The following incidents of the fight, from the correspondence of the Boston Journal, are very interesting:
CUTTING THE CHAIN ACROSS THE RIVER.
On Sunday night the gunboats Pinola and Itasca went up, under command of Flagg Captain Bell, to cut the chain. The Pinola ran in the west bank, and after striking a sunken ship she succeeded in reaching one of the hulks, to which Mr. Kroehl, the experimenter, attached a heavy petard. The wire connecting it to the battery on board the steamer was coiled up on de[ck] but the current ran so strong and the Pinola drifted so rapidly, that the wire was broken and the attempt failed. In the meantime, the Itasca ran up to one of the hulks on the east side of the river, when Acting Masters Edward Jones and Amos Johnson, with eight men, boarded the schooner, and in half an hour succeeded in unshackling the chain from its moorings and dropping it down.
The following letter from Capt. Caldwell, of the gunboat Itasca, gives an account of the affair:
* * * The operator on board the Pinola did not succeed in blowing up the chain, as the connecting wire broke and the vessel could not be blown up as the current pressed the Pinola upon her with such force that it took half an hour to clear her. The Itasca took the next schooner, and in half an hour stripped the chain, but unfortunately before she could get well clear, the current cast her over on to the east shore, grounding the schooner lashed to her and running the Itasca’s fore foot into the mud, where she remained nearly two hours exposed to the fire of both forts. The Pinola parted two 5-inch hawsers in trying to pull her off, but at last started her with an 11-inch hawser. After running this schooner on shore, the others swung most favorable, leaving a wide passage for the fleet.
On Wednesday night Capt. Caldwell, with Acting Master Jones, and eleven of the Itasca’s men, pulled up to the schooners after dark, to make a final reconnaissance of the schooners. They pulled up and sounded round the schooners on the west bank, and then crossed over and did the same with the schooners on the east bank. They found the channel more than sufficiently wide and entirely unobstructed. The rebels had lighted a fire on the east bank exposing everything attempting to pass up, but the boat, with muffled oars, passed safely up, and made all their observations unobserved, although they could hear the orders given at the fort, and hear the men calling and talking very loudly about some business they were carrying on outside the fort. The boat then returned and made the joyful signal, “all right” – the Itasca’s night number, two white and one red lanterns. Soon after the flag ship hoisted another preconcerted signal, two red lanterns. This was to get under weigh, prepare for battle and pass up the river. Within two hours the fleet performed one of the most wonderful and brilliant feats that ever honored any navy, and made the glorious passage of the river.
CHAIN-CLAD SLOOPS OF WAR.
The most conspicuous feature in the outward appearance of the fleet was the iron-linked mail of the sloops of war Richmond, Brooklyn, and Pensacola, each of which had their engines and boilers protected by chain cables, hung in bites on the outside and triced to eyebolts and rods running fore and aft. The chains were dropped from the height of the gun-deck to below the water-line, and connected together by strong cordage. This was equivalent to four inch plates, provided it withstood the effects of glancing or oblique shots. The only danger apprehended from the chains on the steamers was from raking shots tearing them off, in which case it was feared they would become entangled with the propellers. To guard against this, some of the ships unshackled the chain in short lengths, so that it might reach astern. The machinery of the Iroquois was protected in the same way, the credit of originating which plan is due to Assistant Engineer Hoyt of the Richmond, upon which ship it was first adopted, the other vessels following her example.
Among the most efficient of the internal arrangements for the protection of the boilers, the destruction of which by a shot or shell was the most to be dreaded, although this was not the only dangerous part of the ships, was that adopted on board the sloop of war Mississippi, the machinery of which, being more above the water line, was consequently more exposed to the fire of the enemy. The preparations of the ship for the action involved an immense amount of labor, which engaged her officers and crew for weeks before the attack. Under the direction of Chief Engineer Lawton, Mr. Bartleman, the First Assistant, worked night and day with a strong force, and constructed a temporary roof in the coal bunkers just below the water line, about which the heavy chain cables of the ship were packed in layers, running fore and aft. – The ends of the shaft of the Mississippi were protected by four bales of bagging on the outside of each wheel. The bows of several of the ships, including the Richmond and Harford, were protected by sand bags piled up beneath the forecastle, and intended to be removed aft to break the force of raking shot after the ships should have passed the forts. I alluded in a former letter to the log packing of the boilers of the gunboat Owasco. The bulkheads of other gunboats were strengthened in like manner, and also by sand bags, and the coal bunkers of all being kept full, supplied the wants of extra barriers to shot and shell. From the moment the sloop of war Portsmouth arrived in the river, her officers and crew engaged in putting the ship into fighting trim. She wore a mail constructed of her sheet chains, for the protection of her bow against a raking fire, and spread a complete spar netting of strong ropes to prevent her lofty spars – cut away by cannon balls – from falling on deck.
SKILLFUL PREPARATIONS.
The sloop of war Richmond, taken altogether, was by far the best fitted ship in the squadron. Her hull, standing rigging, and in fact every part of the vessel which could afford the least mark for the rebel artillerists, received a coating of mud paint; she wore splinter nettings running fore and after over her decks. In addition to the iron mail, which she wore externally, her machinery was protected by sand bags, packed against her bulkheads.
The gunboats Katahdin, Lieutenant Commanding Preble, and the Harriet Lane wore their boarding nettings, and other gunboats and ships were provided wiht the same barriers against the enemy. Many of the ships carried kedge anchors on their yard arms, and grappling hooks on their jib booms, with which to fasten the gunboats and fire rafts of the enemy.
CAPT. BOGGS’ ACCOUNT OF THE VERONA’S [sic] ACTION.
The following is an extract from a letter of Captain Boggs, of the Verona, addressed to his family in New Jersey. It was of course, not intended for the public eye. Sailor-like, the gallant captain identifies himself with his ship, and with as much directness and force as he fights:
MISSISSIPI RIVER,
U. S. Steamer Harriet Lane, April 23, 1862
As Captain Porter is about to dispatch a vessel for Havanna with communications for our government, I have only a few moments to say that, thanks to good Providence, I am safe, and without even a scratch.
Yesterday our great battle was fought. The squadron passed the forts under as severe a fire as any fleet probably ever endured. The ships were much cut up, and there were many killed and wounded.
I can only give a hasty narrative of what occurred on board the Verona, as in that you will take a special interest.
“We started at 2 o’clock, A. M., and received the first fire at 3.30, just as the moon was rising. My vessel was terribly bruised, but we returned the fire with interest. On passing the forts I found myself the leading ship, and surrounded by a squadron or rebel steamers, who annoyed me much by their fire; so that I steered as close to them as possible, giving to each a broadside in succession as I passed; driving one on shore, and leaving four others in flames.
“During this time the firing of guns, whistling of shot and bursting of shells was terrible; the smoke dense. As this cleared off, finding more steamers ahead, I stopped to look for the rest of the squadron. The ship was leaking badly; but thus far none were hurt. Astern, I saw the Oneida engaged with a rebel steamer. The latter shortly after came up the river, when I engaged him, but found my shot of no avail, as he was iron-clad about the bow. He tried to run me down; and I to avoid him and reach his vulnerable parts. During these movements he raked [me], killing three and wounding seven, and attempted to board; but we repulsed him. Driving against me he battered me severely, but in these efforts exposed his vulnerable side, and I succeeded in planting a couple of broadsides into him, that crippled his engine and set him on fire. He then dropped off, and as he moved slowly up the river and passed me I gave him another and parting broadside.
“I now found my ship on fire from his shells, and it was great difficulty that it was put out. Just then another iron-clad steamer bore down and struck heavily on my port quarter, and backed off for a second blow. This second blow crushed in my side; but at the same instant I gave him a full complement of shot and shell that drove him on shore and in flames.
“Finding myself in a sinking condition I ran my bow into the bank and landed my wounded, still keeping up a fire on my first opponent, who at last hauled down his flag. My last gun was fired as the decks went under water.
“No time to save anything, the officers and crew escaping with the clothes they had on their backs. We were taken off by boats from the squadron, who had now come up, the crews cheering as the Veruna went down with her flag flying; victorious in defeat, and covered with glory.
“I think we have done well. Eleven steamers destroyed by the squadron.* The old ram Manassas sunk by the Mississippi.
“This has been a gallant fight, no less than 170 guns playing on us. The forts are cut off from succor, and must soon surrender. The way to New Orleans is open, and the city is probably ours at this moment; for the fleet immediately passed up the river.
“The commodore, as a post of honor, dispatched me in my only remaining boat, with a picked crew from Veruna’s men, to carry dispatches to Gen. Butler.
Having been in the boat for twenty six hours after such a day’s previous work, you may imagine I am somewhat exhausted. What my next position may be I do not know – perhaps to go home for another ship, or possibly to become naval aid to – Major General Butler.”
(Capt. Boggs is too modest to say that he destroyed six out of the eleven. – ED.)
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 17, 1862, p. 2
