Doc. 3.-attack on the defences of Mobile.
sir: I have the honor to report to the Department that this morning I entered
Mobile Bay, passing between
Forts Morgan and
Gaines, and encountering the rebel ram
Tennessee and gunboats of the enemy, namely,
Selma,
Morgan, and
Gaines.
The attacking fleet was under way by forty-five minutes past five A. M., in the following order: The
Brooklyn, with the
Octorara on her port side;
Hartford, with the
Metacomet;
Richmond, with the
Port Royal; Lackawanna, with the
Seminole;
Monongahela, with the
Tecumseh;
Ossipee, with the
Itasca, and the
Oneida with the
Galena.
On the starboard of the fleet was the proper position of the monitors or iron-clads.
The wind was light from the south-west, and the sky cloudy, with very little sun.
Fort Morgan opened upon us at ten minutes past seven o'clock, and soon after this the action became lively.
As we steamed up the main ship channel, there was some difficulty ahead, and the
Hartford passed on ahead of the
Brooklyn.
At forty minutes past seven the monitor
Tecumseh was struck by a torpedo and sunk, going down very rapidly, and carrying down with her all the officers and crew, with the exception of the pilot and eight or ten men, who were saved by a boat that I sent from the
Metacomet, which was alongside of me.
The
Hartford had passed the forts before eight o'clock, and finding myself raked by the rebel gunboats, I ordered the
Metacomet to cast off and go in pursuit of them, one of which — the
Selma — she succeeded in capturing.
All the vessels had passed the forts by half-past 8, but the rebel ram
Tennessee was still apparently uninjured in our rear.
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Signal was at once made to all the fleet to turn again and attack the ram, not only with guns, but with orders to run her down at full speed.
The
Monongahela was the first that struck her, and though she may have injured her badly, yet she did not succeed in disabling her. The
Lackawanna also struck her, but ineffectually.
The flag-ship gave her a severe shock with her bow, and as she passed poured her whole port broadside into her of solid nine-inch shot and thirteen pounds of powder, at a distance of not more than twelve feet. The iron-clads were closing upon her, and the
Hartford and the rest of the fleet were bearing down upon her, when, at ten A. M., she surrendered.
The rest of the rebel fleet — namely, the
Morgan and
Gaines — succeeded in getting back under the protection of
Fort Morgan.
This terminated the action of the day.
Admiral Buchanan sent me his sword, being himself badly wounded with a compound fracture of the leg, which it is supposed will have to be amputated.
Having had many of my own men wounded, and the surgeon of the
Tennessee being very desirous to have
Admiral Buchanan removed to the hospital, I sent a flag of truce to the
commanding officer of
Fort Morgan,
Brigadier-General Richard L. Page, to say that if he would allow the wounded of the fleet, as well as their own, to be taken to
Pensacola, where they can be better cared for than here, I would send out one of our vessels, provided she would be permitted to return, bringing back nothing she did not take out.
General Page consented, and the
Metacomet was despatched.
The list of casualties on our part, as far as ascertained, is as follows:
Flag-ship
Hartford--Nineteen killed, twenty-three wounded.
Brooklyn--Nine killed, twenty-two wounded.
Lackawanna--Four killed, two wounded.
Oneida--Seven killed, twenty-three wounded.
Monongahela--Six wounded.
Metacomet--One killed, two wounded.
Ossipee--One killed, seven wounded.
Galena--One wounded.
Richmond--Two wounded.
In all, forty-one killed and eighty-eight wounded.
On the rebel ram
Tennessee were captured twenty officers and about one hundred and seventy men. The following is a list of the officers:
Admiral F. Buchanan;
Commander Joseph D. Johnson;
Lieutenants Wm. D. Bradford,
A. P. Wharton,
E. J. McDennert;
Masters J. R. De Moley,
H. W. Perron;
Fleet-Surgeon R. C. Bowles;
Engineers G. D. Leneng,
J. O'Connell,
John Hays,
O. Benson,
W. B. Patterson;
Paymaster's Clerk,
J. H. Conen;
Master's
Mates W. A. Forrest,
Beebe, and
R. M. Carter;
Boatswain, John McCudie;
Gunner, H. S. Smith.
On the
Selma were taken ninety officers and men. Of the officers I have only heard the names of two, namely,
Commander Peter U. Murphy, and
Lieutenant J. H. Comstock.
The latter was killed.
I will send a detailed despatch by the first opportunity.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
List of killed and wounded on board U. S. S.
Hartford in the action with the rebel
Fort Morgan and fleet, August fifth, 1864:
Killed — David Morrow, quarter-gunner;
Wm. Osgood, ordinary seaman;
Thos. Baine, ordinary seaman;
Benjamin Harper, seaman;
Wm. Clark, boy;
Charles Schaffer, seaman; Frank Still well, nurse;
George Walker, landsman;
John C. Scott, ordinary seaman;
Thomas Wilde, ordinary seaman;
Wm. Smith, boy;
Wm. Andrews, captain after-guard;
Frederick Munsell, captain after-guard;
Lewis McLane, landsman;
Peter Duncan, landsman;----
Smith, fireman;
Thomas Baines, fireman;
Thomas Stanton, fireman;----Cannel, fireman.
Total, nineteen.
Wounded--
Lieutenant Adams, slightly; Acting Third
Assistant-Engineer McEwan, amputation arm;
Acting Master's
Mate R. P. Herrick, slightly;
Acting Ensign W. H. Heginbotham, severely, (since dead;)
Wilder Venner, landsman, leg;
Adolphus Pulle, seaman, severe flesh wounds, legs; Hiram Elder, seaman, right leg;
R. Dumphery, coal-heaver, both arms;
Wm. Thompson, ordinary seaman, one leg;
E. Johnson, boy, contusion, side;
Walter Lloyd, boy, leg;
M. Forbes, captain mizzen-top, contusion, side;
Wm. Stanley, seaman, contusion and on leg;
C. Stevenson, boy, contusion;
F. Campbell, seaman, contusion;
Wm. Doyle, boy, contusion, side;
Auguste Simmons, landsman;
Peter Pitts, boy; Michael Fayal, landsman;
David Ortin;
Wm. Trask, left leg;
Charles Dennis, both arms;
Thomas O'Connell, right hand off. Total, twenty-three.
sir: Your despatch of the fifth instant, stating that you had, on the morning of that day, entered
Mobile Bay, passing between
Forts Morgan and
Gaines, and encountering and overcoming the rebel fleet, I had the satisfaction to receive this day. Some preliminary account of your operations had previously reached us through rebel channels.
Again it is my pleasure and my duty to congratulate you and your brave associates on an achievement unequalled in our service by any other commander, and only surpassed by that unparalleled naval triumph of the squadron under your command in the spring of 1862, when, proceeding up the
Mississippi, you passed
Forts Jackson and
St. Philip, and, overcoming all obstructions, captured
New-Orleans, and restored unobstructed navigation to the commercial emporium of the great central valley of the
Union.
The Bay of
Mobile was not only fortified and guarded by forts and batteries on shore, and by
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submerged obstructions, but the rebels had also collected there a formidable fleet, commanded by their highest naval officer — a former captain in the
Union navy — who, false to the government and the
Union, had deserted his country in the hour of peril, and levelled his guns against the flag which it was his duty to have defended.
The possession of
Mobile Bay, which you have acquired, will close the illicit traffic which has been carried on by running the blockade in that part of the
Gulf, and gives point and value to the success you have achieved.
Great results in war are seldom obtained without great risks, and it was not expected that the possession of the harbor of
Mobile would be secured without disaster.
The loss of the gallant
Craven and his brave companions, with the
Tecumseh, (a vessel that was invulnerable to the guns of
Fort Morgan,) by a concealed torpedo, was a casualty against which no human foresight could guard.
While the nation awards cheerful honors to the living, she will ever hold in grateful remembrance the memory of the gallant and lamented dead, who perilled their lives for their country and died in her cause.
To you and the brave officers and sailors of your squadron, who participated in this great achievement, the Department tenders its thanks, and those of the
Government and country.
Very respectfully, etc.,