro- fessional experience and prejudice was against them. The most advanced naval constructors of that day, the French, had recently rejected the Monitor. Ericsson himself, although one of the most brilliant engineers of the age, had been the inventor of some, notable fail- ures from a practical point of view, though all were valuable to science. The naval bureaus for many years had been strongly prejudiced against him, and had un- justly associated with him the bursting of the Prince- torts 12-inch gun, February 28, 1844, by which the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Navy, Captain Beverly Kennon and Colonel Gardiner, of Gardiner's Island fame, had been killed. It required bold men to advocate the Monitor idea in the face of such circum- stances. If the craft was successful, the glory would go to the inventor ; if a failure, the full weight of odium would fall on the men who recommended it. They were responsible men, who had spent a lifetime in studying the science of naval warfare. The hundreds oMnventions brought before them for consideration 1801. DOUBTS ABOUT THE MONITOR. 239 were largely the products of irresponsible men, whose only object was that of getting contracts out of the Gov- ernment. Joseph Smith, Hiram Paulding and Charles H. Davis wagered a lifetime of brilliant service when they selected Ericsson's plan and gave their signatures to it. Ericsson wrote, "A more prompt and spirited action is probably not on record in a similar case than that of the Navy Department as regards the Monitor " ; and Ericsson's intimate acquaintance with the English Admiralty and the French Department of the Marine eminently qualified him as a judge in this particular. "Go ahead !" was the order the inventor received, and while the contract was being drawn up at Washington the keel-plate of the Monitor was being run through the rolling-mill in New York. Some idea of the great responsibility resting on the naval board in recommending Ericsson's plan can be gained by the doubts and sneers from men high in the profession. One of the first objections urged against the Monitor was that the concussion of such great guns in the confined space of the turret would be greater than the gunners could endure ; but Ericsson's ex- perience in firing heavy guns from little huts while he was an officer in the Swedish army had demonstrated that, if the muzzles protruded from the turret, the con- cussion would be inconsiderable. Naval experts be- sieged the board with calculations showing that the Monitor would not float with the amount of iron that was to be placed on her. Even the builders of the strange craft took the precaution of constructing wooden tanks to buoy up her stern when she was launched, lest she should plunge and stay under water. "Even if the ridiculous structure does float," said the experts, "she is top-heavy and will promptly capsize." Misgivings as to her stability, "on account of the ab- rupt termination of the iron raft to the wooden vessel," were even in the minds of the naval board after it had sanctioned the building of the craft, and it was sug- 240 BUILDING THE MONITOR. 1861. gesfced that the angles be filled in with wood. "But," added the board, "if the whole thing is a failure this will be of little consequence." It was even suggested that some of the essential features of the Monitor be sacrificed in order to " save her from the possibility of failure." It was urged that in a heavy sea one side of the vessel would rise out of the water, or the sea recede from it, and the wooden hull underneath the iron raft would strike the water with such force when it came down as to knock the people on board off their feet. Others were confident that in heavy weather the over- hang at the bow and stern would slap down on waves with such force as to rip it off the hull below ; and some were confident that the iron plating would settle the sides of the wooden vessel so that her deck would become curved and finally break. The best-grounded objections to the new craft were to the confined quarters of the officers and crew, many predicting that in heavy weather they would be smoth- ered by possible defects in the ventilation or escaping gas from the engine fires. Sailors, like other people, object to being buried before they are dead, and the quarters of the Monitor were unpleasantly suggestive of Davy Jones' locker. To be stowed away for days in an iron box under water, with artificial light and ventilation, with no place for exercise and with little chance for throwing off the accumulating smells of a kitchen, engine room, mess room and sleeping quarters, is too much like death to make life worth living. It is possible to pack machinery away like this, and in machinery Ericsson had no equal; but when he en- deavored to treat human beings in the same way he met the serious defect in his Monitor system. Cap- tain Smith saw this, and suggested that a temporary house be built on the deck for the accommodation of the officers and crew. This suggestion was followed out in several instances, the Winnebago at the battle of Mo- bile Bay having a large wooden structure on her deck ; 1861. ON A TRIAL TRIP. 241 but lack of time and the prospect of an early battle made it impracticable to carry it out in the case of the Monitor. In the light of the present day these many doubts and misgivings relative to the Monitor may seem child- ish ; but at that time the experiment had not been made, and the criticisms were eminently pertinent and showed the intelligence of the critics. It is common to . ridicule the doubts and distrusts arising in the minds of people of past generations when some new invention, such as a steamboat, a railroad or an elec- tric machine, first came in vogue : but it is safe to say that equal distrust would arise in the minds of the present generation should some equally radical inven- tion be brought to our notice. The keel of the Monitor was laid in the shipyard of Thomas F. Rowland, Continental Iron Works, Greenpoint, Long Island, on the 25th of October, 1861. In order to test the confidence of the builders in the new vessel, a clause in the contract stipulated that " the money was to be refunded to the Government if the ironclad proved to be a failure." On the 30th of January, 1862, or in one hundred days, the ironclad was launched. This was a most extraordinary feat in naval construction, the building of a war vessel in six months at that time being considered almost an im- possibility. On the 19th of February the new ironclad went on her trial trip and was handed over to the Gov- ernment ; but it was not until March 4th that her guns were mounted and a board of naval officers reported favorably upon her. At the request of Ericsson the new craft was called Monitor. In a letter to Mr. Fox, he said: "The impregnable and aggressive character of this structure will admonish the leaders of the Southern rebellion that the batteries on the banks of their rivers will no longer prevent the entrance of Union forces. The ironclad intruder will thus prove a severe monitor to those leaders. But there are other 61 24:2 BUILDING THE MONITOR. 1801. leaders who will also be startled and admonished by the booming of the guns from the impregnable iron turret. 'Downing Street' will hardly view with in- difference this last 'Yankee notion,' this monitor. To the Lords of the Admiralty the new craft will be a monitor, suggesting doubts as to the propriety of com- pleting those four steel-clad ships at three and a half millions apiece. On these and many similar grounds I propose to name the new battery Monitor" It was at first intended that the Monitor should join the ex- pedition to New Orleans, and in reference to this As- sistant-Secretary Fox wrote to Ericsson, February 6, 1862, "Can your monitor sail [steam] for the Gulf of Mexico by the 12th inst. ? " But the report of the com- pletion of the Merrimac, at Norfolk, changed the des- tination of the new ironclad. It required no ordinary degree of courage for officers and men to enlist in such a novel ship of war as this. When Stephen Decatur, at the head of seventy-six men, entered the harbor of Tripoli in 1804 in a ketch, and destroyed the PJiiladelphia under the guns of Turkish batteries, Nelson pronounced it the most dar- ing act of the age. The officers and men of the Moni- tor were not only entering a place of equal danger, but were navigating an entirely new machine, which at any moment might become more formidable and merciless to them than even the Confederate guns. The officers, who volunteered for this service were Lieutenant John Lorimer Worden, Lieutenant Samuel Dana Greene, Acting-Master Louis N. Stodder, Acting-Master John J. N. Webber, Acting-Assistant-Surgeon Daniel C. Logue, Acting- Assistant-Paymaster William F. Keeler, First- Assistant-Engineer Isaac Newton, Second-Assist- ant-Engineer Albert B. Campbell, Third- Assistant-En- gineer Robinson W. Hands, Fourth- Assistant-Engineer Mark Trueman Sunstrom, Captain's-Clerk D. Toffey, Quartermaster P. Williams, Gunner's-Mate J. Crown and Boatswain's-Mate J. Stocking. Lieutenant Wor- 1861. THE CONSTITUTION AND THE MONITOR. 243 den left a sick bed to take this command. Chief-Engi- neer Alban C. Stimers volunteered to go on board as a passenger, and performed valuable service in the ves- sel. The crew were volunteers selected from the frigate Sdbine and the receiving- ship North Carolina. There were many points of similarity in the Moni- tor and the old 44-gun frigate Constitution. Both were radical innovations in naval construction in their day, the mounting of 24-pounders in the broadside of a frigate in 1797 being almost as startling as the huge 11-inch guns in the Monitor. The Constitution and the Monitor caused marked changes in the naval archi- tecture of their days ; both were superior to anything afloat, Old Ironsides being heavier in armament than any frigate of her day, while her speed enabled her to outsail the line-of-battle ships. The deck measure- ments of the Monitor and the Constitution were within a few feet of each other ; the latter mounted fifty-five guns, with a total shot weight of seven hundred and sixty-five pounds to the broadside, while the former mounted but two guns, with three hundred and sixty pounds. The cost of the Monitor was two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, an'd that of the Con- stitution was three hundred and two thousand dollars. When the Constitution sailed from Boston, in 1812, to try a battle with an English frigate, orders arrived a few hours afterward to have her remain in port. When the Monitor sailed to meet the enemy, in 1862, orders arrived, as will be seen in the next chapter, changing her destination. CHAPTER VI. IRON VERSUS IRON. AT eleven o'clock on the morning of March 6, 1862, the Monitor, although designed for the smooth waters of harbors and rivers, in tow of the tugboat Seth Low, and escorted by the steamers CurritucTc and Sachem, ventured into the boisterous waters of the Atlantic. Scarcely had she passed the Narrows when orders were received to change her destination to Washington, and a tugboat was immediately sent in chase of the iron- clad, but in vain. Similar orders were then tele- graphed to Captain Marston at Hampton Roads. When the Monitor passed Sandy Hook there was but little wind, and on the first day out she experienced pleasant weather. On the second day the breeze fresh- ened, and drove seas over her exposed decks in alarm- ing quantity. In spite of every contrivance, the berth- deck hatches leaked and the water poured in like a cascade. The waves, rolling completely over the pilot house, knocked the helmsmen from the wheel, poured into the sight-holes or sweeping aft broke against the turret, and ran around the massive tower in swift eddies. The turret did not revolve on rollers, but slid on a smooth, bronze ring let into the deck. Before she left New York hemp rope had been packed into the crevice between the ring and the base of the turret to keep out the water ; but in a short time this packing was washed away, and the sea poured through the opening. The people in the Monitor also neglected to stop the hawse holes, and quantities of water entered by that way, so that before long the vessel was in dan- 244 1862. THE MONITOR NEARLY FOUNDERS. 2tt5 ger of foundering. The seas increased in violence until the gunboats escorting her rolled so much that it was possible at times to look down their holds from the turret of the Monitor. The waves broke over the smokestack of the ironclad, which was only six feet high, and poured down into the tires. The steam pumps were started, but the waves broke over the blower pipes, which were only four feet high, and, run- ning down in large streams, drenched the blower ma- chinery so that the belts slipped. Thus deprived of their artificial draft, the furnaces could not get air for combustion, and the engine room was soon filled with suffocating gas. Engineers Newton and Stimers rushed into the confined space to check the inflowing water, but were overcome with the gas, and with great diffi- culty they were dragged out, more dead than alive, and carried to the top of the turret the only place in the vessel where fresh air could be obtained and here they slowly revived. Water continued to pour down the blower pipes and smokestack and nearly extin- guished the fires, and filled the engine room with such quantities of gas that it was impossible for any man to remain there. The fires soon got so low that the steam pumps would not operate. The hand pumps were then manned, but were found to be useless, as they were not of sufficient power to force the water to the top of the turret, the only place through which it would pass. Bailing was then resorted to, but the buckets had to be passed from the hold through a series of passages and lad- ders, so that even if they were not emptied by the tossing and rolling of the ship when they reached the top of the turret, the time required rendered this a vain endeavor. From the forward part of the ship came the most dismal and unearthly screams and groans, which were caused by the air in the anchor well. "They resembled," said Lieutenant Greene, "the death groans of twenty men, and were the most dismal and 246 IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. awful sounds ever heard." These discordant noises did not tend to raise the spirits of the seamen. The water continued to pour through the hawse holes, hatches, pilot house, smokestack and blower pipes in alarming quantities. Destruction stared the heroic crew in the face, and undoubtedly the vessel would have foundered in a few hours had not the wind to- ward evening died away and the waves subsided. When at last, in comparatively smooth waters, the engines were put in motion and the men took heart. But toward midnight they again got into a rough sea and had to fight the inrtishing water. To add to their complication of the previous day, the wire wheel-ropes for steering the vessel came off the wheels, and all hands were occupied most of that night in hauling on ropes by hand and readjusting the steering gear. Sat- urday morning, March 8th, they again came into smooth water. Although exhausted and dispirited by thirty-six hours of struggle for life, and sadly discour- aged by the many defects that were developed in the ''trial trip" of their novel craft, the men immediately set to work pumping out the water and making repairs. At four o'clock in the afternoon, while they were passing Cape Henry, the distant booming of shotted guns was heard. It was the Merrimac completing the destruction of the Congress, and soon afterward the pilot came aboard and told the dreadful story of that day. With quickened pulse the men of the Monitor keyed up the turret, cleared for action and made every exertion to reach the scene of hostilities, but it was nine o'clock in the evening before they arrived off Fort Monroe. As the night advanced the burning frigate presented a magnificent spectacle. " The moon in her second quarter was just rising over the waters, but her silvery light was soon paled by the conflagration of the Congress, whose glare was reflected in the river. The burning frigate, four miles away, seemed much nearer. As the flames crept up the rigging, every mast, spar 18C2. IN SIGHT OP THE ENEMY. 247 and rope glittered against the dark sky with dazzling lines of fire. The hull was plainly visible, and upon its black surface the mouth of each porthole seemed the mouth of a fiery furnace. For hours the flames raged with hardly a perceptible change in the wondrous pic- ture. At irregular intervals loaded guns and shells, exploding as the fire reachecT them, shook up a shower of sparks and sent forth their deep reverberations. The masts and rigging were still standing, apparently al- most intact, when at one o'clock in the following morn- ing she blew up." ' Lieutenant Worden immediately reported to Captain Marston, of the Jtoanofce, and the latter, in view of the disastrous results of that day, dis- obeyed his order to send the Monitor to Washington, and directed her to remain in the Roads. Ac ting- Mas- ter Samuel Howard volunteering as pilot, the Monitor again got under way, steamed up the channel, and about midnight anchored beside the Minnesota, which ship was still fast aground. The gloom and depression pervading the National forces at Hampton Roads on the night of the 8th was -scarcely disturbed by the arrival of this untried and diminutive stranger, which had barely escaped a pre- mature end in her own element, and which now could hardly be distinguished as she lay in the dark shadow of the powerful frigate she presumed to protect. Nor were the men in the Monitor in a condition to go through the terrible ordeal of the morrow. They were completely exhausted. Isaac Newton was confined in his bunk. He had been under a severe strain during the trip from New York, and he was not expected to be ready for duty for at least a week. During the last fifty hours this heroic ship's company had been bat- tling against the sea night and day for mere existence, and now, just as they were exhausted to the last de- gree, they were called upon to face a foe flushed with 1 R. E. Colston, in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. i, p. 714. 2-iS IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. victory, whose vessel had safely passed the test of one hundred heavy guns, and who were resting in security and quiet, dreaming of greater victories on the morrow. All night long the sounds of preparation for the impending conflict were heard in the little ironclad. There was no time for rest, and as the dawn of Sunday, March 9th, broke over the placid waters of Hampton Roads, they eagerly sought the first glimpse of their confident antagonist. Gradually her dark outlines be- gan to assume shape through the mist that shrouded the shores, and by daylight she was in full view, silent and majestic in the consciousness of her prowess. Soon dense volumes of black smoke began to curl lazily upward, indicating that she was beginning prepa- rations for the work of destruction. At eight o'clock Sunday morning the Merrimac slipped her moorings, and in command of Lieutenant Jones turned her head toward the Minnesota, evidently with the intention of beginning on her. The iron monster leisurely steamed toward the Rip-Raps, and while yet a mile away fired a gun, the shot striking the Minnesota's counter. Now was the time for the Monitor to make her debut. All eyes were turned on the insignificant craft, some with hope, others w T ith contempt, but all feeling that on her depended what little chance there was for escape from a renewal of the horrible scenes of the day before. It was with a sense of relief and astonishment, therefore, that they beheld the Monitor swing from her anchorage and boldly head for the iron monster. From descriptions and plans that the Confederates had received from the North, they immediately recognized the novel machine as the Monitor. One of the men in the Merrimac wrote : " We soon descried a strange- looking iron tower sliding over the waters toward us. It had been seen by the light of the burning Con- gress the night before, and it was reported to us by one of the pilots." The presence of the Monitor caused a change in the Confederate programme, which was, to 1862. FIRST FIGHT OF IRONCLADS. 249 destroy the Minnesota first, and then the Roanoke and the St. Lawrence, after which the way to Washington and New York would be open to the all-powerful Mer- rimac. Instead of proceeding directly for her prey, therefore, the Merrimac turned on the little Monitor, to settle immediately all questions as to who should be master of the Roads. The two strange vessels, so different both from each other and from everything else afloat, now approached in silence. The other vessels and the shores of the Roads were crowded with eager and anxious specta- tors. On the one side the Unionists awaited the issue with deepest anxiety and palpitating hearts, while on the other side the Confederates watched the approach- ing duel with confidence and expectant delight. But all felt that the result of the combat before them would tilt the scales of the civil war heavily one way or the other. About this time Lieutenant Worden took his station in the pilot house with the pilot and quarter- master, while Lieutenant Greene and Chief -Engineer Stimers, with sixteen men, manned the guns in the turret and the machinery for revolving it. Acting- Master Stodder was first stationed at the wheel for re- volving the turret, and when he was disabled Stimers took his place. Acting-Master Webber commanded the powder division on the berth deck, while the pay- master and the captain's clerk on the berth deck passed orders from the pilot house. The remainder of the crew thirty-six men were at their stations in the engine room, cockpit and magazines. Lieutenant Butt, of the Merrimac, had been a roommate of Lieutenant Greene in the Naval Academy at Annapolis. About 8.30 A. M. the Merrimac opened with her bow gun, but now she did not have the broad side of a frigate to aim at and her missile went wide of the mark one point in favor of the Monitor which the specta- tors of the duel were quick to note. Lieutenant Wor- den reserved his fire until within short range, when he 250 IRON VERSUS IRON. changed his course so as to run alongside of his antag- onist ; then he stopped his engines and gave the order "Begin firing!" Immediately the port covers were triced back, the turret revolved until the guns bore, and massive 11-inch solid shot were hurled at the Merrimac. Almost at the same instant the Merrimac brought her starboard broadside to bear, and, taking more careful aim, fired. Lieutenant Greene and his men heard the heavy shot strike viciously on their tur- ret, and for a moment they looked anxiously about them to discover the result of this first test of their citadel. It was seen at a glance that the shot had not penetrated, and as the turret again revolved obediently to the order, a look of confidence and hope spread over every countenance and the men reloaded with a will. After this first pass of arms the ironclads turned and again fired, this time even at closer quarters than before. The Monitor used solid shot, and fired about once in eight minutes, while the Merrimac fired shells exclusively. The broadsides were exchanged, with no effect on the Monitor, while her men, growing more confident in the protection of her turret, even presumed to look out of the ports and see what effect their shot had on the enemy. No dam- age could be dis- covered on the sides of the Mer- rimac, but the difference in the superior weight of 11-inch shot and the lighter guns of the wooden fri- gates was realized by the Confederate crew. About this time Acting-Master Stodder was disabled while leaning against the side of the turret when it was struck by a shell from the Merrimac. The guns of Monitor and Merrimac. 1862. A MOMENT OP ANXIETY. 251 the Merrimac were now fired as fast as they could be loaded, and the Monitor responded every seven or eight minutes. In this contest the latter had the ad- vantage over her huge antagonist, for her light draught and superior speed enabled her to manoeuvre with adroitness, while her revolving turret brought her guns into range whenever they were loaded. The Merrimac, of course, could not fire until her guns bore, and on ac- count of her great draught she was confined to the narrow channel, while the loss of her smokestack on the day before caused her fires to run so low that Chief-Engi- neer Ramsay reported that it was exceedingly difficult to keep up any steam at all. This enabled the little Monitor to counterbalance the superior number of the enemy's guns by keeping out of range. At one time she secured a position from which she poured in her heavy shot, while the Merrimac for several minutes could not bring a gun to bear. After firing broadside after broadside with no ap- parent effect upon his antagonist, Lieutenant Worden sought for some vulnerable place where he could ram the Merrimac, and Lieutenant Jones, of the Merrimac, says, " This manoeuvring caused us great anxiety." At length a dash was made at the Merrimac 1 s stern, in the hope of disabling the rudder or the propeller. The blow was well aimed, but missed its mark by three feet, so that the Monitor grazed along the Merrimac 9 s quarter, and at this instant Lieutenant Greene dis- charged both his guns at the same time. The solid 11- inch shot struck close together halfway up the case- mate and crushed in the iron plates two or three inches. The concussion was terrific, knocking over the crew of the after guns in the Merrimac and causing many of her men to bleed at the nose and ears. Another shot planted in the same place would have penetrated ; but this could not easily be done, owing to the peculiar difficulties under which the people in the turret labored and the want of practice in working the machinery 252 IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. that revolved it. Lieutenant Jones says: " We won- dered how proper aim could be taken in the very short time the guns were in sight." The only view the men in the turret had of the out- side world was over the muzzles of their guns, which cleared the ports by only a few inches. When the guns were run in after each discharge the heavy iron stoppers covered the ports, leaving the gunners to- tally at loss as to what was going on outside until the guns were again run out. As the turret began to re- volve again, they had to watch through their narrow strip of light until the Merrimac was swung into their line of vision. It was only with great difficulty that the enormous mass of iron composing the turret could be started on its revolution. The machinery and the turret itself had become rusty on the passage from New York, so that when once started it was even more difficult to stop it at the desired point. Consequently the men in the turret were obliged to fire " on the fly," or whOe the turret was revolving, lest they should be carried past the range before the engine could bring them to a standstill. Another great embarrassment under which the gun- ners labored was that of distinguishing the bow from the stern and the starboard from the port side when inclosed in their dark tower. White marks had been made on the stationary deck inside the turret, which was next to the revolving deck on which they stood ; but soon their confined space in the turret was filled with burnt gunpowder and smoke, which blackened the faces of the men and their clothing, and everything in the place was covered with a thick layer of soot, which completely obliterated all traces of the distinguishing white marks, leaving the men ignorant as to which di- rection the bow, stern, starboard or port side was in. Furthermore, the rotary motion of the turret made them dizzy and confused their vision. The question was constantly passed to the pilot house, "How does 1863. IX THE MONITOR'S TURRET. 253 the Merrimac bear?" The answer would be, " On the starboard beam "or " On the port quarter," as the case might be ; but the men in the turret were at loss to know in which direction the starboard or port side lay. Consequently, when the guns were ready to be fired the port covers were hauled back and the turret set in motion, while the gunners, without the least idea as to the whereabouts of their foe, closely watched their narrow strip of horizon until the frowning sides of the Merrimac swept into view, when they fired. This complication of difficulties led to the danger of firing into their own pilot house. Soon after the action began both vessels were involved in volumes of smoke, which frequently enveloped them so as to render their outlines exceedingly indistinct, if not entirely con- cealed. This, together with the fact that the Monitor's turret was filled with smoke, might easily induce an excited gunner, already confused by the whirligig mo- tion of the turret, and fully convinced that he must fire on the fly, to pull the lanyard as the beclouded out- lines of the pilot house came into view. The speaking- tube that connected the pilot house with the turret was broken early in the action, so that all orders had to be transmitted verbally. This led to much delay in exe- cuting orders, and also caused errors, as the messenger intrusted to this duty was a landsman and frequently confused the technical terms he conveyed. Another great object constantly held in view by the sorely em- barrassed men in the turret was to prevent the enemy from landing a shell within it. Such a disaster would be irreparable, as there were not enough men in the vessel to form a relief crew, even if the turret and guns were not disabled by such an explosion. The effect of heavy shot striking the turret was not serious unless men happened to be standing near the iron where the shot struck. Three men were knocked down in this way, including Chief -Engineer S timers, who was 254 IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. not seriously hurt. The other two men were carried below and recovered before the battle was over. Despairing of injuring the Monitor, Lieutenant Jones made for the Minnesota, but in so doing he ran his vessel aground. In a short time, however, he got her afloat again. As the Merrimac approached the Minnesota the latter delivered full broadsides, but with no effect, although fifty solid shot were fired. The enemy responded with shells from his bow gun, one of which exploded amidships on the berth deck, and tore four rooms into one and started a fire. The second shell exploded the boiler of the steamer Dragon that was lying alongside the frigate. By the time the Mer- rimac fired her third shell at the Minnesota the Mon- itor was again in range, and the duel between the iron- clads was renewed. After hurling broadside after broadside at the Monitor with no effect, the Merrimac determined to try her ram, manreuvring some time for a position, and an opportunity at last presented itself. On went the ironclad at full speed, but her vigilant foe eluded the shock, so that only a slanting blow was given. One of the men in the Merrimac wrote: "Nearly two hours passed, and many a shot and shell were ex- changed at close quarters, with no perceptible damage to either side. The Merrimac is discouragingly cum- brous and unwieldy. To wind her for each broadside fifteen minutes are lost, while during all this time the Monitor is whirling around and about like a top, and the easy working of her turret and her precise and rapid movements elicit the wondering admiration of all. She is evidently invulnerable to our shell. Our next movement is to run her down. We ram her with all our force. But she is so flat and broad that she merely slides away from under our hull, as a floating door would slip away from under the cutwater of a barge. All that we could do was to push her. Lieu- tenant Jones now determined to board her, to choke 1862. AT CLOSE QUARTERS. 255 her turret in some way, and lash her to the Merrimac. The blood is rushing through our veins, the shrill pipe and the hoarse roar of the boatswain, ' Boarders away ! ' are heard, but lo, our enemy has hauled off into shoal water, where she is safe from our ship as if she was on the topmost peak of Blue Ridge." "Her bow passed over our deck," wrote Chief -Engineer Al- bans C. Stimers, who was a volunteer in the Monitor, to Ericsson, "and our sharp upper edge rail cut through the light iron shoe upon her stem, and well into her oak." At the instant of the collision Lieuten- ant Greene planted an 11 -inch shot on the Merrimac 's forward casemate, which crushed in the iron and shat- tered the wooden backing, but did no further damage. Had the gun been charged with fifty pounds of pow- der, the shot would have penetrated ; but peremptory orders had been issued by the department to use only fifteen pounds in the charge, as the guns were new and were of extraordinarily large caliber for those days. On the other hand, had the Merrimac used solid shot, the effect of her blows on the Monitor would have been far more serious. After two hours of incessant action the ammunition in the Monitor's turret began to fail, upon which Lieu- tenant Worden hauled off to replenish his stock. This could be done only when the scuttle in the revolving deck of the turret was exactly over a corresponding opening in the stationary deck immediately below it, which compelled Lieutenant Worden to retire from the action until ponderous shot were hoisted from the hold into the turret. This was the movement that led the Merrimac's people to believe that their antagonist was retreating. In this short lull Lieutenant Worden passed through the portholes of the turret to the deck, so as to get a better view of the situation. In fifteen minutes the Monitor was again ready for the struggle and gallantly bore down on her huge an- tagonist, and the enemy, despairing of making any im- 256 IRON VERSUS IRON. 1863. pression on the turret, now concentrated their fire on the pilot house. About 11.30 A. M., while Lieutenant Worden was watching the enemy through a sight-hole in the pilot house, a shell struck on the outside not more than fifteen inches from him and exploded, filling his face and eyes with powder. For a moment it was thought that the pilot house was demolished, and Lieu- tenant Worden gave the order to sheer off, at the same time sending for Lieutenant Greene. The latter officer hastened forward and found his commander leaning against the ladder that led to the pilot house. As the dim yellow light of the ship's lantern fell upon Lieuten- ant Worden he presented a ghastly sight. Blood seemed to be oozing from every pore in his face, while with closed eyes he helplessly clung to the ladder for sup- port. Lieutenant Greene assisted him to a sofa in his cabin, where he was attended by Dr. Logue ; but even there the heroic man could not forget the great strug- gle that was going on above him, and constantly in- quired about the progress of the battle, apparently for- getful of the intense pain caused by his wound. When told that the Minnesota had been saved, he said, " Then I can die happy." The command of the Monitor now devolved upon Lieutenant Greene, who hastened to the pilot house and once more gave his attention to the foe. On ex- amination, it was found that only the heavy iron plate had been fractured, while the steering gear remained intact. In the confusion of the moment, however, the Monitor had been drifting aimlessly about, but at noon she was again headed for the enemy. Lieutenant Jones, of the Merrimac. observing the Monitor run- ning to shoal water where he could not follow her, de- termined to return to Norfolk. The Monitor fired two or three shot at her retiring foe, indicating her will- ingness to continue the fight, but the Merrimac held on her course up Elizabeth River, and the Monitor returned to her station by the side of the Minnesota, 1862. COMPARATIVE INJURIES. 257 which vessel was still hard aground. So little hope of the successful repulse of the Merrimac had been en- tertained by the officers of the Minnesota, that when Lieutenant Greene came aboard he found every prepa- ration had been made to abandon and fire the ship. In this fight between the ironclads the Monitor was struck nine times on her turret, twice on the pilot house, three times on the deck and eight times on her side. The deepest indentation was made by a shot that entered four inches into the iron on her side. One shell crushed in the turret two inches. The Monitor fired forty-one shot. Ninety-seven indentations of shot were found on the Merrimatfs armor, twenty of which were from the 11-inch guns of the Monitor. None of her lower layers of iron plates were broken, but six of the top layers were smashed by the Monitor's shot. After her action with the Monitor the Merrimac withdrew to Norfolk and was placed in dry dock for repairs. She was then supplied with a new steel ram, wrought-iron shutters were fitted to her ports, the hull for a distance of four feet below the casemate was cov- ered with two-inch plates, and her rifled guns were supplied with steel-pointed solid shot. These changes increased her draught to twenty-three feet and reduced her speed to four knots. On the llth of April she again steamed down Elizabeth river in command of Commodore Josiah Tattnall, with the expectation of meeting the Monitor, which at that time was anchored below Fort Monroe with the other National vessels. But the Monitor remained strictly on the defensive, as she was the only effective ironclad ship in the posses- sion of the Government in any way capable of meeting the Merrimac. For much the same reason Commo- dore Tattnall was not permitted to run past Fort Mon- roe and attack the Monitor, as the loss of the Merrimac would expose the more important operations of the Confederate forces on land. At this time the National naval force in Hampton 62 258 IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. Roads, in anticipation of another attack from the Mer- rimac, had been increased to about twenty-five war vessels of all classes. The vital point to be gained by the Government at this time was to prevent the Mer- rimac from becoming mistress of these waters, and to attain this object every minor consideration was sacri- ficed. In the Union fleet was the swift river boat Bal- timore, which drew only six inches forward, and it was proposed to drive her bow upon the submerged deck of the Merrimac and thus hold the ironclad steady while the other vessels took turns in ramming her. The vessels were anchored in two columns, one headed by the Minnesota and the other by the Vanderbilt, and all were held in readiness for immediate action. Of such great importance was the possession of Hamp- ton Roads to the National cause that the Monitor was held in reserve, to be called into action only when the fleet of twenty-five vessels failed to accomplish the destruction of the Merrimac. Observing three merchantmen anchored above Fort Monroe, the Jamestown made a gallant dash at them, and in spite of the heavy fire from the land batteries carried them off in triumph, amid cheers from the crew of the British corvette Rinaldo. Two of the prizes were brigs laden with supplies for McClellan's army. At another time the Merrimac again dropped down the Roads and exchanged a few shot with Fort Monroe, in hope of inducing the Monitor to give battle. On this occasion Commodore Tattnall had made prepara- tions for his four gunboats to surround the Monitor, board her with overwhelming numbers, cover her gun ports and pilot house with tarpaulins, wedge the turret so it could not be used, and throw hand grenades into the turret and down the smokestack. The people in the Monitor were prepared for such an emergency, but they were still compelled by the orders of the Govern- ment to remain strictly on the defensive. An effort has been made to show that the action be- 1862. A VICTORY FOR THE MONITOR. 259 tween the Monitor and the Merrimac, if not a victory for the latter, was at least a drawn battle. It is diffi- cult to understand how such a conclusion could be ar- rived at. On the morning of March 9th the Merrimac came out with the avowed purpose of destroying the remaining ships in Hampton Roads, knowing at that time that the Monitor had arrived, for, says a South- ern account, on the evening of March 8th "one of the pilots chanced, about 11 p. M., to be looking in the di- rection of the Congress, when there passed a strange- looking craft, brought out in bold relief by the brilliant light of the burning ship, which he at once proclaimed to be the JUricsson [Monitor]. We were therefore not surprised in the morning to see the Monitor at anchor near the Minnesota." This shows that the Merrimac, on the morning of March 9th, assumed the offensive, knowing that the Monitor was among the National ships. It is also shown by Southern records that on that memorable day the Monitor at no time assumed any but a defensive position. The Monitor entered Hampton Roads with the avowed purpose of prevent- ing the destruction of the National ships. On the even- ing of March 9th the Merrimac retired from Hampton Roads without having accomplished her object, but the Monitor had accomplished hers. On the morning of March 9th the Merrimac was master of the situation in Hampton Roads, but in the evening of that day the Monitor was. If the argument that because the Moni- tor did not capture her antagonist she did not win a complete victory is held good, then General Jackson did not win the battle of New Orleans, because the British army was not captured; Wellington did not win at Waterloo, because Napoleon's army was allowed to escape ; and a long list of celebrated naval victories were not victories because the bulk of the defeated squadron escaped. After the battle the Monitor was ordered to protect the National ships at Hampton Roads but attempt nothing further. This she did in 2GO IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. the most effectual manner. More than one battle has been won by masterly inactivity, and the destruction of the Merrimac a few weeks later was directly due to the prolonged presence of the Monitor in the Roads acting strictly on the defensive. Realizing that shot and shell could not be relied upon to destroy the Merrimac, the Government col- lected a large fleet of vessels in Hampton Roads, deter- mined to crush the " monster " by sheer weight. Ru- mors of the Merrimac's coming out as soon as her repairs were finished came to the Nationalists from time to time, and stimulated them to greater exertions, and by April 9, 1862, twenty-five unarmored vessels, besides the Monitor, under the orders of Flag-Officer Goldsborough, were in the Roads. The most important of these were the Minnesota, SusqueJianna, Dakota, Seminole, San Jacinto, Octorara, Wachusetts, Aroos- tooTc, Maratanza, VanderMlt, Oriole, Aroga, Rhode Island, Illinois, Stevens, Ericsson and Baltimore. The last was "a light river boat, side wheeler, of great speed and curved bow, drawing only six inches forward and six feet aft, held in front for the purpose of being forced upon one of the nearly submerged ends of the Merrimac, if possible, either forward or abaft the superstructure, according to circumstances, in order to render the ironclad immovable, and while thus held she was to be rammed by the vessels of the National fleet." J This great fleet was anchored in two columns, headed by the Minnesota and VanderMlt, about a mile and a half east of Fort Monroe, the right column consisting of merchant vessels and the left of war craft. The Monitor and Stevens were held in reserve in case the wooden ships failed to destroy the Merrimac. Of these vessels only the Vanderbilt had her bow pro- tected with iron. On April llth the Merrimac, accompanied by the 1 Rear- Admiral Thomas Stowell Phelps to the author. 1862. LAST OF THE MERRIMAC. 261 gunboats Jamestown and Raleigh and four other ves- sels, 1 ventured into the Roads, the gunboats promptly seizing two brigs and a schooner which had grounded near Beaches Landing, having moved over to that side of the road in disobedience to orders. After reaching Mid- dle Ground, however, the Merrimac remained station- ary, and late in the afternoon retired toward her moor- ing, above Craney Island. ' ' The boats of an English and a French man-of-war anchored northward of Newport News shoal were observed to communicate with the Merrimac, and about 2 P. M. the French ship weighed, and running leeward of the fleet her commander boarded the Minnesota, and in conversation with the flag officer remarked that during his interview with Commodore Tattnall that officer had stated " that he perfectly understood Goldsborough's plans, and did not propose to subject his ship to certain destruction, thus explaining why he refrained from attempting to ac- complish the object of his visit to the Roads." ' Soon afterward the Merrimac returned to Norfolk for neces- sary repairs. The subsequent careers of these celebrated ironclads were short and tragic. In the following May Norfolk was abandoned by the Confederates, and on the 10th of that month the Merrimac was set on fire and on the following morning she blew up. Five days later the crews of the Monitor and the Merrimac again met in battle, the latter being on shore. After the destruction of the Merrimac her men were ordered to assist in the defenses of Richmond, and with great efforts they erected a battery of three 32-pounders and two 64- pounders at Drewry's Bluff, and on May 15th the iron- clad Galena (Commander John Rodgers), the Monitor, the Port Royal and the Naugatuck came up the river within six hundred yards of this battery and opened 1 Private Journal of Rear-Admiral Trenchard. 2 Rear-Admiral Thomas Stowell Phelps to the author. 262 IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. fire. Owing to the great height of the bluffs on which the Confederate batteries were placed, the tire from the gunboats was not so effective, but two guns of the bat- tery were dismounted, and several Confederates were killed or wounded. After a battle of four hours the vessels retired. The Galena in this affair had thir- teen killed and eleven wounded, the Port Royal one wounded, and the Naugatuck two wounded ; total, thirteen killed and fourteen wounded. A sheet-iron breastwork about four feet high had been placed on the Monitor's turret as a protection against sharpshooters. On the 29th of December the Monitor, Commander John Pine Bankhead, in company with the steamer Rhode Island, Captain Stephen Decatur Trenchard, sailed for Beaufort, N. C. Unusual precautions were taken to insure the safety of the ironclad, as her ex- periences on her trip from New York to Hampton Roads in the spring gave well-grounded cause for anxiety. Commander Trenchard accordingly gave the following night orders: "The officer of the deck is directed to have a very bright lookout kept off the bow and beam. He will sound at ten o'clock and in- form me of the depth of water ; also at four o'clock in the morning. The course will be south-southeast as at present steered until order is changed. Keep a sharp lookout upon the Monitor astern, and should she sig- nal attend to it at once ; then report to me. Inform me of every change of wind and weather. The speed of the steamer should be regulated by the sea. If it increases, moderate the speed ; if smooth, increase it. Inform me when the steamer has made sixty miles from 10 P. M." ' The following day was pleasant, and when off Hat- teras Shoals the steamer State of Georgia, with the monitor Passaic in tow, passed them to the northeast, and the steamer Gahanta with a troop-ship tow came 1 Private Journal of Rear- Admiral Trenchard. 1863. SINKING OF THE MONITOR. 263 in sight. About 7 P. M. the wind increased in violence, and at 9 P. M. Bankhead signaled the Rhode Island to stop. "Finding that the Monitor had fallen off into the trough of the sea and that the waves were making a complete breach over her, we started the engines again. The steamer soon brought her head to the wind under easy steam, when the Monitor appeared to make better weather. "At 11 P.M. Captain Bankhead signaled that he required assistance, and upon stopping the engines and on the Monitor ranging up alongside, he hailed, and said, ' The Monitor is sinking ! ' Our boats were immediately cleared away, and arrangements were made to get the officers and crew from the sinking iron- clad to the Rhode Island with as little delay as possi- ble. The port hawser with which we were towing the Monitor had parted in the early part of the evening, and the stream cable was cut by some one on board the ironclad. About eleven o'clock, or soon afterward, our boats succeeded in getting nearly all on board, and the first cutter had started to get the remainder on board, when, unhappily, about 1.30 A. M. on the 31st of December the Monitor suddenly disappeared. Act- ing-Master's Mate D. Rodney Brown was in charge of the cutter, having with him Charles H. Smith, cox- swain, Morris Wagg, coxswain, Hugh Logan, captain of the afterguard, Lewis A. Horton, seaman, George Moore, seaman, Luke M. Griswold, ordinary seaman, and John Jones, landsman, who composed the crew of the boat. We lost sight of the cutter, and kept as near the position as possible until daylight, and then cruised up in the direction of Hatteras Shoals for the remainder of the day in hopes of picking up our boat." 1 Nothing was seen of the boat, however, and the Rhode Island made for Beaufort. The fate of this heroic boat's crew was almost as 1 Private Journal of Rear-Admiral Trcnchard. 264 !RO N VERSUS IRON. 1862. tragic as that of the Monitor herself, as the Rhode Islanders learned several days later. Brown, after having made two trips to the Monitor, started on the third, and after leaving the Rhode Island he saw the red lights burning at the flagstaff of the Monitor and apparently about one mile distant. 1 As the sea and the wind were "against him he made but little progress, yet he continued gaining until within a quarter of a mile of the Monitor, when the light suddenly became extinguished. It appeared to settle gradually in the water as he approached her, and then it disappeared altogether. When he approached to what he supposed to. be the position of the vessel, he could perceive no other trace of her except an eddy produced by the sinking craft. He remained near that position as long as he deemed prudent, in order to rescue any of the crew who might be in the water ; but he found none. He then started for the Rhode Island, which then ap- peared to be two miles distant, the weather being over- cast and attended with a slight rain, the wind hauling off to the north. Soon afterward he lost sight of the Rhode Island, but in a few minutes saw the first, second and third lights. This is the last he saw of the Rhode Island that night. He then made a drag of the boat's mast by which he kept her head to the sea, the men being constantly on the lookout for a signal. As none could be seen, he then made for the northward and westward, finding the sea too rough to pull directly to the west, hoping to fall in with some coasting vessel. " Mr. Brown kept the boat's crew pulling all night in order to overcome the great strength of the current. He thought that if they did not do this they would drift far away from the track of all vessels before day- light. At break of day he discovered a schooner some four or five miles away from them. He also mentioned 1 Brown's official report to Commander Trenchard. 1862. SINKING OF THE MONITOR. 265 seeing a small boat some distance off with two or three men in her, observing her as she rose two or three times upon the crest of a wave and then disappearing. At this time Brown's crew was engrossed with the man- agement of their own boat, the sea being very irregu- lar and the waves seeming to come from all quarters. After losing sight of the schooner referred to, Mr. Brown saw a large ship close hauled, the wind being from the northward and eastward. He had approached her sufficiently near to make out the men upon her decks, but she passed on without noticing his signals for assistance. He then pulled directly in for the land, which he estimated to be about ten miles distant. This was about half past nine o'clock in the morning of De- cember 31st, and about an hour afterward he made a schooner to leeward. He got up the crew's coats in order to make the sail, and broke some of his oars to assist in rigging the sail. He then ran down for the schooner, and about eleven o'clock managed to get alongside. The schooner proved to be the A. Colby, commanded by H. D. Harriman, of Buckport, Me., bound for Fernandina, with bricks for Government use. Mr. Brown and his crew were received with every kindness. "The cutter was taken aboard the schooner, and Mr. Harriman was requested to change his course so far as to land the officers and men at Beaufort, N. C. This he consented to do, but in running in for the coast, with a view of ascertaining more correctly his position, having been without an observation for sev- eral days, his schooner struck on Diamond Shoals, off Cape Hatteras. Being laden with brick, which strained the vessel dangerously every time she struck bottom, it was feared that the A. Colby would soon go to pieces. As it was, she began to leak dangerously. Mr. Harri- man managed to get her afloat, and, continuing on his course for Beaufort, he anchored that night under the land near Cape Hatteras inlet. The men were kept 266 IRON VERSUS IRON. 1862. constantly at work pumping out the water as fast as it leaked in. On the following day they sighted a steamer, and made the signal of distress. Harriman went aboard the vessel, which proved to be the United States gunboat Miami, Captain Townsend. Mr. Har- riman reported the situation of his schooner and the crew, upon which Captain Townsend dispatched a boat with twelve men to assist in getting the schooner into port. "That same afternoon they started for Beaufort, reaching there on the morning of the 2d of January." ' 1 Maclay's Reminiscences of the Old Navy. CHAPTER VII. FOETS HENRY AND DOKELSON. THE Mississippi River has been called the ''Back- bone of the Rebellion." From the outbreak the Con- federate leaders realized its importance in extending their territory westward, and the more ambitious looked to an ultimate formation, with the West India Islands and Mexico, of one great slave empire. Pos- session of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers from Smith- land to New Orleans gave them the control of the Red, Arkansas, White, Tennessee and Cumberland, while the conquest of the enormous basin drained by their confluents they hoped would follow in the course of time. It would be difficult to exaggerate the important part that the Mississippi River played in this great struggle. In New Orleans, the center of the mightiest river system in the world, the Confederacy possessed a considerable plant for building ironclads, casting great guns and making small arms, and there skilled me- chanics were in sympathy with the cause. From the fertile State of Texas which, being remote from the seat of war, escaped its ravages immense supplies of beef were driven across the Mississippi to the Confed- erate army, long after the seaboard States had been exhausted. At New Orleans enormous quantities of cotton, collected from hundreds of miles around and placed on swift vessels, eluded the vigilance of the blockaders, and on returning supplied the secession- ists with arms and munitions of war. No one was more alive to the importance of this stream than the Confederate leaders themselves. From 267 268 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1861. the beginning their most skillful engineers were en- gaged in fortifying its banks from Columbus to Forts Jackson and St. Philip. A large portion of the money and the strength of the South was massed along this river, presenting a frowning gantlet through which, it was confidently asserted, "no craft afloat could pass." Every strategic point was crowned with bristling bat- teries, and the most difficult bends were obstructed until one formidable line of fortifications guarded the river for a thousand miles. Beginning at the north, the Confederates erected strong batteries at Columbus, Island No. 10, Fort Pillow, Vicksburg (which may be regarded as the citadel of their river system of fortifica- tions), Grand Gulf, Port Hudson, Baton Rouge and Forts Jackson and St. Philip ; so that, should they lose either end of the line, their troops need only to fall back on the next post, gradually concentrating their forces with each defeat, until their entire strength massed at Vicksburg might well defy the armies of the North. The northernmost line of defense began at Co- lumbus, and extended eastward by Forts Henry and Donelson on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, through Bowling Green to Mill Spring. The first measure taken by the Government for the repossession of the Mississippi was the construction of a squadron of gunboats suitable for river navigation and operations against heavy land batteries. No naval station, dockyard or arsenal had been established on the Mississippi or its tributaries, as an enemy had not been expected in that quarter, so that the great undertaking of building a flotilla of war vessels had to begin with constructing the plant for such work. This task was at first assumed by the War Department, as it was thought that the fortifications on the Missis- sippi would be attacked principally by land forces and only a few transports would be required. In the spring of 1861 James Buchanan Eads and Commander John Rodgers went to Cairo and began the work of creating 1861. BUILDING A RIVER FLEET. 269 an inland navy. In May, Commander Rodgers went to Cincinnati, where he purchased the side- wheel steamers Conestoga, A. 0. Tyler and Lexington. Their boilers and steam pipes were lowered into the hold and were partially protected by coal bunkers, while oak bul- warks five inches thick, and pierced for guns, shielded the crew from musketry. The Conestoga was armed with four smooth-bore 32-pounders, the Tyler, renamed Taylor, with six 8-inch shell guns and three rifled 30- pounders, while the Lexington mounted four 8-inch smooth-bore guns, one 32-pounder and two rifled 30- pounders. On the 12th of August these improvised war vessels were taken to Cairo. In the earlier opera- tions these gunboats did not carry rifled guns, and at the battle of Belmont they did not have stern guns. In the mean time the War Department advertised for seven flat-bottomed vessels, capable of mounting thirteen heavy guns each, and drawing not more than six feet of water. They were to be about six hundred tons burden, fitted with high-pressure engines, capable of steaming nine miles an hour, to be one hundred and seventy-five feet long and fifty-one and a half feet wide. Their wooden hulls had sides inclined inward from the water's edge at an angle of thirty-five degrees. As these vessels were expected to fight bows on, the for- ward casemate was built with twenty-four inches of solid oak, covered with two and a half inches of iron. The same thickness of iron was laid abreast of the boilers and engines, but without the wood backing, which left the stern and the sides, forward and abaft of the machinery, vulnerable. The conical pilot house was built with heavy oak and plated on the forward side with two and a half inches of iron, and on the after side with one and a half inches of iron. The armaments of these gunboats were made up of such cannon as could be picked up at the moment. Thirty- five old-fashioned 42-pounders supplied by the army were rifled, which weakened them, as they were not re- 270 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1861. enforced by steel bands. They were always regarded as dangerous, and several of them burst. These vessels were to be propelled by a wheel in the middle, sixty feet forward of the stern, covered by the casemate. This left a chasm in the stem of the same width as the paddle wheel, eighteen feet. This chasm in the hull of the vessel was planked over and was called the fantail. These vessels mounting thirteen guns (generally three 8-inch shell guns, six 32-pounders and four rifled 42-pounders), were named the De Kalb (St. Louis\ the Carondelet, the Cincinnati, the Louis- ville, the Mound City, the Cairo and the Pittsburgh. They were built by Mr. Eads. They were begun in August, 1861, and by working day and night and seven days in the week they were launched and ready for their armaments and crews within one hundred days. Before the completion of these ironclads Mr. Eads converted the snag boat Benton, of about one thousand tons burden, into a formidable gunboat. She was con- structed on two hulls, twenty feet apart, which were braced together with heavy timbers, the space between the two hulls being planked so that there was a contin- uous flat bottom. The upper side was decked over in the same manner, and by extending the outer sides of the two hulls until they joined each other forward and aft the twin boats became one wide substantial hull. The false bottom of the Benton was carried within fifty feet of the stern, where it was brought up to the deck so as to leave a space open for a wheel, which was turned by the original engine of the snag boat. Thus altered, the Benton was two hundred and two feet long and had seventy-two feet beam. A case- mate covered with iron plates was built on her deck, slanting inward at an angle of about thirty-five degrees, and this casemate was carried up so as to cover the wheel. On the bow the casemate was plated with three and a half inches of iron backed by thirty inches of oak, while the wheelhouse and stern were covered with 1861. COMPLICATED AUTHORITY. 271 two and a half inches of iron and twelve inches of oak. The rest of the casemate was covered with f-inch iron. Thus completed, the Benton drew nine feet of water and made about five miles an hour. She was armed with two 9-inch shell guns, four rifled 42-pound- ers, two rifled 50-pounders and eight smooth-bore 32- pounders. Another vessel, the Essex, named after the Essex of the War of 1812, and commanded by William David Porter, a son of Captain David Porter, was armed with one 10-inch, three 9-inch, one 32-pounder and two rifled 50-pounders. Besides these vessels there were thirty-eight mortar boats or rafts, each mounting one 13-inch mortar. Commander Porter had two sons in the Confederate service. The difficulty of manning these vessels was even greater than that of building them. Their crews, as finally brought together, consisted of landsmen, steam- boat hands, soldiers and seamen. Five hundred sail- ors arrived from the Atlantic States in November, 1861, and on the 23d of December eleven hundred troops were ordered for the service from Washington. The mixed character of these crews gave rise to many diffi- culties, Major-Greneral Halleck insisting that the offi- cers of the regiments from which the troops came should accompany the men and owe no obedience to naval officers except to a commander of the gunboat. This necessarily caused confusion and prevented a large number of troops from serving. On the 30th of August, 1861, Captain Andrew Hull Foote was ap- pointed commander of the Western flotilla. Arriving at Cairo on the 12th of September, he found his move- ments greatly embarrassed by "want of funds and ma- terial for naval purposes." At the time of his arrival he had only the rank corresponding to colonel, and he very properly complained that " every brigadier could interfere with him." Even when he received his ap- pointment as flag officer, November 13, 1862, which gave him the relative rank of major-general, the naval 272 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1861. officers under him were constantly liable to be harassed by conflicting orders from any superior army officer under whom they might be serving. With this emi- nently improper complication of authority the early operations of the Western flotilla were carried on, and it is greatly to the credit of both the navy and the army officers that they got along as harmoniously as they did. It was not until July, 1863, that the fleet was transferred to the Navy Department. There is another class of men who served in these gunboats who should be honorably mentioned the pilots. These men, although denied all the professional advantages of officers, and cut off from all hope of regular promo- tion, served, as a rule, loyally and with conspicuous gallantry all through the naval operations on the Western rivers. It called for unusual bravery to act as a pilot in this service, as it was well known that the pilot house would be the first and last target of the enemy, for, the pilot killed or disabled, the gunboat was practically thrown out of action. The pilot house might well be called the slaughter pen, for in the ac- tion at Fort Henry two pilots were killed Marshall H. Ford and James McBride ; in the Fort Donelson affair two more were killed Frank Riley and William Hinton and others were wounded, two of the gun- boats dropping out of action largely for this reason. Another pilot was killed just above Fort Donelson, while the number of officers who were killed or wound- ed in their pilot houses shows that it was pre-eminently a post of danger. The neutral attitude assumed by Kentucky at the outbreak of the war at first made both sides reluctant to invade her territory ; but early in September the Confederates occupied Columbus and Hickman, upon which General Grant seized Paducah and Smithland. In September, Grant, who was in command of the troops in Cairo, determined to march against Norfolk, eight or nine miles below, where a considerable body 1861. BATTLE OF NORFOLK. 273 of Confederates had assembled. Accordingly, on the 10th of September the gunboats Lexington, Com- mander Roger N. Stembel, and Conestoga, Lieutenant S. Ledyard Phelps, dropped down the river so as to support the troops. A few miles down the Lexington was fired upon by a battery of sixteen field pieces, supported by a body of cavalry that assisted in mov- ing the artillery from place to place along the river bank. But the Confederate guns were too light to effect much damage, and shells from the gunboats, bursting among the horsemen, scattered them. The Lexington pursued and drove them under the guns of their fortifications at Columbus. On the same afternoon the Confederate gunboat Yankee came up the river and opened fire at long range on the Con- estoga and the Lexington. The first shot from the Conestoga's heavy gun compelled the Yankee to re- treat, and when she was about two miles distant an 8-inch shell from the Lexington exploded on her star- board wheelhouse, which so injured her that only one engine could be used in reaching Columbus. As the National gunboats were retiring from this skirmish one man was severely wounded by fire from an ambush. On the 24th of September the Lexington moved up the Ohio River, where she was joined a few days later by the Conestoga^ and visited several points on the Cum- berland, Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The appearance of these gunboats did much toward keep- ing alive the spirit of loyalty to the National cause. On the 28th of October the Conestoga broke up a Con- federate camp on the Cumberland, inflicting a loss of several killed and wounded. Although these opera- tions were not important, yet they proved to be excel- lent practice for the green crews, and accustomed them to the strange craft they were manning. Early in November Grant advanced upon Belmont for the purpose of destroying a Confederate camp, and also to prevent the enemy from sending troops into Mis- 63 274 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1861. souri to interfere with an expedition that had been sent into that State for the purpose of driving General M. Jeff. Thompson out of it. Accordingly, on the evening of November 6th, the Tyler, Commander Henry Walke, MISSOURI Norfolk" Belmont /t Columbus fiewMadi; Hickman Memphis SCENE OF THE NAVAL, OPERATION OTf THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI. and the Lexington, Commander Stembel, dropped down the river to convoy a half dozen transports, and en- gaged the batteries at Columbus with a view of divert- ing the enemy's attention from the real point of attack. Moving in a circle so as to prevent the enemy estab- lishing the range, these gunboats, on November 7th, opened fire ; but as they were not capable of engaging the formidable batteries at close quarters, they soon 1861. BATTLE OP BELMOXT. 275 drew out of range. They returned, however, several times during the day and opened a spirited fire. In the last attack a shot passed obliquely through the Tyler's side, deck and scantling, killed one man and wounded two others. Finding that the firing in the direction of Belmont had ceased, the gunboat dis- charged a few more broadsides and then returned to the landing where the transports were anchored. The troops under General Grant, having accomplished their purpose, were returning, and soon appeared at the land- ing, pursued by a superior force of Confederates. As the Southerners eagerly pressed forward in anticipation of cutting off the retreat of the National troops before they could embark in their transports, the gunboats opened with shell and grape. An eyewitness says: "The enemy planted their fresh artillery, supported by infantry, in a cornfield just above our transports with the intention of sinking them when we started up the river, and of bagging the entire army ; but thanks to the gunboats Tyler and Lexington and their experienced gunners, they saved us from a terrible doom. They took up a position be- tween us and the enemy and opened their guns upon them, letting slip a whole broadside at once. This movement was performed so quickly that the Con- federates could not fire on us. Their guns were si- lenced as soon as they opened, or probably were dis- mounted. The first shot from the gunboats made a perfect lane through the enemy's ranks." The Con- federates endeavored to reply with musketry, but with- out effect, and the fire from the gunboats soon put them to flight. As the National vessels were returning to Cairo Commander Walke learned that some of our troops had been left behind. He promptly put down the river and met straggling groups of soldiers who were directed to go on board the transports. Satisfied that all had been rescued, Walke rejoined the vessels up the river. 276 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 18G1-'G2. On the 11 tli of January, 1862, Commander Porter, of the Essex, was informed that seven Confederate steamers, having in tow a floating battery, were mov- ing up the river from Columbus. Immediately signal- ing Lieutenant Leonard Paulding, of the De Kalb, Commander Porter stood down the river. A heavy fog obstructed the view until about ten o'clock, when the mist rolled aside and revealed a large vessel at the head of a bend, in company with two steamers. The National gunboats immediately bore down to close. When at longe range the enemy opened with a heavy shell gun, and the missile struck a sandbar and rico- chetted within two hundred yards of the Essex, when it exploded. The Essex did not immediately reply, but moved steadily downstream until at long range, when the De Kalb discharged a rifled gun, immediately after which the Essex opened, and for twenty minutes an animated tire was maintained on both sides. At the end of this time the enemy retired, rounding to once in a while to fire a broadside. The Essex and the De Kalb kept up a running fight until the chase, in a crip- pled condition, ran under the cover of the battery above Columbus. The first of the three strongholds that constituted the Confederate northern line of defense in the West was Fort Henry, on Tennessee River. This was an earthwork with five bastions on low ground at a bend in the river, mounting one 10-inch columbiad, one 6- inch rifled gun, two 42-pounders, eight 32-pounders, five 18-pounders and four 12-pounders. The garrison consisted of the Fourth and Seventh Mississippi, the First Kentucky, one Louisiana regiment, and a cavalry company under the command of Brigadier-General Lloyd Tilghman. The plan of attack was to send fif- teen regiments of infantry, with several batteries of artillery and a body of horse, to make a reconnoissance toward Columbus, with a view of deceiving the enemy as to the real point of attack. At the same time Brig- 1862. RIVER SKIRMISHING. 277 adier-General C. F. Smith, with six thousand men, was to march overland to Forts Henry and Donelson, but on reaching Paducah they were to return, so as to lead the enemy to believe that the expedition on Fort Henry had been abandoned. On the morning of February 2, 1862, the naval part of the expedition, under command of Captain Foote, left Cairo, and in the evening it reached the mouth of Tennessee River. This force consisted of the Cincin- nati (flagship), Commander Stembel ; the Essex, Com- mander Porter ; the Carondelet, Commander Walke ; the De Kalb, Lieutenant Paulding ; and the wooden gunboats Conestoga, Lieutenant Phelps ; Lexington, Lieutenant James W. Shirk ; and Tyler, Lieutenant William Gwin. These vessels when approaching the fort were ordered to keep in constant motion by steam- ing ahead or dropping back with the current, so as to destroy the enemy's range, at the same time keep- ing their heavily protected bows toward the fort. On the 4th of February the squadron anchored six miles below Fort Henry, where the troops were landed and stationed at several points, so as to prevent re- enforcements from reaching the garrison and cut off all avenues of escape in case the fort surrendered. On the 5th of March General Grant and his staff went aboard the Essex and ran close up to the forts to recon- noiter. While they were thus engaged the enemy opened fire and sent a shot through the officers' quar- ters and into the steerage, upon which the Essex drew out of range and returned to her anchorage. Heavy rains had raised the river to an unusual height, and had so accelerated the current that at times it required a full head of steam and both anchors to keep some of the ironclads in place. Immense quan- tities of logs and trees also came down the river, keep- ing the officers and men at work day and night to dis- encumber their vessels. Although this unlooked-for difficulty exhausted the crews before the attack was 278 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1862. begun, yet it proved a most fortunate occurrence, inas- much as the torpedoes that the enemy had thickly planted in the river were dragged from their moorings and carried harmlessly away. At 10.20 A. M. on the 6th of February signal was made for the gunboats to clear for action, and half an hour later they got under way and steamed up the river, the four ironclads lead- ing the way, the Carondelet and the De Kalb, lashed together, on the left wing, as the stream was narrow at this point, while the Cincinnati and the Essex were on the right, thus presenting an ironclad battery of twelve guns toward the enemy. The three wooden gunboats followed about a mile astern. At 11.30 A. M. the ironclads, rounding a bend in the stream, suddenly came in full view of the fort, and an hour later, while at a distance of seventeen hundred yards, the Cincin- nati fired the first shot as the signal for the battle to open. This promptly drew the enemy's fire, and their rifled shells were soon heard on all sides. The iron- clads steadily pushed up the stream until about four hundred and fifty yards from the fort, where they main- tained a well-contested action. At first the Confeder- ates fired with greater precision than the gunboats, as they had long since obtained the exact range of the position that any vessel must take in approaching ; but as the National gunboats drew nearer their fire became effective and the walls of the fort rapidly crumbled before the blows of solid shot and exploding shell. The Confederate gunners were much exposed in their open earthwork, while their opponents were partially protected by casemates. A little before one o'clock a shot penetrated the Essex's armor just above a porthole on the port side, killing Acting-Master' s-Mate S. B. Brittan, Jr., and pierced the middle boiler. Instantly the forward gun- room was filled with scalding steam, which caused fear- ful havoc. Those who could rushed aft, others leaped into the river through the ports, while Commander 1 1862. DEATH BY STEAM. 2^9 Porter himself barely escaped with his life through a port on the starboard side. He was badly wounded, and was rescued from the river by a seaman named John Walker. Twenty-eight men were scalded, and many of them died. The shellman of gun No. 2, James Coffey, was found on his knees in the act of taking a shell from the box. While he was in this position the scalding steam had struck him full in the face, killing him instantly. The two pilots were found dead in the pilot house, one of them, Marshall Ford, with his left hand holding a spoke of the wheel and his right hand grasping the signal-bell rope. Thus crip- pled, the Essex drifted out of action, but the remaining ironclads maintained the battle with unflinching zeal and made encouraging progress, for two of the enemy's guns were disabled, one by bursting and the 10-inch co- lumbiad by having its priming- wire jammed in the vent. "Precisely forty minutes past one 1 the enemy, after a most determined resistance, surrendered, and shortly afterward the fort was occupied by a detachment of seamen under Commander Walke. While the Essex was drifting helplessly out of action the news of the surrender reached her, and a seaman named Jasper T. Breas, who was badly scalded, sprang to his feet ex- claiming, * Surrender ! I must see that with my own eyes before I die.' Before any one could interfere he clambered up two short flights of stairs to the spar deck, shouted * Glory to Grod ! ' and sank exhausted. He died that night." In this sharp action the De Kalb was struck seven times, but none of her people were hurt. Thirty-one shot struck the Cincinnati, and one, passing through a paddle wheel, killed one man and wounded several others. Two of her guns were disabled, while her smokestack, after cabin and boats were riddled through and through. The Carondelet fired one hundred and 1 Correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette. 280 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1862. seven shot and shell. She was struck thirty times, eight shot taking effect within two feet of the bow ports on a direct line with the boiler ; but none of her men were injured. The Essex fired in all seventy-two shot from her two 9-inch guns. Her total loss was thirty-two killed, wounded or missing. The wooden gunboats, being less formidable to the Confederates, es- caped with little notice. Aside from the men who were injured by scalding, the squadron had two men killed and nine wounded. The enemy's loss is placed at five killed, eleven wounded and five missing. Seventy- eight prisoners were taken, while the remainder of the garrison, numbering two thousand five hundred and fifty-eight men, escaped to Fort Donelson. Immediately upon the surrender of the fort the gunboats Conestoga, Tyler and Lexington hastened up the river in pursuit of several steamers which were seen getting under way. Toward evening they reached a railroad bridge twenty -five miles up the river, and the enemy, after passing it, had jammed the machinery for hoisting the draw so that it could not be readily raised. Observing the escaping vessels on the other side, and believing them to be laden with troops and valuable stores, Lieutenant Phelps ordered some men ashore, and after an hour of hard work they managed to force the draw. The Tyler was then left to destroy the rail- road, while the Conestoga and the Lexington resumed the pursuit, and with such success that toward mid- night two of the chase were blown up by their own men. So great was the force of the explosion that, although the National gunboats were half a mile away, much of their glass work was broken in, the doors were started and the light upper deck lifted. On the evening of the next day (February 7th) the gunboats reached Cerro Gordo, where they captured the large steamer Eastport, which was being plated with iron. The Tyler was left to guard the Eastport and take aboard large quantities of lumber, while the Lexington 1862. A LIVELY CHASE UP THE TENNESSEE. 2S1 and the Conestoga continued up the river. At Chicka- saw two steamers were captured, one laden with iron. Pushing on to Muscle Shoals, the gunboats captured three steamers that had been set on fire by the enemy, and a portion of their cargo and military stores was saved. Returning down the river, a detachment of men was landed to destroy the baggage and stores of a Confederate camp that had been hastily abandoned. The gunboats returned to Cairo with the Eastport and one steamer on the llth. The Eastport was built on a beautiful model and had great speed. Her hull was sheathed with oak, and bulwarks of oak increased her strength. When she was taken into the National serv- ice her boilers were lowered into the hold. In the Red River expedition, two years later, she was partially de- stroyed by a torpedo, and, finding that it was impossi- ble to save her, Phelps, then lieutenant commander, blew her up. The next attack on the Confederate northerly line of defense was directed against Fort Donelson. This work was built on a bold bluff one hundred and twenty feet above the level of Cumberland River, on the west side, about twelve miles from Fort Henry. It was garrisoned by fifteen thousand troops under Brigadier- Generals Gideon Johnson Pillow and Simon Bolivar Buckner. The defenses of the place were divided into three batteries, the first mounting nine 32-pounders and one 10-inch columbiad, about twenty feet above the water's edge ; another, armed with one columbiad, rifled as a 32-pounder, and two 32- pound carronades, about fifty feet above the river ; while a third battery, mounting three or four heavy guns, crowned the bluff. On the 12th of February the Carondelet, Commander Walke, towed by the transport Alps, arrived a few miles below this formidable work, and, casting off boldly, steamed toward the Confederates to engage them single-handed ; but everything about the fort was quiet ; not a gunner was to be seen. At 12.50 the 282 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1862. Carondelet announced her presence by the discharge of her three bow shell guns ; but even this failed to draw a response, and after ten shells had been dropped in and around the silent batteries Commander Walke re- tired and anchored three miles below, the enemy at this time being wholly engrossed by a land movement of the twenty thousand troops under General Grant. The Confederate sharpshooters on the banks, however, soon gave evidence of their presence, and were con- stantly on the watch to pick off any man exposing himself outside of the casemates or in the open ports. The next morning, February 13th, the Carondelet, at the request of Grant, again moved toward the batteries, and at five minutes after nine o'clock opened tire. This time the enemy promptly replied with all the guns that bore, but owing to a heavily wooded point of land which intervened they caused little damage. The gun- boat fired one hundred and thirty-nine shells at the bat- teries, killing one of the engineer officers of the fort and doing considerable injury. At 11.30 A. M. a 128-pound solid shot penetrated the Carondelefs casemate on the port side', and "in its progress toward the center of our boilers glanced over the temporary barricades in front of them and then passed over the steam drum, struck the beams of the upper deck, carried away the railing around the engine room and burst the steam heater, and then, glancing back into the engine room, 'seemed to bound after the men,' as one of the engi- neers said, 'like a wild beast pursuing its prey.' . . . When it burst through the side of the Carondelet it knocked down and wounded a dozen men. An im- mense quantity of splinters were blown through the vessel ; some of them, as fine as needles, shot through the clothes of the men like arrows." ! After receiving this shot the Carondelet drew out of range to repair damages, but at 12.15 P. M. she again 1 Rear- Admiral Walke, Battles and Leaders, Civil War, vol. i, p. 431. 1862. THE CARONDELET AT FORT DONELSON. 283 returned to the attack and maintained a stubborn ac- tion until nearly dark, when she retired. At half past eleven o'clock that night Flag-Officer Foote arrived on the scene of action with his gunboats, making the en- tire naval force in the river oif Fort Donelson as fol- lows : The ironclads St. Louis (flagship), Lieutenant Paulding ; Louisville, Commander Benjamin M. Dove ; Carondelet, Commander Walke ; and Pittsburgh, Lieu- tenant Egbert Thompson ; and the wooden gunboats Tyler, Lieutenant Gwin, and Conestoga, Lieutenant Phelps. The morning of February 14th was taken up with preparations for a serious attack from the river. Owing to the great height of the Confederate batteries, the upper decks of the ironclads were exposed to plunging shot, besides which shot from the upper bat- tery would strike the sloping bulwarks of the gunboats almost at right angles. To guard as much as possible against this, chains, lumber, bags of coal and hard ma- terial of all descriptions were strewn on deck so as to break the force of heavy shot from the heights. "At 2 P. M. precisely the signal was given from the flagship to get under way." 1 The four ironclads formed as nearly in a line abreast as the narrow river would admit, the Carondelet on the left, then the Pitts- burgh and the St. Louis, with the Louisville on the extreme right, the two wooden gunboats being sta- tioned about half a mile astern. At 3.30 P. M., when the flotilla had proceeded about a third of a mile, the upper battery fired two shot by way of testing the distance. Without replying, Captain Foote steamed ahead until within a mile of the batteries, when he fired his starboard rifled gun, which was followed by those of the Louisville, the Pittsburgh and the Ca- rondelet in rapid succession. These missiles fell short, but at the next round a slight elevation of the guns caused the shot and shell to fall in and around the 1 Correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, who was in the Louisville. 234: FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1862. fort with great precision. The vessels rapidly dimin- ished the distance between them and the fort to six and finally to four hundred yards. From this time the firing on both sides became rapid and more accu- rate. The narrowness of the stream somewhat disar- ranged the National line of battle, so that the St. Louis was compelled to take the lead, closely followed by the Louisville, the Pittsburgh and the Carondelet, thus presenting a formidable battery of twelve guns to the enemy. A large shell from the Louisville exploded under a gun in the water battery, dismounted the piece and killed a dozen or more men. But the gunboats also suffered severely. They were repeatedly struck by solid shot, some of which pene- trated the iron mail and caused fearful havoc on the crowded decks. One shot struck the Louisville at the angle of the upper deck and pilot house, penetrated the iron plating and heavy timber backing, and buried itself in a pile of hammocks in a direct line with the boiler. Soon afterward a shell raked her from stem to stern, passed through the wheel house, and exploded in the river just astern. This was followed by a solid 10-inch shot, which entered the starboard bow port, wrecked the gun carriage, killed three men, wounded four, and passed through the entire length of the gun deck and into the river beyond. To finish the work of destruction, a shell passed through the starboard for- ward port, killed one man, wounded two, and disabled the steering-gear so as to make the boat unmanageable, and compelled her to drop out of action. The flagship St. Louis was struck fifty -nine times, but only one shot penetrated. This one, however, en- tered the pilot house and exploded, killing the pilot and severely wounding Captain Foote. Soon after- ward her wheel ropes were carried away, so that she drifted helplessly out of action with the Louisville. The Carondelet also was handled severely. A 128- pound shot smashed her anchor into flying bolts, and, 18G2. GALLANT ATTACK OP THE GUNBOATS. 285 bounding over the casemate, carried away a portion of the smokestack. Another shot penetrated her iron mail, but was checked by the heavy timber backing, and a third missile struck her square on the pilot house, sending a shower of iron fragments and splin- ters, which killed one of the pilots. Everything out- side of the ironclad was swept away boats, smoke- stack, davits and flagstaff while the iron plates were ripped and torn as if struck by lightning. In their eagerness to fire the gunners in the Carondelet loaded too hastily, and a rifled gun exploded, knocking down a dozen men, but fortunately killed no one. The Pittsburgh was struck by forty shot, two of which entered below the guards and caused her to leak so much that it was feared she would sink before morn- ing. In turning round to draw out of range she fouled the Carondelefs stern, breaking her starboard rudder. This compelled Commander Walke to go ahead in or- der to clear the Pittsburgh, so that he found himself within three hundred and fifty yards of the batteries at a moment when his consorts were drifting out of action in a disabled condition. Taking in the situation at a glance, and greatly encouraged by the results of the engagement so far, the Confederates turned their remaining guns on the Carondelet with renewed vigor. There was no alternative .for Commander Walke but to drop out of action also, and this he did, keeping his bow toward the enemy, slowly retiring and deliberately firing so long as he was in range. Two 32-pound shot entered the Carondelet } s bow between wind and water, which undoubtedly would have sunk her had not the water-tight compartments kept her afloat until the shot holes could be plugged. She was struck fifty- nine times, and everything outside of her casemate was carried away. The smokestack was riddled; six shot struck the pilot house, shattering one section to pieces and cutting through the iron plating; four struck the casing forward of the rifled gun, and 286 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1862. three on the starboard side. One of her rifled guns burst. Commander Walke said: "Our gunners kept up a constant firing while we were falling back, and the warning words * Look out ! ' * Down ! ' were often heard and heeded by nearly all the gun crews. On one occa- sion, while the men were at the muzzle of the middle bow gun loading it, the warning came just in time for them to jump aside as a 32-pound shot struck the lower sill and glancing up struck the upper sill, then falling on the inner edge of the lower sill bounded on deck and spun around like a top, but hurt no one. It was very evident that if the men who were loading had not obeyed the order to drop, several of them would have been killed. So I repeated the instructions and warned the men of the guns and the crew generally to bow or stand off from the ports when a shot was seen coming. But some of the young men, from a spirit of bravado or from a belief in the doctrine of fatalism, disre- garded the instructions, saying it was useless to at- tempt to dodge a cannon ball, and they would trust to luck. The warning words ' Look out ! ' ' Down ! ' were again soon heard. Down went the gunner and his men as the whizzing shot glanced on the gun, tak- ing off the gunner's cap and the heads of two of the young men who trusted to luck and in defiance of the order were standing up or passing behind him. This shot killed another man also who was at the last gun of the starboard side, and disabled the gun. It came in with a hissing sound, and three sharp spats and a heavy bang told the sad fate of three brave comrades. Before the decks were well sanded there was so much blood on them that our men could not work the guns without slipping." l The following day, February 15th, Grant followed up the attack of the gunboats by a com- bined assault of the navy and army, and early on the 1 Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. i, p. 435. 1862. A CONFEDERATE COUP DE MAIN. 287 morning of the 16th the fort surrendered. The loss to the gunboats on the 14th was one man killed and nine wounded in the St. Louis, two wounded in the Pitts- burgh, four killed and six wounded in the Louisville and six killed and twenty-six wounded in the Caron- delet; total, eleven killed and forty-three wounded. The capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson broke the first line of defense, and compelled the Confederates to abandon Bowling Green on the east and Columbus on the west, the latter place being occupied by Captain Foote on the 2d of March. The Confederates then formed a second and perhaps more formidable line, hav- ing Island No. 10 on the west and extending eastward through Corinth. Here they made a most determined effort not only to hold their position, but by a coup de main to overwhelm the National army in Tennessee, regain the lost ground and assume the offensive. They expected that the powerful ironclads of the Merrimac type then being built at New Orleans, Yazoo River and other points along the Mississippi would make short work of the comparatively frail gunboats under Captain Foote. This would give them the all-impor- tant command of the Mississippi and its many tributary waters, and enable them to carry the war far into the Northern States. At the same time, by suddenly mass- ing their forces on some point of the widely extended National line they hoped to sweep all before them. This was not altogether fancy on the part of the Con- federate leaders. Their plans were perfect, and their success might have been complete had it not been for an unexpected check given by the two insignificant wooden gunboats Tyler and Lexington. In pursuance of this brilliant scheme, General Albert Sidney Johnston, after leaving enough troops to hold Island No. 10, ordered the divisions under Generals Beauregard, Bragg, Hardee and Breckenridge quietly to concentrate at Corinth, from which place they were to overwhelm Grant's army at Pittsburg Landing, and 288 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1862. then, proceeding rapidly down the Tennessee River, re- capture Fort Henry and Fort Donelson before they could be re-enforced. This done, the way would be clear for an invasion of the North. By the 5th of April the Confederate troops had been massed around Cor- inth. The National army was encamped in the form of a semicircle just above Pittsburg Landing, not more than fifteen miles distant, both wings resting near the river, while the center swelled out five miles from its banks. About daybreak, April 6th, the enemy began a furious assault on the National center, intending to crush it and then sweep around so as to attack the wings in the rear. The division under General Pren- tiss, which held the center, stubbornly contested the ground, but was gradually forced back, until by 10 A. M. the enemy was in possession of the camp. The Confederates then wheeled round to annihilate the wing under General Hurlburt, which guarded the stores at Pittsburg Landing, and by 3 p. M. they had nearly ac- complished their purpose ; for the National troops, though fighting gallantly, were swept back in confu- sion, the river cutting oif their retreat. There was now a pause in the battle while the victorious Confederates massed their forces for a final charge to capture the landing with all the army stores. During the progress of the great battle the Tyler, Lieutenant Gwin, and the Lexington, Lieutenant Shirk, moved up and down the river, seeking an op- portunity to reach the enemy. At 1.25 p. M. Lieuten- ant Gwin sent a messenger to General Hurlburt asking permission to open on the enemy, and was directed to do so, the general expressing himself "grateful for this offer of support, saying that without re-enforce- ments he would not be able to maintain the position he then occupied for an hour." The Tyler at 2.30 P. M. opened on a battery and in half an hour silenced it, and at 3.50 p. M. she dropped down to the landing op- posite Pittsburg, where she was joined by the Lexing- 1862. BATTLE OF PITTSBURG LANDING. 289 ton. The two gunboats took a position where their guns would sweep a ravine through which the enemy was compelled to pass in his final charge. At 5.30 p. M. the Confederates started from cover with yells of confidence, and wave after wave of glistening bayo- nets rolled from the woods across the ravine. At this moment the gunboats opened at short range, together with a battery of 32-pounders hastily prepared by Colonel Joseph D. Webster, and swept the ravine .from end to end with a terrific fire of shot, shell and shrapnel. The Confederates had not anticipated the fire of the gunboats, and in their eagerness to seize the prize so nearly in their grasp they rushed on to destruc- tion. Hissing shells tore bloody chasms in their lines, and, exploding, struck down the men in wide circles, while a pitiless storm of grape and canister sprinkled death on all sides. No mortal army could withstand such a terrific fire, and gradually the enemy fell back, until at 6.30 P. M. they retired beyond the reach of the gunboats. During the night the Confed- erates occupied the captured camps, where the gun- boats kept dropping shells among them until daylight. The battle was renewed with fresh troops on the fol- lowing day, when the enemy was compelled to retreat. Not a man in the gunboats had been injured. The Tyler alone threw one hundred and eighty-eight shells at point-blank range. After the surrender of Forts Henry and Donelson the presence of National gunboats in these rivers was necessary, as guerrillas were a constant menace to the army lines of communication. This hazardous service was gallantly performed by the gunboats under Cap- tain Alexander M. Pennock. On the 30th of January, 1863, Captain Pennock sent the Lexington, Lieutenant- Commander S. Ledyard Phelps, up the Cumberland River. Twenty miles above Clarksville Phelps landed and burned a house that had been used as a head- 64 290 FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON. 1863. quarters by the enemy. Returning from this expedi- tion, the Lexington was fired upon by a battery of heavy guns, and although struck three times she soon silenced the enemy. While moving up Cumberland River with a number of transports under convoy of the Lexington and five light-draught gunboats, February 3d, Lieutenant-Com- mander Le Roy Fitch learned that Colonel Harding, commanding the garrison of eight hundred men oppo- site Fort Donelson, was surrounded by an overwhelm- ing force of Confederates and that his ammunition was exhausted. Hastening to the scene of battle with his six gunboats, Fitch stationed his vessels where they could sweep a graveyard in which the main body of the enemy was stationed, and opened a terrific fire. Being thus unexpectedly attacked in the rear, the Con- federates fled in confusion, leaving one hundred and forty of their dead on the field. Fitch afterward went up the Tennessee as far as Florence, dispersing bodies of Confederate troops wherever found. On the 24th of April, Fitch, in the Lexington, assisted Ellet's vessels in silencing a Confederate battery. When General J. H. Morgan made his raid into Ohio, July, 1863, Fitch stationed his gunboats at various points along the Ohio River to cut off the enemy's retreat. On the 19th of July, in the little gunboat Moose, he overtook the Con- federates at a ford two hundred and fifty miles east of Cincinnati, and notwithstanding a battery of two field pieces the Moose prevented the enemy from crossing. This compelled the Confederates to abandon their wounded and dismounted men and to scatter in a head- long flight. The Moose kept abreast of them and frus- trated two other efforts to cross, and she did not relin- quish the chase until the water was too shoal even for her. CHAPTER VIII. ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. WHEN General Johnston concentrated his forces at Corinth with a view of overwhelming Grant at Pitts- burg Landing, he left enough men, as he thought, to hold the powerful fortifications at Island No. 10 against any force that could be brought against them. This place was of great strategic strength. The earth- works on the island itself were from ten to fifteen feet thick, and mounted two 10-inch columbiads, four 8-inch guns, five 32-pounders and five 64-pounders. Opposite the island, on the Kentucky shore, were mounted thirty heavy guns, while a floating battery of sixteen guns was anchored just below battery No. 1 on Island No. 10. A line of hulks obstructed the northern channel, compelling vessels to pass on the southern side, where they were exposed at short range to the fire of about sixty heavy guns. At the northern bend of the river was New Madrid, held by several thousand Con- federate soldiers, and fortified so as to guard Island No. 10 on the Missouri side ; and below New Madrid, on the eastern shore, were planted batteries which pre- vented a force from crossing at that point. All land approaches to the fortifications around Island No. 10, on the south, were cut off by impassable swamps. On the 15th of March Captain Foote appeared before Island No. 10 with twelve hundred troops under Colonel Napo- leon Bonaparte Buford ; eleven mortar boats under Cap- tain Henry E. Maynadier ; and the ironclads Benton (flagship), Lieutenant S. Ledyard Phelps ; Carondelet, Commander Henry Walke ; St. Louis, Lieutenant Leon- 291 292 ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. 1862. ard Paulding ; Mound City, Commander Augustus Henry Kilty ; and Pittsburgh, Lieutenant Egbert Thompson. At this time the river was swollen by rains and had overflowed its banks, sweeping houses, fences and lumber down the stream in its rapid current. The heavy ironclads, whose engines even in ordinary times made slow progress upstream, were now barely able to save themselves from being swept under the enemy's guns. In their action with Fort Henry and Fort Don- elson they had approached the enemy from below, so that in case their machinery became disabled which happened in both of these attacks they could drift out of range ; but in attacking Island No. 10 the situ- ation was reversed, and should the engines of a gun- Point Pleasant Island No. 10. boat become impaired it would be swept helplessly under the enemy's guns. Realizing the difficulty of 1862. OPERATIONS AGAINST ISLAND NO. 10. 293 the situation, and well knowing how dependent the movements of the land forces were on the gunboats, Captain Foote acted with great caution. This was the more necessary as the ironclad Louisiana was nearly ready for service, and with other ironclads of her type was expected up the river in a short time to give battle. Should the National gunboats be worsted in such an action (and the recent achievements of the Merrimac gave reason for fearing it), the great cities of the North- west would be exposed to an attack from the Con- federates. On the 16th of March the mortar boats, under the command of Captain Maynadier, of the army, and Com- mander Joseph P. Sanford, of the navy, were placed in position, and opened with some effect ; but, owing to the great distance, their fire was without important results. On the 17th the ironclads moved down for a more serious attack ; the Benton, owing to her deficient steam power, was lashed between the Cincinnati arid the St. Louis and moved down the eastern side of the river, while the Mound City, the Carondelet and the Pittsburgh took the western side. At 1.20 p. M. they opened fire on the upper batteries on Island No. 10 at long range, and the enemy promptly responded ; but no serious damage was inflicted on either side. The Benton was struck four times, but the greatest injury was occasioned by the bursting of a rifled gun aboard the St. Louis, by which fifteen men were killed or wounded, among the latter being Lieutenant Faulding. From the 17th to the 26th of March, during which time General Johnston was beginning to carry out his plan of massing his forces at Corinth, little was done toward reducing the enemy's stronghold at Island No. 10. The National forces maintained a desultory fire, inflicting some trifling damage which was speedily re- paired, and the only immediate result of the bombard- ment was to afford amusement rather than annoyance to the Confederates. Yet it lulled them into a greater 294 ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. 1862. sense of security. On the 23d of March, while the Carondelet was close under the shore, two large trees fell without warning on her decks, wounding two men, one mortally. While this tedious bombardment was in progress, General Pope, with two thousand troops, had been working around the Confederate position with a view of cutting off retreat, and by blockading the river twelve miles below Point Pleasant he com- pelled them to evacuate New Madrid. The enemy was now hemmed in on three sides, being cut off on the north and the west by the Mississippi, and on the east by an impassable swamp, so that his only avenue for sup- plies or retreat was on the south side. It was this southern opening that General Pope desired to close, but as the enemy controlled the river below Island No. 10 with heavy batteries on the eastern bank, he could not attain his object without the aid of the gunboats. It was finally suggested that one of the ironclads at- tempt to run the batteries, but in a council of officers this was declared to be too hazardous. It was then determined to cut a canal from Island No. 8 across the swamps to New Madrid, and in that way get the ironclads below the Confederate strong- hold. After a vast amount of labor and exposure to the miasma of the marshes, the canal was cut in nine- teen days ; but it was found that the gunboats could not pass through it, and even the smaller transports could get through only with difficulty. In the mean time the Confederate ironclads being built at various points along the Mississippi were rapidly approaching completion, and they would have no difficulty in re- lieving the garrison of Island No. 10 and compelling Captain Foote to act on the defensive. Such being the serious extremity to which the National flotilla was placed, another council of officers was held in the Benton on the 28th and 29th of March, but with one exception it was unanimously decided that it would be too hazardous to risk an ironclad in an attempt to run 1862. A DARING NIGHT ATTACK. 295 the Confederate batteries. The one exception was Com- mander Walke, of the Carondelet, who volunteered to take his vessel past the batteries, and obtained the re- luctant permission of Captain Foot to do so. While these preparations were under way one of those daring exploits which have ever characterized the American navy was undertaken. On the night of April 1st forty picked sailors under the command of Master John V. Johnston, and fifty soldiers under the command of Colonel George Washington Roberts, of the Forty-second Illinois Regiment, embarked in five barges, and, pushing out from the shadow of the wil- lows that fringed the Kentucky shore, dropped down the river with the current toward the Confederate lines. Strict silence was observed, and even the muffled oars were used only once in a while to give the barges steer- age way. Thus for an hour the boats glided down- stream, stealing along the shores in the shadow of the overhanging trees and availing themselves of every means of concealment. They arrived within a few rods of the first battery above Island No. 10 before they were discovered. Here they were challenged by a sentinel, and almost at the same instant the order "Give way ! " was heard. The oars splashed in the water and the barges dashed toward the battery at full speed. The sentinel discharged his musket and fled to give the alarm. The boats ran ashore, the men landed, stationed their guards, and in half an hour had spiked the seven guns of this battery, one of them a formidable 10-inch columbiad. They then returned to their boats and es- caped up the river without the loss of a man. One of the obstacles to the passage of the Caronde- let being thus removed, Captain Foote directed the fire of his mortars toward the floating battery, which was moored near the head of the island. Fortunately, a shell cut her moorings, and she was carried three miles below her station before she could be secured again. Having received his orders to run the batteries 296 ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. 1862. on the " first foggy or rainy night," and in case of fail- ure to "destroy the steam machinery, and, if impossi- ble to escape, set fire to your gunboat or sink her and prevent her from falling into the hands of the enemy," Commander Walke made preparations for running the gantlet. An 11-inch hawser was coiled round the pilot house to a level with the windows, chains and cables were placed over the more vulnerable parts of the ma- chinery, planks taken from the wreck of a barge were strewn over the deck as an additional protection against plunging shot, while hammocks were stowed in the net- ting and cord wood was piled round the boilers. A barge laden with coal and baled hay was then lashed along the port side so as to protect the magazine, and a course of bales was laid over the after end of the casemate, as that part of the ironclad after she had passed the batteries would be exposed. As a precau- tion against discovery, the escape steam, which in the high-pressure engines made a loud puffing noise, was led into the paddle-wheel house so as to deaden the sound. By the 4th of April these preparations had been nearly completed, and Commander Walke announced his intention of attempting the passage that night if the weather was favorable. During the day the heav- ens were watched with the closest scrutiny, the weather- wise tars scanning each cloud and " tasting " each puff of air with serious countenances as they discussed the probabilities of the weather. As the afternoon wore on and the indications for a clear and starlit night be- came more pronounced, the seamen grew more gloomy. But as evening drew near dark clouds were observed massing on the western horizon, and shortly afterward the wind, shifting in that direction, brought to their ears the faint muttering of distant thunder. At the same time a light haze was noticed creeping up the river, and as evening approached it gradually diffused itself over the surrounding landscape and finally en- shrouded everything in a damp fog. The happy omen 1862. WALKE RUNS THE BATTERIES. 297 put every man on the alert. The final preparations were completed with alacrity; the guns were run in and the ports carefully closed, so that no stray beam of light would discover them to the enemy ; small arms, cutlasses and boarding- pikes were stacked in conven- ient reach, while hose was attached to the boilers to turn streams of scalding steam on the enemy in case they attempted to board. By ten o'clock the moon had disappeared, leaving the river in darkness, while the threatening storm- clouds that had been massing in the west lowered over the scene and finally broke in a drenching rain. Com- mander Walke now gave the order to cast off the lines. The Carondelet swung heavily into the current and was soon plunging downstream. By the time she was fully under way the night was black as pitch, so that it would have been impossible to keep clear of the shoals and banks had it not been for the frequent and vivid flashes of lightning that illuminated the river with dazzling brilliancy, giving occasional glimpses of the drenched landscape and the trees bending under the storm. For half an hour the men on the gun deck stood at their stations in grim silence, hearing nothing but whistling of the wind and incessant pattering of rain on the deck above them. Onward glided the phantom gunboat under the skillful piloting of Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant William K. Hoel, and all went well until the Carondelet had passed the battery that had been so daringly spiked on the night of April 1st, when the soot in both smokestacks took fire and blazed upward in the black night like two immense torches. This mishap was caused by the escaped steam being led into the paddle-wheel house to drown the puffing noise. Ordinarily this steam passed into the smokestacks and kept the soot moist, thus preventing its taking fire. The firemen were immediately called away and the flames were extinguished, so that the Carondelet was again wrapped in darkness. But the alarm had been 298 ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. 1862. given, and though the cannon in this battery had been effectually spiked, signal rockets were sent up giving notice to the lower batteries of an approaching enemy. There was warm work ahead for the Carondelet. Commander Walke soon realized that he was in the midst of an aroused and powerful enemy, and if he would accomplish his purpose he must act with deter- mination and promptness. Full speed was ordered, and the ironclad dashed through the darkness at a dangerous rate. When she was opposite the second battery on the shore the smokestacks again took fire and revealed her exact position. Then began a crash of heavy artillery and a rattling fire of musketry on all sides. Without replying, the Carondelet sped on her way down the river. Realizing the extreme peril of their position, and knowing that the safety of all de- pended upon .an uninterrupted and speedy passage of the batteries, the heroic pilot, Hoel, in order the better to guide the boat down the river, took his station with the leadsmen, Charles Wilson and Theodore Gilmore, forward on the open deck, exposed to the drenching rain and the enemy's shot. The lead was continuously kept going, for the course of the gunboat was rendered doubly uncertain by the broad surface presented to the current, which among the many abrupt bends and ed- dies would frequently give her a sheer toward some bank or shoal before it was discovered. In a few min- utes of total darkness a brilliant flash of lightning showed that the Carondelet was rushing directly upon a dangerous shoal under the guns of the Confederate battery. Instantly the watchful pilot cried out " Hard aport ! " and the clumsy craft swung heavily around, almost grazing the island, and so near that the voice of a Confederate officer was distinctly heard ordering his men to elevate the guns, the Confederates having low- ered the muzzles of their cannon to keep the rain from destroying the charges of powder in them. After this narrow escape the Carondelet passed the 1862. WALKE'S SUCCESS. 299 remaining batteries on the island unscathed. The enemy, deceived by the flashes of lightning, had ele- vated their guns too much, so that most of their shot went over. Only one obstacle now remained in the course of the Carondelet, and that was the formidable floating battery three miles below the island moored to the western bank. As the Carondelet was not in fight- ing trim, Commander Walke hugged the opposite shore, to give the enemy as wide a berth as possible. But the dreaded battery offered little opposition to the flight of the National gunboat, firing only seven or eight shot at her. The Carondelet had now safely passed the Confederate batteries and had added another to the brilliant achievements of the navy. Not a man in her had been injured, and only two shot were found in the barge at her side. The great risk involved in running these batteries is seen in the Carondelefs grounding hard and fast on one of the treacherous shoals while rounding to as she approached New Mad- rid, immediately after her passage of the batteries, where it required the utmost exertions of her crew to get her afloat. Some of the forward guns were run astern and all the men assembled aft, and by putting on a full head of steam she was backed off after an hour of hard work. Had this happened under the enemy's batteries, she would have been destroyed. The passage of the ironclad blighted the enemy's hope of holding Island No. 10, for now there was noth- ing to prevent General Pope's army from crossing the river and taking a position in the rear, thus cutting off the retreat and supplies. The second night after the Carondelefs exploit the Pittsburgh, Lieutenant Thomp- son, also passed the batteries, upon which the National troops assembled at New Madrid and Point Pleasant crossed the river to the eastern side, the Carondelet having on the 6th and 7th of April silenced the enemy's batteries of eight 64-pounders. On the 8th of April 300 ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. 1862. Island No. 10 was surrendered to Captain Foote and General Pope, together with five thousand men. On the 13th of April five Confederate steamers came up the river to reconnoiter, but on the appearance of the ironclads retired under the guns of Fort Pillow. From this time until early in May the Western flotilla was not engaged in any serious operations, as General Pope's army was ordered to Corinth, leaving only one thousand five hundred men to hold the ground already won. On the 9th of May, Captain Foote, to whose skill- ful and prudent management so much of the success of the navy in the West was due, was relieved of his com- mand at his own request, as the wound he had received at Fort Donelson, together with illness, had so im- paired his health as to compel him to seek rest in a change of service. His successor was Captain Charles Henry Davis. Early in the war, at the suggestion of two Missis- sippi River steamboat captains J. E. Montgomery and Townsend the Confederates organized a river defense fleet consisting of fourteen river boats having their bows plated with 1-inch iron and their boilers and ma- chinery protected with cotton bales and pine bulwarks, and on the 9th of May eight of these vessels were sta- tioned near Fort Pillow under the command of Mr. Montgomery. They were the Little Rebel, flagship ; the General Bragg, William H. H. Leonard ; the Gen- eral Price, H. E. Henthorne ; the General Sumter, W. W. Lamb ; the General Van Dorn, Isaac D. Fulker- son ; the General M. Jeff. Thompson, John H. Burke ; the General Beauregard, James Henry Hurt ; and the General Lovell, James C. Delancey. After the capture of Island No. 10 Captain Foote moved down the river, and from the 14th of April to the 10th of May he divided and moored his flotilla at Plumb Point, and on the opposite side of the river six miles above Fort Pillow, and every day sent a mortar boat under the protection of one of the ironclads down the river to a 1862. BATTLE OF FORT PILLOW. 301 point about two miles above Fort Pillow, where 13-inch shells were fired at the enemy. This fire proved to be exceedingly annoying to the Confederates, and they determined to make a dash up the river and give battle to the flotilla. Early on the morning of May 10th, while the mist was hanging over the river, the enemy's vessels, led by the General Bragg, a brig-rigged side-wheel steamer, came swiftly up the river, intending first to destroy the mortar boat and the ironclad defending it before the other National ironclads could come to their assistance. The ironclad defending the mortar boat at this time was the Cincinnati, and Acting-Master Gregory was in charge of the mortar boat No. 16. When the Confed- erate steamers were discovered coming up the river, Mr. Gregory reduced the charge of his mortar, and, lowering the elevation, deliberately fired eleven shells at them. Paying no attention to this, the General Bragg came swiftly up the Arkansas side, far in ad- vance of her consorts, and, passing some distance above the Cincinnati, turned down the river at full speed and rammed the ironclad on her starboard quarter, which was her most vulnerable point. The blow crushed in the side and made a hole in her shell-room, into which the water poured in great quantities. The warning was given for the remaining National gunboats to get under way, but owing to the mists and the want of a breeze the signal flags could not be readily distin- guished. Word was then passed from boat to boat, and they stood down the river as rapidly as possible. After ramming the Cincinnati, the General Bragg swung alongside and received a broadside, and, backing clear of the ironclad, stood downstream disabled. In the mean time the other rams had arrived on the scene, and the General Price and the General Sumler also succeeded in ramming the Cincinnati. About this time Commander Stembel was dangerously wounded in the neck by a pistol shot, and Master Reynolds fell, 302 ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. 1862. mortally wounded. With the assistance of the Pitts- burgh and a tug, the Cincinnati was taken to the Ten- nessee shore, where she sank in eleven feet of water. The Carondelet disabled the General Price with a shot. The General Van Dorn, the fourth Confederate steamer, passed the disabled Cincinnati and rammed the Mound City on her starboard bow and compelled the ironclad to make for the Arkansas shore in a sinking condition. The General M. Jeff. Thompson, the General Beaure- gard and the General Lowell fired into the Carondelet, to which Commander Walke replied with his stern guns. One of his shot struck the General Sumter just forward of her wheelhouse, and, cutting the steam pipe, filled the vessel with scalding steam. The Confeder- ates now retreated down the river with all their ves- sels, which were not so seriously damaged but that they were repaired and ready for another battle a few weeks later. The Cincinnati and the Mound City also were repaired. The loss in the Cincinnati was three wounded, in the Mound City one wounded. The Con- federates had two killed and one w.ounded. On the 27th of March, 1862, Charles Ellet, a civil engineer, was directed by the Government to purchase a number of river steamers and fit them up as rams. Seven steamers were secured for this purpose, four of them side-wheelers and three stern-wheelers, their hulls strengthened by solid timber bulwarks twelve to sixteen inches thick, running fore and aft (the central one being on the keelson) and firmly braced together. Iron rods ran through the hull from side to side, giving additional strength, while oak bulwarks two feet thick protected the boilers. These vessels, hastily fitted out in six weeks, joined the squadron un- der Captain Davis above Fort Pillow on the 25th of May. On the 4th of June Fort Pillow was abandoned by the enemy, and on the following day the squadron moved down the river, two miles above Memphis. On the 6th of June the following ironclads, under 1862. BATTLE OF MEMPHIS. 303 the command of Captain Davis, moved down the river to engage the enemy: Benton (flagship), Lieutenant S. Ledyard Phelps ; Carondelet, Commander Walke ; Louisville, Commander Dove ; St. Louis, Lieutenant Wilson McGunnegle ; and Cairo, Lieutenant Nathaniel C. Bryant ; with two of Ellet's steam rams, the Queen of the West, Colonel Ellet, and the Monarch, Lieu- tenant-Colonel Alfred W. Ellet (a younger brother). As they came within sight of Memphis the Confederate vessels, mounting two to four guns each, under the command of Montgomery, were found drawn up in a double line of battle opposite the city. The National ironclads formed in line of battle, with the two rams a short distance astern. The bluffs around the city were crowded with people eager to witness a naval engage- ment, and the National vessels refrained from firing lest some of their shots might fall among the citizens. While they were some distance from the enemy the Queen of the West and the Monarch dashed past the ironclads at full speed and made straight for the Confederate vessels, Colonel Ellet selecting the General Lovell, which was about the middle of the enemy's line of battle. The Queen of the West and the General Lovell approached each other in gallant style, and every one expected there would be a head-on collision in which both vessels would probably be sunk; but just before the steamers came in contact the General Lovell suddenly turned her head inshore, exposing her broadside at right angles to the Queen of the West. On went the National ram at a tremendous speed and crashed into the Confederate flagship, cutting her near- ly in two, causing her to disappear under the water in a few seconds. At the moment of the collision Colonel Ellet, who was standing in an exposed position on the hurricane deck, was wounded above the knee by a pis- tol shot. He died from the effect of this wound June 21, 1862. Before the Queen of the West could disen- gage herself from the wreck she was rammed by the 304 ISLAND NO. 10 AND MEMPHIS. 1862. General Beauregard on one side and by the General Sumter on the other and one of her paddle wheels was carried away, but by using the remaining wheel she managed to reach the Arkansas shore, where she was run aground. The Monarch, closely following the Queen of the West, had selected one of the enemy's steamers, when the General Beauregard and the General Price made a dash at her from opposite sides ; but the command- ers of the Confederate vessels had not calculated on the great speed of the new National vessel, and sup- posed that they were still dealing with the slow-going ironclads. The result was that they missed her alto- gether and crashed into each other, the General Beau- regard tearing off the General Prices port wheel and seriously injuring her hull. The latter ran ashore on the Arkansas side near the Queen of the West. The Monarch then turned on the General Beauregard, which was fleeing down the river, but the Benton disabled the Confederate vessel with a shot in her boiler, causing her to sink soon afterward. The Little Rebel received a shot in her steam chest from one of the ironclads and drifted on the Arkansas shore, where her men escaped. The remaining Confederate vessels fled down the river and were pursued about ten miles. The M, Jeff. Thompson, being on fire, soon blew up, and the General Bragg and General Sumter were over- taken and captured. The General Van Dorn alone escaped, although pursued by the Monarch and the Switzerland, the latter having joined in the battle at its close. The loss to the National fleet in this brilliant affair was only four wounded ; that of the Confederates is not definitely known. The Little Rebel, the General Bragg, the General Sumter and the General Price were repaired and added to the National flotilla. On the 17th of June, Commander Kilty, in the Mound City, with the St. Louis, Lieutenant McGun- negle, the Lexington, Lieutenant James W. Shirk and 1862. ATTACK ON ST. CHARLES. 305 the Conestoga, Lieutenant Blodgett, with an Indiana regiment under Colonel Fitch, attacked two Confeder- ate earthworks at St. Charles, on White River. Early in the action a shell entered the casemate of the Mound City, killing three men in its flight, and ex- ploded her steam drum. A fearful scene followed, and the men, endeavoring to escape from the scalding steam, jumped into the river, where forty-three were drowned or killed by the enemy's shot. Eighty-two men died from scalding or wounds, and only twenty-five out of the complement of one hundred and seventy-five were uninjured. Commander Kilty himself was so badly scalded that it became necessary to amputate his left arm. The disabled ironclad was towed out of action by the Conestoga. In spite of this terrible disaster the remaining gunboats maintained the attack until Colonel Fitch, who had landed with his regiment to attack the earthworks in the rear, signaled for them to cease firing, and the troops carried the battery by storm. The gun- boats pushed sixty-three miles farther up the river and then returned. For his brilliant services Captain Davis received the rank of rear-admiral February 7, 1863. 05 CHAPTER IX. BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. WHILE the National gunboats were opening the Mississippi River from the north, the Government was projecting an expedition against New Orleans, with a view of capturing that most important seaport of the South by an attack from the mouth of the river. Soon after the beginning of hostilities Captain "William Mer- vine, who had served on the coast of California dur- ing the Mexican War, was placed in command of the blockading squadron in the Gulf, and he arrived off the mouth of the Mississippi on the 8th of June, 1861. For a short time before his arrival the Brooklyn, Com- mander Charles H. Poor, the Niagara and the Pow- Jiatan, Lieutenant David Dixon Porter, had been blockading Southwest Pass and Pass a 1'Outre, and on the 13th of June the Massachusetts arrived. Captain Mervine was relieved of his command in the latter part of September by Captain William W. McKean. The escape of the Confederate cruiser Sumter showed the necessity of holding the Head of the Passes, where the river broadens out into a deep bay two miles wide, giving ample room for the manoeuvres of a fleet ; and early in October the steam sloop Richmond, Captain John Pope ; the sailing sloop Vincennes, Commander Robert Handy ; the sailing sloop Preble, Command- er Henry French ; and the side-wheel steamer Water Witch, Lieutenant Francis Winslow, moved up to the Head of the Passes, took possession of the telegraph station and began the erection of a fort. On the night of October llth, Captain George Nich- 306 1861. AT THE HEAD OF THE PASSES. 307 olas Hollins, of the Confederate navy, with the ironclad Manassas l and six wooden steamers, left New Orleans, and, stealing down the river, approached the National vessels unobserved. In the early dawn of October 12th the Manassas rammed the Richmond as she lay at anchor. Fortunately, a schooner from which the Rich- mond was coaling was lying alongside and prevented serious results ; but as it was, a small hole was made in the Richmond's side two feet below the water line, abreast of the port fore chains. The shock of the col- lision started the boilers in the Manassas, and before she could ram again Captain Pope had slipped his cable and ranged ahead. The ram then crept off in the night, and although many missiles were aimed at her she escaped without serious damage. About this time three lights were discovered coming swiftly down the river, and as they drew nearer they were seen to be fire rafts guided by two steamers, the Tuscarora and the Watson. The flames, sweeping across the river from bank to bank like a wall of fire, presented an appalling appearance ; and, fearing that his vessels would be de- stroyed by this new species of warfare, Captain Pope hoisted a red light as a danger signal and retreated down Southwest Pass. Lieutenant Winslow, in the Water Witch, remained at the Head of the Passes un- til daylight, when he saw the smoke of four steamers and the masts of a propeller that had every appearance of a blockade runner. He hastened down the pass, overtook Captain Pope at the bar, and begged him to return, but Pope deemed it unadvisable to do so. In attempting to cross the bar the Richmond and the Vincennes grounded, and while they were in this position the Confederate vessels, at eight o'clock in the morning, approached, and for two hours kept up a desultory cannonading. As the Richmond had her broadsides in a position to rake any craft going up or 1 For a description of the Manassas, see page 315. 308 BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1861. down the river, Captain Hollins did not care to risk his vessels before her heavy shell guns. The Water Witch maintained a spirited fire from her few guns and kept the enemy at a respectful distance. The Rich- mond was soon floated off, but, drifting down the cur- rent, she grounded again below the Vincennes, Cap- tain Pope then made signal for the vessels below the bar to get under way, but Commander Handy, of the Vincennes, mistook the signal for an order to abandon his ship, and applying a slow match to the magazine at a time when the enemy was actually withdrawing, he sent a part of his crew aboard the Water Witch, while he, at 9.30 A. M., went aboard the Richmond with the rest of his men. After waiting a reasonable time for the magazine to explode, Captain Pope ordered Handy back to the Vi?wennes, and the next day, by the aid of the South Carolina, which had come up from Bar- rataria, she was floated off. After this humiliating oc- currence a vessel was stationed off each of the passes, as it was deemed too hazardous to hold the Head of the Passes. On the 16th of September troops were landed from the Massachusetts and took possession of Ship Island, with a view of making that a naval headquar- ters. On the 19th of October the Florida, Captain Hollins, engaged the Massachusetts in a distant can- nonading off Ship Island, but with no decisive results. In the mean time the Government at Washington had learned, through fishermen in the Gulf and other sources, that the defenses of New Orleans on the south had been neglected by the Confederates, as they deemed an attack from that quarter impracticable. In November, 1861, President Lincoln considered a plan for the capture of New Orleans, submitted by Gustavus Vasa Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy. It was proposed to have wooden ships run past Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip and take possession of the city ; the forts, being cut off from their base of supplies, would thus be compelled to surrender. Although Washing- 1863. PLANNING THE NEW ORLEANS EXPEDITION. 309 ton, nearly a hundred years before, had urged 'upon Comte de Grasse the feasibility of running wooden ships past the land batteries of Lord Cornvvallis on York River, saying, " I should have the greatest confi- dence in the success of that important service," yet the plan was never carried out, and had always been re- garded by naval authorities as too hazardous even to be seriously considered. It was proposed to send about ten thousand soldiers to hold the city after the fleet had passed the forts, and it was decided to have a mor- tar flotilla to bombard the forts before the fleet made its attempt to run past. Six thousand Massachusetts troops, together with some Western regiments, under the command of General Benjamin P. Butler, were de- tailed for the expedition. The proposition was one of the boldest and seem- ingly most foolhardy plans that had ever been seri- ously contemplated. Its success depended entirely upon the selection of a sagacious, fearless and well- balanced commander, and it was this part of the enter- prise that most seriously engaged the attention of the Government. Of all the officers at the disposal of the United States, Captain David Glasgow Farragut seemed to be the one best fitted for this command, and it was only his Southern birth and affiliations that caused the Government to hesitate ; but on the 9th of January he was formally appointed commander of the expedition, and also commander of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, the new sloop of war Hartford being as- signed as his flagship. Farragut's name was first noticed in these pages as a midshipman in the Essex at the opening of the war for independence on the high seas. At the close of that war he was ordered to the Mediterranean in the new ship of the line Washington. In 1821 he received his commission as lieutenant and took part in the suppres- sion of piracy in the West Indies. When off Tortugas, about 1823, he took passage in a vessel laden with brick 310 BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1861-1862. for Fort Jackson. In 1832 he was in the Norfolk Navy Yard. During the nullification troubles, in 1833. he was in the man-of-war that was sent to South Carolina by President Jackson with the message, "The Union must and shall be preserved." In 1837 he was execu- tive officer in the sloop-of-war Natchez, and in 1840 he was again at Norfolk, about which time he married the daughter of Mr. Loyall, of that city. In the following year he sailed for the coast of Brazil in the ship-of-the- line Delaware, when he was made commander. In 1844 he commanded the receiving ship Pennsylvania, at Norfolk, and in 1847 the sloop-of-war Saratoga, of the home squadron. From 1848 to 1854 he was on shore duty, after which he was sent out to establish the navy yard in California, where he remained until 1858, by which time he had been promoted to the rank of captain and was ordered to the sloop-of-war Brook- lyn. When the civil war broke out he was in Norfolk and was strongly urged to serve the Southern cause. It is difficult for a landsman to understand how at- tached a thoroughbred seaman becomes to his colors. It was under the United States flag that the youthful Farragut received his commission as a midshipman, and in that proud moment of gratified ambition he took his boyish oath to die rather than strike that flag. On more than one occasion he had seen the haughtiest colors on the ocean bow with respect before Old Glory. At Valparaiso he stood on the bloody decks of the Es- sex with that gallant ship's company and saw men give life and limb in order that the flag might not be hauled down. He had seen sailors writhing in the agonies of death expend their last vitality in some feeble defense of that flag. He had traveled from ocean to ocean, and had seen the star-spangled banner towering proudly among the powers of the earth, feared by some, blessed by others for its manly upholding of the rights of hu- manity, respected by all. He had seen kings and princes do it homage. Many a time when in distant 1361-1862. DAVID GLASGOW FARRAGUT. 3H lands, surrounded by strange scenes and by strange people, he had stood under the protecting folds of the Stars and Stripes and felt that he had a true friend by him. Often, on the lonely ocean, he had watched the beautiful flag caressed by gentle zephyrs, brightly re- turning the smiles of the sun, or, drawing itself out to its full length, grandly maintain its dignity in the face of storm. And this was the flag against which Farragut was asked to raise his hand. The secessionists little under- stood how those stripes could entwine themselves about the heart of a sailor who had once fought for that flag, who had endured sickness, hardship, insult and igno- miny in order that it might remain unsullied. They understood still less the emotion of men who have once gazed on those stars proudly floating over the enemy's colors after a bloody struggle. Stung with the insult contained in the suggestion, and remembering the glori- ous triumphs achieved under the flag, Farragut re- plied, "I would see every man of you damned before I would raise my hand against that flag ! " Being in- formed that he could no longer remain in the South, he replied, " I will seek some other place where I can live, and on two hours' notice." And he was as good as his word. On that same evening, April 18th, he left Nor- folk and most of his worldly possessions, and with his wife and only son went to Baltimore, and thence to Hastings on the Hudson. His first service was on the board appointed under the act of Congress, August 3, 1861, to retire superannuated officers from active serv- ice, from which duty he was called to assume command of the New Orleans expedition. .While the preparations for the expedition were under way in the North, the blockade of the mouths of the Mississippi had been maintained as well as the few vessels stationed there could do it. The dreary monotony of blockade on this coast was enhanced by fogs so dense that it was impossible at times to see one 312 BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1862. hundred yards ahead, which afforded every oppor- tunity for blockade runners to get to sea. At times the rigging and spars of the vessels were soaked with moisture, and the continual dripping kept the ships damp and unhealthf ul. The only relief was the daily drill of the men at the great guns and other exercises. As they were cut off from all communication with the North, and knew little or nothing about the progress of the war except such exaggerated and discouraging accounts as were allowed to pass through the enemy's lines or were picked up from the fishermen, the thank- less service did not tend to raise the spirits of the offi- cers or the men. Occasionally the lookout at the top- mast crosstrees would sing out with a dismal drawl, 4 'Smoke, ho-o-o ! " and it was one of the treats of the service for the officer of the deck to call back through his trumpet, ' ' Where away ? " "Up the river, sir. " But the smoke seldom came out of the river. The Brooklyn, Commander Thomas Tingey Craven, was engaged in blockading Pass a 1'Outre from February 2 to March 7, 1862. Some excitement was afforded to her people on the 24th of February by the smoke of a steamer coming down the river, for in this instance the vessel actually came out and attempted to run the blockade, and in a short time the sloop-of-war was in readiness for the chase. Owing to the fog, it was impossible to see the steamer from the deck, and the only way of following her was by an officer going aloft and keeping track of the smoke, which could be seen above the fog. After a run of many miles the stranger was overtaken, and proved to be the Magnolia, having on board twelve hundred bales of cotton. Farragut arrived at Ship Island, near the mouth of the Mississippi, in the Hartford, on the 20th of Feb- ruary, and from that time there was plenty of excite- ment. The preparations for entering the river were actively begun ; the men were kept busy firing at tar- gets, getting in coal and provisions and protecting the 1862. FARRAGUT'S ARRIVAL. 3^3 machinery with chains, sand bags etc. "Farragtit was about the fleet from early dawn until dark, and if any officer had not spontaneous enthusiasm, he certainly in- fused it into him. I have been on the morning watch from four to eight o'clock, when he would row along- side the ship at six o'clock, either hailing to ask how we were getting along, or perhaps climbing over the side to see for himself." ' The first difficulty to be overcome was that of getting the heavy ships over the bar. When Farragut received his orders to command this expedition it was thought that there were nineteen feet of water on the bar, 4 so that such ships as the Brooklyn and the Hartford could readily cross, while heavier frigates like the Wabash and the Colorado^ which drew twenty-two feet of water, could be taken over after being relieved of their guns, coal and other heavy stores : but when the squadron assembled before the passes it was found that the ever-changing sands had reduced the depth to fifteen feet. All hope of getting the Wabash and the Colorado over was im- mediately abandoned, while grave doubts were enter- tained as to the possibility of getting even the Missis- sippi and the Pensacola across. The Colorado was deemed especially valuable in the operation against the forts, as the commanding height of her masts enabled her topmen to fire over the parapets and sweep the in- terior of the forts with grape and canister. The Pen- sacola was finally got over the bar on the 7th of April, after a delay of two weeks. In one of the attempts to tow her over the hawser parted, killing two men and wounding five. The pilots were found to be either nervous or treacherous, and the vessels were fre- quently run aground. The dense fogs off these low sandy coasts also rendered the navigation unusually 1 Commander John Russell Bartlett, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. * Secretary of the Navy to Farragut, February 10th. 314: BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1862. difficult. After many futile attempts to get the Brook- lyn over the bar at Pass a 1'Outre, she was taken to Southwest Pass, where also she grounded. Finally several steamers took her in tow and hauled her through the mud by sheer force. The Mississippi was stripped of everything that could possibly be taken out of her, and after eight days of tugging and hauling she was brought over. These unexpected ob- stacles delayed the expedition at the passes many days, giving the Confederates ample time to ascertain the force of the fleet and to make their defenses accord- ingly. The defenses of New Orleans were of the most for- midable kind. The river about ninety miles below New Orleans was guarded by two forts under the com- mand of General Johnson K. Duncan. On the right bank of a bend in the stream was Fort Jackson, having bomb-proof chambers and all the appliances for mod- ern warfare. It stood about one hundred yards from the levee, the casemate rising just above its level, while a water-battery extended below the fort along the river's edge. The fort was divided into three sec- tions ; an outer wall surrounded by the overflow water, formed a substantial moat, and between this and the fort proper was a wide ditch of mud and water, form- ing the second moat, while the fort itself, a massive structure of stone and brick in the shape of a star, stood in the center. Between this and the citadel of solid masonry was a third ditch. The armament of this formidable work consisted of three 10-inch colum- biads and five 8-inch guns, one 7-inch rifled gun, six 42-pounders, seventeen 32-pounders and thirty-five 24- pounders in all, sixty-seven guns. The commander of this fort was Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Higgins, for- merly of the United States navy. On the opposite bank of the river, a little above, was Fort St. Philip, com- manded by Captain Squires. It mounted six 8-inch guns, one rifled 7-inch gun, six 42-pounders, nine 32- 1862. DEFENSES OF NEW ORLEANS. 315 pounders and twenty-one 24-pounders, one 13-inch mor- tar and five 10-inch mortars in all, forty- nine pieces. As an auxiliary battery, a formidable fleet of gun- boats and ironclads, under the command of Commo- dore John K. Mitchell, was held in readiness to at- tack any craft that might attempt to pass up the river. The most dangerous of these was the Louisiana, Cap- tain Charles F. Mclntosh, which was rapidly approach- ing completion. She was built under the direction of E. C. Murray from timber cut in the forest bordering on Lake Pontchartrain. Her engines were taken from the steamer Ingomar. Although the construction of this vessel was begun on the 15th of October, 1861, work on her was delayed by strikes and the imperfect appliances for handling iron. Upon her lower hull, which was nearly submerged, was erected a casemate plated with a double row of T-railroad iron sloping at an angle of forty-five degrees. In this shot-proof gun- room were two paddle wheels, besides which she had two propellers. The deck above the casemate was sur- rounded by sheet-iron bulwarks as a protection against sharpshooters. Her armament consisted of seven rifled 32-pounders, three 9-inch and four 8-inch smooth-bore guns and two rifled 7-inch guns in all, sixteen guns. A serious defect in her construction was that the gun ports were too small, so that the arc of fire of the guns was not more than five degrees. A second ironclad was the ram Manassas, Lieuten- ant A. F. Warley. This was formerly the twin-screw tugboat Enoch Train, built in Boston in 1855 by J. 0. Curtis. She was one hundred and twenty- eight feet over all, and had twenty-six feet beam and eleven feet draught. Her frame was of white oak. Under the personal direction of John H. Stephenson, the Enoch Train was covered with five-inch timbers and with about an inch of flat railroad iron ; the beams, meeting at the bow, formed a solid mass twenty feet thick. The only entrance to this craft was by a trap door, the 316 BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1862. port cover of the single gun in the bow springing back when the gun was withdrawn. She had two "tele- scoping " smokestacks, which could be drawn into the vessel when necessary, and steam pipes were so ar- ranged as to throw boiling water over the deck if an enemy should attempt to board. She was armed with one 32-pounder, and had a crew of thirty-five men, all told. This vessel was built by private subscription at New Orleans, in order to get the twenty per cent of the value of any Federal vessel that it might destroy ; but on the 12th of October, 1861, it was purchased by the Confederate Government. Besides these two ironclads there were wooden steamers that had been converted into gunboats. One of the most efficient of these was the steamer McRae, Lieutenant Thomas B. Huger, formerly the steamer Marquis de la Habana, mounting six 32-pounders and one 9-inch shell gun. The two steamers Governor Moore and General Quitman had been fitted out by the State of Louisiana. The Governor Moore (named after the war Governor of Alabama), Commander Bev- erley Kennon, formerly the wooden paddle-wheeled steamer Charles Morgan, was armed with two rifled 32- pounders and was manned with ninety-three men, all told, and pieces of railroad iron were fastened to her bows to form a sort of ram. The General Quitman, Captain Grant, a little smaller than the Governor Moore, was armed with two smooth-bore 32-pounders. The steamer Jackson, Lieutenant Francis B. Renshaw, mounted two 32-pounders. Launch No. 6, Acting-Mas- ter Fairbanks, and launch No. 3, armed with one how- itzer, Acting-Master Telford, were among the vessels. All these were protected about their boilers and ma- chinery with double barricades of pine boards, the space between them being filled in with compressed cotton. None of them had rams under water. Each was manned with about thirty-five men, and they were fitted out under the direction of Lieutenant- 1862. CONFEDERATE NAVAL FORCE. 317 Colonel William S. Lovell, formerly of the United States navy. Besides this, the Confederates had under way the powerful floating battery New Orleans, mounting twenty guns ; the Memphis, eighteen guns ; and the Mississippi, sixteen guns. The last-mentioned vessel was regarded " as the greatest vessel in the world," so far as her fighting capacity was concerned. She was two hundred and seventy feet over all, had fifty -eight feet beam, was to make eleven knots an hour and cost two million dollars. The enemy worked day and night and Sundays, and hoped to have her ready by the first of May. Distinct from the Confederate naval force was what was termed a "river defense fleet," consist- ing of boats mounting one or two guns each. They were the Warrior, John A. Stephenson ; the Stonewall Jackson, Mr. Phillips ; the Resolute, Mr. Hooper ; the Defiance, Mr. McCoy ; and the R. J. Breckenridge. There were also seven unarmed steamers : the Phoenix, the W. Burton, Mr. Hammond ; the Landis, Mr. Davis ; the Mosher, Mr. Sherman ; the Belle Alge- rienne, the Star, Mr. La Place ; and the Music, Mr. McClellan. As a further defense, the Confederates, early in the winter, had thrown a raft across the river under the guns of the forts. This raft consisted of cypress logs several feet in diameter and about forty feet long, placed three feet apart, so that driftwood would pass between them. The logs were held together with iron cables two and a half inches thick, while thirty heavy anchors held them across the stream. The freshet in the spring of 1862 caused such an unusually rapid cur- rent that on the 10th of March about a third of the raft was carried away. Eight schooners joined together with chains, and with their masts dragging astern so as to entangle the screws of passing steamers, were an- chored in this gap. The Confederates also collected a great number of long flatboats filled with pine knots, 318 BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1862. ready to be fired and sent down the swift current into the midst of the hostile fleet. On the 16th of April, 1862, Farragnt steamed up to a point about three miles below Fort Jackson with his fleet of twenty-four vessels besides twenty schooners, each armed with one 13-inch mortar and two long 32- pounders and manned by seven hundred and twenty- one men, under the command of Commander Porter. The following steamers were detailed as tenders to the mortar flotilla : the Harriet Lane, Lieutenant Jonathan M. Wainwright ; the Owasco, Lieutenant John Guest ; the Westfield, Commander William B. Renshaw ; the Clifton, Acting- Lieutenant Charles H. Baldwin; the Miami, Lieutenant Abram Davis Harrell ; and the Jackson, Acting-Lieutenant Selim E. Woodworth. The Harriet Lane had been transferred from the revenue service, the Owasco was of the same class as the Cayuga, the Miami was a double-ender built for the Govern- ment, while the Clifton, the Jackson and the Westfield were ordinary side-wheel ferry boats mounting heavy guns. As yet Captain Farragut had little idea of the strength and character of the fortifications he was about to attack or the defenses in the river. He had received from the Secretary of the Navy sketches of the works and a memorandum prepared by General Barnard, who had constructed Fort St. Philip. Since the outbreak of hostilities, however, it was known that the enemy had greatly strengthened these fortifica- tions, besides augmenting the defenses and obstruc- tions in the river. The first thing to be done, there- fore, after getting the fleet into the river, was to survey the situation as well as possible from a distance. The Kennebec, under Commander Bell, and the Wissa- hickon, were sent up the river to reconnoiter, and reported that " the obstructions seemed formidable." The hazardous duty of getting the mortar schooners in position was performed under the direction of F. H. 1812. PREPARATIONS FOR THE ATTACK. 319 Gerdes, of the Coast Survey service, who, with the as- sistance of J. G. Oltmannis and Joseph Harris, made a careful survey of the river for several miles below Fort Jackson. The work occupied several days, and as it was performed in open boats the surveyors were ex- posed to a fire from sharpshooters concealed in the bushes along the banks, and sometimes shells from the forts landed in unpleasant proximity. The river was finally triangulated for seven miles, and white flags, each having the name of the boat that was to be anchored near it, were placed with great accuracy. The position selected for the mortar boats was on the south bank of the river, about two miles from Fort Jackson, where the trees and the dense underbrush effectually con- cealed them and made it difficult for the enemy to get the range ; and even if the enemy succeeded in firing with accuracy, the schooners could easily move a few rods without being observed and thus again leave the enemy in doubt as to their whereabouts. To hide their movements more perfectly, the upper masts and rigging of the schooners were dressed with branches and vines, so that the enemy could not distinguish them from the trees. The mortar schooners were an- chored in three divisions : the first, of seven vessels, under the command of Lieutenant Watson Smith, was stationed on the west bank, about twenty-eight hun- dred and fifty yards from Fort Jackson and about thirty-six hundred and eighty yards from Fort St. Philip. This division consisted of the Norfolk Packet, Lieu- tenant Smith ; the Oliver H. Lee, Acting- Master Wash- ington Godfrey ; the Para, Acting-Master Edward G. Furber ; the G. P. Williams, Acting-Master Amos R. Langthorne ; the Arietta, Acting-Master Thomas E. Smith ; the Bacon, Acting- Master William P. Rogers ; the Sophronia, Acting-Master Lyman Bartholomew. The third division, of six schooners, commanded by Lieutenant Kidder Randolph Breese, was in the rear of 320 BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1862. the first division. It consisted of the John Griffith, Acting- Master Henry Brown ; the SarahBruen, Acting- Master Abraham Christian ; the Racer, Acting-Master Alvin Phinney ; the Sea Foam, Acting-Master Henry E. Williams ; the Henry Janes, Acting- Master Lewis W. Pennington ; the Dan Smith, Acting-Master George W. Brown. The second division, of seven schooners, under the command of Lieutenant Walter W. Queen, was stationed on the east bank, about thirty-six hun- dred and eighty yards from Fort Jackson. This divi- sion consisted of the T. A. Ward, Lieutenant Queen ; Maria J. Carlton, Acting-Master Charles E. Jack ; the Matthew Vassar, Acting-Master Hugh H. Savage ; the George Mangham, Acting-Master John Collins ; the Orvetta, Acting-Master Francis E. Blanchard ; the Sid- ney C. Jones, Acting-Master J. D. Graham ; the Adolph Hugel, Acting- Master Van Buskirk. The position of the second division was greatly exposed to the ene- my's fire. At ten o'clock on the morning of April 18th the signal for the mortar schooners to open fire was given, and shortly afterward huge 13- inch shells were whis- tling through the air in their graceful flight and drop- ping in and around the fort, each schooner firing one shell every ten minutes. The Confederate forts re- sponded with spirit, but owing to the concealment afforded by the trees they fired with little accuracy. The division under Lieutenant Queen, on the left bank of the river, fired with great precision, but from its exposed position it suffered considerably in return. To divert the enemy's fire from these schooners as much as possible, two gunboats took turns with one of the smaller sloops in steaming up on the west side of the river, suddenly shooting out in full view of the forts and opening a rapid fire from their 11-inch pivot guns. As they were constantly in motion, it was diffi- cult for the Confederate gunners to get their range, while the fire from the 11-inch guns was always effect- 1862. MORTAR SCHOONERS OPEN FIRE. 321 ive. Lieutenant Guest, in the Owasco, held the posi- tion at the head of the line an hour and fifty minutes, and left only when his ammunition gave out. About midday the T. A. Ward was struck by a 120- pound shot, which crashed into her cabin and nearly fired the magazine, while soon afterward a 10-inch shot struck the water line of the George Mangham. Find- ing that their position was becoming critical, the schooners dropped downstream, anchored two hun- dred yards below, and resumed their fire. The mor- tars kept up their fire throughout the day, and about five o'clock in the afternoon dense volumes of smoke were observed rolling upward from Fort Jackson. As night came on, the mortars increased their fire to a shell every five minutes from each, or two hundred and forty shells an hour. Toward midnight they reduced their fire to a shell every half hour, so as to allow the crews of the mortar schooners a little rest. At two o'clock in the morning the six schooners under Lieu- tenant Queen were removed from the left to the right bank under cover of the woodland. The labor of the men in the mortar schooners was most exhausting. Little or no sleep could be had, while the terrific shock caused the little vessels to shiver from stem to stern and threatened to rack them. Every time the mortars were fired the men were com- pelled to run aft, and that the concussion might be as little as possible they stood with mouths open and on tiptoe. The explosion of so much powder soon black- ened them from head to foot. One of the schooners, the Maria J. Carlton, had been sunk. That night the enemy sent down an immense flat- boat, one hundred and fifty by fifty feet, laden with burning pine knots piled up twenty feet high, while the flame leaped a hundred feet into the air. As the huge mass of fire came down the river toward the thirty-five wooden ships of the National fleet anchored close together in the narrow channel, it presented a 66 322 BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1862. fearful spectacle. The roaring and crackling flames, sometimes caught in a puff of air, swept across the en- tire breadth of the river, licking the water into steam or scorching and wilting the trees on the bank. Good discipline, together with the indomitable pluck of the American seamen, came to the rescue. The vessels that stood in the course of the fire quickly slipped their cables and ran inshore, allowing the raft to pass harmlessly by ; but immediate preparations were made to meet other attacks from fire-boats. The steamer Westfield, fitted with hose, was detailed as a fire patrol, while a number of boats armed with grapnels, buckets and axes were held in readiness to tow the rafts in- shore before they should reach the fleet. From that time a number of these rafts were sent down, but so perfect were the arrangements for receiving them that no further alarm was felt, while the sailors hailed their approach with delight as affording amusement and relieving the monotony of the siege. On the third night of the bombardment, April 20th, the Pinola, Lieutenant Peirce Crosby, and the Itasca, Lieutenant Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell, under the orders of Commander Bell, were sent up the river to sever the line of hulks and chains that stretched across the stream under the guns of the forts. The gunboats, having first had their lower masts and rig- ging taken out so as to render them less visible to the enemy, set out under cover of darkness. As they approached the raft they were discovered by the enemy and a heavy fire was opened on them, upon which the mortars increased their fire, at times keep- ing nine shells in the air at once. With this diversion in his favor, Commander Bell kept steadily on his course until he reached the obstructions, when the Pinola ran alongside the third hulk from the eastern shore and her men boarded. Charges of powder with slow matches and a petard were placed aboard, after which the crew returned to their ship and the Pinola 1862. DARING NIGHT EXPEDITIONS. 333 dropped astern. But the current carried the gunboat down so rapidly -that the wires attached to the petard were severed and the charges failed to explode. The Itasca then boldly ran alongside the second schooner from the eastern shore and threw a grapnel aboard, which caught on the hulk's rail ; but the rail gave way under the strain, and the gunboat was carried some distance downstream before she could stem the current. She then ran alongside the easternmost hulk, and by keeping her engines going slowly ahead held her position alongside while Lieutenant Caldwell, Acting-Masters Amos Johnson and Edmund Jones jumped aboard with a party of seamen. While Caldwell was making his preparations for firing the hulk the chains holding her were slipped without his knowledge, and as the fiasco's engines were going ahead and had her helm aport, the sudden releasing of the schooner caused both vessels to turn inshore and run aground under the guns of the fort. The Itasca was compelled to remain in this perilous position until the Pinola came to her assistance. So far from be- ing discouraged by this mishap, Lieutenant Caldwell headed his vessel up the river, passed through the gap in the obstructions, and after going some distance to obtain a good headway he came down the stream with a full head of steam, and, striking the chains holding the hulks together, he ran the bow of his vessel three or four feet out of water and her weight parted the chains, leaving a larger gap in the obstruction. The two gunboats then returned to the fleet. On the night of April 23d, Lieutenant Caldwell, with Acting-Master Edmund Jones, pulled up the river in one of the Hartford's boats to make a final recon- noissance, as some doubt had been expressed as to the opening made in the raft ; and if an opening had been made at all, it was feared that the enemy had repaired the injury. The doubt of there being a clear passage was increased by the rippling of water in the narrow 324: BLOCKADING THE MISSISSIPPI. 1862. gap, as if a chain were there, which some of the officers noticed. After an exhausting pull of several miles against the rapid current the boat reached a place where a fire kindled by the Confederates lighted the river like day and would have discovered the adven- turers to sharpshooters. In order to avoid this light Lieutenant Caldwell headed his boat to the opposite bank, and by passing close under the trees and bushes he came within one hundred yards of the obstruc- tions. Here the party was directly under the guns of Fort Jackson, and so near that the voices of the sol- diers could be heard. From this place it could be distinctly seen that the water in the gap was unob- structed ; but, in order to be absolutely certain, Lieu- tenant Caldwell ordered his men to pull to the gap. In doing this the boat was compelled to pass directly across a broad belt of light and was in full view of the enemy. The Confederates probably believed it to be one of their own boats, for they did not fire. It was found that two or three of the schooners had been torn from their position and were ashore. After pull- ing above the obstructions, where the lead showed twelve to fifteen fathoms, the boat party rested on its oars and floated downstream, with a heavy lead line at the bow so as to ascertain if there were any barri- cades or explosives under the water. The lead caught nothing, and after pulling above the hulks and mak- ing this test a second time Lieutenant Caldwell was satisfied that the channel was clear, and he returned with this report. CHAPTER X. PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. ABOUT noon of April 20th thirteen boats were quietly trailing at the stern of the Hartford. The commanders of the National war ships were in the flagship's cabin, holding a council of war. Opinions differed widely as to the best means to be adopted. Effective as the bombardment by the mortar flotilla seemed to have been, the forts still held out, and every moment the enemy was strengthening his defenses. The ram Louisiana was thought to be completed, and in a short time the ironclads New Orleans and Mem- phis would be added to the Confederate naval force, while the most powerful war vessel ever projected by the South, or any other country up to that time the Mississippi would be finished in a few days; so that, instead of taking the offensive, the National fleet would be driven out of the river and again reduced to a mere blockading force. Taking the enemy unpre- pared was the first element of success that had been counted upon when the great New Orleans expedition was planned, and Farragut accepted the place of com- mander-in- chief with the understanding that he was to run past the forts not merely to act as an escort to twenty mortar schooners. His long experience in active service had taught him to place little reliance on mortars, and he had accepted them merely as an aux- iliary battery, because they had been ordered before he was assigned to the command. Day after day was passing, and the enemy showed no sign of weakening. As a matter of fact, fewer than ten guns of the one 325 326 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 18C2. hundred and twenty-six in the two forts had been dis- abled by the sixteen thousand eight hundred shells dropped in and around them, and only four men had been killed and fourteen wounded. The proposition of running past the forts did not meet with the unanimous approval of the Union offi- cers. The weight of tradition and long-established rules of war were against it. It was demonstrated with incontrovertible accuracy that wooden ships could never pass such batteries and remain afloat. Had not a French admiral and Captain Freed y, of the English frigate Mersey, just been up the river as far as the forts and reported that they were impassable? But Farragut had known English predictions in regard to American naval prowess to fail before this. He saw clearly enough that if New Orleans was to be captured by the fleet, it was to be done only by the vessels running past the forts. " Whatever is to be done will have to be done quickly," he said, and the night of April 23d was fixed for the attempt. At first it was intended to have the ships pass the forts in a double column, as there would be less strag- gling and this would enable the larger vessels to give more protection to the lighter ones. But the narrow gap in the line of obstructions would greatly increase the chances of collision with the hulks, and, what was more serious, collision between the vessels themselves ; and Farragut therefore determined to range his vessels in single line and to pass the forts in three divisions, one after the other. The vessels were arranged in the follow- ing order : First Division, Captain Theodoras Bailey ; * the Cayuga, Lieutenant Napoleon Bonaparte Harrison ; the Pensacola, Captain Henry W. Morris ; the Missis- sippi,* Commander Melancton Smith ; the Oneida, Com- mander Samuel Phillips Lee ; the Varuna, Command- 1 The present Rear- Admiral Francis John Higginson acted as aide and signal midshipman to Bailey. 8 Admiral Dewey was serving in the Mississippi as a lieutenant. 1862. FARRAGUT'S LINE OF BATTLE. 327 er Charles Stuart Boggs ; the KataJhdin, Lieutenant George Henry Preble ; the Kineo, Lieutenant George Marcellus Ransom ; and the Wissahickon, Lieutenant Albert N. Smith. The Second or Center Division was to be led by Captain Farragut himself in the Hartford, Commander Richard Wainwright ; followed by the Brooklyn, Captain Thomas Tingey Craven, and Rich- mond, Commander James Alden. The Third Division, commanded by Commander Henry H. Bell, was to be led by the Sciota, Lieutenant Edward Donaldson ; fol- lowed by the Iroquois, Commander John Decamp ; the Kennebec, Lieutenant John Henry Russell ; the Pino- la, Lieutenant Peirce Crosby ; the Itasca, Lieutenant Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell ; the Winona, Lieu- tenant Edward Tattnall Nichols. 1 The 23d of April was taken up with final prepara- tions for the great battle. Bags of sand, ashes and coal, sails, hammocks, etc., were piled around the machinery and exposed parts of the ships, some of the hulls were daubed with yellow river mud to make them less visible to the Confederate gunners, and many of the decks and gun carriages were whitewashed, so that objects on them would be more readily distinguished in the night, 1 These vessels carried the following armaments : Hartford, twenty-two 9-inch, two rifled 20-ponnders ; Brooklyn, twenty 9-inch, one rifled 80- pounder, one rifled 30-pounder : Richmond, twenty-two 9-inch, one rifled 80-pounder, one rifled 30-pounder; Pensacola, one 11-inch, twenty 9-inch, one rifled 100-pounder, one rifled 80-pounder; Mississippi, one 10-inch, fifteen 8-inch, one rifled 20-poumler ; Oeida, two 11-inch, four 32-pound- ers, three rifled 30-pounders ; Iroquois, two 11 -inch, four 32-pounders, one rifled 50-pounder ; Varuna. eight 8-inch, two rifled 30-pounders ; Caynga, Katahdin, Kennebec, A'ineo, Pinola, Sciota, Winona, Wissa- hickon, each carried one 11-inch, one rifled 30-pounder ; Itasca, one 10- inch, one rifled 30-pounder. The armaments of the steamers of the mor- tar flotilla were : Harriet Lane, three 9-inch guns ; Clifton, two 9-inch, four 32-pounders, one rifled 30-pounder ; Jackson, one 10-inch, one 9- inch, one 6-inch rifled Sawyer, four 32-pounders ; Westfield, one 9-inch, four 8-inch, one rifled 100-pounder; Miami, two 9-inch, one rifled 100- potmder, one rifled 80-pounder, one rifled 30-pounder; Owasco, one 11- inch, one rifled 30-pounder. 328 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 18C2. as it was proposed to have as few lanterns lighted as possible. At the suggestion of Chief-Engineer J. W. Moore, of the Richmond, the sheet cables were ar- ranged up and down the hulls of the ships, so as to protect the machinery. The holds or the cockpits of the vessels were cleared of the stores piled there, and made ready for the first time, perhaps for the recep- tion of wounded men. Tables were arranged in con- venient positions, and the surgeons prepared their in- struments, while buckets and tubs were placed in readiness to receive the blood and severed members of the human body. Aboard the Brooklyn a cot frame was slung from two davits and so arranged that the wounded could be lowered down the main hatch and taken to the surgeon's table in the fore hold. The ropes, hawsers etc. were packed in the sick bay in a solid mass, kedge anchors attached to hawsers were slung to the main-brace bumkins on each quarter in case it became necessary to turn the ship suddenly, and, in some, hammocks or netting made of rope were spread so as to catch splinters. The men in the tops were protected from musketry fire by iron bulwarks ; the heavy weights in the ship were stowed in the for- ward part, so that if they grounded at all the bow would strike first and the swift current would not swing them broadside to across the river. All un- necessary spars, boats, rigging etc. had been sent ashore at Pilot Town and the vessels stripped for the fight. Five of the nine gunboats took out their masts entirely, as the Pinola and the Itasca had done when severing the raft on the 20th of April. On the afternoon of April 23d Farragut personally visited every vessel in the fleet, to see if his orders for the night were clearly understood. Having done this, he returned to his own ship and made his personal ar- rangements for the battle. The evening came on clear and starlit, while nothing served to break the silence or to conceal the movements of the vessels. At about five min- 1802. GETTING UNDER WAY. 329 utesof two o'clock in the morning, April 24th, two ordi- nary red lights (so as not to attract the enemy's notice) in a vertical line appeared in the rigging of the flagship, and immediately afterward the click of capstans and the harsh grating of cables fell upon the midnight air from all parts of the anchorage, and proclaimed to the Con- federate lookouts concealed in the woods that the fleet was about to begin some serious movement. The alarm was quickly conveyed to the forts, and scarcely were the ships under way before the enemy was in readiness to receive the attack. The unusual strength of the cur- rent delayed the ships, so that it was 3.30 before the entire fleet w r as under way. The five steamers that had been used for towing the mortar schooners w r ere moved up the river to a position about two hundred yards from the water-battery opposite Fort Jackson, where, by run- ning close under the levee, their hulls would be entirely protected from the enemy's shot, and about the time the first division of ships was well under way the mor- tar steamers opened their fire. The sailing sloop of war Portsmouth, Commander Samuel Swartwout, also was towed by the steamer Jackson to a position where she could enfilade the enemy's batteries. Soon after the fleet got under way large bonfires on the banks and huge fire rafts on the water illuminated the whole scene, enabling the Confederate gunners to fire with accuracy. The mortar schooners now began to thunder out their huge shells, keeping two constantly in the air, while the five steamers near the water-battery opened with grape and shrapnel. As soon as the head of the National line was in range the Confederates opened from every gun that bore. The scene was one of indescribable grandeur. The huge 13-inch shells left their beds with thunderous reports ; revolving the light of their fuses rapidly in the air, they rushed to the apex of their flight, where they seemed to pause for a moment, and then descended in a graceful curve, exploding in or over the forts. Some 330 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. of them burst in mid-air, sending a shower of iron frag- ments and sparks in all directions. The constant flash- ing of so many guns, together with the flickering light of the fire-rafts, produced a shimmering illumination over the river, which, although brilliant, was illusive and made it difficult to take accurate aim. Soon dark masses of smoke began to float across the river, ob- structing the line of vision here and there and adding greatly to the confusion. About 3.45 A. M. the Cayuga was well under the forts. Captain Bailey, whose ship, the Colorado, was unable to cross the bar, had asked for an opportunity to take part in the fight and was placed in command of the first division, while his men were distributed among the crews. He pressed gallantly toward Fort St. Philip, leaving the other divisions to attack Fort Jack- son. The Cayuga was now the center of a terrific storm of shot, to which she could make no effective answer. "The air," said Lieutenant Perkins, who was piloting the Cayuga, "was filled with shells and explosives, which almost blinded me as I stood on the forecastle trying to see my way, for I had never been up the river before. I soon saw that the guns of the forts were well aimed for the center of the midstream, so I steered close under the walls of Fort St. Philip, and although our masts and rigging got badly shot through, our hull was but little damaged. After passing the last battery and thinking we were clear, I looked back for some of our vessels, and my heart jumped into my mouth when I found I could not see a single one. I thought they all must have been sunk by the forts. Looking ahead, I saw eleven of the enemy's gunboats coming down upon us, and it seemed as if we were gone, sure." Undaunted by the heavy odds, Captain Bailey boldly stood on and prepared to attack three large steamers that made a dash at him with the intention of running him down. One headed for the Cayuga's starboard bow, another came on at right angles amidship, and a 1362. THE CAYUGA GALLANTLY LEADS. 331 third came up on the stern. The 11-inch Dahlgren gun was deliberately trained on the second steamer, and when at a distance of thirty yards it was fired. The shot crippled the enemy, and he sheered off, ran in- shore, and was soon wrapped in flames. The Parrott rifled gun on the forecastle also lodged a shot in the steamer off the starboard bow, which compelled her to haul off. This left only the steamer coming up on the sfarboard quarter. The boarders were immediately called aft, but at this moment the Varuna, which had been fifth in line, came swiftly up the river and crip- pled the enemy with a shell. The Cayuga had now been struck by forty-two shot. Her masts were so shattered as to be unfit for use, the carriage of her 11- inch Dahlgren gun was broken, and her smokestack was riddled ; but as her machinery remained intact she still advanced. The Varuna, however, soon passed her and sped up the river, delivering her fire right and left. A steamer filled with soldiers soon ap- peared off her starboard beam, and Commander Boggs put a shot into her boiler, which caused her to drift ashore. Two other steamers and one gunboat also were crippled and driven ashore in flames by the Va- runa. But, unknown to Commander Boggs, a more formidable enemy was swiftly pursuing and gradually overtaking him. When the National fleet was getting under way, the Governor Moore lay near Fort St. Philip, with her lights carefully concealed and with a double guard of sentinels. About half past two in the morning her vigilant commander, Lieutenant Beverley Kennon, de- tected unusual sounds down the river, and climbing over the side of the vessel, he placed his ear near the water and distinctly heard the stroke of a paddle-wheel steamer apparently coming up stream. He rightly conjectured that it was the Mississippi coming up with the fleet, and firing two alarm guns, he got up steam in three minutes, and proceeded a short distance 332 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. up the river so as to have a better opportunity for ram- ming. While feeling his way in the gloom, Lieutenant Kennon saw a large two- masted steamer emerge from the darkness and pass between him and the light of the burning steamer, "rushing upstream like an ocean racer, belching black smoke, firing on each burning vessel as she passed." It was the Varuna, leading the line of vessels up the river. As the stranger carried a white light at the masthead and a red light at the peak, Lieutenant Kennon knew that she was one of the National vessels. He also knew that General Lovell, commander of the Confederate forces at New Orleans, had come down the river to visit the forts that evening, and-had just passed up the river in the steamer Doub- loon, on his return to the city. Knowing that the*" ocean racer "would soon over- take the Doubloon, Lieutenant Kennon, after shooting away his blue distinguishing light at the masthead with a musket (for hauling it down would have at- tracted attention), set off in chase of the Varuna. The trees and thick underbrush on the bank of the river near which the Governor Moore was steaming formed a dark background and prevented the people in the National gunboat from discovering her. By putting oil on his fires Kennon got up a full head of steam, and soon had the steamer "shaking all over and fairly dancing through the water." In order to deceive the Varuna, Lieutenant Kennon now hoisted the Union distinguishing lights, and in this way the two steamers sped up the river, the Governor Moore gradually gain- ing and the people in the Varuna ignorant of an ap- proaching foe. When near the battery at Chalmette, day just breaking, the two vessels were only one hundred yards apart, and Lieutenant Kennon hauled down the Union light and fired at the Varuna. But the shot missed its mark. The people in the Varuna responded to this unexpected attack with such guns as bore, but they 1862. THE VARUNA AND THE GOVERNOR MOORE. 333 were afraid to yaw across the river so as to bring their broadside to bear lest they should be rammed by the rapidly approaching enemy. In this way a running fight ensued, with the advantage decidedly in the Va- runa? s favor, for her shells were raking the Governor Moore, killing and wounding men at every fire. One shot from the Confederate gunboat, however, raked the Varuna along the port gangway, killing four men and wounding nine. Finding that his bow gun was too far abaft the knightheads to hull the Varuna, Lieuten- ant Kennon ran up to close quarters and deliberately fired through his own bow, hoping to throw a shell into the Varuna's engine room. The missile struck the hawse pipe, was deflected, and passed through the Varuna's smokestack. But a second shot, fired through the hole made by the first in the Governor Moore's bow, struck the Varund*s pivot gun and killed or wounded several men. Soon after this the Varuna ported her helm, and the Governor Moore fol- lowed the example, but under cover of smoke the latter suddenly put her helm hard to starboard, and before the Varuna could right herself she was rammed near the starboard quarter, at the same instant delivering her broadside and receiving a shell from the Confeder- ate steamer. Backing clear, the Governor Moore again rammed, striking in nearly the same place as before; while Commander Boggs managed at the same time to get in three 8-inch shells, which set fire to his antag- onist and caused her to drop out of action. Lieuten- ant Kennon attempted to fight again, but all his boat's steering gear was destroyed, a large piece of the walk- ing-beam had been carried away, the slide of the engine fell and cracked the cylinder, filling the engine room with steam, and fifty-seven of his men had been killed and seventeen wounded. After drifting about help- lessly some time he ran the Governor Moore ashore, where she was burned to the water's edge. But scarcely had the Varuna disposed of this ene- 334 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 18G2. my when another, the Stonewall Jackson, loomed out of the darkness on the port side and struck the Varuna on the gangway, doing considerable damage. The Va- runa delivered her fire, but with little effect. The enemy then backed off and again rammed the Varuna in the same place, this time crushing in her side below the water line. Without diminishing her speed, the Varuna dragged the ram ahead so as to bring her broadside guns into play, and fired five 8-inch shells into the Stonewall Jackson, so that she drifted ashore in flames. But as the Varuna also was rapidly sink- ing, Commander Boggs ran her ashore, let go his an- chor and made fast to the trees on the bank, during which time, however, his guns were still playing on the Governor Moore, which was making a feeble effort to get up steam. The guns of the Varuna were fought until the water covered the gun-trucks, when attention was given to getting the men ashore. " In fifteen min- utes from the time the Varuna was struck [by the Stonewall Jackson] she was on the bottom, with only her topgallant forecastle out of water." ' In approaching the forts the vessels of the first division maintained their prescribed positions until passing the obstructions, when they became somewhat confused. The Oneida soon overhauled the Missis- sippi, and, being caught in a strong eddy, was carried swiftly past Fort St. Philip, and so close under its guns that the sparks from the cannon came aboard. The enemy, miscalculating the distance, fired too high, so that she passed almost unscathed, while her grape and shrapnel swept the parapets at short range. One shell from Fort Jackson entered the coal bunker on the port side but did not explode. Getting past the forts and out of their line of fire, the Oneida pushed ahead to join the Gayuga and the Varuna, then struggling with the Confederate gunboats. Passinglhe ram Manassas 1 Official report of Commander Boggs. 18G2. BETWEEN THE FORTS. 335 without being able to strike her, Commander Lee dis- covered a steamer crossing his course only a short dis- tance ahead, and, putting on a full head of steam, he struck the enemy amidships, crushing in her starboard quarter, so that she drifted away in a sinking condi- tion. Continuing his course, he soon found himself among the enemy's vessels and began delivering his broadsides right and left. Just as he fell in with the Cayuga, the Governor Moore loomed up within a few feet, and on being hailed "What ship is that? " Lieu- tenant Kennon answered, "The United States steamer Mississippi.'' 1 But the Union commander was not so easily deceived, and, observing the distinguishing lights in the stranger, he raked her with his starboard guns. Learning that the Varuna was ahead and unsupported, Commander Lee hastened on and discovered his consort in a sinking condition. As Captain Boggs declined all assistance, the Oneida passed ahead. The Mississippi and the Pensacola deliberately slowed up when passing the forts, frequently stop- ping so that their powerful batteries could play with full effect on the fortifications, while the smaller vessels passed ahead with but little injury. So near were these vessels to the enemy that at times the jeers of defiance and the oaths and imprecations exchanged by the contending men could be heard above the roar of battle. The Mississippi was struck repeatedly, eight shot passing entirely through the ship, but for- tunately inflicting no vital injury, although one of them caused a slight alteration in a bearing of the shaft. Her rigging was badly cut up, and the mizzen mast was struck about twelve feet above the deck. The ram Manassas, after passing the Varuna, came rapidly down the river in search of larger game. The Pensacola was the next vessel she discovered, and, putting on full steam, she endeavored to ram her ; but Captain Morris discovered the ram just in time, and Lieutenant Francis Asbury Roe, who was conning the 336 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. Pensacola, "avoided a collision beautifully," 1 and, passing close by, fired his starboard broadside. The shot did not take effect, except cutting away the flag- staff, and the next instant the Manassas had vanished in the darkness. After remaining in front of the forts two hours, the Pensacola steamed up the river, and, observing the Varuna in a disabled condition, sent her boats aboard and took off seven officers and about sixty of the crew. Having missed the Pensacola, the Manassas made for the Mississippi, and, favored by the darkness and dense smoke, managed to strike her on the port quar- ter, a little forward of the mizzen mast, making a gash seven feet long and four inches deep, and took off fifty copper bolts under the water line. Had the blow been a little deeper, the Mississippi would have sunk immediately. After this escape Commander Smith steamed ahead, passed the Confederate line of fire, and disabled an enemy's steamer with a broadside. The Katahdln followed close in the Varuna's wake. The fire of her pivot gun was much embar- rassed by the shells jamming in the bore, the sabots be- ing too large. Five shells were passed up before one could be found to fit. By keeping up a full head of steam, Lieutenant Preble was enabled to maintain his position close astern of the Varuna, although the dense smoke hid everything from view except when lighted by the fitful flashes of the guns. Overtaking the Missis- sippi, he ran above the forts and passed within fifty yards of the ironclad Louisiana, which was moored near Fort St. Philip. Fortunately, the iron monster did not fire upon her, or the course of the Katahdin would have been cut short. But Lieutenant Preble fired an 11 -inch shot at the ram with some effect. The KataTi- din had passed the fort almost uninjured. "Several of the men had their clothing torn by shot and fragments 1 Lieutenant A. F. Warley, of the Manassas. 1862. FARRAGUT UNDER FIRE. 337- of shell, but not a man was even scratched. The vessel also escaped without serious damage. One shell passed through the smokestack and the steam-escape pipe and burst, making a dozen small holes from the inside out- ward, and another shot cut about four to six inches into the foremast, while the same or another shot cut the foresail and some of the running rigging about the foremast." l The Kineo, in passing the hulks, came into violent collision with the Brooklyn, but no serious injury was done. The Wissahickoti also passed the forts without serious injury. While the first division of the fleet was getting into close quarters with Fort St. Philip, Captain Farragut, leading the second division in the Hartford, passed the barriers and came into range. For fifteen minutes after the enemy had opened on him he did not reply, but kept steadily on his course under a full head of steam. When in easy range, about 3.55 A. M., he opened with his bow guns, and as he swept past Fort St. Philip he discharged his broadside. By this time the river between the two forts was covered with a dense mass of smoke, completely enveloping the ships and shores, so that even the monstrous fire-rafts, which in the earlier part of the action illuminated the scene like day, now failed to penetrate the gloom, merely making a dull red glow in their direction and render- ing the darkness the more striking by the contrast. At 4.15 A. M., while the Hartford was carefully feeling her way along, a huge fire - raft suddenly loomed up off her port quarter, and, guided by an un- seen hand, made directly for the flagship. The order "Hard aport ! " was instantly given, but the current caught the frigate, and, giving her a broad sheer, ran her hard and fast on the muddy bank, where the bushes on shore could be reached from her bowsprit, and at such a short distance from Fort St. Philip that the gunners 1 Official report of Lieutenant Preble. 67 338 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. in the casemates could be distinctly heard talking. The enemy quickly recognized the Hartford by her three ensigns and the flag-officer's flag at the mizzen, and began firing on her with great rapidity. ' ' It seemed to be breathing a flame," said Farragut after the action. "On the deck of the ship it was bright as noonday, but out over the majestic river, where the smoke of many guns was intensified by that of the pine knots of the fire rafts, it was dark as the blackest midnight." 1 Fortunately the Confederates aimed too high, so that most of their shot passed over the bul- warks. But the terrible fire-raft was at hand. Guided by the thirty-five-ton tugboat Mosher, it was pushed against the wooden side of the flagship, and the flames, pouring into the portholes, drove the men from their guns, or, rolling up her sides and mounting into the well-oiled rigging, ran up to the mastheads and seemed to envelop the ship in a sheet of flame. Two years afterward Farragut wrote : " It was the anxious night of my life. I felt as if the fate of my country and my own life and reputation were all on the wheel of for- tune." But the men, animated by the example of their intrepid commander, maintained perfect self-com- mand, and under the direction of Commander Wain- wright they attacked the fire. At one time a long tongue of flame was thrust through a port, and for a moment the men were driven from their guns. Farra- gut, who was calmly pacing the poop deck, shouted out, " Don't flinch from that fire, boys ! There is a hot- ter fire for those who don't do their duty ! Give that rascally little tug a shot, and don't let her go off with a whole coat." A strer.m of water was brought to bear, and the flames were extinguished before they had made serious headway ; soon afterward a shot entered the Mosher's boiler and sank her. The engines were then 1 Lieutenant Albert Kautz, of the Hartford. 1862. CRAVEN IN ACTION. 339 reversed, the ship swung around, and as she once more got into deep water her fcrew gave three cheers. All this time the Hartford had maintained a heavy fire on Fort St. Philip, which was kept up until she was out of gunshot. About this time a large steamer filled with troops made a dash at her, with the intention of getting alongside and boarding, but a single well-aimed shell crippled the stranger and sent her drifting down the stream. Closely following the Hartford was the sloop of war Brooklyn. Captain Craven had taken every precaution for the battle. Just before getting under way his decks had been washed down and sanded so as to make them less slippery when blood began to flow. For twenty minutes after the ship was well within range of the ene- my's fire he refrained from answering, the men stand- ing silently at their guns while shot and shell seemed to fill the air over their heads. Captain Craven him- self, calm and collected, stood on the break of the poop deck, resting his hands lightly on the ratline, intently watching the progress of the battle and giving the few necessary orders in his deep bass voice that could be heard in all parts of the ship. The clouds of smoke, shutting in the view to a short distance, ren- dered it impossible to aim with accuracy, and Captain Craven determined to bring his broadside guns into full range before opening fire. As the Brooklyn approached the obstructions the water-battery opposite Fort Jackson opened a most de- structive fire on her, to which Craven responded with grape and canister. In the darkness and confusion he lost sight of his leader, the Hartford, and instead of passing through the opening he ran into the line of chains. Backing clear of this, the Brooklyn steamed up the river again to find the opening, but she ran again into the obstruction. This time, however, the chains broke, and as she swung alongside one of the hulks, the Brooklyn's stream anchor, which was hanging on 340 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 18G2. the starboard quarter in readiness to let go at a mo- ment's notice, caught the hulk and held the ship just where the gunners in the fort had long since got the most accurate range. While thus entangled she was subjected to a dreadful tire. One shot from Fort Jack- son broke off the port-quarter anchor close to the stock, scattering the fragments over the deck. Several shot hulled her, one of them striking the rail at the break of the poop deck and plowing a deep furrow across the planks. Another shot cut Midshipman John Ander- son and the signal quartermaster, Barney Sands, al- most in two. Young Anderson, whose ship had been detailed for another duty, had volunteered to serve in the Brooklyn. Early in the fight Quartermaster James Buck received a painful wound, " but for seven hours afterward he stood bravely at the wheel and performed his duty, refusing to go below until positively ordered to do so ; and on the morning of the 25th, without my knowledge, he again stole to his station and steered the ship from early daylight until 1.30 p. M., over eight hours." * The hawser holding the Brooklyn to the hulk was quickly severed, and again the sloop of war headed up- stream ; but scarcely had she got under way when a sudden jar was felt, the engine stopped, "and a thrill of alarm ran through the ship." To prevent the Brook- lyn from being carried downstream by the strong cur- rent, Captain Craven now called out> " Stand by the starboard anchor ! " and it seemed for a moment as if the ship must come to anchor directly under the guns of both forts, where, being a stationary object, her de- struction would be a question of a very few minutes. The blades of the propeller had struck some hard ob- ject in passing the line of hulks, but after a pause of a few minutes the engines were started, and again the ship moved slowly up the river. The Brooklyn now 1 Official report of Captain Craven. 1862. THE BROOKLYN AIDS FARRAGUT. 341 poured shell and shrapnel into Fort Jackson as fast as the guns could be loaded, receiving a heavy fire in re- turn. About this time a shot entered the port of gun No. 9 on the port side, and at the same moment a shell burst directly over the gun, wounding nine men and taking off the first captain's head. Acting Midshipman Bartlett, who was standing amidships between the star- board and port No. 10 guns, was struck on the back by a splinter and thrown down. Quickly regaining his feet, he found that only two of the gun crew on the port side were standing. The first loader and sponger were leaning against the side of the ship, while the rest of the men were lying flat on the deck, one of them direct- ly in the rear of the gun. As the gun had just been loaded, Bartlett dragged this man aside so as to be clear of the recoil and fired it. On the discharge of the gun the men got up and returned to their stations, none of them having been seriously injured. " The captain of the gun found a piece of shell inside his cap, which did not even scratch his head ; another piece went through my coat-sleeve." 1 While the Hartford was hard aground, exposed to a terrible fire from both Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip, as already narrated, the Brooklyn passed her. Captain Craven did not discover the peril of the flag- ship until he had the Hartford on his starboard quar- ter. Taking in the situation at a glance, notwithstand- ing the fact that he was in a most exposed position himself, he promptly gave the order "One bell ! " (slow down), and a moment later " Two bells ! " (stop), in- tending to remain alongside of his commanding officer until he was extricated from his perilous position. The Brooklyn 's bow now swung around, and she dropped down to a position where she was on a line between the two forts, when she poured in a terrific fire of shell and shrapnel from the port battery. As soon as the enemy 1 Lieut. Bartlett. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. ii, p. 03. 342 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. discovered her they diverted a portion of their fire from the flagship, just as Captain Craven had desired. Had the Confederates aimed more accurately, they would have blown the Brooklyn out of water. As it was, a storm of shot, shell and shrapnel passed just over the bulwarks and cut the rigging, the hammock net- tings and the boats all to pieces, there being scarcely a sound rope left to the spars. Craven deliberately kept his ship under this terrific fire until he saw that Farra- gut was free from the fire-raft, and then continued on his course up the river. As she passed within a hundred feet of Fort St. Philip a long blaze of musketry was opened on her from the parapets. One of the bullets, entering the port of gun No. 1, struck Lieutenant James O'Kane in the leg ; but although he fell to the deck he would not allow himself to be carried below until he had fired two of the broadside guns with his own hands. Soon after- ward a shot took off the head of a marine who was standing on the starboard quarter. But the greatest carnage had taken place in the forward division of guns. A shell exploded near the powder man of the pivot gun, literally blowing him to pieces, and parts of his body were scattered all over the forecastle. The primer of the gun was broken off at the vent, disabling the gun. As soon as possible the Brooklyn responded to this fire with grape, which drove the Confederates to shelter. A prisoner afterward remarked that " the grape came in like rain, but the worst of all were the infernal lamp-posts or the stands that held the grape. The fort was full of them." At times the Brooklyn was so close to Fort St. Philip that the flashes of the Confederate cannon scorched the faces and clothing of the ship's gunners. All this time a heroic quartermas- ter, Thomas Hollins, stood at the starboard main chains, undismayed by the storm around him, and his voice every few minutes was heard above the din of battle, calmly singing out the varying fathoms of water. 1862. THE LOUISIANA OPENS FIRE. 343 When abreast of the fort, where the flashes leaped out of the enemy's guns and seemed almost to touch him, he coolly called out, "Only thirteen feet, sir ! " On ex- amining the ship after the battle, it was found that her side near the place where he stood was peppered with bullets. Just as Craven was clearing Fort St. Philip he caught a glimpse, through a break in the smoke, of the Louisiana. The National commanders had little or no reliable information as to the condition of the ram, but rumor had pictured the Louisiana as a most terrible monster, and with a feeling that they had met their greatest danger they drew near the ironclad. The Brooklyn delivered her starboard fire of solid shot, which could be distinctly heard striking the ram, but they glanced harmlessly upward. Lieutenant James McBaker, of the Louisiana, at this moment was stand- ing astride two beams in the pilot house (the floor not yet being laid), and the shock caused him to fall to the deck. Captain Mclntosh, who was in charge of the Louisiana, was mortally wounded while in the act of throwing a fireball at a National vessel. The Louisi- ana fired a heavy shell that struck the Brooklyn about a foot above the water line on the starboard &ide of the cutwater near the wood ends, and, forcing its way three feet into the dead wood and timbers, remained there. Had that shell exploded, the entire bow would have been blown off and the ship would have gone to the bottom in a few minutes. But the Confederates, in their haste to fire, had neglected to remove the lead patch from the fuse. After passing the ram the Brooklyn swung out into the middle of the river and continued on her slow course against the current. A number of vessels could now be made out through the smoke, engaged in a desperate struggle at close quarters, but as it was im- possible to distinguish between friend and foe, Captain Craven refrained from firing. A few minutes later the 344 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. cry ran through the ship, "A steamer coming down on our port bow ! " and soon they saw black smoke from the double smokestack of a river boat, quickly fol- lowed by the outlines of a steamer having her fore- castle crowded with men as if in readiness to board. The order " Stand by to repel boarders ! " was passed, the guns were loaded with shrapnel and the fuses were cut so as to burn one second. On the steamer came ; but just before a collision took place the Brooklyn gave a sheer to starboard, and as the steamer passed to port the broadside guns of the Brooklyn, beginning with the forward one, were discharged one after another as they bore. The missiles sped with fatal precision, as the rush of steam and the shrieks and yells of the injured speedily proclaimed. The shells exploded al- most on leaving the guns, and when it came time for the after guns in the Brooklyn to be fired the steamer was nowhere to be seen. Scarcely had this enemy been disposed of when some of the men who had been looking out of the ports saw another black column of smoke creeping out of the night, and a moment later the cry "The ram ! the ram ! " passed through the ship. "Four bells! [full speed]. Put your helm hard a-starboard ! " called out Craven. But it was too late, for in a moment there was a shock that nearly threw the men off their feet. The Manas- sas had struck the Brooklyn almost at right angles and nearly amidships. At the moment of striking the ram fired her gun. The shot, piercing the chain and plank- ing on the starboard side, entered the berth deck, made its way through the pile of rigging and passed into the sand-bags that had been placed around the steam drum. The chain plating was driven into the outer planking, and on the inside the planks were splintered and crushed for about five feet, and had it not been for the fact that her bunkers were full of coal she would undoubtedly have been sunk. When the BrooTdyn went to sea some weeks after this, the rolling of the 1862. THE MANASSAS RAMS THE BROOKLYN. 345 ship caused her to leak so seriously that she was com- pelled to run into Pensacola, where a large patch of planking was bolted over the wound. Mr. Bartlett writes : "I ran to the No. 10 port, the gun being in, and, looking out, saw her [the ram] almost directly alongside. A man came out of the little hatch aft and ran forward along the port side of the deck as far as the smokestacks, placed his hand against one of the funnels and looked to see what damage the ram had done. I saw him turn, fall over and tumble into the water, but did not know at the moment what caused his sudden disappearance until I asked the quartermaster who was leadsman in the chains, if he had seen him fall. 'Why, yes, sir,' he said, 'I saw him fall overboard in fact, I helped him ; for I hit him alongside of the head with my hand-lead.'" l The shock of the collision threw the boilers of the Manas sas out of position and pre- vented her from repeating the attack immediately. As the men had just been working the port guns and the Manassas came up suddenly on the starboard side, none of the Brooklyn's guns could be fired at her, although an attempt was made to depress the muzzle of the 30-pounder Parrot. The Manassas vanished in the night as suddenly as she appeared. After these narrow escapes Captain Craven pressed on, feeling his way in the darkness and guiding the ship by the flashes of the guns. Finding that he was get- ting too far to the western side, he headed his ship for Fort St. Philip, but in so doing exposed himself to a terrible raking fire from Fort Jackson. At this mo- ment a large three-masted steamer loomed out of the smoke and opened fire. Waiting until his entire port broadside bore, Captain Craven fired eleven 9-inch guns, which sent the stranger down the river in flames. Pushing carefully across the river until the starboard lead showed thirteen feet, Captain Craven headed up- 1 Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. ii, p. 67. 346 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. stream, and again brought his broadside to bear on Fort St. Philip. A torrent of grape and canister was then poured into that work and completely silenced it. By the flashes of the guns the enemy could be seen running to cover. After passing out of range of the forts the Brooklyn destroyed several gunboats. She had now been under fire about an hour and a half, and had eight men killed and twenty-six wounded. The Richmond, Commander James Alden, the third vessel of the second division, passed up with less diffi- culty. Like the others, she got out of line soon after starting, and was carried close to Fort Jackson at a time when the guns in that fort were nearly silenced by the fire from the mortars and their tenders. Her loss was two killed and four wounded. Much injury to the men was saved by a carefully prepared splinter-netting. At one point between the guns the netting was forced out to its utmost tension ; "indeed," says Commander Alden, "large pieces of plank were thus prevented from sweeping the deck and perhaps destroying the men at the guns." Commander Bell, leading the third division in the Sciota, got under fire a little before 4 A. M. and passed the forts with slight damage. Following him came the Iroquois, Commander Decamp, which hotly engaged the forts. Shortly afterward she was attacked by the McRae and another war vessel, which, coming up on her quarter and stern, poured in a destructive fire of grape, copper slugs and langrage. One 11 -inch shell and a stand of canister, skillfully aimed, drove off the McRae and mortally wounded her commander, Lieu- tenant Huger. Huger was serving in the Iroquois when he resigned his commission in the United States navy. The command of his vessel then fell upon Lieutenant Read, who fought his ship gallantly to the end. The Iroquois, although passing within fifty yards of Fort Jackson, received no injury from that work, but suf- fered severely from the raking fire of Fort St. Philip. 1802. BELL LEADS THE THIRD DIVISION. 347 Through a misunderstanding of the order " Starboard ! " as " Stop her ! " the Iroquois was carried close alongside the Louisiana. Half of the Confederate crew, sup- posing that an attempt at boarding was to be made, ran outside of her casemate to repel boarders, and the Lou- isiana double-shotted her guns and delivered a heavy fire at the Iroquois. After getting beyond the line of fire of the forts, the Iroquois was attacked by five or six steamers, but as she brought her broadsides into play they were sent down the stream in a crippled con- dition. Four miles above this point Commander De- camp captured gunboat No. 3, which was armed with one 24-pounder howitzer and was well supplied with fixed ammunition and small arms. Lieutenant Hen- derson, with four hundred and thirty soldiers, also was captured. In passing the forts the Iroquois was badly injured in her hull, her bowsprit and jib boom were struck by heavy shot, and all the boats were smashed to pieces. Her loss was eight killed and twenty-four wounded. The Winona took her station astern of the Itasca, and was following her red light when she became en- tangled in a mass of logs and driftwood held together by chains in the moorings of the hulks. While en- deavoring to back clear of this, she fouled her consort on the starboard bow, causing a delay of nearly half an hour. Although the larger part of the fleet by this time had passed the forts, Lieutenant Nichols pushed ahead. But day was fast breaking, and by the time the Winona had passed the obstruction she stood out in bold relief against the bright sky, presenting a fair mark to the enemy's gunners. Fort Jackson opened on her, and the first shot killed one man and wounded another, while the third and fourth shot killed or wounded all the men of the 30- pounder except one. In spite of this disastrous fire, Lieutenant Nichols pressed on to Fort St. Philip ; but his vessel and the Itasca soon be- came the center of such a terrific fire that Commander 348 PASSING FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. 1862. Porter signaled them to retire. The Winona had three killed and had five wounded, while she had been "hulled several times, and the decks were wet fore and aft from the spray of the falling shot." 1 The Itasca received fourteen shot, one in her boiler, and was so injured that Lieutenant Caldwell ran her ashore below the mortar boat to prevent sinking. The Kenne- bec also failed to pass the forts. The Pinola, which was in line astern of the Iroquois, had her starboard quarter boat crushed by a chain on the hulks. When abreast of Fort Jackson, Lieutenant Crosby opened with his 11 -inch Dahlgren and Parrott guns, the flashes of the Confederate guns being the only mark presented to the gunners. The enemy promptly replied, but, miscalculating the distance, sent most of his shot over the Pinola, so that only two of them struck her hull. Lieutenant Crosby then ran within one hundred and fifty yards of Fort St. Philip, where the fire-rafts exposed his vessel to the enemy's view. The Confed- erates opened a heavy fire, and one shot, entering her starboard quarter, cut away part of the wheel and wounded several men, including Quartermaster Wil- liam Ackworth. Another shot entered the hull at the water line on the starboard side, eight inches forward of the boiler, passed through the coal-bunkers, cut the sounding-well in two, and lodged in the pump-well. A third shot cut away the top of the steam-escape pipe, and the starboard chain cable from the anchor, while another passed entirely through the hull imme- diately over the magazine. After these narrow escapes the Pinola passed beyond the line of fire, and in the early dawn sighted a steamer which was thought to be the Iroquois. Discovering her to be the Governor Moore, however, Lieutenant Crosby gave her a shot from his 11 -inch Dahlgren and Parrott guns, both of which took effect near the water line. At this moment 1 Official report of Lieutenant Nichols. 1862. AT THE END OF THE LINE. 349 the dark hull of the Manassas was discovered in the Pinola's wake, coming up the river under a full head of steam. Lieutenant Crosby immediately opened on the dangerous ram, but before he could come to close quarters the Mississippi dashed past for the purpose of running into the iron craft. Just as all were ex- pecting to see the Manassas crushed, she sheered to one side and ran ashore, where her crew escaped. The Mississippi, balked of her prey, checked her swift course down-stream, ran up to the ram, and riddled her with shot. At five o'clock in the morning the Cayuga reached the Confederate batteries at Chalmette, where, after an exchange of shot, the regiment under the command of Colonel Szymanaski surrendered to Captain Bailey. Farragut's fleet did not anchor off New Orleans until one o'clock on the afternoon of April 25th. New Or- leans was surrendered on the 29th, Forts Jackson and St. Philip having surrendered the day before. The total loss in the National fleet was thirty-seven killed and one hundred and forty-seven wounded, while that of the Confederate land forces was twelve killed and forty wounded. The loss in the Confederate flotilla can not be accurately determined, but it must have been equal to that of the Nationalists. CHAPTER XL OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. DRIVEN from one stronghold after another by the National gunboats on the upper Mississippi, and com- pelled by the genius of Farragut to abandon New Or- leans, Baton Rouge and Natchez on the lower Missis- sippi, the Confederates gradually concentrated around Vicksburg. By the time the National forces were ready to make a serious demonstration against this place, many of the troops, guns and munitions of war that had been scattered over the Western States of the Con- federacy were massed at Vicksburg, so that it became one of the most formidable strongholds the world has ever seen. On the other hand, while the Confederates were growing stronger by concentration after each de- feat, the Nationalists were becoming weaker as their forces were spread over a larger territory and they were required to guard many points on the river and the Gulf. Besides this, Farragut's vessels, which had not been designed for river service, were greatly in need of repairs. The many collisions between vessels of the same squadron, caused by the swift current in narrow waters, their frequent grounding on shoals, and the heavy impact of enormous logs carried down stream in the swift current, strained the hulls and perceptibly weakened the ships. The constant exposure to the enemy's shot and the wear and tear on the engines, many of which were old and built for lighter service, also were beginning to be felt. The great difficulty of patroling such a vast and intricate river system in the heart of an enemy's coun- 350 1862. FARRAGUT'S GREAT TASK. 35^ try was further enhanced by the difficulty of obtaining a coal-supply. The towing and guarding of coal-ves- sels over a distance of many hundred miles against a swift current, with the men constantly exposed to sharpshooters and the sudden fire of masked batteries, was in itself a work of appalling magnitude. But one of the most serious tasks which the commanders of both the lower and the upper Mississippi fleets had to perform was to guard the health of their men, most of whom were from the North and, being unaccustomed to the peculiar climate of the Mississippi Valley, fell easy victims to disease. On the 25th of July nearly half of the men in the upper flotilla were reported unfit for duty and there was nearly as much illness among Farragut's crews. The time of enlistment for many of the men had expired, and much difficulty was experienced in keeping the complements of the vessels even partially filled. As it was, several of the Na- tional craft went into action short-handed. Notwithstanding these serious obstacles, Farragut determined to push his advantage. Personally he be- lieved it to be impossible to hold the points along the river and attack Vicksburg with any hope of perma- nent success without the co-operation of a strong land force. He wrote to the Navy Department : "The Gov- ernment officials appear to think we can do anything. They expect me to navigate the Mississippi, nine hun- dred miles, in the face of batteries, ironclad rams, etc. ; and yet, with all the ironclad vessels they have North, they could not get to Norfolk or Richmond. The iron- clads, with the exception of the Monitor, were all knocked to pieces. Yet I am expected to take New Orleans, and go up and release Foote from his perilous situation at Fort Pillow, when he is backed by the army and has ironclad boats built for the river service, while our ships are in danger of getting aground and remaining there till next year ; or, what is more likely, be burned to prevent them from falling into the enemy's 352 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1862. hands." But he had received peremptory orders from Washington to "clear the Mississippi," and, like the true seaman he was, he gallantly proceeded to obey. Seeing that New Orleans was securely in the hands of the army, Farragut ordered the Brooklyn, Captain Thomas Tingey Craven, up the river. Baton Rouge and Natchez surrendered without opposition. On the 22d of May Commander Samuel Phillips Lee summoned Vicksburg to surrender, but was met with a prompt refusal, while the attack on the gunboats WissaJdckon and Itasca on June 9th, by a battery of rifled guns that the enemy had hastily thrown up at Grand Gulf, plain- ly indicated that the Confederates had not yet given up the fight, and showed how easily they could erect batteries on almost any commanding point along the river and make it dangerous for vessels to pass. The Brooklyn and the RicJimond anchored below Vicks- burg on the 18th of June, and soon afterward Farragut with his other ships and the mortar steamers Octorara, Miami, Jackson, Westfield, Clifton, Harriet Lane and Owasco, and seventeen mortar schooners under Com- mander Porter, arrived, and on the 26th the mortars began shelling the works. The promptness of Farragut' s attack prevented the enemy from fortifying Vicksburg as well as they did a few months later, but as it was, its defenses were for- midable. They consisted of one 9-inch and three 8-inch guns, and one 18-pounder rifled gun mounted in a bat- tery on the highest point of the bluff above the town, where they could deliver a plunging fire and where the guns in the vessels could not reach them. Near by was a battery of four 24-pounders, two of them rifled, and half a mile below the town was a water-battery mount- ing four 42-pounders and two rifled 32-pounders, com- manded by Captain Todd, a brother-in-law of President Lincoln. Besides these batteries, there were two 10- inch and one 8-inch, one 42-pounder, five 32-pounders, and two rifled 12-pounders along the bluff where it 18G2. FARRAGUT RUNS BY VICKSBURG. 353 would be difficult for a passing vessel to discover them. These guns were spread over a distance of three miles. The current of the river at this place ran at least three miles an hour. At three o'clock on the morning of June 28th Far- ragut got under way with the intention of running the batteries, as he had done with such astonishing suc- cess at New Orleans. He arranged his squadron in two columns, the Richmond, the Hartford and the Brooklyn forming the starboard line, or that nearest to the enemy, while the port column consisted of the Iroquois, Commander James Shedden Palmer, and the Oneida, which were to steam ahead of the Richmond and keep off her port bow ; the Wissahickon and the Sciota, which were to take a position between the Richmond and the Hartford ; the Winona and the Pinola, between the Hartford and the Brooklyn ; and the Kennebec and the Katalidin, taking a position on the port quarter of the Brooklyn. As these vessels drew in range about 4 A. M. the mortar flotilla opened a heavy fire, while the mortar steamers moved up the river on the Hartford's starboard quarter, and, taking a position about fourteen hundred yards from the water-battery, kept up a spirited fire until the ves- sels were beyond the reach of the enemy's guns. As the two columns came within range they suffered from a severe plunging and raking fire, but when fairly abreast of the enemy they silenced the lower batteries. Observing that he wai getting too far in advance of his vessels, Farragut gave the order to slow down, and at times he came to a full stop, so as to keep as com- pact a line as possible and to give the vessels the ad- vantage of mutual support. Commander Palmer, of the Iroquois, when he reached the sharp bend in the river above the town, stopped his engines and drifted down within supporting distance of the flagship. Not under- standing Palmer's object, Farragut called out through 354 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1862. his trumpet, "Captain Palmer, what do you mean by disobeying my orders ? " Palmer replied : "I thought that you had more fire than you could stand, and so I came down to draw off a part of it." Farragut never forgot the incident. By 6 A. M. all the vessels had passed and anchored above Vicksburg except three. The Brooklyn, the Kennebec and the Katahdin, which brought up the rear of the National line, through a misunderstanding, remained two hours before the bat- teries and then retired below. In this affair the loss in the fleet was seven killed and thirty wounded. The Clifton received a shot in her boiler and eight men were killed by the escaping steam, making fifteen men in all killed. The Confederates reported no losses. On the 1st of July Farragut's vessels joined the flotilla under Captain Charles H. Davis, and the com- bined fleets took a position above Vicksburg, about three miles below the point where the Yazoo River flows into the Mississippi, the war vessels being moored on the eastern bank and the transports on the western. Learning that the Confederates were completing the ram Arkansas, up Yazoo River, Captain Davis, on the 14th of July, ordered the Carondelet, Captain Henry Walke, the Tyler, Lieutenant-Commander William Gwin, 1 and the steam ram Queen of the West, Colonel Ellet, having sharpshooters aboard, to ascend the Yazoo and reconnoiter. The Arkansas was one of two rams that were being built to destroy the National flotilla in the Mississippi River. These rams, not quite com- pleted, were at Memphis, and were nearly captured in the battle of Memphis. As it was, one of them, the Tennessee, was burned, while the Arkansas just es- caped and was taken up the Yazoo ; showing how valuable were the prompt and decisive movements of the Union gunboats. In constructing these boats the Confederates experienced their usual difficulty in build- 1 These officers received their new ranks July 16, 1862. 1862. THE RAM ARKANSAS. 355 ing ironclads. The country was scoured for miles for iron, worn-out railroad tracks forming a part of the casemate. When the Arkansas went into action she was manned by inexperienced men, whose hands were blistered and bleeding from the little exercise they had undergone in hauling on the gun tackles. The Arkan- sas was constructed for a seagoing ship after the general plan of the Merrimac, being one hundred and eighty feet over all, and armed with two 8-inch colum- biads, four 6 '4-inch rifled guns, two 82- pounders and two 9-inch Dahlgren shell guns. Her heavy wooden casemate, which on the sides was perpendicular, was inclined at the bow and stern, and was protected by railroad iron laid in horizontal courses, dovetailed and forming a nearly solid mass of iron three inches thick. In the casemate between the ports were bales of com- pressed cotton sheathed in wood so as to guard against fire. Her bow was armed with a sharp cast-iron beak. The vessel had twin screws but her engines, which were below the water line, w r ere too light for her and frequently broke down. Her captain was Commander Isaac Napoleon Brown, formerly of the United States Navy. Captain Walke's vessels got under way at 4 A. M. July 15th. "All was calm, bright and beautiful. The majestic forest echoed with the sweet warbling of its wild birds, and its dewy leaves sparkled in the sun- beams. All seemed inviting the mind to peaceful re- flection and to stimulate it with hopes of future hap- piness at home." * There had not been the slightest intimation that the Arkansas was expected. Suddenly, when the National gunboats had proceeded about six miles up the Yazoo, they met the ironclacj coming down under a full head of steam. At this moment the Tyler was about one mile and the Queen of the West two miles in advance of the Carondelet, and being un- 1 Bear-Admiral Walke's Naval Scenes, p. 304. 356 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1802. fit for a battle with a vessel of this type, the Tyler gave the alarm and retreated. Captain Walke, realiz- SCZNEOFTHB NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN KIVEBS. ' * T'^ 1 ing the hopelessness of a struggle between his vessels and a craft of the Merrimac class, and having so 1862. THE CARONDELET AND THE ARKANSAS. 357 many of his men prostrated by the river fever that he could not man more than one division of guns, de- cided to fall back on the fleet. It would have been cer- tain destruction for the Carondelet to have continued up the river, for by so doing she presented her square bow as a broad target to the Arkansas '$ ram, and would easily have been cut down and sunk. Walke's only course was to retreat. The stern of his vessel had recently been strengthened with fenders and barricades, but it had the weakest battery. The Queen of the West opened a brisk lire on the ram and then fled down the river to give the alarm, while the Tyler, in spite of the fact that she was filled with troops who were exposed on her decks, pluckily kept her place beside her consort, and the two vessels opened as heavy a fire at a distance of five hundred to fifty yards as they could against their advancing foe. One of their shot struck the Arkansas' pilot-house, mortally wounding Chief Pilot John Hodges (who was looking through the peephole) and injuring Commander Brown and the Yazoo River pilot, J. H. Shacklett, with splin- ters. Commander Brown had a severe contusion on the top of his head, and soon afterward a musket shot grazed his left temple. He fell insensible through the hatchway to the deck below. But in spite of this seri- ous loss the Confederate ironclad kept steadily on her course, evidently with the intention of boarding the Carondelet. As the distance between the two vessels diminished, Captain Walke, who was constantly on deck, called his men to repel boarders. The Confed- erates did not make the attempt to board, however, and the Nationalists returned to their guns. The Carondelet, then passing an island, crowded the ram to the northern bank of the river, and the Arkansas gradually forged ahead, when the Carondelet fired her bow guns at the ram, but having her wheel-rope cut away for the third time she ran aground. At one time the colors of the Carondelet became entangled with the 358 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 18C2. staff, and one of the men was trying to release it. Ob- serving the man, but not immediately understanding his object, Captain Walke, as he came from his bow guns, called out, "I'll shoot the first man that lowers that flag." It probably was this circumstance that led Commander Brown to think that the National gunboat lowered her colors. The CarondeleVs flag was not low- ered. The Arkansas, with her colors shot away and smokestack damaged, continued down the river in chase of the Tyler, which vessel, although suffering heavy losses, kept up the heroic fight. The Carondelet received injuries in her hull and machinery. Thirteen shot went through her. The crew of the Carondelet saw a man thrown overboard from the ram, whose peo- ple also were seen to be bailing. This man had reck- lessly thrust his head out of a porthole and was cut in two by a cannon ball. His head and shoulders fell into the river and his legs and body were immediately thrown after them. At the time of this battle two of the Carondelefs 84-pounder rifled guns had been re- placed by a 50- and a 30-pounder rifled gun. Walke and Brown were old friends, having been messmates in a voyage around the world. They had not met since that voyage, and were not aware of each other's pres- ence until after the battle. So unexpected was the approach of the ram that the only vessel in the National fleet that had steam up ready for immediate action was the General Bragg. As the Arkansas entered the Mississippi she turned her head downstream with the intention of running through the National fleet and reaching the batteries at Yicksburg. By this time her smokestack had been riddled and her steam had gone down so that she could make only one mile an hour, and this with the current gave her a speed of about three miles an hour. On went the ironclad, firing from her bow guns as rap- idly as possible, to which the National vessels responded 1862. THE ARKANSAS RUNS THE GANTLET. 359 with a terrific fire, but most of their missiles fell harm- lessly from the mailed sides. Two 11-inch shells, however, pierced her armor, exploded, and one of them killed or wounded sixteen of her people, besides set- ting fire to the cotton backing. Few of the vessels were able to fire at the ram more than one or two broadsides. Many of the guns were fired at close quar- ters, but most of the solid shot glanced off the case- mate, while the shells were shivered into a thousand pieces by the concussion. An officer in the Arkansas, describing the running of the gantlet, says: "We were passing one of the large sloops of war when a heavy shot struck the side abreast of my bow gun, the concussion knocking over a man who was engaged in taking a shot from the rack. He rubbed his hip, which had been hurt, and said, 'they would hardly strike twice in a place.' He was mistaken, poor fellow ! for immediately a shell entered the breach made by the shot and, imbedding itself in the cotton lining of the inside bulwark proper, exploded with terrible effect. I found myself standing in a dense, suffocating smoke, with my cap gone and hair and beard singed. The smoke soon cleared away, and I found but one man (Quartermaster Curtis) left. Six- teen were killed and wounded by that shell, and the ship set on fire. Stevens, ever cool and thoughtful, ran to the engine-room hatch, seized the hose, and dragged it to the aperture. In a few moments the fire was extinguished without an alarm having been cre- ated. The columbiad was fired but once after its crew was disabled. By the aid of an army captain, Curtis and myself succeeded in getting a shot down the gun, with which he struck the Benton. The ill luck which befell the crew of the bow gun was soon to be followed by a similar misfortune to the crew of my broadside gun. An 11-inch shot broke through immediately above the port, bringing with it a shower of iron and wooden splinters, which struck down every man at a 360 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1862. gun. My master's mate, Mr. Wilson, was painfully wounded in the nose, and I had my left arm smashed. Curtis was the only sound man in the division when we mustered the crew to quarters at Vicksburg. Nor did the mischief of the last shot end with my poor gun's crew. It passed across the deck, through the smokestack, and killed eight and wounded seven men at Scales's gun. Fortunately, he was untouched him- self, and afterward did excellent service at Grimball's columbiad. " Stationed on the ladder leading to the berth deck was a quartermaster named Eaton. He was assigned the duty of passing shells from the forward shell room, and also had a kind of superintendence over the boys who came for powder. Eaton was a character. He had thick, rough, red hair, an immense muscular frame, and a will and a courage rarely encountered. Nothing daunted him, and the hotter the fight, the fiercer grew Eaton. From his one eye he glared furiously on all who seemed inclined to shirk, and his voice grew louder and more distinct as the shot rattled and crashed upon our mail. At one instant you would hear him pass the word down the hatch, '9-inch shell, 5-second fuse. Here you are, my lad, with your rifled shell; take it and go back, quick. What's the matter that you can't get that gun out?' and, like a cat, he would spring from his place and throw his weight on the side tackle, and the gun was sure to go out. ' What are you doing here wounded 1 Where are you hurt 3 Go back to your gun, or I'll murder you on the spot ! Here's your 9-inch shell. Mind, shipmate' (to a wounded man), ' the ladder is bloody ; don't slip ; let me help you.' " While the Arkansas was running the terrible gant- let her colors, which had been hoisted a second time, were carried away again. Midshipman Dabney M. Scales hastened out on the casemate, where he was ex- posed to as terrific a fire as was ever concentrated on 1862. RAMMING THE ARKANSAS. 3d one ship, and bravely hoisted the Confederate colors. The flag of the Arkansas was again carried away, and young Scales was about to replace it for the second time when his superior officer ordered him back. After each discharge the Arkansas closed her ports, thus presenting an almost impenetrable mass of iron. One port was left open for an instant, and a shot entering killed and wounded a number of men. Had the Arkan- sas been subjected to this fire any length of time she would have been destroyed ; but as the vessels of the squadron were unable to follow her, she passed them in a short time and was moored under the Yicksburg batteries. Commander Brown afterward said that w r hen he saw the National fleet he had no hope of seeing Vicksburg. That belief was shared by many of his officers. An attempt was made by the Lancaster to ram, but she was disabled by a shot, and escaping steam scalded a number of her people, two of them fatally. Determined that the audacious ram should not get off thus easily, Farragut immediately began prepara- tions for following and destroying her under the guns of Yicksburg, his plan being to have each of his vessels fire at the Arkansas as they passed. Late in the after- noon Captain Davis moved his flotilla down and began a bombardment of the upper batteries by way of a diversion, and at dark Farragut's fleet, with the ram Sumter, Lieutenant-Commander Henry Erben, ran past the batteries. Anticipating this move, the Confeder- ates moved the Arkansas, after dark, to a place where she could not be so readily seen ; but Farragut discov- ered the change, and many of his ships delivered an effective fire upon her. Her casemate was badly shat- tered, the iron being loosened so as to render her unfit for service, and afterward most of her men were sent to assist in working the shore batteries. One 11 -inch shot pierced her casemate and killed or wounded sev- eral men. In this second passage of the Yicksburg 362 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1862. batteries the National vessels had five killed and six- teen wounded, while the flotilla under Davis lost thir- teen killed, thirty-four wounded and ten missing. Of this loss the Carondelet, in her action with the ram, had four killed, six wounded and two drowned, and the Tyler eight killed and sixteen wounded. The loss in the Arkansas is placed at ten killed and fifteen wounded. Still determined on completing the destruction of the Arkansas, Commodore William D. Porter, in the Essex, with the Queen of the West, Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred E. Ellet, at dawn of July 22d boldly ran under the batteries of Vicksburg to attack the ram, while the Benton, the Cincinnati and the Louisville opened a heavy fire on the upper batteries. As Commodore Porter was approaching the ram, Commander Brown slackened his forward moorings so that the head of his vessel swung out into the stream, thus presenting her sharp ram to the square bow of the National gunboat, which was coming down at a high speed with a view of ramming. Seeing that his own vessel would be sunk in such a collision, Porter at a distance of fifty yards fired three solid 9-inch shot at the Arkansas, one of which struck her casemate a foot beyond the forward port, cutting off the ends of the railroad iron and drove the pieces diagonally across the gunroom. The shot pierced the casemate, split upon the breech of the starboard after-gun and killed eight and wounded six of her complement of forty-one men. At the same time Porter changed his course as rapidly as his clumsy craft would admit, and so far avoided a collision as to graze the port side of the Confederate ironclad, and his vessel was carried ashore just astern of the Arkansas. In this critical position the Essex remained fully ten minutes exposed to a heavy fire, but getting afloat again she continued her course down the river and soon ran out of range. The Queen of the West suc- ceeded in giving the Arkansas a heavy blow, and for 1862. DESTRUCTION OP THE ARKANSAS. 3G3 a moment the Confederates believed that their vessel was destroyed. The Nationalist ram then backed off and struck again, but the iron-bound hull of the Arkansas remained intact. All this time the Union ram had been subjected to a terrific fire. Large holes were yawning in her hull, one of her steam pipes had been carried away and her smokestacks were perforated like a nutmeg grater. As his vessel had been struck about twenty-five times, and was leaking seriously, Ellet endeavored to escape up stream, but, although exposed to a heavy fire, he managed to rejoin the flo- tilla above Vicksburg. One heavy shot passed through an iron safe and dismounted a gun. On the 3d of August the Arkansas, with two gunboats, left Vicks- burg to assist a detachment of troops under General Breckenridge in making an attack on the National gar- rison at Baton Rouge. The attack was made on the 5th of August, but the Confederates were repelled, the gun- boats KataJidin and Kineo supporting the land forces with a heavy fire. The Arkansas was detained from participating in this affair by her machinery breaking down several times, and finally she ran aground. On the approach of the Essex, whose commander had been on the watch for the ironclad, Lieutenant H. K. Stevens, then commanding the Arkansas, escaped with his men on shore and blew her up. It became more and more evident to the Government that it was impossible to hold the points on the river captured by the navy without the co-operation of a land force, and as the troops could not be spared im- mediately, the flotilla under Davis retired to Helena and the lower squadron to New Orleans, while the larger vessels -were detailed on blockade duty. Several expeditions were undertaken by the navy, however, with a view of preventing the enemy from fortifying the banks. On the 14th of August, Lieutenant Com- mander Phelps, with the gunboats Benton, Mound City and General Bragg, and the rams Monarch, Samson 364: OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1862-1863. and Lioness, with a land force under Colonel Woods, left Helena, and, going down the Mississippi, dispersed several bodies of Confederate troops and captured two steamers. Entering Yazoo River, he destroyed a bat- tery about twenty miles up the stream. In all, about half a million dollars' worth of public property was destroyed in this expedition. On January 15, 1863, the gunboats Calhoun, Estrella, and Kinsman de- stroyed the Confederate steamer Cotton in Bayou Teche. Lieutenant-Commander Thomas McKean Buch- anan, the senior officer in the squadron, was killed. Farragut called him "one of our most gallant and per- severing young officers." On the 1st of October, 1862, the Mississippi flotilla was transferred from the Army to the Navy Depart- ment. Meantime two new types of war vessel had been added to the fleet. At the suggestion of Captain Davis a number of light-draft stern-wheel steamers were pur- chased, and were covered from bow to stern, to the height of eleven feet, with iron plate a half to three quarters of an inch thick. These were called tinclads. They drew not over three feet, were designed for opera- tions in shallow waters and were armed with six to eight 24-pounder brass howitzers each, intended prin- cipally to disperse sharpshooters and troops with light- field pieces on the banks of narrow streams. Another class of war vessels was designed for heavy fighting. They were the Lafayette, the Tuscumbia, the Indian- ola, the Ghoctaw and the Cliillicothe. These were flat- bottomed vessels drawing from five to seven feet of water (the Lafayette and Choctaw drew nine feet), hav- ing side wheels three quarters of the way aft, each wheel acting independently of the other, which gave greater rapidity in turning. Two of these vessels the Indlanola and the Tus- cumbia also had propellers, and were regarded as un- usually efficient. The casemate on the forward deck was plated with two to three inches of iron, while the 1862. PORTER TAKES COMMAND. 365 forward plating in some of the craft was six inches thick. Sliding shutters, three inches thick, covered the ports when the guns were run in. Between the side wheels in the two larger vessels there was a wooden casemate plated with 2-inch iron on the after end and with 1-inch iron on each side. The Tuscumbia car- ried three 11-inch guns in her forward casemate and two rifled 100-pounders in the after casemate. The Indianola carried two 11 -inch guns in the forward and two 9-inch guns in the after casemate. The Chillicothe had two 11-inch guns, and the CJioctaw three 9-inch guns and one rifled 100-pounder in the forward case- mate. She also had a second casemate forward of the wheels, mounting two 24-pounder howitzers, and a third casemate abaft the wheel containing two 30-pounder Parrott rifled guns. The Lafayette carried two 11 -inch Dahlgren guns forward, four 9-inch guns in broadside, and two 24-pounder howitzers and two 100-pounder Parrott guns in the stern. The Samson had been fitted as a floating machine-shop to accompany the flotilla and repair damages, while the steamer Black HawTc, fitted as a school ship, carried an apparatus for raising sunken vessels. Commander David Dixon Porter, with the local rank of Acting Rear- Admiral, succeeded Captain Davis Oc- tober 15, 1862, and on the 21st of November he ordered Captain Walke to blockade Yazoo River and destroy any batteries he might find. Arriving at the mouth of the river, Captain Walke sent the light-draft steamers Signal, Acting-Master Scot, and Marmora, Acting- Master Letty, some miles up the river, where they de- stroyed several torpedoes and returned. On December 12th Walke sent them up again, accompanied by the Cairo, Lieutenant-Commander Thomas Self ridge, Jr., the Pittsburgh, Lieutenant Hoel, and the Queen of the West. While these vessels were engaged eighteen or twenty miles up the river in lifting the torpedoes (demi- johns filled with powder to be ignited by a wire that was 366 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1862-1863. operated by a Confederate naval officer concealed on shore), one or two of them exploded under the Cairo's bow, and in twelve minutes she sank in thirty-six feet of water. In spite of this disaster the remaining gun- boats proceeded with the work. On December 26th they came within reach of the batteries at Drumgoold's Bluff, by which time Porter had arrived with the other gunboats. Taking a position twelve hundred yards distant, the gunboats opened fire, while National troops under General William Tecumseh Sherman attacked the works from the rear on the 29th, but were repelled. In this affair the Benton was struck twenty-five times, and her commander, Lieutenant-Commander William Gwin, was mortally wounded, Master-at-Arms Robert Boyle was killed, and eight men were wounded, one of them mortally. The flotilla then retired to the Missis- sippi. The capture of the transport Blue Wing with its cargo of valuable stores by a Confederate expedition fitted out at Arkansas Post, induced the Nationalists to send an expedition against that place. Arkansas Post was defended by a bastioned fort on the left bank of Arkansas River, mounting three 9 inch guns, one 8-inch shell gun, four rifled and four smooth-bore guns and six light guns. Rifle pits also were dug around the fort. The place was defended by Lieutenant John W. Dunnington, formerly of the United States Navy, with five thousand men. On January 9, 1863, Porter, with the De Kalb, Lieutenant-Commander Walker, the Louisville, Lieutenant-Commander E. K. Owen, the Cincinnati, Lieutenant George M. Bache, and the light- draft gunboats Black Hawk, Lexington, Rattler, Glide, Signal, Forest Rose, Romeo, Juliet and Marmora, to- gether with the transports conveying troops under General McClernand, appeared before the fort, and while the troops were being landed four miles below, the ironclads, with the Rattler, Lieutenant-Commander Watson Smith, moved up the river and at 5.30 P. M. 1863. ARKANSAS POST AND ST. CHARLES. 367 opened a heavy fire. The three ironclads approached, bows on, within four hundred yards of the earthwork, while the lighter gunboats, with the Black Hawk and the Lexington, took a position a short distance behind them and threw shell and shrapnel. Before the attack was over, Lieutenant-Commander Smith ran past the fort and opened an enfilading fire, but becoming entangled in driftwood he was obliged to return, suffering a considerable loss. At 1.30 p. M. on the following day the gunboats renewed the attack and the troops began the assault in the rear. At 4 p. M. the Rattler, the Glide, Lieutenant Wood worth, and the Monarch, Colonel Charles Ellet, ran by the fort and destroyed a ferry ten miles above. At 4.40 p. M., when the troops were about to make an assault, the fort surrendered. In this affair the De Kalb sus- tained some damage in her hull, one of her 32-pounder guns was dismounted and one 10-inch gun was de- stroyed. The other ironclads also were injured in their hulls. The injuries to the men in the flotilla were con- fined to the De Kalb and the Louisville, the casualties being six killed and twenty- five wounded. On the 12th the De Kalb and the Cincinnati, with the transports and troops under General Gorman, pushed up White River and reached St. Charles on the morning of the 14th. This place was found to be de- serted, the Confederates having retreated up the river in the Blue Wing, taking with them a field battery and two 8-inch guns. Leaving the Cincinnati at St. Charles, the De Kalb with the transports hastened up the river in chase and reached Duval's Bluff (fifty miles farther) at three o'clock in the afternoon of the 16th, and found that the Blue Wing had left that place only a few minutes before, but the two 8-inch guns had been landed and were captured while the enemy was putting them in a railroad car. The guns were destroyed, and the gunboats returned to Vicks- burg. 368 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1863. At 4.30 A. M., February 3d, the Queen of the West, Colonel Charles Rivers Ellet, went down the river to run the Vicksburg batteries. Owing to some difficulty with the wheel, it was broad daylight before she ap- proached them ; but her intrepid commander kept steadily on his course, in spite of the angry protests of all the Confederate guns. When opposite Vicks- burg he deliberately rounded to and rammed the steamer Vicksburg that was moored to the bank. At this moment two shells entered the cotton- protected bulwarks of the Queen of the West and started a fire near her starboard wheel, while at the same time the flashes of her guns set the ram on fire forward. Hastening downstream, Colonel Ellet cut his cotton bales adrift and arrived below Vicksburg in safety, although his vessel had been struck twelve times by heavy shot and one of his guns had been dismounted. Continuing down the river the same day, he was fired upon by two batteries, but no injury was done, and on the next day, when fifteen miles below the mouth of Red River, he captured the steamers A. W. Balser and Moro, laden with stores for the Confederate army. Retracing his course up the river, Colonel Ellet cap- tured seven Confederate officers and a third steamer, the Berwick Bay, laden with stores. Having burned his prizes and replenished his coal- bunkers from a barge that had been floated past Vicks- burg on the night of February 7th, Colonel Ellet in company with the De Soto, a small ferry-boat partially protected with cotton and iron, and the barge, went down the river, destroying all craft and property that fell in his way. Proceeding up Red River to Atcha- falaya Bayou, he left the De Soto and the barge at that point, entered the bayou and destroyed a large quan- tity of Government property, including a train of army wagons and seventy barrels of beef. At one time the Queen of the West was fired on by guerrillas and one of her officers was wounded. Returning to Red River, 1863. LOSS OF THE QUEEN OF THE WEST. 369 the Queen of the West, with the De Soto, pushed up that stream and on the morning of February 14th seized the transport Era No. 5, with two Confederate officers. On rounding a bluff near Gordon's Landing, seventy- five miles from the mouth of the river, the Queen of the West was suddenly fired upon by a battery of four 32- pounders, and in attempting to back out of range she ran aground in easy reach of the enemy. A shot soon severed a steam-pipe and compelled the crew to abandon the ship. This was done without attempting to burn it, as Ellet was unable to remove a wounded officer. There being only one boat in the Queen of the West, most of her men escaped to the De Soto on bales of cotton. In her haste to retreat down the river, the De Soto ran into a bank and lost her rudder, so that the fugi- tives were compelled to drift with the current, picking up, from time to time, fugitives from the Queen of the West as they floated down the stream on bales of cot- ton. When ten miles from the place of the disaster the De Soto was overtaken by her yawl, which had been sent to bring off some of the men from the Queen of the West. Reaching the place where they had left the Era No. 5, the fugitives burned the De Soto and continued their flight in the transport, reaching the Mississippi on the 15th. On the next day, when eight miles below Natchez, they met the Indianola, Lieu- tenant-Commander George Brown, who on the night of February 12th, with a coal barge on each side, had run the Vicksburg batteries unscathed. The two Na- tional vessels now turned downstream, and at Ellis Cliff met the Confederate gunboat Webb, which was in hot pursuit of the Era No. 5. A chase followed, but the Webb soon distanced the Indianola, encumbered as she was with the coal barges. Arriving at the mouth of Red River, Brown, on the 18th of February, sent the Era No. 5 to communicate with the army near Vicks- burg while he prepared his vessel for an attack from 370 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1863. the Webb and the Queen of the West by filling his gangways and casemates with cotton. When a little below New Carthage, at 9.30 p. M., February 24th, the Indianola discovered several steam- ers in chase of her. They were the Queen of the West, Captain James McCloskey ; the Webb, Captain Charles Pierce ; the cottonclad steamer Dr. Batey, Lieutenant- Colonel Brand, having on board two hundred and fifty riflemen under Major J. L. Brent ; and the tender Grand Era. The Confederates determined to attack under cover of darkness, when the National gunboat could not fire with accuracy. When a little above Palmyra Island the Queen of the West, leading the other Confederate vessels by five hundred yards, at- tempted to ram the Indianola abaft the port wheel, but, by backing, Lieutenant-Commander Brown re- ceived the blow on the coal barge, which was crushed in, and, being cut adrift, sank. Making downstream, the Indianola met the Webb, which was coming up the river at full speed, and a head-on collision took place, the bow of the latter being crushed in eight feet, but as this part of her hull had been filled in solid she did not sink. The Indianola was not seriously injured. The Webb aimed a second blow, but succeeded only in carrying away the second barge. By this time the Queen of the West had turned and was now coming downstream at full speed with the intention of ramming the Indianola again, but the National gunboat also had turned and was heading up- stream, so that the Confederate ram struck the Indian- ola a glancing blow on the starboard bow, and as the Queen of the West passed, Lieutenant-Commander Brown sent two 9-inch shot into her, killing two and w r ounding four men besides disabling two guns. In the uncertain light it was exceedingly difficult for those peering out of the narrow sight-holes in the pilot house of the Indianola to keep track of so many lively foes, and it was impossible to fire with any accuracy except 1863. LOSS OF THE INDIANOLA. 371 at close quarters. The Indianola soon received another blow from the Queen of the West just abaft the wheel- house, which disabled the starboard rudder. Almost at the same instant the Webb struck her stern, caus- ing the water to rush in at an alarming rate. Thus disabled, Brown ran aground on the west bank and surrendered, but the Confederates towed their prize over to the east bank, where she sank near Jefferson Davis' plantation. In this affair the Indianola had one killed, one wounded and seven missing, while the Confederate loss is reported at two killed and five wounded. As the Confederates were attempting to raise the Indianola two days later, the Nationalists above Vicksburg made a dummy monitor by placing pork barrels on a coal-barge so as to resemble smokestacks, and building fires in mud furnaces sent her down the river at daylight. As she neared the Vicksburg bat- teries a terrific fire was opened on her, but she passed unscathed and ran ashore about two and a half miles above the Indianola. When the Confederate com- manders saw the "terrible-looking" monitor coming down they fled precipitately, leaving the Indianola to her fate, and on the following day, although the dummy monitor was still hard and fast aground, they destroyed their prize. Two months afterward, or April 14, the Queen of the West, then commanded by Captain Fuller, was destroyed in Grand Lake (in Bayou Atcha- falaya), after a spirited action, by National gunboats, JSstrella, Calhoun, and Arizona, under the command of Commander Cook. By cutting the levee near Delta so as to flood the surrounding country, it was hoped to enter Yazoo River through Moon Lake, Cold Water and the Tal- lahatchie Rivers and attack Vicksburg from that side. Under the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel James H. Wilson, of the engineers, the work of cutting the levee was begun February 2d, and the river was let in on the 372 OPERATIONS ON WESTERN RIVERS. 1863. following evening, but it took several days for the water to attain its level in the vast territory flooded. Late in February the following gunboats under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Watson Smith, and transports with six thousand troops, were detailed by Porter for this service : Rattler, flagship ; Chilli- cothe, Lieutenant-Commander James P. Foster ; De Kalb. Lieutenant-Commander John G. Walker ; Mar- mora, Signal, Romeo, Petrel, Forest Rose, and the rams Lioness and Fulton. After nearly four days' struggle against overhanging trees and masses of driftwood, the vessels got as far as Cold Water River. When the Confederates learned of the expedition they felled enormous trees across the stream, which so delayed the gunboats that it was March 6th before they entered Tallahatchie River. By this time many of the transports and several of the gunboats had been seriously injured by this "land cruise." The smokestacks of the Romeo were carried away, the Petrel lost her wheel and the Chillicothe had a plank started under water by running on the stump of a tree. But despite these injuries the vessels pushed on and approached Fort Pemberton on the llth of March. This fort was hastily constructed of earth and cotton and mounted one 6'4-inch rifled gun, some field pieces, and three 20-pounder Parrott rifled guns, under the command of Lieutenant F. E. Shepperd, of the Confederate Navy. The channel was obstructed by a raft and the hull of the Star of the West, the little steamer that had been fired on by the Confederates in Charleston early in 1861. As the river was so narrow at this point that only one gunboat at a time could act freely, the CTiillicotJie, at 10 A. M. on March llth, advanced and opened a heavy fire on Fort Pemberton, but in a short time she was struck twice on the turret, and she retired in order to get cotton bales for additional protection. At 4.25 P. M. she returned with the De Kalb, but soon after- 1863. ATTACK OX FORT PEMBERTON. 373 ward a shell struck the muzzle of her port 11-inch gun just as the gunners had entered a shell and were strip- ping the patch from the fuse. Both shells exploded at the same instant, killing two men and wounding eleven. After the Chillicothe had received a shot that killed a man she drew out of range, Lieutenant-Commander Foster reporting four killed and fifteen wounded. The next day was spent in preparing for another attack, and at 11.30 A. M. on March 13th the Chillicothe and the De Kalb again came into action. After maintain- ing a severe fire until 2 P. M. the Chillicothe retired, having been struck forty-four times ; but the De Kalb still kept up the fight, firing every fifteen minutes, although getting no reply. The attack was renewed on the following day by the Chillicothe and the De Kalb, but they were badly cut up and compelled to retire, the former having four killed and sixteen wound- ed, and the latter three killed and three wounded. On March 15th a gun from the De Kalb was landed and placed in a battery, but on the 18th the expedition was abandoned and the gunboats retreated. Meantime Porter, with the Louisville, Lieutenant- Commander E. K. Owen ; the Cincinnati. Lieutenant George M. Bache ; the Carondelet, Lieutenant John M. Murphy ; the Mound City, Lieutenant Byron Wil- son ; the Pittsburgh, Lieutenant William R. Hoel, and four mortar boats and four tugs, attempted to reach the Yazoo below Yazoo City. Entering Steele's Bayou March 16th, the vessels forced their way through the bushes and trees of Black Bayou and up Deer Creek to Rolling Fork, where the enemy began felling trees, not only to prevent a further advance, but to cut off the retreat of the gunboats. Finding that it was im- possible to carry out his plans, Porter, on the 20th of March, began a difficult retreat and narrowly escaped losing his entire squadron. CHAPTER XII. THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. WHILE this indecisive warfare was taking place in the upper Mississippi, Farragut was attending to his extensive command in the Gulf ; but on the 14th of March, 1863, he appeared with his fleet at Port Hudson and determined to run past the place. The batteries at this point, on a bluff about a hundred feet high, mount- ed two 10-inch and two 8-inch columbiads, two 42- pounders, two 32-pounders, three 24-pounders and eight rifled guns. The National vessels formed in pairs, each of the heavier ones taking a gunboat on its port side, excepting the Mississippi: the Hartford (flagship), Captain James Shedden Palmer, and the Albatross, Lieutenant-Commander John E. Hart ; the Richmond (the slowest ship), Captain James Alden, and the Genesee (the fastest vessel), Commander Wil- liam Henry Macomb ; the Monongahela, Captain James Paterson McKinstry, and the Kineo, Lieutenant-Com- mander John Watters; and the Mississippi, Captain Melancton Smith. As these vessels drew near the enemy at eleven o'clock that night, six mortar schooners, with the Es- sex, Commander Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell, and the Sachem, took a position and opened a heavy fire on the lower batteries. When the fleet was in range the batteries opened a fire, to which the ships responded with their bow guns and the howitzers in their tops. Large bonfires were lighted along the shores, and the dense smoke in the damp night air set- tled on the river, causing an impenetrable gloom and 374 1863. FARRAGUT PASSES PORT HUDSON. 375 throwing the line of battle into confusion. Being in the lead, the Hartford was able to push ahead of the smoke; but when she got to the bend in the river her bow was caught by the five-mile current and she was nearly carried ashore, her stern actually touching ground under the guns of a battery. By the assistance of her consort the flagship backed clear and again headed up- stream, passing beyond the line of fire with only one man killed and two wounded. One marine fell over- board, and although his cries for help were heard in the other ships, he could not be saved. Just as the Richmond and the Genesee had reached the last bat- tery and were about to turn, a plunging shot came into the berth deck of the former, pierced a pile of hawsers and clothes bags, entered the engine room, displaced the starboard safety valve, and, twisting the lever of the port safety valve, threw it partly open. The escaping steam quickly filled the fire room and berth deck and reduced the pressure to nine pounds, which made it impossible for the Richmond to stem the current, even with the aid of her consort, and she was compelled to retreat. In doing this Captain Alden had to run the gantlet of the enemy's batteries again, besides taking great risks of being fired into by the other Union vessels. The RicJimond had three men killed and fif- teen wounded, Lieutenant-Commander Andrew Boyd Cummings being among the latter. He was mortally hurt while cheering his men. When the MonongaTiela and the Kineo were under fire of one of the heaviest Confederate batteries, a shot disabled the latter's rudder, and soon afterward the Monongahela ran aground. The Kineo, still having headway, broke adrift from her consort and also ran aground a short distance below. At this moment a shot carried away the bridge under Captain McKinstry, throwing him to the deck, disabled. Lieutenant Na- thaniel W. Thomas succeeded to the command of the ship and conducted himself with credit. The Monon- 376 THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. 1863. gahela remained in this condition nearly half an hour, when the Klneo, getting afloat again, managed to tow her off ; but Lieutenant-Commander Watters, finding that it was impossible to steer his craft, drifted out of action. No one on board was injured. The Monon- galiela continued up the river until near the bend, when a crank-pin became heated and she also drifted helplessly out of action, sustaining a loss of six killed and twenty-one wounded. The Mississippi, which was the last vessel in line, passed the batteries and was approaching the bend at full speed when she ran hard and fast aground. After thirty-five minutes spent in a vain endeavor to get her afloat, during which she was subjected to a terrific fire, Captain Smith decided to abandon her, and when every one had been set ashore a fire was started in the for- ward storeroom ; but before the flames had made seri- ous headway three shot pierced the hull below the water line and the inrushing water extinguished the flames. The ship was then fired aft, and when assured that she would be destroyed Captain Smith left her. At 3 A. M. she drifted down the river, and at 6.30 A. M. blew up. Her loss was reported to be twenty-five killed and many wounded. Such was the fate of Perry's flag- ship in his expedition to Japan. The Missouri, a sister ship, was burned twenty years before at Gibraltar. After communicating with General Banks, Farragut proceeded up the river with the Hartford and the Al- batross. At Grand Gulf these vessels were fired on by four rifled guns and sustained a loss of two killed and six wounded. Farragut arrived below Yicksburg March 20th, where he was joined by the ram Switzerland, Colonel Charles Rivers Ellet, which ran the batteries on the 25th. The ram Lancaster, Lieutenant-Colonel John A. Ellet, also attempted to run the gantlet, but she was sunk, her men floating down the river on bales of cotton. On the 31st of March the three vessels went down the river, destroying a large number of boats, and 1863. PORTER PASSES VICKSBURG. 377 at Grand Gulf the Confederate batteries fired on them, killing one man in the Switzerland. Reaching Port Hudson on April 6th, Farragut was anxious to com- municate with the rest of his squadron and General Banks, from whom he had been separated three weeks. As the ordinary means of signaling were futile, Farra- gut's secretary, Mr. Gabaudan, on the night of April 7th got into a skiff covered with twigs so as to resem- ble driftwood, and, lying in the bottom with a revolver and a paddle by his side, he floated past the batteries unmolested, although at one time some Confederate sentinels put off in a boat to examine his craft. On the 8th of April Farragut captured a Confederate steamer at the mouth of Red River, and from this time a vigorous patrol of that stream was maintained and the enemy's communications interrupted. Soon after- ward Farragut returned to the Gulf, leaving Porter in charge of the fleet in the upper Mississippi. On the night of April 16th Porter ran the batteries at Vicksburg with the gunboats Benton (flagship), Lieu- tenant-Commander James A. Greer; the Lafayette, Captain Henry Walke ; the Louisville, Lieutenant- Commander Elias K. Owen ; the Mound City, Lieuten- ant Byron Wilson ; the Pittsburgh, Acting- Volunteer- Lieutenant William R. Hoel ; the Carondelet, Acting- Lieutenant John McLeod Murphy ; the Tuscumbia, Lieutenant-Commander James W. Shirk ; the General Price, Commander Selim E. Woodworth ; and the army transports Silver Wave, Henry Clay and Forest Queen and the tug Joy. An officer in the Lafayette wrote : "The firing began at 10.55 P. M. and continued about an hour and a quarter, during which a perfect tornado of shot and shell continued to shriek over our deck and among all the vessels of the fleet. Five hundred, per- haps a thousand, shot were discharged, but not more than one in ten struck or did any damage to the fleet. They mostly went over. On running out the guns a good view could be had through the ports of the rebel 3Y8 THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. 1863. batteries, which now flashed like a thunderstorm along the river as far as the eye could see ; but the incessant spatter of rifle balls, the spray from falling shot, the thunder of steel-pointed projectiles upon our sides, did not incline one to take a very protracted view of the scenery. A few discharges of grape, shrapnel and per- cussion shell was all we could afford at the time to be- stow upon our rebel friends in exchange for their com- pliments. At each round the Confederate artillerymen gave a shout, which seemed surprisingly near. At one time we could not have been one hundred yards from the Vicksburg wharves. Our vessel, with the steamer and barge lashed to our starboard side, became almost unmanageable, drifted in the eddy and turned her head square round, looking the batteries in the face. At this time we seemed to be receiving their concentrated flre at less than a hundred yards from the shore. The smoke from our own and the rebel guns, with the glare of the burning buildings from the opposite shore, ren- dered it difficult for the pilots to make out the direction we were going. The enemy, supposing we were disabled, set up a fiendish yell of triumph. We soon, however, backed round, and once more presented our broadside to them, and slowly drifted past, as if in contempt of their impotent efforts. Shells burst all around the pilot-house, and at one time John Denning, our pilot, was literally baptized with fire. He thought himself killed, but he brushed the fire from his head and found he was unhurt." The vessels passed without serious injury, excepting the transport Henry Clay, which took fire and sank. On the night of the 22d six more army transports ran the batteries, but one of them sank. On the 29th of April the gunboats Benton, Tuscum- bia, Louisville, Carondelet, Lafayette, Mound City and Pittsburgh attacked the Confederate batteries at Grand Gulf, which now mounted two 8-inch and two 7-inch rifled guns, one rifled 100-pounder gun, two 32- pounders, one 30-pounder rifled gun and five light guns. 1863. ATTACK ON FORT DE RUSSY. 379 After a spirited fire of five and a half hours, when the enemy was nearly silenced, Porter retired with a loss of seven killed and nineteen wounded in the Benton, five killed and twenty-four wounded in the Tuscumbia, six killed and thirteen wounded in the Pittsburgh and one wounded in the Lafayette. On the same night Porter ran the batteries, with the loss of one killed in the Mound City, and assisted the army in crossing the river at Bruinsburg. On the 30th of April the gunboats above Vicksburg, under the command of Lieutenant- Commander Kidder Randolph Breese, opened a heavy fire on Haines's Bluff to divert the enemy's attention from Grand Gulf. The Choctaw, Lieutenant-Com- mander Francis Munroe Ramsay, was struck forty- six times. Early in May the enemy evacuated Grand Gulf. On the 4th of May the gunboats Albatross, Lieu- tenant-Commander John E. Hart, Calhoun, Clifton, Arizona and Estrella, Lieutenant-Commander Au- gustus P. Cooke, attacked Fort De Russy. The Al- batross, running within five hundred yards of the battery, for forty minutes maintained a spirited fire, when she was compelled to retire, having been hulled eleven times and having two men killed and four wounded. The Benton, the Lafayette, the Pittsburgh and the General Price, under Porter, came to their assistance the next day, but the fort was found to be deserted, and shortly afterward Alexandria was occu- pied by the National forces. While making a reconnoissance down the Atcha- falaya, the Switzerland, Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Ellet, was fired upon at Simmesport by Confederate artillery, June 3, 1863, and several of her men were injured. The next day Captain Walke, in the Lafayette, with the Pittsburgh, shelled the Confederates from their position and destroyed their camp. During the attack on Port Hudson, May 27th, a battery of four 9-inch shell guns was handled with great spirit by a detachment of seamen from the Rich- 380 THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. 1863. mond and the Essex, under the command of Lieuten- ant-Commander Edward Terry, while from May 23d to June 26th half a dozen mortar schooners, with the Es- sex and Carondelet, kept up a heavy fire on Port Hud- son. The De Kalb, Lieutenant-Commander John G. Walker, destroyed property in Yazoo City and a vessel three hundred and ten feet long. On the day when Grant assaulted Vicksburg, May 22d, the gunboats under Porter opened a heavy fire on the enemy and received some damage in return. While engaging the batteries on the 27th of May, the Cincin- nati, Lieutenant George M. Bache, was pierced below the water line by several shot. When the vessel was under this heavy fire Quartermaster Frank Bois went out of the casemate and coolly nailed the colors to the stump of the flagstaff. Before the Cincinnati could be properly secured to the bank she sank. Her loss was five killed, fourteen wounded and fifteen missing. During the siege of Vicksburg thirteen heavy guns were landed from the flotilla and did good service under Lieutenant-Commanders Thomas Oliver Self- ridge, Jr., and John G. Walker, and Acting-Masters Charles B. Dahlgren and J. Frank Keed. These guns fired one thousand shells into Vicksburg. A 9-inch, a 10- inch and a 100-pounder rifled gun on a scow, under the 'orders of Lieutenant-Commander Francis M. Ram- say, enfiladed the batteries. In his official report Porter says : " The mortar-boats were under charge of Gun- ner Eugene Mack, who for thirty days stood at his post, the firing continuing night and day. He per- formed his duty well, and merits approval. The labor was extremely hard, and every man at the mortars was laid up with sickness owing to excessive labor. After Mr. Mack was taken ill, Ensign Miller took charge and conducted the firing with marked ability. We know that nothing conduced more to the end of the siege than the mortar-firing, which demoralized the Confederates, killed and wounded a number of persons, killed the 1863. DONALDSONVILLE. 381 cattle, destroyed property of all kinds and set the city on fire. On the last two days we were enabled to reach the outer works of the enemy by firing heavy charges of twenty-six pounds of powder ; the distance was three miles, and the falling of shells was very annoying to the rebels. To use the words of the Confederate officer, * our shells intruded everywhere.' " On July 4, 1803, Vicks- burg surrendered, and five days later Port Hudson fell. While the siege of Port Hudson was in progress the Princess Royal, Commander Melanchton Brooks Wool- sey, and the Winona, Lieutenant-Commander Aaron Ward Weaver, gave great assistance, repelling the Con- federate attack on the fort at Donaldsonville, June 28th. The Kineo arrived on the scene later. Two days before the surrender of Port Hudson the Monongahela, Com- mander Abner Read, was fired upon by a masked bat- tery of fieldpieces, by which two of her men were killed and four wounded, among the latter being her com- mander (mortally) and Captain Thornton A. Jenkins. On the day that Vicksburg fell an overwhelming force of Confederate troops made a sudden attack on the garrison of four thousand men, under Major- General B. M. Prentiss, at Helena, Having broken through the National center, the Confederates were pressing down a hillside, confident of capturing the post. At this moment Lieutenant-Commander James M. Pritchett, commanding the Tyler, took a position where his guns bore on the enemy and then opened a terrific fire. " The slaughter of the enemy at this time was terrible, and all unite in describing the horrors of that hillside and the ravines after the battle as baffling description, the killed being literally torn to pieces by shell, and the avenging fire of the gunboat pursued the enemy two or three miles to his reserve forces, creating a panic there which added not a little to the end of victory." 1 The enemy was repelled with a loss of four 1 Official report of Lieutenant-Commander S. Ledyard Phelps. 382 THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. 1864. hundred killed and eleven hundred prisoners. This was the third instance in which this gallant little gun- boat figured prominently in retrieving the fortunes of the Union army first at Belmont, again at Pittsburg Landing and finally at Helena. Shortly afterward the De Kalb, while ascending Yazoo River, was sunk by a torpedo. A month before this, June 6th, the Choc- taw, Lieutenant-Commander Ramsay, rendered ma- terial assistance in routing the Confederates after their successful attack on a brigade of negro troops at Mil- liken's Bend. About six weeks later Lieutenant-Com- mander Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr., entered Red River and proceeded up Tensas River as far as Tensas Lake, and by Ouachita River reached Harrisonburg, destroy- ing much public property and four steamers. In Au- gust, Lieutenant Bache went two hundred and fifty miles up White River with the gunboats Lexington, Cricket and Marmora. The Cricket went forty miles up Little Red River and returned, having one man killed and eight wounded by sharpshooters. Early in March, 1864, Rear- Admiral Porter accom- panied General Banks' expedition against Shreveport up Red River, with the following gunboats : Essex, Commander Robert Townseud ; Eastport, Lieutenant- Commander S. Ledyard Phelps ; Black Hawk, Lieu- tenant-Commander K. Randolph Breese ; Lafayette, Lieutenant-Commander James P. Foster ; Benton, Lieutenant-Commander James A. Greer ; Louisville, Lieutenant-Commander Elias K. Owen ; Carondelet, Lieutenant-Commander John G. Mitchell ; Osage, Lieu- tenant-Commander Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. ; Ouachita, Lieutenant-Commander Byron Wilson ; Lexington, Lieutenant George M. Bache ; Chillicothe, Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant Joseph Couthony ; Pittsburgh, Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant WilliarnR. Hoel; Mound City, Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant Amos R. Lang- thorne ; Neosho, Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant Samuel Howard ; Ozark, Acting-Master George W. Browne ; 1864. RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 383 Fort Hindman, Acting- Volunteer- Lieu tenant John Pearce ; Cricket, Acting-Master Henry H. Gorringe ; Gazelle, Acting- Master Charles Thatcher. This magni- ficent flotilla, with a large fleet of transports, began the ascent of Red River on the 12th of March. Lieutenant- Commander Phelps, with the lighter gunboats, forcing his way through the obstructions eight miles below Fort De Russy, arrived opposite that place on the 14th, and dropped a few shells just before the fort was car- ried by troops who had marched from Sirnmesport. The expedition reached Alexandria on the loth and the 16th, where a garrison was established, and Porter, with the Cricket, the Fort Hindman, the Lexington, the Osage, the Neosho and the CTiillicothe, pressed for- ward, and in spite of the low water and extremely diffi- cult navigation reached Springfield Landing on the 10th of April. There he learned that the National troops had been checked at Pleasant Hill and were retreating, which compelled the gunboats to begin their difficult retreat of four hundred miles in the heart of the ene- my's country. On the 12th of April two thousand Con- federate troops made a furious attack on the Osage, the Lexington and six transports (the Osage and two of the transports being aground), but were repelled with heavy loss. On the 15th the Eastport was sunk by a torpedo, but after great exertions by her officers and crew she was raised on the 21st and moved some distance down the stream. The vessel had been so damaged, however, that on the 26th Lieutenant Phelps destroyed her. At this moment the gunboats accompanying her the Cricket, the Juliet and the Fort Hindman and two pump -boats were attacked by the Confederates, but the enemy was repelled. Five miles above Cane River these vessels were roughly handled by a heavy battery. Por- ter, being in the Cricket, made a dash past the battery, and although his vessel was struck thirty-eight times and sustained a loss of twenty-five killed or wounded in a crew of fifty, he rejoined his squadron. The Juliet 331 THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. 1864. had fifteen killed or wounded, and the Fort Hindman three killed and five wounded. When the vessels reached Alexandria it was found that the water had fallen so low that it was impossible to pass the rapids. Destruction seemed to await this magnificent fleet, but under the direction of Lieutenant- Colonel Joseph Bailey, and with the assistance of sev- eral hundred troops from a Maine regiment, a dam was built across the stream, and from the 9th to the 13th of May the gunboats were passed over the rapids and saved. For this invaluable service Bailey was promoted to the rank of Brigadier- General. The Pittsburgh, the Mound City, the Louisville, the Carondelet and the OzarTc were stripped of their iron plating, which, to- gether with eleven 32-pounders, was thrown into the river. Before the fleet reach a place of safety the gunboats Comngton, Lieutenant Lord, and Signal, Lieutenant Morgan, and the transport Warner were attacked, and after a heroic defense they were cap- tured, the Comngton having had forty-four killed, wounded or missing out of a complement of seventy- six men. From this time to the close of the war Red River remained in Confederate hands, but w r as carefully blockaded. Porter was relieved of his command, and Captain Alexander M. Pennock was left in charge. While stationed at Tunica Bend, near Port Hudson, the tinclad Naiad, Ac ting- Master Hubbell, and the General Bragg were suddenly fired upon at daylight, x June 24th, by a battery of 6-pounders that had been captured from General Banks. The National gunboats promptly responded, and for about an hour maintained a heavy fire, when at the approach of the monitor Winnebago the enemy fled. The General Bragg was uninjured, but the Naiad was badly cut up, having her pilot-house, armory and dispensary destroyed. One of her pilots was mortally wounded, and Mr. Hub- bell was severely injured below the right knee. On the 24th of June, 1864, Lieutenant Bache left 1864. BACHE'S SPIRITED ATTACK. 385 Duval's Bluff with a number of troops in transports convoyed by the Tyler and the tinclads Naumkeag and Fawn, but before he had gone twenty miles he picked up two men who had escaped from the light- draught steamer Queen City, which had been captured by the Confederates only five hours before. Sending back the transports, Lieutenant Bache formed his three vessels in line of battle and boldly attacked a battery of seven field-pieces and two thousand Confederate troops who were advantageously posted near Clarendon. Steaming past the battery, the Tyler and the Fawn re- ceived shot in their pilot-houses, and the latter's pilot was killed. Soon afterward another shot entered the Fawn's pilot-house. The Tyler and Naumkeag, after passing the battery, returned to the assistance of their consort and put the enemy to flight. This was the battery that had taken the Queen City by surprise and disabled her engines at the first fire, and killed two and wounded eight of her men. The other boats had three killed and fifteen wounded. On the 1st of November Captain Samuel Phillips Lee succeeded to the command of the Western flotilla. The removal of the seat of war to the east of Mis- sissippi River made the patrol of the Western waters even more hazardous than before, as roving bands of guerillas were able to plant masked batteries along the banks and open fire on unsuspecting gunboats and trans- ports. Early in November the Confederates erected a battery on the upper Tennessee, which cut off eight transports and the little gunboats Key West, Elfin and TawaTi, commanded by Lieutenant King, from the sup- port of the larger Union gunboats below. The gunboat Undine also fell into the hands of the enemy and was destroyed. On November 4th, Lieutenant-Commanders Shirk and Leroy Fitch attacked the batteries with some light gunboats, while Lieutenant King opened fire from above ; but although fighting gallantly and being repeatedly struck, the gunboats could not dis- 70 386 THE MISSISSIPPI OPENED. 1864-1865. lodge the enemy. To prevent his vessels from falling into the hands of the Confederates, Lieutenant King destroyed them. Acting-Master Gilbert Morton, on October 28th, ren- dered valuable assistance to the Union troops under General Granger when they were attacked by the Con- federates above Muscle Shoals. On December 4th, Fitch, with the Carondelet and the Fair play, opened an effective fire on Hood's troops that were advancing upon Nashville. On the 6th he engaged a battery with the Neosho and the Carondelet, the former being struck by more than a hundred shot. Our gunboats also played an important part in the attack on Hood's army on the 15th, Lieutenant Moreau Forrest assisting greatly in cutting off the enemy's retreat. In April, 1865, the Webb, Lieutenant-Commander Charles W. Read, ran the blockade at the mouth of the Red River and attempted to get to sea with a load of cotton, and actually got twenty-three miles beyond New Orleans before she was captured. In June, 1865, the small Confederate naval force in Red River surrendered, and on the 14th of August Captain Lee was relieved of his command and most of the vessels of the Western flotilla were sold. CHAPTER XIII. ATTACK ON THE WYOMING. WHILE these stirring scenes were taking place In the United States an incident occurred in Japan which was attended with most serious circumstances. At the outbreak of the civil war the Government ordered the steam frigate Wyoming, Commander David Stockton McDougal, to cruise in Asiatic waters and keep a sharp lookout for Confederate commerce destroyers. McDougal entered the navy in 1828, and when Mare Island was purchased by the Government for a navy yard he was in command of the storeship Warren at San Francisco, Commander David Glasgow Farragut being ordered to that station. As the place then was destitute of quarters for officers, Farragut and his family became the guests of McDougal aboard the Warren. 1 In 1860 McDougal was ordered to com- mand the Wyoming, then at Panama, in place of Cap- tain John K. Mitchell, who entered the Confederate service. The Wyoming was a sister ship to the Kear- sarge, which also was engaged in the same duty in European waters. She carried two 11-inch Dahlgren guns on pivots amidship, and had four 32-pounders in the broadside. Her complement was one hundred and sixty men. About the time of the Wyoming's arrival in Eastern waters the edict of the Mikado of Japan expelling foreigners was in force. Availing themselves of the opportunity this edict gave them to embroil the 1 Mrs. D. McDougal Van Voorhis to the author. 387 388 ATTACK ON THE WYOMING. 1863. Mikado in trouble with some foreign power, the Choshiu clansmen began the erection of batteries at the Straits of Shimonoseki. "The Straits of Shimono- seki form the western entrance into the inland sea and divide the great islands of Hondo and Kiushiu. They are three miles long and from one half to one mile wide, the navigable channel being from three to seven hundred feet wide. The town, of eighteen thousand inhabitants, consists chiefly of one very long street at the foot of bold bluffs, except that in the center the houses completely encircle and cover two or three small hills, and cluster thickly in a ravine. . . . Some have called it * the Gibraltar of the Japanese Medi- terranean.' The tide in its ebb and flow runs like a mill race at the rate of five miles an hour, and the violent oscillations acting upon the numerous sunken rocks and shoals have, in the course of centuries, fur- nished an appalling list of wrecks and great loss of life. Every landmark in the region is eloquent or ominous with traditions of gloom. ... On one of the rocky ledges stands the monument of the young Emperor Antoku, drowned in the great naval battle (A. D. 1185) between the Genji and the Heike, the white and red flags, where possibly one thousand war ships fought together." 1 On commanding bluffs from fifty to one hundrecL^ feet high and overlooking this "terror to navigation " the Choshiu men erected seven batteries mounting from two to seven guns each, mostly 32-pounders, and a few 12- and 24-pounders. Some of the guns were 8-inch Dahlgrens, a present from our Government. Besides this the warlike clansmen had purchased the iron steamer Lancefield, the bark Daniel Webster and the brig LanricJc. On the steamer they mounted four guns, on the bark six and on the brig four, mostly 24- pounders. 1 William Elliot Griffis, in Century Magazine. 1863. FIRING ON FOREIGNERS. 389 On June 25, 1863, the clansmen had the first oppor- tunity to show their power. On that day the Ameri- can steamer Pembroke, from Yokohama for Nagasaki, entered the straits, but instead of attempting the pas- sage when the tide was in force, she followed the cus- tom of dropping anchor and waiting for slack water. Soon after the Pembroke came to, the Daniel Webster moved by and dropped anchor a short distance from her. No suspicions of foul play seem to have been entertained by the master of the Pembroke, for he had shown his colors, and his pilot had been furnished by the Government at Tokio. About an hour after midnight the bark, without the slightest warning, opened fire on the Pembroke, and soon the Lanrick approached, her crew shouting, and anchoring near the bark, opened on the steamer. Realizing that the Japanese were determined to sink his vessel, the master of the Pembroke retraced his course and eluded his assailants. Complaint was made to the officials at Tokio, and indemnity to the amount of ten thousand dollars was demanded and paid. Two weeks after the attack on the Pembroke, or July 8th, the French dispatch boat Kien-cJiang an- chored at the entrance to the straits to await the turn of the tide, just as the American steamer had done. Without warning, the batteries opened fire, seven shot taking effect. The Frenchmen then lowered a boat to inquire the reason for the attack, but it had scarcely left the ship's side when it was sunk by a shot and several of the men killed. With great difficulty the Kien-chang, in a sinking condition, reached Nagasaki, where the affair was reported to the commander of the Dutch cruiser Medusa, Captain de Cassembroot. The Medusa approached the straits in daylight on July llth. "No sooner was the Medusa opposite to the brig, than the Lanrick, which flew the flag of Nagato, the bark Daniel Webster and the heavy bat- tery of Sennenji, mounting six guns, opened simul- 390 ATTACK ON THE WYOMING. 1863. taneously. In a few minutes the frigate was within the concentrated fire of six batteries. What most astonished the Hollanders were the projectiles, such size and weight being undreamed of. The splendid abilities of the Japanese artillerists and the rapidity of their fire were astonishing. To find 6- and 8-inch shells exploding on their ship was a novelty to the Dutchmen in the Eastern World, and showed that the Japanese were up to the times. With his port broad- side Captain de Cassembroot illustrated true 'Dutch courage' for an hour and a half. Unable on account of his draft to attack the ships directly, he passed on his way. The Medusa was hit thirty-one times. Seven shots pierced the hull, sending bolts and splinters in showers about the decks. Three 8-inch shells burst on board. The long-boat, cutter and smokestack were ruined. Four men were killed and five wounded." 1 For this service although it is difficult to discover just what service was performed Captain de Cassembroot, on his return to Europe, was knighted and his crew received medals of honor. The Medusa was a much heavier war ship than the Wyoming. Nine days after this the French gunboat Tancrede while swiftly steaming through the straits was fired upon and struck three times ; and not long afterward a Japanese steamer mistaken for a foreigner was at- tacked, burned and sunk by the batteries, the bodies of nine officers and nineteen seamen who were killed being swept out to sea. This firing on unsuspecting vessels from a safe emi- nence of fifty to one hundred feet, of course, was great sport for the Choshiu clansmen, but their day of reck- oning was coming. The word "reckoning" having been ascribed by our English cousins as being charac- teristically Yankee, we need feel no surprise in finding the avenger to be the American war craft Wyoming. 1 William Elliot Griffis, in Century Magazine. 1863. McDOUGAL IN ACTION. 391 Commander McDougal was a true American sea- man. He was a man who did not know what fear was, which, combined with a clear insight into the motives for action, made an ideal officer. He was a contemporary of Rear- Admirals John Rodgers, Middle- ton, Alden and Case. While on board the Natchez, in the harbor of Pensacola, engaged in surveying, he gave an exhibition of dauntless courage which was a marked characteristic all his life. The bay at the time was alive with sharks, especially around the ship, where they swarmed ready to snatch the mess refuse thrown overboard. One day the cry "Man over- board ! " startled the ship's company. Without hesi- tation McDougal whipped off his coat, jumped into the water, and managed to keep the man afloat and fight off the sharks until a boat came to the rescue. 1 When the news of the attack on the Pembroke reached Commander McDougal he was under orders to return home with the Wyoming, but this affair deter- mined him in proceeding immediately to the scene of hostilities. Accordingly he dropped anchor at the eastern end of the straits on the evening of July 15th, having first learned that the Lancefield drew no more water than his ship. Early the next morning the Wyoming rounded a point of land, when one of the batteries opened fire, the first shot striking the ship just above the engine room, cutting away some rigging ample evidence of the accuracy of Japanese gunners. Making no reply to this, the Wyoming steamed on until she rounded another promontory, when she came in full sight of the town and within long range of all the batteries and the Japanese war ships. Then began the serious work of the day. The shrewd American commander had noticed a line of stakes driven into the mud, evidently marking the edge 1 Mrs. D. McDougal Van Voorhis (daughter of Rear-Admiral Mc- Dougal) to the author. 392 ATTACK ON THE WYOMING. 1863. of the main channel. Rightly guessing that the enemy had long got the precise range of this water way, Mc- Dougal ordered his pilots to take his ship toward the northern shore, close under the batteries on that side. The Daniel Webster was anchored close to the town, the Lanrick about fifty yards beyond, and a length ahead and near her was the Lancefield. All these vessels were rigged with kedge anchors and grappling irons at their yardarms ready to close on the Wyo- ming and carry her by boarding. Their decks were crowded with men, shouting and defying the Ameri- cans to come on. Making directly for these vessels, McDougal shook out his colors but reserved his fire, intending to attack the vessels first and give his attention to the batteries afterward. The sight of the American flags seemed to have acted like oil on the fire, for now the Japanese opened from other batteries with savage ferocity. Mc- Dougal's shift from the main channel somewhat dis- concerted their plans, as seen by the fact that most of their shot took effect in the Wyoming's rigging. Ob- serving a good opportunity to deliver a few blows, McDougal opened with his pivots and starboard guns, and with such effect that one battery was torn to pieces and silenced at the first broadside. Keeping steadily on for the ships, the Wyoming when nearly abreast of the squadron was fired upon by the Daniel Webster, by which two men, William Clark and George Watson, who were stationed near the Wyoming's anchor, were killed, the latter by a chain shot. About the same time a shot from one of the batteries came aboard and killed a marine sta- tioned at the gangway. The Americans were now fir- ing from every gun in the ship, and with splendid effect, as was shown by the clouds of earth and broken gun mountings that were hurled into the air. Aided by the strong tide the Wyoming swiftly passed down the straits, so that the Japanese gunners 1863. SINKING THE LANCEFIELD. 393 in the ships, although firing with admirable rapidity, could discharge no more than three broadsides. One of their shells killed all the crew of the forward 32- pounder excepting three men. The captain of the gun, William Thompson, had his left arm torn off. Observing that the tackle of this gun had been carried away, one of the American seamen, Charles J. Murphy, though badly wounded, bent on new tackle and fought the gun short-handed until Lieutenant Barton sent him a few men from the pivot gun. About that time Bar- ton's sword-guard was struck by a piece of shell and bent out of shape. The Wyoming had now passed the ships, when she rounded to with the intention of making a target of them, but at this critical juncture she ran aground where six batteries and the squadron could concentrate their fire upon her, and for a moment it looked very much like defeat. The Lancefield was now observed to slip her cable and steam over to the northern shore, probably with a view of gathering headway for ram- ming the helpless American. Realizing the danger, McDougal directed all his attention to the steamer, hoping to disable her before she could do the threat- ened mischief. Meantime the Wyoming's engines had been re- versed, and after a powerful effort she was backed clear of the mud and into deep water. Manoeuvring as well as the five-knot current and sunken rocks would admit of, McDougal got his two pivot guns into play on the Lancefield, and soon 11-inch shells were doing their awful work on the hull of the steamer. The second carefully aimed shell from the forward pivot gun crashed through the side of the Lancefield, one foot above the water line, pierced the boiler, and came out on the other side, tearing a great hole in the hull. As if not satisfied with this work, the shell speeded over the water and exploded in the town a quarter of a mile away. 394: ATTACK ON THE WYOMING. 1863. In an instant the Lancefield was enveloped in a mass of steam, smoke, flame and cinders. A native boat put off from her side with a crowd of men, while scores of other men threw themselves into the sea. Two more shells were then sent into the Lancefield to insure her destruction. The pivot guns were then turned on the Daniel Webster, which ship had been keeping up a destructive fire. A few well-directed shells settled her fate, and she followed the Lancefield to the bottom. McDougal was now able to devote his entire energy to the shore batteries. He deliberately retraced his course through the straits, keeping up a most effective fire, so much so that, although greatly exposed, his vessel was scarcely injured. After passing the last battery and getting beyond the reach of the Japanese guns the Wyoming came to and the men had time to count their losses. The ac- tion had lasted just one hour and ten minutes, in which time the ship had been struck more than twenty times, ten shot having pierced her hull. Six holes were found in the smokestack, four shot had taken effect in both main and fore masts and the rigging was badly injured. The ship had fired fifty-five rounds, or nearly one for every minute of the action. Six men were killed and four wounded. A coal heaver named Michael Lynch had both legs taken off below the knees. He walked half the length of the deck and complained of his " toes hurting him*" before he died. Four days later the French frigate Semiramis and gunboat Tancrede en- tered the straits, and after landing a detachment of two hundred and fifty men captured the batteries. Speaking of this brilliant action, Griffis says: "To the Choshiu clansmen, brave and capable as they them- selves were, it seemed as though McDougal possessed more than human nerve in thus running his vessel into the fierce fire which they had prepared for him. Long afterward they spoke respectfully of the 'American devils.' They had fought the Dutch frigate, and four 1863. McDOUGAL'S PLUCK. 395 days later were chastised at one point by the French, but neither of these combats, carried on in mid-chan- nel at long range, or by a charge after the single bat- tery had been emptied by long bombardment, so im- pressed the thinking men of Japan's most intellectual clan as that of the commander of a single ship coolly and of choice meeting such overwhelming odds at close quarters and winning so surprising a victory. The Choshiu men were noted for their thinking and for the power of profiting by their reverses, and this time their profit was great. "Yet this act of McDougal was not a mere 'run- ning amuck,' a rash plunge ; it was as cool and scien- tific a movement, albeit one requiring as much nerve and courage, as Cushing's attack on the Albemarle. With Japanese prison cages and torture all foreigners in Japan of that day were acquainted by daily report. Even casual walks around Yokohama had made the American officers familiar with the pillories near the blood pits, which were almost daily decorated with hu- man heads. Besides, it had been immemorial law and custom for the beaten party in Japan to perform Tiara- Mri ; or, failing, to suffer decapitation. It was a clear knowledge of these facts that led McDougal, while shrinking from nothing within the bounds of possibil- ity, to give an order not mentioned in his amazingly modest official report. He had only a few days before seen the American flag hauled down and the legation of the United States driven from the capital, and this was humiliation enough for McDougal. Hence he de- termined neither to see nor to have the like thing done on the ship he commanded. If boarded or overwhelmed, or made helpless by grounding or a shot in the boilers, it was his deliberate purpose to blow up the ship and all on board, the officer of the powder division being instructed to that effect." Speaking of this action, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, in a private interview, said, 396 ATTACK ON THE WYOMING. 1863. "Had that action occurred at any other time than dur- ing the civil war its fame would have been echoed all over the world." During her protracted search for the Alabama in Eastern seas the Wyoming experienced the usual covert hostility on the part of British fort officials. On one occasion, when entering Singapore, she was mistaken for the famous Confederate cruiser, the result being that every courtesy was shown to her, the English merchants "sending files of late papers, flowers, etc." 1 Commander Charles J. McDougal, the only son of McDougal, was drowned March 28, 1881, when off Cape Meudocino serving as a lighthouse inspector. The executive officer of the Wyoming in this affair was Lieutenant George W. Young ; Lieutenant William Barton, navigator, was in charge of the forward divis- ion of guns, and Acting- Master John C. Mills com- manded the after division ; E. R. Denby was surgeon, George Cochran paymaster (now pay director), Philip Inch (now chief engineer) was engineer and Walter Pierce was ensign. 1 Mrs. D. McDougal Van Voorhis to the author. CHAPTER XIV. OFF MOBILE BAY. IN the earlier part of the civil war Mobile Bay was far removed from the more active naval operations in the Gulf, and nothing disturbed the quiet of that im- portant seaport except the occasional rush of the swift ocean racers that stole past the blockading squadron and attempted to gain the harbor. Three large rivers entered this bay, giving unusual facilities for reaching the interior, and made Mobile the second port of the Confederacy. The enemy kept up water communica- tions with New Orleans by means of Mississippi Sound until the capture of the steamer Anna, early in De- cember, 1861, and soon afterward that of the P. C. Wallace by the National gunboat New London, made this route too hazardous. The first active fighting before Mobile occurred on the 29th of January, 1862, when the schooner Wilder, with a valuable cargo from Havana, was chased ashore while flying British colors. As the National boats were removing the cargo a company of Confederate rangers, under the command of Captain Cottrill, has- tened down from Mobile, opened a brisk fire, and drove off the launches with a loss of fifteen to twenty- five killed or wounded. In the night the gunboats towed off the Wilder. On the following 28th of June the British steamer Ann, from St. Thomas, laden with a valuable cargo of war materials, attempted to run the blockade under cover of darkness, but was chased ashore. Her crew escaped after endeavoring to scuttle the steamer, but her water-tight compartments kept her 397 308 OFF MOBILE BAY. 1862-1864. afloat and she was captured by the gunboats. August 30th the Winona exchanged a few shells with Fort Morgan, without much injury to either side, and on Christmas eve, 1862, the Florida, which had run into the port on September 4th, opened a long-distance can- nonade with the New London near Sand Island. When New Orleans fell, in April, 1862, the Confed- erates fully believed that the next point of attack would be Mobile, and they hastened their preparations accordingly. Realizing the importance of this port, the authorities at Richmond, early in 1863, ordered Admiral Franklin Buchanan, who commanded the Merrimac on the first day of her celebrated battle in Hampton Roads, to take command of the naval forces in Mobile Bay. In the spring of 1863 five gunboats were in course of construction under the direction of Commander Ebenezer Farrand, at Selma, one hundred and fifty miles up the Alabama River, which at that time was the largest naval station in the South. The ablest engineers in the Confederacy were engaged in the construction of these vessels. In the winter of 1863-'64 the ram Tennessee, the most formidable iron- clad completed by the South, was built at SeJma. The Tennessee was of the type of the Merrimac, but im- proved. She was two hundred and nine feet over all, had forty-eight feet beam, and drew over thirteen feet of water. Her casemate, which rose eight feet above the deck, was placed amidships and sloped at an angle of thirty-three degrees to the deck. It was seventy-eight feet and eight inches long by twenty- nine feet wide, inside measurement, and was constructed of yellow-pine beams thirteen inches thick, placed ver- tically. Over this were five and a half inches of the same wood in horizontal courses, and on top of that four inches of oak in vertical courses. Within, the case- mate was sheathed with two and a half inches of oak. Over this twenty-five inches of solid wood back- ing were laid five inches of iron plating on the sides 1863-1864. BUILDING THE TENNESSEE. 399 and stern, and six inches at the forward end of the casemate. These plates were of the toughest malle- able iron, made at the Atlanta rolling-mills, two inches thick, seven inches wide, and twenty-one feet long ; but where the plating was only five inches deep there was a single layer of plates one inch thick. This plat- ing was secured by iron bolts having a diameter of one inch and a quarter, which ran entirely through the wood backing and were fastened on the inside of the casemate with nuts and washers. The pilot-house was formed by carrying the forward end of the casemate two feet higher, and was pierced with slits so as to en- able the line of vision to extend on all sides. The top of the casemate and pilot-house were covered with heavy iron grating, while the deck outside the case- mate was protected by two inches of iron. As an ad- ditional protection, netting was stretched along the four sides of the casemate within to prevent splinters from injuring the gun-crews. The iron-plated casemate extended two feet below the water line, and was then bent at the same angle so as to meet the hull seven feet below water, thus form- ing a solid knuckle ten feet thick, which protected the hull from ramming. This knuckle was carried all around the ship, and, being covered with four inches of iron, it made a formidable ram at the bow. Massive sliding shutters five inches thick covered the gun ports when the guns were run in. This formidable craft was armed with one 7-inch Brooke rifled gun in the bow and one in the stern, and on each broadside she carried two 6.4-inch rifled guns which were cast in the foundry at Selma, under the supervision of Commander Catesby ap Rogers Jones. The command of this vessel was given to Commander James D. Johnston. The two defective points about the Tennessee were her low speed and exposed steering-gear. Her high- pressure engines were designed for a river steamer, and on her trial trip in March she made only six knots an 400 OFF MOBILE BAY. 1864. hour. Her steering-gear was laid outside the casemate and was exposed to an enemy's shot. But these de- fects were owing to the lack of facilities for construc- tions of this kind. In his official report Admiral Bu- chanan says : "I seriously felt the want of experienced officers during the action." The crew, as finally brought together, consisted of eighteen officers and one hundred and ten men. The conditions under which this craft was built were singularly like those under which the brigs Law- rence and Niagara were constructed by Master-Com- mandant Oliver Hazard Perry on Lake Erie in 1813. In both cases the vessels were literally hewn out of the forest, and as the brigs had to be lifted over the bar at Presque Isle, or Erie, on camels, so it became neces- sary to raise the Tennessee five feet in order to get her over the bar at Dog River, where there were only nine feet of water. The Southern papers expressed the im- patience of the people at these delays in harsh criti- cisms, and were daily urging Admiral Buchanan to attack the National fleet. After great exertions the timber for the floats was sawed out of the forest, ten miles up the river, and floated down to Mobile, but just before they were ready for use they were destroyed by fire, and the tedious operation had to be repeated. Besides the Tennessee the Confederates had three gunboats, which took a share in the battle of August 5th. They were unarmored except around the boilers and machinery. The first of these was the side-wheel steamer Morgan, Lieutenant George W. Harrison, mounting two 7-inch rifled guns and four 32-pounders. The Gaines, Lieutenant J. W. Bennett, also was a side- wheel steamer, and mounted one 8-inch rifled gun and five 32-pounders. The Selma, Lieutenant Peter U. Murphy, was an open-deck steamer mounting one 6- inch, two 9-inch and one 8-inch smooth-bore shell guns. The last was a heavily built steamer, but the other two were entirely unsuited for war purposes. 1864. A NIGHT ATTACK ATTEMPTED. 401 It was Admiral Buchanan's intention to take the blockading ships by surprise. The night of May 18th was selected for the attack, and, having been buoyed up, the ram was taken in tow by two steamers, one containing her coal and the other her ammunition, and carried over the bar and down the bay toward the Na- tional fleet. All haste was made to prepare her for the fight, and while she was being towed down the channel her crew was busily engaged in taking on board her coal and ammunition. According to the programme laid out by the Southern papers, the Tennessee was to destroy the fleet off Mobile Bay, immediately capture Fort Pickens at Pensacola, and then proceed north- ward or to New Orleans. It was midnight before the vessels reached a point down the bay where there was sufficient water to float the Tennessee, but the tide had fallen so low that when the floats were cast off the ram was found to be hard and fast aground. Before she could be got off daylight revealed her to the Union fleet, and the advantage of taking it by surprise was lost. When the next tide floated the Tennessee she was carried down the channel and anchored under the guns of Fort Morgan, where she remained until the 5th of August, her crew improving the interim with daily practice at the great guns. Returning from a brief visit in the North, where he had been resting after his brillliant cervices in Missis- sippi River, Farragut resumed command of the Gulf squadron January 18, 1864, the senior officer of the blockading squadron off Mobile at that time being Cap- tain Thornton A. Jenkins, of the Richmond. On the 20th of January, Farragut, in the Octorara, Lieutenant- Commander Lowe, with the Itasca in company, made a reconnoissance in Mobile Bay, and reported that "if I had one ironclad I could destroy their whole force." Early in the year Farragut visited the several stations of his extensive command, using a light river steamer called the Tennessee as his flagship ; but from the 71 402 OFF MOBILE BAY. 1864. middle of May he spent most of his time off Mobile. He had heard many rumors regarding the strength of its land and water defenses, and, knowing that the Confederates were strengthening them by every means in their power from day to day, he was anxious to make his attack early in the spring; but the Red River expedition drew away the only available troops, and the ironclads necessary for the attack on Mobile did not arrive until late in the summer. He wrote re- peatedly to the Government, begging that at least " one of the many ironclads that are off Charleston and in the Mississippi," and a few thousand troops, might be placed under his orders. By August the defenses of Mobile were among the most formidable in the South. A brick fort on Dau- phin Island, called Fort Gaines, built on the ruins of Fort Tombigbee, defended by eight hundred and sixty- four men under the command of Colonel Charles D. Anderson, mounted three 10-inch columbiads, four 32- pounder rifled guns, and twenty smooth-bore guns of 32, 24 and 18-pound calibers. Fort Powell com- manded the principal pass to Mississippi Sound, and mounted one 10-inch and one 8-inch columbiad and four rifled guns. The principal fortification was Fort Morgan, which was an old-fashioned pentagonal brick work, mounting its guns in three tiers with a full scarp brick wall four feet eight inches thick, the entire front being protected by enormous piles of sand-bags. This fort was built on the site of the little redoubt called Fort Bowyer, which repelled the British fleet in 1814 with the loss of the war ship Hermes and two hun- dred men. Fort Morgan proper mounted seven 10-inch, three 8-inch and twenty-two 32-pounder smooth-bore guns, and two 8-inch, two 6.5-inch and four 5.82-inch rifled guns. The exterior batteries mounted four 10- inch columbiads, one 8-inch rifled gun and two rifled 32-pounders. Within the fort was a citadel, loopholed for musketry, the brick walls being four feet thick. 1864. DEFENSES OF MOBILE. 403 This fort was commanded by Brigadier-General Rich- ard L. Page, who had six hundred and forty men. From Fort Gaines to the edge of the ship channel was a double line of stakes, the heads of which were just visible at low water, which prevented light-draught steamers from entering the bay. Across the ship chan- nel the Confederates had planted a double row of tor- pedoes, extending from the western edge of the ship channel to within three hundred feet of the water bat- tery at Fort Morgan, the termination of the line being indicated by a red buoy. This passage was left clear for blockade-runners. Forty- six of these torpedoes were lager-beer kegs filled with powder. Four or five sensitive primers were placed on the upper side, which would be exploded by a vessel striking them. One hundred and thirty-four of the torpedoes were tins shaped like a truncated cone, the lower part being filled with powder, and the upper part used as an air- chamber for floating the machine. They were an- chored with old grate bars. The torpedo would be exploded by a passing vessel knocking off a cast- iron cap which pulled the trigger. There were also nine submarine mortar batteries in course of construc- tion, under the direction of Brigadier- General G. J. Rains, and three of them were completed to close the ship channel. 1 Lieutenant-Commander Jouett and Lieutenant Watson spent some time in dragging for the torpedoes. They were about seven feet under water, the fuse being on the upper point of the cone. One of these fuses was sent to Farragut. He placed it on his cabin table, but, rolling off, it fell to the deck and exploded. "Young man," said Farragut to the person who sent the fuse, "don't send any more of those infernal machines to me. When it exploded I thought some one had shot me." The Confederates made more than one attempt to 1 Official report of Brigadier-General Rains. 404: OFF MOBILE BAY. 1864. inflict injury on the blockading squadron off Mobile. Lieutenant James McC. Baker and his brother, Page M. Baker, offered to go out in a boat on a dark night with a spar torpedo. Having selected the ship, Lieu- tenant Baker was to keep the boat in position while his brother was to dive overboard and explode a tor- pedo under the ship's water line. The capture of the Creole under the guns of Fort Pickens by these young officers, and their other gallant exploits during the war, sufficiently demonstrated their ability and pluck to carry out this project, but they failed to get the necessary permission. To guard against such attacks as these, Farragut reluctantly resorted to torpedoes. He wrote : " I have always deemed it [torpedo warfare] unworthy of a chivalrous nation, but it does not do to give your enemy such a decided superiority over you." An attempt was made on the 28th of February, 1864, by the light-draught steamers of the Union squad- ron to enter Mobile Bay from Mississippi Sound, but the vessels could not get within effective range of Fort Powell, and they retired without accomplishing their purpose. Several shot were exchanged, and four 100- pound shells struck the mortar schooner John Griffiths in succession, but fortunately none of them exploded, and only one man was hurt. The attack, however, served to divert the enemy's attention from Sherman, who was then making a raid in Mississippi. On the night of July 5th Lieutenant John Critten- den Watson volunteered to lead a boat party against a blockade-runner that was beached under the guns of Fort Morgan. Watson was accompanied by Lieutenant Herbert B. Tyson and Ensigns Dana, Whiting, Glidden and Pendleton, and Master's-Mate Herrick, while the Metacomet, Lieutenant-Commander James Edward Jou- ett, and the Kennebec, Lieutenant-Commander William Penn McCann, stood in to assist the attacking party. Under cover of darkness the men pulled boldly under the guns of the fort, boarded the blockade-runner, fired 1864 PREPARING TO RUN BY FORT MORGAN. 405 her and returned to the fleet without the loss of a man. Watson also made night explorations in an open boat under the guns of Fort Morgan to determine the posi- tion of torpedoes. By the 4th of August the Union fleet had been in- creased to twenty-one wooden vessels and four iron- clads. Farragut had intended to go in that day, but as the monitor Tecumseh and the Richmond did not arrive in time the attack was postponed until the next day. It was only by the greatest exertions that the commanders of these vessels, which were at Pensacola, arrived off Mobile on the night of August 4th. Farra- gut's plan was to pass up the channel close under the guns of Fort Morgan, and in his general orders he in- structed the several commanders to place nets in posi- tion to catch splinters, and to lay chains and sand-bags along their decks so as to protect the machinery from plunging shot. He said : "Hang the sheet chains over the side. Land your starboard boats or lower them on the port side, and lower the port boats down to the water's edge. Place a leadsman and a pilot in the port- quarter boat or the one most convenient to the com- mander." While at Pensacola the Richmond took aboard three thousand bags of sand, which were piled in a barricade several feet thick around the starboard side from the port bow to the port quarter and from berth to spar decks, so as to afford additional protec- tion from a raking fire. Many of the commanders filled their vacant ports on the starboard side with guns from the port batteries. Some of the boats were lowered with sails under them, to take up the concussion and to catch them in case the falls w r ere shot away. The vessels were ordered to sail in pairs, lashed together, the larger ship on the starboard and the smaller vessel on the port side, so that in case either became disabled the other could be depended upon for carrying them along : The Brooklyn, Captain James Alden, with the Octorara, Lieutenant- Com- 406 FF MOBILE BAY. 1864. mander Charles H. Greene ; the Hartford, flagship, Captain Percival Drayton, with the 6-gun double- ender side- wheel steamer Metacomet, Lieutenant-Com- mander Jouett ; the 20-gun sloop-of-war Richmond, Captain Thornton Alexander Jenkins, with the 6-gun side- wheel steamer Port Royal, Lieutenant-Commander Bancroft Gherardi ; the 8-gun sloop-of-war Lackawan- na, Captain John Bonne tt Marchand, with the 8-gun propeller Seminole, Commander Edward Donaldson; the 8-gun sloop-of-war Monongahela, Commander James Hooker Strong, with the 5-gun propeller Kenne- bec, Lieutenant-Commander McCann ; the 11 -gun sloop- of-war Ossipee, Commander William Edgar Le Roy, with the 5-gun propeller Itasca, Lieutenant-Command- er George Brown ; the 9-gun sloop-of-war Oneida, Commander James Robert Madison Mullany, with the 10-gun propeller Galena, Lieutenant-Commander Clark Henry Wells. Farragut at first had intended to lead the ships in the Hartford, but, yielding to the earnest solicitations of the officers, he consented to let the Brooklyn take the post of danger, as she was fitted with an apparatus for catching torpedoes, and had four bow guns which could be used to advantage while approaching the fort. The monitors were to go in sin- gle file, a little ahead of the wooden ships, in the following order: the Tecumseh, Commander Tunis Augustus Maedonough Craven, the Manhattan, Com- mander James William Augustus Nicholson, the Win- nebago, Commander Thomas Holdup Stevens, and the CMckasaw, Lieutenant-Commander George Hamilton Perkins. In order that the fleet might hold rapid communi- cation with the land forces, a number of army signal officers were sent from New Orleans in a tugboat and were distributed among the principal vessels. Fifteen hundred soldiers were landed on Dauphin Island un- der cover of the guns of the Conemaugh, Lieutenant- Commander James Charles Philip DeKrafft, August 1864. ON THE EVE OP THE GREAT BATTLE. 407 3d. The steamers Genesee, Pinola, Pembina, Sebago, Tennessee and Bienmlle, under the command of Lieu- tenant-Commander Edward C. Graf ton, were instructed to take a position southeast of Fort Morgan and keep up a flank fire, but they were unable to get near enough to the enemy to take an important part in the action. On the afternoon of August 4th, Farragut, with the commanders of his vessels, ran into the harbor in the tender Cowslip to make a final inspection of the defenses. All around the bay seemed to be quiet and in readiness to receive the long-expected attack. The triple tier of cannon at Fort Morgan, protected by immense piles of sand-bags, frowned upon the little tender, while the three saucy-looking gunboats and the bow of the formidable ram Tennessee, just poking its nose around the point of land, like a great tiger awaiting its prey, lay above the fort in quiet readiness. While the Cowslip was making this re- connoissance a Confederate transport came down the bay and began landing troops and provisions with an- other transport at Fort Gaines. Commander Stevens, of the Winnebago, was ordered to drive her off, but was cautioned not to approach the fort nearer than a mile. His orders read : "Get back to your anchorage before night. We go in a little after daylight in the morning, so don't use up your crew too much." Run- ning up to easy range of Fort Gaines, Stevens opened a well-directed fire on the transports, and drove them up the bay. The Cowslip then returned to the flag- ship, and after Farragut had given his final instruc- tions to his commanders they returned to their several vessels. CHAPTER XV. FARRAGUT PASSES FORT MORGAN. PREPARATIONS for the great battle of Mobile Bay were now completed. Every precaution that a saga- cious commander could devise had been taken, and on the night of August 4th the fleet rode quietly at anchor, with top-lights glimmering and twinkling through the rigging as the ships gently swayed with the ocean swell, in readiness for the morrow. Every one felt the seri- ousness of the work before him. The seamen dis- cussed the chances of a battle in quiet tones, or were leaving last messages or some keepsake with a mess- mate, in case " something happens to me." In the earlier part of the evening the officers of the flagship gathered around the wardroom table, feeling that per- haps it was the last time they would be together, and spent the first hour in writing home and in making their personal arrangements for the battle. This being done, " there followed an hour of unrestrained jollity. Many an old story was retold and ancient conundrum repeated. Old officers forgot for a moment their cus- tomary dignity, and it was evident that all were ex- hilarated and stimulated by the knowledge of the com- ing struggle. There was no other ' stimulation,' for the strict naval rules prevented. Finally, after a half hour's smoke on the forecastle, all hands turned in." 1 It rained heavily in the evening, but as the night ad- vanced it cleared up, leaving the atmosphere hot, close and oppressive, with scarcely a breath of air stirring. 1 Lieut. Kinney, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. iv, p. 386. 408 1864. "IF GOD IS MY LEADER." 499 As the great ships swung restlessly at their anchors the ebbing and flowing tide played around the cables and rippled along their black hulls ; the eddies swirling un- der their quarters like imps of darkness, and then flit- ting on to the next ship. In the distance, just discern- ible in the gloom, lay the sullen batteries of Fort Morgan, with a double force of sentinels pacing back and forth, ready to fire on any adventurous boat party or give the alarm at the first approach of the ships. The National fleet was one of the most formidable collection of war vessels that at that time had ever been commanded by one man. Farragut carried in the palm of his hand more power for destruction than the com- bined English, French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar. Yet during the silent watches of that night the great admiral was restless. However calm he appeared to his officers and men, he was uneasy on the eve of this his greatest battle. Descending into the privacy of the cabin, he made his personal arrangements for the terri- ble ordeal, and wrote to his wife: "I am going into Mobile in the morning if God is my leader, as I hope he is, and in him I place my trust. If he thinks it is the place for me to die, I am ready to submit to his will. God bless and preserve you if anything should happen to me ! " About midnight a fog rolled in from the Gulf and enveloped the ships in its dense folds. A little before daybreak Farragut sent for his steward and asked how the weather was, and learning that a fresh breeze had sprung up in the west, which would blow the smoke from the ships over Fort Morgan, he quietly remarked, "Then we will go in this morning." And soon after- ward the merry piping of the boatswain's whistle and the hoarse cry of "All hands ahoy! Up all ham- mocks ! " resounded in all corners of the flagship, and in an instant the sepulchral silence of a few minutes before had given place to a most spirited scene. Hun- dreds of men hastened up from the berth deck, bearing 410 FARRAGUT PASSES FORT MORGAN. 1864. the hammocks in their arms, and deposited them where they would best protect the crew from the enemy's shot or from splinters, after which they hastened to the performance of their various duties. About this time the steam launch Loyall, named after Farragut's wife, "with its pert howitzer in the bow," came along the port side to receive orders. This work in the Hart- ford was promptly imitated by all the other vessels in the fleet, and for a short time the piping of many silver whistles breaking over the peaceful waters resembled not a little the chirping of forest birds at daybreak. By this time the mists of early dawn had been dis- pelled by a light southwest breeze, and the rays of the morning sun shone over the scene in unimpeded splen- dor. In the admiral's cabin, from which had emanated the orders changing so suddenly the sleeping fleet into a scene of exhilarating activity, all was quiet and com- posed. Farragut was breakfasting as calmly as if nothing unusual were going on. Finally, at 5.30 A. M., while sipping his tea, he remarked to his fleet captain, "Well, Dray ton, we might as well get under way." In an incredibly short time this simple expression had been flashed all over the fleet, and "in one minute" all the ships had made answering signals and were getting under way. By half past six o'clock the vessels had crossed the bar, and after a few minutes' delay they drew out in an imposing line of battle and slowly moved up the channel. Each ship had colors flying at the peak and at each masthead, and as the beautiful folds of the American flags were gently tossed about in the light breeze, their bright hues gleaming and glancing in the sunlight, they presented a vision of beauty never to be forgotten. But the ominous absence of the tom- pions in the muzzles of the cannon, the silent groups of men standing beside the monstrous pivot guns in the bows, the lowering of the topmasts and the absence of all superfluous rigging, gave the ships a peculiarly grim and vicious look and too plainly indicated that 1864 THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM. 411 they were entering the harbor strictly on business. On May 27, 1861, the Natchez Courier said, " Fort Mor- gan welcomed the Union ships by displaying the United States flag with the union down and below the Confed- erate flag." The National fleet was now steaming up Mobile Bay to inquire about it. The scene in the flagship at this stage of the action was thrilling. As the noble Hartford drew near to un- dergo her part in the battle she seemed to nerve her- self for the terrible ordeal. An almost unbroken silence pervaded her decks, disturbed only by the lapping of the waves against her dark hull as she passed up the channel, and the musical calls of the leadsmen in the chains: "By the mark three!" or "A quarter less four ! " As the men stood at their guns, in momen- tary expectation of the order to fire or of being cut down by the enemy's shot, they instinctively oast in- quiring glances at the determined faces of their officers. Serious thoughts were passing through their minds, and many faces bore an anxious expression. The good and bad deeds of their lives came before them in swift review, for they realized that at the next moment they might be standing before their Maker. Yet there were no signs of flinching. They had been looking forward to this fight for months. They had speculated on its chances and counted on its costs, and were now with minds made up, with set faces and with tense nerves deliberately advancing to the great struggle. In the cockpit were Surgeon Lansdale and Assistant- Surgeon Commons and their aids, with their instru- ments spread out for the first victim. As their bloody task had not yet begun, they held their watches in their hands, to time the different periods of the battle. To them, ignorant of everything going on above, each minute seemed an hour. At the wheel, under the break of the poop-deck, snugly barricaded up to their chins with canvas, were the veteran seamen McFarland, Wood and Jassin, 412 FARRAGUT PASSES FORT MORGAN. 1864. who had been in every engagement of the ship, and on their coolness in a great measure depended its safety. Grasping the spokes of the wheel with a determined clutch, they had ears alone for the captain. On the quarter-deck was the commanding figure of Captain Drayton, surrounded by his staff officers, Lieutenant J. C. Watson, Lieutenant Arthur Reid Yates, whose duty was to keep a watch on Farragut and convey his orders to all parts of the ship, Secretary McKinley, who was busily engaged in taking notes of the battle, and Acting-Ensign Henry Howard Brownell. Close to them was the Signal-Quartermaster Knowles, who had hoisted more than one signal that led to victory. Farragut himself had taken a position in the port main shrouds on the upper sheer ratline, twenty five feet up, so as to command a better view of the battle and at the same time be within easy speaking distance of Jouett, who had stationed himself on the wheelhouse of the Meta- comet. Above Farragut in the top was Martin Free- man, the pilot, within easy reach of the admiral. There they stood the boy graduate from the acade- my beside the weather-beaten tar who had seen service in all quarters of the globe, the youthful marine officer beside the scarred veteran of a dozen actions, each placing implicit confidence in the other, for they well knew that a master mind was guiding them. Truly, the morale of the ship was superb ! At 6.47 A. M., the Tecumseh, being well in the lead of the monitors, fired the first two guns of the battle, and one of the shells was seen to explode over Fort Morgan. This afforded a welcome relief to the dread- ful suspense. But she did not repeat this, nor did the Union ships or Fort Morgan follow her example, for all were anxious to get to close quarters before firing in earnest. Fort Morgan maintained its silence so long that finally it was thought that the Confederates were waiting for the fleet to run into some snare ; but in this they were mistaken, for at 7.06 A. M. a puff of white \ ' 3 L^ri 8 ^ N '' j *3Ietacomet \ / T YU.-M 'iif V i *w / (! ,/l miHM&IVO Brooklyn Octorara Hartford Metacontt Richmond \ Pbrt Koyal Seminole AdmiraVl barge Level Mn. attack, these vessels did not leave Beaufort until dark, December 31, 1861. Early on the morning of Janu- ary 1, 1862, the troops were landed, together with two howitzers and a body of seamen under Lieutenant Irwin. In spite of every precaution the Confederates had learned of the intended expedition and were pre- pared to dispute the landing. They were soon put to flight, however, by a fire from the gunboats. The next morning they appeared in force but were again dis- persed. Captain Charles H. Davis got under way for a re- connoissance near Savannah, January 26, 1862, with the gunboats Ottawa and Seneca, and the steamers Isaac Smith, Lieutenant James William Augustus Nicholson, Potomska, Lieutenant Pendleton Gaines Watmough, Ellen, Acting- Lieutenant Budd, Western World, Acting- Master Samuel B. Gregory, two armed launches of the Wabash, and the transports Cosmo- politan, Delaware and Boston, having on board two thousand four hundred troops under Brigadier-General Horatio Governeur Wright. As the vessels entered Little Tybee River Fort Pulaski did not fire on them, as it had no guns mounted on that side. Anchor- ing near a line of piles beyond Wilmington Island, Captain Davis sent out boat parties to explore the creeks and inlets. The approach of the expedition caused great excitement at Savannah. At five o'clock in the evening several Confederate steamers came in sight, and as they had it in their power to select posi- tions and give battle it was thought that an engage- ment would result. At 11.16 the next morning these steamers, having scows in tow, passed down the river and opened a spirited fire on the Union flotilla. Three 1862. PATROLLING SOUTHERN WATERS. 495 of the steamers passed down to Fort Pulaski, but the other two were driven back. Acting-Master William I). Urann, of the Crusader, while assisting a Government agent at North Edisto, was severely wounded by the enemy. At three o'clock on the morning of April 19th a force of sixty men reached the neighborhood and after a short skirmish put the Confederates to flight. In this affair three of our seamen were wounded. On the 26th of April the Wamsutta, Lieutenant Alexander Aldebaran Semmes, with the Potomska, went up the Riceborough River and at Woodville Island was fired upon with musketry, by which two men were killed. The Unionists returned the fire and soon routed the enemy. On the 29th of April, while a boat crew from the Hale was destroying a battery at the junction of the Dawho and South Edisto Rivers, the Hale was fired upon by a Confeder- ate battery. The Unionists returned the fire and routed the enemy. Twenty men then landed and destroyed the battery, which consisted of two 24-pounders. Com- mander George Aldrich Prentiss in the Albatross, ac- companied by the Norwich, made a reconnoissance at Georgetown, S. C., on May 21st. On the following day while they were passing the town a woman appeared in the belfry of the church and displayed the Confeder- ate flag. The Union vessel did not notice the incident, as, said Commander Prentiss, "a contest in the streets would have compelled me to destroy the city." Commander Charles Steedman in the Port Royal, with the armed steamer Darlington, Lieutenant-Com- mander Williams, and the Hale, Lieutenant Alfred T. Snell, on the 5th of October attacked some batteries the enemy had erected on St. John's Bluff, about seven miles from the mouth of St. John's River. The Con- federates were quickly driven from their works and the guns were seized. The steamer Morton was also cap- tured farther up the river. In the latter part of No- vember, 1862, the Albatross, Lieutenant Commander 496 ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS. 1862. John E. Hart, destroyed extensive salt works at St. Andrew's Bay, Florida. In the summer of 1862 Farragut sent several light squadrons to cruise along the coast of Texas. One of these, under the command of Acting- Volunteer-Lieu- tenant John W. Kittredge, captured Corpus Christi; another, under Commander William Bainbridge Ren- shaw, took Galveston ; and a third, consisting of the light gunboats Kensington, Acting- Master Crocker, and Rachel Seaman, Acting-Master Quincey A. Hooper, and a launch with the mortar schooner Henry Janes, was sent to Sabine Pass. On August 12th the yacht Corypheus, armed with a 30-pounder Parrott gun, with the Elmer, chased several Confederate vessels ashore near Corpus Christi. Four days later a squad- ron consisting of the Corypheus. the Sachem and the schooner Reindeer was fired upon by a battery and the Sachem was injured, while the magazine of the Corypheus exploded. After silencing the battery the vessels retired out of range, but on the following day Kittredge gallantly came into action again. Thirty men with a 12-pounder howitzer were landed and by the aid of the cruisers succeeded in repelling an attack of one hundred and fifty infantry and afterward a charge of two hundred and fifty cavalry. Seeing that it was impossible to hold the town without troops, Kit- tredge retired, shortly after which he and seven men were surprised and made prisoners. The vessels ordered to Sabine Pass opened fire on the fort defending that place September 24th. It mounted four 32-pounders, while the vessels could use only a 20-pounder rifled gun and two 32-pounders. The Confederates responded briskly, but during the night they retired. At half past one o'clock New Year's morning, 18G3, the Confederate cotton-protected steamers Bayou City (carrying a 68-pounder gun and two hundred soldiers) and Neptune (armed with two small howitzers and 1363. A REVERSE AT GALVESTON. 497 carrying one hundred and sixty men) made an attack on the Union squadron off Galveston, which at that time consisted of the gunboats Westfield, Harriet Lane, Clifton, Owasco, Sachem and Corypheus. At the same time Confederate troops made an attack on the Union garrison, which was quartered on a wharf. The Sachem and the Corypheus took a position close inshore to assist the troops. About daylight the Har- riet Lane, Commander Jonathan May hew Wainwright, approached the Confederate steamers, opening fire with her bow gun. The Bayou City replied with her 68- pounder, but at the third discharge it burst. Wain- wright rammed the Bayou City and carried away her wheel-guard, at the same time pouring in a broadside. The Neptune rammed the National gunboat, but was so injured by the collision that she hauled off and sank near the scene of action. As her upper deck remained above water the troops were still able to fire on the Union vessel. Running alongside and making fast, the soldiers in the Bayou City poured volley after volley into the Harriet Lane, mortally wounding Wainwright and Lieutenant-Commander Edward Lea, together with several of the men, upon which the vessel surren- dered. At the time of the attack the Westfield was aground at another entrance to the bay, and the Clif- ton went to her assistance. Finding he could not get his vessel afloat, Commander Renshaw blew her up, but in doing so he, with Lieutenant Charles W. Zim- merman, Acting-Second- Assistant-Engineer William R. Greene and about thirreen of the crew, was killed. The surviving senior officer of the National squadron, Lieutenant-Commander Law, of the Clifton, believing that none of his vessels could cope with the Harriet Lane, retired and raised the blockade. The occupation of Mexico by the French, June 10, 1863, and the efforts of the French agents to detach Texas from both the United States and the Confederacy, made it desirable to have a demonstration in that quar- 77 498 ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS. 1863. ter, and on September 5th Major-General Franklin with four thousand National troops sailed from New Orleans for Sabine Pass, accompanied by the gunboats Clifton, Sachem, Arizona and Granite City, under the command of Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant Frederick Crocker. Crossing the bar at Sabine Pass September 8th, the gunboats, at 3.30 P. M., opened as heavy a fire as their light armaments would permit, but in half an hour a shot pierced the Sachem? s boiler, and shortly afterward the Clifton grounded and also received a shot in her boiler. Both vessels maintained a spirited fire- to the last, but in thirty minutes they were compelled to surrender, upon which the expedition was aban- doned. The Clifton had ten killed and nine wounded, and the Sachem seven killed and a number injured. Thirty-nine men were reported missing. The sailing vessel Morning Light and the schooner Velocity also were captured off Sabine Pass. Repelled at Sabine Pass, the Nationalists next or- ganized an expedition for the purpose of making a landing near the Rio Grande, and on October 26th three thousand five hundred soldiers under Generals Banks and Dana sailed from New Orleans under con- voy of the MonongaJiela, Commander James Hooker Strong, the Owasco and the Virginia. On November 2d they effected a landing on Brazos Island, near the mouth of the Rio Grande. Leaving a garrison at Brownsville, the expedition cruised along the coast to Corpus Christi, on Mustang Island, where troops were landed and captured a 3-gun battery. Matagorda Bay also was taken without serious opposition. The naval operations in the Chesapeake and ad- joining waters were closed with a number of spirited actions. On April 19, 1863, a flotilla consisting of eight small gunboats, under the command of Lieutenant Ros- well H. Lamson, assisted three hundred men under General Getty in capturing a battery at Hill's Point, while on the 22d Lieutenant William Barker Cushing 1863-1865. IN VIRGINIA WATERS. 499 led a successful land expedition to Chuckatuck. While engaged in a reconnoissance up the James River, Au- gust 4th, the ferryboat Commodore Barney was se- riously injured by a torpedo. On the following morn- ing the monitor Sangamori, the Commodore Barney and the small steamer Cohasset, under the command of Captain Guert Gansevoort, had two indecisive en- gagements with masked batteries, in one of which the Commodore Barney had a shot through her boiler. The National loss was three killed and three wounded. While exploring Four Mile Creek, May 6, 1864, the little gunboat Commodore Jones was blown up by a torpedo and half of her people were killed or wounded, I and two days later the Shawsheen was destroyed by a shore battery. The torpedo that destroyed the Commodore Jones was an electric mine, and marks a new eia in this de- partment of naval warfare. In the autumn of 1862 the Confederates organized an electrical torpedo de- partment, placing at the head of it Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, who commanded the forward division of guns in the Merrimac in her action with the Monitor, March 9, 1862. It is instructive to note, in the light of the present developments, the objections that were raised against this "uncivilized and illegitimate" method of warfare, not only by the Nationalists but by the Confederates themselves. Hunter Davidson says : " One of the Northern commanders sent word to me that I was not engaged in civilized or legitimate warfare, and that he would not respect a flag of truce if I came with it, which amused me very much at the time, in view of General Grant's explosion of the mine at Petersburg. . . . Papers were picked up on the banks of the James River after the destruction of the Commodore Jones offering a reward of twenty-five thousand dollars for my head, but I never believed this was done with any other motive than to intimi- date. My own brother naval officers used to look at 500 ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS. 1863. me at times with expressions of pity and even con- tempt, and the Confederate States navy chief of ord- nance told the Secretary of the Navy that it was ' abom- inable that the labor and resources of the country should be wasted in such nonsense.'" 1 In spite of opposition from within and without the Confederates pushed their torpedo work with remark- able success, considering their lack of skilled mechan- ics, materials and machinery, it being necessary to send to Europe or North for the insulated wires for the electric torpedoes. The destruction of the Commo- dore Jones was caused by a torpedo mine containing eighteen hundred pounds of sporting powder and placed in six fathoms of water. It was ignited under the personal direction of Hunter Davidson, who says : " The explosion was effected at midday, when the gun- boat was accompanied by a powerful fleet. In the fleet was a servant of mine, a negro boy, who warned the officers that they were on dangerous ground. I was aware that the negro had deserted in the direction of the fleet, and for that reason had wires leading to the batteries on both sides of the river, believing that if the Nationalists cut the wires on the high left bank they would be content with that and proceed, not sup- posing that there was a battery with mines on the other side also, which was a swamp. "My surmise was somewhat correct, for had battery station on the left bank been occupied we should have been discovered, as at one time the Com- modore Jones was high enough upstream to have looked into the station. She could have been de- stroyed sooner, but we were waiting for an ironclad. The orders given on board were distinctly heard by us, and it was in consequence of certain orders that the Commodore Jones was destroyed as she dropped back and over the mine. . . . Many valuable articles from 1 Hunter Davidson to the author. 1863-18G5. TORPEDO WARFARE. 501 the wreck were picked up, especially official correspond- ence of importance to the Confederate Government. The captain's trunk, private correspondence, Bible, etc., were carefully packed up and sent at once to Major Mnlford, of the United States flag of truce steamer." Mr. Davidson also succeeded in exploding a fifty pound torpedo under the frigate Minnesota, near where a great quantity of shot and shell were stored in her hold ready for transportation southward. Mr. Davidson says: "The torpedo was too small. I thought so at the time. I could not get a larger steamer suitable for the purpose, and the one I used would not manoeuvre with a larger torpedo down in an ordinary seaway in such open waters as the mouth of the James. ... It must be considered that I had to explode my torpedo against perpendicular sides. . . . As to being drawn into the hole in case I had made one in the side of the Minnesota, I had provided for that by previous practice of direct ramming at an angle, always stopping the engine before striking, and instructing the engineer to go full speed astern as soon as he felt the blow, without waiting for orders. " My torpedo struck the side of the Minnesota and exploded in just about one second after contact an excellent result for the fuse of that day. The pole was shattered to pieces and the little steamer driven back forcibly. When she backed off about fifty yards and stopped to reverse and go ahead, her single cylinder engine caught 'on centre' and there we remained it seemed to me about forty years under the fire of the Minnesota. The engineer, Mr. Wright, one of the bravest and coolest men I ever knew, got the engine free again, having to feel for the different parts in the dark. The little steamer was peppered all over with bullets, several passing through my clothes, but we got off without any injury. I then steered in the direc- tion of Norfolk to throw pursuers off the scent, which proved successful." 502 ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS. 1883-186.-) Mr. Davidson adds : " Mr. Mallory, the Secretary oi the Navy, in writing me after the war, uses these words : ' The destruction of the Commodore Jones, the leading vessel of Lee's fleet, which was ascending the James River to co-operate with General Butler in the attack on Drewry's Bluff, by causing the retirement of that fleet, undoubtedly caved Drewry's Bluff, the key of* Richmond.' And in the same letter he adds : ' I always regarded the submarine department under your com- * mand as equal in importance to any division of the i army.' "Admiral Porter states that the man who fired the torpedo that destroyed the Commodore Jones was shot from one of Lee's boats. This is a mistake. He was still living in 1889. The man shot was a carpenter of < no torpedo importance." On the destruction of the Merrimac, or Virginia, the Confederates set about building other ironclads of the same type in the James, and by 1864 they had com- pleted the Fredericksburg, the Richmond and the Vir- ginia No. %, the last being the most formidable of all, ' having six inches of armor on her sides and eight on \ her ends, and carrying two 8-inch and six 6-inch Brooke : rifled guns. The Nationalists had stationed the moni- tors Tecumseh, Canonicus and Saugus, the turret ship ; Onondaga, and the captured ram Atlanta with a view of meeting the Confederate ironclads. On January 23,^ 1865, while all the Union ironclads, except the Onon- daga, Commander William A. Parker, were absent, the enemy's rams, under the command of Commodore John K. Mitchell, came down the river, but the Virginia No. 2 and the Richmond ran aground. In this condi- tion they were subjected to a heavy fire from the Union batteries and the Onondaga, and when floated off they retired up the river. The blockade of Wilmington, N. C., had been main- tained during the war by a force numbering from thirty to forty vessels, yet a large percentage of the 1864. FORT FISHER. 503 blockade runners succeeded in getting into and out of the harbor. The two widely separated entrances of the port afforded the Confederates unusual facilities for eluding the vigilance of our officers, and toward the close of 1864 it was decided to make a determined at- tack upon the forts guarding the place. These con- sisted of Fort Caswell, guarding the southern entrance of Cape Fear River, and Fort Fisher, at the northern entrance. The latter was one of the most formidable earthworks on the Atlantic coast. Every art of engi- neering had been used to make it impregnable. The parapets were twenty-five feet thick, with an average height of twenty feet, while the traverses, ten feet higher, were ten to twelve feet thick. The fort mounted forty-four guns. Its commander was Colonel William Lamb. A combined navy and army expedition was projected against this place under the command of Rear- Admiral David Dixon Porter and General Ben jamin Franklin Butler, and an imposing fleet of about one hundred and fifty vessels was collected in Hamp- ton Roads. As a preliminary blow, the old steamer Louisiana was filled with powder, which was to be exploded under the walls of the fort. Notwithstanding the fate of Lieutenant Somers and his gallant shipmates in the ketch Intrepid, which was blown up with all hands in the harbor of Tripoli in 1804, Commander Alexander Colden Rhind, Lieutenant Samuel W. Preston, Sec- ond-Assistant-Engineer Anthony T. E. Mullen and Master's-Mate Boyden, with seven men, volunteered for service in this floating mine. On the night of De- cember 23, 1864, the Louisiana, in tow of the Wil- derness, Acting-Master Arey, having the Gettysburg, Lieutenant Lamson, in company, set out on her per- ilous mission. She was towed near her station and guided by Mr. Bradford, of the Coast Survey, and Mr. Bowen, the pilot. At 11.30 P. M. the Louisiana dropped her towline and steamed boldly toward Fort 504 ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS. 1^,4. Fisher. When four hundred yards from the fort the steamer anchored and the sailors were put into a boat, I while Commander Rhind and Lieutenant Preston pro- ceeded to light the fuses, which had been arranged by | Engineer Mullen. These officers then got into a boat! and reached the Wilderness at midnight. The vessel j> then steamed out to sea at full speed, and when twelve miles out hove to. At 1.40 A. M. the powder blew up, | inflicting little or no injury upon the enemy. At daylight, December 24th, the fleet stood in to j. begin the attack on Fort Fisher. The signal to en- ! gage the fort was given at 11.30 A. M., and for the next \ few hours one of the most stupendous cannonades in j history was witnessed. The fort seemed to be literally j covered with bursting shells, which dug tremendous \ craters in the parapets. But aside from exploding two J servipe magazines and burning several buildings the bombardment did no material injury, and at sunset Porter signaled the vessels to retire. As little diffi- i culty was found in silencing the guns of the fort, the National vessels were scarcely injured by the enemy's shot. The Osceola was struck by a shell, which came near her magazine and caused a serious leak. The Mackinaw's boiler was exploded by a shell, but she fought the battle out. The principal injuries in the Union fleet were caused by the bursting of guns, most of them 100- pounder rifled Parrott guns. In this way eight men were killed and eleven wounded in the Ticonderoga, two killed and three wounded in the Yantic, five killed and eight wounded in the Juniata, one killed in the Mackinaw and one wounded in the Quaker City. On the following day, December 25th, the bombardment was renewed. Seventeen gunboats under the command of Captain Oliver S. Glisson, aided by the Brooklyn, covered the landing of the troops. About three thousand men were landed, but on a close inspection of the fort General Butler deemed it unadvisable to attack. After a bombardment of seven 1865. FORT FISHER. 505 hours the fleet retired again, and the attack was post- poned. In these affairs the fleet lost twenty men killed and sixfy- three wounded, while the Confederate loss was six killed and fifty-two wounded. Eight of the forty-four guns of the fort were rendered unserv- iceable. A second expedition against Fort Fisher sailed on January 12th, and on January 13th six thousand men were landed, General Alfred Howe Terry commanding the troops. 1 At 3.30 p. M. the fleet got under way and 1 The vessels engaged in the expedition were the Colorado, Commodore Henry Knox Thatcher; New Ironsides, Commodore William Itadford ; Min- nesota, Commodore Joseph Lanman ; Powhatan, Commodore James Find- lay Schenck; Susquehanna, Commodore Sylvanus William Godon; Santi- ago de Cuba, Captain Oliver S. Glisson ; Wabash, Captain Melancton Smith ; Fort Jackson, Captain Benjamin Franklin Sands; Vanderbilt, Captain Charles W. Pickering; Shenandoah,C&\>\.&\n Daniel Boone Ridgely; Ti- conderoga, Captain Charles Steedman; Brooklyn, Captain James Alden ; Tuscorara. Commander James Madison Frailey; Monadnock, Commander Enoch Greenleaf Parrott ; Rhode Island, Commander Stephen Decatur Trenchard; Nereu*, Commander John Camming Howell ; Mohican, Com- mander Daniel Ammen; losco, Commander John Guest; Pawtuxet, Com- mander James Hanna Spotts ; Osceola, Commander John Mellen Brady Clitz ; Mackinaw, Commander John C. Beaumont; Saugus, Commander Edmund R. Colhoun; Pontoosnc, Commander William Grenville Temple; R. R. Cuyhr, Commander Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell; Juniata, Lieutenant-Commander Thomas Stowell Phelps; Yantic, Lieutenant- Commander Thomas Cadwalader Harris; Chippewa, Lieutenant-Com- mander Edward Eells Potter; Sassacus, Lieutenant-Commander John Lee Davis: Tacony, Lieutenant-Commander Wiliara Talbot Truxtun ; Kansas, Lieutenant-Commander Pendleton Gaines Watmough; Unadil- la, Lieutenant-Commander Francis Munroe Ramsay; Maratanza, Lieu- tenant-Commander George W. Young ; Maumee, Lieutenant-Commander Ralph Chandler: Pequot, Lieutenant-Commander Daniel Lawrence Braine ; Canonicus, Lieutenant-Commander George Eugene Belknap; Mahopac, Lieutenant-Commander Aaron Ward Weaver; Huron, Lieutenant-Com- mander Thomas Oliver Selfridge, Jr.; Seneca, Lieutenant-Commander Montgomery Sicard ; Monticello, Lieutenant William Barker Gushing; Gettysburg, Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson ; Montgomery, Acting- Volun- teer-Lieutenant Thomas C. Dunn. The reserve division under the com- mand of Lieutenant-Commander John Henry Upshur, in the Frolic (for- merly the A. D. Fam*). consisted of the Britannia, Acting-\ olunteer- Lieutenant W. B. Sheldon; the Tristam Shandy, Acting-Volunteer-Lieu- tenant Francis M. Green ; the Lillian, Acting-Volunteer-Lieutenant T. A. 506 ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS. 1865. began the bombardment. Again the terrific cannonad- ing of December 24th and 25th was exhibited. As evening came on the fleet retired, but the ironclads maintained a desultory fire all night. The bombard- ment was renewed on the 14th. In the evening Gen- eral Terry made arrangements with Porter for a com- bined naval and army attack on the morning of the 15th. Sixteen hundred sailors and four hundred ma- rines were landed under the command of Lieutenant- Commander Kidder Randolph Breese and Lieutenant- Commander James Parker, Lieutenant - Commander Upshur covering the landing with the light gunboats. At 9 A. M., January 15th, the vessels opened fire, which they kept up until 3 P. M., when they ceased in order that the land forces might rush to the assault. The attacking column of the army, which was lying con- cealed under the river bank, charged the left flank of the fort, w r hile the naval column came up on the open beach, where it was entirely exposed. Colonel Lamb, commander of the fort, had stationed most of his men to sweep the approach from the beach. The sailors were divided into three divisions, Lieutenant Cushman commanding the first, Lieutenant-Commander Parker the second, Lieutenant-Commander Thomas O. Sel- f ridge, Jr., the third, w r hile the marines were under the command of Captain L. L. Dawson. The seamen were repelled with a loss of eighty-two killed and two hun- dred and sixty-nine wounded. The troops, having less resistance, carried the fort. Among the killed were Lieutenants Samuel W. Preston and Benjamin H. Por- ter, Assistant-Surgeon William Longshaw, Jr., and Harris; the Aries, Acting-Volunteer-Lieutenant Francis S. Wells; the Governor Buckingham, Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant John Macdiarmid; the Alabama, Acting- Volunteer-Lieutenant A. R. Langthorn ; the Fort Donelson, Acting-Volunteer-Master G. W. Frost ; the Wilderness, Acting- Master Henry Arey ; the Nansemond, Acting-Master James H. Porter ; the Little Ada, Acting- Master Samuel P. Crafts; the ^olus, Acting-Master Edward S. Keyser ; and the Republic, Acting-Ensign John W. Bennett. The Malvern was Porter's flagship. 1865. FORT ANDERSON. 507 Acting-Ensign Robert Wiley. An explosion of a maga- zine in the fort on the 16th killed two hundred men. Among the wounded were Paymaster Jewett and En- sign Leighton, Lieutenant-Commander Allen, Lieuten- ants Bache, Lamson and Baury, Ensigns Evans, Harris, Chester, Bertwhistle, O'Connor, Coffin and Wood, Act- ing-Master Louch and Masters-Mates Green, Sims and Aldrich. The assaulting columns of the army were led by Generals Comstock and Ames. The losses to the troops were about seven hundred killed or wounded. The place was garrisoned with fewer than two thousand men, including officers. On February 17th Rear-Admiral Porter attacked Fort Anderson, which was halfway between Fort Fisher and Wilmington. The attacking vessels were the Mon- tauk and the gunboats Pawtucret, Lenapee, Unadilla, Pequot, Mackinaw, Huron, Sassacus, Pontoosuc, Maratanza, Osccola, S?iawmut, Seneca, Nyack, Chip- pewa and Little Ada. The attack was begun on the 18th, and a heavy fire was maintained until three o'clock in the afternoon, when the fort was silenced. The Confederates abandoned the place during the night. The gunboats had three men killed and four wounded. While the river was being dragged for torpedoes on the 20th and 21st, one of the machines exploded under the bow of the Shawmut, killing two men and wound- ing an officer and one man. On the 22d, Porter at- tacked Fort Strong at Big Island. Before the enemy was driven from his guns the Sassacus was badly in- jured by several shot, one of them at the water line. On the night of the 20th a torpedo that the Confeder- ates had floated down from Wilmington struck the wheel of the Osceola, blowing the wheelhouse to pieces, but, although doing considerable damage, it did not injure the hull. CHAPTER XX. CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. AT the outbreak of the civil war the commerce of the United States was next to the largest in the world, and as most of it was tributary to the Northern States the leaders of the Confederacy from the first exerted themselves to fit out commerce-destroyers. One of the first of these vessels to get to sea was the Sumter, for- merly the Habana of the line running between New Orleans and Havana. She was armed with an 8- inch pivot gun and four 24-pounder howitzers. On June 18, 1861, under the command of Captain Raphael Semmes, she dropped down from New Orleans to the Head of the Passes, but it was several weeks before she could evade the blockading squadron. Finally, while the Brooklyn was in chase of a sail, she made a dash for the bar, and, although closely pursued, got to sea. Within a week the Sumter made eight prizes. During the two months she cruised along the South American coast she stopped at Curagao, Trinidad, and Maranham, where, although her character was well known, she \\;is cordially received and every facility was given to her. The Sumter put into St. Pierre, Martinique, for coal and supplies, November 9th, where she received the usual hospitalities in spite of the neutrality of the port. Five days later Commander James Shedden Palmer, in the Iroquois, appeared off the port, and learning that the rule forbidding the stronger vessel to leave the port within twenty-four hours of the other would be en- forced, he took a position off the harbor, intending to blockade the cruiser. Arrangements had been made 508 1861. CAREER OF THE SUMTER. 509 with the master of an American schooner in port to signal to the Iroquois the direction the Sumter took in case she attempted to get to sea at night. On the night of November 23d Semmes headed for the southern part of the roads, which are twelve miles wide, and observ- ing that the schooner was signaling, he divined its ob- ject, and, waiting until he was sure that the Iroquois w r as making for the southern entrance, suddenly turned back, and, favored by a squall of rain, made his escape by the northern side of the harbor. Taking three prizes on his way across the Atlantic, Semmes docked at Cadiz and then ran round to Gibral- tar, taking two more merchantmen. At this place he was blockaded by the Tuscarora, the Kearsarge and the Ino, and finding that it was impossible to escape, he sold his vessel and disbanded the crew. Later in the war the Sumter became a blockade-runner. The total number of prizes taken by this vessel was fifteen, of which six were released in Cuban ports, seven were burned, one ransomed and one recaptured. Having few vessels in their own ports suitable for commerce-destroyers, the leaders of the Confederacy purchased, through their agents and middlemen, ves- sels in England, which, sailing without guns, ammuni- tion or crews, were met, sometimes at sea and other times in out-of-the-way places, by another vessel laden with armament and stores, and thus became Confeder- ate cruisers. The principal agent for these transactions for the Confederate States in England was Captain James D. Bulloch, while Commodore Samuel Barron represented the Confederacy in France. The condi- tions under which these vessels were secured, equipped and commissioned were sufficiently like those obtained by Benjamin Franklin in France during the Revolution to warrant the designation "cruisers." The first of this class of Confederate cruisers was the Florida, built at Liverpool, 1861-'62, exactly on the lines of the British gunboat of that day, under the 510 CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. 1C63, | name of Oreto, ostensibly for the Italian Government. Although our minister to England, Charles Francis Adams, laid conclusive evidence before the British Government that the Oreto was in reality a Confederate cruiser, and in spite of the fact that the Italian consul disclaimed all knowledge of the vessel, she was allowed to clear from Liverpool, March 22, 1862, consigned to Adderly & Co., of Nassau, the correspondents of Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, the w r ell-known financial agents of the Confederate Government. On April 28th the Oreto arrived at Nassau, where she was joined by the English steamer Bahama from Hartle- pool, England, laden with guns, ammunition and a complete outfit for a cruiser. In order to keep up a semblance of complying with the laws of neutrals, the Orcto, when she began taking aboard her armament, was libeled, but was quickly released by the sympa- thetic jury, and on August 7th, under Commander John Newland Maffitt, sailed for an uninhabited island in the Bahamas, where her two rifled 7-inch guns and six 6-inch guns, together with the ammunition, were taken aboard, and she began her career as the Confed- erate cruiser Florida. At this time the vessel had only twenty-two men for a crew, and this number was reduced by yellow fever to only three or four efficient men. Touching at Cardenas, Cuba, where he got a re-en- forcement of twelve men, Maffitt stood over to Mobile, sighting that port September 4th. The blockading squadron, under the command of Commander George Henry Preble, at that time consisted of the Oneida and the Winona. As the Florida was constructed on the lines of the English cruisers that were constantly in- specting the blockade about that time, Maffitt hoisted English colors, and in broad daylight stood for the Union vessels. Deceived by this, Preble went to quar- ters and approached the Florida, believing her to be an English man-of-war. When near enough he hailed 1862-1863. MAPFITT RUNS THE BLOCKADE. 511 the stranger, but no attention was paid to it. The Oneida then fired three shots in succession across the Florida's bow without getting an answer, upon which Preble fired his broadside, but the Florida still con- tinued on her swift course. The Oneida, the Winona, and the schooner Rachel Seaman (the last having just arrived off the port) fired as rapidly as possible, but the Florida was speeding away at fourteen knots an hour to the seven of the Union vessels, and although some- what damaged she gained the port. Speaking of the injuries the Florida received from this fire, one of her midshipmen, G. Terry Sinclair, records: "We received one 11-inch shell opposite our port gangway, near the water line. It passed through our coal bunker, painfully wounding one man and beheading another, thence to the berth deck, where our men had previously been ordered as a place of safety. Fortunately this shell did not explode, the fuse having been knocked out, probably by contact with the ship's side. Another shell entered the cabin and, passing through the pantry, raised havoc with the crockery. The ship to the day of her destruction bore the marks of upward of fourteen hundred shrapnel balls. Our additional casualties were two men slightly wounded." l Having shipped a crew, Maffitt, at two o'clock in the morning of January 16, 1863, boldly steamed through the Union blockading squadron and escaped, in spite of the additional vessels that had been detailed especially with a view of capturing him. Taking three prizes, the Florida was chased for thirty-four hours by the Sonoma, Commander Thomas Holdup Stevens, but escaped by her superior speed. Kunning into Nassau, she was received with every demonstration of joy by the British inhabitants, and was permitted to remain in port thirty-six hours, or twelve more than allowed by Government instructions. She also took aboard coal 1 Century Magazine, July, 1898. 512 CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. 1863. for three months, although the authorities had forbid- den a larger supply than would suffice to carry her to the nearest Confederate port. Cruising between Bahia and New York, Maffitt in five months took fourteen prizes, one of which, the Clarence, was armed with a few light guns, and, being placed in charge of a prize crew under Lieutenant Charles W. Read, went on an independent cruise against our commerce. Between May 6th and May ]()th Read destroyed four vessels, and finding his fifth prize, the Tacony, better adapted for cruising, he transferred his crew and armament to her and burned the Clarence. The Tacony in two weeks made ten prizes, one of which, the Archer, suited Lieutenant Read even better than the Tacony, and, burning the latter, he continued the work of destruction in the Archer. Running into the harbor of Portland, Me., with a boat party shortly after this, Read, with a dar- ing equal to Connyngham in the Revolution, cut out the revenue cutter Caleb Gushing ; but on the follow- ing day he was -attacked by a number of steamers that came out in chase, and was captured after burning his prize. Another prize of the Florida, the bark Lapwing, was converted into a consort. This vessel was captured March 27th, and, being placed in charge of Lieutenant R. S. Floyd and Midshipman Sinclair and seven men, made an independent cruise. Sinclair describes a clever capture made by the Lapwing as follows : " With the Lapwing we captured and bonded a ship by a little ruse and impudence. Having first sawed a spar to the requisite length to represent a long gun, we painted and mounted it on two wheels taken from a family car- riage found on board. With this trained on the en- emy, but not too conspicuously in view, we hove him to with a shot from our 12-pounder [the only gun the Lapwing carried]. With four well-armed men I was sent on board, and brought the captain, with his papers, 1863. CATCHING AN AMAZON. 5^3 back with me, he coming in his own boat. It was not until the captain came on board our ship that he dis- covered our weakness ; but it was then too late, and there was nothing else to be done, so he bonded his ship to us, returning in his own boat." 1 Making Bar- badoes May 30th, Lieutenant Floyd burned the Lap- wing, and reached the settlement with his men. From this place they proceeded to Queenstown in an English bark, eventually rejoining the Florida at Brest. Meantime the Florida had sailed from Brest, where she remained six months, and being completely over- hauled was placed under command of Captain Charles Manigault Morris. She then crossed the Atlantic, and. after being allowed by the British authorities to coal at Bermuda, continued her depredations on American commerce in the Atlantic Ocean. The peculiar nature of this service is interestingly revealed by Midshipman G. T. Sinclair when he says : "Another of our captures, a vessel from the East Indies, contained a rare charac- ter in an old lady, who, we were told, was a missionary on her return home for a vacation. As usual, Captain Morris gave this lady one of the staterooms in his cabin ; but it was not long before she had the entire cabin, and, I think, had she stayed much longer, would have been captain. She was intensely Union, and had little use for 'rebels,' nor did she hesitate to tell us so. We got in the habit of watching for her head as it came up out of the cabin hatch, when there would be a gen- eral scamper ; but the poor officer of the deck was compelled to stand and take her tongue lashing. The old lady usually promenaded the deck with a green cotton umbrella raised, and on one occasion one of the retreating ones returned and found that Lieutenant Stone, who was in charge of the deck, had gone into the rigging, where he remained, looking very much like a cat up a tree with a dog watching him." 2 i Century Magazine, July, 1898. * Ibid. 78 514 CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. 1864. After touching at Teneriffe, Morris, on October 5,1 1864, anchored at Bahia (intending to take in supplies and then pass around Cape Horn to make a raid on American whalers in the Pacific), where he found the United States sloop of war Wachusett, Commander j Napoleon Collins, of Wilkes' flying squadron. Fearing i that a battle might be precipitated in the harbor, a Brazilian corvette anchored between the two vessels, ft! A little before daybreak, October?, 1864, Collins crossed { the bow of the corvette, intending to ram and sink the j Florida at her anchorage. Captain Morris and many j of his officers and men were ashore. Failing to strike | square on, the Wachusett carried away the Florida's 1 mizzenmast, main yard, and some of the bulwarks. I After an exchange of a few shot, Lieutenant Thomas K. I Porter, the senior officer in the Florida, surrendered with sixty-nine officers and men. Collins, who had only three men injured in the affair, took the cruiser in 1 tow and carried her out of the harbor, in spite of the remonstrances of the Brazilian authorities. The other j officers of the Florida were Lieutenants S. G. Stone, *< Samuel Barron, Jr., R. S. Floyd, and George D. Bryan ; : ; Surgeon Thomas J. Charlton, Assistant- Surgeon Thomas Emory, Paymaster Richard Taylor, Chief Engineer W. 1 S. Thompson, Midshipmen William B. Sinclair, Jr., James H. Dyke, G. Terry Sinclair, and Master's Mate Thomas T. Hunter, Jr. That the act of Commander Collins was a flagrant violation of the rights of a neutral port can not be de- nied. But in view of the fact that England, France, Spain, and many of the South American states had re- peatedly, outrageously, and to a far more serious extent violated their neutrality toward the United States, his course does not seem so unjustifiable. The attack of the British cruisers Phoebe and Cherub on the Essex at Valparaiso and that of Sir George Collier's squadron on the Levant in the harbor of Port Praya, the capture of two American vessels in the port of Tunis by the 1863-1864. ENGLAND'S "NEUTRALITY." 5 15 British cruiser Lyra, and two in Tripoli by the Eng- lish war ship Paulina in the Wnr of 1812, showed how little England regarded the rights of neutral nations. The act of Commander Collins was promptly disavowed by the United States Government, but we have yet to hear of any satisfactory reparation being made by the British Government in the cases of the Essex and the Levant. The same contempt for international law was shown by England during the civil war until the result of the battle of Gettysburg was known in London. Brazil also had been notorious for violating her neu- trality in our struggle with the Confederate States. Only the year before her officials at Fernando de No- ronha had permitted the Alabama to take into the anchorage the American merchant vessel Louisa Hatch and coal from her and then burn her. About the same time two more American vessels appeared off the port, and, running out, the Alabama destroyed them, re- turning to the harbor the same day. This certainly was quite as gross a violation of the neutrality of Brazil as the act of Commander Collins ; and when the sum total of sucli outrages on the part of Brazil and the United States has been added up, the balance of charges will be found weighing heavily against Brazil. The Florida was taken to the United States and was accidentally sunk in port. While under Captain Maffitt's command the Florida and her tenders captured fifty-five vessels, and under Morris some twenty were added to the list. On November 10, 1863, the British Government sold its dispatch boat Victor to men acting in the interests of the Confederate States, and after the inspector of machinery in the royal dockyard at Sheerness had enlisted part of her crew she put to sea under the name of RappaJiannock. When she put into Calais for the purpose of completing her outfit the French officials decided that they would not allow her to finish the work in their waters, and she remained in that port till the close of the war. 516 CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. 1863. Another English vessel, the Georgia, Lieutenant William L. Mauiy, built for the Confederacy on the Clyde, got to sea April 1, 1863, and off Morlaix she met a steamer laden with her armament and stores. Her first prize was the Dictator, of New York, many of her crew being persuaded to ship in the Georgia to take the places of Englishmen who had decided, at the last moment, not to enlist in the Confederate vessel. After burning the Dictator, Lieutenant Maury ap- peared off the Cape de Verde Islands, and, eluding a National war ship, joined the Alabama at Bahia. The Georgia then stood down the coast to Rio de Janeiro, off which port she captured the George Griswold. In making the run for Trinidad this cruiser captured and destroyed several vessels, among them the Good Hope. It was while this merchantman was burning that the American bark Seaver drew near, attracted by the flames. Her master promptly put off in his gig, and unsuspectingly boarded the Georgia. "His first words, as he stepped over the side, were, 'Can I be of any assistance ? How did she catch fire ? ' Poor fellow ! He thought the blaze was accidental, and had headed for the burning ship to offer assistance. . . . He explained that he had been for a long time in the Pacific Ocean, and was ignorant of the fact that civil war was raging at home. Under the circumstances Captain Maury decided not to burn him. Our prison- ers were put on board his vessel, and he went his way rejoicing." 1 After passing the National steam frigate Niagara one dark night, so closely that voices could be heard aboard her, the Georgia arrived at Simonstown, Cape of Good Hope, a few hours after the Alabama had left there for the East Indies. At this port the Confeder- ates were cordially received by the people in the Brit- 1 James Morris Morgan, who served in the Georgia as midshipman. See Century Magazine for August, 1898. 1863. A NARROW ESCAPE. 5^ ish troop ship Himalaya. Putting to sea a few days afterward, the Georgia made a short cruise to the south and met the tea fleet, eastward bound. "By this move," writes Midshipman Morgan, "we missed running into the United States ship Vanderbilt, which was hunting for us. When we turned to the north with the fleet, and while going from one vessel to an- other inquiring of them their nationality, we came under the shadow of Table Mountain late in the after- noon, and saw the Vanderbilt on the horizon steaming for Table Bay. We did not molest her, but satisfied ourselves with making a prize of the merchant ship John Watt." The Georgia next put into Santa Cruz, in the Canaries, where she was hospitably treated by the governor. Continuing her course northward, this cruiser, during a calm, captured the American mer- chantman Bold Hunter, laden with coal. "We tried to replenish our stock from her," wrote Mr. Morgan, "but, the wind rising, the sea became too high, and we recalled our prize crew, who before returning, fired the ship. "The officer of the deck on the Georgia, through carelessness, allowed his vessel to drift too near the burning prize, which was forging ahead under all sail, with no one aboard to control her movements. Seeing a collision imminent, he pulled the engine bell to go ahead at full speed. As the engine started there was a crash in the engine room, and we knew that the usual accident had happened namely, that the wooden cogs which turned the shaft had broken. In an instant the Bold Hunter was upon us. She rose on a high sea, and came down on our rail, smashing boat davits and boats. She recoiled, and rushed at us again like a mad bull. This time, plunging from the top of a huge wave, she came down on our taffrail, doing much damage. It now looked as though the cruise of the Georgia was about to end ; and had not the Bold Hunter suddenly sheered off and passed to lee- 518 CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. 1863-1864. ward of us, the cruiser undoubtedly would have been destroyed." 1 On the following day Captain Maury fell in with the French bark La Patrie, and, as her master refused to allow his vessel to be boarded, the Confederates re- sorted to force. No injury was inflicted, and, finding that her papers were correct, the Georgia continued on her course. This incident gave rise to diplomatic cor- respondence between the French and Confederate Gov- ernments. Arriving "at Cherbourg, the Georgia, after many weeks of delay, was permitted to enter a Gov- ernment dock and undergo much-needed repairs. It was here decided by the Southern naval authorities in Europe to place the Georgia out of commission as soon as her armament could be transferred to the Rap- pahannocJc, then at Calais. Captain Maury accord- ingly was detached from the Georgia, while that ves- sel, in charge of her executive officer, put to sea and made all speed for a rendezvous on the coast of Mo- rocco, some thirty miles south of Mogador, where the RappahannocJc was to join her and receive her arma- ment. As has been shown, the French authorities would not permit the Rappahannoclc to leave port ; so the Georgia, after a long wait at the appointed rendez- vousat one time narrowly escaping shipwreck on a lee shore made for Bordeaux, where it was learned that French gendarmes still guarded the moorings that held the RappahannocTc to the quay of Calais. After a stay of several weeks at this place, the Georgia, elud- ing a National cruiser in the night, stood out to sea, and on May 9, 1864, reached Liverpool. Here the crew was paid off and the vessel sold to a British merchant, who had a contract to carry the mails between Liver- pool and Lisbon. On her first trip the Georgia was seized by the Niagara off Lisbon and sent to Boston, where she was condemned by a prize court, the British 1 Century Magazine, August, 1898. 1864-1803. SHENANDOAH DESTROYS WHALERS. 519 merchant never receiving compensation for the fifteen thousand pounds he paid for her. In all, the Georgia made eight prizes. The last of the British-built vessels in the service of the Confederacy was the Sea King, a fast-sailing vessel with auxiliary steam power, engaged in the East India trade. On October 8, 1864, she sailed from London for Bombay, her commander having the authority to sell her within six months. On precisely the same day the British steamer Laurel sailed from Liverpool, and by one of the strange coincidences so common with Eng- lish ships during our war these two vessels a few days later met one another near some deserted islands of the Madeira group. Another coincidence was that the Laurel had nineteen Confederate naval officers aboard, and in her hold were a large number of cases marked "machinery," which proved to be just the kind of guns that would be suitable for the Sea King. After the arms and ammunition had been transferred to the Sea King she was placed in commission as the Confeder- ate cruiser Shenandoah, Captain James Iredell Wad- dell. The principal object of the Shenandoahs cruise was the destruction of the American whaling trade in the Japan Sea and the Arctic Ocean, where it had always been a formidable rival to the English. After taking a few prizes in the Atlantic Ocean the Shenandoah proceeded to Melbourne, Australia, where, strange to say, she met another ship from England laden with coal, just at a time when Captain Waddell most needed that commodity. Kemaining here nearly a month instead of "twenty-four hours," she enlisted forty-two men and sailed for Behring Straits, where she destroyed a large number of American whalers. In her career as a Confederate cruiser the Shenandoah cap- tured nearly forty American merchantmen, most . which were destroyed at sea. "We made it a rule from the start," wrote Midshipman John Thomson Mason, of the Shenandoah, "that there should be no 520 CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. 1862-1865.! pillaging of the captured vessels. If we needed stores i for the ship's use we took them, but our sailors were never allowed to plunder on their own account." l Cap- tain Waddell had been an officer in the United States navy. His executive was Lieutenant William C. Whittle, Jr., son of Captain Whittle, U. S. N., while the other lieutenants were John Grimball, Sidney Smith Lee, son of Captain S. S. Lee, U. S. N., and nephew of General Robert E. Lee, Francis T. Chew, and Dabney Minor Scales. Lieutenants Whittle and Grimball had been classmates of Admiral Dewey at Annapolis. The sailing master of the Shenandoah was Irvine S. Bulloch, brother of the Confederate agent in England, and had served in the same capacity in the Alabama in her action with the Kearsarge. The other ward-room officers were Surgeon Charles E. Lining, Assistant-Surgeon F. J. McNulty, Paymaster W. B. Smith, Chief-Engineer Matthew O'Brien, Passed Mid- shipmen Orris A. Browne and John Thomson Mason. Twelve of the Shenandoah' 's crew had served in the Alabama during her action off Cherbourg. Learning, on June 28, 1865, that the war had ended, Waddell returned to Liverpool and gave up his vessel to the British Government. Strenuous efforts were made by the Confederate Government to secure formidable ironclads, with which it was hoped to raise the blockade on the Atlantic coast and recover the Mississippi River. It was only after the most earnest remonstrances of our minister that England seized the ironclad rams and prevented them from going to sea. Captain Bulloch contracted with the builders of the Alabama for two swift double-tur- reted rams plated with five and a half inches of iron and armed with four 9-inch rifled guns, which would have made them superior to any vessel then in the pos- session of the United States. These vessels were allowed 1 Century Magazine, August, 181)8. 1864-1865. RAID OP THE TALLAHASSEE. 521 to be launched before the British Government could be induced to take action concerning them. Finally, on the threat of Mr. Adams that the equipment and sailing of these rams meant a declaration of war, they were taken into the British navy as the Scorpion and the Wi'cern. In France the Confederate agents contracted for four corvettes and two rams, but only one of these, the Stonewall Jackson, Captain Thomas Jefferson Page, got into the hands of the Confederate agents. She was sold first to Denmark, and then to the agents of the Con- federate States. Being plated with four and a half inches of iron and armed with a 300-pounder rifled Armstrong gun and two rifled 70-pounders, she would have made short work of any of our wooden ships. Springing aleak on her first cruise, she put into Ferrol, and in March, 1865, offered battle to the sloop of war Niagara, Commodore Thomas Tingey Craven, and the Sacramento ; but Craven very properly refused to fight such a formidable antagonist. Proceeding to Havana, the Stonewall Jackson was surrendered by the Spanish officials to the United States. Finally she was sold to Japan. Several of the blockade runners were temporarily turned into cruisers. In October, 1864, the Edith came out of Wilmington as the Chickamauga, and in the course of several weeks captured four or five coasters. On the night of August 6, 1864, the Confederate cruiser Tallahassee, Captain John Taylor Wood, ran the block- ade off Wilmington and shaped her course for Sandy Hook. This craft, originally the Atlanta, had been built on the Thames ostensibly for the Chinese opium trade, but, through one of those adroit manipulations so frequently experienced by English vessels in this war, she soon found her way to Wilmington, and was manned and equipped as a Confederate war ship. She carried one rifled 100-pounder, one rifled 60-pounder, one 32-pounder, and a long Parrott gun. Cruising off Sandy Hook several days the Tallahassee made a num- 522 CONFEDERATE CRUISERS. 1864. ber of prizes, many of them small craft of little value, the most important capture being the packet ship Adriatic, of one thousand tons. Destroying his prizes, Captain Wood appeared off Boston and then put into Halifax, taking a number of vessels on the way. Hav- ing replaced his mainmast which had been carried away in a collision with the Adriatic and taking aboard coal, Captain Wood evaded the several National war ships that were in waiting for him off the port, and, running down the coast, rushed the blockade off Wil- mington and regained that port, having made thirty- five prizes in this short cruise. The Tallahassee made another cruise under the names Olustee and Cliame- leon this time commanded by Lieutenant Ward after which she was taken to England, and eventually was sold to Japan as a cruiser. The tribunal that assembled at Geneva for the pur- pose of arbitrating the "Alabama claims" decided that England should pay to the United States fifteen million five hundred thousand dollars for the losses caused by the Florida, the Alabama, and the Shenandoah after she left Melbourne. CHAPTER XXI. THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. THE most famous of the English-built Confederate cruisers was the Alabama, the two hundred and nine- tieth ship built in the Lairds' shipyard. In spite of the clearest evidence submitted by Minister Adams that this vessel was fitting out at Liverpool for service against, United States commerce, the English Govern- ment allowed her to sail July 29, 1862. After complet- ing her preparations at a point fifty miles from Liver- pool, she passed to the north of Ireland and arrived at the Azores August 10th, where she was met eight days later by the bark Agrippina, from London, laden with guns, ammunition, stores etc. On the 20th the steamer Bahama, from Liverpool, arrived, having on board Captain Raphael Semmes with a complement of officers and a crew, most of the latter being English- men. Steaming beyond the line of neutral jurisdic- tion, Semmes lashed the two vessels alongside and went through the formality of commissioning the Ala- bama as a Confederate cruiser, and on the 24th began his famous cruise. The Alabama was both a sailing vessel and a steamer. Her propeller could be detached and hoisted in fifteen minutes, so that she could make from ten to twelve knots with sails alone, and with steam added fifteen knots. Captain Semmes had nicely calculated the time it would take for news of his whereabouts to reach the United States and a cruiser to overtake him, so his plan was to cruise in one locality not more than two months and then renew his depredations in some other quarter 523 524: THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. 1862-1863. of the globe. Sailing leisurely across the Atlantic, the Alabama burned twenty American vessels, Captain Semmes constituting a prize court in all cases where doubt arose as to the ownership of captured cargoes. Reaching the Banks, he headed southwest and touched at Martinique, where, on November 18th, by a previous arrangement, the Agrippina was found waiting for him with a full supply of coal. While the Alabcunt was in this port the United States sloop of war San Jacinto, Commander William Ronckendorff, which ves- sel had been dispatched in search of the Alabama, en- tered the harbor. Discovering the Confederate cruiser, and learning that the twenty-four-hour rule v/ould be enforced, Commander Ronckendorff immediately stood out and waited for the Alabama. On the night of October 20th, however, Semmes got to sea unobserved. Cruising among the West India islands, he captured the mail steamer Ariel, December 7th, which was re- leased under bonds to pay ransom. Another sailing vessel laden with coal met the Alabama at an out-of- the-way rendezvous, and having replenished her stores she was again cruising. From newspapers found in his prizes Semmes had learned of the intended expedition of General Banks against Galveston, and with the hope of intercepting the Union transports he headed for that port, and on January 11, 1863, drew near the place. At that time the blockade squadron consisted of the Brooklyn, Com- modore Henry H. Bell, the Hatteras, Lieutenant-Com- mander Homer C. Blake, the Cayuga, the Sciota and several light gunboats. The Hatteras was a frail side- wheel passenger steamer designed for service on the Delaware. Her machinery was entirely exposed to shot. In the great demand for steamers early in the war she was taken into the service and mounted four short 32-pounders, two rilled 30- pounders, one rifled 20- pounderand one 12-pounder howitzer, having a total shot weight of two hundred and twenty pounds. The Ala- 1863. THE HATTEBAS AND THE ALABAMA. 525 lama carried one rifled 100-pounder Blakely gun, one 8-inch shell gun and six long 32-pounders, with a total shot weight of three hundred and sixty pounds, three hundred and twenty-eight pounds of which could be pivoted on either broadside. About meridian, January llth, the lookout at the Brooklyn? s masthead reported a three-masted schooner or a bark about twelve miles off making for the port. As the sloop of war was having new grate bars put in she did not have steam up, and Commodore Bell sig- naled the Hatteras to run down to the stranger. The Union vessel promptly made for the newcomer, who was seen to be making sail as if desirous of escaping seaward. As the afternoon wore on, Blake discovered the stranger to be a steamer, and in view of the fact that the Hatteras, although an exceedingly slow ves- sel, was rapidly overhauling the chase, he began to suspect that she was not so anxious to escape as her manoeuvres indicated. When the pursuit had extended about twenty'miles the stranger hove to, waiting for the Hatteras to approach. Running within hailing dis- tance, Blake asked what ship it was, and was told " Her Britannic Majesty's ship Petrel" which bore a strong resemblance to the vessel before him. While this was going on the Alabama attempted to secure a raking position, but Blake skillfully avoided it. The Union commander then gave the name of his ship and ordered a boat aboard the stranger, but scarcely had it left the side when a voice from the stranger called out, "This is the Confederate States steamer Alabama" Then a broadside was poured into the Hatteras, which imme- diately showed that the Union vessel was under the guns of a vessel of superior force. Seeing that his only hope was at close quarters, Blake put on full speed and attempted to board ; but Semmes, aware of his ad- vantage, steamed ahead, and, crossing the Hatteras' course about forty yards distant, continued the action on the other side. 526 THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. 1863. At first the firing on both sides was spirited, but the odds were too great and the guns in the National vessel were quickly silenced. The Alabama fired with great accuracy. Shell after shell crashed through the thin hull of the National gunboat and exploded with dreadful effect. In ten minutes the Hatteras was on fire in several places, her walking beam was shot away, and water rushed through the openings made by sheets of iron being torn off. In thirteen minutes she was dis- abled and rapidly sinking, upon which Blake surren- dered. The Confederates promptly got out their boats and rendered every assistance in saving our men, and showed them much kindness and attention when aboard the Alabama. Ten minutes after the surrender flic Hatteras sank out of sight, bow first. The Alabama then made for Port Royal, Jamaica, and landed IUT prisoners. On hearing the distant booming of guns and the flashes of light the Brooklyn, the Sciota and the T'nxja got under way and steered for the scene of action, but, although cruising all night, they saw nothing of the Hatteras or of the mysterious stranger. On the fol- lowing morning the masts of a sunken vessel with the tops awash were made out, which, on closer examina- tion, proved to be the Hatteras. Nothing about the wreck indicated who the stranger was. On leaving Port Royal Semmes headed southward, and for two months held a position on the belt one hundred miles wide near the equator, which was the "cross roads" for the homeward-bound East India and Pacific trade. Taking eight prizes here, he proceeded to Fernando de Noronha, where he coaled from a prize, the Louisa Hatch. While be was in this port t\v<> American vessels appeared in the offing, and, without any remonstrance from the Brazilian authorities, he ran out and destroyed them and returned on the same day. Taking ten prizes in the two months that she was off Brazil, the Alabama, in July, sailed for the Cape of 1863-18G4. WAITING FOR THE ALABAMA. 507 Good Hope, in company with the bark Conrad, a prize, which had been fitted up, armed with two 12-ponnder howitzers and placed in commission as the Tusca- loosa, Lieutenant John Lowe. The British authorities of Cape Town extended every assistance to the Ala- bama in her work of destroying England's great com- mercial rival. Learning that the Vanderbilt, Com- mander Charles II. Baldwin, one of the vessels that had been fitted out with a roving commission for the express purpose of capturing the Alabama, was in the vicinity, Semmes determined to change his cruising-ground to the East Indies. There he remained six months, and after capturing seven vessels and eluding the sloop of war Wyoming, he returned to the Cape of Good Hope. Sunday morning, June 12, 1864, the United States sloop of war Kearsarcje, Captain John Ancrum Wins- low, lay off the sleepy town of Flushing, Holland. Many of her officers and men were ashore, and every- thing about the ship denoted an entire absence of thought of immediate action. As the day wore on, however, a cornet suddenly appeared at her foremast and a gun was fired, a signal for every member of the ship's company to repair on board immediately. Wins- low had just received a telegram from Mr. Dayton, our minister to France, saying that the Alabama had ar- rived in Cherbourg. *On leaving the Cape of Good Hope Semmes had sailed for Europe, arriving at Cher- bourg June llth. Hastily making his preparations for an immediate departure, Winslow steamed to Dover for dispatches, and on Tuesday appeared off Cherbourg, where the Confederate flag could be seen across the breakwater, flying from the Alabama. Fearing that the twenty-four-hour rule might be applied to his ship, Winslow did not anchor in the harbor, but took a sta- tion off the port. A close watch was placed in order to prevent the Alabama from again getting to sea unob served. In this instance, however, the precaution was unnecessary, for Captain Semmes had determined 528 THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. 1864. offer battle to the National ship, and intimated this intention to the United States consul. The two vessels were remarkably well matched, the ' Kearsarge carrying two 11-inch pivot guns, four short ; 32-pounders and one rifled 30-pounder, in all seven ' guns, having a total shot weight of four hundred and thirty pounds ; while the Alabama carried one 100- pounder Blakely gun, one 8-inch shell gun and six long 32-pounders, in all eight guns, with a total of three hundred and sixty pounds shot weight. In the battle, however, which was fought with the starboard batteries of each ship, the Kearsarge used only five guns, with a total shot weight of three hundred and sixty-six pounds, while the Alabama used seven guns, with a total shot weight of three hundred and twenty- eight pounds, which lessened the difference in weight of metal to an inconsiderable question of thirty-eight pounds. The Kearsarge^s complement was one hun- dred and sixty-three men, while that of the Alabama was one hundred and forty-nine. The former had a slight superiority of speed, but this was not utilized in the action. A year before, while at the Azores, Cap- tain Winslow had arranged his sheet chains for a dis- tance of forty-nine feet six inches amidships over the side of his vessel and extending six feet two inches down, as additional protection to his machinery. These chains were secured up and down by marline to eye- bolts and covered with 1-inch deal boards. But as this part of the ship was struck only twice in the action, this protection can not be counted as having materially favored the National ship. Comparative forces. Tons. Guns. Pounds. Crew. Kearsarge: 1,031 7 366 163 Alabama: 1,016 8 328 149 The sentiment among the townsfolk was overwhelm- ingly in favor of the Alabama. Whenever her men "SHE'S COMING!" 529 were recognized in the streets they were received with enthusiasm and with prophecies of victory. The scene in the lonely ship that cruised back and forth in quiet reaches beyond the breakwater was quite different. The cheap plaudits of the populace were not needed to nerve the Yankee sailor to his duty. Winslow real- ized that the public feeling in France and England was against him and his crew, but he cared naught for that. He knew what the American tars had done in former wars, and he had an implicit confidence in his own ship's company. And so day after day and night after night the Kearsarye in grim silence stood guard over the harbor. With each passing hour the hope of a battle grew fainter. Wednesday came and no Alabama. Thursday came and passed, with the same barren re- sult ; then Friday and Saturday, yet no fight. Sunday, June 19th, dawned with a light haze hanging over the harbor and town, but in the light westerly breeze the mists were gradually cleared away, revealing the shipping and town in all the beauty of a bright summer's day. A careful scrutiny of the harbor gave no indication of the Alabama's coming out that day, and the usual routine of the Sabbath in an American war ship began. The decks were holy- stoned until they shone with dazzling whiteness, the brass works and guns were polished, ropes were coiled away and everything made shipshape in keeping with the holy day. After the men, dressed in their best clothes, had been inspected, they were dismissed to at- tend divine service. At 10.20 A. M., while the bell was tolling for church, the officer of the deck reported a steamer coming out of the harbor, but as this was a common occurrence it aroused no special interest, and preparations for worship went on. But a few seconds later the words "She's coming, and heading straight for us ! " flashed over the ship. It was not necessary to ask "Who?" Everybody knew what the "she^" meant. Captain Winslow immediately put aside his 79 530 THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. 1864. I prayer book, and, seizing the trumpet, ordered the ship ! about and the decks cleared for action. Between nine and ten o'clock Semmes had got under way, accompanied by the French ironclad Couronne, flying the pennant of the commandant of the port, whose duty it was to see that the fight should not take place within the marine league. Having performed this duty, the Frenchman returned to port. Closely following him was the private English yacht Deer- hound. Soon the hills and vantage points along the coast were black with spectators, many supplied with camp stools and spyglasses, eager to witness a naval battle, while special wires to Paris reported each stage of the action to the excited throngs in the metropolis. It was estimated that more than fifteen thousand people witnessed the battle, several of them being the masters of merchant vessels that had been destroyed by the Alabama. Excursion trains from Paris arrived fre- quently, adding to the crowds of spectators. As the Kearsarge was burning Newcastle coal and the Ala- bama Welsh coal, causing a distinction in the smoke, little difficulty was experienced in following the move- \ ments of the two vessels. In order that no question about neutral waters should be raised, Winslow led the Alabama seaward, and at 10.50 A. M., on reaching a point about seven miles from land, he turned round and headed straight for the Alabama notwithstanding that he was exposed to a raking fire from the entire broadsides of the Con- federate cruiser. At 10.57, when the vessels were about eighteen hundred yards apart, the Alabama opened the action with a broadside, which cut away a little of the rigging, but did no material damage. A second and part of a third broadside were fired with a similar want of serious effect, when Captain Winslow, fearing a rak- ing fire, sheered round and delivered his broadside of five-second shells at a distance of about nine hundred yards. Without slackening his speed, Winslow en- 1864. MAGNIFICENT AMERICAN GUNNERY. 531 deavored to pass under the Alabama's stern, but Semmes prevented this manoeuvre by putting his helm hard to port. Each vessel then continued to keep its starboard broadside toward the other, which resulted in a circular motion, the ships going round a common cen- ter. Seven complete revolutions were made in this way, the three-mile current carrying the ships westward. Early in the action a shot from the Kearsarge car- ried away the Alabama's gaff and colors. Observing this, the National crew cheered, but the Confederates soon hoisted another ensign at their mizzen. About the close of the battle a shot carried away the halyards of the Kearsarge's colors, stopped at the mizzen, and in so doing pulled sufficiently to break the stop and thereby unfurled the flag that was to be shown in case of victory. The firing of the Kearsarge was an- other exhibition of that magnificent American gunnery which formed one of the notable features of the War of 1812. Word was passed along the American battery to let every shot tell. The wisdom of this was shown in the result, the Kearsarge firing only one hundred and seventy-three missiles, nearly all of which took effect, while the Alabama fired three hundred and seventy, of which only twenty-eight struck. The 11 -inch pivot guns in the Kearsarge especially were handled with great skill. One 11 -inch shell entered the port of the Alabama's 8-inch gun, sweeping off a part of the gun crew. Another 11-inch shell entered the same port, killing one man and wounding several, which was quickly followed by a third shell of the same caliber in the same place. Another heavy shell entered the wardroom and swept away the table on which Assist- ant-Surgeon Llewellyn was operating, and, exploding, blew out the side of the ship. Our 11-inch shells, how- ever, were aimed principally a little below rather than above the Alabama's water line, with a view of sink- ing her, while the 32-pounders swept her decks. In after pivot gun crew of the Alabama was reformed four 532 THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. 1SG4. times during the action. As the vessels circled round they gradually drew nearer to each other, and toward the close of the action they were less than six hundred yards apart, at which time the fire from the National vessel was reported as being terribly accurate. Of the twenty-eight shot that struck the Kearsarge, one, a 68-pounder shell, penetrated the starboard bul- wark and exploded on the quarter-deck, wounding three men, one of them, William Gowin, mortally. When he was taken below, his interest in the battle was un- abated notwithstanding his terrible injuries. "Lying on his mattress, he paid attention to the progress of the fight, so far as he could by the sounds on the deck, his face showing satisfaction whenever the cheers of his shipmates were heard ; with difficulty he waved his hand over his head and joined in each cheer with a feeble voice." 1 One shell exploded in the hammock nettings and started a fire, but the firemen were called away and speedily extinguished the flames. One shell lodged in the sternpost, and had it exploded it might have done serious injury, but the fuse failed to ignite. No great damage was done by the other shot that struck the vessel. At noon the Alabama ceased firing, set her fore trysail and jib and endeavored to run inshore. This manoeuvre for the first time brought her port broadside to bear where only two guns could be used, Semmes hoping to bring the shotholes on the starboard side above the water line by heeling his ship to port. Observing the Alabama's intention, Winslow quickly steered so as to cross her bow, and was about to pour in a raking fire when she hauled down her flag. Not knowing whether the colors had been carried away by a shot or by accident, and thinking that it might be merely a ruse to enable the Alabama to reach the neu- tral waters, now only two miles distant, Winslow ceased 1 Surgeon John M. Browne, of the Kearsarge. 1864. BRITISH INTERFERENCE. 533 firing, but held his guns in readiness to open again at a moment's notice. About this time the white flag was displayed, which convinced the National commander that the Alabama intended to surrender, and he began his preparations for rendering her assistance. But at this moment the Alabama renewed her fire, upon which the Kearsarge discharge:! three or four guns. Yet the course of the famous cruiser had been run. She was rapidly settling, and the only two serviceable boats in the Kearsarge were sent to save the drowning men. In a few minutes the Alabama settled by the stern, and, lifting her bow high out of the water, plunged to the bottom of the sea. About this time a boat from the Alabama, in charge of Master's-Mate Fullam, an Englishman, came along- side, begging for assistance. On his promising to re- turn to the Kearsarge, AVinslow allowed Fullam to turn back and save the drowning men, but the promise was broken and Fullam repaired on board the Deer- hound. On the approach of the British steam yacht Captain Winslow requested her to assist in saving the men. She did so, and picked up forty-two men, in- cluding Semmes and fourteen officers, but instead of placing them aboard the Kearsarge, as Winslow's re- quest implied, she gradually edged off, and then put on full steam for Southampton. After picking up the remaining men the Kearsarge put into Cherbourg. In response to our minister's request that these men be given up, the British Government declined to do so, claiming that it could not consistently with inter- national law. This was only another of the many in- stances of Great Britain's straining at a gnat when international law favored the South and swallowing a camel when it favored the North. In fact, England, not only in this but in all other wars, had so outra- geously violated both the letter and spirit of inter- national law that it is with surprise that we find her offering a point of it as an excuse for not surrendering 534: THE KEARSARGE-ALABAMA FIGHT. 1864 these men in 1864. Americans had come to believe! that not even a shred of that legal texture was left in| England. As to the owner of the Deerhound, one fact! stands out above controversy, and that is that he was! not actuated by any principles of international law whatever (of which he at that moment was densely ignorant), but was impelled by the general desire of all England to see the United States divided and thus become a less formidable rival to Great Britain. This celebrated sea fight was among the last of the ; actions in which the navy took part in the civil war. j From the time our gunboats began fighting on the ; Potomac and the western rivers, to Rear- Admiral Por- ter's operations near Wilmington, the record of the navy has been notable. Whether the claim of South- ern writers, that had it not been for the United States sea forces the South would have triumphed, is exag- gerated or not, the fact remains that the services of 1 our naval officers and seamen were of incalculable value. ; At Forts Henry and Donelson, at Memphis and Vicks- j burg, in the many desperate actions on the western ! rivers, at the great victories in Hampton Roads, New t Orleans, and Mobile Bay, and in the hazardous and brilliant service on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the j navy demonstrated its great value as a defensive and offensive force. NOTE. Lieutenant James S. Thornton, the executive officer of the Kearsarge, was executive officer of the Hartford when Farragut passed the New Orleans forts and served with conspicuous bravery in the subsequent river engagements. For his gallantry in the Kearsarge- Alabama fight he was advanced thirty numbers. Acting-Master Edward E. Prcble, who served in this action with gallantry as the navigator of the Kearsarge t was a grandson of Captain Edward Preble, who commanded the Ameri- can squadron before Tripoli early in the century. CHAPTER XXII. . BLOCKADE RUNNERS. ONE feature of the maritime operations in the civil war deserving special notice was that directed against blockade runners. The magnitude of these operations is seen when we remember that in the course of the war eleven hundred and forty-nine prizes were brought in, two hundred and ten of them being steamers, besides which three hundred and fifty-five craft were destroyed, of which eighty-five were steam vessels, making a total of fifteen hundred and four vessels captured by the National cruisers. It is well known that the Confed- eracy was dependent on Europe for nearly all of its manufactured supplies, and that its only means of making payment was the produce of, the South. In fact, it might almost be said that the Confederacy was vulnerable only at this point, and a systematic attack on this weakness of the South engaged the attention of many of our cruisers and men during the four years of the war. The humiliating dependence of the South on Europe for manufactured articles is well illustrated by R. 0. Crowley, who commanded a Torpedo Division of the seceding States, when he says : "To give some idea of the many difficulties we encountered, I will mention, first, the scarcity of cannon powder ; secondly, we had only about four miles of insulated copper wire in the entire Confederacy ; thirdly, we could obtain only about four or five feet of fine-gauge platinum wire. Battery material was very scarce, and acids could be purchased J 535 536 BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 1861-1864. only from the small quantity remaining in the hands of druggists when the war broke out. . . . During the last year of the war arrangements had been per- fected to secure a large quantity of insulated wire, cables, acids, batteries, and telegraph apparatus, etc., from England, an officer having been sent there for that purpose. Every material requisite for the exten- sion of our torpedo system throughout the entire South i was obtained, and a small advance shipment did actu- ally reach us through the blockade at Wilmington, j The remainder was put on board a swift steamer with , the intention of running the blockade and returning ! with a full cargo of cotton ; but from the stress of weather, or other causes, the steamer put into the port of Fayal, and, as I understand, was wrecked in that port either from the stupidity of the pilot or from treachery. The entire cargo was lost, and it was im- possible to duplicate our material before the war ended." 1 We have noted in these pages what awful havoc the Confederates created, even with the scanty and defec- tive materials they had, among our war ships. The sinking of the Tecumseh, with nearly one hundred of her men, in Mobile Bay, the destruction of the Commo- dore Jones, with half of her complement, in James River, the loss of the Housatonic in Charleston harbor, the damaging or destruction of a dozen or more of our monitors and wooden war craft at other points along the Atlantic and on the Western rivers, cause us to shudder when we come to speculate on the catastro- phies the Southern Torpedo Board could have brought to our doors had they possessed adequate material for properly carrying on that diabolical as it was then generally considered style of warfare. Yet, on the testimony of the men engaged in that particular serv- ice, we see that one of the most dangerous and dreaded 1 Century Magazine, June, 1898. 18G3. DANGERS FROM CONFEDERATE TORPEDOES. 537 means of defense was eliminated from the problem con- fronting the Nationalists by reason of the blockade maintained by our maritime forces. Speaking of the operations in Charleston harbor, Mr. Crowley says: "We were without the necessary material to extend our system to Charleston harbor ; besides, the exigencies of the situation at Richmond and Wilmington were too pressing to permit us to think of Charleston. However, some attempts were made by the local military authorities to lay torpedoes in the harbor, and a large one was planted in the main channel, the wires being led into Fort Sumter. On April 7, 1803, the Federal fleet, commanded by Admiral Dupont, moved up the channel northward toward Sul- livan's Island, the frigate [Neio\ Ironsides in advance, followed by the ironclad Keokuk and the wooden ves- sels. At a distance of about one thousand yards these powerful warships opened on Fort Sumter with terrific effect, and received iu return a heavy fire from all the adjacent forts. The [New] Ironsides passed over and over the torpedo before mentioned, and everybody awaited with intense anxiety the moment when it was expected she would be blown to pieces by its explo- 'fiion. It failed to 'go off,' however. Several reasons were assigned for the failure, but probably the true reason was wet powder and want of system in properly testing the wires and the torpedo tank. The Federals believed that the harbor was thickly studded with ex- plosives ; and, although this belief exercised a very considerable moral effect, it did not prevent them from advancing bravely to attack powerful forts, not know- ing at what moment their ships might be destroyed." 1 That President Lincoln's proclamation early in the war, declaring all the ports of the Confederacy to be in a state of blockade, ran us afoul of that sound prin- ciple of international law namely, "that a blockade, 1 Century Magazine, June, 1898. 538 BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 1861-1865. to be recognized as such, must be effective " can not be denied, but as the struggle progressed one after the other of the Southern ports were closed to the seced- ing States, and, our National sea forces concentrating their efforts on the remaining harbors, the blockade became most damaging to the South. At first the blockade runners had little to fear from our navy, and an almost uninterrupted supply of arms and ammuni- tion flowed into the South, and it is to be noted that, for the first two years of the strife, the armies of the South were remarkably successful. The control and patrol of the Mississippi and other Western rivers cut off that vast territory to the southwest from the Con- federacy, and greatly simplified the problem of block- ading the remaining coast line of the South. It was not until the price of cotton had fallen in the South to eight cents a pound and had risen to fifty cents a pound in Liverpool that blockade running was reduced to the nice science which made it celebrated. Early in the war any of the vessels remaining to the Confederacy could have engaged in this trade with comparative impunity ; but as the lines of the blockad- ing squadrons were tightened the first blockade runners were captured or driven to other service, while the enormous profits soon induced the British merchant to build vessels especially adapted for the traffic. As a rule, these vessels were required only for the short runs^ between Nassau or Bermuda to Charleston, Wilming- ton, and Savannah. Every device that ingenuity could suggest was adopted to render these craft swift, invisi- ble, and handy for the conditions peculiar to the serv- ice. " The typical blockade runner of 1863-'64 was a long, low, side-wheel steamer of from four to six hun- dred tons, with a slight frame, sharp and narrow, its length perhaps nine times its beam. It had feathering paddles and one or two raking, telescope funnels, which might be lowered close to the deck. The hull rose only a few feet out of water, and was painted a dull gray 1862. INVISIBILITY OP BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 539 lead color, so that it could hardly be seen by daylight at two hundred yards. Its spars were two short lower masts, with no yards, and only a small crow's nest in the foremast. The deck forward was constructed in the form known as 'turtleback,' to enable the vessel to go through a heavy sea. Anthracite coal, which made no smoke, was burned in the furnaces. When running in all lights were put out, the binnacle and fireroom hatch were carefully covered, and steam was blown off under water." l The difficulty of detecting a vessel painted lead color, at night, is well illustrated in the account of Mid- shipman G. Terry Sinclair. Sinclair had been ordered from Richmond to Nassau, and on reaching Charles- ton he says : u On arriving and taking a survey of the blockading fleet off the bar, I concluded it was easier to issue such orders than to execute them. On the evening of June 3d [18G2] I went on board the Cecile, a small river steamer, painted lead color to render her difficult of observation at night. About midnight, as the moon settled behind the hills, we steamed slowly out of the harbor, and were soon in the midst of the enemy, whose dark hulls were plainly visible to us. We crept slowly by, our wheels barely revolving lest the sound should reach the ears of the enemy. Know- ing well that discovery meant a prison for an indefinite time, each minute seemed an hour. To us, who so plainly saw the dark hulls of the enemy, it seemed barely possible that they did not also see or hear us ; but they did not." 2 Usually the blockade runner left Bermuda or Nassau at a time calculated to bring his vessel off the desired Southern port at night and when the moon would be down. Having accomplished this most important part of the programme, he usually found everything in favor ' James Russell Soley. in The Blockade and the Cruisers, pp. 150-157. * Century Magazine, July, 1898. 540 BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 1862-1865. of his attempt. Keeping a sharp lookout for the lights of the blockading force, he stood as faraway as possible, until, gaining the desired position, when, everything having been prepared for the crisis, he made the dash for the port, frequently passing within pistol shot of the National vessels with impunity. Not knowing when the rush would be made, the blockading vessels seldom had a full head of steam up ; while the blockade runner, vibrating from stem to stern with her highest pressure, generally got beyond gunshot before the blockading force was fairly under way. Of course, once under the guns of the land batteries the blockader was comparatively safe, but even then there have been instances where the craft was destroyed by daring boat parties from the National vessels. In short, when we come to consider the many cir- cumstances favoring the blockade runner, and the stupendous difficulties confronting the blockader, the wonder is that such a large number of vessels of this ilk were captured. It shows in a very forcible manner that our officers and crews were most diligently and skillfully performing one of the most hazardous and inglorious duties known to active service. It was sel- dom, indeed, that a blockade runner, when detected on the high seas, failed to outspeed our usually slower war ships, and, even in the few cases where the Nation- alists happened to have the swifter ship, the coming on of night, or a squall, or the shoaling of water too frequently demonstrated the time-honored saying, " There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip." An interest- ing illustration of this is given by Captain John Wil- kinson, formerly of the United States navy, who be- came one of the most successful blockade runners, having run the blockade twenty-one times between December, 1862, and November, 1863, in which time he carried out six thousand bales of cotton, the value of which in England was over a million dollars. Wil- kinson relates that on one occasion, while making the 1861-1865. TRICKS OF THE TRADE. 541 run from Wilmington to Nassau, he was hard pressed by a sloop of war which was gradually overhauling him. As night fell over the sea the sloop was about four miles astern and gaining rapidly, when Wilkinson directed his engineer to make a black smoke which could be readily seen by the pursuing war ship, even though the darkness soon rendered the outlines of the chase indistinct, and finally obliterated every trace. When Wilkinson was satisfied that his pursuer had nothing but the black smoke from his funnels to steer by he ordered the dampers to be turned off, thus caus- ing the smoke to cease ; the ship's course changed eight points, so that in a short time she had com- pletely disappeared, while the sloop was still chasing the smoke. One of the most serious difficulties the blockade runner had to contend with was the absence of guiding lights along the coast where he desired to make port. Soon after hostilities began many of the lights were discontinued and temporary guides were established. In the first year of the war the Frying Pan Shoal light- ship was carried inside the entrance of the port of Wil- mington and anchored in fancied security under the | guns of Fort Caswell. The gallant attack on the craft i by two boats from the Mount Vernon, Commander f Oliver S. Glisson, has been noted. 1 To repair this seri- ous loss the Confederates established a light on the Mound Battery at New Inlet. At first the blockade runners availed themselves of the lights on the block- ading vessels ; but, quickly detecting this, the National officers extinguished all the lights in their squadrons, I with the exception of a single lantern on the senior officer's ship, which usually was anchored in the center of the force and nearest to the entrance of the port. As showing how well informed those centers of block- ade running Nassau and Bermuda were kept of the See pp. 185-186, vol. ii. 542 BLOCKADE RUNNERS. doings of the Nationalists, it will be remarked that soon after this new arrangement for the lights wi-nt into effect all the blockade runners were made aware of it, and changed their tactics accordingly, so that the single light from the senior officer's ship, so far fr>m inconveniencing the enemy, actually improved the con- ditions for the dash into port. The vigilance of our officers also is attested by the fact that they soon dis- 1 covered the advantage the single light afforded the enemy, and turned it to account by changing the posi- 1 tion of the flagship each night. This resulted in sev- j eral blockade runners miscalculating their bearings and going ashore, where the vessel and cargo were either entirely or partially destroyed. Finding that the bold dash through the center of the blockading force was becoming more and more hazardous, the blockade runner resorted to the plan of | hugging the shore at one end of the blockade line, and slipping past the endmost vessel unobserved. In this the enemy was favored by the shadow the headlands threw over the sea, the roar of the surf drowning the noise from the paddlewheels, so that even on clear, j starlit nights it was almost impossible for him to be , detected. Once having passed the blockade line, the j runner would show a light on her land side invisible ! from the sea which, by prearrangement, was answered | by two dim lights on land, which enabled the blockade" j runner to form the range of the channel. A regular system of signals was devised between the blockade runners and their accomplices on shore which greatly . mitigated the dangers of making port. When Fort Fisher fell Lieutenant Gushing assumed the duties of i this signal service, and performed the work so skillfully that two notorious blockade runners, the Charlotte and the Stag, were inveigled under the guns of the fort, and captured before the astonished blockade runners knew that those fortifications had fallen into National hands. With a view to thwarting the blockade runner in his 1863. CHASE OF THE KATE. 543 attempt to round the end of the blockading line, the Nationalists stationed a light-draft vessel at either end, while several other smaller gunboats were placed half a mile within the line. A careful watch was kept for the enemy, and when discovered the blockade runner was permitted to pass the first gunboat, when signals were sent up, and the inside gunboats quickly sur- rounded the audacious craft and captured her. At times, even when the blockade runner had been chased ashore, the bulk of her cargo and in many instances the cargo was worth as much as the craft was saved. In fact, it was well understood that the Confederates had erected batteries at certain points along the coast, generally near a favorite port of entry, which could have protected a beached vessel, at least long enough to land her cargo, and in some cases to flave the vessel itself. Owing to the scarcity of artil- lery, the Confederates did not station guns permanently in these batteries, but held cavalry and guns in readi- ness to be rushed to any earthwork near which a block- ade runner had benched. The experience of the new English-built blockade runner Kate is a case in point. In July, 1863, she attempted to put into Charleston, but being chased off by the blockading forces there she made for Wilming- ton, and attempted to pass the National ships off New ~Inlet, On being sighted early in the morning, chase was given, and her commander was compelled to beach on Smith's Island, where the crew landed. A boat party from the Penobscot attempted to float her, but failing in this they set her on fire and left her, believ- ing her destruction to be assured. Two or three weeks afterward, however, the Confederates managed to float her off, and anchored her under a battery. It was only with great difficulty that she was finally destroyed a daring boat party. The dangers attending attacks on blockade runners are well illustrated in the case of the ffebe, a Bermuda 544 BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 18G3 steamer laden with contrabands of war, which ranj ashore on Federal Point about August 1, 1863. Shei was attacked by a boat from the blockading ves<-l Niphon, a screw merchant steamer converted into a gunboat for the war; but, as it was blowing a heavy gale at the time, the boat was swamped, though its crew managed to gain the decks of the stranded craft. A second boat party was not so fortunate, their boat also being swamped, the men cast ashore, and made , prisoners on the beach. Several other boats now put off to the assistance of our men in the Hebe, as that ves- j sel was covered by a 2-gun battery. One of these boats was upset, and finding that the chances of rescue were , small the men aboard the Hebe, after firing the vessel > so as to insure her destruction, made the best of their way to the shore and were captured. Several days later the large vessels of the squadron drew close in- I shore, and after silencing the Confederate battery j landed a force and brought off the guns. Another gallant affair of this kind was that con- ducted by Lieutenant Roswell H. Lamson, of the Nan- semond. On one of the darkest nights of October, ' 18G3, Lamson, while stationed with the blockading fleet : off New Inlet, Wilmington, discovered a strange vessel \ attempting to run the blockade. She was the Venus, one of the swiftest craft engaged in the contraband^ trade between Wilmington and Nassau. The Nanse- mond, a purchased side- wheel steamer, was quickly put about in chase, and after a hard run got within easy gunshot, when Lamson opened lire, his first shell taking effect in the enemy's foremast, the second exploding in the cabin, while the third killed a man as it passed forward, and the fourth struck the Venus between wind and water, causing her to leak seriously. Considering that it was an exceptionally dark night, and that the two vessels were moving at their highest rate of speed, we may well admire the marksmanship that rendered four successive shells effective. Finding that his craft 1863. BRECK'S GALLANT EXPLOIT. 545 must sink in a short time, the commander of the Venus headed straight for the shore, with the persistent Nan- semond close behind him. Indeed, so rapid had been the movements of the Nationalists that scarcely had the keel of the Venus begun to grate on the gravelly beach, and before her people could get ashore, when a boat full of armed men from the gunboat shot along- side, the men sprang up her sides, and in a twinkling had the entire ship's company prisoners. Finding that It would be impossible to float his prize, Lieutenant Lamson, after removing his prisoners, riddled the Venus with shell, so that in a short time she was totally destroyed. Early on the morning of November 9, 1863, the Niphon, under the command of Acting-Master J. B. Breck, while returning to her station off Wilmington after a chase toward Masonboro Inlet, discovered a side-wheel steamer endeavoring to run the blockade from the north. Behind the stranger, and in hot pur- suit, was a National gunboat, which kept up a con- tinual fire on the fleeing blockade runner the Ella and Anna. Finding that he was completely trapped, the commander of the Ella and Anna determined on the bold course of running the NlpTion down. Observ- ing this move, Breck massed his men at the bow, intending to board and carry the stranger, even if his own ship went down. On dashed the blockade runner at the top of her speed, and, unmindful of the storm of canister, crashed into the NipTion, carrying away the latter's bowsprit and stern. Not waiting to see if then was anything left of his own ship, Breck ordered the men to board, and in a few minutes they had full po* session of their prize. In her hold were found three hundred cases of Austrian rifles, besides other warlike stores, the sale of the cargo netting one hundred an< eighty thousand dollars. The prize was taken i the service under the name Malvern. One contrivance for eluding the vigilance < 80 546 BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 1863-1864. j blockaders merits notice. As has been said, the block- ade runner usually managed to approach the port at | night ; consequently orders were given to the officers of the National vessels, on the discovery of a blockade runner, to sound a general alarm and to fire rockets in the direction the suspected craft was taking when last seen, which served as a guide for the other vessels employed in the blockade. In an incredibly short time this order was known to all the commanders of vessels engaged in carrying contraband of war, and forthwith they supplied themselves with rockets, and when pursued at night they fired off enough rockets for a fleet, and of course in a direction they had little idea of taking. This confused the signals made by the National boat discovering the enemy, and threw the entire blockading force off the scent. On one dark night in September, 1864, this trick resulted in an exasperating escape of a blockade runner off Wilming- ton. The HowquaJt had almost run down a contra- band, when she suddenly found herself subjected to a severe fire from several of her consorts, which mistook her for the "other ship," and she was compelled to withdraw and allow the "real ship" to escape in order to save herself from disaster. An unpleasant feature of blockade running was in the fact that a number of officers in the Royal Navy assumed command of such craft under fictitious names,' and, undoubtedly with the connivance of the Admi- ralty, engaged in service against the United States. Doubtless the enormous profits to be made out of a few successful runs between Southern ports and Bermuda or Nassau was the main incentive for the British naval officer to engage in this discreditable service. One British officer, under the name of "A. Roberts," states that when blockade running was in the zenith of its prosperity the rates of pay in a vessel of the first class for a single round trip between Nassau and Wil- mington were: Captain, one thousand pounds; chief 1862-1865. BRITISH NAVAL OFFICERS IN TRADE. 547 officer, two hundred and fifty pounds ; second and third oiiirers, one hundred and fifty pounds each; chief en- gineer, five hundred pounds; crew and firemen, about fifty pounds each; pilot, seven hundred and fifty pounds half of the pay for each venture being paid in advance. It will be observed that the pay was in British gold, which at that time commanded a large premium over the currency of the United States, so that, when figured in dollars, twenty-five per cent could easily be added to each man's salary. Aside from these t'lmrmous rates of pay. the officers were able to stow away little cargoes on their own account, so that a six-hundred-pound bale of cotton snugly packed away under a bunk and in different parts of a stateroom, valued in Liverpool at three hundred dollars, was one of the little perquisites within the grasp of these mer- cenary officers. We can easily believe, then, that many officers engaged in this contraband trade retired in six months on comfortable fortunes. Another harrier to blockade running, and perhaps one more feared by the enemy, was the flying squad- ron created by the Nationalists, which was directed to cruise some fifty miles from the blockaded ports and in the vicinity of Bermuda and Nassau. This force was under the command of Acting Rear-Admiral Charles JVilkes, having the Wachusett as his flagship, and the Sonoma* Lieutenant Thomas Holdup Stevens, and Tioga, Lieutenant George W. Rodgers, in company. The squadron was rapidly increased and its field of operations enlarged, until it finally covered the entire Atlantic Ocean. Some of the other vessels added to it were the Dacotah, Cimmerone, Octorara, Santiago de Cuba, and Rhode Island. Speaking of this flying squadron, Captain John Taylor Wood, of the Confed- erate cruiser Tallahassee, said, after describing his rush past the blockading force off Wilmington : "More to be feared than the inshore squadron were the vessels cruising offshore from forty to fifty miles, in a position 548 BLOCKADE RUNNERS. 1862.' to sight at daylight the vessels that might come out; during the night, and these were the fastest and most \ efficient blockaders. . . . The fact that we were chased i by four cruisers on our first day out proved how effective was the blockade." 1 On November 29, 1862, Wilkes, in the WacJiusett, having the Sonoma and Tioga in company, appeared off St. George's harbor, Bermuda. The flagship, with the Tioga, entered the port, and, observing that the fort at the entrance showed no colors, Wilkes landed and demanded an explanation of the governor. That official replied that there was only a sergeant's guard in the fort. "But it was observed," records Lieuten- ant Stevens, "that when Wilkes left his anchorage for the sea the meteor flag of England was promptly hoisted." 8 In striking contrast to this treatment of Wilkes, we have the statement of Midshipman G. Terry Sinclair, of the Confederate cruiser Florida, Captain Maffitt, which visited the same port in the spring of the following year. Sinclair says : "When Captain Maffitt called on the governor, who was an admiral in the English navy, the latter, in a joking way, expressed surprise that an ex-officer of the American navy should be guilty of such a breach of etiquette as entering the harbor with- out saluting the English flag. To this Captain Maffitt replied that he could not do otherwise, as his salute would not be returned. The governor replied that he (Captain Maffitt) could not tell unless he tried. This was hint enough for Captain Maffitt, who returned to his ship, went to quarters, and hoisting the English ensign at his masthead saluted it, to which the fort replied." 8 1 Century Magazine, July, 1898. * Rear- Admiral Stevens to the author. Century Magazine, July, 1898. CHAPTER XXIII. SEA POWER IX THE CIVIL WAR. THAT we may better understand the importance of the part played by maritime forces, both North and South, in the civil war, a brief historical digression is ^necessary. French, English and American statesmen .for nearly three hundred years have recognized the [Mississippi River system as being the key to the United I States. The French discovered this at the time of the earliest settlements, and while the English, Dutch, Scandinavians, Scotch-Irish and Spaniards were estab- lishing themselves along the seaboard, the French were pushing their way one thousand miles inland, perfect- ing a chain of trading posts (in reality forts) along the St. Lawrence, Ohio and Mississippi Eivers and the Great Lakes, by means of which they hoped to merge the Canadas and Louisiana into one vast domain which not only would cut off the littoral settlements from the Tboundless West, but would give the French great ad- vantages over the English in time of war. How sound was the judgment of these statesmen as to the superior advantages of this enormous river sys- tem over the seaboard is forcibly shown to-day in the general decadence of commerce in our Atlantic cities and the unprecedented massing of population and trade along these great inland waters. When we see the vast commerce of the great West pass direct Europe without paying toll to our seaboard cities, we marvel at the foresight of the French statesmen who nearly three hundred years ago devoted their energies 549 550 SEA POWER IN THE CIVIL WAR. 1678-1812. to controlling these inland water ways, well content to allow their rivals to occupy the thin outer edge of the vast continent so long as the French were making sure of the continent itself. As early as 1678 De la Salle launched a craft of ten tons on Lake Ontario, and a year later one of sixty tons was launched on Lake Erie. No one was more alive to the great power threatening him in the rear than the English settler himself, and in this we have the explanation of the persistent efforts made by the seaboard colonists to wrest this territory from their inveterate foe. When the war for American independence broke out the English followed the old scheme of the French ministers to control all inland waters, and to use them as a means of attacking the seaboard territory in the rear. Their first attempt was made in 1776, when a combined army and navy expedition came down the Richelieu River from the St. Lawrence and endeavored to reach New York by way of Lakes Champlain and George and the Hudson River, thus cutting off the New England States from the West. That expedition, as has been shown in this work, was frustrated by the stubbornly contested naval action on Lake Champlain, in which, it is true, the Americans were defeated, but, like the repulse at Bunker Hill, it was a victorious de- feat, for the enemy's object was thwarted and they were compelled to retreat. Captain Mahan, in an advance chapter of his History of the Royal Navy of Great Britain, rightly attributes the capture of Burgoyne's army, when attempting the same passage two y<-ais later, to this naval engagement and Burgoyne's cap- ture has been classed as one of the " decisive battles of the world." In the War of 1812 the enemy made desperate at- tempts as has been fully shown in this work to con- trol the Great Lakes, which plainly shows how impor- tant they considered these inland waters. " They are a portion of our marine dominion," said the London 1812-1861. IMPORTANCE OF RIVERS. 551 Times in 1813, " which must on no account be yielded." In these efforts they were baffled by our naval forces on Lake Ontario in 1812, defeated by Perry's squadron on Lake Erie in 1813, and then, changing their point of attack, they were overwhelmed with disaster by our naval forces on Lake Champlain in 1814. Still deter- mined to get a hold on these inland waters, the English in the winter of 1814-'15, when the announcement of peace was daily expected, projected their most formi- dable expedition of the war against New Orleans, hop- ing to obtain a hold on the great river system which they believed and with reason they could extend to all the territory drained by it. How these efforts also were frustrated by our sea power has been shown in this work, not only by the heroic fight made by our gunboats on Lake Borgne, but by the detention of a large section of the expedition at Fayal, in its attack on the American privateer General Armstrong. These stub- born sea contests so delayed and harassed the expedi- tion that our land forces obtained indispensable time in which to prepare defenses from which the British finally recoiled. Such being the strategical importance of the Missis sippi River system in the eyes of French and English statesmen, when the West was nothing but a wilder- ness, of how much greater value must it have been in 1861, when its banks were inhabited by millions ol people and its waters bore thousands of tons of snip- ping ? The Ohio, Missouri and other confluents of the Mississippi would have been of little value to the bor- dering States if the only natural outlet of those water ways to the outside world was held by an enemy. With that mightiest of all river systems in their c trol, the Confederates could well hope not only to cu off absolutely the Northern States from the West but even to carry their conquests to wherever these wato came. Truly, the Mississippi was rightly termed " backbone of the rebellion." 552 SEA POWER IN THE CIVIL WAR. 1841-1863. That the credit of wresting this highly important water way from the control of the South belongs almost exclusively to our maritime forces, can not be gainsaid. From New Orleans to Fort Donelson our navy was the dominating and almost only considerable factor in that stupendous struggle. Not only in making this all-im- portant conquest, but in keeping it, in patrolling the rivers night and day from end to end, thereby cutting the Confederates off from the much-needed supplies in the States of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, the navy bore the brunt of attack. And it must not be forgotten that on more than one occasion our river gunboats saved our land forces from overwhelming defeat. Grant's army was rescued from ignominious disaster at Belmont in 1861 by the wooden gunboats Tyler and Lexington, for an eyewitness says : " The enemy planted their fresh artillery, sup- ported by infantry, in a cornfield just above our trans- ports, with the intention of sinking them when we started up the river and of bagging the entire army ; but thanks to the gunboats Tyler and Lexington and their experienced gunners, they saved us from a ter- rible doom. They took up a position between us and the enemy and opened their guns upon them, letting slip a whole broadside at once. This movement was performed so quickly that the Confederates could not fire on us. Their guns were silenced as soon as they opened, or probably were dismounted. The first shot from the gunboats made a perfect lane through the enemy's ranks." The Confederates en- deavored to reply with musketry, but without effect, and the fire from the gunboats soon put them to flight. In the following year these same gunboats and un- der very similar circumstances saved the National army from capture at Pittsburg Landing (see vol. ii, pages 287-289). Then again six gunboats the ubiqui- tous Lexington among them rescued Colonel Hard- 1863. NECESSITY FOR OPENING RIVERS. 553 ing's garrison of eight hundred men when surrounded by an overwhelming Confederate force (see vol. ii, page 290). It was our gunboats that did so much toward neutralizing the effect of Morgan's raid in 1863 and in intercepting his retreat, the little Moose overtaking the Confederates at a ford two hundred and fifty miles east of Cincinnati and compelling them to scatter in headlong flight. We must keep in mind that the mere independence of the seceding States was not the only aim of the Con- federates. They had definitely in view the formation of one great slave empire, embracing at least the south- ern half of the United States to the Pacific coast, all of Mexico, the West India Islands and the Hawaiian Is- lands. They well knew that by holding the lower half of the Mississippi River her vast tributaries were com- paratively useless to any other States, and that their conquest or friendly attitude would follow in course of time. In other words, they recognized, just as the French and English statesmen did, that Nature had designed this enormous territory to be occupied by one and only one nation. It would never do for the Na- tionalists to simply keep possession of the sections already held by them. They must control the river system from sources to the mouth, else lose all. To the Government at Washington a failure to open the Mississippi meant the ultimate surrender of the vast territory drained by its confluents. To the leaders at Richmond the failure to hold their part of the river system meant the surrender of the most alluring part of their programme and the perpetual confinement of the Confederacy to a small area, where there was Me prospect of future expansion, and where the rapid growth of the Northern and Western States in a few generations would, if the Confederacy ff f ** Ling its independence, completely overshadow andin time overwhelm them. Briefly, the fight for the MM sissippi was a gigantic struggle for the control of 1 554: SEA POWER IN THE CIVIL WAR. 1801-1*04. West, and the victory was won for the North by her I superior maritime power. One of the most important objects of the National | policy was to exhaust the resources of the South, and a \ long step was taken to this end by our control of the j Mississippi River, for it cut off from the Confederacy the invaluable supplies of beef and cotton from the fertile States of Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. This territory being more remote from the seat of war was less exposed to its ravages, and when the other South- ern States were exhausted Texas and Arkansas could have furnished almost illimitable supplies the beef for sustenance and the cotton for purchasing military supplies. While the struggle for the Mississippi was going on in the West the far-reaching plans of our Government were operating most effectively in the "drying up" process on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is well known that the South was deficient in manufacturing plants and skilled mechanics, but so long as military supplies could be obtained abroad and cotton could be produced with which to pay for them, these deficien- cies were comparatively insignificant. But here our sea power was exerted again with telling effect. Our Western gunboats cut off the very considerable supply of cotton from Texas and Arkansas, and the seagoing navy wrested seaport after seaport from the South, and the harbors that could not be taken were blockaded. True, many swift vessels eluded the blockade, but many were captured, and in just that proportion crip- pled the Secessionists, while, as the war progressed, our blockade lines were drawn closer and closer, gradually drying up the vitality of the South until she was veri- tably gasping. To the unprejudiced student of the military opera- tions of this unfortunate strife it must be apparent that the Confederacy could never have been put down had it not been for the aid of our maritime forces. It was 1861-1862. SUBSTANTIAL NAVAL VICTORIES. 555 very similar to the conditions in the War of 1812, when disaster after disaster befell our armies and victory after victory was won by our sea forces, and the contrast be- came so marked in 1814 that the London Times of that year was led to exclaim : "It seems fated that the ignorance, incapacity, and cowardice of the Americans by land should be continually relieved in point of t'flVrt on the public mind by their successes at sea." 1 In the first two years of the internecine strife disaster afi'-r disaster befell our land forces, while in striking contrast we find an almost unbroken series of great victories to the credit of our navy. It could not be said that " it is all quiet along the Potomac " with our navy. Within eighteen months after war was declared Forts Donelson and Henry, Island No. 10, Fort Pillow, Memphis, New Orleans had all been taken after superb fighting, with the result that three of the largest States of the Confederacy were isolated. On the seaboard Fort Hatteras, Port Royal, Fort Macon, and many ! lesser points had been captured by the sea forces of the North, while the dreaded Merrimac had been thwarted in her far-reaching designs. In short, when we come to sum up the comparative number of victories won by the National army and navy in this war, we find that, in proportion to the num- . ber of men engaged-there being only fifty-five thou- sand men in the navy at the most-the navy is immeas- urably ahead ; and when it comes to a proportionate comparison of killed and wounded, the navy suffered quite as much as the army. Our nava forces were almost invariably successful, and what is more hat which they took was generally kept, while the sum total of defeat and victory for our ^J^S balance with the further discredit of too freque losing all that their victories gave t m. . The writer in no way indorses the epithetsj ignorance, incapacity, and cowardice," the words necessarily being quot 556 SEA POWER IN THE CIVIL WAK. 1861-1864. ' Again it must be admitted that had this war been settled by land forces alone the result would have been extremely doubtful. It is generally conceded that offensive operations require many more men than de- fensive work to insure any hope of success. As a rule, the South was acting on the defensive. We point with pride to the larger population of the North, but we must not forget that that larger population was needed to carry on an offensive campaign. Furthermore, the Southerners were lighting in defense of their homes, while a large portion of the Northern troops drafted into the service were of foreign birth, and too plainly showed on more than one occasion that they had little relish for the cause in which they were engaged. The adage that a man fighting for his own home is equal to three, is not inapplicable in this war ; so that when we point to the larger population of the North at tlint time we must not forget that, even if all were loyal Americans, it required a great preponderancy of force to carry the war successfully into the South. In view of these facts it must be admitted that so far as the land forces of the North and South were concerned they were sufficiently well matched to have made the result extremely doubtful. European statesmen saw this. England and France did not covertly and openly side with the South without first carefully weighing the chances, no matter how much they desired to see the Union dismembered. After look- ing the situation over carefully they were satisfied that the South would win, for at that time they had not counted nor did we count on the extraordinary devel- opment and unprecedented exploits of our navy, which gave such a crushing blow to the hopes of the Confed- eracy. Had any one in 1861 said that wooden ships could run past Forts Jackson and St. Philip or capture K-it- teries like those at Port Royal and Hatteras, he would have been set down as mad. Had any one told these statesmen that in eighteen months the North would 1861-1864. IP THE SOUTH HAD SEA POWER? 557 have a fleet of ironclads capable of withstanding the heaviest shot or sinking all the wooden ships in the world, he would have been laughed at. It was this un- precedented and unexpected development of our mari- time strength and prowess that changed the attitude of France and England after the second year of the struggle. Looking at the war from another standpoint we are confronted by an even more striking illustration of the potency of sea power in that struggle. Suppose, for a moment, that the South had an equally effective mari- time force or equally good facilities for building iron- clads. We have seen what dreadful havoc their wretchedly constructed ironclads occasioned, and fol- lowing all these actions critically we will be startled by discovering in how many instances the Confeder- ates were overcome not by our ships or guns but by their own faulty construction and defective armament and machinery. It is appalling to think of what the Merrimac could have done had she been constructed with all the facilities and promptness of a Northern shipyard. She would have got to sea several weeks before any monitor could possibly have been made ready. Had she the proper hull, suitable engines, per- fect workmanship, our seaboard cities would have been at her mercy and our wooden ships sunk or scattered in flight. France and England unquestionably would have acknowledged the independence of the ^ South and there would have been a free outflow of cotton from the Confederacy to Europe and as free a flow o military supplies of the best quality in return. 558 SEA POWER IN THE CIVIL WAR. 1861-1864. not more so, than that built by the North ; and what is more, the South, in spite of its deficiency in skilled mechanics and machine shops, had their "monsters" more advanced toward completion than the North. Look over the list : The Louisiana, of sixteen guns (nearly completed in April, 1862, in spite of strikes of employees, lack of material, etc.) ; the Manassas, one gun ; the New Orleans, twenty guns ; the Memphis, eighteen guns ; the Mississippi, sixteen guns ; the Arkansas, ten guns ; the Tennessee (No. 1), ten guns ; the Tennessee (No. 2), six guns ; the Palmetto State, four guns ; the Chicora, six guns ; the Merrimac, ei^ht guns ; the Atlanta, six guns ; the Georgia, six guns ; the Albemarle, four guns ; the Fredericksburg, six guns ; the Richmond, six guns ; the Virginia, eight guns in all, sixteen ironclads, mounting one hun- dred and forty- three guns. In almost every instance these vessels were wretchedly put together, and there was so much delay in their construction that few got into active service. The record of our naval operations on the Western rivers would have been very different if the Confeder- ates could have supplemented the strength of their land batteries and forts with a fleet of ironclads equally as good as those of the North. As it was, they made an effective fight with their frail passenger boats, and in one case captured one of our most formidable iron- clads, while the unfinished Arkansas safely ran the gauntlet of the entire National fleet. We have seen how the upper. Mississippi was opened by our iron- clads and wooden gunboats. If the Confederates had equally good or better vessels and the Arkansas type proved to be superior to our ironclads they could not only have secured their section of this river system, but could have carried their operations northward. It is impossible to conceive of Farragut successfully passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip if the ironclads Louisiana, New Orleans, Memphis and Mississippi 1861-1864. THE NAVY INDISPENSABLE. 559 had been properly built and ready to be let loose among the National wooden ships on that night. We have seen what the Merrimac did five weeks before at Hampton Roads, yet the Mississippi alone was equal to three Merrimacs and was regarded as the "greatest vessel in the world." We all know how much time and blood it took for our land forces even with the aid of the navy to capture Yicksburg. Suppose the Confederate ironclads had control of the Mississippi instead of the Nationalists as undoubtedly would have been the case had their various ironclads been properly and promptly constructed how many Yicks- burgs would there have been before our land forces could have opened the river ; and after capturing all the Vicksburgs, what was to prevent the Confederate ironclads from passing and repassing those batteries with impunity just as our wooden ships did and still be virtually in possession of the river? And so the comparison could be carried out to the minutest details of the maritime strength of the North and the South, each conclusion pointing most unmis- takably to the belief that, first, had it not been for the sea power of the North the war would have gone on almost indefinitely ; and, secondly, had the South had equally good facilities for increasing its sea power or for creating a new iron-mailed sea power the secession could not have been suppressed by force of arms. END OF VOL. II. 8489 9 TOIYi AT LOS ANGLLE8 LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY This book is DUE on the lasrtlate stamped below * 008 7 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY HlIIRll AA 001 105941 7