Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: August 6, 1864

Hot and dry.

The booming of cannon heard yesterday evening was from one of our batteries below Drewry's Bluff. The enemy answered from their batteries, the existence of which we had no knowledge of before. No one was hurt.

About the same time Gen. Beauregard sprung a mine under the enemy's mine, and blew it up, no doubt destroying many lives. This was succeeded by heavy, but, perhaps, harmless shelling along the lines.

Another raiding party has been defeated and dispersed at Madison, Ga.

But we have been unfortunate in a naval engagement in the lower bay, at Mobile. We have lost Admiral Buchanan's ram “Tennessee,” and several other steamers. One of the enemy's monitors was sunk. They had five vessels to our one.

Battles are momentarily expected at Atlanta and Winchester. We have nothing additional from the North.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 261

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Saturday, February 18, 1865

Had a good run during the night A. M. Passed Natchez but did not get to see any of the city except “Natchez under the hill.” boat stopping but a few minutes. At 11.30 at the mouth of Red River where are stationed 8 gunboats & Monitors to guard the river, here had a sight of the formidable Rebel Ram Tenesee. She is a formidable looking vessel, at 1.45. landed at Murgauge. Saw Warren Alney, & took on board 1 battalion of 2 N Y. Cav. Place defended by 7 negro Regts & battery. Rebs close. Start down at 6.30

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 574

Arrival of New Orleans Prisoners at Ft. Warren

The U. S. steamer Rhode Island, Commander Trenchard, arrived at Boston On Friday, having on board the rebel naval officers who were captured by our ships in the action on the Mississippi, below New Orleans.  The following are the leading officers:

COMMANDER J. K. MITCHELL.  He is about 50 years of age.  Was an old United States Navy officer.  He commanded the naval forces at Forts Jackson and Phillip, and was compelled to surrender.

COMMANDER BEVERLY KENNON.  A native of Norfolk, Virginia.  Entered the navy in 1844, and resigned in 1861.  His father was killed by the bursting of the famous Stockton gun “Peacemaker,” on board the steamship Princeton in 1842.

LIEUTENANT WARLEY.  A native of South Carolina.  He entered the United States Navy in 1840, and resigned in 1861.

LIEUTENANT WHITTLE – Is a son of Commodore W. O. Whittle, and grandson of Commodore Arthur Lincoln, United States Navy.  Both he and his father resigned from the United States Navy in 1861, and joined the Rebels.  He was attached to the Pirate Nashville, until quite recently.  He was with her in England and commanded her when she ran out of Beaufort, N. C., where it surrendered to the United States forces.  He is only 22 years of age.  He is a Virginian.

DOCTOR GRAFTON – As from Arkansas and was in the United States Navy two years.

LIEUTENANT W. H. WARD – Is from Norfolk, Va.  He entered the United States Navy in 1849, and on his return from his last cruise to China in 1861, resigned his commission.  He was locked up in Fort Warren for safe keeping where he remained 5 months.  He was released three months since, and is now on his way to this old place of residence.

COMMANDER McINTOSH.  He resigned [from] the United States Navy in 1861.  One of his arms was shot off in the recent engagement below New Orleans, and otherwise badly wounded.

LIEUTENANT JOHN WILKINSON. – A native of Norfolk, Va., entered the United States Navy in 1839 and resigned in 1861, and entered the rebel service.  He commanded the steamer Tennessee before the siege, and came below the forts with a flag of truce, when he was met by Commander De Camp of the United States sloop-of-war Iroquois, who entertained him in the cabin of the gunboat Winona, also under a flag of truce, conveying the Captain of the French steamer Milan to the forts.  Looking back upon that incident once cannot but feel [that] De Camp’s words on that occasion were prophetic.  Said Wilkinson to De Camp, “John you can’t go past the forts.”  De camp replied, slapping Wilkinson on the shoulder, “By ___ John, we will!”  And they did.

LIEUT. T. B. HUGER.  Was an old United States officer, and was in the steamer Iroquois.  He is a South Carolinian.

These are the principal rebels now sojourning in Fort Warren, who were engaged in the recent naval fight below New Orleans.  It will be seen that their absence makes a pretty appalling gap in the Confederate Navy.  All of them are deserters from the United States Navy.  There came also with this party quite a formidable list of lesser lights recently in the same service, who were compelled to share the fortunes of their leaders.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 31, 1862, p. 2