THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
439 
se During the entire action the vessel was struck a number of times, the smoke¬ 
stack was shot almost entirely away, and one shot penetrated the deck on the 
starboard bow. No serious injury was suffered, and there were no casualties 
among officers or men.’ 3 
Commander Strong, U.S. steamer “ Monongahela,” Aug. 6th, 1864,—• 
“ I struck her (the * Tennessee ’) fair, and swinging round poured in a broad¬ 
side of solid 11-inch shot, which apparently had but little, if any, effect upon her.’ 3 
Captain Alden, U.S. ship “Brooklyn,” Aug. 6th, 1864. 
“.Our shot—solid nine-inch, with thirteen pounds of powder-—struck him 
repeatedly, but without any material effect, except one, which, as it is believed, 
carried away his smoke-stack.’ 3 
The wooden ships of Hear-Admiral Farragut’s fleet, previous to going into action, 
in Mobile Bay, had had “ heavy iron cutters” placed on their bows, and they were 
otherwise protected with chains and sandbags on the decks, and chains hung 
over the sides. These arrangements, however, failed to make them either efficient 
rams to cope with iron-dads, or a good protection for the crews, as I think the 
following extracts prove :— 
From Reports of Captain Drayton and Lieut. Tyson, Flag Ship “ Hartford, 33 
August 6, 1864. 
“. A shell which came through the side and exploded a little abaft the 
mainmast, killing and wounding a large portion of number seven gun’s crew, being 
the only one that caused much destruction. As we, however, were getting by the 
shore batteries, we came directly under the fire of the gunboats f Selma,’ ‘ Morgan, 3 
and ‘Gaines,’ and the ram ‘Tennessee,’ and being only able to direct our fire on one 
of them at a time, the shots from the others were delivered with great deliberation 
and consequent effect, a single shot having killed ten and wounded five men at 
numbers one and two guns. 
“.After striking we dropped close alongside, and delivered our broad¬ 
side of solid nine-inch shot with thirteen pounds of powder, at a distance of 
perhaps not more than eight feet from her side, as I believe, however, from 
subsequent observation, without doing any injury. The ram at the time had only 
two guns in broadside. 
“ One missed fire several times, as we could distinctly hear; the shell from the 
other passed through our berth deck, and exploded just inside, killing and 
wounding a number of men, and the pieces broke through the spar and berth 
decks, even going through the launch and into the hold where were the wounded. 
“.There might, perhaps, have been a little excuse had such a disposi¬ 
tion (to leave their quarters) been exhibited, when it is considered that a great part 
of four guns crews were at different times swept away almost entirely by as many 
shells.’ 3 
From Lieut. H. B. Tyson,— 
“.A rifle shell burst between the two forward 9-inch guns, killing and 
wounding fifteen men.” 
From Report of Lieut. Huntingdon, and Chief-Engineer Hunt, U. S. Steam 
Sloop “ Oneida,” August 6th, 1864. 
“.At fifty minutes past seven a 7-inch rifle shell passed through the chain 
armour and the ship’s side at the water-line into the starbord boiler, exploding there. 
Nearly the whole watch below of firemen and coal-heavers were scalded to death, or 
disabled by escaping steam. About this time also a 7-inch rifle shell entered 
at the water-line, exploded in the cabin, cutting both wheel ropes. 
