634 



NAVY, U. S., OPERATIONS OF. 



forts opened upon them a hot fire, to which the 

 squadron at first could only reply with their 

 bow guns. As soon as their broadsides were 

 brought within range the engagement became 

 general. " The flames," said Commander Por- 

 ter, " seemed to be literally eating the vessels 

 up." In attempting to avoid a fire raft the Hart- 

 ford grounded on a shoal, and in this position 

 was set on fire, the flames bursting through 

 the p.orts and running up the rigging; but, 

 with great exertion, they were extinguished, 

 and the ship's guns, which had meanwhile 

 been worked without interruption, were now 

 brought to bear upon Fort St. Philip, and that 

 work was almost completely silenced. In the 

 mean time, the Brooklyn and some other ves- 

 sels, owing to the darkness and smoke, became 

 entangled in the barrier, and were exposed to 

 a raking fire from the forts for a fe\v minutes, 

 but managed to extricate themselves, and the 

 Brooklyn, finding herself unexpectedly close 

 abreast of Fort St. Philip, poured in such a 

 storm of grape and canister that the garrison 

 were seen, by the flash of the bursting shrap- 

 nells, running from their guns. Before the 

 squadron had fairly passed the forts, the Con- 

 federate fleet of gunboats and rams appeared, 

 and took part in the fight. They were first 

 encountered by Captain Bailey in the Cayuga, 

 who was considerably in advance of the rest, at 

 a moment when no supporting ship was in 

 sight. By skilful steering he frustrated their 

 attempts to board and butt, and had forced 

 three to surrender, when the Oneida, Com- 

 mander Lee, and Varuna, Captain Boggs, hove 

 in sight. The Oneida, discovering a Confed- 

 erate gunboat crossing her bows, ran into her 

 with a full head of steam, and cut her down, 

 leaving her to drift down the stream with the 

 current. The Varuna, after passing the forts, 

 and destroying or driving ashore a gunboat 

 and three transports, found herself, about day- 

 light, completely surrounded by the enemy. 

 The Governor Moore, iron-clad about the bow, 

 first attacked her, butting her twice, and send- 

 ing a raking fire along her port gangway, 

 killing four and wounding nine of the crew ; 

 but Captain Boggs, by a few well-directed 

 shells, drove her off, partially disabled. While 

 still engaged with her, another Confederate 

 steamer, iron-clad, with a prow under water, 

 struck the Varuna in the port gangway, doing 

 considerable damage. She backed off for 

 another blow, and struck again in the same 

 place, crushing in the side; "but by going 

 ahead fast," says Captain Boggs, "the concus- 

 sion drew her bow around, and I was able, 

 with the port guns, to give her, while close 

 alongside, five eight-inch shells abaft her ar- 

 mor. This settled her and drove her ashore 

 in flames. Finding the Varuna sinking, I ran 

 her into the bank, let go the anchor, and tied 

 up to the trees. During all this time, the 

 guns were actively at work crippling the Mor- 

 gan (Governor Moore), which was making 

 feeble efforts to get up steam. The fire was 



kept up until the water was over the gun- 

 trucks, when I turned my attention to getting 

 the wounded and crew out of the vessel." 

 Just at this moment the Oneida came up, took 

 off some of the men from the Varuna, and 

 completed the destruction of the Gov. Moore, 

 which was run ashore and set on fire by the 

 crew, part of whom afterward surrendered to 

 Commander Lee. Three of the gunboats were 

 obliged to put back, one having been disabled 

 early in the action, and the others caught in 

 the barrier chain and delayed until the day 

 had broken and the rest of the fleet had gone 

 past the forts. Within two hours from the 

 commencement of the fight, nearly the whole 

 Confederate fleet was captured or destroyed, 

 and the victory was secured; but, "just as the 

 scene appeared to be closing," Avrites Captain 

 Farragut, " the ram Manassas was seen corning 

 under full speed to attack us. I directed Capt. 

 Smith, in the Mississippi, to turn and run her 

 down. The order was instantly obeyed by the 

 Mississippi turning and going at her at full 

 speed. Just as we expected to see the ram 

 annihilated, when within fifty yards of each 

 other, she put her helm hard a-port, dodged 

 the Mississippi, and ran ashore. The Missis- 

 sippi poured two broadsides into her, and sent 

 her drifting down the river a total wreck." 

 As she came into the midst of Porter's flotilla, 

 several of the mortar boats and steamers open- 

 ed fire upon her; "but I soon discovered," 

 writes Porter, "that the Manassas could harm 

 no one again, and I ordered the vessels to save 

 their shot. She was beginning to emit smoke 

 from her ports, or holes, and was discovered to 

 be on fire and sinking. Her pipes were all 

 twisted and riddled with shot, and her hull 

 was also well cut up. She had evidently been 

 used up by the squadron as they passed along. 

 I tried to save her as a curiosity, by getting a 

 hawser around her and securing her to the 

 bank, but just after doing so she faintly ex- 

 ploded. Her only gun went off, and emitting 

 flames through her bow port, like some huge 

 animal, she gave a plunge and disappeared 

 under the water." About 5 o'clock the Cayu- 

 ga came upon the camp of the Chalmette regi- 

 ment, Col. Szymanski, on the right bank of 

 the river. Casting anchor, Captain Bailey 

 opened upon it with canister, and obliged the 

 whole force to surrender, with their arms, 

 camp equipage, &c. Soon afterward, the sig- 

 nal was given to cease action, and 12 vessels 

 dropped anchor above and out of range of the 

 forts, and began to prepare for further opera- 

 tions. Two of the gunboats were immediate- 

 ly sent ahead to cut the telegraph wires in 

 various places, and one was sent, by way of 

 the Quarantine bayou, to communicate with 

 Commander Porter and General Butler. With 

 his nine remaining vessels, Captain Farragut 

 then proceeded up to New Orleans, meeting 

 on the way abundant evidence of the panic 

 which prevailed in that city. " Cotton-loaded 

 ships, on fire, came floating down, and work- 



