Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 8.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[130] the chain-armor and ship's side at the water-line, entered the starboard boiler, and then exploded. One eight-inch solid shot entered the mainmast, doing serious damage, and remains there yet. One shot through ash-shoot, through combings of fire-room, and out through port side.

Fore topmast slightly wounded by piece of shell; spanker-gaff in like manner.

Shot through starboard bow, below spar-deck, across berth-deck, out through port-bow.

Two raking shots from aft struck the top-gallant forecastle, one passing out through starboard bow, one out through port-bow.

First cutter damaged by a pice of shell; second cutter and whale-boat badly smashed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

sir: The following is a list of casualties in the Sailmaker's department during the engagement of the fifth of August:

Shot-holes in foresail, fore-staysail, and mainsail; spanker badly cut by shot; wind-sails for fire-room and engine-room rendered unfit for use; several shot-holes in hammock-cloths.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

sir: I respectfully submit the following report of the expenditures of ammunition, etc., on board this ship in the action of yesterday:

Four hundred and sixty-five pounds of powder in thirty-one bags of fifteen pounds each; twenty pounds of powder in one bag of twenty pounds; forty-five pounds of powder in five bags of nine pounds each; one hundred and eighty-four pounds of powder in twenty-three bags of eight pounds each; eighty-four pounds of powder in twenty-four bags of three and a half pounds each; two solid shot, eleven-inch; three shrapnel eleven-inch; six shells, eleven-inch, fifteen-second; fourteen shells, eleven-inch, ten-second; seven shells, eleven-inch, five-second; eight shells, eight-inch, ten-second; nine shells, eight-inch, fifteen-second; nine shells, eight-inch, five-second; two solid shot; eight shells, rifle, thirty-pounder, five-second; five shells, rifle, thirty-pounder, ten-second; seven shells, rifle, thirty-pounder, fifteen-second; four shot solid; one shrapnel, twenty-four pounder howitzer; three shrapnel, twelve-pounder howitzer; two canister, twelve-pounder howitzer; sixty cannon-primers; twenty-four friction-primers.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Forwarded, though I am confident that more shrapnel and less ten-second shell were fired.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

General order, No. 10:

Strip your vessels and prepare for the conflict. Send down all your superfluous spars and rigging. Trice up or remove the whiskers. Put up the splinter-nets on the starboard side, and barricade the wheel and steersmen with sails and hammocks. Lay chains or sand-bags on the deck over the machinery, to resist a plunging fire. Hang the sheet-chains over the side, or make any other arrangement for security that your ingenuity may suggest. Land your starboard boats, or lower and tow them on the port side, and lower the port-boats down to the water's edge. Place a leadsman and the pilot in the port-quarter boat, or the one most convenient to the Commander.

The vessels will run past the forts in couples, lashed side by side, as hereinafter designated. The flag-ship will lead, and steer from Sand Island N. by E. by compass, until abreast of Fort Morgan; then N. W. half N. until past the Middle Ground; then N. by W.; and the others, as designated in the drawing, will follow in due order, until ordered to anchor; but the bow and quarter-line must be preserved, to give the chaseguns a fair range; and each vessel must be kept astern of the broadside of the next ahead. Each vessel will keep a very little on the starboard quarter of his next ahead, and, when abreast of the Fort, will keep directly astern, and, as we pass the Fort, will take the same distance on the port-quarter of the next ahead, to enable the stern-guns to fire clear of the next vessel astern.

It will be the object of the Admiral to get as close to the Fort as possible before opening fire; the ship, however, will open fire the moment the enemy opens upon us, with their chase and other guns, as fast as they can be brought to bear. Use short fuzes for the shell and shrapnel, and as soon as within three or four hundred yards, give the grape. It is understood that heretofore we have fired too high; but, with grape-shot, it is necessary to elevate a little above the object, as grape will dribble from the muzzle of the gun. If one or more of the vessels be disabled, their partners must carry them through, if possible; but if they cannot, then the next astern must render the required assistance; but as the Admiral contemplates moving with the flood-tide, it will only require sufficient power to keep the crippled vessels in the channel.

Vessels that can, must place guns upon the poop and top-gallant forecastle, and in the tops on the starboard side. Should the enemy fire grape, they will remove the men from the top-gallant forecastle and poop to the guns below, until out of grape-range.