TITLE: Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. / Series I - Volume 18: West Gulf Blockading Squadron (February 21, 1862 - July 14, 1862) AUTHOR: United States. Naval War Records Office PUBLISHER: Govt. Print. Off., Washington, 1904 Page A Production Note Cornell University Library produced this volume to preserve the informational content of the deteriorated original. The best available copy of the original has been used to create this digital copy. It was scanned bitonally at 600 dots per inch resolution and compressed prior to storage using ITU Group 4 compression. Conversion of this material to digital files was supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Digital file copyright by Cornell University Library 1995. This volume has been scanned as part of The Making of America Project, a cooperative endeavor undertaken to preserve and enhance access to historical material from the nineteenth century. Page B ~ I; (4inrnetl tU~rL~itg ~Lizbrar~i Jtt~u, New j~nt~k BERNARD ALBERT SINN COLLECTION NAVAL HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY THE GIFT OF BERNARD A. SIN N, 97 191 Title Page Page R001 OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE NAVIES IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. PUBLISHED UNDEn THE I)IRECTION OF The Hon. PAUL NORTON, Secretary of the Navy, BY MR. CHARLES W. STEWART, Superintendent Library and Naval War Records. B~ AUTHORITY OF AN ACT or CONGRESS APPROVED JULY 31, 1894. SERIES IVOLUME 18. WZEST G-ULIIr II3LOCUADJNG SQUADIRON FROM FEBRUARY 21 TO JULY 14, 1862. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1904 Page R002 N? 1~ 1~ A 5~~r) Page R003 CONTENTS OF PRECEDING VOLUMES. VOLUME 1. Operations of the cruisers from January 19, 1861, to December 31, 1862. VOLUME 2. Operations of the cruisers from January 1, 1863, to March 31, 1864. VOLUME 3. Operations of the cruisers from April 1, 1864, to December 30, 1865. VOLUME 4. Operations in the Gulf of Mexico from November 15, 1860, to June 7, 1861. Opera- tions on the Atlantic coast from January 1 to May 13, 1861. Operations on the Potomac and IRappahannock rivers from January 5 to December 7, 1861. VOLUME 5. Operations on the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers from December 7, 1861, to July 31, 1865. Operations of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron from April 4 to July 15, 1861. VOLUME 6. Operations of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron from July 16 to October 29, 1861. Operations of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from October 29, 1861, to March 8, 1862. VOLUME 7. Operations of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from March 8 to September 4, 1862. VOLUME 8. Operations of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from September 5, 1862, to May 4, 1863. VOLUME 9. Operations of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from May 5, 1863, to May 5, 1864. II Page R004 IV CONTENTS OF PRECEDING VOLUMES. VOLUME 10. Operations of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from May 6 to October 27, 1564. VOLUME 11. Operations of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from October 28, 1864, to February 1, 1865. VOLUME 1~2. Operations of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from February 2 to August 3, 1865. Operations of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron from October 29, 1861, to May 13, 1862. VOLUME 13. Operations of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron from May 14, 1862, to April 7, 1863. VOLUME 14. Operations of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron from April 7 to September 30, 1863. VOLUME 1~. Operations of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron from October 1, 1863, to September 30, 1864. VOLUME 16. Operations of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron from October 1, 1864, to August 8, 1865. Operations of the Gulf Blockading Squadron from June 7 to December 15, 1861. VOLUME 17. Operations of the Gulf Blockading Squadron from December 16, 1861, to February 21, 1862. Operations of the East Gulf Blockading Squadron from February 22, 1862, to July 17, 1865 Table of Contents Page R005 TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page. List of illustrations vii Preface ix Order of compilation of Series I xiii List of vessels of West Gulf Blockading Squadron xv Calendar xvii West Gulf Blockading Squadron: Principal events Union reports Instructions of the Department to Flag-Officer Farragut regard ing the division of the Gulf Blockading Squadron and pro- posed operations against New Orleans and Mobile 79,1424 Instructions of the Department for the Mortar Flotilla, February 10, 1862 3,25,26 Mortar Flotilla arrived at Ship Island March 11, 1862 64, 731 Mortar Flotilla crossed the bar i~ito Mississippi River at Pass A lOutre, March 15, 1862 71 Engagement of U. S. S. New London with C. S. steamers Pam lico and Oregon off Pass Christian, Miss., March 25, 1562 - - 7576 Reconnoissance in Mississippi River by Commander Bell, U. S. Navy, March 28, 1862 89 Capture of U. S. schooner Isabel off Mobile, April 1, 1862 9496 Retaliatory Federal expedition to Biloxi and Pass Christian, April 24, 1862 96104 Destruction of Confederate schooner Columbia at San Luis Pass, April 5, 1862 104108 Capture of four schooners off Mobile by U. S. S. Kanawha, April 910, 1862 116120 Operations under Flag-Officer Farragut, April 16 to May 1, 1862, including passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, April 24, and occupation of New Orleans, April 25, 1862 131356 Operations of Mortar Flotilla under Commander Porter, includ- ing bombardment of Forts Jacksonand St. Philip, April 1824, and their surrender, April 28, 1862 356446 Expedition from U. S. bark Arthur at Aransas Pass, April 21, 22, 1862 448450 Capture of Confederate vessels on Lake Pontchartrain by U. S. S. Calhoun 450453 Surrender of Baton Rouge, La., May 8, 1862 473476 Evacuation by Confederates of Pensacola, Fla., May 10, 1862. 478-484 Capture of Confederate steamer Governor A. Mouton, May 11, 1862 486488 Page R006 VT TABLE OF CONTENTS. West Gulf Blockading SquadronContinued. Page. Principal eventsContinued. Union reports Continued. Arrival of Federal fleet before Natchez and Vicksburg, May, 1862 489496 Engagement of Federal vessels with Confederate batteries at Grand Gulf, Miss., June 9, 1862 545547 Engagement of Federal vessels with Confederate battery near Coles Creek, Mississippi, June 26, 1862 573 Operations against Vicksburg, June 28 to July 14, including passage of batteries by Farragut, June 28, 1862 575652 Capture of British steamer Ann, off Mobile, Ala., June 29, 1862. 653661 Confederate reports Engagement of U. 5. 5. New London with C. S. steamers Pamlico and Oregon off Pass Christian, Miss., March 25, 1862 76 Capture of U. S. schooner Isabel off Mobile, April 1,1862 95, 96 Retaliatory Federal expedition to Biloxi and Pass Christian, April 24, 1862 104 Destruction of Confederate schooner Columbia at San Luis Pass, April 5,1862 106108 Operations un(ler Flag-Officer Farragut, April 16 to May 1, 1862, including passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, April 24, and occupation of New Orleans, April 25, 1862 253356 Operations of Mortar Flotilla under Commander Porter, includ- ing bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, April 1824, and their surrender, April 28, 1862 434438, 440446 Expedition from U. S. bark Arthur at Aransas Pass, April 21, 22, 1862 448450 Surrender of Baton Rouge, La., May 8,1862 474476 Evacuation by Confederates of Pensacola, Fla., May 10, 1862 - 482484 Arrival of Federal fleet before Natchez and Vicksburg, May, 1862 490496 Engagement of Federal vessels with Confederate batteries at Grand Gulf, Miss., June 9, 1862 547 Operations against Vicksburg, June 28 to July 14, including pas- sage of Vicksburg by Farragut, June 28, 1862 647652 Capture of British steamer Ann off Mobile, Ala., June 29, 1 862 655661 Destruction of Confederate vessels at Pensacola Bay, March 11, 1862 845 Miscellaneous Confederate orders, reports, and correspondence, February 23 to July 12, 1862 82385 List of Illustrations Page R007 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Page United States steamer Richmond, from the original, by Mr. Xanthus Sfrdth Fontispiece. Map of delta of Mississippi River and approaches to New Orleans 131 Order of fleet at Forts St. Philip and Jackson, from Farraguts report 161 Order of fleet at Forts St. Philip and Jackson, from Alden papers 163 Order of fleet at Forts St. Philip and Jackson, from Farragut papers 164 Order of fleet at Forts St. Philip and Jackson, from Bailey papers, the dia- gram as corrected by Admiral Farragut 166 United States steamer Caynga 172 Sketches of U. S. S. Brooklyn, by Midshipman John R. Bartlett, U. S. Navy 194 Sketch of U. S. ram Manassas, by Midshipman John R. Bartlett, IJ. S. Navy. 195 United States steamer Pensacola 202 United States steamer Oneida 208 United States steamer Varuna 214 Diagram of the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip 277 View an(l deck plan of the C. S. S. Louisiana, from papers of Commander J. K. Mitchell, C. S. Navy 287, 288 Confederate States steamer Stonewall Jackson 296 Confederate States steamer Governor Moore 308 Confederate States steamer McRae 334 Drawing of C. S. ram Manassas while in dock, by J. A. Chalaron 335 Confederate States ram Manassas 344 $ketches of C. S. S. Mississippi 354, 356 Reconnoissance of the Mississippi River below Forts Jackson and St. Philip 362 Plan of Fort Jackson, showing the effect of the bombardment 372 United States mortar schooner No. 7 376 Sketch of obstructions at Fort Jackson, by Julius H. Kroehl 432 Order of fleet at Vicksburg, June, 1862, from Farraguts report 587 Sketch showing position of vessels at Vicksburg June 28, 1862, from Craven papers 598 Sketch showing position of vessels at Vicksburg June 28, 1862, from Por- ters report 646 vi Page R008 Page R009 PREFACE. The work of preparing for publication the Official Records of the Union and Confederate navies, which was begun July 7, 1884, was organized under the superintendency of Professor J. R. Soley, U. S. Navy, at that time librarian of the Navy Department, afterwards Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In August, 1890, the work of collecting these records and their clas- sification was ably continued by his successor, Lieutenant-Commander F. M. Wise, U. S. Navy, who, having received orders to sea, was relieved by Lieutenant-Commander Richard Rush, U. S. Navy, in May, 1893. The long-delayed publication was finally authorized by act of Con- gress approved July 31, 1894, and begun by Mr. Rush. The first five volumes were published under his efficient administration, and the important duty of organizing the office for the distribution of these volumes was accomplished. In March, 1897, Mr. Rush, having been ordered to sea, was succeeded by Professor Edward K. Rawson, U. S. Navy, as superintendent, under whose able administration volumes 614 were published. Pro- fessor Rawson was detached and ordered to the U. S. Naval Academy September 20, 1902, and was succeeded by Mr. Charles W. Stewart. No change is contemplated at present in the outline of the plan of publication as approved by the Department. This plan includes only the use of such material as may be certified to be contemporaneous naval records of the war, which is divided into three series, in the following order of arrangement: I. The first series embraces the reports, orders, and correspondence, both Union and Confederate, relating to all naval operations on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and inland waters of the United States during the war of the rebellion, together with the operations of vessels acting singly, either as cruisers or privateers, in different parts of the world. These reports are accompanied by occasional maps and diagrams. In this series the papers are arranged according to squadrons and flotillas, chronologically; and, as far as possible, the Union reports of any events are immediately followed by the Confederate reports. I Page R010 x P1~EFACE. II. The second series embraces the reports, orders, and correspond- ence relating to 1. The condition of the Union Navy in 1861, before the com- mencement of hostilities, and to its increase during the progress of the war, including the annual and special reports of the Secretary of the Navy and chiefs of the various bureaus. 2. The construction and outfit of the Confederate Navy, includ- ing privateers, setting forth also the annual and special reports of the Confederate Secretary of the Navy and chiefs of bureaus. 3. Statistical data of all vessels, Union and Confederate, as far as can be obtained. 4. Returns of naval and military property captured by the navies of both sides during the war. 5. Correspondence relating to naval prisoners. This series is also arranged chronologically in each of the above sections, as far as practicable. III. The third series embraces all reports, orders, correspondence, and returns of the Union and Confederate authorities not specially relating to the matter of the first and second series. It is the intention of the Department to introduce throughout the volumes of the different series illustrations of each class or type of vessels referred to, in order to preserve the identity of these ships as they actually appeared during the war. These cuts have been reproduced either from photographs of the vessels themselves or from the carefully prepared drawings made from official sources. Much difficulty has been found in collecting the records, for, while the official reports of commanders of fleets and of vessels acting singly are on file in the Navy Department, it is found that the correspondence between flag-officers and their subordinates is frequently missing. Without this squadron correspondence the historical value of the work would necessarily be impaired, and the Department therefore has spared no pains to secure the letter books and papers of the chief actors on both sides. These papers have for the most part been obtained, and they have been copiously used in the compilation of the work. The reports of the Union commanders are full and fairly complete. It is to be regretted, however, that the Confederate records are not equally complete, due to the great difficulty found in collecting them, and also to the fact that a large part of the archives of the Confederate Navy Department was burned at the close of the war. Frequent carefu Page R011 PREFACE. xl searches throughout various parts of the country, conducted by a special agent of the Department, have brought to light many dupli- cates of these papers, found among the personal files of participants. It is hoped that the publication will revive the interest of participants in the events referred to, and lead them to bring to the notice of the Department the whereabouts of any papers bearing upon naval opera- tions in the civil war of which they may have knowledge. The seventeenth volume of the records (Series I, vol. 17), which has recently been published by the Department, gives the operations of the Gulf Blockading Squadron from December 16, 1861, to Febru- ary 21, 1862; and the operations of the East Gulf Blockading Squad- ron from February 22, 1862, to July 17, 1865. The present volume (Series I, vol. 18) gives the operations of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron from February 21 to July 14, 1862. The reports and correspondence are placed chronologically, with a distinct heading for every paper. In the record of events in which both sides took part the Confederate reports (where they could be obtained) immediately follow the Union reports, while the miscellane- ous Confederate correspondence is placed at the end of the volume. Reference to the table of contents will show the context of these Cou- federate papers. It is believed that the chronological arrangement of the records, in connection with the full and complete index to each volume, will afford ample means of reference to its contents without other subdivision or classification. In reports of special or single events, in which the papers bear specific relation to those events, the chronological order has been somewhat modified, and such documents have been placed together in the compilation. CHARLES W. STEWART, NAVY DEPARTMENT, Gompiler. Washington, D. 6k., Octo6er, 1904. NOTE. The following is an extract from the law governing the dis- tribution of the sets comprising the publication (act of Congress approved July 31, 1894): * * * Of said number, six thousand eight hundred and forty copies shall be for the use of the House of Representatives, two thou- sand one hundred and twelve copies for the use of the Senate, and one thousand and forty-eight copies for the use of the Navy Department and for distribution by the Secretary of the Navy among officers of the Navy and contributors to the work. The quotas herein authorized o Page R012 xl PREFACE. said publication for the Senate and House of Representatives shall be sent by the Secretary of the Navy to such libraries, organizations, and individuals as may be designated by the Senators, Representatives, and Delegates of the Fifty-third Congress, it being the purpose of this dis- tribution herein provided for to place these records in public libraries, and with permanent organizations having libraries, so far as such libraries may exist in the several States and Territories. Each Senator shalJ designate not exceeding twenty-four and each Representative and Delegate not exceeding nineteen of such addresses, and the volumes shall be sent thereto from time to time, as they are published, until the publication is completed; and all sets that may not be ordered to be distributed as provided herein shall be sold by the Secretary of the Navy for cost of publication, with ten per centum added thereto, and the proceeds of such sale shall be covered into the Treasury. If two or more sets of said volumes are ordered to the same address, the Secretary of the Navy shall inform the Senators, Representatives, or Delegates who have designated the same, who thereupon may desig- nate other libraries, organizations, or individuals. The Secretary of the Navy shall inform distributees at whose instance the volumes are sent. The following joint resolution regarding the distribution of the work was approved January 30, 1896: Resolved by the Senate and house of Representatives of the United States of America in (on qress asse,nbled, That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to send the undis- tributed copies of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, both of the Union and of the Confederate navies, to such libraries, organizations, and individuals as may be designated before the meet- ing of the next Congress by the Representatives in the Fifty-fourth Congress of the districts whose Representatives in the Fifty-third Congress failed to designate the distributees of their quota of said Official Records, or any part thereof, as authorized by the act of Con- gress approved July thirty-first, eighteen hundred and ninety-four, and the joint resolution approved March second, eighteen hundred and ninety-five, to the extent and in the manner and form provided in said act. The following is an extract from the act of Congress of May 28, 1896, which increased the edition from 10,000 to 11,000 copies: * ~ * For printing, binding, and wrapping one thousand addi- tional copies of series one, volumes one, two, three, and four, for sup- plying officers of ~the Navy who have not received the work, two thousand four hundred dollars Page R013 ORDER OF COMPILATION OF NAVAL WAR RECORDS. SEIRIES I. 1. Operations of the Cruisers, 18611865. Union cruisers. West India (Flying) Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Wilkes, U. S. N., 18621863. West India (Flying) Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Lardner, U. S. N., 1863-1864. Confederate cruisers and privateers. 2. Operations in the Gulf of Mexico, January to June 7, 1861. Surrender of the Pensacola Navy Yard. Cooperation of the Navy in the relief of Fort Pickens. 3. Operations on the Atlantic Coast, January to May 13, 1861. Cooperation of the Navy in the attempts to relieve Fort Sumter. Abandonment and destruction of the Norfolk Navy Yard. Home Squadron, under Flag-Officer Pendergrast, U. S. N. 4. Operations on the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, 18611865. Potomac Flotilla, under Commander Ward, U. S. N., 1861. Potomac Flotilla, under Captain Craven, U. S. N., 1861. Potomac Flotilla, under Lieutenant Wyman, U. S. N., 1861-1862. Potomac Flotilla, under Commodore Harwood, U. S. N., 18621863. Potomac Flotilla, under Commander Parker, U. S. N., 1863-1865. 5. Atlantic Blockading Squadrons, 18611865. Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Flag-Officer Striugham, U. S. N., May 13 to Sept. 23, 1861. West India Squadron, under Flag-Officer Pendergrast, U. S. N., 1861. Naval Defenses of Virginia and North Carolina, under Flag-Officer Barron, C. S. N. Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Flag-Officer Goldsborough, U. S. N., 1861. North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Goldsborough, U. S. N., 1861-1862. Naval Defenses of Virginia and North Carolina, under Flag-Officer Lynch, C. S. N. James River Squadron, under Flag-Officer Buchanan, C. S. N. James River Squadron, under Flag-Officer Tattnall, C. S. N. James River Flotilla, under Commodore Wilkes, U. S. N., 1862. North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Lee, U. S. N., 1862-1864. James River Squadron, under Flag-Officers Forrest and Mitchell, C. S. N. *Naval Defenses Inland Waters of North Carolina, under Commander Pinkney, C. S. N. * Naval Defenses Cape Fear River, North Carolina, under Flag-Officer Lynch, C. S. N. North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Porter, U. S. N., 18641865. James River Squadron, under Flag-Officers Mitchell and Semmes, C. S. N. *Naval Defenses Cape Fear River, North Carolina, under Flag-Officer Pinkney, C. S. N. North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Radford, U. S. N., 1865. South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Rcar-Admisal Du Pont, U. S. N., 1861-1863. 5 Defenses of South Carolina and Georgia, under Flag-Officer Tattnall, C. S. N. * Naval Defenses of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, under Flag-Officer Ingraham, C. S. N. South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Dahlgren, U. S. N., 1863-1865. * Naval Defenses of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, under Flag-Officer Tucker, C. S. N. Naval Defenses of Savannah, Ga., under Flag-Officers Hunter and Tattuall, C. S. N. xiii * The Confederate material under this head is very scant. It is therefore hoped that those who have any Confederate naval documents upon the subject will communicate with the Office of Naval War Records, Navy Department, Washington, D. C Page R014 XIV ORDER OF COMPILATION OF NAVAJ~ WAR RECORDS. 6. Gulf Blockading Squadrons, 18611865. Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Flag-Officer Mervine, U. S. N., 1861. Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Flag-Officer MeKean, U. S. N., 1861-1862. *Mississippi River Defenses, under Flag-Officer Rollins, c. S. N. East Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Flag-Officer McKean, U. S. N., 1862. East Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Lardner, U. S. N., 1862. East Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Bailey, U. S. N., 1862-1864. East Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Captain Greene, U. S. N., 1864. East Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Stribling, U. S. N., 1864-1865. West Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. N., 1862-1863. Mortar Flotilla, under Commander Porter, U. S. N., 1862. Lower Mississippi River Defenses, under Commander J. K. Mitchell, C. S. N., 1862. * Mobile Defenses, under Flag-Officer Randolph, C. S. N. Trans-Mississippi Marine Department, under Major Leon Smith, C. S. A. West Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Commodore Bell, U. S. N. (ad interim), 1863. West Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Farragut, U. S. N., 1864. 5Mohile Defenses, under Admiral Buchanan, C. S. N. West Gulf Blockading Squadrop, under Commodore Palmer, U. S. N., 1864-1865. West Gulf Blockading Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Thatcher, U. S. N., 1865. * Mobile Defenses, under Flag-Officer Farrand, C. S. N. 7. Operations on the Western Rivers, 18611865. Naval Forces on Western Waters, under Commander Rodgers, U. S. N., 1861. Naval Forces on Western Waters, under Flag-Officer Foote, U. S. N., 18611862. * Mississippi River Defenses, under Flag-Officer Rollins, C. S. N. Naval Forces on Western Waters, under Flag-Officer Davis, U. S. N., 1862. * Mississippi River Defense Fleet, under Captain Montgomery, C. S. A. * Mississippi River Defenses, under Commander R. F. Pinkney, C. S. N. * Mississippi River Defenses, under Flag-Officer Lynch, C. S. N. Mississippi Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Porter, U. S. N., 18621864. Mississippi Squadron, under Acting Rear-Admiral Lee, U. S. N., 18641865. * Naval Defenses of Red River, Louisiana, under Lieutenant J. II. Carter, C. S. N. * The Confederate material under this head is very scant. It is therefore hoped that those who have any Confederate naval documents upon the subject will communicate with the Office of Naval War Records, Navy Department, Washington D C Special Index Page R015 UNITED STATES VESSELS OF WAR SERVING IN THE WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON, FEBRUARY 11 TO JULY JJ, 1862. Name. Rate. Tonnage. Class. Crew. Guns. A. Houghton Adolph Hugel Arletta Arthur Bohio Brooklyn C. P. Williams Calhoun Cayuga Clifton Colorado Connecticut Corypheus Dan Smith lie Soto Fearnot George Maugham lIarriet Lane hartford Hatteras Henry Janes Horace Beals Huron Iroqnois Itasca J. C. Kuhn John Griffith John P. Jackson Kanawh Katahdin Kennebec Kensington Kineo Kittatinny Maria A. Wood Maria 1. Carlton Matthew Ya~sar Miami Midnight Mississippi Montgomery Morning Light Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth ... Second ... Fourth ... Fossrth ... Fourth ... Fourth ... First Second Fourth ... Fourth ... SecoA ... Fourth ... Fourth ... Third Second ... Third Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth Third Fourth ... Fourth ... Fonrth ... Fourth Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth ... Third Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth Third Fourth ... Second Third Fourth ... 326 269 199 554 196 2,070 210 508 507 892 3,425 1,800 100 150 1,600 1,012 274 619 2,9.90 1,100 260 296 507 1,016 507 888 246 787 507 507 507 1,052 507 421 344 178 216 730 387 1,692 787 937 Bark Mortar schooner do Bark Brig Screw steamer Mortar schooner Side-wheel steamer Screw steamer Side-wheel steamer Screw steamer Side-wheel steamer Yacht Mortar schooner Side-wheel steamer Storeship Mortar schooner Side-wheel steamer Screw steamer Side-wheel steamer Mortar schooner Barkentine Sarew steamer do do Bark Mortar schooner Side-wheel steamer Screw steamer do do do do Schooner Mortar schooner do do Side-wheel steamer Bark Side-wheel steamer Screw steamer Ship 27 31 39 86 46 259 35 68 78 121 525 166 16 30 130 45 35 100 302 101 35 39 79 123 70 61 39 99 87 78 78 72 81 66 25 28 29 86 70 229 66 94 2 3 3 6 2 25 5 4 6 8 (5) * In June. 1861, 46 guns; June, 1862, 28 guns; November, 1862, 50 guns; December, 1862, 51 guns. xy 12 3 9 6 3 5 26 5 3 3 5 8 4 2 3 6 4 7 4 3 4 4 2 3 5 6 4 12 5 Page R016 XVI LIST OF UNITED STATES VESSELS OF WAR. UNITED STA TES VESSELS OF WAR SERVING IN THE WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON, FEBRUARY 21 TO JULY 1!., 1862Continued. Name. Rate. Tonnage. Class. Crew. Guns. New London Niagara Nightingale Norfolk Packet Octorara 0. II. Lee Oneida Orvetta Owasco Pampero Para Pensacola Pinola Portsmouth Potomac Prehle Racer Rachel Seaman Rhode Island Richmond Sachem Santee Sarah Bruen Sciota Sea Foam Sidney C. Jones Sophronia South Carolina Supply Susquehanna T. A. Ward Uncas Varuna Vincennes Westfield William Bacon William G. Anderson Winona Fourth First Fourth ... Fourth ... Third Fourth ... Third Fourth Fourth Fourth Fourth ... Second ... Fourth ... Third Second ... Fourth Fourth Fourth ... Second Second ... Fourth Second Fourth Fourth ... Fourth ... Fourth Fourth Third Fourth First Fourth Fourth ... Second Third Third Fourth ... Fourth Fourth Wissahickon Fourth 221 4,582 1,060 349 829 199 1,032 171 507 1,375 190 2,158 507 989 1,708 566 252 303 1,517 1,929 180 1,726 233 507 251 245 217 1,150 547 2,450 284 190 1,300 700 822 183 593 507 Screw steamer do Ship Mortar schooner Side-wheel steamer Mortar schooner Screw steamer Mortar schooner Screw steamer Ship Mortar schooner Screw steamer do Ship do do Mortar schooner do Side.wheel steamer Screw steamer do Ship Mortar schooner Screw steamer Brigantine Mortar schooner do Screw steamer Ship Side-wheel steamer Mortar schooner Screw steamer do Ship Side-wheel steamer Mortar schooner Bark Screw steamer 507 do 47 387 51 38 102 37 166 43 91 50 35 269 75 161 331 65 36 13 157 261 52 427 35 65 35 36 32 115 74 264 38 57 126 162 116 32 102 93 80 5 12 4 S 6 5 10 3 4 4 3 23 4 22 34 10 3 2 11 22 5 50 8 3 3 5 5 5 7 15 5 3 10 19 6 5 7 4 Page R017 ~-~ I~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ OC~O~CO~ C,) -~J0CA~ OC~C~CO~ C,) CO t~ CO~ Q~COt~C~! z O~ CO ~ C~ CO ~ C)4 ~ 0 C~ 0 C~ Q~ CO ~ ~ -~ 0 ~1 0 C~ O~, CO ~ OC~O~CO~ ~ -~ COt00~I~ a C,) p C,) C,) p C,) 0 N 0 z Page R018 Page A001 Page A002 UNITED STATES STEAMER RICHMOND Page 1 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. PROM FEBRUARY 21 TO JULY 14, 1862. N W RVOL 18 Page 2 Page 3 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. FROM FEBRUARY 21* TO JULY 14, 1862. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Commander Porter, U S. Navy, to proceed to Philadelphia and New York for the selectwn of vessels for the ilfortar Flot~iia. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Novemli~er 18, 1861. SIR: Proceed to Philadelphia and New York and examine at those places the schooners purchased by the Government, whether any of them are suitable for bomb vessels. Jn New York Mr. George D. Morgan, 51 Exchange place, and Commander Henry II. Bell will show you what vessels of that class are already fitting for service. If, in your judgment, none of these is capable of being readily arranged for mortars, you are authorized to purchase six suitable vessels, and Commander Bell will arrange them as you may suggest. Consult with the Ordnance Bureau before y~u leave Washington relative to the mortars. You will also examine the ironclad vessels now building at Philadel- phia, New York, and Mystic, Conn., and report the result on your return. Upon the completion of this duty you will return to Wash- ington, D. C. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Commander DAVID D. PORTER. U. S. Navy, Washington, D. C. Order ~f the Secretary of the Navy to Commander Porter, U S. Navy, to proceed to New or to assume direction of vessels beivg fitted for the illiortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Decemlwr 2, 1861. SIR: You will proceed to New York and report to Commodore Paulding for the command of the bomb vessels now being fitted for sea by Commander H. H. Bell. * The operations of the Gulf Blockading Squadron to February 21, 1862, are given in Series I, volumes 16 and 17. The operations of the West Gulf Blockading Squad- ron began upon the date that Flag-Officer Farragut assumed command at Ship Island, Miss., February 21, 1862. It has been considered desirable to include in the present volume certain preliminary orders and correspondence relating to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron from November 18, 1861, to February 21, l862.Co~PILER. Page 4 4 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Twenty vessels, each carrying one XJII-inch mortar, and one store vessel have been selected; two of the former are in Philadelphia. The Navy officers will be immediately ordered to report at New York. As the vessels approach completion, further instructions will be given. I am, respectfully, etc., GIDEON WELLES. Commander D. D. PORTER, U. S. Navy, Washington, D. C. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Captain Farragut, U. S. Navy, to report in person at the Department. NAVY DEPARTMENT, December 15, 1861. Upon the reporting of Captain Samuel Mercer as a member of the retiring board, you will regard yourself as detached therefrom, and you will proceed to Washington city without delay and report in per- son at the Department. I am, respectfully, GIDEON WELLES. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, U. S. Navy, New York. Report of Captain Farragut, U. S. Navy, acknowledging receipt of Departments order to proceed to TYashington,D.C. PIERPONT HOUSE, Brooklyn, December 17, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communi- cation of the 15th instant, and so soon as Captain Mercer reports for duty I will leave for Washington. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Captain. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Order qf the Secretary of the Navy to Captain Farragut, U. S. Navy, in view of the division of the Gulf Blockading Squad/ron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, December 9~3, 1861. SIR: The Department has determined to divide the p resent Gulf Blockading Squadron, commanded by Flag-Officer McK7ean, and you will hold yourself in readiness for the command of one division, when divided. The U. S. steam sloop of war Hartford, now preparing at Phila- delphia, will be your flagship. Jam, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, U . S. Navy, Washington, D. C Page 5 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 5 Order of the Secretary of the Navy to (kptain Farragut, CL S. Navy, to assume command of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, efanuctry 9, 1862. SIR: You are hereby appointed to command the Western Gulf Block- ading Squadron, and yoa will proceed to Philadelphia and report to Commodore Pendergrast, and when the U. S. steam sloop of war Hartford shall be prepared in all respects for sea you are authorized to hoist your Ilag on board of that vessel. The Western Gulf Blockading Squadron commences at, but does not include, St. Andrews Bay, in West Florida, and extends to the Rio Grande. The coasts of Mexico and Yucatan will also be consid- ered within the limits of your command. Further instructions will be issued before your departure. 1 am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Captain DAVID G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to command the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, Hastings on the Hudson, N 1K Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Ca tam Farragut, U S. Navy, to proceed to Hampton Roads on t7~e U. S. S. Rartford. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 13, 1862. SIR: So soon as the Hartford is ready for sea, you will proceed with her to Hampton Roads, Virginia, reporting your arrival to the Department, and there await its further instructions. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to command the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, Philadelphia. Letter from Captain Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Dahlgren, U. S. Navy, acknowledging receipt of memorandum regarding exper- iments on boiler iron. PHILADELPHIA, January 15, 1862. DEAR CAPTAIN: I received your memorandum of the musket firing at the boiler iron just as I was leaving Washington for this city, and had only time to tell the young gentleman to say that I was greatly obliged to you; that it was all I wished. I was gratified to see that but one bait passed through the quarter-inch iron. As that is the lightest, and the firing will seldom be at so short a distance as 40 yards, I have had the iron fitted for my tops of quarter-inch iron, and the same pieces, each being arranged with a port for the boat gun by placing two together on the bow of the boat, lapping the forward edge, it will give the crew of the boat a good shelter in approaching a body of musketeers on shore. This is a little kink of mine, but if it saves one man only, I will consider myself well repaid for the trouble; should a ball occasionally pierce the iron, they must tak Page 6 6 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. their chances. I think it better than to have the iron too heavy and unbandy when the contin~encies are rare. If at your leisure you should try any more experiments, I xviii be greatly obliged to you for the results. Very truly, yours, D. G. FARRAGUT. Captain DAHLGREN Commanding Navy Yard, Washington, D. C Letter from Captain Farragut, CL S. Navy, to the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, regarding supplies of ammunition. PHILADELPHIA, January 18, 1862. DEAR CAPTAIN: I find that I will not be able to have a sufficient number of-grapeshot prepared here for me before we sail, and I there- fore desire to know if I will find them at the Tortugas or Ship Island; and, if not, will you please to have a quantity sent down to me, and also a quantity of shrapnel for the IX-inch guns sent down also. Very truly, yours, D. G. FARRAGUT, Captain A. A. HARWOOD, Captain, CL S. Navy. Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, etc. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Lieutenant Queen, U S. Navy, to proceed to Key West, Fla., for duty in tke Jilrfiortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 18, 1862. SIR: After supplying the U. S. schooners George ilfangharn and Adolph Hugel, at Hampton Roads, with stores, you will proceed with the vessel under your command to Key West, Fla., and there await the arrival of Commander D. D. Porter, to whom you will report for duty as a part of his bomb flotilla. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Lieut. Comdg. WALTER W. QUEEN, U. S. Navy CL S. Schooner~ A. Ward, Hampton Roads, Virginia. Order of the Secretary qf the Navy to Lieutenant Breese, CL S. Navy, commanding CL S. schooner John Griffith, to proceed to duty in the Jilliortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 18, 1862. SIR: Proceed with the U. S. schooner John Griffith to Key West, Fla., and there await the arrival of Commander D. D. Porter, to whom you will report for duty as a part of his bomb flotilla. Transmit to the Department before sailing a muster roll of the crew and a separate list of the officers of the John Griffith. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON ~TELLE5 Lieutenant Commanding K. R. BREESE, U. S. Navy, U. S. Schooner John Griffith, New York Page 7 WEST GULl? BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 7 Jtractwns fromi~ the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- O~t/lcer Jifelirean, U. S. Navy, regarding the d~tv?~8wfl of the Gulf Blockadirng Squadron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 20, 1862. SIR: Upon the arrival of Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, the Gulf Blockading Squadron will be divided into two squadrons, called, respectively, the Eastern and Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. The Eastern commences at St. Andrews Bay, inclusive, to the eastward of Pensacola and extends to Cape Canaveral, on the eastern coast of Florida, and also includes the Bahamas and Cuba. Flag-Officer Farragut is assigned to the Western and yourself to the Eastern Squadron. The vessels composing the latter are as follows: Niagara, Huntsville, Massachusetts, South Caroliana, Montgomery, Preble, Marion, Water Witch, Wanderer, Dart, Nightingale, Kingfisher, Midnight, New London, Santiago de Cuba, Rachel Seaman. Samuel IRotan, Mercedita, Bainbridge, 1 desire you to consult carefully with Flag-Officer Farragut and modify this division, if you both shall think best, retaining in your squadron only enough vessels to blockade the coast indicated. As your headquarters are at Key West, and you will probably look into Havana occasionally, you will consider the Santiago de Guba immediately under your orders and can carry out her instructions as your judgment dictates. The Department learns with regret from Commander Alden that the condition of your health requires you to relinquish your command in the Gulf. Your activity and zeal and faithful devotion to the Government have given satisfaction to the Department. A relief will be sent out on board the San Jacinto, when you can return north in the Niagara. On account of the crowded condition of the New York navy yard, it is desirable that that vessel should go to Boston; but as her condition may not admit of it, you are authorized to go into New York if you do not deem it advisable to push for Boston. Very respectfully, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer Win. W. McKEAN, Commanding Gulf Blockading Squadron, Key West, Fla. Instructions from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ofileer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the operations of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 20, 1862. SIR: When the Hartford is in all respects ready for sea, you will proceed to the Gulf of Mexico with all practicable dispatch and com- municate with Flag-Officer W. W. McKean, who is directed by the enclosed dispatch to transfer to you the command of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, composed at present of the following vessels: Colorado, Mississippi, Brooklyn. R. R. Cuyler, - Santee, Vincennes, Richmond, Potomac, Ethan Allen, De Soto, Hatteras, Wissahickon, Maria A. Wood, Itasca, Sagamore, Huron, Sciota, Portsmouth, Winona, Kittatinny, Arthur, Pursuit, Tahoma, James L. Davis. Bohio, Pensacola Page 8 8 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUAD1~OX. Coal vessels. Fearnot, Pampero, J. C. Kuhn, National Guard. In addition, there will be attached to your squadron a fleet of bomb vessels, and armed steamers enough to manage them, all under com- mand of Commander D. D. Porter, who will be directed to report to you. As fast as these vessels are got ready they will be sent to Key Westto await the arrival of all, and the commanding officers, who will be permitted to organize and practice with them at that port. hen ese formidable mortars arrive, and you are completely ready, you will collect such vessels as can be spared from the blockade and pro- ceed up the Mississippi River and reduce the defenses which guard the approaches to New Orleans, when you will appear off that city and take possession of it under the guns of your squadron, and hoist the Amer- flag thereon,, keeping possession until troops can be sent to you. If the Mississippi expedition from Cairo shall not have descended the river, you will take advantage of the panic to push a strong force up the river to take all their defenses in the rear. You will also reduce the fortifications which defend Mobile Bay and turn them over to the army to hQld. As you have expressed yourself satisfied with the force given to you, and as many more powerful vessels will be added before you can commence operations, the Department and the country will require of you success. Upon consultation with Flag-Officer McKean, and with his consent, you may modify the division of the p resent squad- ron as herein ordered, notifying the Department of any change. There are other operations of minor importance which will commend them- selves to your judgment and skill, but which must not be allowed to interfere with the great object in view, the certain capture of the city of New Orleans. Destroy the armed barriers which these deluded people have raised up against the power of the United States Government, and shoot down those who war against the Union, but cultivate with cordiality the first returning reason which is sure to follow your success. Very respectfully, etc., GIDEON 1~TELLES Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to Command We8t Gulf Squadron. Order qf the Secretary of the Navy to the commandant of the navy yard, New York, urging dispatch in the preparation of the ilfortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 9?1, 18694?. SIR: The Department desires to call your particular attention to the great importance of getting the bomb fleet to sea at the earliest pos- sible moment. Let the work on them take precedence of all other. Next in importance are the steamers. If you fall short in men, draft them from the Sabine, which vessel can wait for the steamers, as was telegraphed you on Tuesday last. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Commodore II. PATJLDING, Commandant, Navy Yard, New York Page 9 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 9 Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Olilcer Farragut, LA S. Navy, regarding the release of persons captured within the limits of hi~s command. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 2~, 1862. SIR: You may release such persons from the rebel States as shall be captured within the limits of your command, provided they are not civilians in the rebel service, and are not known to have engaged in any act against the authority of the United States, and are not needed for witnesses. Before their release they will be required to sign a written parole not to engage in any hostile act against the United States during the present rebellion. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to command Western Gulf B lkdg. Squadron, Hampton Roads, Virginia. Instructions from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ojlicer Farragut, U. S. Navy, relative to making the blockade effective. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 25, 1862. SIR: The importance of a vigorous blockade at every point, to be under your command, can not be too strongly impressed or felt. By cutting off all communication we not only distress and cripple the States, in insurrection, but by an effective blockade we destroy any excuse or pretext on the part of foreign governments to aid and relieve those who are waging war upon the Government. There is a manifest desire, if not determination, in certain quarters to break the blockade, and the apology, therefore, will be, if possible, a want of vigilance or efficiency on the part of our squadrons in guard- ing the coast in such a manner as to interdict communication. While confiding in your practical knowledge and judgment the disposition of the vessels committed to you, I have felt it my duty to warn you of the difficulty alluded to, and at the same time to suggest that, except when required by pressing necessity, there should not be a concentra- tion of vessels at any given pcdnt, but that they should be spread so as to make the blockade effective throughout the whole extent of coast under your supervision. Most of the important points on the coast are well guarded, though occasionally we hear that a vessel has run the blockade in bad weather, or in darkness, or at points least likely to attract attention. Every case of this kind, I have reason to believ is noted and laid up as evidence that the blockade is not effective and therefore is to be disregarded by those governments whose subjects may become clamorous for supplies from the States blockaded. The Department is aware of the difficulties you may be compelled to encounter, and in warning you of what may be apprehended from foreign interference, provided there is any want of vigilance or effectiveness in any quarter in keeping up a rigid blockade, I wish to express my confidence that you will bring all your ability and resources into requisition to carry out the policy of the Government, and that, even in this stormy season, you will be able, with the force at you Page 10 10 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADEON. disposition, to interdict communication at every point under your charge, and thus destroy any pretense for breaking or attempting to break the blockade. As fast as we can augment our force or spare vessels from other points, we will endeavor to reinforce your command; in the mean- time our reliance must be in your own powers and capability in the squadron that you are about to have. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to command West Gulf Blockading Squadron, hampton Roads, Virg~n~a. Order of the Secretary of the Navy~ to Flag- Ojjlcer Farragut, V S. Navy, regarding the dispatchinq of a Ve58e1 to liampico, Afexico, for the suppression of trag/Ic with Texas. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 27, 1862. SIR: Franklin Chase, esq., the United States consul at Tampico, represents to the Department of State that considerable traffic is carried on between that port and western Texas and suggests that the appearance of an armed vessel of the United $tates in that quarter occasionally would tend to check this means of affording aid to the rebel cause and would also be beneficial in case protection or assistance should be required by our citizens there on account of the movements of the allied powers against Mexico. The Department mentions this subject to you, so that, on reaching your station, you may exercise your judgment in regard to dispatching a vessel to Tampico when cir- cumstances will permit. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to Command West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Hampton Roads, Virgrm~a. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the Confederate naval force at New Orleans. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Januavy 29, 1862. SIR: A gentleman just from New Orleans gives the following state- ment of the rebel naval force there: Ram [Mianassas], 1 gun; iJficRae, 6 guns; Ivy (tugboat), 2 guns, 1 rifled; Eliza Simmons, 2 guns; Crosse fThte, 2 guns; Jackson (con- demned), 2 guns; 1 floating battery, made of a dry dock cut down; carries 20 guns; three boats building, to be covered with railroad iron (said to be clumsy); six boats on Lake Ponchartrain and three others building. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDKON WELLES. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to Command West Gulf Blockading Squadron, hampton Roads, Virgrnta Page 11 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 11 Report of Flag- Oflicer htrragut, U S. Navy, of the arrival of the Flagship Hartford at ]Iiampton Roads, Virginia. U. S. STEAM SLOOP OF WAR HARTFORD, 1 hampton Roads, January 9?9, 1869?. SIR: I have the honor to report the arrival of this ship in Hampton Roads. The ship was detained four or five days by. the ice at Fort Mifihin getting her powder and shells on board. The crew suffered very much by the cold weather, but I hope our sick list will soon be reduced by mild weather, the cases being principally colds. I shall await the reply to this communi6ation, as directed by Mr. Fox. Very respectfully; your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, hag- Officer. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. U. Report of Flag- OjJlcer Farragut, U S. Navy, acknowledging the receipt of instructions from the Department. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Fortress iWonroe, January 30, 1869?. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your several communications, viz, my special and confidential instructions in relation to my duties as flag-officer of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, dated January 20 and 25; also letters of the different consuls of Liver- pool, and Havana, and Vera Cruz, the contents of which have all~ been carefully perused, and I can only say that the wishes of the Depart- ment shall be carefully carried out to the best of my ability, and that there shall be no lack of exertion on my part to secure the best results for the Government and the country. I will dispose of vessels at the different points indicated by your letters the moment I assume the command, and endeavor to close as many of the ports as possible in a most effectual manner. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGU~ Flag- Ofticer. - Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. U Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ofilcer Farragut, U S. Navy, to proceed to the command of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 30, 1869?. SIR: On the receipt hereof you will proceed with the hartford to the Gulf in pursuance of instructions heretofore given, touching at Port Royal en route. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, Appointed to Gommand West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ihampton Roads, Virginia Page 12 12 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Flag- Qfficer Farragut, requesting the s~vices of a dispatc/~ vessel. U. S; S. HARTFORD, hampton Roads, January 31, 1862. SIR: I am now getting in the ordnance stores sent down from Ann~poIis, and will sail to-morrow, if possible. I respectfully request that 1 may be furnished with a dispatch vessel to ply between the squadron and Key Westsuch a steamer as the Henry Brinker (a pro- peller steamer of about 100 tons), but a sailing vessel would be of little use, as she could not stem the currents except with a fresh, fair wind, and would be utterly useless in calms. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Flag- Officer. Secretary of the Navy, TlTashingtov, D. C. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to various commanding officers to report with their vessels for duty in the .lJk*rtar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, January 31, 1862. SIR: Report to Commander D. D. Porter at New York for duty as a part of his bomb flotilla. Transmit to the Department before sailing from New York a muster roll of the crew and a separate list of the officers of the Clifton. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Acting Lieutenant C. H. BALDWIN, Commanding U. S. S. Clifton, New York. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant WM. FLYE, Commanding U. S. S. P. B. Forbes, lYfutatis illiutandis, New York. Commander WM. B. RENSHAW, Commanding U. S. S. TYestfield, iWutatis Jliatandis, New York. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Lieutenant Guest, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Owasco, to proceed to duty under Commander Porter, U. S. Navy. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 3, 1862. SIR: Proceed to Key West, Fla., through the Hole in the Wall pas- sage, with the U. S. S. Owasco, and on your arrival there report to Commander D. D. Porter for duty. If you fall in with any of the flotilla schooners endeavoring to make their way through the passage, you wilt afford them any assistance they may need to enable them to do so and to reach their destination safely. You should be at Key West by the 18th of this month. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Lieutenant JOHN GUEST, Commanding U. S. S. Owasco, New York Page 13 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 13 Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Lieutenant Harrell, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. 2lIiarn~, to report fo~ duty in the Mortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 6, 1862. SIR: Proceed with all practicable dispatch to Ship Island, touching at Key West, and report to Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut for duty in the bomb flotilla. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Lieutenant A. D. HARRELL, Commanding U. S. S. lJfiami, Hampton Roads, Virginia. Report of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U. S. Navy, of arrival at Port Royal, S. C. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Port Royal, February 6, 1862. SIR: Agreeably to orders, I touched in here to communicate with Flag-Officer Dii Pont. One of my men died just as we were coming in. I had him buried on shore. Finding that much of the coal had been consumed in the Delaware River on the ships trial trips and getting in her powder, I requested Flag-Officer Dii Pont to let me have 50 tons hard and 1~ tons soft coal if he could do so with convenience, to which he readily consented, and as soon as it was hoisted in I left for Havana. The ship per- formed very well on the way round. She is slow under steam and will do nothing against the wind. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojfjlcer. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Report qf Lieutenant Breese, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. barkentiiw Horace Beals, acknowledging orders to duty in the Aifiortar Flotilla. U. S. BARKENTINE HORACE BEALS, Navy Yard, New York, February 7, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your orders of the 3d instant to proceed with this vessel under my command to Key West, Fla., and report to Commander D. D. Porter as a part of his bomb flotilla. In obedience to this order, I have to report that I left the navy yard at 3 p. in., on my way to its fulfillment. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, K. R. BREESE, Lieutenant, Commanding, U. S. Navy. Mon. GIDEON WELLES, S~ecretary of the NaJy, Washington, f Page 14 14 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Letter from the Secretary ~f the Navy to the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, request?~ng the services of a steamer in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 8, 1862. The operations connected with Flag-Officer Farraguts squadron, which extend from St. Andrews Bay, in Florida, to the Rio Grande, renders it desirable, in my opinion, that a Coast-Survey steamer, properly equipped in all respects, should be attached to this command. lam, etc., GIDEON WELLES. Prof. A. D. BACHE, Superintendent Coast Survey. Letter from Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, regarding stores for the squadron under his command. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Havance~, February 1O,.1862. SIR: I herewith send a large requisition for ordnance stores, and I hope the Bureau will comply with it and send the articles to Ship Island or the mouth of the Mississippi as soon as possible, and I will leave directions as to the disposition to be made of them. I will want the increased number of 15-second fuzes at the earliest day practicable. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGIJT, flag- Ogficer, Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain A. A. HARwooD, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, Washington, D. C. Instructions from Me Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ofticer Farrafiut, U. S. Navy, in view e2f the great responsibilities devolving upon him. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 10, 1862. SIR: I enclose to you herewith sketches* from the U. S. Engineers Bureau relative to the works on the Mississippi River; also a memoir prepared by General Barnard, U. S. Army, who constructed Fort St. Philip. The most important operation of the war is confided to yourself and your brave associates, and every light possible to obtain should be carefully considered before putting into operation the plan which your judgment dictates. It is reported that 19 feet of water can be carried over the bar. If this be true the frigate Jifississippi can be got over without much diffi- culty. The Colorado draws about 22 feet. She lightens 1 inch to 24 tons. Her keel is about 2 feet deep. The frigate Wabash, when in New York in 1858, drewwithout her spar-deck guns, stores, water- casks, tanks, and coal (excepting 30 tons)aft, 20 feet 8 inches; for- ward, 16 feet; or on an even keel, 18 feet 4 inches. This would indi- cate a very easy passage for this noble vessel. And if it is possible to *Not found Page 15 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 15 get these two steamers over, and perhaps a sailing vessel also, you will take care to use every exertion to accomplish it. The powerful tugs in the bomb flotilla will afford the necessary pulling power. The tops of these large steamers are from 30 to 50 feet above the fort and command the parapets and interior completely with howitzers and musketry. The IV~wkusett, at Boston, the Oneida, ]i?ickmond, Varuna, and Dacotak, at New York, and the Iroquois, from the West Indies, are ordered to report to you with all practicable dispatch; and every gunboat which can be got ready in time will have the same orders. All of the bombshells have sailed, and the steamers to accompany them are being prepared with great dispatch. It is believed the last Wi7Wbe off by the 16th instant. Eighteen thousand men are being sent to the Gulf to cooperate with you in the movements, which will give to the arms of the United States full possession of the ports within the limits of your command. You will, however, carry out your instructions with regard to the Missis- sippi and Mobile without any delay beyond that imposed upon you by your own careful preparation. A division from S hip Island will probably be ready to occupy the forts that will fall into your hands. The Department relies upon your skill to give direction to the power- ful force placed at your disposal, and upon your personal character to infuse a hearty cooperation amongst your officers, free from unworthy jealousies. If successful, you open the way to the sea for the great West, never again to be closed. The rebellion will be riven in the center, and the flag to which you have been so faithful will recover its supremacy in every State. Very respectfully, etc., GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, Skip Island. [Enclosure.] JANUARY 28, 1862. Fort Jackson is a bastioned pentagon, with fronts of about 110 yards. It is built of brick and is in good condition. Its scarp walls are 22 feet high, measured from the offset of the foundation, which is pretty nearly the bottom of the wet ditch. The work is surrounded by a wet ditch, which, at the lowest water of the ditches (the ditch water fluc- tuates about 16 inches, standing 1 foot higher than low water of river and about 32 inches lower than high water of river, which rises and falls here 5 feet)~ is 6 feet deep in the middle and about 5 feet at foot of scarp wall. (There is no counterscarp wall, the wet ditch being revetted with timber just up to the edge of the water, from where the earth slopes less than 45 degrees.) Thus the top of the scarp is 16 feet above the surface of water in ditch at low water, and 14 feet 8 inches at high (ditch) water. The ditches are flanked by a 24-pounder howitzer in casemate in each of the 10 flanks. Owing to the fact that the parapets are not carried around the flanks and faces of the bastions (for fear they would not sustain the weight), there is not much room for musketry fire on the flanks. A half dozen riflemen might be stationed behind the top of the scarp, probably, of each flank. The faces of the bastions may be lined with infantry, as the bastions are hollowed out, leaving the top of the scarp to serve as parapet Page 16 16 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. The backs of the casemate arches interfe,re very much with this arrangement along the flanks. The two curtains bearing on the river are casemated for 8 guns each. As the traverse of a casemate gun is but 60 degrees, it follows there is a sector of 12 degrees in front of the central water bastion which is not touched by casemate fire. The parapets of the two water fronts are arranged to receive 22 channel-bearing guns. The parapets of the other fronts receive 16 more barbette guns, a portion of which bear indirectly upon the channel. The three land fronts of the work are covered by a glacis coup6 with a covert way, having places of arms in front of the curtains. The two terminating branches of this covert way look upon the channel, and are arranged for 8 or 9 guns in each. The branches of the covert way of the west front bear well upon the channel above the fort, and are arranged to receive 31 guns. To increase the fire down the * * * and in passing, an external battery has been constructed, communicating with the covert way of east front. The earthwork had been entirely completed, parapets formed, etc., but at the time it went into rebel possession it is believed that neither the breast-height walls were built nor the gun platforms laid. (This work has probably been done since.) It had capacity to receive 25 guns. It is quite likely that the rebels have armed this battery. The work is arranged, therefore, for armament as follows: Casemate guns 16 Barbette on two channel-bearing faces of main work 22 Barbette on two extremities of glacis coup6, having the same bearing oii the two faces 17 Barbette, covert way of west front (looking up the channel) 31 Barbette, exterior battery 25 Total channel-bearing guns 111 Add barbette guns on other fronts 16 Total heavy guns 127 (The 10 flanking 24-pounder howitzers are not included in this sum- mary.) At the time the work went into the possession of the rebels there were in it, of guns, 16 32-pounder guns, 26 24-pounder guns, 10 24- pounder flanking howitzers; of carriages, 1424-pounder casemate car- riages, 9 24-pounder flank-defense howitzer carriages, 12 24-pounder barbette carriages. It is supposed the above carriages were in a very bad condition. The sixteen 32-pounders were sent there to go into the casemates, inwhich 24-pounders had been mounted twenty years ago. The report that the casemate guns would not fire over the levees is one of those canards which had its flight long ago; is a specimen of what reports, malice, or credulity will originate or entertain, and is quite on a par with some which have been sanctioned by high authority, a cer am forts would fall down by a discharge of their artillery. When I took charge of this work in 1840 the report was that the whole work had, disappeared. It had settled probably about a foot. At thattime the soles of the embrasures were, say, 6 feet above low water of river and 1 foot above high water. The levee in front (highe Page 17 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 17 than necessary) was, say, 1 foot 2 inches higher than the sole of the embrasure (about on a level with the muzzle of the gun). I cut out the embrasures and raised them 1 foot. The work has settled very little, if at all, since then. The muzzle or rather the axis of a casemate gun should therefore be 1 foot higher than the top of the levee, and by cutting away 1 foot of the levee (which may be safely done at all times) there would be 2 feet difference of level. The river rises and falls 5 feet, the surface being 7 feet and 2 inches below the top of the levee at low and high water. Occasionally the river falls 1 foot lower than ordinary low water and rises 6 inches higher than ordinary high water, or has an extreme fluctuation of 6 feet 6 inches. The glacis-coup6 is surrounded by a wide wet ditch. This ditch has but little over 3 feet in it at low (ditch) water, and its bottom is firm enough to bear the weight of a man without sinking very much. Nevertheless it adds very greatly to the strength of the work against assault. The salient of the north bastion is about 140 yards from the river bank, and, say, 110 yards from the levee, and the river is about 700 yards wide. In the center of Fort Jackson is a defensive barrack of decagonal shape. it is intended to be made bombproof by covering the 1-foot- square timbers of the ceiling with earth. Probably the rebel garrison have done this. This building will accommodate 400 or 500 men. As there is beside a great deal of bombproof shelter in the caseinates and galleries, the garrison is well sheltered from a bombardment. Fort St. Philip. Fort St. Philip was partly built by the Spaniards and finished to its present outline by us in 18121815. It is very irregular in figure. It occupies a quadrilateral space of about 150 by 100 yards. The front toward the river (first built) had a bastioned terrace; the other portions have been added to inclose the work and give some semblance to flanking arrangements. The brick scarp was originally of slight relief and imperfectly founded; was found in very bad con- dition when I took charge in 1841. Under my charge the walls were strengthened by relieving arches, an additional thickness of masonry given to them, the earthen parapets extended all around the work (there having been a mere brick wall as parapet before), and the wet ditch deepened so as to have 6 feet depth at lowest water. It may be stated in a general way that the scarp wall on land fronts has 16 to 17 feet height (from bottom of ditch) and on water fronts about 14 or 15 feet. The part of the ditch next the scarp walls is not more than 2 or 3 feet deep at low water, the deepest part of the ditch being generally near the counterscarp. (There is no brick counterscarp; merely board revetment, as at Fort Jackson.) It was intended to arrange a low glacis with covert way and revetted breast-height wall around the work, but I believe this has not been done; if not, one-half of the height of the scarps would be seen from the out- side, and it would reqnire little battering to bring them down. There is a postern and drawbridge in the western face and another near the most northern angle of the works. N W IlVOL 1S Page 18 18 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Two external batteries (earthen) have been built of late years in con- nection with this work, having wet ditches (6 feet at low water), hav- ing parapets 20 feet thick, crest 19 feet above bottom of ditch, which is 20 feet wide (at bottom). These batteries were intended for 22 heavy guns each on water faces and 6 24-pounders on extremities and rear. The sketch will exhibit the bearing of these batteries and their con- nection with the main work, It will also exhibit the number of guns of the two forts bearing upon any one point of the river within their range. The main work of St. Philip is arranged to receive, say, 20 heavy guns bearing directly upon the channel, besides some dozen or more bearing upon the land. This armament of 72 channel-bearing guns (fort and external bat- teries) is all en barhette and very low at that, the crests (or tops) of the parapets being but 14 feet above low water of the river and 9 feet above ordinary high water. At Fort Jackson there are but 16 guns in casemate, the remaining 105 channel-bearing guns being en harbette. The exterior battery (25 guns) has its crest (same as St. Philip) 14 feet above low water of river. The covert-way batteries (48 guns) have their crest 16 feet above low water, and the crest of parapets of uiain work (28 channel-bearing guns) is 24 feet above low water. The two works mount together 177 channel-bearing guns. Of this armament there was in Fort Jackson (as before stated) when it went into rebel possession 16 32-pounders (without carriages), 26 24-pounders, with 14 casemate and 12 barbette carriages; and at St. Philip 10 24-pounders with carriages, or 59 guns in all, of not very formidable caliber. Whether they have supplied the full armament or not I can not judge. There were in the Baton Rouge Arsenal 40 32-pounders and 3 8-inch columbiads, which, if all sent to these works, would leave 82 still to be supplied. Except Baton Rouge, the Norfolk navy yard and their own fonud- ries have been their sources, and, as it is likely their foundries have been mainly taken up with casting field guns, it is probable that Nor- folk has been the source from which forts have been supplied. It is probable, therefore, that, as at Port Royal and Hatteras, the armament, if completed, will contain few guns over 32-pounders. Such an armament, as much experience has shown, is not very for- midable to vessels of war or regular war steamers, unless through the agency of hot shot (and there are furnaces for nearly all the batteries at both forts). Still, it is not a trifling undertaking to pass so large a number of guns at such close quarters. (Fort St. Philip is about 700 yards higher up the river than Fort Jackson; the distance between the nearest salients of the main works is about 1,000 yards.) From a point in the river 1~ miles from the lowest battery of Fort Jackson to another 1~ miles above the nearest upward-bearing batteries we shall find a distance of 31 miles to be traversed, 2 miles of which under the fire of 100 to 125 guns, and the other lj miles under that of from 50to 100. Now, against the current of the river this distance will not be performed by the majority of steamers of a squadron in less than twenty-five minutes or a half-hour. With hot shot thrown by this armament, even though but 24 and 32 pounders, I should look upon the daylight passage as too hazardous to be undertaken. The lownes Page 19 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 19 of their barbette batteries is a favorable circumstance. At any time between now and next August our fleet would find the river pretty well up. The river is not apt to be much above low water in February, but a rapid rise usually commences about the 1st of March and the river keeps up till August, and the decks of our large steam frigates would command most of these batteries, within 200 or 260 yards of which they could be laid. But to get such positions the vessels would have to endure 1~ or 2 miles fire (raking) of 100 guns. Such an attempt should be made at night, when the distant fire must be very uncertain. From two to four or more vessels for each fort, armed with IX or XI inch guns, laid alongside of Fort Jackson, and firing spherical case or canister (the latter probably preferable), would, 1 should think, make all these batteries untenable, even those of the casemates. Here is a place where armor-clad vessels become particularly applicable. Should any obstructions (such as rafts) be anchored in the river (difficult, I think, to maintain in the high or even moderately high stages), the forcing of a passage would become almost impracticable. Here, again, ironclad vessels would be very useful for reconnoitering or destroying rafts. Would it be prudent, however, supposing these works to be at all formidably armed, to force a passage, leaving them behind intact, while the fleet advanced on New Orleans? I think not, unless, per- chance, in conjunction with an attack to be made on the city by a large land force from Lake Borgne or Pontchartrain; but it is as hard to get a land force from these lakes as to take Forts Jackson and [St.] Phi lip. A fleet can not maintain itself long above those works unless the city of New Orleans is captured and held by us. If it should meet with damage in passing, and serious reverses higher up, it would have to pass the gantlet again in retiring and our loss become very great. On the other hand, to take these works is to open the navigation of the river up to Memphis to us and to lay open the whole country (as well as to take New Orleans) to the enterprises of our fleets. It is a key to all the rest, and I believe it is an undertaking which requires as little risk, as small outfit, as any there can be designed in this quarter. Before indicating how I would operate against these works I will make a few remarks about the topography. It is to be regretted that with all the surveys we have made, and the length of time our officers (myself among others) have been connected with this place, we have such uncertain information as to the exact character of the ground surrounding these works. I state the character to the best of my ability. The river banks everywhere, even down to the mouth, I believe, furnish a margin of firm ground, only overflowed in the higher stages of the river. (Unfortunately during the months of March, April, May, and June we are certain to find the river pretty well up to high-water stage.) This strip of firm ground from Fort Jackson down for about a mile is from 300 to 400 yards, and, except where cleared to open the fire of the guns, is wooded with cottonwood and willow, the latter perhaps from I to 2 feet diameter. Extending 450 or 500 yards below Fort Jackson is an old levee (made at the time of the commencement of the work), having a return or elbow running back to the swamp. (See large map.) This return is near 400 yards long. It serves to protect the rear of the fort fro Page 20 20 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the back~ater of overflow. This levee was repaired, I think, under my directions. It is quite likely that it has been neglected singe, and that there are breaches in it, but these could be easily repaired, and the levee would keep the space behind pretty dry, even at high water. The level of the natural soil about Fort Jackson near the river is, say, a little over 3 feet above ordinary low water. The ordinary rise of the river is, say, 5 feet, overtopping the banks, say, 2 feet. The fort levee proper encloses the works and the grounds (see map), passing within about 100 yards of the northern bastion salient, 150 from the two eastern, and 300 (about) from the two western bastion salients. Above Fort Jackson the high ground extends farther back (say one- half mile); is leveed and might be kept dry at all stages. (If an attack on these works was feared, and the river up, probably all the levees would be cut, but they are easily repaired.) next above Bayou [St.] Denis is cleared and cultivated ground, and next above Bayou des Liards is the Burnt Settlement [Buras], a hamlet of neat residences, with rice fields and orange groves. The ground immediately around Fort St. Philip is as high, or rather hi~her, than that about Fort Jackson. There is quite a large triangular space of high ground between the river and Bayou Mardi Gras (just below the fort), and thence extend- ing along the river and bayou banks. The limit of hardest ground passes about a hundred yards behind the rearmost salient of the fort. it is called by LieutenantSmith (who surveyed it) practicable for infantry, cavalry, or artillery. For several hundred yards farther back, indeed, the ground is passable for footmen, but would be found pretty soft and miry in wet weather, though still supporting footmen. The banks of the Bayou Mardi Gras are pretty high and firm half- way at least to the Gulf; the bayou itself, though narrow, has 10 to 15 feet of water in it except over its bar. Lime Kiln Bayou has much the same character. The external waters of the Gulf are shoal, and I presume nothing can approach the mouths of these bayous except boats. With these preliminaries I will give my ideas about the attack. I should consider necessary, first, a powerful fleet, bearing from 300 to 400 guns (as many XJ-inch and IX-inch guns as can be had); second, half a dozen ironclad gunboats (or as many more as can be had); third, 10,000 troops. (All these might not be necessary in reducing the works, but they should be with the expedition to take immediate advantage of its success.) I should hope to reduce the works without regular siege operations, but even if it became necessary to resort to them, the powerful artil- lery of the fleet would make a large siege train unnecessary. I should judge that a dozen 24-pounder siege guns, a dozen X-inch mortars, and as many field guns (these to be furnished from dismounted bat- teries attached to the division of troops) would suffice, and the fleet should be accompanied by, say, fifteen or twenty mortar vessels, such as are now being equipped. The difficulties of regular approaches against these works and the advantages likely to be derived from prompt and bold measures, which may overwhelm the works before the defenders can get time to accus- tom themselves to a state of siege, are so great that I shall not suggest as a preliminary attack any land batteries. Doubtless, if it was in the monthof November or December, it would be an important step t Page 21 WEST GULF BU~OCKADING. SQUADRON. 21 land troops below, surround Fort Japkson by skirmishers (taking advantage of the levees), and to establish batteries enfilading all the water batteries of this work bearing across and down the river. During the high-water season I doubt the practicability of this and, whether practicable or not, believe that the measure would not justify the discouragements and delays arising. The plan I would suggest would be based upon the fact that the batteries of the forts are all, except sixteen guns of Fort Jackson, en lxtrbette; that they are all very low; that they can be approached to within 200 yards, and, moreover, that while Fort Jackson is a very strong work Fort St. Philip is comparatively weak, and can scarcely be considered as secure against a coup de main, and that Fort St. Philip once fallen into our possession, its own batteries enfiladed or taken in reverse, all the downstream bearing barbette batteries of Fort Jackson, and that from a point 200 or 300 yards below Fort St. Philip the remaining barbette batteries of Fort Jackson can be enfiladed and the scarps of the two water fronts breached. From a point marked C, 600 yards from the uppermost batteries of Fort Jackson, to a point marked D, 600 from the lower batteries, is a distance of about 1,600 yards. Along this line I presume twelve ves- sels can be laid without danger of fouling; and if they averaged ten guns to a broadside they would bring one hundred and twenty guns to bear on the fort, and it will be seen that they will enfilade every barbette battery and take most of them in reverse. The nearest vessels will be about 200 yards from the work. The batteries of St. Philip can not be enveloped and enfiladed as can those of Fort Jackson, but they are so extremely low and so near the shore that they are fearfully exposed. Eight vessels could be laid alongside, the most remote 300 yards from the extremes of the two exterior batteries, the central ones within 200 yards of the parapets of the work. I should not attempt to put all these vessels in position at once. I should select for the Fort Jackson side say four (ironclad if possible), destined for position from A to E. Two of these (ironclad) vessels should be posted directly in front of the two curtains of the water fronts, to contend with the casemate and barbette guns above them; these vessels should have XI-inch guns and,flre nothing but canister. Three vessels should likewise be destined to take positiQns in front of Fort St. Philip. The operation should commence in the night, so as to get these vessels in position just before daylightthe vessels destined for St. Philip to creep along the left shore; those for Fort Jackson along the right shore. The river is too narrow and the current too strong for maneuvering. The vessels once in position would have to keep them. They should be of such a character that they might be expected to do so, from the number of their guns or from their iron protection. (Ample topmast room should be provided and filled with sharpshooters.) Those on the Fort Jackson side would probably have to make fast to the shore; those on the St. Philip side might anchor. At early dawn the rest of the fleet should distribute itself along the shores as indicated. The mortar vessels should then seek the most suitable positions. If the fleet can thus silence the fire of the forts once it can keep it silenced, and it should take advantage of its cessa- tion to fire solid shot or shells to injure the guns and walls. (Th Page 22 22 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. walls of St. Philip are, notwithstanding all modern repairs, of the most wretched character and much exposed.) it is likely a more or less practicable breach could be made in front from the vessels. The fire of the works being subdued, part of the transports should pass up and troops be landed on each side (taking immediately proper precau- tions to prevent being flooded by the levees being cut above), and the two works at least partially invested by skirmishers, to whom the levees would furnish great facilities. In sketching out an operation of this character it is useless to attempt to mark out beforehand that which must take its shape from the cir- cumstances of the moment. If this naval operation can be made successful I can conceive the possibility, by a prompt display of land force and menace of assault, of obtaining an immediate surrender of Fort St. Philip. This possibility would be founded upon the demor- alization produced by the naval assaultthe men being driven from guns and unable to return to them, large numbers killed and wounded. In the absence of any bombproof (or fireproof) shelter, a momentary refuge for a small portion of the garrison might be found under the relieving arches of the land fronts; but they are so contracted, so wet and close, that men could not stay in them long. The fact is that the only quarters is a very large pine building, which would probably be fired by shells, and during its burning make the service of guns in any part of the main work impracticable. it may be remarked, too, that the permanent magazines of the work and external batteries (the only masonry and bombproof buildings there are) would not hold more than 700 or 800 barrels of powder stowed in bulk (not much over 100 rounds of the supposed armaments); that there are no filling rooms, etc.; that there were no other storerooms for provisions or other stores than the wooden building mentioned. I can conceive it, therefore, possible that the garrison might sur- render merely from the effects of the cannonade, accompanied with preparations for landing and assault. Should it not do so the landing must be made, and we may rely upon the investment and continued cannonade, or we may assault. A light field gun would destroy the drawbridge and gates on the southwest front, and then skirmishers would advance to keep down any fire from the parapets. A few planks thrown over the drawbridge gap would complete a bridge. In previous pages I stated that the ditches had 6 feet of water in them. So they had, but I am told by Lieutenant Weitzel that they have since filled up very much; that there is not more than 4 feet now. They are narrow, varying from 30 to 40 feet. A few guns from land batteries at a distance will see enough of the walls to bring them down (partly filling the ditch), and facines thrown in would do the rest. The fleet, as before said, might breach the river-front walls etc. Whether the work is taken by one or the other of these means it can not hold out long. This work taken, its guns and the batteries, we would speedily estab- lish on the river banks below, would enfilade every barbette battery of Fort Jackson, and breach the curtain and flanks of the two water fronts. Our mortar vessels would shower shells upon it and our fleet and land forces would cut off all supplies. (This work, like St. Philip, had not magazine room enough for more than 100 rounds of powder in barrels Page 23 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 23 and it would be difficult to find room in other casemates without destroy- ing their efficiency as gun rooms.) By one means or another the work must soon surrender, and with its surrender New Orleans and Louisiana fall. The Valley of the Mis- sissippi is conquered. I took up this subject, not foreseeing the conclusions that it would lead to in my mind. If those conclusions are correct, there is no oper- ation the Government can undertake which promises so important results. And, moreover, these results can not be fully obtained with- out this capture. To reach New Orleans from St. Louis implies the conquest of the whole valley down; or, in other words, it implies almost the complete triumph of our arms everywhere. To capture New Orleans from the mouth is, without waiting any such problematical result, to take a great stride toward obtaining complete triumph for our arms. But to pass these works merely with a fleet and appear before New Orleans is merely a raid, no capture. New Orleans and the river can not be held until communications are perfectly established. They are more easily and more perfectly established by the mouths of the river than by the lakes. The avenues from the lakes can only be reached by light craft, and these are mere bayous through swamps and narrow defiles, along canals easily obstructed, easily defended; and, moreover, these avenues are now all permanently fortified. The operations against the forts is recommended by the probability that it is not likely they have expected an attempt of this kind. The prevailing idea with the defenders probably has been and is to prevent the passage of vessels, not so much to defend themselves. In this project everything depends on the success of the naval part of the plan. Can the Navy do what I assign it? If not with actual means, can it by special preparations, which will not occupy more than a couple of months? What has been done to these works by Confederates is not known to me, but I should think that the blockading fleet might ascertain with much certainty. Should there be anything in this memoir worthy of being acted upon, I should desire its submission to the general in chief and to General Totten, Chief Engineer, U. S. Army, whose thorough acquaint- ance with these works and great experience would make his counsel very desirable. If the attack is determined upon it would be desirable, if possible, to avoid any retarding preparations, but to collect the squadron and land force at once from means now available. Respectfully submitted. ~. G. BARNARD, Brigadier- General and Chief Engineer, Army of Potomac. P. S.Two sheets of drawings * accompany this paper, copied from maps in the archives of the Engineer Department. Whenever the use ceases, these and whatever copies may be taken should be returned by whomsoever possesses them to the Engineer Department. *Not found Page 24 24 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. N. B.--The operations indicated in this memoir should be preceded by a bombardment from the water vessels and XI and IX inch guns mainly upon Fort Jackson. It should be kept up twenty-four hours (if the work does not surrender before that time, which it is quite likely to do) without intermission. J. G. BARNARD. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Acting lieutenant IYoodworth, U S. Navy, cornmandinq U. S. S. John P. Jackson, to proceed to duty in the iJfortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMEN, February 10, 18692. SIR: The moment the U. S. S. John P. Jackson is ready for sea pro- ceed with her with all possible dispatch to Key West, Fla., and report to Commander D. D or er or duty as a part of the bomb flotilla under his command. Transmit to the Department before sailing from New York a muster roll of the crew and a separate list of the officers of the John P. Jackson. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant. GIDEON WELLES. Acting Lieutenant S. E. WOODWORTH, Commanding U. S. S. John P. Jackson, New York. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Lieutenant IVainwright, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Harriet Lane, to proceed to duty in the ilfortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 10, 18692. SIR: You will proceed with all practicable dispatch with the Harriet Lane to Key West, touching at Havana for the purpose of delivering the accompanying letter to the U. S. consul-general at that port. On your arrival at Key West you will report for duty in the bomb flotilla under the orders of Commander D. D. Porter. Transmit to the Department before sailing from Washington a mus- ter roll of the crew and a separate list of the officers of the Harriet Lane. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, - GIDEON WELLES. Lieutenant J. M. WAINwRIGHT, Commanding U. S. S. Harriet Lane, Washington, D. G Page 25 25 WEST GULF J3LOCKADfl~G SQUADRON. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Gommand~r Port , CL S. Navy, giving list of vessels comprising the .Miortar Flotilla. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 10, 1869~?. SIR: The followingevessels compose the bomb flotilla, and are placed under your orders, viz: Sailing vessels. Name of vessel. Commanding officer. Ordered. SCHOONERS. 1862. Adolph Hugel, [Philadelphia] Acting Master H. B. Jencks , Jan. 18 Geo. Mangham, [Philadelphia] Acting Master John Collins Jan. 18 T. A. Ward Lieutenant W. W. Queen Jan. 18 C. P. Williams Acting Master A. H. Langthorne Jan. 18 John Griffith Acting Master H. Brown Jan. 18 Racer Acting Master A. Phinney Jan. 21 Matthew Vassar Acting Master H. H. Savage Jan. 24 Sophronsa Acting Master J. A. Darling Jan. 29 Arletta Acting Master Thos. E. Smith Jan. 29 Orvetta Acting Master F. E. Blanchard Jan. 28 Sidney C. Jones Acting Master Robt. Adams Jan. 29 Henry Janes Acting Master L. W. Pennington Jan. 31 Dan Smith Acting Master Geo. W. Brown Jan. 31 Sarah Bruen Acting Master A. Christian Feb. 1 Para Acting Master G. N. Hood Feb. 1 Maria J. Canton Acting Master C. E. Jack Feb. 1 Norfolk Packet Lieutenant Watson Smith Feb. 3 Oliver H. Lee Acting Master W. Godfrey Feb. 3 William Bacon Acting Master W. P. Rogers Feb. 3 BARKS. Horace Beals Lieutenant K. H. Breese Feb. 3 A. Houghton Acting Master Newell Graham Feb. 10 BRIG. Sea Foam Acting Master H. B. Williams Jan. 24 Steamers. Westfield Commander W. B. Renshaw Jan. 31 Clifton Acting Lieutenant C. H. Baldwin Jan. 31 John P. Jackson Acting JAeutenant S. E. Woodworth Jan. 10 Owasco Lieutenant John Guest Jan. 21 Miami. [Philadelphia] Lieutenant A. D. Harrell Feb. 5 Harriet Lane, [Washington, D. C.] Lieutenant J. M. Wainwrigbt Feb. 10 R. B. Forbes Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Win. Flye Jan. 31 The steamer Octorara, at New York, has been selected for your immediate command and will be dispatched to you as soon as she can be got ready. Most of the bomb vessels being on their way to Key West, you will proceed to Washington and take passage in the steamer Harriet Lane, with Lieutenant Commanding Wainwright, who has orders to proceed to that port with all practicable dispatch, touching at Havana. So soon as you can collect your vessels together at Key West you will join Flag-Officer Farragut at Ship Island, to whom you will report for duty with the flotilla under your command. I am, respectfully, your obediert servant, Commander D. D. PORTER, Gommanding Bomb Flotilla, New York. GIDEON WELLES. [NOTE. The above-mentioned vessels, excepting harriet Lane, .Mi i, Adolph Hugel, and George iWiangkam, sailed from New York Page 26 26 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. The Cfrtfton and R. B. Forbes collided, and the latter was beached near Nags Head, North Carolina. The Ulifton, J. P. Jackson, and Miami were sent to Baltimore for repairs. The Mortar Flotilla sailed from Key West March 6, and was towed across the bar at Pass ~ lOutre March 18, 1862.COMPJLEm] List of vessels of the ililiortar Flotilla and their armament. Name. Norfolk Packet Oliver H. Lee Para C. P. Williams Arletta William Bacon Sophronia T. A. Ward Sidney C. Jones Matthew Vassar Maria J. Carlton Orvetta Adolph Hugel George Maugham Horace Beals John Griffith Sarah Bruen Racer Sea Foam Henry Janes -Dan Smith Armament. 1 XJIJ-inch mortar, 2 32-pdrs., 2 12-pdr. howitzers of 750 lbs. 1 XIJJ-inch mortar, 2 32-pdrs. 57 cwt. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. 1 XIJJ-inch mortar, 2 12-pdr. rifled howitzers. Do. Do. D. 2 32-pdrs., 1 30-pdr. Parrott. 1 XJJI-inch mortar, 2 32-pdrs., 2 12-pdr. rifled howitzers. Do. Do. Do. Do. 1 XIJJ-inch mortar, 2 12-pdr. boat howitzers of 750 lbs. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to the Superintendent of the Coast Sarvey, authorizing the purchase of telegraphic outfit for the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 11, 1862. You are hereby authorized to purchase, for the use of the squadron under command of Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, 5 miles of telegraphic wires for submerged purposes, with necessary insulators if otherwise used, together with the batteries, and also to employ an operator at the usual rate of compensation. Respectfully, Professor A. D. BAdE, Supcri~ tendent Coast Survey. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Lieutenant lYainwright, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Harriet Lane, modifying sailing instruc- tions. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 11, 1862. SIR: Your sailing instructions of the 10th instant are so far modified that you will touch at Port Royal, S. C., on your passage to Key GIDEON WELLES Page 27 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 27 West, delivering the accompanying communications to Flag-Officer Du Pont. I am, respectf idly, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Lieutenant Commanding J. M. WAINWRIGHT, Comdg. U. S. S. Harriet Lane, Navy Yard, Washington, D. C. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to various commanding officers to report with their vessels for duty in the iVfortar Flotilla. NAvY DEPARTMENT, February 12, 1862. SIR: Proceed with the U. S. S. Clifton with all practicable dispatch to Key West, Fla., and report for duty in the bomb flotilla. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Acting Lieutenant C. H. BALDWIN, Gommanding U. S. S. Clifton, New York. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant WM. FLYE, Corn dg. U. S. S. P. B. Forbes, Jklutatis iVfutandis, New York. Commander W. B. RENSHAW, Comdg. U. S. S. Westfield, iilutatis illiutandis, New York. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Lieutenant Brown, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Octorara, to report with that vessel to Com- mander Porter, U S. Navy. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 18, 1862. SIR: As soon as the U. S. S. Octorara is ready for sea~ proceed in her with all dispatch to the Gulf of Mexico and deliver her to Com- mander D. D. Porter, who will be found either at Key West or Ship Island. Transmit to the Department before sailing from New York a muster roll of the crew and a separate list of the officers of the Octorara. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Lieutenant GEO. BROWN, U. S. Navy, U S. S. Octorara, New York. Report of Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. Navy, announcing his arrival at Key West, lila. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Key West, February 12, 1862. SIR: I have to report my safe arrival at this port yesterday after a passage of nine days, including the stoppage at Port Royal; generally head winds, but no very heavy weather. I found here the U. S. steamers Pensacola and Santiago de (aba and six of the bomb vessels of Com- mander Porters command. I shall commence coaling to-morrow and then proceed to Havana, and thence to Ship Island, to assume m Page 28 28 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUATERON. command. I regret to learn from the officers that some of the guw boats are sadly in want of repairs, and it is thought will have to be sent north, and I am further informed that there is not a vessel attached to my command that can do good service in the shallow waters. I can not be too urgent for steamers of less than 6 feet draft. 1 would then hope very soon to render a good account of the ports east and west of the Delta of the Mississippi. I expect to be ready to commence any heavy work the moment Comniander Porter reports his command ready. This ships crew are perhaps the most inefficient, but I hope that Commander Wainwright will get them in condition to do good service by the time the mortar vessels are ready; both the commander and his officers are doing their utmost, and a short time will accom- plish much under good instruction. I would respectfully suggest that, when a permanent store or hospital ship is sent out to me, a few of the most useful tools, turning lathes, forges, etc., might be sent out in her, as many light repairs to the machinery of the steamers could be made on board of them. The Pensacola, on her way out, ran on Carysfort Reef, where she remained three days, but fortunately got off without injury, except in small matters connected with the engines, all of which are now being repaired, and she will be ready to sail in two weeks for Ship Island; for particulars of which you are respectfully referred to Captain Morriss report. With respect, I remain your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojjicer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. (1. Report of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, fL S. Navy, requesting to be furnished with light-draft steamers. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Key West, February 19?, 1869?. SIR: If the Department would procure and send me two or three steamers of light draft, not to draw over 6 feet of water (and as much less as they please), to be able to carry one or~ two of Parrotts rifled 20-pound guns, they would be of incalculable service to me in my con- templated operations. There are several places where not more than 6 feet can be carried at any time, and so we have no means of getting at them without a towboat of such light draft. I am told by Captain Bell, who has made the enquiry, that such vessels are rare, if they can be had at all, in New York, but I think they might be at or near Philadelphia. Captain Bell also informs me that if the Department could spare me two or three of the following- named steamers they might be sufficiently reduced to enter the places most important to me, viz, Sachem, Uncas, Seneca, Aladgie, and Patroon. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Flag- Officer. Secretary gf the Navy, Washington, P. C Page 29 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 29 Letter from a citi2en of New York, at Havana, to the Secretary of the Navy, calling attention to the operations of trading vessels at that port. HAVANA, February 15, 1862. DEAR SIR: I desire to call your particular attention to the large number of steamers and other vessels that arrive here from Southern ports, mostly from New Orleans. They bring cargoes of cotton rice, turpentine, etc., and in return take arms, ammunition, provisions of every description, which are furnished principally by English houses here, who import the same. I am of the opinion that the great bulk of the rebels supplies are drawn from this port, and would respectfully suggest that several very fleet and light-draft steamers be put on the lookout for these traders. There have been, since the blockade was declared, over 70 vessels here from the South. With great respect, your obedient servant. C. TIERs MYERs, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Of Yew York. Secretary of the Navy, Washington. Letter from Flag- Officer Farragut, CL S. Navy, to the Chief of Bureau of Ordnance, regarding the need of ordnance supplies for his command. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Havana, February ~, 1862. DEAR SIR: I received all the shrapnel and grapeshot you sent to For- tress Monroe for the ships; also 50 XI-inch shells. I hope you are still going to send the large quantity of ordnance stores and munitions down to the Tortugas for us. We expect to make good use of them, but will certainly require a great quantity, shell or otherwise. So soon as I commence my operations, I shall send over to Tortugas for as much as 1 can take proper care of. The Tortugas is too far off to supply ourselves quickly, and when we once begin we niust keep on, and to send 400 miles for munitions of war will not do, therefore I will try and keep them close at hand. Very truly, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Captain A. A. HARwOOD, Flag- Officer. Chief of Bureau of Ordnance, Washington, D. C. Report of Flag- Officer Farra gut, U S. Navy, requesting authority to secure the services of condemned prize vessels for his command. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ravana, February 16, 1862. SIR: While at Key West I had a conversation With Judge Marvin in relation to some of the prize vessels, which might be very service- able on the blockade. The only difficulty appears to be the manner i Page 30 30 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. which the value of the vessel is to be secured to the captors and the Government. The judge is anxious that we shall have the vessels, but wants authority from some source to secure that end. There is a schooner, Beauregard, taken as a privateer by the bark Ander8on, with a rifled gun; another little schooner, Fashion, of Cedar Keys, only about 4-feet draft, would be very serviceable in sounding out channels, etc., and the latter will not sell for more than $500 or $600, they think. Will the honorable Secretary inform me how I can get these vessels when I think they can be useful (and there is no doubt of their con- demnation), or even if I have to await their condemnation? Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. [Endorsement.] If the privateers captured and sent to Key West are condemned, the Government can purchase. W. Report gf Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, announcing arrival at Havana, Cuba, and advising measures for restricting trade with that place. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Havana, February 17, 1862. SIR: At Key West I took in my coal with all possible dispatch, and sailed for this place on the morning of the 15th and arrived here in the evening. I left at that place the Pensacola, Captain Morris, and eight of the bomb vessels of Commander Porters command; also sev- eral small prizes to Flag-Officer McKeans squadron. I was gratified to learn that they had captured the John Barbour, one of the vessels in the list of our consul at London, and two of the other prizes are supposed to have portions of cargo of steamer Gladiator. But I regret to learn from our consul here that small vessels loaded with cotton still continue to arrive at this port. One arrived last evening, said to be from Mobile; and depend upon~it, sir, there is but one way to stop it, which is by having vessels of light draft and send- ing up the rivers and capturing the vessels and the cotton in the rivers; a few small steamers, of not over 6 feet draft, will accomplish much, but to stop it altogether may be impracticable. These vessels are necessarily so small that it takes a great many of them to make one decent cargo. I am told that they came out through little places that would not be supposed anything larger than a rowboat could pass. I am much disappointed about the Pensacola. Her getting on shore delays us ten or twelve days at least, and I have great fears that we will not be able to get her over the bar, as I am told by Captain Morris that she drew 16 feet 6 inches before she took in anything but her water; but if she is to be gotten in, she shall be. Mr. Shufeldt wa~ very anxious for me to remain here a day, as he considered it would have a good effect upon the authorities, with whom he has had a little correspondence in reference to some alleged diff Page 31 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 31 culty between one of the boats crews of Commander Ridgely and a secession vessel, in which the governor-general took the liberty of using harsh language, amounting to a threat, in case of recurrence; but as he has not replied to Mr. Shufeldts last communication, in which the whole matter is denied by Commander Ridgely as a base fabrication, the subject has not yet been referred to the Government at home. There was also a leak in one of my boilers, which occurred yester- day morning while moving the ship up the harbor, that rendered it necessary to work continually on it up to the moment of departure, which will be at 5 p. in., for Ship Island. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Report of Flag- Ofilcer Farragut, U. S. Navy, reqarding geveral mat- ters pertaining to his co?rnnand. No. 11.] U. S. S. HARTFORD, Havana, February , 1869?. DEAR SIR: Looking over my charts and the work before me, and learning the difficulties with the captains of the chartered vessels, it suggested itself to me that if the Bureau could make their charters with the parties to deliver coal and other stores at Ship Island, or such other place in the neighborhood as the flag-officer of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron may direct, it would save much trouble and great expense to the Government. You will perceive how much nearer the mouths of the Mississippi the Isle au Breton is than Ship Islandthe latter 60 and the former about 15 miles. The anchorage (my Coast-Survey assistant informs me) is good and safe at Isle [an] Breton. This would give me great facility in supply- ing the vessels at the mouths of the river, while Ship Island would be better for other operations to the eastward. This, and the small steamers of light draft, not over 5 feet, are next my heart and give me most anxiety. Captain Bell tells me that he left at New York the Sachem, lilneas, Seneca, Jfadqie, Patroon, and Victoria. They would all be of infinite service to me, but two of the lighter draft would be and are almost indispensable. The Tortugas is too distant to have my munitions of war when II commence operations, and until I get a house I shall put them into one of the vessels, which will answer a better purpose. You are pleased that I expressed myself satisfied with the force I had to accomplish my work. I beg you to understand that that observation did not allude to the blockade of the coast, but to a specific work. I find that I have 15 sailing vessels and will have to put them all on the blockade, and you are well aware that they are very ineffi- cient guards against steamers in calm weather, but I promise to do the best I can with them. I will place them to the best advantag Page 32 32 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. and make them lie there until relieved. I can also use some of these sailing vessels, and will do so wherever they can be advantageously brought in. I hope to realize your expectations, as well as my own, but I know that there are many difficulties to be met and wish to anticipate them as far as possible. One of the greatest on the Southern coast is the shallow water we have to operate in, and by having vessels of light draft they can almost invariably be circumvented. Du Pont is doing it now, and I can cut off nearly every fort along the coait from their supplies by vessels of less than 6 feet draft. Medical officers and mechanics, arc also much needed to insure success. The small steamers, Du Pont informs me, are constantly getting out of order, and I fear our workmen are few and not of the best, so 1 trust you will do the best you can for me in all these par- ticulars, and believe me, Very truly and respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGIJT, Flag- Ofticer. G. V. Fox, A88i8tant Secretary of the Navy, Wa8hington, D. C. Order qf Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant De haven, U. S Navy, commanding U. S. S. Calhoun, to crui8e for two day8 qif the coa8t of Loujejana. U. S. S. COLORADO, Off South TYe8t Pass, Jifiss~ssq~pi River, February 18, 1869g. SIR: I have manned and armed the prize steamer tiJalkoun as a tender to this ship and placed you in command. You are directed to j~roceed on a two days cruise on the coast of Louisiana, first proceeding off the entrance of Barataria Bay and afterwards east and south of Ship Island Shoals. Should you fall in with the De Soto you will ask Commander Walker to put on board of you the six men belonging to this ship and hand him the accompanying letter. I send by you the mail for the gunboat Hatteras, in case you communicate with her. Should you take a prize, you will secure the log book and all papers found on board and bring her to this anchorage for examination, being particularly careful that no spoliation of effects found on board take place by the boarding party or others under your command. I necessarily leave you large discretion as to your movements. You will strike at and capture the enemys vessels and commerce, should you have an opportunity, and return to this anchorage at the end of the time allotted, unless the chase of a suspicious sail prevents. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, T. BAILEY, Lieutenant J. E. DR HAVEN, Captain. CL S. S. Calhoun Page 33 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 33 Letter fro?n the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ofticer Thrragut, U S. Navy, giving information regarding the reported movements of steamer Victoria. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Fehruary 19, 1869~?. SIR: The Department learns from a private Source, deemed reliable, that a steamer called the Victoria is now being fitted out at New Orleans for privateering purposes. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, commanding IVest Gulf Blockading Squadron, Sh4p Island. Report ~f Lieutenant Guest, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Owasco, announcing the arrival of that vessel at Key West, Fla. U. S. S. OwAsco, Key West, February 19, 1862. I have to report that I left New York with the Owasco on the 5th instant, in obedience to your order of the 3d February. On my passage out I fell in with the Sarah Bruen, bomb schooner, outside of New York, and with the Orvetta in the Providence Channel. Neither of these vessels required any assistance. The Orvetta, having a fair wind, kept me in sight through the whole channel, although I was using steam and sail and making my best speed. I arrived here on the morning of the 15th, having anchored for one night at the Hole in the Wall, as I desired to pass through the channel in the daytime, lest I should miss seeing the bomb vessels. On my arrival I found nine of the bomb flotilla here under charge of Lieutenant Commanding Queen, of the second division. Up to this date five more have arrived, making the whole number 110W here four- teen. They are all in excellent condition. I mention thus much to relieve any anxiety the Department may feel with regard to the flotilla, but I do not enter into detail, as I suppose Commander Porter would prefer making his own report. I am in temporary charge of the flotilla by Commander Porters orders. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN GUEST, Lieutenant, Commanding U. S. S. Owasco. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. (~. Report of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, announcing his arrival at Ship island, Jifiss., and the impaired condition of the vessels there. U. S. S. HARTFORD Ship island, Fehruarq 21, 1862. SIR: 1 have the honor to report my arrival at this place on the after- noon of the 20th, where I found Flag-Officer McKean and the steamers JlIontgomei~, South Carolina, and Sciota, all of which are so disabled in i~.W TIVOL 15 Page 34 34 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. their machinery as to be unable to move for some time. The Bunts- yule, the flag-officer informs me, is in a like condition, and that he has already so reported them to the Department. He further represents the most of the absent steamers as requiring more or less repairs. The Golorado requires her mainmast to be taken out, but as I only await the arrival of the bombards and the Richmond and Pensacola, I shall not send any of the vessels home for repairs until after my first work is decided for better or worse. I will try and get together four of the gunboats to enfilade Fort St. Philip, and with the bombs and other vessels I hope to accomplish the great end of my first expedition. I can not be too urgent for the coal, as there are but about 400 tons at present on hand here and scarcely as much at Key West, and several of the vessels require replenishing. I trust the Department will bear in mind my application for some machinery in the way of tools for the repairs of engines to be placed on board the vessel now fitting for our hospital storeship. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary qf the Navy, Washington, D. U. Letter from Flag- Officer Farragut, TI. S. Navy, to the Assistant Secre- tary of the Navy, regarding condition of at Ship Island, ~. affairs discovered on arrival U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, February ~, 18693. DEAR SIR: I am happy to inform you that I have at last arrived at Ship Island, but regret to say that neither the Pensacola nor Richmond are here yet, and Flag-Officer McKean gives me a miserable account of the condition of the few vessels now on the station required for my operations. I apprehend that much of the destruction of the boilers and machinery of the steamers must arise from the young and inex- perienced engineers. The boilers are burned out and the machinery roughed up, from which I judge that the water was not watched nor the rods and bearings kept well oiled, but I shall keep all the vessels in as good condition as my means will allow until I have made my debut. I go down to the mouth of the Mississippi to-morrow, when I shall order the Brooklyn and one or two of the gunboats up to the Head of the Passes, and that will release some of the vessels from outside blockading and enable me to call in those vessels which I deem most necessary for my first movements, which will be made as soon as Commander Porter and the captains of the Pensacola and Richmond report themselves. I did intend to undertake Fort Livingston in the meantime, but 1 find the vessels so scattered, and the necessities to keep their stations so great, that I have deferred it to a more conven- ient season. I remain, truly and respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. G. V. Fox, Esq., Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Washington, Is. U Page 35 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 35 Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Captain Bailey, U S. Navy, to cooperate with Coa8t-Survey ogjlcial8 ~n buoying South TVe8t Pa88 and Pa88 it 1 Outre. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship I8land, February 22, 1862. SIR: I have sent Mr. Halter, one of the assistants of the Coast Survey, to sound out and buoy the bar of the South West Pass and Pass ~ lOutre,and I wish you to afford him all the assistance you can. I also send Captains Craven and Steliwagen orders to run their ships up the Head of the Passes and lie there until further orders. hf there is any other vessel that can pass the bar, send her up also. Very iespectf ally, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogjicer IlTe8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. BAILEY, U S. S. Colorado. P. S.I hope to be off the South West [Pass] in a day or two, and may stop at Isle au Breton to make some little preparations for my work. D.G.F. Order of Flag- Ofilcer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Captain ~J~raven, U S Navy, commanding U S. S. Brooklyn, to proceed to the head of Passes and cut off telegraphic canrnunica~ion with New Orleans. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, February 22, 1862. SIR: I herewith send an assistant of the Coast Survey to sound out and buoy the bar of the South West Pass and Pass a lOutre. You will pass up the Mississippi to the Head of Passes, seize the telcgraphic operator and his apparatus, cut the wires, and effectually cut off the communication with New Orleans. Take all th~ pilots also and send them to this island. Take with you all the vessels blockading the mouths of the Mississippi that can enter. Anchor close to the shore, keep all ready for action, and take every precaution against surprise, but keep your position until further orders from me. Send down your topgallant masts and keep a lookout durino the day from the topmast head, and at night send the gunboat at least 1 mile higher up the river with rockets to give you notice of the approach of the enemys vessels. Let her have lines with a hook ready to take a fire ship or other annoyance in tow, and tow it off into the river. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGIJT, Flag- Og/Icer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain THOS. [T.] CRAVEN, (~ommanding U S. S. Brooklyn. P. S.The name of the telegraphic operator is Bohn. His station is on the left bank of the Mississippi going up, opposite Cubitts house. D.G.F Page 36 36 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, TI. S. Navy, regarding an ewekange of certain vessels between the two Gulf squadrons. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, February 22, 1862. SIR: In consequence of the remote positions of certain vessels in the squadron of Flag-Officer McKean, we have determined, in conformity with the directions of the Department, to exchange them, their qualities being such as not to interfere with the great object in view. They are as follows, viz: Western Gulf Eastern Gulf Squadron. Squadron. Midnight for Ethan Allen. Preble for J. L. Davis. Montgomery for R. R. Cuyler. New London. The last-named vessel being absolutely necessary to command the inland passage, and Lieutenant-Commander Read having made her such a terror to the Confederates in this quarter, Flag-Officer McKean and myself determined that justice to the service required me to keep her, and I will hereafter give him some other vessel in her stead. All of which is respectfully submitted. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGIJT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Report of Captain Renshaw, U. S. Navy, commandivg U S. S. Westfield, regarding the immediate departure of that vessel for Key West, in obedience to Departments order. U. S. S. WESTFIELD, Off Staten Jidand, February 22, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I will proceed to sea at 6 oclock this afternoon, in company with the U. S. steamers Clifton, Jackson, and Forbes, and proceed with all dispatch to Key West, agreeably to your instructions. I have also the honor to herewith forward a muster roll of my crew and a correct list of officers. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. B. RENSLIAW, Captain, U. S. Navy. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Lowry, U. S. Navy, to assume command of the U. S. S. JWontgomery on blockade duty off Sout1~ West Pass. U.S. S. HARTFORD, Sh~p Island, February 23, 1862. SIR: You are hereby appointed to command the U. S. S. ]lfontgom- ery, and on her arrival at the mouth of the Mississippi you will assum Page 37 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 37 your duties on board of her and repair to the South West Pass and assume the blockade in place of the Roanoke. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant R. B. LOWRY, U. S. S. Brooklyn. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Donald- son, U. S.Navy, commanding U S. S. Sciota. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Skip Island, February 23, 1862. SIR: During my absence you will take charge of everything in the harbor and have a careful eye to the interests of the Government in pursuing everything to the best of your ability. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain EDWARD DONALDSON, (4s~rnmanding U S. S. Sciota. Order of tke Secretary ~f the Navy to Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the addition of seventeen gunboats to his command. NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 24, 1862. SIR: Your two dispatches of the 12th instant have been received. The lightest draft vessels obtainable, as Commander Bell will inform you, are those selected by him in New York, drawing on an average 7~- feet of water. These vessels are totally unfit to attack the enemys works, from the exposure of their boilers and machinery, and there- fore will not be sent to you. The Department has, however, ordered 17 of the 23 gunboats authorized by Congress to report for your squadron, and the last one sails in the course of this week. The Oneida, TYachusett, and Dacotah sail before the first of March. The Kensington, supply and water steamer, leaves in a few days; also a ship, chartered by the month, loaded with ordnance stores. A large quantity of coal has also been sent down under charter to be delivered where you may require it and allowing a months detention. The Department does not desire you to attempt the main object of your mission unless you are well prepared and have every confidence in being successful. Many more vessels have been added to your squadron than was thought could be got ready when you were in Washington. The importance of your undertaking required this effort on the part of the Department. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ship island Page 38 38 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Order of Flag- Ojjicer Farraq~td, U. S. Navy, to commander Swart- wont, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. 8h~J) Portsnwutli, for the occupatwn of Brazo8 Santiago, Rex. U. S. S. hARTFORD, Ship I8land, Febrnary 924, 18692. SIR: On the first fine day for the purpose you will land a party in your boats with the-howitzers and take possession of the point of land which best commands the entrance to Brazos Santiago. If there should be some temporary earthworks thrown up by the Confederates, and you can get near enough, shell them out, or let me know your inability to do so, and I will send a suitable force to do it and take the place. Once taken, you will run down and communicate with Mr. Chase, our consul at Tampico, or send th~ vessel sent to assist you and learn the best mode of intercepting the trade of the Confederates going on between that place and Texas. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gu~f Blockading Sgjaadron. Commander S. SWARTwOUT, commanding U. S. Ship Portsmouth. Report of Lieutenant Wainwright, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Harriet Lane, regarding the seizure by that vessel of the schooner Joanna Ward. U. S. S. HARRIET LANE, Off the coast of Florida, February 924, 18692. SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that at 1 p. in., this day, in latitude 300 23 N., longitude 800 21 W., I boarded a schooner [Joanna Ward] under Spanish colors, and found her to be a vessel belonging to the so-called Confederate States of America. I have accordingly seized her as a lawful prize, and, as soon as the neces- sary preparations can be made, shall dispatch her to the port of New York, under the charge of Acting Masters Mate Charles M. Davis, with a prize crew of seven men. I have placed in his care the docu- ments prescribed by the Department, together with all the papers found on board the vessel. I am, with great respect, your most obedient servant, J. M. WAINWRIGHT, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Lieutenant, commanding. Secretary of the Navy. Report of captain Miarston, U. S. Navy, senior ofticer at Hampton Roads, regardinq the condition of the U. S. S. clifton upon arrival at that place. U. S. S. ROANOKE, Hampton Roads, February 925, 18692. SIR: The U. S. S. clifton arrived here this day from New York, leaking at the rate, even while at anchor, 18 to 20 inches per hour Page 39 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 39 Yesterday morning she came in contact with steamer Forbes in a fog. This accident, in conjunction with heavy gale of yesterday, is thought by Lieutenant Commanding Baldwin to be the cause of her leaking. I shall order her at once to Baltimor~ for repairs, at which place Lieutenant Baldwin will wait your orders. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN MARSTON, Hon. GIDEON WELLES Captain and Senior Of/leer. Secretary of the Ntvy, Washington. Order of Flag- Ojjlcer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Morris, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Pensacola, to join the squadron in the ilfississippi River. U. S. S. HARTFORD Ship Island, February 25, 1862. SIR: You will repair to the South West Pass of the Mississippi and report to me if there; but if I am not there, you will find some one of the squadron who will assist you in passing the bar and joining the rest of the squadron. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT. Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain H. W. MORRIS, U S. S. Pensacola. Order of Flag - Qfllcer Farragut, U S. Navy, to lieutenant Read, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. New London, ~o continue his duty in lJfississippi Sound. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, February 25~ 1862. SIR: You will remain in Mississippi Sound performing the duty which you have so well performed heretofore until further orders from me. You will make Ship Island your headquarters for supplies and information and for the purpose of communicating with me at the mouth of the Mississippi, which you will do by every opportunity. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag - Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding ABNER READ, U ~ S. New London Page 40 40 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Stations gf vessels composing the Weet Gu~f Blockading Squadron February 25. 1862. Rank. Capt. L. M. Powell Capt. H. Er gle Comdr, I Qwartwout Vincennes Lt. Comdg J. Madigan Preble Lt. Comdg. D. A. McDermut Arthur Midnight Kittatinny Maria A. Wood Actg. Master J. W. Kittredge Actg. Vol. Lt. G. E. Welch Fearnot Pampero J. C. Kuhn Nightingale Bohio Actg. Master C. W. Lamson Actg~ Master W. D. Gregory Mississippi Comdr. M. Smith De Soto Comdr. W. M. Walker Hatteras Colorado Hartford Brooklyn Richmond Pensacola Varuna Montgomery New London Sciota Itasca Wissahickon Comdr. G. F. Emmons Capt. T. Bailey Comdr. R. Wainwright Capt. T. T. Craven Comdr. J. Alden Capt. H. W. Morris Comdr. C. S. Boggs Lt. Comdg. A. Read Lt. Comdg. E. Donaldson Lt. A. N. Smith Huron Winona Lt. Comdg. E. T. Nichols Kanawha Kennebec Kineo Lt. Comdg. J. H. Russell Lt. G. M. Ransom Station. Frigate; Vera Cruz. Frigate; Galveston. Galveston; officers and crew home on books of Santee. Ship; Corpus Christi to Rio Grande. Ship; South Pass, Mississippi River. Ship; North East Pass, Mississippi River. Bark; Matagorda to Corpus Christi. Do. Schooner; Sabine Pass. Schooner; east end Santa Rosa Island. Should be at Mobile, supplying coal ordered to Ship Island after vessels at Pickens and Mobile. Storeship; Ship Island. Key West; coaling. Coal; Ship Island. Mouth of Mississippi to longitude 92~ W. Steamer; Fort Pickens. Steamer; Barataria; has on board extra bread and ordnance stores. Steamer; Berwick Bay. South West Pass, Mississippi River. Screw; flagship. Screw; Pass ~ lOutre. Screw. Screw; Key Wcst (on her way). Screw. Screw; Mississippi Sound. Do. Do. Screw; off Mobile. Screw; Petit Bois and Horn Island Pass. Screw. Screw; South East Pass, Mississippi River. Screw; off Mobile. Steamer; Mississippi Passes. Do. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. Navy, to captain Bailey, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Colorado, to proceed to isle au Breton, thence to .lWobile to relieve the U S. steamers Ita,~ca and Kanawha. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship island, February 26, 1862. SIR: You will repair to Isle au Breton and replenish your stores only so far as may be necessary for two months. You wIll secure your foreyard (as the step of your mainmast appears to be defective) by lashing a toplnast under it as a shore for the purpose of taking the masts out of such vessels as may be necessary, and should Commander Porter request it, you will remove the masts of his vessels and let him deposit them on the island, affording him such assistance as he may require. 1 have directed the storeship Pampero down to Isle au Breton as soon as she has supplied Flag-Officer McKean with his stores, and so soon as you have dismasted the vessels you will repair to Mobile and Name. Potomac Santee Rachel Seaman Portsmouth Page 41 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 41 relieve the Itasca and Ednawha, that they may repair to the mouth of the Mississippi River as soon as possible. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Og7lcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. BAILEY. Report of captain illiarston, U. S. Navy, senior ojjlcer at Hampton Roads, Vet., regarding the arrival of the CL S. S. John P. Jackson ~tn crippled condition and the reported grounding of the U S. S. B. B. Forbes:* U. S. S. ROANOKE, Hampton Roads, February ~6, 186g. SIR: After 1 had made my report to you yesterday relative to the Clifton, and had dispatched her to Baltimore, the steamer John P. Jackson arrived in a crippled condition. Her arrival was too late to report to you by the mail. Acting Lieutenant Commandino~ Wood- worth sent me his report to you, and also the report of his engineer, which you will receive with this. I directed Chief Engineer Loring to examine the machinery of the J P. Jackson, and herewith enclose his report to me and also a subsequent report from Lieutenant Wood- worth, he finding his steamer more disabled than he at first supposed. I have ordered the J. P. Jackson to Baltimore for repairs, and trust niy having done so with her, as well as the Clifton, will meet your approval. I sincerely regret to inform you that late yesterday afternoon I received intelligence that the steamer B. B. Forbes was on shore about 25 miles south of Cape Henry. I immediately dispatched the tug Young America to her assistance, and I trust she arrived in time to do so. I endeavored to obtain from the quartermasters department the steamer S. R. Spauldisag, but did not succeed. The S. R. Spaulding reported seeing the Forbes on shore, with her colors union down and her foremast gone. It is possible, before I send this off, that something may be heard from the Forbes; if so, I shall add it. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN MARSTON, Captain and Senior OftIcer. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. P. S.At the time the Spaulding passed the Forbes the sea was running too high to render any assistance. Report gf Captain Eagle, CL S. Navy, commanding CL S. ship San- tee, regarding the escape f a small river steamer from Galveston. U. S. FRIGATE SANTEE, Off Galveston Bar, Tex., February ~7, 186~2. SIR: I respectfully inform you that on the 12th instant, at 4 a. in., a small river steamer came out from Galveston over the flats and *For loss of U. S. S. R. B. Forbes, see Series I, vol. 6, pp. 664, 672, 673 Page 42 42 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. stood down the coast to the southward and westward. She was beyond the range of our guns and it was calm at the time. The schooner gunboat Kittatinny returned from the southward and westward on thc 22d instant and anchored at 1 p. m. The commander said he saw the steamer at Velasco and understood that she went down for a load of salt, intending to bring it to Galveston. This is the first and only vessel that has escaped the blockade since this ship anchQred off the bar. You must be aware of the importance of having a small steamer at this station. At 9 p. in., the 22d instant, we saw a light to the southward and westward, supposed to be a ships light, and I ordered the Kittatinny to get underway and pro- ceed in that direction. At daylight the 23d she was close in with the land and opposite a three-gun battery. Supposing they were about to fire upon him, her commander was ready to return it, when, at the battery, they hoisted a white flag and the lone-star flag of Texas. Horsemen were seen going to town, as if for reinforcements. The Kittatinny returned to this anchorage at 12 m. and her commander gave me this information, and stated that the light seen on the night of the 22d was from a steamer inside the land. The schooner gunboat ]i?ackel Seaman left on the 23d instant to cruise between here and Velasco, with orders to return on the 28th to meet the supply steamer. The Iiittatinny sailed at 1 p. in. the 23d to resume her station, in accordance with your instructions. We are nine men and three marines short of our complement. In the month of May next the term of enlist- ment of sixty-four of our men will expire. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY EAGLE Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Captain. Commanding Gulf Blockading Squadron. Enclosed is a bimensal return of transfers; also of pRnishments, as required by the Navy Department; also the surgeons monthly report of weekly average of sick. H. EAGLE, Captain. Report gf Commander Porter, U S. Navy, regarding the arrival at Key TTTest of the U. S. S. ]J& rriet Lane and mortar schooners. KEY WEST, Fe6ruary 938, 18693. SIR: I have the honor to report the arrival of the Harriet Lane at this port, having been obliged to put in for want of coal; she proceeds to Havana this afternoon. All of the Mortar Flotilla have arrived without accident, excepting the No folk Packet, the Oliver H. Lee, and the iWaria JJ tJarltonthe latter is overdue. The Owasco is the only steamer that has yet arrived. She is at present cruising between Tortugas and the reefs to intercept some vessels said to have sailed with contraband of war from Havana. The dispatches for Flag- Officer Farragut have been forwarded by the Richmond. The appearance and drill of the Mortar Flotilla is very creditable to the officers in charge. I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, DAVID D. PORTER, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, (~mmander, U S. Navy. Secretary of the Navy, TYashinqtov, D. (I Page 43 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 43 Report of commander Porter, 171 S. Navy, announcinq Ike arrival at Key West of all the Mortar Flotilla. KEY WEST, March 9?, 1869?. SIR: I have the honor to report the arrival of all the Mortar Flotilla. The liifaria J. Carlton carried away her mainmast in a gale off Cape Hatteras, losing rigging and sails. The captain (Charles E. Jack) stuck to his work and got her in here with no further accident, and with her jury mast she is quite able to join company with the flotilla, which sails to-morrow for Ship island. None of the steamers belong- ing to the flotilla has arrived at this port. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, DAVID D. PORTER, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, commanding Flotilla. Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Order of Flag- Ojj/lcer Farragut, 171 S. Navy, to captain Selfridge, 171 S. Navy, commanding 171 S. S. llbssissippt, to attempt to cross the bar at Pass ~t 1 Outre. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, iifarch 3, 1869?. SIR: On the receipt of this letter you will repair immediately to the Pass ~ lOutre, where you will meet a pilot waiting for you, and if possible you will cross the bar. Trim your vessel a few inches by the head, and use every exertion for lightening her as much as possible. I enclose you a copy of general order. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogjlcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. 0. SELERIDGE. U. S. S. Mississippi. Report of Flag- Oj9lcer Farragut, U. S. Navy, announcing the arrival at Sk~p island, Miss., of the 171 5. 5. Pensacola in an impaired condition. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, March 3, 1869?. SIR: 1 have to inform you of the arrival of the Pensacola at this island, by which vessel I received a letter from Captain Alden, of the Richmond, by which it appears that he also ran upon Florida Reef, but got off again without damaging his ship otherwise than by the loss of part of his false keel, and hoped soon to join me. Captain Morris, of the Pensacola, I am sorry to say, reports his steam engine in a lamentable condition, and his engineer informed me that he was in constant apprehension of its breaking all to pieces, and further stated that it would take three weeks to repair his damages, and ought to have six weeks to do it properly. I have therefore determined to run her down to the river under sail, and if the engines will not perfor Page 44 44 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the duty of running her up, and I can get her over the bar, I will tow her, for I can not dispense with her battery. As soon as Commander Porter arrives with his gunboats I shall com- mence operations, but I can not withdraw the vessels from blockade until that moment, and even then I shall endeavor to avoid taking more than one or two from their stations without relieving them. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojilcer IV~stern Gu~f Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. 6/. Repprt of Commander Renshaw, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Westfteld, regarding the cruise of that vessel from New York to Port Royal, S. C. U.S. S. WESTFIELD, Port Royal, S. C., Alarch 3, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report my arrival at this place on the morning of the 28th ultimo, after a passage of live days and twelve hours from New York, encountering a succession of gales and wind from N. W. and S. E.,i~ which the ship sustained so much injury that I was obliged to make this port for repairs. During the gale on the night of the 26th ultimo we lost sight of the 6/bfton, Forbes, and Jackson. I am making every exertion to prepare the ship for sea, in order to proceed to Key West, in accordance with your instructions. I have also the honor to enclose the report of the surveying officers. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. B. RENSHAw, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Commander, U. S. Navy. Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. (2 Letter from the Secretary qf the Navy to Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U S. Navy, forwarding map of channel around Dauphin Island, iVEobile Bay. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Jfarch 4, 1862. SIR: I herewith enclose for your information a map showing the survey of channel around Dauphin Island and also a plan of Fort- Gaines. Lieutenant Weitzel, of the Engineer Corps, who goes out with General Butler, has a plan of Fort Morgan. 1 am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Comdg. Thstern Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ship Island Page 45 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 45 Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Madigan, U.. S. Navy, commanding U. S. sAt]) Vincennes, to relieve the U. S. S. Jttississippi, at Pensacola, Fla. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, il/larch 4, 1862. SIR: On receipt of this you will immediately proceed to Pensacola and relieve the U. S. S. iifississippi and direct her to report to me at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding J. MADIGAN, U. S. Sh~p l7incennes. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lientenant iltcDer- mut, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. ship Preble, to relieve the U. S. S. Itasca off iWiobile. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, ]ifarch 4, 1862. SIR: On the receipt of this you will immediately proceed to Mobile and relieve the U. S. S. Itasca and send her to the mouth of the Mis- sissippi River, with directions to report to me. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding D. A. MODERMET, U. S. Ship Preble. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Alden, U. S. Navy, commandin~j U. S. S. Richmond, to proceed to the mouth of the ilfiississippi Rtver. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, JJi/iarch ~, 1862. SIR: You will proceed immediately with your ship to the mouth of the Mississippi. You will find a pilot at Pass a lOutre, and I presume the South West Pass Bar will be buoyed by the time you get there. You had better touch at Pass a lOutre first. I enclose herewith a copy of general order. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain J. ALDEN, U. S. S. Richmond Page 46 46 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Letter from Flag- Oflicer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, naming a rendezvou8. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship I8land, iitarch 4, 1869?. SIR: You will find me at Pass ~ lOutre or on the Mississippi, anx- iously awaiting your arrival. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander D. D. PORTER, Commanding illiortar Flotilla. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Lieutenant Caldwell, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Itasca, to report at the mouth of the iJftssiss& ppi R& ver. - ~ ~. HARTFORD, Ship Island, llliarch 5, 1869?. SIR: So soon as the Preble or Colorado arrives off Mobile, you will repair to the mouth of the Mississippi with all possible dispatch and report to me. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. [Lieutenant C. H. B. CALDwELL,] Commanding U S. S. Itasca. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. Nary, to Lieutenant Fehiger, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Kanawha, to proceed to the mouth of the Jfississippi River. U. S.S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, JJfarch 5, 1869?. SIR: So soon as the Preble or L~olorado arrives off Mobile you will repair to the mouth of the Mississippi with all possible dispatch and report to me. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. [Lieutenant J. C. FEBIGER,] Commanding U S. S. Kanawha. Report of Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. Navy, regarding preparations for a dash up the ilfississippi River. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship [sland, illiarch 5, 1869?. DEAR SIR: The Pensacola arrived here on the 2d, just in time to escape a severe norther, which has now been blowing for neaxly si Page 47 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 47 hours. Had she encountered it, God knows when she would have arrived. They represent the engines as perfectly worthless. The engineer is afraid of the lives of his men, and said it would not last an hour longer; that 1 will test. I have sent Captain Morris down to the mouth of the river under sail with orders to get over the bar, if possib!e, and gave him a pilot, but I will be there to help him over, and the moment Captain Porter arrives with his mortar fleet I will collect my vessels, which are pretty close around me, and dash up the river; but I do not wish to make a display before 1 am ready, as I wish to keep up the delusion that Mobile is the first object of attack. If the JlfJi8si8Sippi can be gotten into the river she will be a great help in towing the lame ducks, as well as her battery. I sent on shore at Biloxi the other day and took a great many news- papers from the post-office, dated up to the 25th ultimo, which con- tained accounts of their defeats at Donaldsonville and the surrender of Nashville, and there is a great fear of everything at New Orleans, so that I think they are becoming very much demoralized, and there could not be a better time for the blow to be struck by us, and you may depend upon its being done the moment the mortar boats arrive. I will collect all the gunboats within striking distance and replace them as well as I can by sailing vessels. I have directed Captain Craven, some days since, to take his station at the Head of the Passes with the gunboats. I have not heard from there since. I have beeu waiting here to repair my damages and for the National Guard, that had my two IX-inch guns on board, and she and the Pensacola arrived the same day. We took the guns in and exchanged the XI-inch gun of the Pensacola for one of the Niagaras. Flag-Officer McKean has sent the Potomac to Vera Cruz, which disappointed me in making her useful in this emergency, for I want her to take the place of vessels which I must have for the river or as a permanent storeship, hospital vessel, etc. For the time being I will have to employ all the sailing and a few of the purchased vessels (steamers) to do the blockading until my work is done. ilfarek 5, 8 p. m.Since writing the above Captain Alden has arrived, and brings me the report of Commander Porter, from Key West, saying that he will be ready in a few days. ln the meantime I will be getting some of the vessels over the bar. I will do all that man can do to get the Colorado over. I did not think it possible, but Alden says, it is, and I know his energy and industry can accomplish much when aided by such a force. I am delighted to receive such a force, but believe I would have carried out my promise with what I had. I would have been obliged, however, to withdraw my ships from other points. I know all the forces of the Confederates from two deserters who came off from Fort Pike. They have seven companies at Forts Jackson and St. Philip. The deserters tell me they are send- ing every man they can to the northern army. I enclose herewith my general order to show you that I have not forgotten the howitzers in the tops. That I will be able to carry out the wishes of the Department I have little doubt if I am spared, and if I am shot someone will, I trust, as I will make provisions for all the contingencies I can. I am greatly obliged for the plans of the forts, although I had obtained all the information I wanted except th Page 48 48 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. entrances in case I wished to storm it. Permit me to express my thanks and gratitude for your exertions to send me this force. Very respectfully, and truly, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT. G. V. Fox, A88%8tant Secretary gf the Navy, Tha8hington, D. C. General order of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U S. Navy, giving in8true- tions for the preparation of vessels for service in the ]JfLiss~sstpp% J?~ver. You will prepare your ship for service in the Mississippi River in the following manner: Send down the topgallant masts, rig in the flying jibboom, and land all the spars and rigging except what are necessary for the three top- sails, foresail, jib, and spanker. Trice up to the topmast stays, or land the whiskers, and bring all the rigging into the bowsprit, so that there shall be nothing in the range of the direct fire ahead. Make arrangements, if possible, to mount one or two guns on the poop and topgallant forecastle; in other words, be prepared to use as many guns as possible ahead and astern, to protect yourself against the enemys gunboats and batteries, bearing in mind that you will always have to ride head to the current, and can only avail yourself of the sheer of the helm to point a broadside gun more than three points forward of the beam. Have a kedge in the mizzen chains (or at any convenient place) on the quarter, with a hawser bent and leading through in the stern chock, ready for any emergency, also grapnels in the boats ready to hook on to, and to tow off fire ships. Trim your vessel a few inches by the head, so that if she touches the bottom she will not swing head down the river. Put your boat howitzers in the fore and maintops. on the boat car- riages, and secure them for firing abeam, etc. Should any injury occur to the machinery of the ship, making it necessary to drop down the river, you will back and till down under sail, or you can drop your anchor and drift down, but in no case attempt to turn the ships head downstream. You will have a spare hawser ready, and when ordered to take in tow your next astern, do so, keeping the hawser slack so long as the ship can maintain her own position, having a care not to foul the propeller. No vessel must withdraw from battle under any circumstances without the consent of the flag-officer. You will see that force and other pumps and engine hose are in good order, and men stationed by them, and your men will be drilled to the extinguishing of fire. Have light Jacob ladders made to throw over the side for the use of the carpenters in stopping shot holes, who are to be supplied with pieces of inch board lined with felt, and ordinary nails, and see that the ports are marked in accordance with the Ordnance Instructions on the berth deck, to show the locality of the shot hole. Have many tubs of water about the decks, both for the purpose of extinguishing fire and for drinking. Have a heavy kedge in the port main chains, and a whip on the main yard ready to run it up and let fall on the deck of any vessel you may run alongside of in order to secure her for boarding Page 49 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 49 You will be careful to have lanyards on the lever of the screw, so as to secure the gun at the proper elevation, and prevent it from running down at each fire. 1 wish you to understand that the day is at hand when you will be called upon to meet the enemy in the worst forui for our profession. You must be prepared to execute all those duties to which you have been so long trained in the Navy, without having the opportunity of practicing. I expect every vessels crew to be well exercised at their guns, because it is required by the regulations of the service, and is usually the first object of our attention, but they must be equally well trained for stopping shot holes and extinguishing fire. Hot and cold shot will no doubt be freely dealt to us, and there must be stout hearts and quick hands to extinguish the one and stop the holes of the other. I shall expect the most prompt attention to signals and verbal orders, either from myself or the captain of the fleet, who, it will be under- stood, in all cases, acts by my authority. D. G. FARBAGUT, Flag- Officer TY~stern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Flag- Officer Farragut, CL S. Navy, promising vigilance in the suppression of blockade running. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, ilifarch 6, 1862. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of the communications of the Department in relation to vessels supposed to be destined to run the blockade of the Southern ports. We will be as vigilant as we can. It is much easier to catch them running in than out, but I am greatly pained to see them escaping as often as they do, but it will be soon stopped, I hope, from the Missis- sippi, as I have ordered the vessels up to the Head of the Passes. Strange to say, they have been lying outside and the vessels intending to run the blockade lie 4 or 5 miles up the river, and when a fog or dark night comes, they run out, and, having both the start and the speed of the blockaders, are soon beyond their reach. Such was the case a short time since at Pass ~ lOutre with the Preble. I have also received the detachment of Captain Self ridge, which I will deliver as soon as his relief arrives. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. U. Report of Rlag- Officer Farragut, CL S. Navy, urging the necessity for immediate supplies of coal. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, Jfarch 6, 1862. SIR: The Richmond, Captain Alden, and the IiTennebec, Lieutenant Commanding Russell, arrived here last evening from Key West. N w BVOL 1S.- Page 50 50 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Captain Alden informs me that there is no coal at that place, and there is none here belonging to the Navy. I borrowed 800 tons from the Army, which is all they have, and if a supply is not sent immediately I may be seriously embarrassed. I sent home requisitions the moment I arrived on my station and urged the Bureau to send the coal to Ship Island. As I understand the squadron is to be increased, our expenditure will, of course, be proportionately greater. - Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Oftlcer IYe8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Wa8h~ngton, D. C. [Endorsement.] Coal is constantly going forward to Key West and Ship Island. Since the 3d March 2,800 tons have been shipped to Ship Island and 1,500 tons to Key West. Flag-Officer McKean, in a letter of the 12th March, states that when he supplies the vessels then at Key West he has 600 tons remaining. The orders now being filled are 10,000 t6ns to Ship Island and 10,000 tons to Key West. The contractors are shipping from 900 to 1,000 tons per day, and all the vessels are taken up that can be had. I do not apprehend they will fall short. J.L. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Commander A lden, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Richmond. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, Alarch 6, 1869?. SIR: You will remain here until my return, or until further orders. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain J. ALDEN, U S. S. Richmond. Order of Flag- OftIcer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Commander Swart- wout, U S. Navy, approving the seizure of vessels from Boca Cldca and Brazos Santiago. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, March 7, 1869?. SIR: I have received your communication * to Flag-Officer MeKean, a copy of which you sent~ me, and as it may be important to you to know my opinion, and without meaning to criticise the opinion of my predecessor, being cognizant of the ground on which he based those opinions, I will simply state that I have carefully examined the charts and have come to the conclusion that you were perfectly justified in *See Series I, volume 17, p. 101 Page 51 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 51 seizing all vessels and property coming out of Boca Chica and Brazos Santiago, they clearly being entrances into the enemys country. With respect to vessels coming out of the Rio Grande, the case is not quite so clear. They may or may not be legitimate traders, under neutral flags and with a friendly country, and although you will be careful not to interfere with the commerce of friendly powers more than you can possibly avoid, you will not permit the unlawful use of such flags for mercenary purposes, to the benefit of our enemies and the injury of our cause, and whenever you are, upon careful investiga- tion, satisfied that such is the case, you will not hesitate to seize and send in for adjudication vessels having on board arms, ammunition, and other contraband of war, for the right of visitation and search obtains in this struggle, and must be rigidly maintained. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander SAMUEL SwARTwOUT, (ommanding U. S. Sloop Portsmouth. Commendatory letter from Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Act- ing Volunteer Lieutenant Kittredge, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. bark Arthur. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, ilitarch 7, 1862. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your several letters * by the Rhode Island, and state that your conduct is approved, and I trust that you will continue to act with such zeal and discretion. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant-Commanding J. W. KITTREDGE, U. S. Bark Art h?sr. letter from the Superintendent of the Coast Survey to the Secretary of the Navy, announcing the execution of instructions regarding tele- graphic outfit for the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. COAST-SURVEY OFFICE, illarch 7, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report that in accordance with authority given in your letter of February 11, to purchase telegraphic wire, with an equipment of apparatus, and engage a telegraphic operator for employ in the expedition under command of Flag-Officer D. G. Far- ragut, 1 directed Captain C. P. Patterson, hydrographic inspector of the Coast Survey, to fulfill the order. After consulting fully with Colonel Marshall Lefferts, the able superintendent of the American Telegraph Company in New York, Captain Patterson found that two operators, as well as a telegraphic cable, with the wire, were indis- pensable for si~ccessful working. Colonel Lefferts cheerfully gave histime in selecting the operators and materials for the equipment, *Not found Page 52 52 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. and to his assistance we are indebted for the completeness of the outfit. As the cable had to be manufactured, some delay was necessary, and some further delay was incurred in consequence of the exchange with the War Department. Under the terms of the authority given, Captain D. D. Porter, who was also consulted, urged Captain Patterson to procure at least 12 or 15 miles of wire, and as one wire would not answer both for air and water, 20 miles of wire were provided and 12 miles of telegraphic cable. The operators, with all the outfit except the cable, will start for Ship Island this week in one of the naval vessels to leave New York. The cable will follow as soon as manufactured. Its completion is promised by the 13th of the present month. I enclose copies of letters addressed by Captain Patterson to the operators, who have been sent to Ship Island, and also a copy of his letter to Flag-Officer Farragut in regard to the matter. Very respectfully, yours, A. D. BACHE, Hon GIDEON WELLES, Superintendent. Secretary of the Navy. [Enclosures.] NEW YORK, February 9?4, 1869?. Sir: By direction of Professor A. D. Bache, Superintendent U. S. Coast Survey, acting under authority from the Navy Department, you are hereby appointed as assistant telegraphic operator, under the direction of Mr. E. D. L. Sweet, doing duty in the expedition under the command of Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut in the Gulf of Mexico. You will therefore proceed with and follow the directions of Mr. Sweet, who is in charge of the telegraphic apparatus now being sent from this place. Your compensation will be ~80 per month, and the Government will retain your services for one year or any less time. Very respectfully, yours, C. P. PATTERSON, Mr. F. ~. GRACE, Hydrographie Inspector, Coast Survey. New York. NEW YORK, February 9?4, 1869?. SIR: By direction of Professor A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the Coast Survey, acting under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy, you are hereby appointed as the chief telegraphic operator in charge of the telegraphic wires and apparatus to be used in the expedition under command of Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut in the Gulf of Mexico. You will proceed with your assistant, taking with you the wires and apparatus, in the first transport, as selected by Professor Trowbridge, to Ship Island, and report to Flag-Officer Farragut for duty; in his absence, to the senior naval officer, seeking an interview as early as possible with Captain D. D. Porter. Your compensation will be ~80 per month, and that of your assistan Page 53 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 58 80 per month, and the Government will retain your services for one year or any less time. V ery respectfully, yours, C. P. PATTERSON, Mr. E. D. L. SWEET, Hydrographic Inspector, Coast Survey. New York. NEW YORK, February 24, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that by direction of Professor A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the Coast Survey, acting under authority from the Navy Department, granted at the request of Cap- tain D. D. Porter, I have purchased for the use of the expedition under your command 20 miles of telegraphic wire, plain, to be used in the air, and 112 miles of telegraphic cable for submarine or marsh purposes, both of the most approved description, the latter such as is being used between Cape Charles and Fortress Monroe, Va.; with these wires are also all the necessary batteries, insulators, acids, etc. Accompanying this telegraphic apparatus are two accomplished operators, thoroughly competent for any demands that may be made upon them, and upon whose skill and integrity the most perfect reli- ance can be placed. The compensation the operators are to receive, as agreed upon, is ~80 per month, the Government to retain their services for one year or less; their names to be placed upon the books of some vessel of your command. Captain Porter will make you all the necessary explanations, as it was at his suggestion the arrangement has been made. The operators have been selected and the whole apparatus has been gotten up by Colonel Marshall Lefferts, Superintendent of the Ameri- can Telegraph Company, and therefore every confidence can be given to the skill of the first and the completeness~of the last. The whole will proceed to Ship Island by the first transport. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, C. P. PATTERSON, Hydrographic Inspector, Coast Survey. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding Western Blockading Fleet, Gulf of ilfexico. Order of Flag- Ogjlcer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Lieutenant Lowry, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. llfontgomery, detaching him from command of that vessel. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Ship Island, iL/larch 7, 1862. SIR: Lieutenant Commanding C. Hunter having bcen ordered by the Department to take command of the U. S. S. iJifontgomery, you are hereby detached from her and will resume your position as first lieutenant of the Brooklyn. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant R. B. LOWRY, U. S. S. Montgomery Page 54 54 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Order of Flag- Ofticer Farraqut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Hunter, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. S. iWonigomery, to proceed to Tam- pico, iWexico, for information regarding trade hetween ]iexas and Jifatamoras. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Pass ~ 1 Outre, A/arch 7, 1862. SIR: As soon as your vessel is ready for sea you will convey the accompanying dispatches to Mr. Chase, our consul at Tampico, obtain- ing all the information you can from him relative to the trade between Texas and Matamoras, and return with his answer to me at the month of the river. You will anchor off the entrance and cross the bar in your boat to communicate with Mr. Chase. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding C. HUNTER, U S. S. ]Jilontgornery. Letter from the U. S. consul at ilfatamoras, ilfexico, to Commander Swartwout, U S. Navy, commanding U. S. ship Portsmouth, request- ing information for the citizens of that place regarding transporta- tion of freiqht. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, iJifatamoras, A/arch 7, 1862. SIR: The merchants of this city have purchased several steamboats for the transportation of their freight from the vessels lying at the mouth of the river. They will run under the Mexican flag, and they have requested from me a certificate that everything was done in good faith, which I have concluded to do, upon positive evidence that such is the case. The question with the merchants now is whether you will allow their boats to pass freely upon this certificate. Will you please answer me in writing upon this question, that I may allay their fears, and if cot- ton brought over by Texans, sold to merchants of Matamoras, and shipped through the custom-house here will be liable to seizure at sea; also, what articles, if any, are prohibited from being landed at Matamoras? My office with its entire contents having been destroyed by fire dur- ing the siege, I have nothing to refer to. I have, since my arrival here, become acquainted with some of the merchants, and find that most of their merchandise goes to Monterey, San Louis Potosi, and other towns in the interior, Texas being decidedly too poor to buy, unless payment can be made in Confederate paper, which is worth hardly as much here as good wrapping paper. I will give a certificate for each cargo separately, provided I have positive proof of its being designed for IViexico. I hope that affairs will soon be settled on this side of the river, so that I can communicate with you freely. If you can name a time and place down the coast where you can receive a dispatch, 1 will have it there, and can give you all the information asked for through your last messenger Page 55 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 55 The young gentleman who takes this to you will bring any docu- ment intrusted to him. Hoping that you will command nie in all cases where I can serve you or be useful to our Government, I remain, very respectfully and truly, L. PIERCE, Jr., Consul. Commander U. S. Ship PORTSMOUTH, Boca del Rio. Order qf the Secretary of the ZFavy to Flag- Ofticer Farraqut, U S. Navy, author6z~6ng the purchase, for Government use, gfpr?~zes, after condemnation. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Afarch 8, 1862. SIR: The Department has received your communications of the 13th, dated at Key West, the 16th and 17th, dated at Havana, and the 22d ultimo, dated at Ship Island. By numbering your dispatches reference to them will be facilitated. You will also promptly acknowledge the receipt of communications from the Department, not by date only, but by subject. With regard to procuring for the service such of the prizes as may be very desirable that are sold at Key West, you are informed that they can be pur- chased after condemnation. The Beauregard has already been so pur- chased under the authority of the Department. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Gulf Block~ading Squadron. Order of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to lieutenant Nichols, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. S. IYinona, regarding the landing of pr~~son s. U.S. S. HARTFORD, Pass ?t 1 Outre, lii/iarch 9, 18693. SIR: You can stand inshore and anchor for the night and in the morning run up and land the prisoners who have given their parole not to serVe by any act against the United States during this rebellion. You can tell Captain Russell that he can accompany you up to the Head of the Passes. Should you meet any boats or pilots, take them. One of the ships will be at the Pass ~ lOutre and also at South West Pass, in case you should wish to fall back from superior force. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding E. T. NICHOLS, U S. S. Winona Page 56 56 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Lieutenant Oro8by, U. S. Navy, eon?namding U S. S. Pinola, of arrival at Ship Island, iJLiss., with prize schooner Cora. U. S. GUNBOAT PINOLA, Ship Liand, iJIiss., ililiarek .9, 1869?. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I arrived here to-day, and on my way from Key West I captured the British schooner (bra, Robert May, master, in latitude 26~ 41 N., longitude 840 45 ~T, from Apalachicola, bound to Havana, with a cargo of 208 bales of cotton. She was formerly the American schooner William P. Benson, and according to her papers was sold to an Englishman now residing in Havana. 1 fired ahead of her three times and once at her before she would heave to, when I placed a prize crew on board of her and ordered the officer in command to follow me to this port, on account of an approaching gale and the lateness of the hour of her ~apture, it being after sundown, and dark before the return of my boats, one of which was stove and lost alongside, fortunately without injury to her crew. As the flag-officer was not here, but expected every day, I determined to await his arrival for instructions how to dispose of her. Thinking I might be required for immediate service, I deemed it expedient to keep my officers and crew complete until I could hear from him. Prior to leaving Key West, I sent two o f~ my crew to the hbspital which the surgeon recommended to be sent home. Accompanying this I send a list of my officers and crew at the time of the capture. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, PEIRCE CROSBY, lieutenant, Gommanding. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretar~y of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Letter from Brigadier- General Phelps, U S. Army, to Adjutant- General I/momas, U S. Army, regarding the arrival of troops at Ship Island, and preparation for an encampment. SHIP ISLAND, MIss., ]Jiliarch 9, 1869?. SIR: The Fourteenth Maine, six companies of the Thirteenth Maine, and the Twelfth Connecticut arrived yesterday. Other vessels are in sight to-day and probably with troops. The ship Idaho, containing the men of several batteries, has run aground and we are trying to getheroti. * * * Some days since a party from this command went over to Biloxi and examined the ground there. lt is out of the way and not desirable for a military station. Another party went over yesterday to a point nearer Mississippi City. The wharf there is some 3,000 feet or more in length, of a light structure, and has been partly broken up. The reconnoitering party (about 100 men) went but a short distance from the wharf and were fired upon from artillery. Returning to their boat (the steam gunboat Calhoun, taken from the enemy), the enemys shots were replied to by three rounds from the boat. The number of troops there is probably not very considerable; the location would be better for a camp than this is. There are 9 feet of water at the end of the wharf. I wished to send back there to-day to make a furthe Page 57 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 57 examination, but both of our steam lighters are broken down and the Calhoun is employed in getting off the Idaho. * * * Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. W. PHELPS, Brigadier- General, Commanding. General LORENZO THOMAS, Adjutant- General, Wdshington, D. C. Order of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Alden, U. S. Navy, referring to an unsuccessful attempt to get the U. S. S. Brooklyn through Pass ~ 1 Outre. U. S. S. HARTFORD, lass i~ 1 Outre, Ailiarch 10, 1862. DEAR CAPTAIN: I received your note and am sorry that the soldiers have made a failure in MIssissippi City, as I supposed it could be taken by 25 men, but you will order the Calhoun to repair imme- diately to Apalachicola to meet Flag-Officer McKean. I dont know what his orders were, but I now find he was at Ship Island when I left, but did not condescend to make his report, by which he might have embarrassed me, and has given me a great deal of trouble, as Flag-Officer McKean is without his vessels and fleet surgeon. We have been trying Pass a lOutre for the past two days, and have failed to get the Brooklyn in. I am now going to take her to the South West Pass as soon as 1 can get her oil the bar. Very respectfully and truly, yours, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain J. ALDEN, U. S. S. Richmond. Order of Flag- Ofticer Farragat, U. S. Navy, to Commander Smith, U. S. Navy, to assume command of the U. S. S. llilississippi. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Pass ~ 1 Outre, iJfarch 10, 1869g. SIR: You will proceed in the Wissahickon to Ship Island and deliver to Captain Selfridge his order of detachment and relieve him in the command of the U. S. S. Mississippi. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT Flag- Ogjicer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain M. SMITH. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant lJliadigan, U S. Navy, commanding U S. Ship T7incennes, to appear at inter- vals oft Mobile. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Pass ~ 1 Outre, iiliarch 10, 186!2. SIR: You will run over to Mobile and show yourself every few days off the fort, as I can not think there will be much service fo Page 58 58 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. you off Pensacola, and your appearance off Mobile every now and then will have a good effect. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer TYestern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant-Commanding J. MADIGAN, U. S. Ship Vincennes. Report of Acting iWaster Gregory, U S. Navy, commanding U S. brig Bohio, regarding the capture of schooner Henry ]iravers. U. S. GUN-BRIG BoHIo, South West Pass, iWlississippi River, ]Warch 11, 1869L SIR: On the 8th of March, 1862, at 5:30 a. in., while cruising in latitude 28~ 00 N., discovered a schooner to the north and westward, steering to the northward toward the coast of Louisiana. I gave chase with the brig under my command. On discovering us bearing down upon him, he made sail and hauled to S. W., the wind blowing from E. S. E., schooner distant 5 miles, bearing from us W. by S. I set the Spanish flag, the schooner set the English flag. 1 then hauled down the Spanish and set the American flag. At 8 a. m. fired a shot at her; he then hauled down his flag and set gaff-topsail. At 9 a. in. fired another shot at him; he still continued on his course and holding his way with us. At 11 a. in. schooner kept off W. N. W. At 2 p. m. she hove to in latitude 280 if N., longitude 91~ 58 W. On boarding her and examining her papers, found her to be the schooner Henry Travers, under a provisional register issued at Nassau, New Providence, on the 18th day of February, 1862. Captain Merrill (captain of the schooner) stated to me that he joined the schooner at Havana and proceeded to Nassau, New Providence, with a British register issued at New Orleans in May, 1862, for six months. ~4ame, residence, and occupation of the owner, John Robinson, of New Orleans, State of Louisiana; on which I seized her (read 1st Vol. Kent, pages 74, 75, 76) and brought her to this anchorage for examination, and forwarded her, with her log book and all other papers found on board, to the U. S. district judge at Key West for adjudication. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. D. GREGORY, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Acting iWaster, commanding. Secretary of the Navy. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- QflZcer Farragut, U S. Navy, regarding provisions for repairs and coal. NAVY DEPARTMENT, 3farch 12,1862. SIR: Your communication of the 21st ultimo, in relation to the con- dition of certain vessels of the squadron, etc., has been received. Orders have been given to send a workshop to Ship Island, and the commandant at New York has been requested to send out a hoistin Page 59 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 59 engine. There are about 3,000 tons of coal loading and on the way to the Gulf. Coal is constantly going there. The navy agent at Phila- delphia has been directed to ship about 10,000 tons per month, accord- ing to your request. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ship Island. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U S. Navy, enjoining vigilance, in view of the construction of Confederate ironclads at iJifobile. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Afarek 12, 1862. SIR: Recent occurrences at Hampton Roads, and the appearance of the illerrimack, clad with armor, render it important that your par- ticular attention should be called to the subject of reported armored steamers at New Orleans and Mobile, which are in the process of con- struction, if not already complete. Our information on this subject is very indifferent, and not unlikely you have that which is more direct and more accurate. I would enjoin particular attention to this subject, and if you shall not have already possessed yourself of vessels and New Orleans itself, that you should institute enquiry forthwith in regard to the reported armored vessels, and that you take every precaution to guard against them. No unclad ship can contend, except at great odds, with even a moderately armored vessel. It is not supposed that there is any vessel so formidable as the ihiferrimack in the Mississippi, but we have pretty authentic accounts of some, and that one or two are building at Mobile. It is necessary that these vessels should be captured, and an onward movement, if not already made, will relieve yourself and the country of apprehension in regard to them. But if the blow shall not have been already struck when this communication reaches you, I recommend vigilance and precaution in regard to the armored steamers of the rebels which are being constructed. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ship Island. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ogjlcer Farragut, CL S. Navy, expressing surprise at the reported escape of blockade runners through the Passes of the ilifississippi River. NAVY DEPARTMENT, llfarch 192, 1862. SIR: The Department lc~arns of the arrival at Havana on the 23d ultimo of the steamer Colonel J. Whitman, 430 tons, and the steamer Florida, 429 tons, from New Orleans, with a thousand bales of cotton, and also of the escape from New Orleans of the steamers iVliagnolia, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. The hope and belief had been indulged that the Passes of the Mis- sissippi were effectually blockaded against the entrance and departur Page 60 60 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. of vessels, and, therefore, the recent escape of so many steamers of such size and importance fills the Department with surprise and regret. The Gulf Squadron having recently been so much enlarged and divided, the Department trusts that in future it may have no occasion to refer to the fact of vessels having run the blockade, or to urge greater viligauce and the importance of cutting off communication with the rebel ports. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLEs. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Calf Blockading Squadron, Skip Jsland. Ow~der of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to captain Eagle, CL S. Navy, looking to operations against Galveston, Tex. U. S. S. HARTFORD, South West Pass, ilfarek 12, 1862. SIR: I received your dispatch* of the 8th instant in relation to Gal- veston, for which I am very much obliged to you. The information contained in the uewspapers we have had for some eight or ten days, and are now anxiously looking for the fall of Columbus. Galveston will be looked to at my earliest convenience. I have no doubt that all can be accomplished as you say, but II have not at this moment the vessels to spare from more important duties enjoined upon me by the Government. I do not wish you, however, to either burn or fire on the town unless they fire on you first, but do not hesitate to return the fire for fear of injuring the town. It would be well to notify them of that fact whenever an opportunity occurs, and that you will give them the option of surrendering or having their town destroyed whenever they presume to fire on our vessels. Very respectfully, your obedieut servant, D. G. FARRAGUT. Captain H. EAGLE U S. Sh~jp Santee. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, CL S. Navy, to Captain Bailey, CL S. Navy, to assemble the gunboats at the mouth of the Mississippi River. U. S. S. HARTFORD, South West Pass, llfarek 12, 1862. SIR: Please direct the gunboats as they arrive at Ship Island to pro- ceed wfthout delay to the mouth of the Mississippi River, touching at Pass ~ lOutre and South West Pass, and report to the commanding officer. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. BAILEY, U. S. S. Colorado. *Not found Page 61 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 431 Order of Flag- Qificer Farragut, U S. Na~y,to Acting ilfaster Greg- ory, U~ S. Navy, commanding US. brig Bohio. U. S. S. HARTFORD, South West Pass, iL/larch 12, 1862. SIR: You will proceed to Petit Bois [Island] Pass and relieve the TYissahickon and remain until further orders. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Acting Master W. D. GREGORY, [Commanding U S. brig Bohio.] Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Smith, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Wissahickon. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Louth West Pass, ]Jilarch 12, 1862. SIR: As soon as relieved by the brig Bohio you will proceed to the South West Pass and report to me. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding A. N. SMITH, U S. S. Wissahickon. Order of captain Bailey, U S. Navy, to Lieutenant crosby, U S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Pinola, to proceed to the mouth of iL/is- sissippi River. U. S. S. COLORADO, Ship Island, ilfarch 13, 1862. SIR: You will proceed without delay to the mouth of the Mississippi River, touching at Pass a lOutre and South West Pass, and report to the commanding officer. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, T. BAILEY, captain. Lieutenant Commanding PEIRCE CROSBY, U S. Gunboat Pinola. Letter from Hon. Ira Harris to the Secretary of the Navy, transmitting letter from the president of Vassar college, giving information re- garding the movement of blockade runners to Havana. SENATE CHAMBER, illiarch 13, 1862. M~ DEAR SIR: I think it worth while to enclose for your perusal a letter received from Rev. Dr. Jewett, a very estimable gentleman, pres- ~dent of the college named at the head of his letter. He formerly resided in Alabama. Yours, with esteem, Hon. SECRETARY WELLES. IRA HARRIS Page 62 62 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. [Enclosure.] VASSAR FEMALE COLLEGE, Poughkeepsie, N. Y, ]Jiiarch 10, 1863. M~ DEAR SIR: Monsieur Tonson come again, but not for him- self. I have a word for the Navy Department. From a source entitled to implicit confidence, I learn that small rebel steamers loaded with cotton are constantly going from Sabine Pass to Havana. The cotton is insured in Galveston, and the shippers have cleared hundreds of thousands of dollars by the speculation. My informant, an entirely trustworthy man, has lately arrived in New York City from Galveston, via Sabine Pass and Havana. Please do not allow my name to be mentioned in this connection, although I am anxious to aid in stopping this leak. Thanks for a copy of your speech on Mr. Brights case. As ever, most truly, yours, etc., M. P. JEWETT. Hon. IRA HARRIS. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Officer Farragut, CL S. Navy, giving list of vessels fitting in foreign ports for blockade runni~ng. NAVY DEPARTMENT, iifarek 13, 1863. SIR: I enclose herewith for your information copies of dispatches received by the Secretary of State, giving information of the follow- ing-named vessels now fitting out at foreign ports with the intention of running the blockade: Boadicea, iWary Bargield, sailed from Liverpool; Fanny Lewis, Bermuda, loading at Liverpool; Intended, Lycurgus, Fanny (or Annie Laurie), loading at London; Herald, said to be a fast sailer; ililiaturin Cor, loading at Havre with cloth. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Commander Bell, CL S. Navy, regarding the movements of the CL S. steamers Il7inona, Kineo, and Kennebec in the ilifiississippi River. U. S. S. HARTFORD, South West Pass, hi/larch 13, 1863. SIR: On the afternoon of the 11th instant I proceeded in the gun- boat Tl7inona, Lieutenant Commanding Nichols, to the Head of the Passes, and found there the JiTineo and Kennebec, and shortly a steamer appeared about 4 or 5 miles away, which, after a short time, steamed out of sight. At night anchored at the head of Pass ~ lOutre. Next morning (12th), at 9:40, the fog having lifted somewhat, got the three gunboats underway and stood up the Mississippi River. At 10:45 saw a steamer coming down, and made chase. When she was in the act of turning, someone on board thought he read Star on her wheelhouse. Her broadside forward and abaft her wheelhouse looked as if it were barrieaded with cotton bales. When off Th Page 63 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 33 Jump she was from 2~- to 3 miles distant, and as we did not appear to gain on her, the Winona and Kenne1~ec tried the range of their 20-pounder Parrotts on her, firing two shots each; but not seeing where the shot fell, the firing was discontinued. About this time another steamer made her appearance coming down the river, and joined the chased steamer; about 2 miles below the forts she turned round and disappeared behind the bend. In the meantime the Kineo made signal Boiler disabled. She was from 1 to 2 miles astern, and wishing to know the extent of her disability, I turned the TYinonas head downstream to speak the Kinco. Captain Ransom then reported all right, and that her boilers had been foaming. I then returned up the river, proceeding above The Jump, when I sent a boat ashore to cut the wires and thence to destroy a lookout station which was at The Jump; but that lookout had been burned some time before. From this point observed three large houses on the left bank of the river, about 2 miles higher up, and situate some distance away from the bank; also about 5 miles distant, and over the bend at the forts, saw some houses, also six schooners and six steamers lying against the south bank, three of them having steam up, and another steamer going up the river. Not being able to distinguish the forts, and con- sidering that these three gunboats were the only steamers that you had yet been able to get into the river, I returned to the Head of the Passes, leaving Winona and J{ineo in the head of Pass ~ lOutre and anchored the Kennebec for an hour in the South West Pass. While lying there, observed the smoke of a steamer up the river and imme- diately ascended in the Kennebec to the Head of the Passes, when the steamer disappeared. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. II. BELL, Fleet Captain. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report gf Flag- qfllcer Farragut, U S. Navy, acknowledging consular information regarding suspicious vessels in foreign ports. U. S. S. HARTFORD, South West Pass, March 13, 1862. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of several documents from the consuls at Liverpool, London, and Marseilles in relation to the Gamhridqe, Imperatice, Vigo, James Lopez, ilifonmouth, Empress, Ella, and Economist, vessels suspected of being destined for the Southern coast. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C Page 64 64 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, regarding the arrival of the Mortar Flotilla at Ship island, iJi/iiss. U. S. S. HARRIET LANE, liarhor of Ship island, Jlifarch 13, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that all the mortar fleet have arrived safely and without accident at this place. 1 am, with great respect, your most obedient servant, DAVID D. PORTER, Commanding Flotilla. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Report of Lieutenant Preble, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Katahdin, of arrival at Key West, Fla., en route to Ship Island, 3iLiss. U. S. GUNBOAT KATAHDIN, Key West, ]Jiliarch 14, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report the arrival of the Katahdin at Key West. The enclosed copies bf the report of my senior engineer as to the present state of the engines, and of my report of arrival to the honorable Secretary of the Navy, will inform you in full of the inci- dents of my passage and of the causes and the probable extent of my detention at this port. I shall use every exertion to have the neces- sary repairs expedited, and hasten to report to you at Ship Island, as ordered. As the Katahdin had never moved under steam from the wharf until her final departure, her passage out may be considered a prolonged trial trip, and I think a pretty successful one. 1 am indebted to the ability and energy displayed by my senior assistant engineer for the accomplishment of the passage to Key West under discouraging circumstances. He had to be on hand night and day, and had very little assistance from his assistant engineers, two of whom had never worked a marine engine before, and all three being generally seasick during the bad weather we encountered. I am, very respectfully, your obediQ2t servant, GEORGE HENRY PREBLE, Lieutenant, Commanding. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, U. S. Navy, (ommanding in (hi~f Western Galf Blockading Squadron. Report of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the difilculties in crossing the bar into the ]ii1sss~ss?pp~ River. U. S. S. HARTFORD, South West Pass, JJliarch 14, 1862. SIR: I herewith enclose the views of Captain Bailey, who, like myself, thinks it impossible to get the ~~oiorado over the bar of the Mississippi. I have been working hard at Pass ~ lOutre with a good pilot trying to get the Brooklyn over the bar, and, after getting her off on the 11th, 1 gave it up, as we could not get more than 12 feet at the shoalest pass. I then came down to this pass with her, where Mr. Halter, our Coast-Survey assistant, had examined and ably buoyed th Page 65 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 65 bar, and I am happy to say the Brooklyn passed over, only grounding once, but got off in less than an hour. She drew at the time 15 feet water. Captain Craven has been unremitting in his exertions to get his ship over the bar, but we have not found the water formerly car- ried over these bars, no doubt for the reason that the daily passing of large ships kept the channel open. It does not appear to be the opinion of either Mr. Halter (Coast-Survey assistant) or the pilots that the Colorado can possibly pass the bar, and it is very doubtful if the Mis- sissippi will be gotten over, but we will soon be able to decide by actual trial. I now have at the Head of the Passes the following force: Brooklyn and three gunboats. All intercourse is stopped between the city and bar. All the people are on parole and appear very willing to have nothing to do with the struggle, their great wish being to see the rebellion ended and to have some protection while it lasts, for they say, truly, that they are illtreated by both parties, being prevented from getting their living. To sell to us is death by the law of Lou- isiana; to convey intelligence to the rebels lays them liable to be deprived of the means of conveyance and their living (their boats) by us. I must keep them in the dark as to our movements in this quarter; the only way they can get any information is by coming down to see, and that they will find hazardous, as I have the Head of the Passes well occupied, and the other vessels I will keep down at Pilot Town, where we have every convenience for storage, hospitals, etc., and after making their preparations for the river, by landing their spars, etc., can relieve each other at the Head of the Passes. Captain Bell has just returned from a reconnoissance of the river up as high as within about 5 miles of the forts, where he saw and chased up two steamers above the forts, where four more steamers and six schooners were lying. Our flag is now, I hope, permanently hoisted on Louisiana soil. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer TFe8tern Gulf Blockading S~uadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, IYa8hington, D. C. [Enclosure.] U. S. STEAM FRIGATE COLORADO, Off South West Pas8, iJifarch 9, 18G2. DEAR FLAG-OFFICER: lammostanxiousto join you at thePasses, en route for New Orleans. If I had thought it possible to lighten this ship sufficiently to cross the bar I should have asked Commodore McKeans permission to do so long since. If Captain Alden thinks that he can lighten the Colorado and take her over the bar, I beg that you will order him to change ships with me and try it. Then, with the Richmond, I shall be most happy to serve as your second in command up the river. I am expecting you at this pass, agreeably to the tenor of your note, by the ilfercedita, when I will get your views and proceed as you direct. I am, very truly, your obedient servant, T. BAILEY, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT. CaRtain, NWRVQL18 Page 66 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. R6port of Captain Bailey, U S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. colo- rado, advising the retention in the 2VJiss~ss%pp~& River of the U S. S. calhoun. U. S. STEAM FRIGATE COLORADO, Ship Liand, iUiarch 14, 186g. SIR: I find the steamer calhoun still here. On consultation with Captains Smith, Alden, and Porter, it is the unanimous opinion that in consequence of the loss or detention of the four tug steamers of Captain Porters fleet, the service of the Calhoun is of great importance to YOU in towing vessels in the Mississippi River, and if you were present you would detain her, having the information that Flag- Officer MeKean returned from Apalachicola to Key West. I shall therefore further detain her until your views are known. The Pensacola, lifississippi, and Richmond are lightening and pre- paring for their work. Captains Alden and Porter have expressed in a letter (a copy of which I enclose) the opinion that the Colorado can not be got over either of the bars of the Mississippi River with the depth of water now on those bars. I am certain she can not, even with a swept hold and the masts out of her. I enclose a letter from Commander Porter relating to the necessity of detaining the steamer Calhoun. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, T. BAILEY, captain. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, (bmmanding Western Calf Blockading Squadron. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Flag Ofticer Tarragut, U S. Navy, restricting the seizure qf vessels off the Rio Crande. NAVY DEPARTMENT, A/arch 14, 186f2. SIR: In the case of the English steamer labuan, recently seized off Boca Chica by the U. S. sloop of war Portsmouth, the capture seems to have been made without sufficient cause, and it is not unlikely that the prize court at New York will so decree and may award heavy damages against the Government. To avoid a repetition of such cases you will instruct the command- ing officers of vessels assigned to duty in that quarter to make no more captures of vessels off the Rio Grande, unless the vessels shall be on their way to a port of Texas, after having been properly warned of the existence of the blockade. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Co?n9nanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ship Island Page 67 WEST GULF BLOCKADLNG SQUADRON. 67 Letter from Brigadier- General Arnold, U S. Army, to Flag- Qflicer Farragut, U. S. Navy, requesting naval cooperation in attack upon Town Point, near Pensacola, Fla. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA, Fort Pickens, iJfarc/i 15, 18G2. DEAR SIR: I have under my command on this island 1 200 volunteers and 600 regular soldiers, but I am perfectly helples~ for offensive movements without naval cooperation, beIng on an island and having no water transportation. If you can spare two or three gunboats to run by the Swash Channel, they, together with the land force that I will furnish, can I think take Town Point, on Live Oak Plantation, which (as reported by some rebel deserters) was defended by live heavy guns behind sand batteries, supported by 2,000 men; but subsequent information derived from runaway negroes leads me to believe that all the guns and men, except one X-inch coluinbiad and 400 n~~n, have been removed, probably to Mobile. The rebels have and will have entire control of the bay and inner harbor as long as they hold this point and their line of forts and bat- teries; but if we can take this point, your gunboats can pass out of range of their heaviest guns from Four Mile Point, on Santa Rosa Island, to Milton, on the mainland, which would enable you to capture or destroy all the rebel steamers and sail vessels in those waters, and more perfectly blockade the harbor of Pensacola. Town Point is an initial and de~isive point necessary to be taken in any future operations for the recapture of the navy yard and their line of defensive works. I am in hopes you will soon be here, when we can discuss the whole subject. I am, commodore, very respectfully, your obedient servant, L. G. ARNOLD, Brigadier- General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding Gulf Squadron. Report of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U S. Navy, regarding condition of atfairs at the Passes of the ilfississippi River. U. S. S. HARTFORD, ilfississippi River, ]Ifarch 16, 18693. DEAR SIR: I have sent the Colorado to Ship Island to be lightened, if possible, to pass th~ bar, which no one here thinks practicable, as she draws 23 feet and we have had great difficulty in getting the ships over with a draft of 16 feet, and we have been working four days to accomplish getting in the Brookly~ and Hartford. We tried Pass ~ lOutre three days, and none could have worked harder than we did. After lying on the bar seventeen hours at Pass ~ lOutre I pulled her off, and then determined to try the South West Pass, where I had directed Mr. Halter (the assistant of Coast Survey) to proceed to sound and buoy, and which, I am happy to say, he did in the best manner. The Brooklyn passed in on the first trial, only grounding for an hour, but some distance inside. Next day I took this ship i Page 68 68 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. and anchored off Pilot Towu. The Head of the Passes is now occu- pied in force, and I hope to hold it permanently. 1 will return to Ship Island in one of the gunboats to attend to the general duties of the squadron until the other vessels of the river force and the mortar fleet are ready. I could not avoid this arrangement for the moment, as 1 have been compelled to send back to Ship Island the Colorado, Pensacola, and Jfisssss~pjn to lighten preparatory to cross- ing the bar, and the river must now be held permanently. Sldp Island, lifarek 19.I shall take down with me the Pensacola and Jfississippi, sufficiently lightened to get over the bar, I hope, and place the Colorado at the South West Pass, to afford a supply of men as a reserve to fill vacancies. Pilot Town, South West Pass, affords every accommodation for the wounded and also for stores. I hope to sail in two days at farthest. They have a chain across the river at Fort Jackson, sustained by six schooners, each of which is anchored, and the chain lies across their decks. This I propose to remove by blowing their bows out and allowing the chain to sink, although I could pass through at the oppo- site shore, but they may have obstructions there in the shape of tor pedoes; besides, it is farther from the fort than I propose passing with the ships. Porters fleet has, I presume, all arrived by this time. When I left the Pass yesterday there were 16 mortar boats, gunboats Ifarriet Lane, Owasco, Clifton, and TYesQleld, and the Jllia?ni arrived here to-day and goes down immediately, and Captain Harrell informs me that there are two more gunboati~ belonging to Porters flotilla at Key West, so that we are likely to have force sufficient for our pur- poses, although I would have prepared another ship, but I can not spare another from the blockade. I was anxious to take the Ports- mouth from Matamoras, but had nothing to take her place. As Alden and Porter and Captain Bailey decided that it was impos- sible to get the colorado over the bar, I thought of sending her to Mobile to support the Preble, but decided that I would give up. The gunboat is indispensable to the security of the Mobile blockade, and so send the Colorado to the South West Pass to furnish men to fight the extra guns of the ships and supply vacancies from sickness, wounds, etc. General Butler has not yet arrived, but General Phelps is ready to render us any assistance in his power. Very respectfully and truly, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Cu~f Blockading Squadron. G. V. Fox, Esq., Assistant Secretary qf the Jl7avy, Washington, D. (1. Report of Commander Porter, U S. Navy, regarding the capiur by the U S. S. Owasco of two Confederate schooners, Eugertw and President. U. S. S. HARRIET LANE, Pass ~ 1 Outre, iJfarch iG, 186k?. SIR: While sailing from Ship Island to Pass a lOutre with the Mortar Flotilla, Lieutenant Coitmanding Guest (in the Owasco) lead- ing the schooners at night, chased and captured the two Confederat Page 69 WEST GULF I3LOCKADING SQUADRON. 69 schooners Eagenia and Pre8ident, loaded with cotton and bound for Havana. They escaped through Breton Island Passage [or isle au Breton], which I am told is-a very common way of getting out. The captain of the Eagenia (Golding) is a noted blockade breaker; was commander of the Aliramon when she was captured; gave his word of honor to Commodore McKean to come out of Mobile after get- ting provisions and leave our waters forever. He broke his word, and in the Eugenia has made several successful voyages. I forward a number of letters captured in the schooners which may contain inf or- mation. I also enclose information given by one of the prisoners captured in the Engenia. I forward also the crew list of the Owasco at the capture of the two prizes, which were sent to Key West. I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, DAVID D. PORTER, Hon. GIDEON WELLES commanding Flotilla. Secretary f the Navy. [Enclosure.] Information obtained from a prisoner captured March 16, 1862, by the gunboat Owasco, Lieutenant Commanding Guest, on board the schooner Eugenia. Name of prisoner, Peter Meals, alias John Allen. Birthplace, Port Mahon, Mediterranean. Residence in and citizen of New York. Question. When did you leave New Orleans? Answer. Thirty-four days since. Question. Where have you been since? Answer. On board the schooner, loading and waiting to get out. Question. Where did you sail from, and when? Answer. From a bay 16 miles inside of Breton Island [or Isle au Breton], on the evening of the 15th. Question. Are there other vessels there? Answer. One schooner; it is a common resort for vessels of light draft loading to run the blockade. Question. Have you ever been to Fort Jackson? Answer. Never have been below the battery at the Mint. Question. Are there batteries on the Algiers side? Answer. None above Fort Jackson. Question. How are the soldiers satisfied? Answer. Not well; more than half serve because obliged, and to keep off starvation. Question. Will they fight, think you? Answer. A little at Fort Jackson; but when that falls, people in New Orleans think the rich and big men will all clear out and leave the rest. Question. How are times in New Orleans? Answer. Very hard; no work. except for carpentersthey get $4 a day working on gunboats. Pay in Confederate notes altogether, and in many stores these will not pass. Question. What gunboats are there? Answer. Five in the lake, besides two new ones not yet equipped, and a good many in the river; some went up the river a short time ago with the steam ram and 10,000 soldiers; they are all paddles Page 70 70 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADI~oN. Question. Where do vessels coming in run the blockade? Answer. To the west, about Berwick Bay, Barataria, and Atchafalaya. Question. Are there vessels in the river now trying to get out? Answer. The 1K IL Webb is loaded and only waiting a chance to get by; she has cotton, rosin, etc. Question. Do you know anything of Fort Pike and The Rigolets? Answer. The guns in Fort Pike are mounted and a strong garrison there; the batteries on the lake at the basins are not manned. Question. How long have you been in New Orleans? Answer. Eighteen months; part of the time in the hospital. Report of Lieutenant Crosby, (I. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Pinola, of arrival at Ship Island, iJfiss., and the dispatching of prize schooner Cora to Fey West. U. S. GUNBOAT PINOLA, 3ihss?~ssspp9. River, ilifarch 17, 1862. SIR: I arrived here to-day and have reported to Flag-Officer Far- ragut, bringing with me the prize schooner (hra, a detailed account of whose seizure I reported on the 9th instant. By direction of the flag-officer I send her this day to Key West in charge of Masters Mate De Witt C. Kell8, of the U. S. brig Bohio, with a crew from her, whose accounts have already been furnished the Department. In addition to which 1 have sent two of my men, a copy of whose accounts will be found enclosed. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, PEIRCE CROSBY, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Lieutenant, commanding. Secretary of Navy, Washington, D. C. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Ofilcer Farragut, U. S. Navy, informing him of the constant movement of vessels between Sabine Pass and Havana. NAVY DEPARTMENT, ]Jfarch 17, 1862. SIR: The following is an extract from a letter from a reliable source that has been referred to the Department: From a source entitled to implicit confidence I learn that small rebel steamers loaded with cotton are constantly going from Sabine Pass to Havana. The cotton is insured in Galveston, and the shippers have cleared hundreds of thousands of dollars by thespeculation. My informant, entirely a trustworthy man, has lately arrived in New York City from Galveston via Sabine Pass and Havana. 1 am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON XXTELLES Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ship Isl d Page 71 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 71 Report of Flag- Officer Farragut, CL S. Navy, regarding condition of affair8 at the Pa88e8 of the Jfi8S?~88%ppi J?~ver. U. S. S. COLORADO, SIup Island, Jliarch 18, 1862. SIR: I regret to state that after learning the condition of the bars at the mouth of the Mississippi it has been deemed perfectly impracticable to get the (~olorado over either of them, and the idea has therefore been abandoned. I enclose herewith a copy of letter from Captain Bailey on the subject. We have had great difficulty in reducing the draft of the steamers Pensacola and ]Wiississippi sufficiently to get them over. The latter will be taken to the bar with nothing in her but sufficient coal to accomplish that object, and will then have to be pulled through at least 1 foot of mud by the tugs. Captain Porters tugboats Glifton and Westfield arrived to-night, very much to our relief, as we had feared for their safety. I find myself very much embarrassed by the want of vessels to accomplish so ~much, the blockade of all the ports to be maintained, some of which contain a strong force of rebel gunboats, against which the sailing vessels are not eligible to compete, as they will naturally avail themselves of a calm to run out and attack them. Mobile, in par- ticular, has five or six heavy boats, and Berwick Bay two. In the latter port we have no vessel of sufficiently light draft to pursue theni into the bay, or they might easily be destroyed; therefore, to guard these points efficiently, my effective force for the river will be materially reduced, unless more vessels arrive out shortly, but, as Captain Por- ter has arrived with his mortar fleet, I shall push things forward with all possible dispatch. Two of the large ships now occupy the Head of the Passes with four gunboats, and I shall take the remaining three down with me when I leave this place, which will be in a day or two. My presence here has been made necessary to attend to some of the details of the squadron. Preparations have been materially retarded in this quarter by the continuance of heavy winds ever since this month set in, but be assured that every exertion will be made to expedite our work. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, S~cretary of the Navy, Washington, B. C. Report of iJo?nrnander Porter, CL S. Navy, announcing the safe cross- ing of the bar by the Jiliortar Flotilla. U. S. S. HARRIET LAKE, Passe cY 1 Outre, illarch 18, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform you of the arrival of the Westfield and Clifton, both in good order, so much so that they were set to work the moment they arrived, and in eight hours we had towed into the river across the bar the 21 vessels in the Mortar Flotilla, the Har- riet lane and Owasco assisting. rj7he importance of these vessels to the Mortar Flotilla needs no comment. It is very likely that we shal Page 72 72 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADLiON. have to depend on ourselves alone to get from place to place, and shall be called on oftener to give help than obtain it from others. The loss of the Forbes and absence of the Jackson will be seriously felt by ns, and if we could have another good tow vessel attached to the flo- tilla in place of the Forbes it would render us niore efficient. It is my desire to be in a position not to hamper any flag-officer under whose orders I may be acting by calling upon him for assistance. So far we have not done so. We arrived here before the flag-officer was ready for us, some of the ships being still at Ship Island, lightenin~ to cross the bar. Permit me to add, sir, I consider that Commander Renshaw and Lieutenant Baldwin deserve more than ordinary credit for bring- ing safely out here the steamers nuder their command, against rough and tempestuous weather, and for their promptness in putting them- selves to work with out letting go their anchors and without making repairs. It is an earnest of what may be expected of them hereafter, and they have their reward in knowing that they have the two most effective vessels in these waters. I regret to say that there is no cord here at present, and that we have on hand but one days allowance for these steamers. I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, DAVID D. PORTER, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, commanding Flotilla. Secretary of the Navy. Report of lieutenant ffrenchard, U. S. Navy, commandinq U. S. S. Rhode Island, regarding the cruise of that vessel carryir~g supplies to naval vessels in United States ports. U. S. S. RHODE ISLAND, hampton Roads, ilfarch 18, 18C~i?. SIR: I have the honor to report the arrival here of this vessel on her way to Philadelphia. The Rhode Island sailed from Philadelphia on the ~th ultimo on her usual voyage to the blockading vessels, and at 10 p. m. on the 28th, reached the sloop of war Portsmouth off the Rio Grande, Texas, the extreme limit of the blockade, having touched en route there at all ports in possession of the United States, and leaving the Rio Grande, on her return, the following morning, the 1st instant. Flag-Officer Farragut, with the hartford, was at Ship Island, Mis- sissippi Sound, on the 6th instant. His early dephrtnre for the Passes of the Mississippi was expected. Orders had been issued to various vessels of his squadron to proceed without delay to occupy the H~ead of the Passes. Flag-Officer McKean, with the Niagara, remained at Key West on the 12th instant. Commander Porter, with the Mortar Flotilla, sailed on the 6th instant from Key West. Flag- Officer Du Pont, with the Wabash, was off St. Augustine the 15th instant. The forces under his command had occupied St. Simon~ s, Fernandin a, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine, meeting with no resist- ance. Some Union demonstrations were made by the inhabitants. On the same day (the 15th instant) the Rhode Island was ordered by Flag-Officer Du Pont to proceed to Fernandina and receive fro Page 73 WEST GULF BLOCICADJ1~G ~QUAD1~ON. 73 Commander Drayton the dispatches sent to him the previous day by the Hitron, to leave the mails for Port Royal at the light ship off that bar, and then to proceed directly to our destination for the purpose of forwarding dispatches to Washington without delay. The Rhode Jsla~d, on her return voyage, touched at all ports in possession of the United States as far north as Fernandina, and in pursuance of the above order, having delivered the mails to the light ship off Port Royal, proceeded directly to Hampton Roads and arrived there on the 17th instant at 11 p. m. Ninety-eight vessels have been supplied by the Rhode Island with fresh provisions during her late voyage, being 14 more than on the previous one. The vessels composing the Gulf Squadrons, as far as Key West, were supplied, both going and coming, until the provisions were exhausted. The cargoes belonging to prizes schooner Wave and sloop Pioneer, and articles taken from steamer Labuan, were received on board the Rhode Island from the Portsmouth (at the Rio Grande), by order of Commander Swartwout, to be delivered to the judge of the district court of the United States in New York; also, by order of Flag-Officer McKean, the cargo of the prize schooner JJ ~L iVieNeil. The remains of the late Assistant Paymaster Hammond, of the U. S. S. Sciota, have been brought home in this vessel. The running time, inclusive of additional delays and stoppages and the larger extent of ground gone over, compares most favorably with her previous trips. I have the honor to enclose the usual abstracts required by the Department of the outward and returning trips of the Rhode Island, together with lists of supernumeraries, invalids, prisoners, and pas- sengers from the blockading squadrons. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, STEPHEN D. TRENCHARD, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Lieutenant, Commanding. Secretary of the Navy. Order of the Secretary of~[he Navy to Flag- Officer Farra gut, U S. Navy, announcing his confirmation as flag-officer, commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron. NAVY DEPARTMENT, i/arch 21, 1862. SIR: The Department informs you that your nomination for appoint- ment as flag-officer to command the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron was confirmed by the Senate of the United States on the 19th instant. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, comdg. Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, Sh~p Island. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Flag- Officer Farragut, U S. 3~avy, to send the U. S. ship Santee to Vera Cru2, Jifex~co. NAVY DEPARTMENT, 3/arch 21, 1862. SIR: So soon as the exigencies of the service will permit, you will send the Santee to Vera Cruz, to relieve the frigate Potomac, and upo Page 74 74 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the arrival of the latter vessel at Ship Island you will cause her to be converted into a store vessel, distributing such of the officers and men as may not be needed for her to duty in the squadron under your command. You will direct Captain L. M. Powell to return north in the first public conveyance thereafter, reporting his arrival, in writing, to the Department. I am, respectfully, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, O~nndg. West Gulf Blkdg. Squadron, Sle~p Island. Report of Flag- Officer Ifarragut, U S. Navy, regarding the detention of the prize steamer Calhoun as a vidette vessel between Ship Island and the Jf65si55?pg6 River. U. S. S. COLORADO, S/dp Island, Jlilktrch 22, 1862. SIR: By agreement, I made all the exchanges with Flag-Officer McKean of certain vessels which I mentioned to you in my former letters. The Calhoun, a captured vessel, he claimed as his prize and requested me to order her up to Ship Island to report to him. I did so, but when she arrived there some of her machinery was out of order, and while repairing, Captain Bailey arrived at Ship Island and considered that ~s his ship made the capture he was entitled to the calhoun in preference to anyone else excepting Flag-Officer MeKean, and hearing that he was on his way home, having gone to Key West, Captain Bailey detained the Calhoun and wrote me a letter on the subject. When I arrived here I found that vessel, and as she is the only one that can run in to the mainland, or has any speed to contend with the steamers of the rebels, 1 have determined, as Flag-Officer McKean has been relieved, to detain her here as a vidette vessel between this and the Mississippi, and hope to be able to catch some of their lookout vessels, which are sent down to look at us every day in the river. I hope that this will meet with your approbation. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Report qf lieutenant Harrison, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. cayuga, regarding the capture by that vessel of the schooner Jesse J. cox, ]Ifarch 25, 1862. U. S. GUNBOAT CAYUGA, Hampton Roads, Ailay 8, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that on the night of the 25th of March. I captured the rebel schooner Jesse ii Gox, laden with tur- pentine and cotton. She had run the blockade of Mobile, bound for Havana. This vessel and cargo being required for army use, I turne Page 75 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 75 her over to General Butler, taking his receipt, and sending all the papers to the district attorney at New York. She was captured under the rebel flag, and was sailing under rebel papers. Respectfully, N. B. HARRISON, Lieutenant, Commanding. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. Engagement between the U S. S. New London and C. S. 8teamers Pandieo and Oregon, qif? Pa88 Christian, ilbss., ]Jfarch 25, 1862. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. Navy, transmitting report. No. 56.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD iJfississ?ppi River, April10, 1862. SIR: I enclose herewith for the information of the Department two reports made to me (dated March 26 and April 5,* 1862) by Lieuten- ant Commanding Abner Read of two engagements between his vessel and others and sonic rebel steamers. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojilcer TYestern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington; D. U Report of Lieutenant Read, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. New London. U. S. S. NEW LONDON, Ofl~ Ship Island, iJlarch 26, 1862. SIR: On the afternoon of the 25th two rebel steamers were discov- ered at Pass Christian. The New London got underway immediately and stood for that place, and approached as near as practicable on account of shoal water. The rebel boats approached within 2,000 yards, when the engagement began, the New London beginning the action, finding the enemy not disposed to come nearer. The fight lasted one hour and fifty minutes. During that time we fired 161 shots of all kinds. There were none injured on board this vessel nor the vessel herself. The vessels of the enemy engaged were the steamers Oregon and Pamlico. From their movements each of them seemed to be struck two or three times. After the engagement the enemy left for the lakes. We remained on the ground until they were out of sight, and then returned to Ship Island. I am, very respectfully, your, obedient servant, A. READ, Flag-Officer DAVID G. FARRAGUT, Lieutenant, Commanding. Comdg. Western Division Gulf Bloclcdg. Squadron, Gulf of 1We~ico. * See under event dated April 2-4, 1862 Page 76 76 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQtfADI~0N. Report of Lieutenant Dozier, C. S. Navy, C. S. S. Pamlico. C. S. S. PAMLICO, R~goiets, Low& 8mna, ilfarc,4 ~5, 18692. SIR: I got underway this morning about 8 oclock and accompanied the steamer Oregon as far as Pass Christian, where I anchored. After discharging her freight the Oregon went to the eastward to take a look at the enemy at Ship Island, returning to the Pass about 2 p. m. The U. S. gunboat New London followed her in and, when near the Pass, discharged a shotted gun toward us. At 3:10 p. iii. I got underway, followed by the Oregon, and stood out to meet the New London, and when in about a mile of the enemy discharged my rifled gun, to which the New London replied. The engagement soon became general, the Oregon and Parnl~co on one side and the New London on the other, the distance varying from a half to three-quarters of a mile. Many of the enemys shot and shell passed over us, many struck near our bow and stern, and some fell short; fortunately none struck us. Our rifled gun was fired 31 times, and a number of our shells passed between his masts, but as a strong breeze was blowing at right angles to the line of fire, and as we were constantly changing our position, it was difficult to attain a very accurate fire. I worked the rifled gun, and, as many of our shell fell very near the Yew London, I am inclined to believe she did not escape untouched. Eight-inch shells were more dangerous to ourselves than to the enemy. Only one out of six which were fired reached the enemy; the others exploded alongside the vessel, a part of one shell striking the corner of the starboard wheel- house, the gun being trained forward of the beam. - in After firing about an hour and forty-five minutes a shell got jammed the rifle gun, a little more than two-thirds of the way down, and having exhausted every effort to draw it or shove it home without success, I then ran alongside of the Oregon and informed Captain Myers that I could no longer continue the engagement, when we both slowly withdrew, and stood in to Pass Christian, the New London showing no desire to follow, but stood to the eastward, meeting another steamer which had come in from Ship Island. The concussion of our guns carried away the greater part of the paneling on the gun deck, also the leading chock of the wheel rope on the port side, together with nearly all the window glasses in the vessel. Considering that the Pamlico is a mere shell and the New London a well-appointed gunboat, I must express myself well pleased at the conduct of both the officers and men. I am respectfully, etc., W. G. D[OzI]ER. [Lieutenant WASHINGTON GWATHMEY, C. S. Navy.] Report of Commander Emrnon8, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. 8. Ifattera8, regarding the 8uCceS8ful extrication ~f that Ve88e1 from a 8hoal upon which it wa~ driven in a gale. U. S. S. HATTERAS, At Sea, iVfarch 926, 18692. SIR: I would respectfully report that I have been obliged to come here to replenish my coal and provisions, having been forced to relin- quish all I could spare, with two guns, to lighten and extricate th Page 77 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 77 vessel from a dangerous shoal (not laid down upon my charts) upon which I was driven by the equinoctial gale, and detained from the 19th to the 24th with only 2.8 feet alongside, at low water, the mean rise of the tides being only 2 feet, and the vessel drawing Th feet when she struck. This, more than anything else that I cau say in a report, will convince you of the efforts that I have made to save this vessel, and I am glad to say that she has sustained no injury, but owing to the frequent transportation of my guns forward and aft over a light spar deck, for the purpose of working her out of the bed she had made for herself on hard gravel, has caused it to leak so that it requires calking. The two guns left were 32s of 27 hundredweight, with their car- riages, which are buoyed, but I could not raise them with my small boats, which were never intended for such heavy work. I have been continually employed in sounding and endeavoring to obtain such a knowledge of the channels leading into Berwick and C6te Blanche bays as would enable me to cut off an inland communi- cation and commerce that is carried on principally by small steamers drawing from 3 to 5 feet of water, but I have found them seeking channels out of my reach and protected by an armed steamer and lugger that I have twice offered battle to and it has been declined, further than the firing of a few shots that were too distant for effect. But my presence has, I believe, confined them to their shoal naviga- tion, which requires vessels of less draft than this to prevent. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. F. EMMONS, (Jeunmander. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, (Jommanding Gulf Blockading Squadron. correspondence regarding international questions relative to the enforce- ment of the blockade ~f the Rio Grande River, 1~cas, ~n connection w~tth the cases of the British steamer Labuan and French steamer Ic Tage. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, transmitting correspondenco. 15. S. S. HARTFORD, Alississippi River, iYfarch 27, 1862. SIR: By the enclosed correspondence between Commander Swart~ wout, you will perceive that the English and French are not complaining of the laxity of the blockade, but the rigidity of it, and it certainly looks a little singular that a vessel of war should accompany the Tage or arrive at Matanioras the very day she did, and that the commander should object to her being boarded by Commander Swartwout, who, it appears, did not know the character of the vessel. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Oftlcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. (I Page 78 78 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUXDRO~. Report of Commander Swartwout, U. S. Navy, regarding his course in attempting to suppress illegal traffic. U. S. SLOOP OF WAR PORTSMOUTH, Off Boca (idea, Tex., iifarclt 15, 1869?. SIR: Your communication of the 7th instant by U. S. S. Mwitgomery was received on the 12th instant. My position here is a very embar- rassing one, and of such a delicate nature that it requires a great deal of tact and diplomacy in order to avoid collision with friendly nations and at the same time to prevent illicit trade by neutral vessels. In my judgment our Government has no legal right to interfere with the free navigation of the Rio Grande, or to interdict neutral vessels from hav- ing commerce with Matamoras. if you agree with me in the view I take of this matter, you will doubtless approve of the course I have adopted in order to check if possible illegal traffic by neutral vessels. My course is to board all Vessels arriving in this vicinity, and if, after a rigid examination, it appears that their cargoes are intended for Matamoras, and their papers are found to be correct and regular, I require the captains to sign a certificate, pledging their word that their cargoes shall go direct to Matamoras, and not pass through or over the territory of Texas in reaching Matamoras. After receiving this cer- tificate I allow them to discharge their cargoes. In some cases I require certificates as to the honesty of their intentions from the English and American consuls at Matamoras. So far the captains and consuls have all given very cheerfully the certificates required of them. A similar certificate is exacted from the captains and the consuls before these vessels receive any cargoes from the Rio Grande. They all now anchor to the southward of the Rio Grande off the Mexican coast. You will find herewith enclosed a copy of a correspondence with Mr. Pierce, American consul at Matamoras, which is submitted for your perusal. In compliance with instructions from your prede- cessor, Flag-Officer MeKean, I send you requisitions for provisions and other articles required for the use of this ship. As many of these requisitions may appear to be very large for a vessel so recently fitted out, I consider it obligatory upon me to inform you that in fitting out this vessel at the Portsmouth navy yard she has been very much neglected and slighted in almost every department, and, in my opinion, judging from the condition of the ship, she has received no repairs of any consequence since she returned from her last cruise on the coast of Africa. Ever since we sailed from Portsmouth the carpenters and other mechanics of this ship have been almost constantly engaged in repairing defects about the ship, which should have been attended to before she was turned over from the Portsmouth yard. As you make no reply to that part of my communication forwarded by the U. S. S. Rhode Island, in which 1 request to know where I am to procure fresh water for this ship when required, 1 presume you have concluded to leave it to my discretion to adopt the most judicious course, in order to obtain this necessary article. Therefore, I propose, the early part of next month, when it will be necessary to fill up with water, to run down to Tanipico and procure water there, where, I am informed, water tanks will come out across the bar and supply vessels. This will be the most expeditious plan that I can adopt. The bark iVliidniht might lie at this anchorage during my absence, so as not to leave this part of the coast unblockaded, and the bark Arthur could Page 79 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 79 in the meantime, blockade the coast to the northward. After my return these two barks might relieve each other and fill up with water in the same way. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. SwARTwOUT, Commander. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Co9nmanding U. S. Naval Force, TY~8tern Gulf of Jiliexico. Report of Commander Swartwout, U. S. Navy, transmitting correspondence regarding the capture of the British steamer Labuan. U. S. SLOOP OF WAR PORTSMOUTH, Off Boca Chica, Tex., 71/arch 18, 1869~?. SIR: I had closed my letter to you of the I ~Sth instant, anticipating the return of the iVfontgomery, when the arrival on the 16th instant of H. M. S. Phaeton~ from Vera Cruz, makes it necessary for me to write you another note and enclose a copy of a letter addressed to me by Captain Tatham, of that ship, together with my reply, which is here- with submitted for your perusal. Captain Tatham had a conversation with me relative to the capture of the steamer Lahuan, and also with regard to the course adopted by me in enforcing the blockade near the Rio Grande. The conversation was of a friendly nature, and carried on in a very conciliatory spirit. He admitted from my statements that I had grounds for capturing the liabuan, and agreed with me that, as the case of the ]abuan was before the courts of law, his Gov- ernment and Commodore Dunlop had no control over the matter. He paid a very high compliment to our Government for the proinptand equitable decisions rendered in several captures of British vessels dur- ing the present war. I apprehend no difficulty with any friendly nation growing out of the enforcement of the blockade on this part of the coast, as I shall studiously avoid giving any offense. I enclose a note from Captain Powell, addressed to me, which I send for your perusal, agreeably to his request, although I can assure you that his fears are groundless and his instincts at fault. On the 17th instant the French steamer of war Berthollet arrived here from Vera Cruz, and the next day her captain addressed me a lengthy communication relative to the blockade of this part of the coast and the Rio Grande, which you will find herein enclosed, together with a second communication from Captain Tatham, of the British frigate Phaeton, and my replies, all of which correspondence is sub- mitted for your consideration and instructions in the premises. From my experience here I am satisfied that it is impossible to prevent illicit trade on the Rio Grande unless we can take possession of Brownsville and the American side of the Rio Grande from there to its mouth. And if the commander of a vessel of war blockading this part of the coast of Texas attempts to interfere with what he consid- ers illegal traffic, he is certain to find himself accused of trenching upon some neutral right which the English and French Governments will contend is a violation of treaty stipulations, and which, if persisted in, may bring our country in collision with those two neutral nations. The commerce on the Rio Grande can not amount to much in con- sequence of the difficulty of transportation over an almost impassabl Page 80 80 WEST GULF BLOCKADiNG SQUADRON. bar at its mouth. I, therefore, would suggest the propriety of not extending the blockade to the southward of the Brazos Santiago. This course would prevent the possibility of a breach with England and France, growing out of the rights of neutrals. The trade on the Rio Gr~nde (which is a small affair), in my judgment, had better be abandoned rather than by attempting to interfere with two powerful nations, particularly at this time, when we have such a gigantic rebel- lion in our country to suppress. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. SWARTWOUT, Corn mander. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, commanding u. S. Naval Foices, Western G~f of iVfe~eico. [Enclosures.] H. M. S. PHAETON, Off Rio Grande, 3ifarch 16, 1862. SIR: Her Britannic Majestys consul at Havana has represented to Commodore Dunlop, C. B., under whose orders I am acting, that the British screw ship Labuan has been captured by a cruiser of the United States. I am to ask you to furnish me with all the details in your power respecting this capture, that the particulars may be laid before the commodore referred to. I have, therefore, to request you will be good enough to give me an early reply to this communication, with such other information as you may consider proper respecting the Labuan case and the block- ade you are enforcing in the vicinity of the Rio Grande. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, EDWD. TATHAM, Gapta~n. Captain SAMUEL SWARTWOUT, U. S. Ship Portsmouth. U. S. SHIP PORTSMOUTH, O1J~Boca Chica, Tex., 3farch 17, 1862. SIR: Your communication of the 16th instant has been received, in which you request me to furnish you with the particulars of the cap- ture of the British screw ship Lahuan, and also such other informa- tion as I may consider proper respecting the blockade I am enforcing in the vicinity of the Rio Grande, that this information may be laid before Commodore Dunlop, C. B., under whose orders you are acting. In reply I will state that it will afford me much pleasure to give you the information you solicit. The steamer Labuan was captured by this ship, under my command, on the 1st of February last, whilst lying at anchor to the northward of the Rio Grande, off the territory of Texas, taking in cotton from a steamboat owned by secessionists, or rebels, who are enemies of my Government. The steamboat was seen by this ship as we approached this anchor- age, outside of the Rio Grande, apparently bound to the steamer Labuan, but as soon as she discovered us to be an American man-of-war sh Page 81 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 81 stood back and ran into the river again, near to where the rebel flag was flying. This, steamboat, the mate of the Labuan, who was the commanding officer on board, informed me, had been engaged loading his vessel with cotton, but that she would not come out again whilst this ship remained here. The steamboat alluded to, although she had the Mex- ican flag hoisted, was owned by the rebels, as well as all the other steamboats plying on the Rio Grande, of which I have been informed by some of the most respectable Mexican citizens residing at Mata- moras, and, indeed, the British vice-consul at Matamoras acknowledged as much to me. The fact that the steamer Jabuan was anchored off the territory of Texas, and being loaded with cotton by a rebel steamboat coming out from where the rebel flag was seen flying, and her log book being headed Barra Santiago, which is the same as Brazos Santiago, was conclusive proof to my mind that she was breaking the blockade and violating her Britannic Majestys proclamation. As the town of Matamoras was closely beseiged at this time, and for a month previous, it was impossible that this cotton could have been brought from there, and consequently the presumptive evidence is very conclusive that it came from Texas. For the reasons stated, I considered it my duty to capture the Labuan. She has doubtless, ere this, arrived at New York, where her case will be adjudicated by the United States district court. In enforcing the blockade of this part of the coast of Texas it is not my purpose to interfere with neutral vessels in the free naviga- tion of the Rio Grande, or to interdict their legal commerce with Matamoras, but only to prevent as far as practicable any illicit trade with the enemies of my Government, which I presume Commodore Dunlop will neither sustain nor encourage. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. SwARTWOUT, commander. Captain EDwD. TATHAM, If. B. 2W. S. Phacton. H. B. M. S. P1IAETON, Off Rio Grande, ]JfarcA 18, 1862. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th, dated off Boca Chica, and to thank you for the clear account you have given me of the ]abuan capture. This case is now to be settled by the proper tribunals and our respective Governments. By the law of nations a belligerent has a right to enforce a blockade of the ports of his enemy, however much the commerce of nations may suffer. The inconvenience of the blockade, however, naturally forces trade at the adjacent ports, and here the evil should cease to neutrals, and I apprehend the blockading ship should confine her atteution to vessels attempting to enter blockaded ports. Rio Grande is a neutral river, its waters and entrance, neutral for the navigation to Mexican ports, and I regret tb~t the capture of the NWRVOL18 Page 82 82 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Laiwan at the mouth of that river on the 1st of February last, and the demand for certificates from her Britannic Majestys consul at Mata- moras, with lists of cargo before vessels are discharged, has been pro- ductive of a stagnation to the legal trade of neutrals with Matamoras, and such serious injury to British interests that I do not feel myself competent to make further comment before communication with the British commodore commanding in these waters. I have to assure you that Commodore Dunlop, C. B., will neither encourage nor sustain the infringement of blockade, and that he will be glad to learn that it is not your purpose to interfere with neutral vessels in the free navigation of Rio Grande. I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant, EDwD. TATHAM, Captain SWARTwOUT, U. S. Ship Portsmouth. U. S. SHIP PORTSMOUTH Off Boca ~1dca, Tex., Jfarch 18, 1862. SIR: I am in receipt of your letter of this date in which you assert that the Labuan was at the mouth of the Rio Grande when captured on the 1st of February last. I can assure you, sh~, that you are under an erroneous Impression, as she was lying at anchor to the northward of the Rio Grande, off the territory of Texas, which I feel confident will be clearly established on her trial. The certificates required of her Britannic Majestys consul at Mata- moras was simply a precautionary measure to prevent any difficulty with regard to the commerce of neutral vessels on the Rio Grande, and as he cheerfully acq uiesced in my request, I did not suppose it would be viewed in an objectionable light. Her Britannic Majestys consul at Matamoras has sent me but one certificate, and long before that reached me I had informed all the vessels at anchor here that I should not interfere with their discharg- ing or taking on board cargoes for or from Matamoras. This was before the siege was raised. You say my requiring the certificate alluded to has been productive of a stagnation to the legal trade of neutrals with Matamoras and of ruinous injury to British interests. I can not understand how this can be, as Matamoras has, since my arrival here, until recently, been closely besieged, and long before the siege was raised all the neutral vessels here were free to discharge their cargoes when they thought proper; no obstacles were thrown in the way by me. I objected to the steamers owned by the rebels com- ing out here with cargoes, which I believe I have a right to do, but as those steaniers have recently been purchased by Mexicans, of course the objection no longer obtains. I will submit your communications of the 16th and 18th instant to Flag-Officer Farragut for his consideration, and shall request further instructions from him. In the meantime I will offer no interruptious to neutral vessels in their commerce with Matamoras. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. SwARTwOUT, Captain LDwD. TATHAM, ii. B. IL S. Phaeton Page 83 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 83 ON BOARD H. I. M. STEAM CORVETTE BERTHOLLET, Entrance of t~4e Rio Grande dcl None, [Jiilktrck 18, 1862]. MONSIEUR LE COMMANDANT: I have the honor to inform you that I have received from the vice-admiral, commander in chief of the French forces in the Gulf of Mexico, instructions to learn from you in what way the blockade of the coasts of the United States in this Gulf is being carried out by the ships of the U. S. Navy, and more particu- larly at the mouth of the Rio Grande del Norte, which forms the boundary between the territory of the United States and that of the Mexican Republic. The admiral commanding the French forces does not doubt in the least that the instructions you have received from your Government are based on positive and sincere respect for the rights of neutrals. But the statement that you, captain, might make to me on the subject in general terms does not preclude an examination of certain points that the instructions, however precise, may have passed over in silence. Because, in such complex and delicate matters, where it is impossible to foresee everything, one should suppose that a certain latitude is left to the officers who execute the orders of their Government. Therefore, captain, from this standpoint, I have the honor to address to you further on some questions and observations to which I beg you will be kind enough to reply, so as to enable me to give to Vice-Ad- miral Jurien de Ia Gravi~re the details he needs to know in the inter- est of his countrymen. You will not fail to perceive, captain, that these questions pertain to certain principles of international law upon which the Government of his Majesty, the Emperor of the French, lays great stress. Requesting, therefore, that you inform me, so far as these points are concerned, the course which is laid out by your instructions, or else your personal interpretation of them, I acknowledge your equal right, captain, to know how they are considered by the French Gov- ernment or by myself. As I am carefully following up each case, I hope to be able to satisfy this very proper desire. 1st question. What character should be attributed, from the neu- trality point of view and the rights that result from it, to that part of the sea which surrounds, within a radius of 3 nautical miles, the mouth of the Rio Grande del Norte? It is universally recognized that the parts of the sea which wash the shore and are called the territorial waters are under the jurisdiction of the nation to whom the shore belongs. Usage and many treaties have fixed at 3 miles the extent of that inviolable zone. In accordance with this principle, suppose that, from the middle of the narrow pass which serves as the entrance to the river, one draws a perpendicular line to the general direction of the coastthat is to say, a line drawn toward the eastall that part of the sea lying north of that imaginary line, for a distance of 3 miles from the coast, forms a part of the territory of the United States and all the part of the sea lying, under the same conditions, south of said line is Mexican. This view is the only logical as well as the only practical one. Because, if it is claimed that territorial sovereignty extends for the benefit of the two nations owning the contiguous river banks in the whole of the traced semicircle, with a radius of 3 miles around the mouth of a river, one would come to this result: The same part of the sea would belong at the same time to the United States and to Mexico, which would be absurd Page 84 84 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 2d question. Can a neutral vessel be visited (and by the word visit I mean the establishing of her nationality or neutrality) by a belliger- ent vessel of war when the neutral vessel, being a merchant ship, is at anchor in the territorial waters of a neutral power. Incontestably no. The exercise of the right of visit, right conse quent upon a state of war, is i nterdicted to a belligerent in a place where hostilities themselves are prohibitedthat is to say, in waters subject to the jurisdiction of a neutral nation. This principle is rec- ognized by all nations and by all publicists. It was therefore a mistake, in my opinion, that you proceeded, captain, yesterday afternoon, 16th March, to visit the French steam merchant ship Taqe, anchored in Mexican waters at the mouth of the Rio Grande del Norte; and the courteous manner of this visit did not modify, in my eyes, its illegality. 3d question. Has a belligerent cruiser the right of visiting a neu- tral merchant vessel, even in places where such visit is generally permitted, when a man-of-war of that neutral nation is present? Here again, captain, the answer can not be doubtful. Each neutral merchant vessel, which is in sight of a ship of war of her own nation, is, by that fact alone, placed under the protection of the flag of that man-of-war, and consequently exempt from inspection. The cruiser which wishes to be assured of the nationality and neutrality of the merchant vessel can only, in that case address the captain of the man-of-war to obtain the necessary information. The visit made yesterday by one of your officers on board the French steamer le Tage, just as I had anchored near your vessel, was, therefore, illegal from this second standpoint. It infringes upon the dignity of the authority with which I am invested, and I can not allow it to pass without a protest. 4th question. Has a United States cruiser the right to intercept the goods that leave the Rio del Norte on board of neutral ships to be transferred to neutral vessels lying at anchor in the Mexican part of the outer harbor of the river? The answers given to the first and last questions apply very clearly to this one. The right to intercept does not exist. But I go still further. I say that unless these goods were contra- band of war the cruiser could not intercept them, even when the neutral vessels in question had been anchored beyond the Mexican territorial zone; that is to say, had been in the conditions which authorize the visit of a belligerent cruiser. To illustrate the case more precisely by an example, my opinion is that an American cruiser has not the right to visit a Mexican steamer going out of the Rio Grande, laden with cotton transporting it to a neutral vessel anchored in the Mexican territorial sea. If this neutral vessel is anchored in the high seas, the cruiser has the right to visit the Mexican steamer; but if the cotton is not contraband of war, the cruiser can not intercept it even should he have ground to believelet us say should he have the certaintythat the cotton came from the interior of Texas. True, cotton might be intercepted by United States cruisers in the waters of the Rio Grande when it is passed from one bank to the other. But so long as river patrol is not estab- lished, cbtton, or any other commodity not contraband of war, although coming from the territory of the enemy, shares all the benefits of the neutrality of the vessel which transports it, and of the one to whic Page 85 85 it is destined. Outside of this rule one falls inevitably into all the arbitrary vexatious of fictitious blockades~ A final result of this opinion is that the Mexican steamers of which I speak should not be compelled by the American cruiser to provide themselves, from the resident consuls at Matamoras, with certificates of origin for the merchandise they carry to the outer roadstead. If the cruiser believes that contraband of war is to be found among inoffensive merchandise his only right is to complain to the Mexican Government of its negligence in respecting, and causing to be respected on its territory and by its citizens, the duties th~it neu- trality imposes, and demand satisfaction. Such are, captain, the principal points to which I think it my duty, in conformity to my instructions; to call your particular attention. I hope you will not misunderstand the ground 1 take. it comes from the friendship that exists between our two nations, and from the sincere desire to see it continue without a cloud. My sojourn in this roadstead being of short duration, 1 shall be very much obliged to you, captain, to be kind enough to honor me with a reply hefore my near departure. Accept, captain, the assurance of my high consideration. E. DE JoNQUI~RE5, commander, Uommandinq IL 1 ilL Corvette Bert ItoUei~. [Commander SwARTwOUT.] U. S. SHIP PORTSMOUTH, Off Boca Cldea, rex., ilhiarek 18, 1862. Sin: Your communication of this days date has been received, in which you have advanced for my consideration and decision several points of international law bearing upon the blockade of this part of the coast of Texas and the Rio Grande. As I do not consider myself authorized to decide these delicate questions, without further instructions from the flag-oflicer command - ing the Western Gulf Squadron, I will, with as little delay as possible, forward your communication to him for his advice in the premises. In the meantime commerce by neutral vessels with Matamoras shall not be interfered with by me. With regard to the certificates, to which you take exceptions, they were required by me merely for the purpose of preventing any difficulty, and as the consuls and mer- chant captains cheerfully acquiesced in my request, I did not suppose any objections would be made to this precautionary measure. The French steamer le rage was boarded yesterday by one of the boats belonging to this ship, inadvertently, under a general order to board vessels arriving here, to ascertain their nationality and neutral- ity, but without the slightest intention to treat your nation with any disrespect or yourself with indignity, both of which I take this occasion to disclaim. I have given such orders as will in future prevent any similar occurrence of which you complain. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. SwARTwOUT, Commander. Captain [JEAN PHILIPPE] ERNEST DE JONQUI~RE5. H I 2W Corvette Bertkollet Page 86 86 WEST GU~tF ~LOOKA1A~G SQUADEO~. ON BOARD THE BERTHOLLE~, At ancAor before Rio del None, illarch 19, 1869?. MONSIEUR LE COMMANDANT: I have received the answer which you made to the letter which I had the honor to address you yesterday morning, the 18th instant. The explanations which it contains relative to the visit of the Rage are perfectly satisfactory. As to the other points concerning the blockade, I will render an account to the vice-admiral commanding the French forces in Mexico of the manner in which you have practi- cally considered them up to this time (in regard to this I will refer to the conversation we have had together, since your letter contains nothing referring to it); I will say to hiui that your intention is to submit the litigious question to the examination of the commander in chief of the naval forces of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico, and that until then you will not interfere in any way with the com- merce of neutrals at Matamoras. Accept, monsieur le commandant, the assurance of my high con- sideration. THE COMMANDER OF THE BERTHOLLET. Report of Flag- O~fficer Parragut, U. S. lVdvy, regarding the purpose for light-draft vessels. U. S. S. HARTFORD, iV1 tss9~ss~tpp~ River, ]Jfarch 27, 1869?. SIR: In your letter of February 24 you speak of not sending me vessels of light draft because they are not itt to attack the enemys works. 1 did not wish them f?r such purposes, but for the purpose of cutting off their communication through the streams running out of the bays into the Gulf of Mexico up to New Orleans and coastwise, Atchafalaya, Barataria, and all the coast from Brazos Santiago to Mobile. In other words, for blockade, and not for attacking forts, but they are very important auxiliaries. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogflcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. U. Report of Lieutenant ililiadiqan, U S. Navy, commanding U S. ship Vincennes, regarding the disposition of the passengers and crew the foundered steamer Black Joker. U. S. SHIP VINCENNES, Off Pensacola, hi/larch 27, 1869?. SIR: A boat load of 17 persons from the steamer Black Joker [or Vanderbilt], which foundered on the 15th instant while on the passage from Havana to Matamoras (as said), reached the schooner J$iLaria A. Wood at East Pass, Santa Rosa Island, on the 20th instant. These 17 persons coniprise a little girl about 5 years of age, two gentlemen pas- sengers, the purser of the steamer, chief engineer, second engineer Page 87 WEST GULF BLOCICAIANG SQ1YAD1~O~. 87 second mate, carpenter, steward, two quartermasters, four firemen, one coal heaver, and one deck hand. I have taken these people on board of this ship in expectation of being able to send them per the steamer Connecticut for your decision in the case. The Black Joker ran the blockade at Sabine Pass a short time since and was returning, as they say, to Matamoras, under English colors. Her cargo con- sisted of coffee, zinc, sheet copper, oil, and paper. She left Havana on the 12th instant, and a heavy head sea produced a leak which caused her loss on the 15th. Other boats left the steamer with more of her passengers and crew, whose fate is not known. I fell in with the ifaria A. Wood yesterday between Mobile and Pensacola, and she followed me here. She was almost entirely out of provisions. General Arnold has kindly furnished me with some for her, and I have ordered her to her station off East Pass. She will leave here to-morrow morning. This ships provisions are getting low and I was unable to furnish the iWaria A. Wood from this ship entirely. Bread, beans, molasses, sugar, etc., were furnished from the fort at my request. 1 would respectfully represent that the iJfliaria A. Wood seems to be passed by the storeships and supply steamers, and that she is in need of provisions, clothing, and small stores. (Her captain informs me that but one steamer has stopped at East Pass in three months.) Also that the Black Jokers boat is on board of her, subject to your decision. Mr. Payne, one of the passengers from the Black Joker, is an Eng- lishman, a merchant at New Orleans; Mr. Hart, the other passenger, is an American, also a resident of the same place, and a lawyer by profession. I left here on Sunday last and arrived at Mobile, after heavy weather, on Tuesday. On Wednesday I returned to this place, having a passage of five and one-half hours. OFF MOBILE, Afarek 28,1862. This morning I left Pensacola, outer bar, at 6 and anchored here at 11 oclock. I shall return to Pensacola as soon as wind and weather will permit. Your order of the 10th instant to me I received here on Tuesday last. I left Pensacola on Sunday last, to come here in obedience to an order received by the Itasca. General Arnold desired me to say to you, as I was about leaving Pensacola, that from news just received froni the rebels, that he would attempt the capture of Pensacola with but one steam gunboat. it is said they have but one regiment at Pensacola on the rebel side; the batteries from the navy yard to Fort McRee, inclusive, are said to have but 300 men. I forward this by the Kanawka, from Mobile; she goes to tow a transport to Ship Island, which is short of provisions and having a very light wind from the southward and westward. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN MADIGAN, lieutenant, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. Ship Vincennes. Captain D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag-Officer Gu~f Blockading Squadron Page 88 88 WEST GUITh ELOCICADI~G SQt5AD1~OTh ]?~port of Flag- Oflicer Farragut, U. S. Navy, stating the cause ~f tAe running ashore of the C/I S. S. Pensacola. U. S. S. HARTFORD, 2VA5s~ss1~pj9& River, illiarch 28, 1862. Sin: I have not been able to have a court of enquiry to investigate the running on shore of the Pensacola and other vessels, for the reason that every officer who would be required on the investigation is now employed preparing the respective vessels for the great service now before us. As to the case of the Pensacola, I fully understand it; and although it might have been, and undoubtedly was, bad navigation, still it is of common occurrence. Two years agb I passed along the coast of Florida and found five large cotton-loaded ships on shore near Cape Florida, and in conversation with persons at Key West found that every ship mistook the Florida light for the Double Headed Shot Cays light, and put the helm starboard instead of port and ran their ships on shore. This was owing to the strength of the current in the stream, which had run them ahead of their reckoning. Commander Swart- wont makes a similar statement, that the current cut his ship over before he could imagine himself 20 miles from the banks. He found himself on Carysfort Reef, and when he saw the light he put his helm aport and ran on shore, believing that the light was on Cay Sal Bank. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogficer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, 9. C. Order qf Flag- Ojilcer Farragut, U S. Navy, to captain Bailey, U S. Navy, referring to the unsuccessful attempts to get the U S. steamers Pensacola and iWississippi over the bar. U.S. S. HARTFORD, Jifississippi River, JJifarch 28, 1862. DEAR CAPTAIN: We are still tugging at the Pensacola and ililissis- ~ipjn to get them over the bar, and I am much disheartened by the many trials without success, but live in hopes that a southerly wind will raise the tide on the bar a few inches higher. Please tell General Butler that we are not yet ready; that he may feel easy as to his being here in time, and he may have some other arrangement in view before coming. Send the Fearnot down to the South West Pass as soon as possible, as we are nearly out of coal and the coal vessel Alamo has not yet arrived. I feel very uneasy about her, and send all the vessels with coal down as soon as they arrive at Ship Island. I also wish you to send the stores on board the Pampero down in the Fearnot, as we are much in want of them, and get the Pampero off to Key West for more, with orders to Captain Huggins to use all possible dispatch to bring an assorted cargo of provisions, small stores, and clothing. Tell the paymaster to purchase all the pieces of cotton he can for bandages and dressings for the wounded. Very respectfully and truly, yours, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer. (aptain T. BAILEY, U S. S. Colorado Page 89 WEST GULF BtOCICAJYfl{G ~QUAIA~O~. lieyort of Commander Bell, U S. Navy~ regarding a reconnoissance i~2~ 1Jfiss~ss~pp~Htver. U. S. S. HARTFORD, Head of the Passes, 3fississippi [River], iVfarclt 28, 1862. SIR: I proceeded to-day in the Kennebee, accompanied by the TYiss~ hickon, to examine the river and the forts at the bend. The left (or east) bank, all the way up, is qnite clear of trees and bushes, and no houses appear before the salt works are approached. These are abandoned, except by one family. The right (or west) bank is better wooded, and quite thickly, for 4 miles below Fort Jackson; also a few dilapidated houses and some cattle were observed on both banks from the salt works up to the forts. No steamer appeared in view until the forts became visible. Shortly after the Star ran out a little distance below the boom, but speedily retreated above it again, passing up close to the Jackson bank. One 20-pounder rifle was tired at her, but fell very short. She seems to carry no cotton now. I approached the forts at extreme range of their guns, keeping on the left (or east) bank of the river. Four guns from Jackson and two from St. Philip opened fire upon us, throwing shells which exploded by concussion, very few of them failing. The two guns from St. Philip reached as far down the river as any from Jackson. The trees and bushes on the right (or west) bank were cleared away from Jackson to the extreme range of their guns down the river. On the bend below Jackson a point makes out upon which there is something like a mud fort, and 1 thought to observe there three embrasures, but no guns. Between this point and Jackson, apparently under the guns of the exterior work, is the starting point of the boom or obstruction, con- sisting of a raft of logs and eight hulks moored abreast, from 60 to 80 yards apart, and extending across the river to about a half mile below St. Philip. The raft lies between the bank on the Jackson side and the hulks. On shore near the raft are two structures, which I inferred were windlasses for torting the cable. Here the steamers pass through. I could discern nothing extending from hulk to hulk, nor anything like fire rafts. Observed at the forts two steamers with steam up, two barks, and a schooner. One of the boom hulks, second from left bank (east), had one mast standing; the masts were out of all the others. The two forts tired from twenty to twenty-five shots at us, well directed, some of them falling within a half cables length of us. I observed them about a half hour and then turned down the river with- out firing ~t them, the range of our guns being no better than theirs. I am, very respectfully, H. H. BELL, Fleet Uaptain, Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Western Gulf Blockading Squadron Page 90 90 WEsT GULP tLOOI~ADfl~G SQ1YADflOI~. Rej~or1 of commander L~mmons, LZ S. Navy, as senior off cer, regard- ~ng affairs at Skip Island, illiss. U. S. S. HATTERAS~ Skip Island, ]Jifarck 30, 1862. COMMODORE: I received as senior officer here your letter by Lieu- tenant Commanding Nichols, directed to Captain Bailey, and have attended to your commands. I had already so far anticipated them as to direct the captains of the Fearnot and Pampero to continue their work to-day, Sunday, and as the Ifearnot has but little coal left in her, I have obtained permission from General Butler to take 150 tons (half that we require to fill our bunkers) from one of his army transports, and the only one, I understand, that has hard coal in her. I had made out my requisition for six months stores, but as it appears you may want stores at the river, I have reduced one-half. Lieutenant Commanding Nichols has asked to blow out his boilers, and as he is to return, I will ask him to give the Fearnot a tow down. Lieutenant Commanding Harrison, of the Caquga, will leave this evening with this, and I have directed him to look for the coal bark Alamo (spoken near Pass ~ lOutre yesterday) and to take her in tow to the South West Pass. General Butler desires a vessel to take one of his ships to the Passes, and if there should be none other ready, I will do this service. One Maine regiment arrived last evening thirty-nine days passageshort of provisions and water. The smoke of two rebel steamers is in sight this morning up the bay, but out of reach of the New London, that has gone up to recon- noiter. I suspect they have troops for New Orleans. We need a lighter-draft vessel here very much. The Cbnnecticut has not yet arrived. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. F. EMMONS. commander. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT Commanding lYest Gulf Blockading Squadron. Letter from 2VJio~jor- Geveral Butler, U. S. Army, to Flag- Off cer Farragut, U. S. Navy, announcing kis readiness for cooperative movement. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, lYfarek 30, 1862. SIR: I am now ready to put on board ship six regiments and two batteries and will be able to be in the Passes in twelve hours. I am still of opinion that an elkrt be made to land above the fort as soon as you can get gunboats by. Its moral, not to say actual, effect would aid the attack, if not compel a surrender. If the navy is not to be ready for six or eight days, I ought not to sail, as my coal is running short and I can not carry more than eight days for sailing. May Iask that you send me word so as to reach me by Tuesday morning, and I will be embarked in waiting Page 91 WEST GULI~ BtOO1~A1AN~ ~Q1YADI~O~. 91 If you prefer, I will be in time to attempt the landing off Isle au Breton. If I can aid you in any way here, please command me. I am, with much respect, your obedient servant, BENJ. F. BUTLER, lJJiaj or- General, tiJommanding. Flag-Officer FARRAGUT, commanding IVe8tern Gulf Squadron. I shall wait your advices. It is of importance that you advise me. Please do not fail. Report of A cling Lieutenant TVoodworth, U S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. John P. Jackson, regarding the disposition of persons from the foundered steamer Black Joker. U. S. S. J. P. JACKSON, Skip Island, ilfarek 30, 18G9L SIR: I have the honor to inform you of my arrival at this port from Key West, after a passage of seventy-five hours, having communicated with U. S. ships Preble and Vincennes off Mobile Bay, taking from the latter some 17 persons, they being a portion of the passengers and crew of the steamer Black Joker, which foundered at sea. These per- sons I turned over to the provost-marshal upon my arrival here. In the absence of any written instructions, 1 reported to Captain Emmons, the senior officer in command, for duty, and have been detained by him until instructions are received from Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, commanding the Gulf Blockading Squadron. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, SELIM E. WOODWORTH, U. S. Navy, Acting Lieutenant, commanding U. S. S. J. P. Jackson. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. Report of Lieutenant Preble, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Katahdin, stating his opinion ~f the qualities qf the new steam gun- boats. U. S. STEAM GUNBOAT KATARDIN, South West Pass, ]ifarch 30, 1862. DEAR SIR: You ask my opinion of the new steam gunboats from my experience on board the Katahdin. As cruising men-of-war I consider them complete failures. First. They have not the speed to chase or maneuver against an equal, nor to escape from a superior force. Second. From their excessive rolling they can not use with effect or safety, except in smooth or very moderate weather, their XI-inch pivot gun, which is their main dependence. They may be useful in smooth water, but in a rapid stream, like the Mississippi, their want of speed to stem the current and move rapidly is a serious defect. The Katahdin, under favorable circumstances, good steaming weather, can and does make from 6 to 7 knots, making sixty revolu- tions of her engines. By increasing the number of revolutions sh Page 92 WEST GtYLF J3tOC1~ADfl~G SQtIAIA~Ofl~. can for a time be worked up to 8 or 9 knots under steam, but that speed can not be kept up for any length of time. Either the journals get hot, the pumping apparatus out of order, or she runs down her steam. A few days since, steaming against a Gulf of Mexico sea, off the west Florida coast, with the engines making from sixty to sixty- live revolutions a minute, the vessel was as stationary by our lead lines as though anchored. We had every kind of weather and a good deal of stormy weather on our passage from Boston to Key West and from Key West to Pass ~ lOutre, which enabled me to judge her a safe and buoyant sea boat. Under steam and a close-reef ed foresail, with the wind a little on the quarter, we were all charmed with her scudding before a very heavy N. W. gale and sea. She also lies to well, but drifted fast to leeward, and would not be safe in a continued gale on a lee shore, not having power in her engines or sail sufficient to enable her to work off. For special service as a gunboat in smooth, shoal water she is an efficient vessel, but for the general service of the Navy she is not of much use. If caught at sea in anything like rough weather she would prove almost defenseless and an easy prey to anything that came along. With more beam she could easily carry a broadside of light guns in addition ~to her present armament that would render her much more formidable. I would add, in crossing the Bahama Banks I exercised at general quarters, and there, where there is scarcely no sea, the water slopped back and forth across the deck. In conclusion, what she needs is more beam, more speed, and greater stability. Yours, truly, GEO. HENRY PREBLE, Commander D. D. PORTER, Lieutenant, commanding. Commanding Bornli~ Flotilla, ]Ihss%ss~ppi ]?~ver. Report of Captain Bailey, U S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Colorado, regarding the efforts of that vessel to float the U. S. S. Pensacola. COLORADO, iJiLarch 30, 1865~?. DEAR FLAG-OFFICER: I am anchored near the Pensacola trying to drag her off. The gunboat (Jayaga arrived just now, having in tow the coal bark Alamo, and having anchored her, has gone to Pass ~ lOutre to tow the Sportsman. She brings news of the abandonment of Manassas and Fredericks- burg by the rebels and the occupation of those places by McClellans army. Fears were entertained that the rebels, by a flank movement, would endeavor to cut off General Burnside, but they think that McClellan has provided against that contingency. The batteries on the Potomac were abandoned at the same time with Manassas. ln haste. Your obedient servant, T. BAILEY. Flag-Officer FARRAGUT Page 93 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 93 Order of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U: S. Navy, to Lieutenant De Haven, U: 8. Navy, commanding U. S. S. calhoun, to cooperate with the U: 5. 5. New London at Ship island, ifiss. Mississi~~i RIVER, April 1, 1862. SIR: You will proceed to Ship Island and assist Lieutenant Com- manding Read, of the New Londov, to protect the island from the Confederate gunboats and prevent trade in the Mississippi Sound and the transportation of troops or anything else by the Confederates through that sound. On your arrival you will report to Lieutenant Commanding Read. If Lieutenant Commanding Emmons, of the flat- teras, is still there, you will inform him that it is my wish that he returns to his station so soon as his supplies are completed and his repairs made. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojficer. Lieutenant Commanding J. E. DE HAVEN, U: S. S. calhoun. Report of Commander Renshaw, U: S. Navy, commanding U: S. 5. Westfield, rferring to the loss of the U: S. S. I?. B. Forbes. U. S. S. WESTFIELD, South West Pass of 3fississippi River, April 1, 1862. SIR: On the 22d day of February last I sailed from New York, accompanied by the U. S. steamers Clifton, Forbes, and Jackson. Since the arrival of the Clifton I have been informed by Acting Lieutenant Baldwin that in a fog on the day following our leaving iNew York the Forbes, Lieutenant Commanding Flye, ran into the t97l~f- ton, at the time steering some five or six points off her course. The clifton had frequently blown her steam whistle and taken all the pre- cautions necessary to avoid the collision, which I consider might have been avoided had a corresponding degree of care been exercised on board the Forbes. I parted company with all the steamers on the evening of the 23d of February, and by the newspapers first learned of the loss of the Forbes, since which I have ascertained from various sources that she was run on shore at Nags Head, the wind at the time blowing offshore and the night clear, a disaster that could not have occurred, in my opinion, had the lead been kept going. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, \~\T B. RENSHAW, Commander D. D. PORTER, commander, U: S. Navy. tJomdg. ilfortar Flotilla, South West Pass, ilfississippi River. Report of Captain Powellj~ U: S. Navy, commanding U: S. frigate Potomac, regarding international affairs in 2l Jiexico. POTOMAC, Vera (ruz, April 1, 1862. M~ DEAR COMMODORE: This will be handed you by Acting Masters Mate J. M. Smalley. He has been sent to your squadron in search of * For reports of Captain Powell see Series I, volume 1 Page 94 94 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. active service. He is a bold, resolute, young fellow, of most excel- lent character, and I commend him to your favor. I wrote to you by P/iaeton and Bertkollet. Pkaeton has not got back, but Commodore Dunlop received by BertAollet, as I judge from what Captain Caidwell, of the Jifersey (senior), told me yesterday, sat- isfactory replies to his enquiries. This is well, and the shade of cool- ness has entirely disappeared. Commodore Dunlop has gone into the interior. Heavy French reinforcements have lately arrived, about 3,500 more. They have now about 9,000. Reports come in that the Mexicans are determined to resist the march of the French, whose object is Mexico. The Spaniards are adverse, and the English forces are withdrawn, gone to Bermuda in the Donegal, Sans Pareil, Ariadne, etc. The English will only negotiate henceforth. The Spaniards want indemnity, and the French intend conquest. This is the best informa- tion I can obtain. Mr. Corwin sends a special messenger by the English mail steamer to-day. A small rebel schooner came in loaded with cotton ten or a dozen days ago. Draws only 3~- feet water. She is said to have come out of San Luis Pass, Tex. Was fourteen days on her passage, and the master says she drifted back within 12 or 15 miles of the Santee. My people are healthy, but the fever appeared on board the Jason. The French, En~lish, and Spanish are very civil and friendly. My health is tolerable, only. Wishing you every success, I am, my dear commodore, yours, faithfully, L. M. POWELL. Flag-Officer DAVID G. FARRAGUT, hartford. capture qf the U. S. schooner Isabel April 1, 1862. Report of Lieutenant Harrison, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Cayuga, regarding the casting off of the schooner Isabel under tow for Ship Island. U. S. GUNBOAT CAYUGA, Hampton Roads, Jliftty 8, 1862. Sin: I have the honor to inform you that I sailed from Key West for Ship Island on March 20, with the schooner Isabel in tow. I was ordered to carry her down to Flag-Officer Farragut to be used in lightening vessels on the Mississippi bar. I placed on board Acting Masters Mate Charles H. Post and five men. After towing her 160 miles I encountered heavy gales, which obliged me to cast her off. I have since learned that Mr. Post made the land about Mobile, and was captured and carried into that port by a small rebel steamer. I enclose a copy of my instructions to Mr. Post. Respectfully, N. B. HARRISON Lieutenant, commanding. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. List of men on board the Isabel. C. H. Post, acting masters mate; Richd. Manson, boatswain~s mate; Henry Mohiman, landsman; William Colby, seaman; John Johnson, ordinary seaman; George C. Cross, ordinary seaman Page 95 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 95 [Enclosure.] U. S. GUNBOAT CAYUGA, Off iTamp(t Bay, ]Jfarck 22, 1862. SIR: Considering the impossibility of towing you against the westerly gales which have prevailed and are likely to prevail during this month, and finding your schooner capable of taking care of herself, I have concluded to give you ten days provision additional and leave you to your own resources. You will take the greatest care of your provis- ions and water, and should bad weather continue to retard your pas- sage you will put the men on short allowance. Should you be blown on the Florida coast, and be in distress, you can communicate with any of the blockading vessels which are stationed at all the ports along the coast. I rely on your zeal and energy to get your vessel to her destination without unnecessary delay, and wishing you a speedy passage, I am, respectfully, N. B. HARRISON, Acting Masters Mate ~. H. POST, Lieutenant, commanding. Se/tooner Isabel. Report of Acting Masters 1~Iate Post, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. schooner Isabel. NEW YORK, October 23, 1862. SIR: I arrived home on the 20th, a paroled prisoner from the rebels. I was captured with five men and myself off Mobile, while in charge of the prize schooner Isabel, from Key West, bound to Ship Island. I came in to Key West in the gunboat Cayuqa on the 15th of March, 1862, and on the 19th I was put in charge of this schooner, and the gunboat was going to tow me over to Ship Island, but on account of heavy gale of wind blowing from the NW., the steamer had to leave me. The gale continued to blow for seven days after the gunboat left me, and hauled to the southward and blew as heavy as before, and not having any chronometer on board I could not tell what land I made, but unfortunately it was Mobile, and the gunboat Jifiorgan [Gaines] came off and captured me and took me into Mobile. That was on the 1st of March [April] and I have been a prisoner since that time, and the five men with me. Yours, very respectfully, C. H. PosT, N. B.My address: C. H. POST, Acting li4asters Kate. Fair Haven, Conn. Extract from Richmond Dispatch, April 11, 1862. Captured. Commander Hunter, of the Confederate gunboat Gaines, captured on the 2d instant, off Mobile, the Yankee schooner Isabel, from Key West for Ship lsland, commanded by Masters Mate Post, U. S. Navy Page 96 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Mr. Post missed his reckoning and entered Mobile Bay instead of the sound, near Ship Island. The Isabel was formerly the tender Th 1?. Kng. Report of (owunander Bell, CL S. Navy, regarding the rumored approach of Confederate flag of truce for the probable purpose of gaining i??formatiofl regarding the Federal position and force HARTFORD, April 92, 1862. M~ DEAR FLAG-OFFICER: The IiTennebec being about to go down the South West Pass for the mails, I hasten to give you the talk up here, but the hour being early, and no one out of their beds, there remains no time before the Kennebec departs for me to investigate anything. First in importance is that Captain Wainright says the fleet sur- geon was informed by Captain Broome, of the marines, that Cubitt remarked to the latter two days ago that Captain Foote is coming down the river (his whereabouts was not said) and a flag of truce will be sent here to-day. Whether it was a joke of Cubitts remains yet to be seeii, as the man is too shrewd to let us know that he is in com- munication with the rebels. If the flag should come down it should be stopped 5 miles above, where they could see nothing of our arma- ments or preparations, for, doubtless, they are coming for better information as [to] our position and force here at the Head of the Passes and in the vicinity; also whether the flag-officer is present or not, as his presence would be likely to indicate the presence or near- ness of his principal forces. Lieutenant Thornton reports to Captain Wainwright that he found the wires on the other bank connected with the electric cable and attached to the chain which secures the latter. This was last Sundays discovery, whilst you were here, and is a mares nest, I guess, for I saw the wires out there the first day I ascended the Passes. Everything depends upon dispatch in the work which we have in hand. I trust in God that you will speedily get your ships over the bar. Yours, most cordially, H. H. BELL. Flag-Officer FARRAGUT, Western Gulf Squadron, U. S. S. Richmond. P. S.Captain Wainwright requests me to ask of you to have his guard relieved at Pilot Town by a guard from one of the ships down there, if you could approve it. Joint retaliatory expedition to Biloxi and Pass Christian, Jiiliss., and capture of steamer P. U Wallis, April 24, 1862. Report of Commander Emmons, U. S. Navy, regarding the dispatching of the U. S. steam ers 3. P. Jackson and New London. U. S. S. HATTERAS, Ship Island, April92, 1862. SIR: Owing to the frequent delays caused by removing cargo stowed upon the coal in the army transport, 1 have not yet been able to take on board all they can spare Page 97 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUAPRON. 97 My officers and men have been working night and day here, getting vessels off from aground, towing lighters, and trying to dispatch ves- sels, etc. The Pampero is ready to sail to-night. At the request of General Butler I have to-day sent the Jackson and New London up the bay, to cooperate with a portion of the army in one of their steamers against the rebels at Biloxi and Pass Christian, for their having fired upon a flag of truce sent up yesterday by the general with th~ little girl prisoner, that I believe I alluded to in a previous communication. The Jackson will be sent to report to youtaking in tow or convoy the army transport ship Wilder Farleyas soon as General Butler is ready, and I believe he is only waiting to hear from you. Captain Woodhull sent two instead of one master to the Pampero by mistake, and I have directed one of them to take passage down in the Fearnot and report to you, as I did not feel justified in detailing more than one, although Captain [Charles] Huggins desired two. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. F. EMMONS, Commander. Flag-Officer D. G. FATIRAGUT, (~ommanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Order of Commander Emmons, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Read, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. New London, U. S. S. HATTERAS, Ship Island, April 2, 1862. Sin: Major-General Butler, U. S. Army, has asked for the coopera- tion of a naval force to make a demonstration up the bay, and if prac- ticable to rebuke the outrage offered to his flag of truce while doing an act of humanity. You will therefore hold yourself in readiness to lead and cooperate with the colonel commanding the army, taking with you the gunboat Jackson, Lieutenant Commanding Woodworth, who has been told to follow your instructions. Respectfully, etc., GEO. F. EMMONS, Commander. Lieutenant Commanding ABNER READ, (~ommanding U. S. Gunboat Few London. Order of Commander Emmons, U. S. Navy, to Acting Lieutenant Woodworth, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. 3. P. Jackson. U. S. S. HATTERAS, Ship Jsland, April 2, 1862. SIR: You will cooperate with Lieutenant-Commanding Read, of the New London, in the demonstration about to be made up this bay by a NWEVOLl8 Page 98 98 WEST GULF BLOCKADiNG SQUADRON. portion of General Butlers command, following his instructions and affording such assistance as may be in your power to repair the insult offered to us yesterday. Respectfully, your obedient servant- GEO. F. EMMONS, Commander. Acting Lieutenant Commanding S. E. WOODWORTII, (~omrnanding U S. S. Jackson. P. S.Keep the lead going and run of the tides and recollect the signal, which com[municate] to Lieutenant Commanding Read. G.F.E. Order of Major-General Butler, U. S. Army, to Major Strong, U. S. Army, to proceed in command of troops for cooperative expedition. APRIL 2, 1862. MAJOR: Taking with you on board the steamer Lewis the Ninth Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers and a section of Captain Everetts battery, and, acting in conjunction with the Navy, you will proceed to Biloxi and demand and obtain an ample apology for the firing into a flag of truce upon an errand of humanity under your command upon the 1st instant. The apology must be an ample one, and you will demand and obtain a guaranty against such occurrences in the future, signed by the mayor, the principal inhabitants, and the colonel commanding the forces there. You will inform the authorities and the citizens that no flag of truce must be hereafter sent to this island unless accompanied by a commis- sioned officer, in full uniform, with proper credentials; that civilians can not be received under such flag, or if received they will be detained. You will land and compel any force there to retire, and take such measures to secure and enforce the foregoing as you may deem best, either by seizing and bringing off the principal inhabitants or what- ever elsc~ may seem advisable. You will also proceed to Mississippi City and Pass Christian, if desired by the navy, and cooperate with it in any demonstrations deemed advisable against those places. By command of Major-General Butler: Jos. M. BELL, Major GEORGE C. STRONG, iJIiajor and Aid-de- (~amj~. Assistant Adjutant- General, etc. Letter from Major Strong, U. S. Army, to the mayor of Biloxi, demanding apology for attack made upon flag of truce. BILoXI, Miss., April 3, 1863. SIR: I am directed by Major-General Butler, commanding the Department of the Gulf, to call your attention to the fact that on the 1st instant a party of men under my command, bearing a flag of truc Page 99 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 99 and on an errand of mercy, were fired into in a most cowardly man- ner while their schooner was aground and just after they had left your shore. An apology was made by a person claiming to be an officer of the Third Mississippi Volunteers, but General Butler has ordered that the repetition of such or similar outrageous action be the signal for the destruction of your town. I am directed, moreover, to inform you that all persons in citizens dress who visit the lines of the United States forces on this coast under a flag of truce will be detained if suspected. All such flags, to be respected, must be accompanied by a military officer in uniform and with proper credentials. Respectfully, etc., GEORGE C. STRONG, A8e9~stant Adjutant- General. To the MAYOR OF BILOXI. Report of Commander Emmons, U. S. Navy, transmitting report of the commanding officer of the U. S. S. Nw London. U. S. S. HATTERAS, S/tip I8land, April 6, 186~2. Sni: In my last communication I believe 1 mentioned that I had sent the New London and fack8on, gunboats, up the bay to cooperate with a portion of the army under Colonel [Major] and Assistant Adjutant-General [George C.] Strong, upon the request of General Butler, and what to me appeared to be not only a justifiable move- ment, but one that the peculiar circumstances made proper for the Navy as well as the Army. I enclose you herewith the report of Lieutenant-Commanding Read, of the New London. in regard to what took place previous to my join- ing, which I did on the following day, seeing that there was apparently a superior rebel force engaging them, consisting of the Oregon, Pam- lico, and Arrow, gunboats. However, before I could reach theni I discovered the rebel boats making off in the direction of New Orleans, and one apparently some- what disabled. Subsequent reports froni shore say that the com- mander and pilot of one was killed. Each of our gunboats received a shot that produced but little effect further than wounding a captain and two privates on board of the Lewis. Uniting our forces nearly opposite Mississippi City, we ran up to Pass Christian, where, after sounding and buoying the channel, we anchored with springs, and the Lewis ran in to land the troops at the wharf; but getting on a bank opposite, some delay was occasioned in sending the soldiers on shore in boats; and as the tide rose she was finally enabled to make the wharf, when the artillery landed, and the remainder of the regiment marched some 4 miles interior to meet the enemy at their encampment, who fired a few random shots and fled, leaving their tents and camp equipage to be destroyed by our forces; all of which having been accomplished, the party returned, drawing their gun thi~ough the sand, and reembarked about 9 p. ni. In the meantime a few shell, had been fired over the town, a cargo of stores taken on boar(1 of the Lewis from the wharf, and a boat sen Page 100 100 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. to cut the telegraph wires across St. Louis Bay, connecting Mobile and New Orleans, which was accomplished by this ships first cutter, in charge of Masters Mate llazlitt, and a schooner loaded with wood, captured and brought off. Before the army had returned from the interior a steamer was dis- covered approaching us from the direction of Mobile, and, evidently mistaking us for the three rebel gunboats, became an easy prize after the firing of a few shots from the Jackson and New London, but not until they had succeeded in throwing overboard some of her cargo, which consisted of lime, rosin, pitch, turpentine, and oil. As she and the schooner are not suitable vessels to send home, and can be used to great advantage here, I have made arrangements with General Butler to have both transferred to the Army, and the cargo either sold here or transshipped to the United States. There can be no question as to their being anything but rebel property. The pris- oners have been temporarily landed on the island by the consent of General Butler, who has afforded me every facility in his power to expedite our various outfits. A coal vessel having arrived here just as I had received 89 tons from the army, and all they could spare me, I have remained to get a fur- ther supply, and in the interim have been interrupted as before described. I sent the brig Julia off to-day, to report to you at the South West Pass, with coal from Philadelphia. She reports other vessels coming, and I am glad to say the army have just received a large supply. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. F. EMMONS, Gommander. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, commanding, West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Lieutenant Read, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. New London, referring to the capture of Steamer P. C. Wallis. U. S. S. NEW LONDON Offi Ship Island, April 5, 1862. SIR: On the afternoon of the 2d instant we left Ship Island in com- pany with the U. S. S. J P. Jackson and the transport steamer Henry Lewis, with the Connecticut Ninth Volunteer Regiment on board, to cooperate with the army for the purpose of effecting a landing at Biloxi. The landing was made the evening of the same day, the New London and J. P. Jackson anchoring off the town. The next day, about 4.30 p. in., the troops embarked, when all got underway and stood for Pass Christian, intending the following day to effect a landing at Pass Christian. At 10 p. in., having taken a favorable position for the night, we came to anchor. On the 4th of April, at 4.40 a. in., three rebel steamers were discovered standing down to make an attack. The action was immediately begun by the New London, Jackson, and Lewis with the rebel steamers Oregon, Pamlico, and Garondelet, and after its continuation of about thirty minutes the Lewis was withdrawn on account of the crowded state of her decks; the New London and Jackson continued the fight for one hour and forty-five minutes, when the enemy withdrew, apparently much injured. About 9 a. m. the U. S. S Page 101 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 101 Ilialteras joined us, being senior officer, took command. While the landing was being effected at Pass Christian a rebel merchant steamer appeared to eastward, and was immediately pursued by the New Lon- don and Jackson, after a chase of about an hour was captured. She proved to be the rebel steamboat P. U. Wallis, loaded with turpentine, rosin, and lime. Enclosed please find list of officers and crew on board this vessel. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant A. READ, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, lieutenant, Commanding. Secretary of tke Navy, JVasldngton, D. C. Detailed report of Acting Lieutenant Woodwortli, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. 3. P. Jackson. U. S. S. J. P. JACKSON, S/dp Island, April , 1862. SIR: Since my last report of the 30th instant one of the passengers of the Black Joker (a little girl), brought by me from the Vincennes, and whose parents were supposed to have been lost, was sent by order to General Butler under a flag of truce to the town of Biloxi to be restored to her relatives ~residing near that place. After the bestowal of the girl to the care of the judge of Biloxi, the schooner bearing the flag of truce, in her attempt to leave, grounded on the bar, and in this situation was fired upon by rebels on shore. Major Strong and some other officers dispatched a boat to Ship Island for assistance at 12 oclock at night. We were directed, by order of Captain Emmons, to get immediately underway and proceed in company with the New London to their assistance. The schooner succeeded in getting afloat at daylight and returned with us to Ship Island, no person having been injured by the firing. General Butler, desiring to resent the indignity to his flag, made application to Captain Emmons for naval assistance to cooperate with the army and return immediately to Biloxi and invest the place. By order of Captain Emmons the gunboats New London and Jackson were directed to convoy the transport Lewis having on board the Ninth Connecticut Regiment under command of Major Strong. We reached Biloxi and succeeding in landing the troops without opposition, the gunboats covering the disembarkation, the rebel troops at the place retiring without firing a shot. After making some arrests the troops were again embarked, and we proceeded down the sound opposite Mississippi City and anchored for the night. At 4.30 a. m. of the 4th instant three rebel gunboats supposed to be the Oregon, Pamlico, and Carondelet, attacked us. We weighed anchor and engaged them as soon as possible. By order of Captain Read the transport Lewis retired toward Ship Island, not before receiving, however, two shots which wounded two persons. The New London and Jackson continued to engage the rebel boats until 6 a. in., when they retired toward Shieldsboro, in St. Louis Sound [Bay], having been joined previously at Pass Christain by another steamer. Finding it impossible to pro- ceed farther on account of the cowardice of the enemy and the shoal- ness of the water we abandoned the chase and returned towar Page 102 102 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Mississippi City, when we discovered the steamer ifatteras approaclh ing.W e received in the engagement two shots from 30-pound rifle projectiles, one striking us on the port guard, completely cutting it in two and carrying away one of our iron sponson braces, the other splintering one of the 4anchions of the gallows frame. We do not know what damages were sustained by the enemy. The officers and crew conducted themselves with more coolness and bravery and worked the guns with more skill and expertness than I could have expected, they having had but three days practice with the guns before the engagement. I am glad to state that no one on our steamer was hurt. By request of Major Strong the Jackson recalled the trans- port Lewis for the purpose of making a descent upon Pass Christian and engaging the rebel battery, reported to be situated there. We then proceeded to land our troops, but in so doing we discovered some parties in the act of firing the buildings on the wharf. We fired some shell into their midst and drove them off. The troops were then landed from the Lewis, we lying off the town to cover them. During the landing of the troops a boat was sent by the order of Major Strong to cut the submarine telegraph cable across St. Louis Bay, connecting Mobile with New Orleans, which was successfully accomplished, and a small schooner loaded with wood was also taken. While so engaged, the gunboat New London made a signal of the enemy in sight to the eastward. We gave chase and succeeded in overhauling and bringing her to by throwing a few shot at her. She -proved to be the steamer P. C. lYallis, from Mobile, and bound for New Orleans, with a cargo of turpentine, rosin, lime, pitch, and oil. We ran her on board, dis- covering she had been fired by the captain, and with the aid of the steam pump and hose succeeded in extinguishing the flames. We placed on board a prize officer and crew and removed her passengers and crew to the Jackson. Among the former were some women and children. We discovered that three shots had struck her, but fortu- nately no one was injured. A list of her passengers and crew I herein enclose. The iflatteras then came alongside and ordered us to return to Pass Christian and convoy the Lewis to Ship Island, she remaining to accompany our prize. At 9 p. m. the Lewis succeeded in embark- ing all her troops, having routed the rebels and burned their whole camp with but two men wounded. We returned to Ship Island safely and anchored at 12 p. m. Herein enclosed find a list of the officers and crew at the time of making the capture. Upon requisition of General Butler, the steamer and a portion of the naval stores being required for the use of the army, were turned over to him, after being appraised by three disinterested parties, selected conjointly by him and the captors. A full and complete inventory of the property is trans- mitted, together with the captain, mate, and clerk of the prize, and all papers, books, etc., captured with her, in charge of Prize Master A. B. Axtell, acting masters mate, to Boston, where the balance of the cargo has been forwarded upon the U. S. transport Undaunted for adjudication. 1 have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, SELIM E. WOODwORTH, Acting Lieutenant, Gommanding U. S. S. J. P. Jackson. Horn GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of tke Navy Page 103 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 103 Receipt given by Major-General Butler, U. S. Army, for certain articles from the prize steamer P. C. Wallis at appraised value. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Skip island, April 6, 1862. Received of steamer P. C. TYallis, prize to the U. S. S. J. P. Jackson, New London, and hatteras, joint captors: One hundred and eighty4ive barrels lime, at $2 per barrel, as per appraisal. Twenty-four barrels pitch, at $8 per barrel, as per appraisal. Five barrels rosin, at ~7 per barrel, as per appraisal. To be paid for at the above appraisement. Whereas upon the 4th day of April, present, a steamer, P. C. TYallis, was made prize by the Navy, with the cargo on board, and said steamer and a portion of the cargo is necessary and desirable for the use of this department, and Commander Woodworth, for himself and fellow- captors, are willing to dispose of said vessel and such part of her cargo for such purpose; and whereas said parties have agreed to leave the valuation of such property to the appraisal of Captain Nathl. B. Palmer, Master Henry L. Sturges, and Mr. Moses Bates, and said appraisal have set such valuation at the figures following, to wit, said steamer at $23,000; ro.sin, per barrel, $7; navy pitch, per barrel, $8; lime, per barrel, $2these articles, therefore, are taken at the above appraise- m ent. BENJ. F. BUTLER, ilfajor- General, C.ommanding Department of Ike Gulf. [Endorsement.] I have received the above articles. J. W. Cusiim~i, Lieutenant. Names of the passengers and crew of the P. C. Wallis. Mrs. Ellen Scenlen, Mobile; Mrs. Ann Scenlen, St. Louis; .Miss Ellen Scenlen, Mobile, 12 years; Miss Bridget Scenlen, Mobile, 7 years; Master M. F. Scenlen, Mobile, 1 year and 5 months; James W. Ailman, Mobile, captain, witness; T. E. Cooper, Mobile, first clerk, witness; W. B. AIlman, Mobile, second clerk; Jacob Rowles, Mobile, mate, witness; Philip Munch, Ohio, chief engineer; Alexander Willey, Ohio, second engineer; Silas Lawrence, Alden County, Ala., carpenter; William H. Benton, Baldwin County, deck hand; Peter Nelson, Mobile, deck hand; Paul Maedeh, Mobile, deck hand; Corado Dolleur, Mobile, deck hand; A. Tyson, Mobile, wheelsman; Frederick Lewis, Mobile, wheelsman; Charles Peterson, Mobile, fireman; Charles Dobbert, Mobile, fireman; Peter Lewis, Mobile fire man; George Mitchell, Mobile, fireman; Jeremiah Nobles, Mobile, steward; James Bragand, Mobile, fireman. The following three named persons, James W. Aliman, T. E. Cooper, and Jacob Rowles, who were officers on the prize steamer P. C. TYallis, were sent with Prize Master A. B. Axtell as witnesses Page 104 1104 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Extract from report of the Secretary of the Navy of the Confederate States, dated August 16, 1562. * * * * * * On the 2~th of March the gunboat ParnUco, Lieutenant Command- ing Dozier, engaged the U. S. gunboat New London, and on the 4th of April the Carondelet, Lieutenant Commanding Gwathmey, with the aid of the Oregon and Pamlico, engaged three of the enemys gun- boats. Both engagements occurred near Pass Christian, and were without material results. Report of Major-General Lovell, C. S. Army, commanding at New Orleans. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT No. 1, New Orlean8, La., April 16, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 3d instant the enemy landed a force of 500 men at Biloxi, having three steamers off the town. We had seven companies of the Third Mississippi Regiment at Handsboro and three at Pass Christian. I arranged with Commodore Whittle that the steamers (arondelet, Pamlico, and Oregon should engage these vessels while we attacked their troops at daylight on the 4th, but their fleet was reinforced by two vessels at night, which reembarked their troops, and having engaged our ships with superior forces, they proceeded to Pass Christian, landed 1,200 men, with sev- eral pieces of artillery, and drove away our three companies, burning their camp and destroying a portion of their clothing and stores. Our men finding themselves greatly overmatched and outflanked, retreated without loss of life to Gainesville. Colonel Deason pro- ceeded with his seven companies of infantry, one of cavalry, and a battery of artillery to Biloxi, which he found abandoned by the enemy. I subsequently ordered the troops to rendezvous at PassChristian, where they now remain, but on account of the difficulty of supplying them by water, I shall probably bring them to this city. Respectfully, your obedient servant, M. LOVELL, General ~. COOPER, ilfajor- General, Commanding. Adjutant and inspector General. Destruction of the Confederate schooner Golum6ia, April 5, 1862. Report of Acting-Master Pickering, U. S. Navy. U. S. S. MONTGOMERY, Off St. Louis [San Luis] Pass, ffece., April 5,1862. SIR: In obedience to your order I proceeded with the launch, Pay- master Thomas Niblo accompanying me as a volunteer, and whale- boat, the latter under command of Acting Masters Mate Rob. Barstow, to enter the harbor and capture, bring out, or destroy a large schooner seen from our decks at anchor inside. I herewith submit report of the expedition: Left the ship at 6:30 p. m. and crossed the bar safely, though the surf was rolling heavily. We then slackened our speed to pass the fort Page 105 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 105 known to be inside, under cover of the night. This precaution failed to avail us, however, for when abreast of it (the fort) they fired, the shot passing through the side of the launch. Without returning the tire, knowing that our success depended on expedition, pulled rapidly for the schooner, which, reachino~, was boarded in each waist withoJt firing a shot. We took possession of her, the crew consisting of seven men, being completely surprised; found she was the columbia, of Gal- veston, loaded with cotton, ready for sea, and bound to Kingston, Jamaica. Prepared everything for kedging her out, when we discovered a large sloop bearing down on us. Made everything ready for her reception, and on her coming alongside boarded and took possession of her; found she brought the captain of schooner, seven passen- gers, and stores from Galveston. It was at this time that the only event occurred which could mar the entire success of the expedition, George Rice being seriously wounded by the accidental discharge of a carbine in the hands of one of his shipmates. Secured the prisoners, and for two hours made every effort to warp the schooner out. Find- ing we had made little if any progress, I gave the order for firing her fore and aft, and I hope the following reasons will justify me in your opinion for so doing. There was a strong flood tide and head wind, and the alarm having been given Ii had every reason to suppose an overwhelming force would soon be brought against us, and from the schooners position she was untenable, being so near the shore that she could be com- manded by riflemen as well as the guns in battery. The sloop, with prisoners, escorted by the whaleboat, then shoved off; the launch, remaining to see the fires would be effective in destroy- ing vessel, then followed, repassing the battery in safety and anchor- ing inside as near the breakers as possible to await daylight, being too dangerous to attempt, particularly with sloop in tow or over- loaded boats, at night. At early dawn, finding the surf still rolling high, was compelled to give up the sioop to prisoners, liberating them, and hurry off to the ship, as we were within range of the enemys guns. We had been underway but a few moments when we were fired at, the shot luckily falling short, but close to the whaleboat. I can not in justice omit to mention that to Mr. Barstow and Mr. Niblo I am obliged for their ready aid and prompt furtherance of my orders, and to the crew for their willing obedience and discipline. Respectfully, your obedient servant, THos. PICKERING, Lieutenant CHAS. HUNTER, ~8te9~. Commanding U. S. S. ihliontgomery. Abstract log U. S. S. Montgomery, Lieutenant Hunter, U. S. Navy, commanding. 4pril 5, 1869~.Froni meridian to 4 p. in.: Off San Luis Pass. At 12:30 p. m. saw a schooner at anchor inside, ran into 4 fathoms water opposite the bar. Hoisted an imitation of the English flag at the peak the rebel flag at the fore and a burgee with the name Adolph Hugel in it. At 3 p. m. a boat came off containing 9 peoplemade prisoner Page 106 106 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. of themtook their boat and doubled banked her, fitting her for an expedition to cut the schooner out. At 6:15 p. m. sent the rebel boat with an armed crew from this ship under charge of Acting Master Pickering, accompanied by Paymaster Mblo as a volunteer, with a crew as per margin (13 men), and the whaleboat with an armed crew in charge of Masters Mate Robert Barstow to bring out a schooner lying inside the bar, or in case of not getting her out to burn her. At 11:05 p. m. saw a bright light in the direction of the schooner, sup- posed to be made by boats burning oakum, afterwards steady white light, answered by burning No. 2. April 6.From midnight to 4 a. in.: Saw a light several times in the direction of the schooner. At 6 a. m. boats returned. Not being able to bring the schooner Columbia out, they fired her, and at day- light she had burned to the waters edge. They had been fired on by a battery on shore with muskets, one of the balls passing through the boat. On the way out while on the bar they fired a gun at the boats; the shot fell short. One of the crew of the rebel launch John Rice, was wounded by the accidental discharge of a carbine in the hands of one of our own men. Hoisted in boats. At 7 a. m. exchanged two shots with the battery, no effect, distance being too great. Got under- way and stood S. W. Name8 ofprisoner8.O. W. Edwards, lieutenant, so-called, C. S. A.; Alex. G. Follett, citizen; William Turner, corporal, Fourth Regi- ment, Company A, Texas Volunteers; James Carville, third sergeant, Fourth Regiment, Company A, Texas Volunteers; Charles H. Wes- tervelt, orderly sergeant, Fourth Regiment, Company A, Texas Vol- unteers; Henry Metcalf, private, Fourth Regiment, Company A, Texas Volunteers; Patrick Cornyn, private, Fourth Regiment, Com- pany A, Texas Volunteers; Samuel Gibson, private, Fourth Regiment, Company A, Texas Volunteers; Richard Silk, private, Fourth Regi- ment, Company A, Texas Volunteers. In this expedition 1 revolver, 2 boarding pistols, and 2 cutlasses were lost. Abstract log of the U. S. bark Arthur, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant 3. W. Kittredge, commanding. April 6, 1862.Brought on board the Arthur from the U. S. S. Montgomery, Captain Follett, a Texan, taken prisoner at San Luis Pass, to be released at Aransas on giving his parole April 14. At 5:25 p. m. landed Captain [A. G.] Follett under a flag of truce and held a parley with the commanding officer of the rebel forces at the Bayou Aransas, Major C. G. Forshey. Report of Captain Ballowe, Thirteenth Texas Infantry. FORT SAN Luis, TEx., April 6, 1862. SIR: I have to report to you the capture of Second Lieutenant 0. W. Edwards and seven others of my command off this point on yesterday by the Federal screw propeller ifontgomery, Captain Hun- ter, under the following circumstances, viz: She appeared off the bar with English colors, with a signal for a pilot, and fired a blank car- tridge and anchored. After some time Lieutenant Edwards sent th Page 107 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 107 life boat out to the bar, with instructions to anchor inside and hoist a white flag and wait for them to meet them with a boat from the steamer. The crew obeyed instructions, but the steamer refusing to send a boat, as expected, they raised anchor and returned to the fort. By this time Mr. A. G. J?ollett arrived at the fort with the intention of getting a life-boat and a crew and going out to her, and was so well satisfied that she was an English vessel that he induced the lieutenant to take a boat and go out. They went aboard about 3 p. m. I returned to my quarters at 3:30 p. m. and watched their movements until night. About this time I saw one boat leave the steamer and come in the direction of the fort, and as soon as she arrived inside the bar I dis- covered that there were two instead of one, and supposed their des- tination to be the schooner Columbia, lying in the bay and laden with cotton, or else that they intended an attack on this island. It soon grew so dark, however, that I could not see them, and made my arrangements as best I could with my small force to receive them, but the sentinel placed near the entrance to the canal saw them going to the schooner and fired on them. My first intention was to throw 15 or 20 men on the schooner, but it would have taken all the boats I had to do so, and only left m~ with about that number of men and no means of retreat in case I should be compelled to do so. Believing it unwise and unsafe to attempt to save her and sustain myself on the island, I concluded to let her go, knowing that it was impossible for them to get her out, the wind and tide both being against them. I ~had also sent to Major Perry for reenforcements, by the aid of which I hoped to be enabled not only to hold my po~ition, but to take the crew that had been sent to the schooner. As soon as they got possession of her they made a signal light on her, which was answered by the steamer. After about an hour the sentinel nearest the schooner saw three boats leave and pull over near the Galveston shore, returning to the steamer, the signal light still burning on deck, and no evidences of her being on fire, which forced me to the conclusion that they had left a crew on board and went [gone] after a force to attack me. * * * * * * * Lieutenant-Colonel Brown arrived with reenforcements on the oppo- site side of the channel, on the mainland, about half an hour before day. At 2:20 oclock I discovered the schooner to be on fire. I continued on my lines from dark until daylight. The names of my men taken are as follows: Second Lieutenant 0. W. Edwards, a native of Texas; Orderly Sergeant C. H. Westervelt, a native of Nexv York; Third Sergeant James Carville, a native of Indiana; First Corporal William Turner, a native of England; Pri- vates H. Metcalf, Richard Silk, and Samuel Gibson, natives of England, and P. Cornyn, a native of Ireland. * * * * * * * With high respect, your obedient servant, S. L. S. BALLOwE Colonel J. BATES, Captain Commanding Post San .Luis. Commanding, Velasco, iThx Page 108 108 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Statement of the master of schooner Columbia. GALVESTON, TEX., April 6, 18621:45 p. m. I, John Davidson, master of the merchant schooner Colundia, when lying at anchor within one-half mile of the fort at San Luis Island, was boarded and taken by the two armed boats from the U. S. S. ikliontgomery, Captain [Charles] Hunter, of 8 guns and 180 men, at 7:30 p. m. on the 5th of April, 1862. I certify to the truth of the foregoing statement. JOHN DAVIDSON, Late 2l/ia8ter of Schooner Columbia. John Davidson, master of the Columbia, informed me that the iVLontgomery hoisted a Confederate flag at the fore and an English ensign at the peak and that the fort sent a boat with a lieutenant and ten men under a white flag to her, and that the lieutenant, boat, and men were captured and detained on board the Jlifontgomery. John Davidson and his crew were taken on board their boat, in charge of the enemy, and anchored on the bar and kept there until daylight and then sent on shore with their boat, at liberty. Lieutenant Pickering, the officer in command of the boat, threat- ened Mr. Davidson to induce him to pilot his vessel outside of the bar, which he refused to do. The enemy stole a watch, $445 in money, and a revolver from the mate and a passenger. Mr. Davidson informs me that this was done within half a mile of the fort at San Luis Island. The schooner was found by the enemy at 8:30 p. m. [W. 17~T HUNTER.] The Columbia belonged to R. and D. G. Mills, Mr. Thomas Dixon, H. A. Brower, all citizens of the Confederate States, as I am informed by Mr. John Davidson, master of schooner Columbia. Order of Commander Boggs, U S. Navy, to Lieutenant Preble, U S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Katahdin, to proceed to the Head of the Pa88es. U. S. S. YARUNA, April 4,1862. SIR: You will immediately get underway with the vessel under your command and proceed to the Head of the Passes and report to Captain Craven or the senior officer present. Respectfully, your obedient servant, CHARLES S. BOGGS, Gommander and Senior Ofticer Present. Lieutenant Commanding GEORGE H. PREBLE, Gunboat Katahdin. Order of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant (rosby, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Pinola, to proceed to Ship island for delivery of letter to 2Jfaj or- General Butler, U S. Army. FLAGSHIP WISSAHICKON, April 7,1862. SIR: You will proceed to Ship Island and deliver the enclosed letter to General Butler, and if there are any coal vessels at Ship Island Page 109 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 109 order them down here immediately, as we are nearly paralyzed for want of it. If the Ji7ahn is not there, go along the coast and look for her up to Apalachicola, where she was last seen, and 1 was told that Captain Drake was taking coal out of her. Send her here immediately and take her in tow if the weather will permit. Leave orders for all coal vessels to be sent down with all haste. Return as soon as you can. Very respectfully, D. G. FARRAGUT, Lieutenant Commanding PEIRCE CROSBY, Flag- Qftlcer. U S. Gunboat Pinola. Yell Captain Drake that I was informed that he was intending to land coal for his supply. If he has, I will report him to the Depart- ment. Report of Flag- Ojilcer Farragut, U S. Navy, regarding the successful crossing of the bar of the U S. steamers illississippi and Pemsacola. No. 43.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, lJfiss~ss~pp9. River, head of the Passes, April 8, 186f2. SIR: I am happy to be able to announce to the Department at last that the iJfiss~ss?.ppi and Pensacola are over the bar and are now pre- paring for their work up the river. The bomb flotilla are moving up, to be in readiness to take their positions. General Butler paid me a visit last evening from Ship Island, and offered me coal to facilitate my movements, and I now find that our own vessels are beginning to arrive, so that my alarms on that account are disspelled, and so soon as the vessels can coal and get their stores and munitions of war on board we will be ready to proceed up the river. I regret to say that I feel worse prepared for such service in the medical department than any other, as the surgeons inform me that there is not material enough to dress the wounds of 200 men in the whole fleet. I have taken good houses at Pilot Town for hospital. purposes and installed temporarily Surgeon Wales, of the Colorado, as hospital surgeon, and ordered Assistant Surgeon Burbank from the Santee to assist him. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogj/lcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. U Report of (bmmander De Gamp, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. iroquois, regarding operations in the ilfississippi River. IROQUOIs, Off The Jamp, April 8, 1869g. DEAR COMMODORE: Last night we came in contact with the Katah- din, and while neither of us are hurt to any extent, still we are patching up. My nose is smashed and the gunboat has some planks cut; the fault was entirely ours. The engineer is preparing his machine, and I hope to be able to show it to you shortly. I agre Page 110 110 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. with you entirely as to not firing on the forts or exposing our light ves- sels. Night before last I went up to the chain with the Kineo, leaving the Iroquois and other vessel at The Jump. We kept the starboard shore close aboard, so close that our eyes were in danger from the bushes. Three miles below the chain, on the starboard shore, there is a most dangerous raft of logs anchored about 100 yards from shore, strongly bolted and chained together. Yesterday morning four steamers rushed out at us, but I rang four bells (being about 2 miles ahead of the two gunboats), and after get- ting nearly up to the point below Fort Jackson, the enemy turned round and took refuge behind the chain. Last night, when the rebel steamer hove in sight, we were at The Jump. I got underway with this ship alone, leaving the gunboats at anchor, and we chased h*~r back to the forts. 1 remained upstream until after sunset, but no attempt was made to molest me. In fact, I am of opinion now that had I but one gunboat up here they would not dare attack me. As to going downstream, I have to remark that we are not in the least fatigued, and I will come down when I want those nines. Your orders to me were to anchor on The Jump shore, and so we did; but it is a bad place, strong tide, deep water, and floating logs. So we are now on the opposite shore. I remain, sir, most truly, your friend, J. D~ CAMP. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, U. S. Navy, commanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Letter ~f Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Brigadier- Genera~ Arnold, U. S. Army, responding to request for cooperation against Pensacola. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Jlilississippi River, Head of the Passes, April 8, 18694?. DEAR GENERAL: Nothing would give me more pleasure than to cooperate with you in your designs against Pensacola, but you must be aware that I am on the eve of attacking New Orleans, and my orders are such that I can not look at any other place until 1 succeed or fail in this. If I succeed, Pensacola comes in turn, but not the first. Still, I hope to be able to gratify your wishes soon. Until then, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. Brigadier-General [L. G.] ARNOLD, Commanding Fort Pickens, Florida. Orders and report relating to indignities shown to Captain Cloue, of H L ilL 5 ]JIilan, by Commc& nder De Camp, U. S. Navy, com- manding U. S. S. iroquois. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to all United States officers to assist commu- nication between Captain Clou6 and French consul at New Orleans. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, ilfississippi River, April 8, 186~2. In accordance with the friendly relations existing between our two countries, at the rcquest of Captain Cloud, of the French man-of-wa Page 111 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 111 steamer iVJiilan, he is permitted to pass up the river to a short distance below the forts for the purpose of communicating with his consul at New Orleans by telegraph. Very respectfully, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer We8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. To all UNITED STATES OFFICERS. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Alden, U. S. Navy, to convene a court of enquiry to investigate the conduct of Commander De Camp, U. S. Navy. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, iJfi8s9~88~ppi River, April 9, 1862. SIR: You are hereby appointed u member of a court of enquiry, ordered to convene on board the U. S. S. Brooklyn on the 10th instant at 10 oclock in the forenoon, at which time and place you will report yourself to Captain Thomas T. Craven, senior member of the court. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer IJ~e8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander JAMES ALDEN, Commanding U S. S. Richmond. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Craven, U. S. Navy, appointing him senior member of th~e court of enquiry. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, iVttS8i8sippi River, April 9, 1862. SIR: A court of enquiry is hereby ordered to convene on board the U. S. S. Brooklyn, at 10 oclock in the forenoon on the 10th day of April, 1862, of which you are hereby appointed senior member and Commanders Henry H. Bell and James Alden members, and A. Vanden Heuvel, flag-officers secretary, judge-advocate. You will ascertain all the facts connected with Commander John De Camps visit to the vicinity of Fort Jackson; his reasons for hoisting a flag of truce and pursuing Captain Clou6, of H. I. M. S. illilan, to make him prisoner, or to compromise his neutral character, which that officer, as well as myself, had been so anxious to avoid, and which I had hoped my orders were sufficiently clear to prevent any mistake in. You will report the result of your investigation as early as possible, stating clearly the causes which led to this extraordinary conduct of Commander De Camp. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer IFe8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain THOMAS T. CRAVEN, C~ommanding U. S. S. Brooklyn Page 112 112 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander De Camp, U. S. Navy, to furnish an explanation of his conduct. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, JLssiss~pjm River, April 9, 1869?. SIR: You will return to this anchorage with the Iroquois and make me a written statement of your conduct, and the reasons which induced you to act in such a remarkable manner as you did, by compelling Lieutenant Commanding Nichols to hoist the flag of truce and go up to Fort Jackson and communicate with the rebel steamers and have on board the Winona two or three rebel officers for upward of an hour; and all without the slightest authority from me. Lieutenant Com- manding Nichols informs me that you said you had orders from me, and that you were determined not to allow the French captain to pass up; while my orders to you were to permit Captain Clou6 to pass. I shall await your explanation with great impatience, and hope that you have some show of reason for this extraordinary proceeding that I am at present at a loss to conceive. 1 have heard Lieutenant Commanding Nicholss statement with great mortification and surprise. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Present. Commander JOHN DR CAMP, U. S. S. Iroquoi~8. Detailed report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the circumstances con- nected with the expedition of Captain Clou6. No. 57.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 2V[ississippi River, Head of the Passes, April 11, 1869?. SIR: I have to inform the Department that H. I. M. S. lUlilan arrived here on the ~3th instant. Captain Cloud requested permission to communicate with his consul by telegraph from Fort Jackson, to which I readily consented, and offered him the services of one of the gunboats to tow his boat up to within 3 or 4 miles of the fort, which he accepted, but desired that she should not go too near the fort, as he did not wish to compromise his own ncutral charactor, or myself, by going near enough for observation. I, accordingly, on the morning of the 8th, gave the captain a pass and sent the commanding officer of our advance station (about 5 miles below the forts) a special note to let the captain pass. He passed up with the gunboat IYinona, Lieutenant Commanding Nichols, and when they arrived at the advance station Lieutenant Commanding Nichols informed Commander Boggs, the commanding officer, of his orders. The latter directed him to hoist a flag of truce, to which Lieutenant Commanding Nichols replied that the flag-officer had given him no such orders, but simply to tow the boat to within 2 or 3 miles of the fort. Commander [Boggs], however, insisted that so long as the French captain remained with him he would hoist the flag of truce. Captain Cloud, by this order, was made very uncomfortable, and in a short time left the vessel in his boat and pulled up for the fort. Lieutenant Commanding Nichols hauled down his flag and returned to the advance post Page 113 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 113 In the meantime Commander Boggs had come down the river to have some repairs made, and Commander De Cam p had become the senior officer; ordered Lieutenant Commanding Nidhols to take him back to the fort and to hoist a flag of truce, saying that he was determined to catch that Frenchman and not permit him to go up. Lieutenant Commanding Nichols remonstrated with him against his proceeding, told him that the captain had my pass to go to the forts to telegraph to his consul, and tried by every means in his power to deter Commander [De Camp] from proceeding, but to no effect. So soon as the vessel arrived within the line of fire, the fort fired a blank cartridge and Lieutenant Commanding Nichols insisted upon stopping. Commander De Camp then got into his boat and continued to pull up, when they fired a shot over him. He then stopped, and a rebel steamer with a flag of truce came out to him, and he went alongside of her. Soon afterwards he left the rebel steamer with Lieutenant John Wilkinson, formerly of the U. S. Navy, an army officer, and a civilian, and took them on board the Winona, where he showed theni the battery of said vessel and told them who commanded here. They remained on board the Winona upward of an hour, and informed him in return that they had just gained a great victory over us at Corinth, in which we had sustained a total defeat and lost four generals and many thousands of men, all our gunboats, etc. The rebel officers finally made the move to depart, themselves, and Lieutenant Commanding Nichols returned and made me the above report. The next morning Captain Clou6 returned on board in his boat, full of chagrin and mortification, and informed me that, in consequence of the movement of the flag of truce by the Winona, he had been imprisoned, and kept so until a few hours before, when he was per- mitted to depart. As the rebels insisted upon it that it was through his means that our vessels had come up and made their observations and caused them to lose a steamer, which they had run ashore and burned, being outside of the chain, and not observing the flag of truce hoisted on the vessel, they believed that they would be captured, so set fire to the vessel and fled to the shore. I expressed to Captain Clou6 my deep mortification that he should have suffered such inconvenience from the misconduct of any officer under my command, but that I had already had the officer relieved and instituted a military investi- gation of his conduct, the proceedings of which I have the honor to enclose herewith. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, I). Cf. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander De Camp, U. S. Navy, regard- ing the decision of the court of enquiry. HEAD OF [PASSES], Mississirri RIVER, jpril 12, 1862. SIR: The court of enquiry assembled to enquire into your conduct on the 10th of April has concluded its investigation, and the record has been forwarded to the Department; and as the court has failed to NWRVOL18 Page 114 114 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. show cause for your conduct on that occasion, but rather left the infer- ence that it proceeded from a misconception of my letter, and a desire to serve your country by gaining information of the rebel bat- teries, etc., all of which was most unjustifiable under a flag of truce, one of the most sacred of all institutions, as its object is purely one of humanity, and therefore respected by all the nations of the earth, even the most remote and barbarohs, it is even difficult to conceive how one so long in the service and of your intelligence could think he had a right to avail himself of such an occasion as the visit of the French captain to violate the usages of war, and at the same time offer an indignity to the officer of a friendly power whom you were ordered to pass up the river by your commander in chief, the circumstances of which were fully explained to you by Lieutenant Commanding Nichols. But as there is a possibility of your conduct being the result of a mis- conception or an error of judgment, I shall await the decision of the Government in your case instead of taking further action, as I should have done if the court had left any other inference. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Commander JOHN DR CAMP Fag- Officer. Commanding CL S. S. ]iroquois, 2J1iississ~ppi River. Order of Flag.Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Lee, U. S. Navy, to facilitate communication between Captain Cloud and French consul at New Orleans. U.S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Jibssissippi River, April 12, 1862. SIR: The French officer belonging to H. I. M. S. llfilan has permis- sion to pass up to Fort Jackson for the purpose of receiving a com- munication from his consul in New Orleans. You will therefore afford him any facility going or coming that he may desire, but you will not permit the vessel to go within gunshot of the fort, nor hoist a white flag while he is on hoard or in tow. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer, Western Gulf Blockading S~uadron. Commander S. PHILLIPs LEE, Or the Senior Officer at the Advai~ced Guard. Report of captain iliforris, CL S. Navy, commanding CL S. S. Pensa- cola, regarding the charter of the schooner charles ~. Stickney, employed for lightening that vessel to pass the bar. U. S. S. PENSACOLA, Pilot Town, lilississippi River, April 9, 1862. SIR: At Ship Island I received an order from Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut to lighten my ship, so as to enable her to get over the bar at the South West Pass of this river. To do this I found it absolutely necessary to charter the schooner charles ~. Stickney, of Philadel- phia, Samuel Beaston, master, to receive on board such freight as i Page 115 WEST GULF BLOCKADIiNG SQUADRON. 115 was necessary for me to put out for this purpose. I accordingly made a charter party with him, agreeing to pay him for the use of his vessel the sum of $40 per day during the period of his detention. Having lightened my ship, I took the schooner in tow and brought heP to the South West Pass, where I arrived on the 24th of March. 1 only succeeded in getting over the bar yesterday, having failed in five previous attempts by reason of grounding on it. I have taken my freight on board again from the (~4arles P. Stickney, and have this day discharged her. 1 enclose herewith a copy of the charter party, with the copy of the certificate of discharge, and the number of days she has been detained under it, and the amount due for her detention, which, by the terms of it, is payable by the navy agent at Philadelphia or the Navy Depart- ment at Washington within thirty days after the presentation of the certificate of discharge. Very respectfully, HENRY W. MORRIS, Captain. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, P. C. P. S.I have drawn three drafts for the sum specified to be due in the certificate of discharge, which I respectfully request the Depart- ment to order the navy agent at Philadelphia to pay on presentation. HENRY W. MORRIS, (~aptai~n. Order qf Captain Bailey, U S. Navy, commanding U S. S. Colo- rado, to the e~eecutive q/Jlcer of that vessel for the transfer of men and guns to vessels preparing to attack the defenses of the iJliississippi River. U. S. STEAM FRIGATE COLORADO, April 9, 186$L?. SIR: As it has been decided that this ship can not be got over the bar into the Mississippi River to participate in the attack upon the forts, and applications having been made to me by the commanders of different vessels to lend them the assistance of men and guns, you will Send 40 men under Midshipman Bridgman to the Richmond, 51 under Acting Master Sherrill to the Pensacola, 10 to the ]Ufiississippi, and a IX-inch guns crew to the Oneida, and the same to the Jroquois. I shall take with me my aid, Midshipman Higginson, and Gunner Borton, together with a boat and crew, and assume the duties of sec- ond in command of the squadron in the river. You will be left in charge of the Colorado, and order up all gunboats and coal or store- ships that may arrive. Lighten the ordnance vessel Sportsman so that she can pass the bar to Pilot Town, and have a general supervi- sion of matters at the mouth of the river, acting in all cases as if I were present. 1 am, respectfully, your obedient servant, T. BAILEY, Captain. Lieutenant JOHN L. DAVIS, 1st Licut. and Executive OftZeer U S. S. Colorado, South TVe8t I~a8s, Jliflssissuppi River Page 116 116 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Jn8tructwn8 from Flag- Officer Farragut, (I S. Navy, to commander Lee, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Oneida, regarding the com- mand of the advance 8tatwn in the M~ss~ss~ppi ]?~ver. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 1khSs?~s8ipp~ River, April 9, 1862. SIR: You will proceed to the advance station of the squadron and relieve the officer in charge. Your duty will be to prevent the enemys vessels from coming down the river for the purpose of making observation, or for any other pur- pose. Should they wish to communicate with the commanding officer and send down a flag of truce you will stop it at your station and receive the communication and send it down to me by one of the ves- sels composing your force. But you will hold no intercourse with the enemy except at his instance, as above stated, by a flag of truce. Should the enemy show himself in the river below the chains you will, when there is a reasonable chance of bringing him to action, give him chase. In such matters you will, however, use your discretion, the principal object being to keep him from passing. You are to injure him all in your power when an opportunity offers. But I do not wish the vessels run under the fire of the forts until we are ready to make the general attack. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer W~stern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander S. PHILLIPS LEE. Commanding U. S. S. Oneida. Capture of schooners Southern Independence, Victoria, Charlotte, and Cuba, April 910, 1862. Report of Lieutenant Febiger, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Kanawha. U. S. GUNBOAT KANAWHA, Ship Island, April 11, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report the capture and arrival in this port of four schooners, three laden with cotton and resin, the other with an assQrted cargo. At 10:30 p. m. on the night of the 9th instant, with Sand Island light bearing about N. W., distant between 12 and 14 miles, discovered three schooners standing to the southward and eastward; gave chase, and at 12:25 (10th) boarded and took possession of the schooner Southern Independence, from Mobile, with 318 bales cotton, 50 barrels resin, and 640 pipe staves. At 1:50 a. m. boarded and took possession of the schooner Victoria, from Mobile, with 252 bales cotton, 50 barrels resin, and 1,883 pipe staves. At Th 15 a. m. boarded and took posses- sion of schooner Charlotte, showing English colors, from Mobile, laden with 160 bales cotton. At 3:10 p. m. discovered a schooner standing N. N. W.; gave chase; when within a mile or two the schooner hove to and hoisted English colors, union down. At 4:20 boarded her, she proving to be the schooner (Ji ha, thc captain stating that he was bound to Matamoras, was short of provisions, and was running to speak the blockading vessels off Mobile to obtain some. Upo Page 117 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 117 examination of papers was found a warning, signed by Lieutenant Commanding Winslow, off coast of Cuba, to keep off from all block- aded ports in the United States. The vessel had been recognized by the captain of the charlotte while 2 or 3 miles distant, he stating that she had left Mobile about four weeks since with over 200 bales of cot- ton. Her cargo consists of such articles as are most needed in Mobile, 288 packages in all; took possession as good prize. I propose ship- ping the cargoes of all the vessels in the transport ship Undaunted for Boston for adjudication. The Southern Independence, Charlotte, and Victoria I do not consider seaworthy, and in the case of the Caba I am desirous that evidence should be given by the captain of the Charlotte and others, who are well acquainted with the character of the captain and vessel. I have called upon General Butler to-day and proposed, in case he needed the vessels, to turn them over to him after a valuation. He has not yet decided to take them. In case he does not do so, I will leave them here under charge of a masters mate and two men until I can receive your instructions in regard to them. They would be of little value if sold North, and it would disable this vessel to furnish prize crews for them. I hope in two or three days to have all matters in relation to the prizes arranged and to be once more off Mobile Bay. I left the T7incennes and Preble there night before last, and since the date of my last report (April 3) none of the enemys gunboats has appeared outside the fort. I enclose a verbatim extract from log book connected with captures, an abbreviation of clearances, and have also given to General Butler, who will hand them to you, late newspapers found on board. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN C. FEBIGER Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, lieutenant, Comman~ling. (o?nmanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Lieutenant Febiger, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Kanawha. U. S. GUNBOAT KANAWHA Skip idand, JJlii~~is~ippi, April 17, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report the capture, on the 10th instant, off the port of Mobile, Ala., of the schooners Southern Jndependence, Victoria, Charlotte, and Cuba, the first three laden with cotton to the aggregate of 730 bales, weighing about 400,000 pounds; also 100 bar- rels resin and a quantity of pipe staves, from Mobile, bound to Havana; the latter laden with an assorted cargo, amongst which is gunpowder and lead, 288 packages in all, from Havana, with clearance to Mata- moras, Mexico. At 10:30 p. in., on the 9th instant, with Sand Island light-house bearing about N. W., distant between 12 and 14 miles, discovered three schooners standing to the southward and eastward. Gave chase, and at 12:25 a. in.. (10th) boarded and took possession of schooner Southern independence, from Mobile, bound to Havana, laden with 318 bales cotton, 60 barrels resin, and 640 pipe staves. At 1:50 a. m. boarde Page 118 118 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. and took possession of the schooner Victoria from Mobile, bound to Havana, laden with 252 bales of cotton, 50 barrels resin, and 1,883 pipe staves. At 7:15 a. in., boarded and took possession of schooner (~/iarlotte, showing English colors, from Mobile, bound to Havana, laden with 160 bales of cotton. At 3:10 p. in. discovered a schooner standing N. N. W.; gave chase; when within a mile or two the schooner hove to and hoisted English colors, union down. At 4:20 p. in. boarded her, she proving to be the schooner Cuba, the captain stating that he was bound to Matamoras (Mexico), was short of provisions, and was running to speak the blockading vessels off Mobile to procure a supply. Upon an examination of papers 1 found her cargo to consist of gunpowder, lead, medicines, coffee, and such other articles as are mostly needed in Mobile; aggregate of packages, 288. Took possession as good prize. Not deeming the vessels seaworthy for a long passage, with their heavy deck loads, and it being impossible to place prize crews on board without disabling this vessel, I have concluded to forward all the cargoes, per transport ship lJndaanted, to Boston, Mass.,in charge of Acting Masters Mate Edwin L. Hubbell, who will have all the necessary papers and instructions to bring the cases to adjudication. The schooner Southern Independence, at the request of General Butler, has been turned over to him for military purposes, also a quantity of sperm oil, sheet iron, medicines, letter paper, block tin, and calfskins, part of the cargo of the British schooner Caba. The schooners Victoria, Charlotte, and Cuba I will retain here under charge of an officer and a sufficient number of men to take care of them, subject to the instructions of the flag-officer, or to be turned over, after an appraisement, to the commanding army officer, should he deem them necessary for military purposes. The powder (5,250 pounds) taken from the Caba I have deposited on board the army powder vessel, subject to the orders of Flag-Officer Farragut. Enclosed herewith are the muster rolls of the crew and officers entitled to share in the captures, also duplicate receipts and estimates for the schooner Southern Independence and such portion of the cargo of the Cuba as have been taken for army purposes. Hoping that my disposal of these cases may meet with your approbation, I remain, Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Jxo. C. FEBIGER, U. S. Navy Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Lieutenant, ~omman~1ing. Secretary of the Navy, TYa8hington, D. C. [Enclosure.] Extract from the log book of the U. S. gunboat Kanawha. April 9, 1862.From 8 to midnight, clear and pleasant. At 10:30 p. in., Sand Island bearing N. W. by W., 12 miles distant, saw three schooners to the westward, steering to the S. S. E. Immediately gave chase and called all hands to quarters. At midnight the three schoon- ers were dividing, one keeping to the eastward, one steering S. E., and one steering south, the one nearest being 1 mile distant. April 10.Comes with fine, clear weather; ship in chase of three schooners apparently out from Mobile. At 12:15 a. in. fired a shel Page 119 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 119 from the rifled gun. The schooner steering to the eastward immedi- ately hove to; at 12:25 spoke her. She proved to be the Southern independence, from Mobile, loaded with cotton. Sent Mr. Partridge in the first cutter to take possession of her, and kept away to the south- ward after the others. At 1:50 a. m. spoke another of the schooners and ordered her to heave to. She proved to be the Victoria, from Mobile, with cotton. Sent Mr. Mason in the second cutter to take posses- sion of her; then kept off again after the third schooner, of whom we had just lost sight. At 2:40 passed a large steamer steering to the westward. From 4 to 8, weather as per column. At 43 a. m. could see nothing of the chase. Kept off and steered to the northward. At 6:30 saw the chase bearing N. W. by W.; steered for her. At 7:15 fired a shot at her from the rifled gun which brought her to and hoisted English col- ors. Sent a boat on board of her; she proved to be the Charlotte, from Mobile to Havana, with cotton. Put Mr. [Robert B.] Smith in charge of her with a prize crew and directed him to follow us. Eight to 12, as per column. At 10 saw a schooner bearing N. N. K, steering N. W. Steered after her. Meridian, fine clear weather. From merid- ian to 4 p. in., weather as per column. At 1 p. in. spoke the schooner Charles Rodgers, from Philadelphia for Ship Island, with coal. Steered to the S. W. At 3 spoke the prize schooner (iharlotte and directed Mr. Smith to steer for Ship Island. At 3:10 saw a schooner to the E. N. E., steering N. N. XXT.; steered for her. At 4 the Cl~arlotte hoisted English colors, union down, and hove to. At 4:20 spoke the English schooner Cu6a, from Havana for Matamoras. Sent Mr. Dunn on board to examine her papers. At 4:30 boat returned with the cap- tain of the schooner and his papers. The captain reported that, being short of provisions, he had steered in to speak the blockading squadron at Pensacola. Sent Mr. Hubbell on board with prize crew and took the schooners crew on board this ship. Directed Mr. Hubbell to fol- low us. Saw another to the N. W.; gave chase to her, but lost sight of her as night came on, being obliged to slow down for half an hour on account of a hot bearing. From 8 to midnight, weather as per col- umn. At 8:50 saw the T7incennes and Preble off Mobile, bearing W. N. W. At 9:05 rounded to near the Vinceniies. Found the prize schooners Southern Independence and Victoria at anchor here, their provisions having been transferred to the Vincennes. Received all the prisoners on board this ship and directed Mr. Partridge, in the Inde- pendence, and Mr. Mason, in the Victoria, to get underway and pro- ceed to Ship Island. At 10:25 steered to the eastward to speak the Caha. At 10:45 spoke the Cuba and directed Mr. Hubbell to steer for Ship Island; turned around and shaped our course for Ship Island. April 11.Comes in with fresh breezes and passing clouds. At 1 a. in. spoke the U. S. gunboat Pinola, from the Mississippi Passes, for Pensacola. From 4 to 8: Cloudy at daylight; made Horn island, bearing north. At 6 saw Ship Island. At 8 the west end of Ship Island bore N. W., distant 3 miles. From 8 to meridian, weather as per col. At 8:20 came to anchor at Ship Island in 4 fathoms of water, 30 fathoms chain. Found the prize schooner Charlotte at anchor here. At 9 the prize schooner Victoria came in and anchored. At 9:30 the prize schooners Independence and ~iYuba came in and anchored. 1 certify the above to be a correct copy. Tilos. C. DUNN, Acting iPlaster Page 120 120 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Schooner Southern Independence captured, latitude 29~ 53 N., longi- tude 870 24 W. Schooner Victoria captured, latitude 290 37 N., longitude 870 21 W. Schooner charlotte captured, latitude 29~ 12 N., longitude 870 30 W. Schooner (,/uba captured, latitude 290 47 N., longitude 87~ 41 W. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Febiger, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Kanawha, commending him for the captures. U.S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, ilbsstssippi River, April 15, 18692. SIR: I was much gratified to hear of your success in making the four captures recently, but was greatly mortified that the Isabel was permitted to be captured off Mobile, where there were stationed two or three blockading vessels, and I wish you would inform the commanders of the Vincennes and Preble that I sincerely hope that such a thing will not occur again, and I anticipate that it will bring a rebuke to me, as well as themselves, from the Navy Department. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding JOHN C. FEBIGER, Commanding U. S. Gunboat Kanawha. Report of Flag- Officer Parragut, U. S. Navy, replying to the Depart- ments warning against ironclad vessels reported to be under construction at New Orleans. No. 50.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFoJi~, iYlississippi River, April 10, 18692. SIR: In reply to the communication of the Department of the 12th of March last, in relation to the reported armored steamers at New Orleans and Mobile, I have to inform the Department that we have no definite knowledge of the ironclad steamers in New Orleans or Mobile. That they have partially clad vessels there is no doubt, but we will endeavor to deal with them to the best advantage. One of the greatest deficiencies we have is in solid shot; there are none out here, except a few in the Richmond. We only require them for the ironclad vessels. My ships are all prepared to the best advantage in our power, and I hope to commence operations on the 15th instant. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer IYestern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. U Page 121 121 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Flag- Ofihicer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding escaped blockade runners. No. 51.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 2Vb5s~ss9ppi River, April 10, 186f2. SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department, in reply to its communication of 12th of March last, in reference to the arrival at Havana of the steamers Colonel J. IYhitmore and Florida from New Orleans with a thousand bales of cotton, and also to the escape from New Orleans of the steamers ]Ji/iagnolia, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, that the ilfagnolia has been captured, the Vanderbilt foundered, and the Tennessee is at New Orleans. These three vessels all attempted to run at the same time. The lrfiagnolia led the way, being very swift, but was headed off by the South Carolina and caught. The Vanderbilt escaped to Cuba, and foundered on her way back, under the name of Black Joker, and the Tennessee could not pass the bar and is now at New Orleans. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGIJT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Order of Commander Fininons, U~ S. Navy, to Actinq Lieutenant jlToodworth, U S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. I. P. Jackson, to proceed on towing duty to the Jifississippi Passes. U. S. S. HATTERAS, Ship Island, April 10, 1869g. SIR: You will hold yourself in readiness to accompany the forces of General Butler to the Mississippi Passes, taking in tow the army transport ship Great Republic and reporting your arrival there to the flag-officer. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. F. EMMONS, Commander. Acting Lieutenant Commanding S. B. WOODWORTH, Commanding the (I S. Gunboat Jackson. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to ftag-ogjicers of the East and West Gulf Squadrons, forwarding information from the Depart- ment of State regarding blockade runners. NAVY DEPARTMENT, April 10, 1869L SIR: I herewith enclose for your information a copy of a letter* received irom the Secretary of State relative to small vessels loaded *Not necessary to publish Page 122 122 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. with cotton arriving at Havana from Mobile and the mouths of the Mississippi. Very respectfully, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Ship Island. Flag-Officer W. W. MCKEAN Comdg. East Gulf Blockstding Squadron, Key West, Fla. Order of Flag- Ojiieer Farragut, U S. Navy, to Lieutenant Hunter, U S. Navy, commanding U & S. llLontgomery, to proceed to block- ade duty on the coast of Texas. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Ilfississippi River, April 11, 1862. SIR: You will take the place of the Portsmouth, Commander Swart- wont, in the blockade of the coast of Texas, from the mouth of the Rio Grande up to Aransas Pass. Commander Swartwout will give you a copy of his ?rders, together with a copy of my instructions. We do not claim a right to interfere with the legal trade of neutrals in the Rio Grande and with Matamoras, but as we know that great frauds are daily practiced by vessels sailing under foreign flags, the Government of the United States adheres to the right of visit and search in this rebellion as the only means by which such frauds can be detected, and where there is no fraudulent evidence found, there will be no cause for detention or capture. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant-Commanding CHARLES HUNTER, (~ommanding U S. S. lWontgomery. Letter of Flag- Qfficer Farraqut, U S. Navy, to Commander Porter U S. Navy, regarding the duty gf surveying vessel. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD 2V/ississippi River, April 11, /862. SIR: I did not know what vessel it was that arrived, but supposed it was the surveying vessel. As she was ordered out for you, of course I have no objections to your employing her as you desire. I have no employment for her in that way. I applied for her and her sister yes- sels to cruise in the sounds on this coast. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander D. D. PORTER, Commanding Bomb Flotilla, U S. S. Harriet Lane Page 123 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 123 Order of Flay- Ofticer Farraqut, CT. S. Navy, to Commander Swartwout, CL S. Navy, commanding U. S. shsp Portsmouth, to join the attack- 9~ng /leet. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 2JfiSS~SSSppi River, April 11, 18694?. SIR: If you can get your vessel over the bar, come up here and we will take you into the attack on the forts. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogjlcer Western Calf Blockading Squadron. Commander SAMUEL SwARTwOUT, Commanding CL S. Ship Portsmouth. Order of Flag- Ofticer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, for the relief of the CL S. ship Portsmouth from the Texas blockade. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, ilfississippi River, April 11, 18694?. DEAR CAPTAIN: I have determined to take the Portsmouth up with us, if you can get her over the bar. Please send Captain Hunter the enclosed order to take the place of the Portsmouth in the blockade of Texas. Very respectfully, etc., D. (1. FARRAGUT, Captain T. BAILEY, Flag- Ojilcer, etc. CL S. S. Colorado. Report of Flag- Officer Farragut, CL S. Navy, regarding the suppres- sion of trade with ]Jfatamoras, ]Jfexico. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, ilfississippi River, April 11, 18694?. SIR: You will perceive by the correspondence * between Commander Swartwout and the French Commander Jonqui~res that our position at the mouth of the Rio Grande is an extremely delicate one. I saw very recently in a Confederate paper that the English commodore had been up to Brownsville and was treated with great attention, and that he had remarked that the Rio Grande should not be blockaded; that their vessels of commerce should trade freely with Matamoras. They contend, both the English and French, that so long as the papers of the vessels are in conformity with the laws, and the vessels are lying in the waters of Mexico, that our vessels of war have no right to interfere with them, and Commander Swartwout, as you will perceive by the enclosed letter, has satisfied them for the present, by referring the question to me and the Government, and to await the result of that reference. You will therefore perceive that all the vessels fitting out in Europe and elsewhere are bound for Matamoras. There are no *See p. 77 Page 124 121 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. less than 17 vessels lying there at this moment. Commander Swart- wout being almost entirely out of water, his men being reduced to 2 quarts of water for each man per day, left his station and repaired to the Mississippi for the purpose of replenishing; he is lying at the Southwest Pass now. I had sent him water by the il/ontgomery; she passed him on the way up, and as he was so near the Mississippi he deemed it best to continue on, and the illiontgomery gave her water to the other vessels blockading the coast of Texas. It was my original plan to bring the Portsmouth into the Mississippi as a part of my attacking force, but finding the river current so strong, and the steamers such feeble tugs, I have become doubtful as to the propriety of my taking her up the river. Should I do so, however, II shall send the ilifontgomery, Lieutenant Commanding Hunter, to take her place on the blockade. All of which is respectfully referred. Very respectfully, D. G. FARRAGUT Flag Oflicer We8tern Gulf Blockading Sqaadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. Report of Flag- Ogjlcer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the escape of blockade runners. No. 57.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD ifississsppi1 River, April 19?, 1862. SIR: In reply to your dispatch of the 12th of March, in relation to the vessels running the blockade from the Mississippi, I beg to inform you that the facts were as follows, and occurred before I arrived on the station: There were three or four steamers in Pass a lOutre ready to run the blockade. The iifiagnolia, being the fastest, ran out first, and the blockaders Brooklyn and Jilercedita pursued her. While in pursuit, the Whitmore and Florida got out. The ililiagnolia, with 1,600 bales of cotton, was captured by the South Garolina, who headed her off. The Tennessee could not venture, as the water on the bar was low, and she has since returned to New Orleans and is one of their gunboats. That vessels will make their escape is certain, until we have light- draft vessels to run the sounds. One of the vessels for which I applied, the Uncas, arrived here yesterday as a surveying vessel. She would be invaluable in Mississippi Sound, to aid Lieutenant Commanding Read in the New London, and were it not for the prize steamer Calhoun, which I was compelled to keep for that purpose, I should be compelled to detach another gunboat. 1 have only six of the small gunboats with me in the river, but hope to collect two or three more before the 15th. We only await the preparations of the Pensacola to commence. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofilcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the 2~7avy, Washington, P. Page 125 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 125 Order of Flag- Officer Farra gut, CL S. Navy, to Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Trat/ten, U. S. Navy, commanding U S. bark ililidnig.4t, to VZ8?~t Velasco and San Luis passes, as desired. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 21fzssiss~p1m River, April 12, 1862. Sri~: Your dispatch* of the 1st instant has been received. You will occasionally look in at Velasco [Brazos River] and San Luis passes, as you have requested, for the purposes named. I will send you an acting master as soon as I can possibly do so. You can run up to Galveston and get your ironwork repaired on board the Santee. I send by the Portsmouth, or her relief, the articles required by you. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant JAMES TRATHEN, Commanding U S. Bark iVfidnight. Report of Lieutenant Lowry, U S. Navy, regarding interview with owner of plantation regarding the attitude of the citizens toward the Confederate Government. U. S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, Off Belle View Plantation, La., iJLississippi River, April12, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order, I proceeded on shore to the plan- tations near this anchorage for the purpose of communicating with the owners or residents, and of obtaining some fresh provisions for the officers and crew. On arriving at the levee I was met by a large crowd of negroes, of all ages and sexes, who seemed happy and contented. On making enquiry, 1 ascertained that the plantation, with five neigh- boring ones, belonged to a Colonel J. Acklin [Ackland?], who was on his resident plantation, some 3 miles distant. I dispatched a messenger for him and in a short time he came up on horseback, met me very cordially, indeed warmly, expressing great pleasure at seeing us. He was laboring under intense excitement caused by having just received an imperative order from a captain of an irregular band of militia to burn his cotton within five days or to run the risk of having it burned for him, with the additional threat of hanging him for noncompliance. I stated to him my mission, which was to procure fresh beef and veg- etables, for which we would pay a fair market price, and at the same time assured him that private property, life, and honor were safe under the protection of the United States naval forces, as long as not held by persons in armed rebellion against the Federal Government. He replied to the former that he had no provisions; that he had over 1,000 negroes to feed and clothe; that such was the scarcity of all kinds of food that his people greatly suffered; that they had had no meat of any kind for three weeks; that his negroes had liberty to raise their own poul- try, vegetables, etc., which they had his free permission to sell to us. In reply to the latter, he gave me a history of his persecutions and sacrifices in and for the so-called Confederate States Government. He * Not found Page 126 126 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. stated that the men of substance had been constantly pressed by that Government and its troops for money, provisions, teams, wagons, and negroes, and that he had been ordered to burn his cotton time after time, which he had steadily and resolutely refused to do. He rep- resented to me that he raised from 5,000 to (3,000 bales of cotton a year; that he had all of last years crop unsold, and for the sale of it he depended for supplying his slaves with food and raiment, and that every principle of right, law, and justice forbid him to burn it. That though he was a Southern man, with large Southern interests, perhaps the wealthiest man in Louisiana, he had every confidence that the North was actuated according to their own ideas with the principle of justice and civilization, and were, in a word, gentlemen. That he had taken no active part in the rebellion, but had been on his plantation the whole yearseparated from his family who resided in Nashville taking care of his property and slaves. Much that this gentleman said will go to show the loyal men of the North under what a system of tyranny our unhappy countrymen of the South have been brought to by the wicked acts of the few demagogues who have inaugurated and led this most unnatural revolt. Colonel Acklin said that the people had been driven into this war by misrepresentations of the acts and intentions of the North against the South. That men who had nothing to lose were intent on lowering to their own positions all who had. He represented that in the Red River country Davis would never get another man or dollar for the war. That if things went on as they were now going, a reaction would soon take place, which would end in fearful bloodshed, and that the leaders who had misled and ruined them would yet meet with public vengeance, He denounced in no measured teruis Governors Moore, of Louisiana, and Pettus, of Mis- sissippi, as having had a most baneful influence upon the people in their States. I have given the sum of this gentlemans remarks in brief, and altogether his description of transactions during the year, with the notice just served on him to wantonly destroy his property, made up a yicture of misery, political degradations, and military despotism almost incredible. Incredible that men born under a free government, with the right of speech and suffrage, should in so short a time be brought under the iron heel of a re- morseless and cruel tyrrany. The suffering of this planter, I was led to understand, was not an isolated case. Nearly all the cotton which had been destroyed on this river since our occupation, on the grounds of preventing its falling into our hands, has been so destroyed under coercive threats, with promises from those in power to remu- nerate the owners by the Confederate Government at the end of the war and the recognition of the independence of the South. I received information that large bodies of men, though badly fed, clothed, armed and disciplined, had been crossing the river near this place from the Red River country. These men were making their way to Corinth, but since the appearance of our naval forces all travel had been stopped, and troops had ceased to cross. A large number of river steamers were up the Red River. It was represented to me that it was abso- lutely necessary, to preserve the lives of the inhabitants of the planta- tions on the river banks, that supplies of beef, bread, flour, bacon, etc., should arrive speedily, and I was implored to represent that the open- ing of the commerce, or river trade, would be hailed with joy and satisfaction. I was led to understand that numerous guerrilla bands were forming in the hill country back of the river. These bands wer Page 127 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 127 marauding and levying upon the planters. Should our army prove victorious at Corinth, and the rebel army be destroyed or dispersed, great numbers of lawless soldiers will no doubt swell these bands and for a long time keep the country in a distracted state. A rigid admin- istration of martial law to a few ringleaders would have a wholesome effect. In conclusion, with an apology for expressing my sentiments, in what should perhaps be strictly an official report, I beg leave to say that I gathered sufficient information to convince me that little resist- ance will be made to the laws of the United States and the Constitution by the people of wealth and weight in the Southern community. A false notion of what their honor and dignity might exact would per- haps prompt them to hold out in the maintenance of their principles, but that the return to peace, plemity, and security in life and property of all kinds that the power and virtue of our beloved Government would secure, will be bailed with secret joy by all who have any- thing to lose by the privation of those elements of human happiness, I have not the slightest doubt. The offer of armed protection to Colo- nel Acklin was courteously declined on the ground that it would sub- ject him to the fury of the mob after the force was withdrawn; but he assured me that he would protect his property against the Davis emissaries with his life. After offering a number of late Northern newspapers, with General Butlers proclamation, which were politely and gratefully received, our interview ended, and 1 left this gentleman with the melancholy reflection that his vast estates and great wealth were no protection to him in a region where all government had ended, and only the unbridled passions of men ruled the hour, and more con- vinced of the necessity of the United States Government extending its protecting arms over its offending yet deluded and helpless children, to save them from utter ruin and degradation. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. B. LOWRY, Captain Tilos. T. CRAVEN, Lieutenant, U S. Navy. commanding U. S. S. Brooklyn, 3fi889~88~pp9 ]i?~ver. Letter from commander Emmon8, U S. Navy, to ilLaj or- General Butler, U S. Army, announcing intended departure from Skip 181 and for 2Jfi88~88~pp~~ Pas8ee. U. S. S. HATTERAS Skip I8land, April 13, 1862. DEAR SIR: I contemplate leaving for the Mississippi Passes this evening; I shall be most happy to take any dispatches you may wish to send in that direction. 1 thank you for many acts of kindness and accommodation while here, which with my limited means I have endeavored to reciprocate. I leave for our mutual protection here, besides the two gunboats, the U. S. ship ]Jilorninq Liq~4t, carrying eight 32s of 57 cwt., and the bark ]iTu/in, carrying four 32s of 33 cwt.; should these be withdrawn, I presume the flag-officer will substitute some other armed vessel, etc. 1 am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. F. EMMOKS, commander. Major-General B. F. BUTLER, cornrmanczi~, etc Page 128 128 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON Letter from Flag- Ojilcer I7arragut, U S. Navy, to iMiaj or- General Butler, 01 5. Army, proposing a movement toward Fort Jackson. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, iliississippi River, April 14, 1862. DEAR GENERAL: We hope to get the vessels up to-morrow in the vicinity of Fort Jackson. If you desire to be on here with us, you will be in time by coming directly down. I made a reconnoissance yesterday, and Captain Porter is now getting his positions for his mortar fleet. I have been more fortunate than I supposed in getting coal. Our vessels are nearly all coaled and we are only deficient a few hundred tons. Very respectfully and truly, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojfjlcer lYestern Gulf Blackading Squadron. Major-General BUTLER, Commanding U. S. Troops at Ship .fsland. Order of Flag- Ogficer Farraqut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Walker, CL S. Navy, commanding CL S. S. De Soto, to blockade Atchafalaya and Barataria bays. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, ifississippi River, April 14, 1862. SIR: Return to your station as soon as possible, and you will blockade both Atchafalaya and Barataria and have the schooner Kittatinny, now at Barataria, to assist you. I learn with great regret that several vessels loaded with cotton have run the blockade of Atchafalaya within the last week. Very respectfully, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander W M. WALKER, Commanding U. S. Gunboat De Soto, Key West. Report of Commander Emmons, U. S. Navy, commanding CL S. S. Hatteras, of arrival in the lilississippi River en route westward, bringing mail and articles for the squadron. U... S. S. HATTERAS, April 14, 1862. SIR: I have touched here on my way west with a mail and some articles for the squadron, and will ask you to approve requisitions for some things that 1 could not obtain for this vessel at Ship Island. The medicines and money are most wanted. Previous to leaving Ship Island I dispatched ten coal vessels and two vessels loaded with ordnance stores to report to you at the Missis- sippi Passes, leaving the bark Kuhn, with coal, at Ship Lsland, upon the representation of her master, embodied in his report, which I enclose to you. The arrival of the U. S. ship Jiforn/nq Light from New York, Act- ing Lieutenant [H. T.] Moore, enabled me to furnish, upon requisition Page 129 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 129 provisions to the brig Bohio, Master [Win. D.] Gregory, that caine in short; also to the gunboat Jackson and this vessel, leaving her with three months supply. And in consideration of her draft, and having a battery of eight 32s of 57 hundredweight, I thought it advisable she should remain here until further orders from you, as, in the absence of the gunboats, the shipping and Government property here has but little protection. The Bohio was ordered to return to her station as soon as she sup- plied herself with water. The Hanawha, Lieutenant Commanding Febiger, brought in four prize schooners, took in coal from the Great Republic (at General Butler~s request), and will return to her station as soon as she dis- patches her prize cargoes and provisions. The New London has taken another prize in the sounda schooner from New Orleans loaded with sugar and molasses. I will transship the cargo in one of the army transports bound to Boston. The Great Republic and the ship Idaho were driven on shore in the late gale, and, aided by the Jackson and Calhoun, I got them afloat the following morning, but not without serious damage. The Great Republic, however, can go to sea. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. F. EMMONS, (bmmander. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Gomdg. Western Division of the Gulf Blkdg. Squadron. Order of Flag- Qfficer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander ]JJmmons, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Hatteras, regarding his station oft? Atchafalaga Bay. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, ilississippi River, April 14, 1862. SIR: Why are you so long in getting back to your station? More vessels have escaped from Atchafalaya since you left there than all the rest of the coast. I sent the (ayuqa down to take your place as soon as I knew the fact that you had left, and she would have been there sooner if you had done as you ought, by reporting to me as you passed the South West Pass. The tiiay uga has now returned for want of coal and is now broken down, and you have had ample time, I should have supposed, to get to your station if nothing new has happened to your vessel. I am crippled at the very moment when I want every vessel here. I am obliged to send them off to blockade. If it is possible you will repair immediately to your station on the receipt of this and relieve the vessel I may send there in the interim. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander GEORGE F. EMMONS, Commanding U. S. S. Hatteras. N W NVOL 18 Page 130 130 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U.. S. Navy, to Acting Volunteer Lieu- tenant ilfoore, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. shsp iJiorning Light, to remain at Ship Island for its protection. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 2JItsssss& pp~t River, April 15, 1862. SIR: The 13. 5. ship Alorning Light, under your command, and the Kuhn, Acting Master [R. G.] Lee, commanding, will remain at Ship Island until further orders from me, and will render all the assistance in your power for the protection of that place. You will please show this order to the commanding officer of the Kuhn, Lieutenant-Commander Read, of the New London. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer IVestern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Acting Volunteer Lieutenant H. T. MOORE, U. S. Ship liforning Light. Order gf Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Lee, U. S. Navy, to expedite communication of British naval officers u,ith their consul at New Orleans. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, llfississippi River, April 15, 1862. SIR: Captain Preedy and Captain Malcolm, of the British navy, will pay a visit to the advance guard in the Barracouta, and will go from thence in their boats to Fort Jackson for the purpose of commu- nicating with their consul at New Orleans. You will give them every facility in getting up and down. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGLIT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander S. PHILLIPS LEE, (hmmanding Officer. Order of Flag- Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Hunter, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. lJfontgomery, to proceed to blockade duty on the Texas coast. MIsSIssIPPI RIVER, April 16, 1862. SIR: As soon as your ship is coaled you will proceed to the coast of Texas and take the station of Commander Sxvartwout in the Portsmouth. Your cruising ground will be more immediately in the vicinity of Brazos Santiago, Boca Chica, and the mouth of the Rio Grande. With respect to the Rio Grande, you will be governed by my former instructions, viz: All vessels leaving or attempting to leave these ports, except Mata- moras, or attempting to enter them, shall be subjected to seizure, those from and to Matamoras to visitation and search. The cargoes of all vessels leaving Matamoras shall be seized if belonging to our enemies, and of those entering or attempting to enter, shall be seized if contra- band of war, and destined for the aid and comfort of our enemies. Bu Page 130A Page 130B T?EL17A OF MI S SIS SIPPI RIVER AiPR. OACIIE S TO INEW ORLEANS Scale - - - - - - It1 a4aeJl - Lit. 4cc N4aPI. & / 4/ U z 0 P M ANI) .~ ,y-~ c(;r,c S I P ft / U N 1) ~ Ship I C) Sc It4t/ttt) -I Page 131 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADR~N. 131 it is not the intention of our Government that we should interfere with or molest neutrals in their legitimate commerce with Matamoras more than is indispensably necessary to comply with the above instructions; that is, to ascertain the true ownership of cargo, and that it is not con- traband of war destined for the aid and comfort of our enemies. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogficer IJ~estern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Lieutenant Commanding CHARLES HUNTER, Gonnnanding U S. S. Jiliontgomery. Operations under the immediate command of Flag- Oflicer Farragut, U. S. Navy, against the defenses of New Orleans, April 16 to JV/ay 1, 1862, including the passage of ]~rts Jackson and St. Philip, April 24, and oec~pation of New Orleans, April 25, 1862. General order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to guard vessels. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, iWississippi River, April 17, 1862. The guard vessels of the night will give notice to the flag-officer of all approaching dangers by signal, if possible, so as not to caution the enemy; but if the danger is great and immediate, the guard vessel will fire a gun, as well as make the Coston signals. If the danger is the approach of the enemy, he will attack him, but fall back on the fleet as he fires, if he thinks the enemy is too strong for his force. if the danger is a fire raft, the guard vessel will run close to the weather end, say 40 or 50 feet, or less of it, fire a shell through it, send his boats with grapnels and take the line to his vessel and tow it gently to the bank of the river, and while so towing it, play water on it from his fire hose and buckets in the boats; also, to throw water on the end to which he is hooked on, both to prevent it from burning out his grapnel and to put out the fire. Fire rafts in such a current as this are easily managed if conducted with coolness and boldness. There is no danger in approaching it on the weather side, and would be none in running it down on that side, being well prepared with your fire engine and pumps in case of accidental ignition. D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. General order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Jifississippi River, April 17, 1862. 1. in cases of alarm no vessel will get underway until so ordered by the flag-officer, unless the danger is imminent and the commander has reason to think the flag-officer is not aware of its existence. 2. Vessels in the fleet will discontinue the practice of firing on all occasions without authority from the flag-officer, and when they have such authority, to be certain that they do not fire in the direction of any of the other vessels of the fleet. 3. All commanders will be careful to see that all lights are concealed from outboard observation during the night Page 132 132 WES.T GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 4. When the guard vessels give notice, by firing a gun or other sig- nal, of the approach of the enemy every preparation will be imme- diately made for getting underway into action and extinguishing fire, and await the further orders of the flag-officer. Much danger and confusion will finavoidably ensue unless this order is strictly observed. D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer The8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Circular. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, April 17, 1862. The commanders of the gunboats will immediately have their smoke- stacks marked with the number herein assigned them. The figures will be painted white, 6 feet long, near the top of the smokestack, on the starboard and port sides, viz: Sciota 1 Pinola 6 Winona 2 ltasca 7 Kinco 3 Katahdin Wissahickon 4 Caynga 9 Kennebec 5 H. H. BELL, Fleet Captain. Instructions of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, com- manding first division of gunboats in attacking force. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD~ Ji1i88iss~ppi River, April 17, 1862. SIR: You will consider yourself as the divisional commander of the first division of gunboats, and the second in command of the attacking force. Your command will consist of the following vessels, viz: Oneida, Commander S. P. Lee. Varuna, Commander Boggs. Katakdin, Lieutenant Commanding Preble. Ji7ineo, Lieutenant Commanding Ransom. IT7~8sahickon, Lieutenant Commanding A. N. Smith. (aguga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison. Your general duty will be to keep your vessels in their proper order of sailing, which, in this current, will ordinarily be a line ahead, both underway and at anchor. Your specific duty, when the attack is made, will be to follow and support the second division of ships in the attack on Fort St. Philip; but we will not fire on the forts until the order is given or the battle commenced by the flagship. In the event of any accident happening to the flag-officer, you will assume the command of the fleet and conduct the attack and prosecute the orders of the Department to the best of your abilities, until you reach the invading forces from the upper Mississippi, under the com- mand of Flag-Officer Foote and General Halleck. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojjlcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. BAILEY, Second in (omm and ?f the it/lacking Force against fort Jackson, New Orleans Page 133 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 133 Instructions of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Bell, U. S. Navy, command- ing second division of gunboats in attacking force. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 3fi88~8s%ppi River, April 17, 1862. SIR: You will consider yourself the divisional officer of the second division of gunboats of the attacking force in the Mississippi River. Your general duties will be to keep your division in order of sailing, as directed by the flag-officer from time to time, which, in this current, will ordinarily be a line ahead. Your specific duty in the attack on the forts will be to pass the forts, delivering your fire and run up the river during the general attack by the ships and first division of gunboats, the great object being to get a sufficient force of gunboats above the forts to secure the landing of the troops above Fort St. Philip, to act in concert with the fleet, and at the same time to enfilade the forts from above, in case they should not surrender at the first bombardment. Should you once pass the forts, you will continue to pioneer up the river and keep the enemys gunboats from descending with succor for the forts, and await the arrival of the rest of the fleet above the forts. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Sguadron. Commander HENRY H. BELL, Uorndg. Second Division of Gunboats of tAc Attacking Forces. General order regarding fire rafts. When the mortar vessels are in position the following precautions should be observed to keep off the fire and other rafts which may be sent down by the enemy: The sixty boats of the mortar vessels will be kept in readiness along- side, to move off by signal or order for the fire rafts, and will be pro- vided with axes, hatchets, fire buckets, and light towlines and grapuels to bend on to the raft. I have seen very large rafts in the Mississippi brought to the shore from mid-channel by two or three men in a small boat by running out a line to the shore and checking it until the raft landed. In case of fire rafts it will be desirable to keep the raft in mid-channel while the vessels should all lie close in to the shore on either side. For this service the gunboats are well adapted. They can, with a boat, run out a line to the rafts and keep them in mid- channel until past the ships and mortar vessels, when they should be destroyed to prevent them from drifting onto our storeships below. The tendency of logs and driftwood generally to keep the mid-channel will facilitate these operations. Fogs may be selected to send down rafts. Gunboats should be kept underway, above the vessels, passing to and fro across the channel, and making signal when danger is descried, taking hold of the raft at once and working at it until further assistance can be secured. The rafts in this instance will likely be made of a foundation of solid logs, with flatboats filled with incendiary stuff on top. A hole knocked in the rear of the flatboat will let in water and extinguish the fire. Every ship and steamer should keep as many of her boats as possible to enable them to carry out the above suggestions Page 134 134 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. When rafts (not fire rafts) can be secured in time they should be hauled inshore above the vessels and secured firmly to the shore or trees. They offer a great security against rams and other rafts that may be sent down. They can be moored at an angle offshore and will cant any- thing that may run against them. Propellers should be cautioned against drifting nets or small pieces of wood tied together with ropes. These would foul the propeller effectually, and when a vessel runs onto them she should stop the pro- peller at once, to avoid fouling. The best and safest plan is not to run into anything drifting, even though it may appear to be of no conse- quence. If doubtful, let it be examined by a boat. A reconnoissance should be made on the left bank going up, above where the mortar vessels will lie, to see if there exist any rifle pits, and if any they should be destroyed. Guns fired at intervals into the bushes at this spot would tend to keep them clear of rebels. Finally, the programme of operations should be marked out so plainly that the commander of every ship should understand what is expected of him and be ready to perform it. D. G. FARRAGUT. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the opening of the bombardment of Fort Jackson. No. 62.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 2Jfis8i88~pjn River, April 921, 1869?. SIR: We commenced the bombardment of Fort Jackson on the 16th, which was the earliest day possible after the arrival of coal. On the first day the citadel was set on fire and burned until 2 oclock the next morning. On the 17th we made but little apparent inipression on the fort. On the 18th we dismounted one of their heavy columbiads and otherwise appeared to damage them, and drove the men from the parapet guns, so that they only appeared occasionally when the gun- boats took part in the bombardment to draw the fire from the bomb vessels. On the 19th a deserter came to us from the fort and gave the information that I have stated above, and much other information in relation to the armament of the forts and their general condition. The wind was blowing from the northwest, and chilly, the current running with great strength, so that the ships, when underway, could scarcely stem it, so that I shall await a change of wind and a consequent less violent current before I attack the forts, as I find great difficulty in avoiding collision among the vessels. Two of the gunboats, Katak- din and & iota, have been seriously damaged by getting across-hawse of the ships and running into each other. We lose a great many anchors and cables, and those articles are very much wanted in the squadron. The Hartford is almost the only ship that has not lost both. On the first days fire of the enemy they put a shot through one of the mortar vessels and killed one man, but did not destroy her effi- ciency. The second day they sunk one with a rifle shot, but hurt no one materially. They have sent down five fire rafts; none produced any effect on the fleet except the last, which only caused the collision of the Sciota and Kineo, both of which vessels dragged across the bows of the lJfis8i88ippi and carried away the mainmast of the first an Page 135 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 135 damaged them both very much otherwise; but the raft was turned clear of all the vessels of the fleet, but, as the wind and strong current were peculiarly favorable, it gave us more trouble than on any former occasion. I sent up Commander Bell last evening to destroy the chain and raft across the river, but the current was so strong that he could accom- plish but little in consequence of one of his gunboats getting on shore, and she was only saved by great exertion, as the enemy were firing on them all the time. Commander Porter, however, kept up such a tre- mendous fire on them from the mortars that the enemys shot did the gunboats no injury, and the cable was separated and their connection broken sufficiently to pass through on the left bank of the river. The petard operator failed to fire his petards, owing to the breaking of his wires, which prevented the full destruction of the chain and the ves- sels, but great allowance is to be made for the violence of the current, which exceeds anything we have had to contend with since our arrival in the river. In conclusion, I regret to say that the fleet is in want of all the essentials to carry on our work. Shells, fuzesiS-second and 20-sec- ond serge and yarn to make cartridge bags, grape and canister shot, for all of which I made large requisitions, and the articles may be on their way out. The medical department is miserably supplied for the care of the wounded. General Butler has offered to share with us, in fact, everything he has, which will supply many of our wants; but justice to myself requires me to say that I required all these sup- plies some time before I left Hampton Roads and others immediately on my arrival at Key West or Ship Island, and I presume accidental causes have stopped them on their way out here. My coal arrived just in time. All of which is respectfully submitted by Your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Oficer Western Gu4f Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Unfinished report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding lack of supplies. [From Farragut papers.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, lifississippi River, April 20, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that we commenced the bombardment of Fort Jackson on the morning of the 18th with twenty-one mortar boats under Commander Porter and some of the gunboats, the latter only to draw the fire from the former. The mor- tars were played on the works with good effect. The first day they set fire to the citadel of the fort, and it burned until 4 oclock the next morning. Their gunboats come down and fire at us occasionally, but are soon driven off up the river. The second day we dismounted one of the columbiads and destroyed one of their furnaces for heating shot. On the third morning a deserter came off to us and gave us the abov Page 136 136 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. information. On the second day one of the mortar boats was sunk by a shot from the fort, and two X-inch columbiad solid shot struck the Oneida, which wounded 5 or 6 men, 2 seriously and the others rather slightly. All had to be sent down to the hospital. The Oneida had a bad day of it, but did faithful service and escaped in a most miraculous manner the shot and shells that were flying around her. One shot lodged in her starboard waterway and the other struck on the port bulwark and directly in front of the after pivot gun, wounding 9 men; only dented the deck and composition plate circle; all of which was soon repaired and the ship ready fom~ action. Captain Bailey is on board the Oneida as my second in command, and has six gunboats under him. I have divided the gunboats into two divisions of six guns each, and have given Captain Bailey one and Commander Bell the other. One of the mortar boats had a shot through her the day before, which killed a man but did not put the vessel out of service. The officers do their duty well, but I regrct to say that I do not find myself half supplied with anything. My shells, fuzes, cylinder cloth and yarn to make the cylinders are all out, and [I] should be at this moment entirely unable to continue the bombardment, so far as my squadron is concerned, were it not for the fuzes, etc., sent to Commander Porter. I have been on the parish. General Butler arrived yesterday evening and told me that he would supply me with some articles The surgeons have not the means to dress little w [ounds] but for the Army, and we have no material to make cylinders for another days firing, so that I have to keep the gunboats out of action as much as possible. I 1x~ok the precaution to make requisition on the Medical Bureau before I left home for appli- ances for the wounded, yet there is not a piece of muslin in the squad- ron. I asked for the shells I wanted and other ordnance stores, and I am told that my demand is out of the question, and now I find myself dependent upon the Army for everything; and General Butler has been most generoushe gives everything in his power. I mention these facts to show 1 am driven to the alternative of fighting it out at once or waiting and resuming the blockade until supplies arrive. I expect to destroy the raft and chain to-night, which duty is as- signed to Commander H. H. Bell with two or three gunboats, whose masts I have taken out for the special purpose; and so soon as the weather is propitious I will attack the forts. My own idea is that we should pass the forts and take the troops in abo~e, by way of the Gulf [of Mexico]; but time presses, and we have not the means to put it off. I have not a solid shot in my ship, and none in the squadron except a few on board the Ji?ich,nond. We have only a few grape and canister; the fuzes of sufficient length were fired away during the first day, and we have been whittling down the bomb fuzes ever since. One -half of them explode the shell on leaving the gun, because they do not fit tightly in the fuze hole. The Chief of Bureau thought my requisition extravagant, and the past pr?ves I did not ask for enough of anything except coal, which has arrived just mu time to enable me to go ahead; but at one time I was alarmed for fear of not being able to move. General Butler again came forward and gave me 1,700 tons, but my supply arrived in time. - My gunboats crews, after fighting all day, have to sit up making - cylinders and filling charges all night, and have barely enough cotto Page 137 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 137 in the squadron to sew up the bags. But the truth is that we have so little experience in such undertakings that the necessary requisitions frighten the bureaus and they think that we are ignorant of what we require; but depend upon it we are rather prone to be short of the mark rather than exceed it. In conclusion, sir, we are in want of everything in the line of munitions of war; shells and fuzes, 15-second and 20-second, grape, canister, serge for cylinders, worsted to make them [Rest of letter illegible.] Letter from Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Davis, U. S. Navy, regarding the operations of the U. S. S. Oneida, under fire of the forts. ONEIDA, Aprd 20, 1862. DEAR DAVIS: Yesterday I was under the concentrated fire of Forts Jackson and St. Philip for three hourstwo in the forenoon and one hour in the afternoon. I was ordered with this gunboat, supported by the Sciota and Pinola, to take position in advance of the bomb fleet and engage the forts so as to draw their fire from the bomb fleet. The fact of the Oneida, Captain Lee, having my distinguishing flag flying, and engaging in advance of the Sciota and Pinola, drew all their fire upon us. Captain S. P. Lee handled this vessel with great coolness and judgment in the midst of a continued shower of the enemys projectiles, from which cause the small damage and loss is to be attributed. We were hit only three times, one 32-pounder dis- abled, and our XI-inch after pivot partially so. Six men were severely injured and 3 slightly by splinters. The shot that came on board were X-inch solid, and did considerable damage to the vessel. This morning we are relieved by the Iroquoi,~ and two other gunboats. Very truly, yours, T. BAILEY. Lieutenant J. L. DAVIS. Report of Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, transmitting report of Captain Lee, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Oneida. U. S. STEAM GUNBOAT ONEIDA, iJfi88iSSzpp6 River, April 20, 1862. SIR: I have great pleasure iii reporting to you that in covering and drawing the fire from Captain Porters mortar fleet yesterday this ship was three hours under the fire of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the injuries and casualties being astonishingly small, considering the per- fect rain of the enemys projectiles. I can not too strongly express my admiration of the cool judgment with which Commander S. Phil- lips Lee handled his ship during the engagement, and the able assist- ance he received from his executive oflicer and all under his com- mand. Enclosed is the report of Captain Lee of the engagement and casualties. The reports of the commanders of the Pinola [and] & iota will be made directly to you. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, T. BAILEY, Gommanding Divi8ion of the Red. Flag-Officer FARRAGUT Page 138 138 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Instructions from Commander Bell, U. S. Navy, regarding the removal of boom obstructing the Mississippi River. U. S. S. HARTFORD, h889s~ippi River, April 20, 1862. The flag-officer having designated Lieutenant Commanding Caidwell, in the gunboat Itasca, Lieutenant Commanding Ransom, in the Ji7ineo, and Lieutenant Commanding Crosby, in the Pinola, to destroy the boom to-night which obstructs the passage of the river, those officers will hold their vessels ready for that service at 8 p. m. of to-day, and for moving under pounds of steam; every vessel having 2 barrels of powder, of 100 pounds each, slung with 3-inch rope and pierced in one head for slipping a portfire tightly in, and secured against fire with putty around the orifice, one stick of portfire, with quick and lucifer matches for lighting portfire at a given signal. Also two pieces of canvas or tarpaulin for covering over the barrels and effectu- ally concealing the flame of portfire. Also crowbars, sledges, cold chisels, hammers, and steel saws for breaking the chain if possible. Also heavy grapnels or kedges with hawsers bent and on deck and clear for making fast, and an ax for cutting. There are two chains to be brokenone extending across the forward part of the hulks, and the other across amidships; these must be broken and the vessels sunk. The Pinola will receive on board the submarine operator and his apparatus and petards, and assign him the best assistance he can, and will take on board 1 barrel of powder, with portfire, matches ,etc. Commander Bell will be in the Pinola to direct all the movements of the vessels. The three vessels will move up abreast, keeping near the south bank and within once their length of each other, the Pinola on the left, the Kinco in the middle, and Itasca on the right. The Pinola will lay her bow on the port quarter of the second hulk from Fort Jackson, and Captain Crosby will have one petard suspended over the ~bow of that hulk and the other petard fixed on to the chain cable forward by the operator, while his men will lash the barrel of powder, prepared as directed, to the chain crossing amidships, and seeing all ready there. At the same time the Rineo and Itasca will lay themselves on the port quarters of the third and fourth hulks, keeping themselves steadily alongside until they shall have completed their preparations. They will, as quickly and quietly as possible, lash a barrel of powder to each of the cables on the hulk as directed, and send every person, except one reliable man to each barrel of powder, who will await the signal for igniting, carefully concealing their fires. A loggerhead, heated, shall also be ready and kept covered for applying to the port- fires. All being ready, Commander Bell will show a red light; the portfires will be then ignited and the gunboats dropped quietly astern by backing or dropping down with the current, if there be danger of fouling. During these operations the boats must be kept in readiness for boarding the vessels with the powder, if practicable. The success of this enterprise depends on silence and celerit and it is expected that the utmost vigilance will be observed. y, If we are discovered and fired upon by the forts before the gunboats reach the hulks, they will retire, but not without. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. H. BELL Page 139 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 139 List of ordnance stores required. APRIL 21, 1862. SIR: There is required for the use of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron the following ordnance stores, viz: 4,500 XI-inch shells, filled, bouched, and fuzed. 4,500 XI-inch sabots and straps. 1,000 X-inch shells, filled, bouched, and fuzed. 1,000 X-inch sabots and straps. 18,666 IX-inch shells, filled, bouched, and fuzed. 18,666 IX-inch sabots and straps. 11,666 VIII-inch shells, filled, bouched, and fuzed. 11,666 VIlI-inch sabots and straps. 1,200 32-pounder shells, filled, bouched, and fuzed. 1,200 32-pounder sabots and straps. iNails for strapping shells. 1,000 shells and shot for 80-pounder rifles, percussion. 3,000 shells and shot for 30-pounder rifles, percussion. 3,000 shells and shot for 20-pounder rifles, percussion. 3,000 shells, assorted, for 24-pounder howitzers, fazes assorted. 2,000 shells, assorted, for 12-pounder howitzers, fuzes assorted. 25,000 15-second fuzes, metal stocks. 10,000 20-second fazes, metal stocks. 1,000 XJ-inch stands of grape. 200 X-inch stands of grape. 5,000 IX-inch stands of grape. 3,500 VIII-inch stands of grape. 1,000 32-pounder stands of grape. 300 breechings for IX-inch guns. 250 breechings for VIJI-inch guns, 63 hundredweight. 1,500 XI-inch cartridges filled with 15 pounds cannon powder. 500 X-inch cartridges filled with 12~ pounds cannon powder. 1,000 cartridges filled for 80-pounder rifle. 5,000 IX-inch cartridges filled with 10 pounds powder. 5,000 VIII-inch cartridges filled with 9 pounds powder. 3,000 32-pounder cartridges filled with 9 pounds powder. 1,500 30-pounder cartridges. 2,000 20-pounder cartridges. T50 XI-iuch shrapnel. 2,000 IX-inch shrapnel. 100 X-inch shrapnel. 10,000 15-second fuzes, paper case. 5,000 20-second fuzes, paper case. 1,500 empty cartridge bags for XI-inch. 500 empty cartridge bags for X-inch. 5,000 empty cartridge bags for IX-inch. 5,000 empty cartridge bags for VIII-inch. Worsted yarn for tying cartridge bags. 33,000 primers for great guns. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain A. A. HARWOOD, Ohi~f of the Bureau of Ordnance and hydrography, lVashsngton, D. C Page 140 140 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, regard- ing the firing of the gunboats. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Mississ~ppi River, April 29?, 1869?. SIR: Your communication * of this days date has been received, and in reply I have to say that I entirely agree with you in your present views of the gunboat firing, but I certainly understood it to be your wish in the beginning that the gunboats should go out and draw the fire of the forts, and I consequently gave that order. But that they kept too much in a line with your mortar boats II was sensible of, and ordered them several times to move farther ahead when they fired, and found fault with them for not going clear of the mortar boats before they fired, and they invariably said they did so. I will find out which of the vessels fired through your mortar boats most, and enquire into the circumstance. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojicer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. Commander D. D. PORTER, Commanding 1k/briar Fleet. General order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 2Ii1i& siss~ppi River, April 29?, 1869?. The vessels will proceed to take their relative positions in the second order for ascending the river, and they will so continue unless com- pelled to drop out by accidental circumstances, when they will resume it again as soon as possible, and be in readiness to get underway. D. G. FARRAGUT Flag- Oftlcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Do Camp, U. S. Navy, to permit a reconnoissance by Lieutenant Caldwell, U. S. Navy, for examination of obstructions. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Jifississippi River, April 23, 1869?. SIR: I have given Lieutenant Commanding Caldwell instructions to proceed up in one of the ships boats to make an examination of the chains and satisfy himself that all is the same as he has represented it. Therefore you will please to allow him to proceed in his own way, as he considers the steamer too unmanageable for the purpose. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commmander JOHN DE CAMP, Gommanding U. S. S. Jroquois. * Not found Page 141 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 141 Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander De Camp, U. S. Navy, to avoid drawing fire upon the mortar vessels. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, ]Jf/iiSSis8?ppi J?i~eer, April 23, 1862. SIR: In taking the guard to-day, I wish you to avoid as far as possible drawing the tire upon the bomb vessels, as well as keeping your ves- sels as much out of their range as possible. Nor do I wish you to risk the vessels more than you can help, except when steamers come down within the possibility of your getting a shot at them. You can try the range of your Sawyer gun to-day for a half dozen shots at the forts and at the vessel having the mast in, where they appear to be fixing up something for our annoyance. But as it is my intention to pass up to-night, I do not wish you to risk your vessels or waste your ammunition. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogjlcer W~38lern Gulf Blockading S~j~vuadron. Commander JOHN DE CAMP, Commanding U S. S. Iroguoi8. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Swartwont, U. S. Navy, com- manding U. S. ship Portsmouth, to enfilade Fort Jackson. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, April 23, 1862. SIR: If Captain Porter will aid you in taking the position just below the line of casemate fire, you will do so and assist in enfilading the Fort Jackson, but you will be very particular not to fire on our fleet, and therefore it will be necessary to cease firing as soon as you find that we are getting in a line. I will apply to Captain Porter to give you a tow and place you in position at the same time he places his own gunboats. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Commander SAME. SwARTwOUT, Flag- Oflicer. U S. Sloop Port8mout,4, ]Ji/i8818S?~ppi River. General order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, iJi/iSSiS8ippi River, April 23, 1862. The Golorados distinguishing signal, two perpendicular red lights, xvill be hoisted at the peak of this ship when 1 wish the fleet to get underway, and when underway to proceed up the river. The division led by the flag-officer will be the red, that led by Cap- tain Bailey blue, and that of Commander Bell red and blue. The leading division will not use their port guns, and the flag-officers division will not use their starboard guns in ascending the river, for fear of firing into each other. D. (i. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Wcstern. Gulf Blockading Squadron Page 142 142 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Bell, U. S. Navy, commanding second division, to cut oil telegraphic communication with New Orleans. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, April 24, [1862.]2:30 a. m. SIR: if signal No. 7 is not made you will continue on with your division of gunboats to the quarantine and cut the telegraphic wires so as to cut off the communication with New Orleans as soon as possible. Very respectfully, D. G. FARRAGUT, Commander H. H. BELL, U. S. Navy, Flag- Ofticer. Gommanding Second Divisiori~ of Gunboats in the 9Jih.sstsssppi. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, regard- ing the destruction of the C. S. ram Nanassas, and other operations. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, April 24, 1862. DEAR PORTER: We had a rough time of it, as Boggs will tell you; but thank God the number of killed and wounded was very small con- sidering. This ship had only 2 killed and 8 wounded. We destroyed the ram, a single combat between the old ]Jfississ~ppi, but the ram flunked when he saw the lhliississippi coming at him so rampant, and he dodged her and ran on shore; whereupon Smith put two or three broadsides through him and knocked him all to pieces. The ram pushed a fireraft on me. In trying to avoid it I ran the ship on shore and he then pushed the fire raft on to me and got the ship on fire all along one side. I thought it was all up with us, but we put it out and got off again and proceeded up the river fighting our way. We have destroyed all but two of the gunboats, and those will have to surrender with the forts. I intend to follow up my success and push for New Orleans and then come down and attend to the forts; so you hold them in statu quo until I get back or make. I think if you send a flag of truce and demand their surrender, they will do it, for their intercourse with the city is cut off. We have cut the wires above the quarantine and are now going ahead. I took 300 or 400 prisoners at quarantine. They surrendered and I paroled them not to take aims again. 1 could not stop to take care of them. If the general will come up to the bayou and leave a few men, or as many as he pleases, he will find two of the gunboats there to protect him from the gunboats that are at the forts. I wish to get to the English Turn, where they say they have not placed a battery yet, but have two above, nearer New Orleans. They will not be idle, and neither will 1. You supported us most nobly. Very truly, yours, D. G. FARRAGUT. Captain D. D. PORTER, Commanding iJfortar Fleet Page 143 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 143 Report of Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, regarding his summons for the surrender of Fort Jackson. MORTAR FLOTILLA, April 25, 1862. DEAR SIR: Captain Boggs has arrived. I congratulate you on your victory. I witnessed your passage with great pleasure. My hopes and predictions were at last realized. You left at the forts four steamers and the famous ironclad battery; they are mounting guns on it, and 1,000 men are at work on it. She is unhurt and moves about with the stream. How fast she is, I dont know. One of the steam- ers is ironclad on the bow. The MicRae is also at the fort. I sent a summons to surrender, but it was politely declined. As we have used up all our shells in the schooners, and wishing to be unhampered with the mortar vessels, sent everything down and collected boats and spars. They are moving all their heavy guns upon the riverside. You will find the forts harder to take now than before, unless their ammunition gives out. I threw bombs at them all day, and tantalized theni with rifle shot, but they never fired a gun. I hope you will open your way down, no matter what it costs. I am sending some of the schooners down to blockade back of Fort Jackson to prevent their escaping by way of Barataria. D. D. PORTER. [Flag-Officer FARRAGUT, U. S. Navy.] Letter from Lieutenant Wainwright, U. S. Navy, to Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, regarding the attack upon the forts. U. S. S. HARRIET LANE, S/tip Idand, ~J~ine 1, 1862. SIR: In reply to your communication of the 29th ultimo, I have to state that on the afternoon of April 22 a signal was made from the flagship hartford for all conimanding officers to repair on board. Though not positive that the signal was intended to apply to the offi- cers attached to the Mortar Flotilla, I determined to present myself in obedience thereto, which I accordingly did. I found assembled all the commanding officers of the fleet, with the exception of those attached to the Mortar Flotilla, myself being the only representative of that branch of the squadron. Upon repairing to the cabin of the flag-officer I was laughingly told that I was looked upon as an outsider, and that the signal was not lutended for me. Perhaps it would have been more delicate in me to have retired, but as I felt that the objects of the meeting had a com- mon interest for all, I determined to remain, supposing that no objec- tion to my presence could exist, admitting that there was no necessity for it. The flag-officer then proceeded to state the reason why the officers had been summoned, which was to give his plan for passing the forts, ~nd the disposition that he proposed to make of the forces under his command. He premised by saying that Captain Porter had submitted a plan of operations, which embraced ideas similar to his own, and with which he entirely agreed. He then proceeded to state his plans and invited the opinion of the officers there assembled Page 144 144 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. The prevailing opinion seemed to be adverse to making the attempt to p ass the forts at that time; that it was premature; that the forts had not yet been sufficiently reduced by the fire of the mortar vessels, and that the risk of the loss of too many vessels was too great to be run. The question was freely asked why the mortar vessels could not continue the bombardment for a length of time, the idea of which appeared to b~ rather indefinite, unless it was expected that the reduc- tion of the forts should be owing to the mortar vessels entirely, when the ships would be able to pass in comparative safety. The flag-officer said he agreed in the main with what had been said, but that Captain Porter urged very strongly the attempt being made, not only on the grounds of its probable success, but from the fact that the fire of the mortar vessels could not be sustained for a much longer period; that the ammunition was becoming scarce and difficult of sup- ply, the vessels shaken by constant concussion, and the men fagged out with a continued bombardment, which had already lasted for more than six days and seven nights. On these accounts the flag-officer said he had determined to make the attack the same night. From the tone of the remark I inferred, should a mishap occur, that the chief blam3 would be laid at your door, as I informed you on my return to this vessel. I did not remain during the whole conference, which terminated by the plan of attack having been finally decided upon. The proposed attempt did not take place at the time specified, in consequence of the absence of the carpenters crew of two of the vessels, the captains of which objected to moving without them, and the advance of the fleet was delayed twenty-four hours for this reason. That evening the flag-officer came on board the Harriet Lane and expressed to you, in my presence, his mortification at the delay, after he had appointed the time to move. The flag-officer repeatedly visited the ship during the progress of the bombardment, and though una- ware of all that passed between you, I was cognizant of enough to impress me very strongly with the idea that he relied with great confi- dence on your opinion and advice, and derived great comfort from your assurances of success, grounded as they were on your masterly conception of the whole matter at issue. In conclusion, you ask my opinion whether you were justified by results in advocating so strenuously the advance of the fleet, and what might and would have been the result had your counsel, which was deemed premature, been disregarded? Having been more intimately associated with you, and probably more conversant with your plans and expectations than any other officer in the squadron, I am enabled to say that the brilliant result most completely vindicated the wisdom of your counsel and soundness of your views. By the light of knowl- edge obtained subsequent to the surrender of the forts, it is plain that delay in the attack would have been fatal to us. Had the defense been as vigorously and gallantly conducted by the naval portion of the forces opposed to us as it was by the army, the chances are that the mortar vessels would have been obliged to retire before the fire of the ironclad battery Louisiana, which was to have taken up a raking position below the mortar battery of Fort St. Philip, and under the protection of the guns of both forts. Fortunately for us, the supineness of the rebel naval officers left us undisturbed, but it can not be conceived, had the attack bee Page 145 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 145 delayed a day or so longer, that the enemy would have failed to make use of so formidable an adjunct to his means of defense. I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, J. M. WAINWRIGHT, lieutenant, Commanding. Commander DAVID D. PORTER, U. S. Navy, Commanding ]lfortar Flotilla. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, transmitting proposition of Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, regarding the plan of attack upon the forts. No. 198.] FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Pensacola, Fla., September 13, 1862. SIR: I herewith submit a proposition of Commander D. D. Porter, relative to the attack on Forts Jackson and St. Philip, etc. I deem it advisable that this document should be placed on record in the Department, as it is referred to in my general order of April 20, 1862, but was in some way mislaid when the other documents were for- warded, and is also referred to by Commander D. D. Porter. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Rear-Admiral, Comdg. Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES Secretary of tAe Navy, Washington, D. C. [Enclosure.] Proposition* of Commander D. D. Porter. When the ships are over the bar, guns mounted, coal bunkers filled, sick on shore, hospital arrangements made for wounded, the fleet should move up, mortar fleet all in tow. The chain across the river to remain untouched for the present, or until after the mortars get their position and open their fire. It is a good defense on our side against fire ships and rams which may be sent down the river, and our ships can so command the opening that nothing can pass down. As the mortar vessels are somewhat helpless, they should be protected on all points by the vessels of war, which should be ready at a moments notice to repel any attack on them by rams, floating torpedoes, or fire ships, the two latter to be towed out of the way, the rams to be run down by the heavy ships, while such vessels as the Westfield and Clifton attack them, end on, with cannon, while your boats try to force them to the shore. When everything is ready for the assault a demand for surrender should be made, in language least calculated to exasperate, and of such a nature to encourage those who might be disposed to return to their allegiance. There is evidence of a strong Union feeling in New Orleans, and everything should be done (with- out losing by delay) to prevent a counter feeling. When it is evident that no surrender of the forts will be made, the mortars should open deliberate fire; keeping two shells in the air all the time, or each mortar vessel fire once in every ten minutes. Fort *This paper is not dated.CoMPILEn. N W RYOL 1S1 Page 146 146 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUNDRO]N. Jackson being casemated, should receive the largest share of the bom- bardment, three or four vessels being employed against Fort St. Philip, firing as often as they can coolly and conveniently load and point. In the meantime preparations should be made to destroy, at a moments notice, the vessels holding up the chain, or the chain itself, which can be done by applying a petard to the bobstays of the ves- sels, or to the chain itself, all of which petards are prepared, and a man accustomed to the business with galvanic battery. In my opiniou there are two methods of attack-one is for the vessels to run the gantlet of the batteries by night, or in a fog, the other to attack the forts by laying the big ships close alongside of them, avoiding the casemates, firing shells, grape and canister into the barbette, clearing the ramparts with boat guns from the tops, while the smaller and more agile vessels, throw in shrapnel at shrapnel distance, clearing the para- pets and dismounting the guns in barbette. The large ships should anchor with 45 fathoms of chain, with slip ropes; the smaller vessels to keep underway, and be constantly moving about, some to get above and open a cross fire; the mortars to keep up a rapid and continuous fire, and to move up to a shorter range. The objection to running by the forts are these: It is not likely that any intelligent enemy would fail to place chains across, above the forts, and raise such batteries as would protect them against our ships. Did we run the forts, we should leave an enemy in our rear, and the mortar vessels would have to be left behind. We could not return to bring them up without going through a heavy and destructive fire. if the forts are run, part of the mortars should be towed along, which would render the progress of the vessels slow, against the strong current at that point. If the forts are first captured, the moral effect will be to clear the batteries on the river and open the way to New Orleans, whereas if we do not succeed in taking them, we will have to fight our way all up the river. Once having possession of the forts, New Orleans would be hermet- ically sealed, and we could repair damages and go up on our own terms, and in our own time. Nature points out the English Turn as the position to be strongly fortified, and it is there that the enemy will most likely make his strongest stand and last effort to prevent our get- ting up. If this point is impassable, there is solid ground there, and troops can be brought up and landed below the forts and attack them in the rear, while the ships assail them in the front. The result will doubtless be victory for us. If the ships can get by the forts, and there are no obstructions above, then the plan should be to push on to New Orleans every ship that can get up there, taking up as many of the mortar fleet as can be rapidly towed. An accurate reconnoissance should be made, and every kind of attainable information provided, before any movement is made. Nothing has been said about a combined attack of army and navy; such a thing is not only practicable, but if time permitted should be adopted, for St. Philip can be taken with 2,000 men covered by the ships, the ditch can be filled with fascines, and the wall is to be easily scaled with ladders. It can be attacked in front and rear. Respectfully submitted. DAVID D. PORTER, Uommander, & ~ S. Nary Page 147 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 147 Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, granting permission to return home, and expressing appreciation of his services. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off tke City of New Orleans, April 27, 1862. SIR: You can return to the Colorado and from thence to New York, in order that you may receive that attention which your situation requires. And in taking leave of you, permit me to express my sin- cere thanks for the ready and able assistance you have given me as my second in command during the expedition up the Mississippi. I trust that the remainder of your days may be days of peace and pleasantness, and that your services may be fully appreciated by your country. Wishing you a pleasant passage home, and a happy meeting with your family, I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [D. G. FARRAGIJT,] Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. BAILEY, Commanding U. S. S. Colorado. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Colorado, to proceed with other vessels to Mobile, in preparation for attack upon that place.* U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off City of New Orleans, April 29, 1862. SIR: You will prepare your ship in all respects and proceed to Mobile as soon as you are ready, and take with you the ]Jfississippi and Brooklyn, also four of the gunboats; and on your arrival off Fort Morgan, keep your vessels ready to meet the tloating batteries and rams said to be there. I will be with you in a day or two and we will commence an attack on the forts. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. BAILEY, Commanding U S. Steam Frigate Colorado. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, to proceed as bearer of dispatches to the Secretary of the Navy. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the City of New Orleans, April 29, 1862. SIR: You are hereby detached from the command of the U. S. steam frigate t~ilorado and you will proceed to Fortress Monroe in the U. S. gunboat Cdyuga as bearer of dispatches to the honorable Secretary of the Navy, to whom you will report in person with the dispatches. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGTJT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain T. BAILEY, U. S. Navy, Latc Corn man ding U AS. 8. Colorado. * See following order Page 148 148 WBST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the sending of Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, as bearer of dispatches for the Department. No. 66.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the tJity of New Orleans, April 29, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I have sent home Captain Bailey as bearer of dispatches in the gunboat Cayuga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison. His services, as well as his health, I think, justify me in the selection of him as the bearer of my dispatches. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant. D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Boggs, U. S. Navy, to proceed north and report to the Department. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the Gity of New Orleans, April 29, 1862. SIR: You will proceed to the North in the U. S. gunboat Cayuga and upon your arrival report in person to the honorable Secretary of the Navy, who 1 trust, for your gallant services in so nobly defending your vessel to the last, will bestow upon you a command that will be more able to contend with your enemies, and do justice to your own merits. Wishing you a pleasant passage, I remain, Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander C. S. BoGGs, Late Commanding U S. S. Varuna. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, announcing the occupation of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and of New Orleans. No. 65.1 U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At anchor off the City of New Orleans, April 29, 1862. SIR: I am happy to announce to you that our flag waves over both Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and at New Orleans over the custom- house. I am taking every means to secure the occupation by General Butler of all the forts along the coast. Berwick Bay and Fort Pike have been abandoned; in fact, there is a general stampede, and I shall endeavor to follow it up. As soon as I see General Butler safely in possession of this place I will sail for Mobile with the fleet. lam bringing up the troops now as fast as possible. We have destroyed all the forts above the city, four in number, which are under- stood to be all the impediments between this and Memphis. 1 am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. Page 149 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 149 Letter from Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, to the senior officer at Key West, announcing the victorious operations in the Mississippi River. U. S. GUNBOAT CAYUGA, OjJ Key IYe8t, iWay 3, 1862. SIR: I was directed by Flag-Officer Farragut to leave the enclosed letter for Consul Shufeldt, with the request that it be forwarded to Havana with dispatch. I have also the pleasure to announce the result of two great battles on the Mississippi. In the face of case- mated forts, fire rafts, ironclad steam rams, and a fleet of gunboats, we have swept the Mississippi of its defenses as far as Baton Rouge and perhaps Memphis. The United States flag waves over Forts Jack- son, St. Philip, Livingston, and Pike, and also the city of New Orleans. We fought two great battles; that of the passage of the forts and encounter with the ironclads and gunboats has not been surpassed in naval history. We have done all this with wooden ships and gunboats. All honor and an admirals commission for Flag-Officer Farragut. The steam ram JPJianassa8 and ironclads ]ioui8?;afla, of 20 guns, and iIIis8i88ippi, intended to mount 20 guns, are destroyed, with eleven steam gunboats. When I left General Butlers troops were passing up the river to occupy New Orleans before which city the squadron had been anchored since the 25th instant. We lost but one vessel, the Tfaruna, Commander Boggs, which was butted twice by the iron-prowed steamer Governor iJiloore, late the (%~arles iW6rgan, of the New Orleans and Texas line. Our loss is 36 killed and 119 wounded, among which are two officers, a midshipman and masters mate killed. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, T. BAiLEY, Captain and late Second in Command of Attacking ]force8. SENIOR NAVAL OFFICER AT KEY WEST. P. S.I forgot to mention I had the honor to lead the van of the attacking column of ships in both battles in the little Cayuga and am now bound home with dispatches. [Telegram.] FORT MONROE, Yiay 8, 1862. (Received 8 p. in.) SIR: I have the honor to announce that in the Providence of God, which smiles upon a just cause, the squadron under Flag-Officer Far- ragut has been vouchsafed a glorious victory and triumph in the capture of the city of New Orleans, Forts Jackson, St. Philip, Liv- ingston, and Pike, the batteries below and above New Orleans, as well as the total destruction of the enemys gunboats, steam rams, floating batteries, ironclads, fire rafts, and obstruction booms and chains. The enemy have with their own hands destroyed from eight to ten millions of cotton and shipping. Our loss is 36 killed and 123 wounded. The enemy lost from 1,000 to 1,500, besides several hundred prisoners. The way is clear and the rebel defenses destroyed from the Gulf to Baton Rouge and probably to Memphis Page 150 150 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Our flag waves triumphantly over them all. I am bearer of dispatches. THEoDoRUs BAILEY, Capt. and Second in Command Attacking Forces, Gunl~oat Cayuga. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary Navy. [Telegram.] U. S. STEAM GUNBOAT CAYUGA, Hampton Roads, Jfay 8, 1862. I am bearer of dispatches from New Orleans, which, with its defenses, are ours. The brave Lee, your relative, of the Oneida, is safe and well. In the great conflict he came to xiiy relief in the nick of time. I had more rebel steamers engaging me than I could attend to without support, when Lee and Boggs came dashing up, delivering a refreshing fire. The enemy were so thick that it was like duck shooting; what missed one rebel hit another. With their aid we cleared the kitchen. Please inform his wife. T. BAILEY. Hon. MONTGOMERY BLAIR, Postmaster- General. Report of Lieutenant Harrison, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Cayuga, giving list of passengers. [U. S. S. CAYUGA fortress lJifonroe, lWiay 8, 1862.] Captain T. Bailey, bearer of dispatches to the honorable Secretary of the Navy. Commander Charles S. Boggs, bearer of dispatches to the honorable Secretary of War. B. F. Munroe, Captain Baileys clerk. R. E. Halter, Coast Survey. E. W. Kinnan, from Texas, en route for Washington. B. S. Osbon, flag-officers clerk. J. Warren Newcomb, Herald reporter. William Ward, artist for Frank Leslie. Respectfully, N. B. HARRISON, Lieutenant, Commanding. To the SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to furnish names of vessels and commanding officers which participated in the attack upon the forts. NAVY DEPARTMENT, ilifay 13, 1862. SIR: You will furnish the Department, with all practicable dispatch, a complete list of all the vessels who participated in the reduction of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the destruction of the rebel gun Page 151 WEST GuLF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 151 boats, rams, etc., with the names of their respective commanding officers, including also those of the mortar fleet under Commander D. D. Porter. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARTIAGUT, Co?nmanding 117e8t aalf Blockading Sqnadron~. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, giving list of vessels and their commanding officers which participated in attack upon the forts. No. 99.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off Now Orlean8, iYliay 31, 18G2. SIR: In obedience to the order of the Department of the 13th May, instant, I herewith transmit a list of the vessels, with their com- manders, engaged in the attack upon Forts Jackson and St. Philip, etc. Having never been furnished by Commander Porter with a list of the vessels, with their commanders, composing the bomb flotilla, I have directed him to furnish the same to the Department. Fir8t Divi8ion,sldps.iJktrlford, Commander R. Wainwright; Brook- lyn, Captain T. T. Craven; Richmond, Commander James Alden. Second Division, ships.Pensacola, Captain H. W. Morris; Ports- mouth, Commander Samuel Swartwout; iWississippi, Commander M. Smith. First Division, gunboats.Oneida, Commander S. P. Lee; Karuna, Commander C. S. Boggs; Katahdin, Lieutenant Commanding G. H. Preble; Ii7ineo, Lieutenant Commanding G. M. Ransom; Vl7issahickon, Lieutenant Commanding A. N. Smith; Caynga, Lieutenant Command- ing N. B. Harrison. Second Division, gunhoats. Sciola, Lieutenant Commanding Ed. Donaldson; Iroquois, Commander John De Camp; Kennebec, Lieuten- ant Commanding, J. H. Russell; Pinola, Lieutenant Commanding P. Crosby; Itasca, Lieutenant Commanding C. H. B. Caldwell; Winona, Lieutenant Commanding E. T. Nichols. The first division of gunboats was commanded by Captain T. Bailey, of the Colorado, and the second division of gunboats by Commander H. H. Bell, fleet captain. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGIJT, Flag- Off cer W~stern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. General order of commendation from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Oij~ the City of New Orleans, April 26, 1862. Of all the duties of a commanding officer, none is so gratifying as that of meting praise to those under his command. The flag-officer announces to the fleet that the conduct of both officers and men during the trying events of the mornings of the 24th and 25t Page 152 152 WEST GULF I3LOCKADING SQUADRON. instant met his highest admiration. Their steadiness, courage, and intrepidity could not have been surpassed, and, I apprehend, have rarely been equaled; and however much we may deplore the loss of our brave shipmates who so gloriously fell in the discharge of their duty, we can but derive pleasure from the knowledge that our chances were equal, and that their families and friends will derive benefit from the glorious part they bore in the conflict. D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogjieer Western Cu~f Blockading Squadron. General order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, appointing an hour of thanksgiving. U.S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Oft? the City of New Orleans, April 26, 1862. Eleven oclock this morning is the hour appointed for all the officers and crews of the fleet to return thanks to Almighty God for His great goodness and mercy in permitting us to pass through the events of the last two days with so little loss of life and blood. At that; hour the church pennant will be hoisted on every vessel of the fleet, and their crews assembled will, in humiliation and prayer, make their acknowledgments therefor to the great Dispenser of all human events. D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojilcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the passage of the forts and occu- pation of New Orleans. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD At Anchor off New Orleans, April 25, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that on the 24th instant, at about half past 3 a. in., i attacked Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson with my little fleet, while Commander Porter most gallantly bombarded them, and besides took them in the flank with his steamers, aided by the Portsmouth. Such a fire I imagine the world has rarely seeu, but thank God we got past the forts with a loss of only 24 killed and 86 wounded; but as 1 have not heard what became of the three gunboats, Kennebec, Itasca, and Winona, I fear they were lost in passing, and the Varuna was run into by two of the rebel steamers and finally sunk. I took and burned eleven steamer gunboats and 200 troops or upward. I. then pushed up for the city of New Orleans, leaving two gunboats to aid General Butler in landing at the Quarantine, and sent him a communication by Commander Boggs, requesting him to come up at; once. I came up to within 6 or 7 miles of the city, when two forts opened on us, but we silenced them in fifteen or twenty minutes, alt;hough it was warm work while it lasted. I have not yet heard of the killed and wounded. We only lost one man and none wounded, although Captain Bailey, in the Cayuga, with Lieutenant Commanding Harrison, and this ship stood the first brunt of the action before the other vessels could get up. We drove them from their guns and passed up to the city in fine style, and I now send this notice of our having taken possession of the city at meridian or a few minutes p. m Page 153 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 153 But I must say I never witnessed such vandalism in my life as the destruction of property; all the shipping, steamboats, etc., were set on fire and consumed. The new ironclad ram, just finished but without her machinery, went floating by us, while I am finishing this report. Captain Bailey was sent to demand the surrender of the city to me in the name of the United States. I shall now send down with this letter Commander Smith, in the iJihs5~s5sj9p2, to look after General Butler and a ram, which it appears we left behind at Fort Jackson, as it might be more than a match for the two gun boats I left behind. In conclusion, I hope I have done all I proposed to do, which was to take the city of New Orleans, and I will now, in conjunction with the army, General Butler, reduce the forts and take care of the outlet from the west, and purpose immediately to ascend to meet Flag-Officer Foote. The conduct of the officers and men has been such as to command my highest admiration, and shall hereafter be a subject of more special commendation. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Oficer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES Secretary of the N~tvy, Washington, D. U. Semiofficial report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the passage of the forts and occupation of New Orleans. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the City of New Orleans, April 25, 1862. DEAR Sw: in the excitement of the last two days you must not be surprised if I leave undone many things which I ought to do, and one was to write you on the occasion of my taking this city, but, thank God, it has been done, and in what I consider a handsome style. I - had two Union men on board who had been forced into the Confederate service at Fort Jackson as laborers or mechanics. They informed me that there were two forts near the city, and as we approached the locality I tried to concentrate the vessels, but we soon saw that we must take a raking fire for 2 miles, so we did not mince the matter, but dashed directly ahead. They permitted us to approach to within a mile and a quarter before they opened on us. Captain Bailey, in the Uayuga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison, was in advance of me and received the most of the first fire, but although the shooting was good, they did not damage his little vessel much. He fell back and the Hartford took her place. We had only two guns, which I. had placed on the topgallant forecastle, that could bear on them until we got within half a mile. We then sheered off and gave them such a fire as they never dreamed of in their philosophy. The Pensacola ran up after awhile and took the starboard battery off our hands, ai~id in a few minutes the Brooklyn ranged up and took a chance at my friends on the left bank, but they were silenced in, I should say, twenty minutes or half an hour; but I can not keep a note of time on such occasions. I only know that half of the vessels did not get a chanc Page 154 154 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. at them. The river was too narrow for more than two or three ves- sels to act to advantage, but all were so anxious that my greatest fear was that we would tire into each other, and Captain Wainwright and myself were hallooing ourselves hoarse at the men not to fire into our ships. This last affair was what I call one of the little elegancies of the profession; a dash and a victory, but the passing of the forts, Jackson and St. Philip, was one of the most awful sights and events I ever saw or expect to experience. The smoke was so dense that it was only now and then you could see anything hut the flash of the cannon and the tire ships, or rafts, one of which was pushed down upon the Hartford by the ram ]Wianassas, and in my effort to avoid it, ran the ship on shore, and then the fire raft was pushed alongside and in a moment the ship was one blaze all along the port side, halfway up to the main and mizzen tops, but thanks to good organization of the fire department by Lieutenant Thornton, the flames were extinguished, and at the same time we backed off and got clear of the raft; but all this time we were pouring the shells into the forts and they into us, and every now and then a rebel steamer would get under our fire and receive our salutation of a broadside. At length the tire slackened, the smoke cleared off, and we saw, to our surprise, that we were above the forts, and here and there a rebel gunboat on fire. As we came up with them, trying to make their escape, they were fired into and rid- dled so that they ran them on shore, and all who could made their escape to the shore. I am told, I dont know how truly, that General Lovell had gone down that evening, to make an attack with thirteen gunboats, a large ram of eighteen guns, and the ihilanassas. The iJfanassas and the Jfississippi made a set at each other at full speed, and when they [were] within 30 or 40 yards, the ram dodged the ]lfissis - 89j9pi, and ran on shore, when the latter poured her broadside into her, knocked away her smokestacks, and then sent on board of her, but she was deserted and riddled, and after awhile she drifted down the stream full of water. She was the last of the eleven we destroyed, but the large ram was still at Fort Jackson, but they say here that she was sent down before she was ready, and that she can not stem the current. She will have to surrender with the forts, which 1 hope will be to-day or to-morrow. I will give them my attention so soon as I can settle the affairs of the city. I demanded the surrender of the city yesterday of the mayor, through Captain Bailey as the second in command; his reply was that the city was under martial law and he would consult General Lovell; his lord- ship said that he would surrender nothing, but at the same time he would retire and leave the mayor unembarrassed. This morning the mayor sent his secretary and the chief of police to see me and say that he would call the city council together at 10 oclock and give me an answer; that the general had retired and that he had reassumed the duties of his office as mayor and would endeavor to keep order in the city and prevent the destruction of property. I sent him by his secre- tary the letter No. 1, copy enclosed. I also sent him a letter demand- ing the surrender of the city in conformity with the demand made by me yesterday through Captain Baileycopy No. 2. This morning at 6 a. m. I sent to Captain Morris, whose ship commanded the mint, to take possession of it, and hoist the American flag thereon, which was done, and the people cheered it. At 10 I sent on shore again and ordered Lieutenants Kautz, of the Navy, and Broome, of the marines Page 155 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 155 with a marine guard, to hoist the flag on the custom-house, but the excitement of the crowd was so great that the mayor and councilmen thought it would produce a conflict and great loss of life. At 11 a signal was made to the fleet for divine service under a general order copy No. 3. April 2G.In the afternoon, having been informed that there were two forts 8 miles above the city at a place called Carroilton, I deter- m~ned to take a look at them and demolish them. We accordingly ran up, but to our surprise we found the gun carriages all on fire, and upon examination found the gnus all spiked. It was a most formidable work for Foote to encounter on his way down, but we took it in the rear. They had also a long line of defenses extending back from the river to Lake Pontchartrain, both above and below the city, on which were twenty-nine and thirty guns each. Immediately on my getting above the forts I sent Captain Boggs, who is now deprived of a command by the sinking of his ship (which he had so nobly defended), down to Captain Porter, through the bayou at Quarantine, directing him to demand the surrender of the forts. His demand was at first refused, but the soldiers told their officers that we were in their rear and that they would not be sacrificed, so this morning, the 29th, the gallant Bailey brought us the intelligence in the Caguga, Captain Harrison, that the forts had surrendered, the ram blown up, and that the American flag floats over both forts. I have sent down for General Butlers troops to come up and occupy this city, and will soon be off for Mobile. Depend upon it, we will keep the stam- pede up on them. 1 send Captain Bailey home as bearer of dispatches. He has done his work nobly, and that while suffering under an infirmity which required attention and repose. 1 am, very truly and respectfully, your friend and obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flo~g- Officer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. G. V. Fox, Esq., Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. Detailed report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the passage of the forts and the occupation of New Orleans. No. 86.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the city of New Orleans, iWay 6, 1862. SIR: I have the honor herewith to forward my report in detail of the battle of New Orleans: On the 23d of March [sic] I made all my arrangements for the attack on and passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Every vessel was as well prepared as the ingenuity of her commander and officers could suggest, both for the preservation of life and of the vessel, and per- haps there is not on record such a display of ingenuity as has been evinced in this little squadron. The first was by the engineer of the Richmond, Mr. Moore, by suggesting that the sheet cables be stopped up and down on the sides in the line of the engines, which was imme- diately adopted by all the vessels. Then each commander made his own arrangements for stopping the shot from penetrating the boilers or machinery that might come in forward or abaft, by hammocks Page 156 156 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. coal, bags of ashes, bags of sand, clothes bags, and in fact every device imaginable; the bulwarks were lined with hammocks by some, by splinter nettings made of rope by others; some rubbed their vessels over with mud to make their ships less visible, and some whitewashed their decks to make things more visible by night during the fight; all of which you will find mentioned in the reports of the commanders. In the afternoon I visited each ship, in order to know positively that each commander understood my orders for the attack and to see that all was in readiness. I had looked to their efficiency before. Every- one appeared to understand their orders well, and looked forward to the conflict with firmness, but with anxiety, as it was to be in the night, or at 2 oclock a. in. 1 had previously sent Captain Bell, with the petard man, with Lieutenant Commanding Crosby in the Pinola and Lieutenant Com- manding Caldwell in the Ilasca, to break the chain which crossed the river and was supported by eight hulks, which were strongly moored. This duty was not thoroughly performed, in consequence of the failure to ignite the petards with the galvanic battery and the great strength of the current. Still it was a success, and under the circumstances a highly meritorious one. The vessel boarded by Lieutenant Com- manding Caldwell appears to have had her chains so secured that they could be cast loose which was done by that officer, and thereby making an opening sufficiently large for the ships to pass through. It was all done under a heavy fire and at a great hazard to the vessel, for the particulars of which I refer you to Captain Bells report, marked A. Upon the night preceding the attack, however, I dispatched Lieutenant Commanding Caldwell to make examination, and to see that the passage was still clear, and to make me a signal to that effect, which he did at an early hour. The enemy commenced sending down fire rafts and lighting their fires on the shore opposite the chain about the same time, which drew their fire on Lieutenant Command.ing Caldwell, but with- out injury. At about five minutes of 2 oclock a. in., April 24, signal was made to get underway (two ordinary red lights, so as not to attract the atten- tion of the enemy), but owing to the great difficulty in purchasing their anchors the Pensacola and some of the other vessels were not underway until half past 3. We then advanced in two columns, Cap- tain Bailey leading the right in the gunboat Caynga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison, he having been assigned to the first division of gunboats, which was to attack Fort St. Philip, in conjunction with the second division of ships, and the Hartford the left, Fleet Captain Bell leading the second division of gunboats in the Sciota, Lieutenant Commanding Donaldson, to assist the first division of ships to attack Fort Jackson, as wilt be shown by the general order and diagram sent herewith. The enemys lights, while they discovered us to them, were at the same time guides to us. We soon passed the barrier chains, the right column taking Fort St. Philip and the left Fort Jackson. The fire became general, the smoke dense, and we had nothing to aim at but the flash of their guns; it was very difficult to distinguish friends from foes. Captain Porter had, by arrangement, moved up to a cer- tain point on the Fort Jackson side with his gunboats, and I had assigned the same post to Captain Swartwout, in the Portsmoutb, to engage the water batteries to the side and end of Fort Jackson, while his mortar vessels poured a terrific fire of shells into it. I discovere Page 157 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 157 a fire raft coming down upon us, and in attempting to avoid it ran the ship on shore, and the ram JJifanas8a8, which I had not seen, lay on the opposite side of it, and pushed it down upon us. Our ship was soon on fire halfway up to her tops, but we backed off, and through good organization of our fire department, and the great exertions of Cap- tain Wainwright and his first lieutenant, officers, and crew, the fire was extinguished. In the meantime our battery was never silent, but poured in its missiles of death into Fort St. Philip, opposite to which we had got by this time, and it was silenced with the exception of a gun now and then. By this time the enemys gunboats, some thirteen in number, besides two ironclad rams, the ]YLanassa8 and Loui8iana, had become more visible. We took them in hand, and in the course of a short time destroyed eleven of them. We were now fairly past the forts and the victory was ours, but still here and there a gunboat making resistance. Two of them had attacked the J7~truna, which vessel, by her greater speed, was much in advance of us. They ran into her and caused her to sink, but not before she had destroyed her adversaries, and their wrecks nbw lie side by side, a monument to the gallantry of Captain Boggs, his officers, and crew. It was a kind of guerrilla; they were fighting in all directions. Captains Bailey and Bell, who were in command of the first and second divisions of gun-. boats, were as active in rendering assistance in every direction as lay in their power. Just as the scene appeared to be closing, the ram iVfafla88a8 was seen coming up under full speed to attack us. I directed Captain Smith, in the iJili8siSSippi, to turn and run her down. The order was instantly obeyed by the illississippi.s turning and going at her at full speed. Just as we expected to see the ram annihilated, when within 50 yards of each other, she put her helm hard aport, dodged the iYfississ4pi, and ran ashore. The ]Jfi~~i~~ippi poured two broadsides into her and sent her drifting down the river a total wreck. Thus closed our mornings fight. The Department will perceive that after the organization and arrangements had been made, and we had fairly entered into the fight, the density of the smoke from guns and fire rafts, the scenes passing on board our own ship and around us (for it was as if the artillery of heaven were playing upon the earth), that it was impossible for the flag-officer to see how each vessel was conducting itself, and can only judge by the final result and their special reports, which are herewith enclosed, but I feel that I can say with truth that it has rarely been the lot of a commander to be supported by officers of more indomitable courage or higher professional merit. Captain Bailey, who had preceded me up to the Quarantine Station, had captured the Chalmette regiment, Colonel Szymanski, and not knowing what to do with them, as every moment was a great loss to me, I paroled both officers and men, and took away all their arms, munitions of war, and public property, and ordered them to remain where they were until the next day. I sent some of the gunboats to precede me up the river to cut the telegraph wires in different places. It now became me to look around for my little fleet, and to my regret I found that three were missing, the Jta8ca, Tl7nona, and Kenne- bee. Various were the speculations as to their fate, whether they had been sunk on the passage or had put back. I therefore determined immediately to send Captain Boggs, whose vessel was now sunk, through the Quarantine Bayou [Bay] around to Commander Porter Page 158 15~ WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. telling him of our safe arrival, and to demand the surrender of the forts, and to endeavor to get some tidings of the missing vessels. I also sent a dispatch by him to General Butler, informing him that the way was clear for him to land his forces through the Quarantine Bayou in accordance with previous arrangements, and that I should leave gunboats there to protect him against the enemy, who I now perceived had three or four gunboats left at the fortsthe Louisiana, an ironclad battery of 16 guns; the 21fi~Rae, very similar in appearance to one of our gunboats and armed very much in the same way; the Defiance, and a river steamer transport. We then proceeded up to New Orleans, leaving the IVissa~4ickon and Kineo to protect the landing of the generals troops. Owing to the slowness of some of the vessels, and our want of knowledge of the river, we did not reach the English Turn until about 10 :30 a. m. on the 25th, but all the morning I had seen abundant evidence of the panic which had seized the people in New Orleans. Cotton-loaded ships on fire came floating down, and working implements of every kind, such as are used in shipyards; the destruction of property was awful. We soon descried the new earthwork forts on the old lines on both shores. We now formed and advanced in the same order, two lines, each line taking its respective work. Captain Bailey was still far in advance, not having noticed my signal for close order, which was to enable the slow vessels to come up. They opened on him a gall- ing fire, which caused us to run up to his rescue. This gave them the advantage of a raking tire on us for upward of a mile, with some 20 guns, while we had but two IX-inch guns on our forecastle to reply to them. It was not long, however, before we were enabled to bear away and give the fort a broadside of shells, shrapnel, and grape, the Pen- sacola at the same time passing up and giving a tremendous broadside of the same kind to the starboard fort, and by the time we could reload, the Brooklyn, Captain Craven, passed handsomely between us and the battery and delivered her broadside and shut us out. By this time the other vessels had gotten up and ranged in, one after another, deliver- ing their broadsides in spiteful revenge for their illtreatment of the little Cayuga. The forts were silenced, and those who could run were running in every direction. We now passed up to the city and anchored immediately in front of it, and 1 sent a tam Bailey on shore to demand the surrender of it from the authorities, to which the mayor replied that the city was under martial law, and that he had no authority. General Lovell, who was present, stated that he should deliver up nothing, but, in order to free the city from embarrassment, he would restore the city authorities and retire with his troops, which he did. The correspondence with the city authorities and myself is herewith annexed. I then seized all the steamboats and sent them down to Quarantine for General Butlers forces. Among the number of these boats is the famous Tennessee, which our blockaders have been so long watching, but which you will perceive never got out. The levee of New Orleans was one scene of desolation; ships, steamers, cotton, coal, etc., were all in one common blaze, and our ingenuity much taxed to avoid the floating conflagration. I neglected to mention my having good information respecting their ironclad rams, which they were building. I sent Captain Lee up to seize the principal one, the ilfississippi, which was to be the terror of the seas, and no doubt would have been to a great extent, but she soon came floating by us all in flames, and passed down the river. Anothe Page 159 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 159 was sunk immediately in front of the custom-house; others were build- ing in Algiers, just begun. I next went above the city 8 miles, to Carroliton, where I learned there were two other forts, but the panic had gone before me. I found the guns spiked and the the gun carriages in flames. The first work, on the right, reaches from the Mississippi nearly over to Pontchartrain, and has 29 guns; the one on the left had 6 guns, from which Com- mander Lee took some 50 barrels of powder, and completed the destruction of the gun carriages, etc. A mile higher up there were two other earthworks, but not yet armed. We discovered here, fast- ened to the right bank of the river, one of the most herculean labors I have ever seen, a raft and chain to extend across the river to prevent Footes gunboats from descending. It is formed by placing three immense logs of not less than 3 and 4 feet in diameter and some 30 feet long; to the center one, a 2-inch chain is attached, running length- wise the raft, and the three logs and chain are then frapped together by chains from one-half to 1 inch, three or four layers, and there are 96 of these lengths composing the raft; it is at least three-quarters of a mile long. On the evening of the 29th Captain Bailey arrived from below with the gratifying intelligence that the forts had surrrendered to Com- mander Porter and had delivered up all public property, and were being paroled; and that the navy had been made to surrender uncon- ditionally, as they had conducted themselves with bad faith, burning and sinking their vessels while a flag of truce was flying and the forts negotiating for their surrender, and the Louisiana, their great iron- clad battery, blown up almost alongside of the vessel where they were negotiating; hence their officers were not paroled, but sent home to be treated according to the judgment of the Government. General Butler came up the same day, and arrangements were made for bringing up his troops. I sent on shore and hoisted the American flag on the custom-house, and hauled down the Louisiana State flag from the city hall, as the mayor had avowed that there was no man in New Orleans who dared to haul it down, and my own convictions are, that if such an individual could have been found, he would have been assassinated. Thus, sir, I have endeavored to give you an account of my attack upon New Orleans, from our first movement to the surrender of the city to General Butler, whose troops are now in full occupation, pro- tected, however, by the Pensacola, Portsrnoutk, and one gunboat, while I have sent a force of seven vessels, under command of Captain Craven, up the river to keep up the panic as far as possible. The large ships, I fear, will not be able to go higher than Baton Rouge, while I have sent the smaller vessels, under Commander Lee, as high as Vicksburg, in the rear of Jackson, to cut off their supplies from the west. I trust, therefore, that it will be found by the Government that I have carried out my instructions to the letter and to the best of my abilities, so far as this city is concerned. Which is respectfully sub- mitted. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ogjicer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON 1,~~TELLE5, Secretary of tAe Navy, IVisidngton, D. C Page 160 160 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. General order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding plan of attack. U.S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Jiib88i88ipp& River, April 20,1862. The flag-officer, having heard all the opinions expressed by the different commanders, is of the opinion that whatever is to be done will have to be done quickly, or we will be again reduced to a blockading squadron without the means of carrying on the bombardment, as we have nearly expended all the shells and fuzes and material for making cartridges, He has always entertained the same opinions which are expressed by Commander Porterthat is, that there are three modes of attack, and the question is, Which is the one to be adopted? His own opinion is that a combination of two should be made, viz: The forts should be run, and when a force is once above the forts to protect the troops, they should be landed at Quarantine from the Gulf side by bringing them through the bayou, and then our forces should move up the river, mutually aiding each other, as it can be done to advantage. When, in the opinion of the flag-officer, the propitious time has arrived, the signal will be made to weigh and advance to the conflict. if, in his opinion, at the time of arriving at the respective positions of the different divisions of the fleet we have the advantage, he will make the signal for Close action, No. 8, and abide the resultconquer or to be conquereddrop anchor o~ keep underway, as in his opinion is best. Unless the signal above mentioned is made, it will be under- stood that the first order of sailing will be formed after leaving Fort St. Philip, and we will proceed up the river in accordance with the original opinion expressed. The programme of the order of sailing accompanies this general order, and the commanders will hold themselves in readiness for the service as indicated Page 161 U L,~u/enan/Command4~ A 9 Commandl7g /iansom; Katakdrn U L/eu/enanf Commanding /reb/e; U Commander 8o,~gs; Oneida, Lee; 9 CaYu~2a,~. t Comrnand4~ ~s ~. Q~ Commander M Smi, acola, 9 Pens Captai~ ,Worn,s. cf~ 9 WItioi?a~~ieuteri& m~ ~ommandi~ AVio/s; 9 /tasca~ Lieutenant Comriianc/iig C~a/dwe/4 ~ K U Piqo/a, Comnz3nd/~ Crosby, ~ /(ennebec V LAzdenan/ CornmandI-zg Ausse/4 9 /ro~7uo/s, Commander IJe Camp,. 0 Li~u tenant Command4~ z2ona/dso,~ /?/c/lmo,7d V Commander A/den; 9 Craven; 9 aI~wrij~hA (4~ o CD CD ~ CD ~ CD Cb W 0 0 0 0 z 0 Page 162 162 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. General order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding plan of attack. [From Alden papers.] U.S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 7ifi8Si88~ppi River, April 930, 186W. The flag-7officer, after having heard all the opinions expressed by the different commanders, is of the Opinion that whatever is to be done will have to be done quickly, or we will be again reduced to a block- ading squadron without the means of carrying on the bombardment, as we have nearly expended all the shells and fuzes and material for making cartridges. He has always entertained the same opinions which are expressed by Commander Porterthat is, that there are three modes of attack, and the question is, Which is the one to be adopted ~ His own opinion is that a combination of two should be made, viz: The forts should be run, and when a force is once above the forts to protect the troops, they should be landed at Quarantine from the Gulf side by bringing them through the bayou, and then our forces should move up to the river, and mutually aiding each other, as it can be done to advantage. When, in the opinion of the flag-officer, the propitious time has arrived, the signal will be made to weigh and advance to the conflict. If, in his opinion, at the time of arriving at the respective positions of the different divisions of the fleet we have the advantage, he will make the signal for Close action, No. 8, and abide the Iesultsconquer or to be conquered drop anchor or keep underway, as in his opinion is best. Unless the signal above mentioned is made, it will be under- stood that the first order of sailing will be formed after leaving Fort St. Philip, and we will proceed up the river in accordance with the original opinion expressed. The programme of the order of sailing accompanies this general order, and the commanders will hold themselves in readiness for the service as indicated. First division of ships.Ilartford, Flag Commander Wainwright; Brooklyn, Captain Craven; Richmond, Commander Alden. Second division of ships. Pensacola, Captain Morris; Portsmouth, Commander Swartwout; Mississippi, Commander Smith. First division of gunboats.Captain T. Bailey, second in command; Oneida, Com- mander Lee; Varuna, Commander Boggs; Katahdin, Lieutenant Commanding Preble; Kineo, Lieutenant Commanding Ransom; Wissahickon, Lieutenant Com- manding Smith; Caynga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison. Second division of gunboats.Commander Bell, captain of the fleet; Iroquoss, Commander Dc Camp; Sciota, Lieutenant Commanding Donaldson; Kennebec, Lieu- tenant Commanding Russell; Pinola, Lieutenant Commanding Crosby; Itasca, Lieu- tenant Commanding Caldwell; Winona, Lieutenant Commanding Nichols Page 163 163 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. [Enclosure.] 9 Q /(rneo. o /(~v/,~42i. I V 0 9 I5rll/78. 0 v O/7e/c/8. 9 C& ya~g5~s. A V Por/smoa~A I~ 9 A//is~is~~f. Z~3 C-,) C V Pensaco/8. ~ 9 9 itasca. 9 Ff7018. O /(e,rne6ec. 9 iroquois. 9 (J~. ~ZZ 9 C v /tdsca. 9 Prno/~. ~: 0 9 Kenr,e~ec. ~ 9 Iroquois. C~~ 9 A%izmond ~ QIkissat~*oo. ~i c2z~ C v Brook/yii. ~ 9~~eo. ~ II I 0 C v ~r~rd~t8kd~n. I 9 ~jN. 9 9 Ciiyag~. 9 Porfsmoid4 V (I). o lissippi. I. I~) Pensdco/8. 0 5,) 9 3rook/yn. ZZ3 o ii~ D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- O~Jlcer W~8tcrn Gu~f Blockading Sqnadron Page 164 164 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. [Enclosure.] Order of the fleet from Farragut papers. Order of tke f/eet on Ike morn,~ of//re 24 ~ of ~4pri~ /8d4 2 o~/dck A ,4f, onproceedkzg up Jo Ike d//dck and passa~se of For/s Jackson and St i%4o. The fkst and /ead4,~ dAis/on under f/ic comnidild of CaI~fa/~ 77?eoc/oras Sai/ey, as fo//ows: O.Cdyuga~ di ona/f/ay-~um5o~ LtCc~b~//arrlson~ ~ 0. /ensaco/a, Capt liWiWorris. c~ 0 One/c/a, Conz d~ 6: fLee. ~ 0. k~run~ Cki~s. S 8o~Js. I ~ 0 Kafakdk, Lt Comdj~. 6/! 0~ W,~sah/ckon,~ A. IV Smi ~A Cenfre dA/5Ion, Admk~a/ /irra,~6u4 fo//ow,~5: o - I/aft Ord flags -s/u;o, Comb/ Wa/A wr,,6/,t 0 Brook/yr~~, Capt 77 77Crd yen. O - ,i~hmona~ Comd~ dames A/den. Th,d dAq~n fo//owi4t zder conimando,$i/1& // o - Diw~/ona/f/a~~6~gsun6oa4 Lt ComY~ ~ 0.. Iroquois, Commander .Oe Camp. ~ OJennebec, Lt Cornd~ Ausse// ~ZZ ~ ~ O.aP,no/a, P 6~ros6y; ~ OiA~,sca, 6a/dwel/ OJiW#wna, A/At~ko Is. The Alortdr fleet under Commander Porter rema/qeci be/ow the forts to operate from that dkecf,?n, also /4e Sloop of Wa4 ~ortsmoa/k 62ommand~r 5. Jwarfwout Attest: Near Adrm~a/ Page 165 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 165 Letter from Admiral Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the Secretary of the Navy, transmitting a corrected diagram. NEW YORK, 9Jilay ~4, 1869. SIR: My attention having been called by Rear-Admiral Bailey to an incorrect sketch which accompanied my report of May 6, 1862, upon the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, I have the honor to for- ward herewith a corrected diagram, showing the position of the vessels at the time they passed through the obstructions after the chains had been separated. This will demonstrate that Rear-Admiral then CaptainBailey led the fleet in the Uayuga up to the attack on the forts, as had been previously ordered, he taking St. Philip with his division, while 1 reserved Jackson for the remainder of the squadron under my command. The skeleton lines show how the vessels moved up from the original position of two lines into the line ahead. This correction has not been made before because I was not aware of the existence of the mistake, the diagram being evidently a clerical error, and in opposition to the text, in which I distinctly state that Rear-Admiral Bailey not only led, but performed his duty with great gallantry, to which I called the attention of the Department. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Hon. A. E. BORIE, Admiral, CL S. Navy. Secretary of the Navy, Wa8hington. [Endorsement on following page.] NAVY DEPARTMENT, 2d June, 1869. Certified to be a true copy. HOLMES E. OFFLEY, Chief Clerk Page 166 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. [Enclosure.] Order of the fleet from Bailey papers. Order of the Fleet in ,oessu,~% up to the d/t& ck of fbr/s d8c/son dnd St Phi/~,~, .4~r,/ 24 /662. First Div/5/of7 /eac/kg under cornrnawd of C& ,ot Theodoras Bai/ey. #4 Csyu~ L~ Cornd~~- //arr/son; /Z~i 6un8oet 0~ Pensdco/~ Cs,ot H WAlorris. o - l~siss,,~p~ AAYrn9Yi o - Oneide, Corn2-b 3//Lee. OA~ran~ CS~o~s. o - K8A5CIYn Lt Corn. o - w:ss~/iibA-on A.A Srn,Y4. Centre Div,~/on, AdttiI-d/ Fdrrd~Qtt Cept H//Be/i %4te, Lt Conz h}one/dson. 0 4vqztoi.s Corn. /JeCern,o. 0 ~enne~$ec, Lt Coi~~t i9asse/i 0 ,9Cros6,v.O Itesca, Ca/dwell .O Winona, Ot~stract,~ns. A ~ c::3 Very respectfully, D. G. FARRAGUT, Adrn~ral. 16 Page 167 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 167 Letter from Admiral Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Rear-Admiral Bailey, U. S. Navy. NEW YORK, iJIiay 24, 1869. M~ DEAR ADMIRAL: I am obliged to you for returning the diagram which I had corrected, sending a new one to the Department, and show- ing by dotted lines the original position of the fleet in line abreast, and the manner in which the vessels passed through the obstructions. With kind regards to Mrs. B. and the young ladies, I am, very truly, yours, D. G. FARRAGUT, Rear-Admiral T. BAILEY, U. S. Navy. ~d~iral, U S. Navy. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, testifying to the merit of the commanding officers. No. 88.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off Ike (~ty of New Orleans, Afay 6, 1862. SIR: I will bear testimony to the merit of the commanders, and let them bear testimony to the conduct of those under their commands. I am unwilling that any meritorious individuals should be passed by in silence, but they must look to their immediate commanders for special notice, except when they come under my eyes. I shall always be ready to bear testimony to the good conduct of Commander Wainwright and his first lieutenant, whose good organi- zation of the fire department saved this ship, and, to his officers and crew, whose energy and courage in extinguishing the fire, and keeping up the fire of the great guns could not be surpassed, and those who were around me, the signal officer, my clerk, Mr. Osbon, Messrs. Bache and Wardell, captains clerks, and Masters Mate Allen, who had charge of the 20-pounder rifle gun (an apprentice boy), all did their duty well, particularly Mr. Allen, whose energy and courage was always marked; and had he a better education 1 should certainly recommend him for promotion, but I trust that his conduct will be remembered by the Department. In conclusion permit me to say that every provision possible was made in advance of our fight for the comfort of the wounded, by the fleet surgeon, Doctor Foltz, who was indefatigable in his exertions to ameliorate their sufferings and dress their wounds; in fact, all whom it was in my power to know anything about did their duty to the utmost of their ability. As to the commanders of the three gunboats who failed to get through, the Department must take their own statements, as I never saw them after we left our anchorage; but their conduct previous to the fight had induced me to forni a high estimate of their characters, and Lieutenant Caldwells conduct in breaking the barrier chain gave an earnest of intention to do all in his power on the day of trial. I am sure that the mortification they sustained by their failure has been the severest of punishments and they will never rest until it is removed. All of which is respect~fully submitted by Your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ojjicer Western Gulf Blockading Squad/ron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, SecreIai~q of the Navy, TVasldngton, IL C Page 168 168 WEST GULF BLOCkADING SQUADRON. Report of Commander Wainwright, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Hartford, regarding the operations of that vessel, and transmitting reports from heads of departments. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off (~ty of New Orleans, April 30, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by this ship in th~ actions of the mornings of April 24 and 25, instant, off Forts Jackson and St. Philip and below the city of New Orleans. At 3:30 a. m. on the morning of the 24th got underway, and at 3:55 the Hartford opened fire from bow guns, engaging Fort Jackson, and receiving galling fire from both forts. At 4:15 grounded on shoal near Fort St. Philip, in the endeavor to clear a fire raft which was propelled by a ram on our port quarter, setting fire to the ship, the dames bursting through the ports and running up the rigging, endan- gering the ship as much from fire, if not more, than from the guns of the enemy; went to fire quarters, extinguished flames, and backed off, a heavy fire being kept up by both forts upon us all the time, we con- tinuing to fire in return upon them until out of range. Passed and fired into several rebel steamers on our way up the river. On the 25th instant, steaming up the river, cleared ship for action at 9:30 a. in., and at 11: 30 a. m. discovered two batteries, one on each bank of the river, which commenced firing. We then opened fire with bow guns, and shortly were in position to use both batteries, and at first fire of port battery drove the enemy on the right bank from his guns. After passing were fired on by riflemen, but without injury. The ship was much riddled, receiving thirty-two shots, some of them of a serious nature; there were also two guns disabled by the enemys fire. I herewith enclose the reports of the heads of the different depart- ments. We have to mourn the loss of 3 of our brave crew, and also had 10 wounded. The guns were well worked and served, and when officers and men behaved with such courage and coolness I consider it a credit to the ship to say that it is impossible for me to individualize. A ril 26, at 3:25 p. in., proceeded up the river to attack some batteries. At 5 went to quarters, and at 5:35 discovered two batteries, both of which, however, had been evacuated and gun carriages set on fire. Sent a boat to battery on left bank and spiked twenty-nine guns. Respectfully, yours, R. WAINWRIGHT, Flag-Officer FARRAGUT, Commander, U S. S. Hartford. Commanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. [Enclosures.] U. S. S. HARTFORD, Off New Orleans, April 25, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your orders of the 25th instant, I respectfully submit the following report of damages done to rigging during the actions of the 24th and 25th instant, having made a careful examination of the same: Three mizzen shrouds, one starboard and two port, cut away. Two fore-topmast stays cut away Page 169 WEST GULF BLOOI ADING SQUADRON. 169 One fore-topmast staysail stay. One mizzen topmast jackstay on which mizzen topsail halliards run. One shroud in main rigging (slightly). One main topsail brace cut away. One crossjack yard lift cut off. One mizzen topsail sheet cut off. One mizzen top burton cut off. One mizzen pendant tackle cut off. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JAMES WALKER, Captain R. WAINWRIGIIT, Boatswain, UJ S. Navy. Uommanding CL S. S. Hartford. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD Oft2 New Orleans, April 28, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order of the 25th instant, I respectfully submit the following report of damages sustained by this ship in the actions of the 24th and 25th instant: Two shot holes on starboard bow, one on starboard side bowsprit, carrying away bees. One on starboard side abreast of mainmast, entering and tearing down armory, staterooms, bulkheads, etc. One in main chains, entering and tearing up starboard steerage. Two under main chains, tearing away clamps, etc. Two between main and mizzen chains, tearing up planking and main rail. Three on starboard buttock, cutting three planks entirely off. One on star board quarter, cutting away planking clamps, entering and breaking up P?oP cabin. One through mainmast. One striking main yard, carrying away one quarter band. One through starboard waist boat. One port side port buttocks, entering ship, cutting away three planks. One through port bow, carrying away washroom, entering and tearing part of sick bay bulkhead and dispensary. One breaking up port quarter boat. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JAS. H. CONLEY, Captain R. WAINWRIGHT, Carpenter, U. S. Navy. Commanding U. S. Flagship Hartford oJJ New Orleans. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD Off New Orleans, April 25, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order of the 24th instant, I respectfully submit the following report of damages done to battery, losses in small arms, and miscellaneous articles in ordnance department in the actions of the 24th and 25th instant: One IX-inch Dahlgreu gun, No. 224, struck by the enemys shot, knockiug off a portion of the muzzle; 1 20-pounder rifle gun, struc Page 170 170 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. by the enemys shot; 1 20-pounder rifle gun carriage, disabled from the enemys shot; 1 elevating screw damaged, 12 Jocelyn rifles, 4 saber bayonets, 5 rifle muskets, 8 bayonets, 10 cutlass frogs, 10 pistol and revolver frogs, 14 bayonet scabbards, 6 cutlasses, 4 saber bayonet scabbards, 26 waist belts, 10 musket cartridge boxes, 10 rifle cartridge boxes, 5 revolvers, 18 bullet moulds, 50 cone picks, 2 lamp scissors, 10 lamp chimneys, 10 Jocelyn wipers, 10 wiper rods, 2 revolvers, 1 pistol, 6 single sticks, 2 9-inch rammers, 2 9-inch sponges, 10 gun- lock strings, 4 battle axes, 2 lamp feeders. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN DUNCAN, Captain RICHARD WA1NwRIGHT, Acting Gunner, U S. Navy. Commanding U. S. S. hartford, off New Orleans. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding services of Chief Engineer kimball, U. S. Navy. No. 219.] FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Pensacola Bay, October 16, 186g. SIR: I enclose herewith a communication from Chief Engineer James B. Kimball, of this vessel, in which he asks that he may not be deprived of his proper rank by being placed below those officers over whom he has served as senior for some time past, whose dates and classes are below his. These decisions of the Department are matters which I know nothing of, but I do know that no man could do his duty with greater fidelity, energy, and success than Mr. Kimball has done since he has been attached to this ship, and we are as much, or more, indebted to his promptness and exertions for the safety of this ship when she was on fire and aground opposite Fort St. Philip than to any other one person, and I am pleased to have it in my power thus to place it on record in the Department. I should be much pained to see one who has done his duty so faithfully lose, rather than gain, in rank. When, in trying to avoid the fire raft, I ran this ship on shore, and the rain illianassas pushed the fire raft down upon us, and the ship took fire all along the port side, I ordered the ship backed with all speed, which was done with such effect that the propeller threw both the ram and fire raft forward and on shore, while the ship slid off. The fire was then soon extinguished. I hope this conduct, together with Mr. Kimballs uniform. conduct and character, will secure him his rank. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Rear-Admiral, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. Report of Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, commanding first division of gunboats. U. S. GUNBOAT CAYUGA, Off New Orleans, April 25, 1862. FLAG-OFFICER: Your boldly conceived and splendidly executed plan of battle having resulted in perfect success, leaves me time to make u Page 171 WEsT GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 171 ~he report of my division. You will find in Lieutenant Commanding Harrisons report an accurate outline of the noble part taken by the caguga under his command, and bearing my divisional flag. We led off at 2a.m. in accordance with your signal and steered directly up stream, edging a little to starboard in order to give room for your division. I was followed by the Pensacola in fine s.tyle, the remainder of my division following in regular and compact order. We were scarcely above the boom when we were discovered, and Jackson and St. Philip opened on us. We could bring no gun to bear, but steered directly on. We were struck from stem to stern. At length we were close up with St. Philip, when we opened with grape and canister. Scarcely were we above the line of fire when we found ourselves attacked by the rebel fleet of gunboats; this was hot, but more con- genial work. Two large steamers now attempted to board, one on the starboard bow, the other astern; a third was on our starboard beam. The XI-inch Dahlgren being trained on this fellow, we fired at a range of 30 yards. Theellect was very destructive. He immediately sheered inshore, ran aground, and burned himself up. The Parrott gun on the forecastle drove off the one on the bow, whih~we prepared to repel boarders, 50 close was our remaining eneflhiy. About this time Boggs and Lee came dashing in and. made a finish of the rebel boats, 11 in all. In the gray of the morning discovered a camp with rebel flag flying. Opened with canister. At 5 a. m. received the sword and flag of Colonel Szymanski and his command of five companies, arms, and camp equipage. While engaged at this point observed the Varuna in conflict with a number of gunboats. She had been butted by one of them and sunk, but with his forward guns still above water he was bravely maintaining the fight, driving off his enemies and saving his crew. Informing Captain Lee of the Oneida, who had also been engaged with the enemy, of the Tfarunas situation, he instantly steamed up and made a finish of the rebel boats. The remainder of the fleet now came up. The ilfississippi had been detained below with the Jilianassas and another ironclad. After this everything passed under your own observation. The pleasant duty now remains of speaking of the Cayuqa and her brave officers and crew. From first to last Lieutenant Commanding N. B. Harrison displayed a masterly ability in steering his vessel past the forts under a hurricane of shot and shell, and afterwards in maneu- vering and fighting her among the gunboats. I can not say too much for him. He was gallantly sustained by Lieutenant George H. Per- kins and Acting Volunteer Master Thomas H. Morton. These officers have my unbounded admiration. I must, in conclusion, express the pleasure which I experienced in witnessing the seamanlike manner in which all the ships were handled. The reports of the divisional cap- tains will inform you of the particnlar part borne by each ship. Respectfully, your obedient servant, THEODORUS BAILEY, Captain, Commanding Division of the Red. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commander in Chief, etc., off New Orleans Page 172 172 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Later report of Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, commanding first division of gunboats. U. S. GUNBOAT CAYUGA, At Sea, iWay 7, 1862. Sin: Having found it impossible to get the Colorado over the bars of the Mississippi, I sent up a large portion of her guns and crew, fil- ling up the deficieAcies of both in the different vessels, and with my aid, Acting Midshipman Higginson, steward, and boats crew, followed up myself, hoisting by authority of the flag-officer my red distinguish- ing flag as second in command, first on the Oneida, Commander Lee, and afterwards on the Oayitga. The brave, resolute, and indefatigable officer, Commander D. D. Porter, was at work with his mortar fleet throwing shells at and into Fort Jackson, whilst General Butler, with a division of his army in transports was waiting a favorable moment to land. After the mortar fleet had been playing upon the forts for six days and nights without perceptibly diminishing their fire, and one or two changes of programme, Flag-Officer Farragut formed the ships into two columns, line ahead. The column of the Red under my orders being formed on the right,, and consisted of the (Jayztga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison, bearing my flag and leading. The Pen8aeola, Captain Morris; the ]liLi88i88ippi, Commander M. Smith; Oneida, Coin- inander S. P. Lee; Varuna, Commander C. S. Boggs; Hatahdin, Lieu- tenant Commanding Preble; Kineo, Lieutenant Commanding Ransom, and the TI7s8aldckon, Lieutenant Commanding A. N. Smith. The column of the Blue was formed on the left, heading up the river, and consistad of the flagship Hartford, Commander R. Wain- wright and bearing the flag of the commander in chief, Farragut; the Brooldyn, Captain T. T. Craven; Rielunond, Commander Alden; the Sciota, bearing the divisional flag of Fleet Captain H. H. Bell, fol- lowed by the Iroquois, Itasca, TFinona, and Kennelee. At 2 a. m. on the morning of the 24th the signal to advance was thrown out from the flagship. The Caynqa immediately weighed anchor and led on the column. We were discovered at the boom, and a little beyond both forts opened their fire. When close up with St. Philip we opened with grape and canister; still steering on; after passing this line of fire encountered the Montgomery flotilla consisting of 18 gun- boats, including the ram Jtifanassas and iron battery Louisiana, of 20 guns. This was a moment of anxiety, as no supporting ship was in sight. By skillful steering, however, we avoided their attempts to butt and board, and had succeeded in forcing the surrender of three, when the Varuna, Captain Boggs, and Oneida, Captain Lee, were discovered near at hand. The gallant exploits of those ships will be made known by their commanders. At early dawn discovered a rebel camp on the right bank of the river. Ordering Lieutenant Commanding N. B. Harrison to anchor close alongside, I hailed and ordered the colonel to pile up his arms on the river bank and come on board. This proved to be the Chalmette Regiment, commanded by Colonel Szymanski. The regimental flag, tents, and camp equipage were captured. On the morning of the 25th, still leading and considerably ahead of the line., the Chalmette batteries, situated 3 miles below the city, opened a cross fire on the (ayuga. To this we responded with our two guns. At the end of twenty minutes the flagship ranged up ahead and silenced the enemys guns Page 172A UNITED STATES STEAMER CAYUGA Page 172B Page 173 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 173 From this point no other obstacles were encountered, except burn- ing steamers, cotton ships, fire rafts, and the like. Immediately after anchoring in front of the city I was ordered on shore by the flag-officer to demand the surrender of the city, and that the flag should be hoisted on the post-office, custom-house, and mint. What passed at this inter- view will be better stated in the flag-officers report. On the 26th I went with the flag-officer some 7 miles above the city, where we found the defenses abandoned, the guns spiked, and gun carriages burning. These defenses were erected to prevent the downward passage of Cap- tain Foote. On the 27th a large boom, situated above these defenses, was destroyed by Captain S. Phillips Lee. On the 28th General Butler landed above Fort St. Philip under the guns of the JJfLi8siS8ippi and ]i7ineo. This landing of the army above, together with the passage of the fleet, appears to have put the finishing touch to the demoralization of their garrisons (300 having mutinied in Fort Jackson); both forts surrendered to Commander Porter, who~ was near at hand with the vessels of his flotilla. As I left the river General Butler had garrisoned Forts Jackson and St. Philip and his transports with troops were on the way to occupy New Orleans. I can not too strongly express my admiration of the cool and able management of all the vessels of my line by their respective captains. After we had passed the forts it was a contest between iron hearts in wooden vessels and ironclads with iron beaksand the iron hearts won. On the 29th the Cayuga, Lieutenant Commanding Harrison, was selected to bring me home as bearer of dispatches to the Govern- ment. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, THEODORUS BAILEY, Captain. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of tke Navy. Report of Lieutenant Harrison, U. B. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Caynga. U. S. GUNBOAT CAYUGA, 71ib88i~8& tp]Th River, April ~4, 18693. SIR: The following extract from the log will present to you in the briefest form the part borne by this ship in the conflict of this morn- ing with Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the rebel gunboats: At 2 a. in., in obedience t~ the flag-officers signal, weighed anchor and led the advance column toward the barrier. At 3:30 passed the barrier and steered upstream, close to Fort St. Philip. At 3:45 both forts opened their fire. At 3:50 opened on Fort St. Philip with grape and canister. At 4 passed the line of fire of Fort St. Philip and encountered some eleven gunboats; no supporting ships in sight. At 4:25 one steamer surrendered and two more were driven on shore. At this moment discovered the Varuna and Oneida dash gallantly into the fight. At 5 anchored in front of Camp Lovell and received the submission of Colonel Szymanski and his command. We were struck 42 times. Both masts are so badly hurt as to be unfit for further service. Our Dahlgren XI-inch carriage struck, but still fit for duty. The smokestack perforated, but not materially injured. All other damages have been repaired. I regret to add tha Page 174 174 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 6 of our crew have been wounded, but so far the surgeon has made but one amputation. It is needless for me to inform you, who had us under your own eye, that all did their duty fearlessly and well, but I must commend to your especial notice my executive officer, Lieutenant George H. Perkins. The remarkable coolness and precision of this young officer while aiding me in steering the vessel through the barrier and past the forts, under their long and heavy fire, must have attracted your atten- tion. Of Volunteer Acting Master Thomas II. Morton I must speak in terms of high praise. He fought the Parrott gun, and his daring example had a most happy effect on the crew. I am indebted to Assistant Surgeon Edward S. Bogert not only for his rapid and skill- ful attention to the wounded, but for his general officer-like bearing. My clerk, Mr. Charles M. Burns, jr., was of material assistance in communicating my orders. Our engines, although generally unreli- able, were on this occasion worked successfully by Second Assistant Georg~ W. Rogers and his assistants. In conclusion, I must mention with praise the good conduct of the following men: Charles Florence, captain of XI-inch gun; William Young, captain of Parrott gun; William Parker, at the wheel; Edward Wright, at the lead. Respectfully, N. B. HARRISON Lieutenant, 6Yomman~1ing. Captain T. BAILEY, Commanding Van Division of the Bed. APRIL 25. SIR: I continue this report through the battles of to-day. At 11 a. in., being at that moment some half mile in advance of the flagship, the batteries on either shore opened on us at short range. Being pivoted to port, I edged off with the port helm, and responded with our XI-inch and Parrott, slowly, but with great precision of aim. This unequal contest lasted just fifteen minutes, when the flagship ranged up in splendid style, diverting their fire and silencing the bat- tery on the right bank. We are again repeatedly hulled and much cut up in spars and rig- ging, the iron stock of the port anchor cut away. I lost no men. This I attribute to an order which I gave for the men to lie fiat down dur- ing the time in which we could bring no gun to bear. To speak again of the constancy and devotion of my brave officers and crew would be to repeat an old story. Respectfully, N. B. HARRISON, Lieutenant, (ommanding. Report of Commander Bell, U. S. Navy, commanding second division of gunboats. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the City of New Orleans, April 936, 1862. SIR:. On the night of the 23d instant I went on board of the U. S. gunboat Sciota, Lieutenant Commanding E. Donaldson, the leading vessel of the second division of gunboats, which you did me the honor to assign to my command, for the ascent of the river Page 175 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 175 At 4 a. m. of the 24th the Sciota, accompanied by the division, fol- lowed in the wake of the Richmond for passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Having run safely through the batteries of the forts and rebel steam- ers, Captain Donaldson set fire to and burned two steamboats (one loaded with gun carriages, the other with rosin and combustible materials). He also sent a boats crew to take possession of an armed steamer which surrendered to him, to bring her up the river, but finding her hard and fast ashore and under the guns of the fort the boat returned with- out her. This delayed the movements of the Sciota and brought her within a half mile of the ram 2lifanassas, whence I witnessed the decided manner in which the noble old steamship Mis~is~ippi, Commander Melancton Smith, met that pigmy monster. The lJfississippi made at her, but the ililianassas sheered off to avoid the collision and landed on the shore, when her crew escaped over her roof into the swamp. The ss~ss~py& pelted her meanwhile with her heavy guns. After a while she slipped off the bank and was last seen by some of the officers float- ing down the stream, passing the iJIissis~ippi without smokestack. I counted nine of the enemys steamers of all kinds destroyed, all but two being well armed on the bow and stern. Upon the assembling of the fleet at Quarantine, I observed for the first time that the gunboats Itasca, Lieutenant Commanding C. H. B. Caldwell; Winona, Lieutenant Commanding Ed. T. Nichols, and Ken- neiwe, Lieutenant Commanding John Russell, belonging to the second gunboat division, were missing. As they were the three rearmost vessels of the fleet, it is apprehended that the fire of the forts and of the enemys steamers were concentrated upon them after the passage of the larger vessels, which had attracted and divided the fire of the enemy while they were in sight. I am happy to report none killed and only 2 slightly wounded in this brilliant dash of the fleet. The Sciota next preceded the fleet up to English Turn, and was the fourth vessel ahead in the attack and capture of the forts at the city of New Orleans on the 25th and the third in passing up in front of the city. She has shared in all the active operations of the fleet to this date. The immediate objects of the expedition having been gained I hauled down my pennant at 1 p. m. to-day, to resume my duties as fleet cap- tain on board the Hartford, having no further casualties to report. Throughout the trying scenes of this dashing expedition, and which is second to none on record, Captain Donaldson and his officers and crew were conspicuous for their coolness, intrepidity, and good con- duct. Her guns were well and skillfully handled by their crews under the direction and careful instruction of Lieutenant II. A. Adams, Midshipman Woodward gallantly working the rifle on the topgallant forecastle, and Acting Master Foster the XI-inch pivot gun. Acting Master McFarland was always at the con and acquitted himself zealously and handsomely in the discharge of that duty. I ajn, very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. H. BELL, Gaptain of the Fleet, West Gulf Blockadinq Squadron. Flag Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, West Gulf Blockadinq Squadron, off the City of New Orleans Page 176 176 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, transmitting lists of casualties. No. 68.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the City of New Orlean8, April 29, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to forward herewith lists of the killed and wounded on board the vessels of this fleet during the engagements of the 24th and 25th instant. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. (~. [Enclosures.] FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 21frssiss~ppi River, April 24, 1862. SIR: The following is a list of the killed and wounded on board this ship in the engagement this morning with Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the rebel steamers: Hilled. Joseph Lawrence, seaman; William Brown, landsman. Wounded. Philip Morgan, seaman, head and hand; Charles Banks, landsman, severely; Theodore Douglas, officers steward, severely; Randall Taliaferro, landsman, severely; Henry Manning, ordinary seaman; Henry King, marine, severely; Sebina Doane, seaman, slightly; George White, marine, slightly; Mr. Conley, carpenter, severely; Mr. Heisler, lieutenant marines, slight concussion. So far as heard from there were 24 killed and 86 wounded in the fleet. So soon as the returns are complete I will report the total casualties in the action. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. M. FOLTZ, Fleet Surgeon. Flag-Officer DAVID G. FARRAGUT, Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, New Orleans, La., April 28, 1862. SIR: The following is a list of casualties in the fleet from the com- mencement of the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the 18th instant to the 24th, viz: Killed, April 18. vessel to which Remarks. Name. Rank. attached. 1. James Layer Ordinary seaman. U.S. schooner Ar- Bomb flotilla, action 21st. carried letta. away right thigh and wounded left thigh; round shot. 2. Robert M. Bryant do Gunboat Katah- Killed by fall from masthead. din Page 177 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Wounded, April 18. Vessel to which Remarks. Name. Rank, attached. 1. Henry Clarke Captain of fore- U. S. S. Iroquois Foot, slightly. castle. 2. William Galhraith. Seaman do Do. 3. Joseph Judd First.class fire - do Rifle hall, knee joint, severely. man. Wounded, April 19. 4. Michael Brady Carpenters mate. Norfolk Packet... Mortar fleet. Struck by fragment of shell in right leg. 5. Jonathan A. Miller. Seaman U. S. S. Oneida ... Amputated left hand. 6. Charles D. Murphy Ordinary seaman do Fractured foot. 7. John Moir Seaman do Severely. S. George Scott Ordinary seaman do Contusion. 9. Richard Graham Seaman do Do. 10. Edward Perry do do Do. 11. Henry Cooper Marine do Slightly. 12. Rohert Woodruff Landsman do Do. 13. John A. Martin do do Do. Wounded, April 22. 14. John J. Winn Quartermaster Oneida Amputated left arm and left thigh; shell. 15. John R. Libby Ordinary seaman do Slightly. 16. Oliver Crommelin do do Do. 17. Francis Douglas Seaman do Do. 18. John J. Earle,j Masters mate do Do. 19. Frederick I. Naile Midshipman do Do. 20. Dennis Disney Ordinary seaman Hartford Severe injury of the chest and abdo- men. 21. Geo. H. Mellen Landsman do Fracture of forearm. 22. Thomas OConner do do Severe. 23. Moses Semmons Ordinary seaman do Slight. 24. John D. Barnes First-class fireman do ... . Do. Total killed 2, wounded 24. I am, very respectfully, your obedient Servant, J. M. FOLTZ, Fleet Surgeon. Flag-Officer DAVID G. FARRAGUT, Commanding Western Division, Gulf Blockading Squadron. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, 37ew Orleans, La., JIfay 1, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report the following list of killed and wounded in the fleet during the briljiant engagement with Forts Jack- son and St. Philip, and the batteries below the city of New Orleans, on the 24th and 25th of April, viz: Killed, April 2j and 25. Name. 1. Joseph Lawrence.. 2. William Brown .... 3. Augustus Thomas.. 4. Mr. John Anderson. Rank. Seaman Landsman Captain forecastle Midshipman vessel to which attached. Flagship Hartford do do Brooklyn 5. Win. Lenahan Marine do 6. Daniel MeEmory.. Boy do Remarks. Round shot. Shell. Do. Struck ansi knocked overboard by cannon shot. N W BVOL 15 12 17 Page 178 - 178 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Killed, April 24 and 25Continued. Vessel to which Remarks. Name. Rank, attached. 7. Barney Sands Quartermaster Brooklyn 8. Thomas White Captain maintop do 9. Henry H. Roff Marine do 10. Andrew Rourke Seaman do 11. Dennis Leary Ordinary seaman do 12. John Wade Seaman do 13. Theodore Myers Seaman Pensacola 14. James Murray Ordinary seaman do 15. Thomas Gunning Landsman do 16. Nelson Downing do do 17. John B. Bradley Acting masters Richmond Born in Brownsville, N. Y.; aged 19 mate years; rifle ball. 18. William Brady Ordinary seaman do Aged 21. 19. James Philips Seaman Iroquois 20. Alexander Van Ordinary seaman do Vredenburg. 21. Maurice Murphy do do 22. Edwin R. Parsells Boy do 23. Jacob Schoenfeldt Marine do 24. Geo. W. Cole Masters mate do 25. Thomas Kelly Captain forecastle Pinola 26. Robert H. Johnson Landsman do 27. John Nolta do do 28. Andrew A. Smith do Varuna 29. Charles Hartford Seaman do 30. Daniel McPherson Ordinary seaman do 31. George Sanderson Corporal of ma- Mississippi rines. 32.Wm.H.Woods do do 33. Alex. Tyler Boatswains mate Winona 34. John Disney Ordinary seaman do 35. Wm.Brown do do 36. Michael Fitzgerald Landsman Mortar Flotilla (Harriet Lane). Wounded on April24 and 25. 1. Philip Morgan 2. Chas. Banks 3. Theodore Douglas. 4. Randall Taliferro.. 5. Henry Manning ... 6. Henry King 7. Sebina Doane S. George White 9. Mr. Conley 10. Mr. Heisler 11. Mr. James OKane. 12. Mr.James Stafford. 13. Mr. E. SLowe 14. Win. McBride 15. Lorin Heath 16. ThomasGriffin 17. John Willoughby.. 18. JOhn Chase 19. Edward Blanchard 20. J. H. Saunders 21. Win. Wells 22. Robert Harrison ... 23. John Hassett 24. George Coventry.. 25. Leonard Killion... 26. Cornelius Martin.. 27. James H. Powell... 28. H. P. Bucklin 29. John Widdis 30. John Daverin 31. James Webby 32. Alexander Ander- son. 33. JamesBuck 34. Joseph Dixon 35. John Griffith 36. James Williams.... 37. John Ryan 38. George Murray .... 39. Jonathan Roberts. 40. Michael MeMaun. - Seaman . .... Landsman Officers steward.. Landsman Ordinary seaman. Marine Seaman Marine Carpenler Lientenantof ma- rines. Master Acting master.... Masters mate .... Ordinary seaman. Marine Landsman Ordinary seaman. Seaman Ordinary seaman. Marine Seaman Ordinary seaman. Landsman Quarter gunner.. Marine Ordinary seaman. do do do Landsman Captainmizzentop Landsman Quartermaster.... Seaman Captain after- guard. Ca~~tain maintop - Quartermaster... - do Ordinary seaman. Landsman Flagship Hartford do do do do do do do do do Severely. Do. Do. Amputated thigh. Severely. Do. Slightly. Do. Severely. Slightly. Brooklyn Severely. do Slightly. do Do. do Severely. do Slightly. do Severely. do Amputated hand. do Slightly. do Severely. do Contusion. do Severely. do Do. do Do. do Do. do Slightly. do Probably mortal. do Slightly. do Do. do Do. do Do. do Very severely. do Severely. do Slightly. do Do. do Do. do Do. Pensacola Mortally. do - Amputated leg. do Do. Do Page 179 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Wounded on April 241 and 25Continued. Name. Rank. Vessel to which Remarks. attached. 41. Gustavus Mason -. 42. Thomas Kelly .... 43. Edward Brown. 44. John Sherlock.... 45. John Jenkins 46. James ODonnell. 47. Samuel Cooper ... 48. David Andrews... 49. Stephen Collins... 50. Asa Gifford 51. Jno. Steward 52. Samuel Randolph. 53. Patrick McKay 54. Edward Bowman. 55. Michael Noonan.. 56. Edward Lee 57. Henry A. Stain- baugh. 58. George Perkins ... 59. Michael OByrne 60. Frede*ick Davy..: 61. Francis Pepper 62. John Brogan 63. Mr. John C. Harris 64.Mr. Gerhard Schultze. 65. Mr. John CHuntly 66. Mr. Nelson Good- rich. 67. Mr. Joseph E. Cox. 68. Mr. Alfred Rey- nolds. 69. Mr. George Dolli- ver. 70. John Gordon 71. Chas. A. Benson... 72. Edward Collins... 73. John Ford 74. James Nolan 75. Walter J. White... 76. Robert Lewis 77. George Clark 78. Robert Greenleaf. 79. John Smith 80. Martin Winter.... 81. John Brown 82. John Conway 83. Geo. Higgins 84. Benj. Rockwell 85. William Pool 86. Henry Walters.... 87. Win. Wogan 88. Thomas Kealy.... 89. Owen Campbell... 90. Alfred Greed 91. Alfred Jackson 92. James Boland .... 93. James McCumsky 94. Thomas Francis *. 95. Mr.Frank K. Rain 96. Thomas Foster.... 97. Thomas Ford 98. Thomas H. Jones.. 99. Henry Stokely.... 100. Win. Ackworth 101. Thos. L. Smith .... 102. JamesA. Bashford 103. John Lawson 104. Fredk. 0. G. Finke 105. Francis Nersall 106. John Dunphy 107. James Smith 108. John Titus 109. Francis Moriere.. 110. J. Harrington... - 111. M.Rigan 112. T. Johnson 113. Win. Joice 114. T. Gordon Landsman Boatswains mate. Captain after- guard. Ships cook Ordinary seaman. Seaman Ordinary seaman. do do do do do Landsman do do First-class boy.... Sergeant of ma- rines. Marine do do do do Lieutenantof ma- rines. Acting master.... Third assistant engineer. Boatswain Carpenter Masters mate .... do Pensacola Amputated leg. do Do. do Do. do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do Richmond do do do Iroquois do do do do do do do do do do do do.... do do do do do do do do do Do. Do. Do. Slightly. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Severely. Slightly. Do. Do. Mortally; since dead. Do. Severely. Do. Do. Do. Slightly. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Seaman do Ordinary seaman. Seaman do Corporal marines. Armorer Quarter gunner.. Seaman Boy Boatswainsmate. Captain maintop. Ships corporal Seaman do Ordinary seaman. do Landsman do do Boy Marine Seaman Ordinary seaman. do Third assistant engineer. Ships cook Pinola Severely; arm amputated. Landsman do Severely. Officers steward do Do. Officers cook do Do. Quartermaster do Slightly. Coal heaver do Do. Ordinary seaman do Do. Landsman Caynga Severely. do do Amputated arm; severely. Ordinary seaman do Slightly. Coal heaver do Do. Landsman do Do. Wardroom cook do Do. Seaman Sciota Do. do do Severely. Ordinary seaman Varuna Slightly. do do Do. Landsman do Do. Marine do I Severely. * Belongs to U. S. S. Colorado. 17 Page 180 180 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Wounded on April 24 and 25Continued. Name. Rank. Vessel to which Remarks. attached. 115. D. McLaughlin Marine Varuna Slightly. 116. Win. Perkins Ordinary seaman do Do. 117. D. MeGinness Boy do Do. 118. J. Logsn Marine do Do. 119. J. MeGusre do do Do. 120. John Ward Seaman Mississippi Do. 121. Richard C. Car- Marine do Do. man. 122. Robert White Ordinary seaman do Do. 123. Cyrns D. Murray Musician do Do. 124. AlbertAshley Ordinary seaman do Do. 125. Mr. King Master do Do. 126. Michl. 0. Holland Seaman Winona Amputation of arm. 127. Leonard Minnart Captain forecastle do Severely. 128. Thomas Travers Landsman do Do. 129. Win. Wood Seaman do Do. 130. John McGowan Coal heaver do Do. 131. Richard Kane Captain of hold Itasca Do. 132. Thomas Sparrow Boy do Do. 133. Owen Kaney Coal heaver do Do. 134. Isaac Meguyer Fireman do Do. Wounded, Mortar Flotilla. 135. George Huston ... Seaman Harriet Lane Amputated thigh; severely. Total, 36 killed; 135 wounded. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. M. FOLTZ, Fleet Surgeon. Flag-Officer DAVID G. FARHAGUT, Commanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Additional Report of Fleet Surgeon 3. M. Foltz. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, .A~atchez, .2Jfie8., lIfay 18, 1862. SIR: I respectfully report the following additional killed and wounded during the engagements of the 24th and 25th of April, the official reports from medical officers of those vessels having just been received, viz: Killed on Kineo, On the 24th April.No. 37, Charles H. Kelly, cap- tain afterguard. Wounded on Kineo, on the 24th .April.No. 7136, Samuel Walker, seaman; 137, John Lewis, coxswain; 138, Albert Smith, seaman; 139, Henry H. Chase, seaman; 140, John P. Tibbits, landsman; 141, John Quinn, landsman; 142, Zelotes Eldridge, ordinary seaman; 143, 5. Wilkins Cragg, second assistant engineer. Wounded on Oneida, on 24th April.No. 144, John Dyer, seaman, slightly; 145, Thomas Grey, seaman, severely; 146, Robert Watson, seaman, slightly. Wounded on Portsmouth, on 24th April.No. 147, John Hancock, severely. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. M. FOLTZ, Fleet Surgeon. Flag-Officer DAVID G. FARHAGUT, Commanding Western Gulf Blockadiiog Squadro Page 181 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 181 FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, New Orlean8, Ia., April 26, 1862. SIR: The following is a list of the killed and wounded on board this ship in the engagements with Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the batteries below the city on the 24th and 25th instant, viz: Killed. Vessel to which Remarks. Name. Rank, attached. 1. Joseph Lawrence ... Seaman U. 5. 5. Hartford. Ronnd shot. 2. William H. Brown.. Landsman do Shell. 3. Augustus Thomas... Captain of fore- do Do. castle. Wounded. 1. Philip Morgan Seaman U. S. S. Hartford Severely. 2. Charles Banks Landsman do Do. 3. T4ieodore Douglas Officers steward do Do. 4. Randall Taliaferro Landsman do Ampntated thigh. 5. Henry Manning Ordinary seaman do Severely. 6. Henry King Marine do Do. 7. Sehina Doane Seaman do Slightly. 5. George White Marine do Do. 9. Mr. Conley Carpenter do Severely. 10. Mr. Heisler Lieutenant of ma- do Slightly. rines. Total killed, 3; wounded, 10. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. M. FOLTZ, Fleet Surgeon. Commander RICHARD WAINWRIGHT, Commanding (11 S. S. Hartford. U. S. S. HARRIET LANE, April 29, 1862. SIR: I have to report the following casualties resulting from the action at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, April 24, 1862: Killed, 1. Michael Fitzgerald, landsman, aged 21; born in Ireland; was killed by a piece of brass 6 inches in length (shot from hand rail upon bridge), which was driven through the lower part of abdomen. ~5eriou8ly wounded, 1.George Huston, seaman, aged 23; born in Maine; compound comminuted fracture of femur, requiring amputa- tion. The operation was performed April 25. I am very respectfully, your obedient servant, Tilos. N. PENROSE, A88i8tant Surgeon, U S. Navy. J. M. WAINWRIGHT, Lieutenant, Commanding. MISSISSIPPI RIVER, April 24, 1862. SIR: I have to report the following casualties resulting from the action in passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip and from the attack on the gunboats of the rebel forces in the Mississippi River on the morn- ing of 24th April, 1862: Killed, 4. Theodore Myers, seaman; James Murray, ordinary sea- man; Thomas Gunning, landsman; Nelson Downing, landsman. Alortally woanded, 1. John Ryan, quartermaster Page 182 182 WEST GULF I3LOCKADING SQUADRON. Dangerously wounded, 4.George Murray, quartermaster, left leg amputated; Jonathan Roberts, ordinary seaman, left arm amputated; Midhael lVIcMann, landsman; Gustave Mason, landsman. Slightly wounded, 28.John C. Harris, lieutenant marines; Gerhard Schultze, acting master; John C. Huntly, third assistant engineer; Nelson Goodrich, boatswain; Joseph E. Cox, carpenter; Alfred Rey- nolds, masters mate; George Dolliver, masters mate; Thomas Kelly, boatswains mate; Edward Brown, captain afterguard; John Sher- lock, ships cook John Jenkins, ordinary seaman; Samuel Cooper, ordinary seaman; David Andrews, ordinary seaman; Stephen Collins, ordinary seaman; Asa. Gifford, ordinary seaman; John Steward, ordi- nary seaman; Samuel Randolph, ordinary seaman; Patrick McKay, landsman; Edward Bowman, landsman; Michael Noonan, landsman; Edward Lee, first-class boy; Henry Stambaugh, sergeant marines; George Perkins, marine; Michael OByrne, marine; Frederick Davy, marine; Francis Pepper, marine; John Brogan, marine. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. WINTHROP TAYLOR. Captain HENRY W. MORIUS, commanding lX S. Steam Sloop Pensacola. Report of Captain Craven, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Brooklyn, transmitting reports from heads of departments of that vessel. U.S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, ililiississippi River, Before New Orleans, April 26, 1862. SIR: Herewith I have the honor to enclose reports from the execu- tive officer, surgeon, gunner, carpenter, and boatswain relating to the occurrences, casualties, expenditure of ammunition, and damages on board of this ship on the mornings of the 24th and 25th instant. It becomes my duty to add that on the morning of the 24th, soon after the action between our fleet and the Forts St. Philip and Jackson comlnenced, in consequence of the darkness of the night and the blind- ing smoke, I lost sight of your ship, and when following in the line of what I supposed to be your fire I suddenly found the Brooklyn run- ning over one of the hulks and rafts which sustained the chain barri- cade of the river. For a few moments I was entangled and fell athwart the stream, our bow grazing the shore on the left bank of the river. Whilst in this situation I received a pretty severe fire froni Fort St. Philip. Immediately after extricating my ship from the rafts her head was turned upstream, and a few minutes thereafter she was feebly butted by the celebrated ram ilfanassas. She came butting into our starboard gangway, first firing from her trapdoor when within about 10 feet of the ship, directly toward our smokestack, her shot entering about 5 feet above the water line and lodging in the sandbags which protected our steam drum. I had discovered this queer-looking gentleman while forcing my way over the barricade, lying close in to the bank, and when he made his appearance the second time I was so close to him that he had not an opportunity to get up his full speed, and his efforts to damage me were completely frustrated, our chain armor proving a perfect pro- tection to our sides. He soon slid off and disappeared in the dark- ness a few moments thereafter, being all this while under a raking fire from Fort Jackson. I was attacked by a large rebel steamer. Ou Page 183 WEST GULF I3LOOKADING SQUADRON. 183 port broadside, at the short distance of only 50 or 60 yards, completely finished him, setting him on fire almost instantaneously. Still groping my way in the dark, or under the black cloud of smoke from the fire raft, I suddenly found myself abreast of St. Philip and so close that the leadsman in the starboard chains gave the soundings Thirteen feet, sir. As we could bring all our guns to bear, for a few brief moments we poured in grape and canister, and I had the satisfaction of completely silencing that work before I left it, my men in the tops witnessing in the flashes of their bursting shrapnel the enemy running like sheep fQr more comfortable quarters. After passing the forts we engaged several of the enemys gunboats, and being at short range generally from sixty to a hundred yards the effects of our broadsides of grape must have been terrific. This ship was under fire about one hour and a half. We lost 8 men killed and had 26 wounded, and our damages from the enemys shot and shell are severe. I should not have been so particular, sir, in recording so many of the incidents of the morning of the 24th had I not been out of my proper station; but justice to my officers and crew demand I should show that the Brooklyn was neither idle nor useless on that never-to- be-forgotten occasion. In conclusion, I must here beg leave to add that my officers and crew, all, without a single exception, behaved in a most heroic manner. Indeed, I was surprised to witness their perfect coolness and self- possession as they stood at their guns while the rebels were hailing shot and shells upon us for nearly a half hour before I gave the order to open fire. I have to congratulate myself in being so ably assisted by my executive officer, Lieutenant R. B. Lowry. He was everywhere, inspiring both officers and crew with his own zeal and gallantry in the performance of their duty. - Lieutenant James OKane, who had charge of the first division, was severely wounded soon after we commenced the action, but not until he had himself primed, sighted, and fired two guns, and from loss of blood fallen to the deck, would he consent to be carried below. Lieutenant James Forney, commanding the marines, had two guns assigned him, and with his men fought most gallantly. Iwasearlydeprivedof the services of my signal officer andaid, Acting Midshipman John Anderson, by a shot which cut him and the signal quartermaster, Barney Sands, nearly in two. Young Anderson was a most promising and gallant young gentleman, and had only a few days previously volunteered from another vessel, which had been detailed for other duty, to join this ship; he was knocked overboard and killed instantly. Immediately afterwards my young clerk, Mr. J. G. Swift (who had been meanwhile taking notes), asked me to let him act as my aid, and the prompt, self-possessed manner in which he performed his duty in conveying my orders elicited my highest admiration. The conduct of Quartermaster James Buck, stationed at the wheel, merits particular mention. Early in the fight he received a severe and painful contusion by a heavy splinter, but for seven hours after- wards he stood bravely at his post and performed his duty, refusing to go below until ordered positively to do so, and on the morning of the 25th, without my knowledge, he again stole to his station and steered the ship from early daylight until 1:30 p. in., over eight hours Page 184 184 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. I beg particularly that you will bring this mans conduct to the especial notice of the Navy Department. Of the part taken in the attack on the two batteries on the morning of the 25th by this ship you can bear witness, and it is unnecessary for me to write. In conclusion, sir, permit me to congratulate you upon this most brilliant success. The attack by our squadron upon two strong and garrisoned forts, steaming within grape and canister range, and partially silencing them, and the pursuit and destruction of almost their entire fleet of gunboats has not been surpassed, if equaled, by any navy in the world. Under the providence of Almighty God we have achieved a most glorious victory. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Tilos. T. CRAVEN, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Capta-tn. Commanding We8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Lieutenant Lowry, U. S. Navy, executive officer of the U. S. S. Brooklyn. U.S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, Off New Orlean8, La., April 25, 1862. SIR: I have to report that in the action of the morning of the 24th instant, from 3 a. m. to 4:50 a. in., against the rebel Forts Jackson and St. Philip, masked and water batteries, and some sixteen rebel gunboats, this ship engaged the enemy at 3 a. m. with shell, grape, and canister, of which 105 rounds were tired from the IX-inch guns in broadside, at one time within 150 yards of Fort St. Philip. Great difflcnlty was experienced in discharging the 80-pounder Dahlgren rifle. This gun is defective in its vent. The conduct of the men and officers was under your own eye. I can say with pride that they fully met my owii expectations in their drill and efficiency, and although. the action was fought mostly in total darkness, still nothing could exceed the rapid and precise firing, the prompt readiness to repair damages, and the care for the dead and wounded which was evinced by every person at the gun divisions. I regret to report the loss of 7 most valuable men, viz, Barney Sands, signal quartermaster, killed by your side; John Wade, captain after guard; Thomas White (coxswain), captain of No. 9 gun; Andrew Rourke (seaman), first loader of pivot gun; Daniel McEmory (boy), powder boy of pivot gun; Henry Roff (marine), of the marine guns crew No. 1; Win. Lenahan (marine), of the marine guns crew No. 2. Midshipman Anderson, your aid, was carried overboard early in the action by a round shot. No. 9 gun had, by the striking of a 32-pound shot against the iron boat davit on port side, and breaking into fragments, immediately followed by a bursting shell in the same place, first captain killed, second captain badly wounded, and 9 men badly disabled, makingll men omit of the crew of 17; still, the remaining 6 fought the gun most gallantly until the end of the action. Our wounded amounts to 30, as per surgeons report. No. 1 gun port was disabled by having the forward axletrees shot away. We encountered the boom chain and broke it adrift by running over it and dislodging the anchore Page 185 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 185 hulksthis close to Fort St. Philip. We also had an encounter with an ironclad ram, which struck us in the starboard gangway, but the chain armor to a great extent received the blow and saved the frame of the ship. The ship was badly struck and cut up in various parts. A report from Mr. Toy, the carpenter, I herewith enclose. Both mainstays and much of the running gear were cut by shot. As your executive officer it becomes my duty, as it is my pride, to call attention to the excellent bearing of every officer and man on board the ship. The advancing and victorious squadron, in succession, ran down, sank, blew up, or fired by shells eleven of the enemys sixteen gunboats. One, the Warrior, a three-masted propeller, placed herself under the port broadside of the Brooklyn, when eleven 5-second shells were exploded in her, actually driving her on the bank and instantly setting her on lire. A second three-masted propeller escaped annihilation from our starboard battery from her resemblance to the Jroquoi8, which caused us to hold our fire until the current had drifted her down astern of us, when her true character was ascertained, but too late for us to destroy her. Mr. OKane, acting second lieutenant, in charge of the forward divisions, was wounded in the middle of the action and disabled, after most gallant service. I ordered Midshipman Bartlett to take charge of this battery, which he did promptly and efficiently. In conclusion, I, without hesitation, assert that the attack of our squadron upon two strong and garrisoned forts, coming within grape and canister range, and to a great extent silencing their fire, and afterwards overtaking and destroying nearly all of the enemys fleet, is not to my knowledge surpassed, if equaled, on the record of any navy in the world. In the action of this morning, against the batteries near the city, we engaged at a close canister and grape range, and following closely the & iota, which gunboat dashed gallantly into close quarters with the battery on the right bank, but between us and the battery, so that we had to hold our fire. We finished her work by a sweeping discharge of grape and canister, driving the rebels pellmell out of their works. Midshipman Bartlett fought the 80-pounder pivot very skillfully, firing 21 shots into the battery on the left bank with great rapidity and precision, and in a great measure redeemed the character of the gun. 1 am happy to state that though we were struck a number of times in the hull, and some rigging cut, we had no loss of life or blood. One man, Dennis Leary, ordinary seaman, fell overboard by his own care- lessness and was drowned. The howitzers in the fore and main tops were well served by Cox- swain Hamilton and Captain Maintop Williams, throwing shrapnel and canister very effectually into the enemy on both banks. Without officers to command them, the crews of these guns are worthy of espe- cial notice. I should mention that the engine, berth deck, and powder divisions were well served by their respective officers and men, and that the most perfect order was maintained, while the numerous wounded were transferred to the surgeon promptly and carefully. Third Assist- ant Engineer J. Morgan stood at the bell and executed your orders promptly throughout the action. I have to thank you, sir, for the splendid example you gave us of coolness and masterly handling of this vessel in both actions, and I close this hasty report by recommending to especial notice Quartermaster Buck, who, on the first morning, though wounded, stood bravely at th Page 186 186 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. wheel for seven hours, and to-day again took his post and steered the ship from early daylight until 1:30 p. m. over eight hours. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. B. LOWRY, U. S. Navy, First lieutenant, U S. S. Brooklyn. Captain Tilos. T. CRAVEN, Commandinq U S. S. Brooklyn, off New Orleans, La. Expended in action of 24th instant: 35 IX-inch shell, 60 IX-inch grape, 10 IX-inch canister, 4 shell for 80-pounder, 3 shell for Parrott, 4 shrapnel for howitzer (heavy), 3 canister for howitzer (heavy), 4 can- ister for howitzer (light)123 discharges. Expended in action of 25th: 5 IX-shell, 20 IX-canister, 10 IX- grape, 22 6-inch Hotchkiss, 7 shrapnel, 7 shell, 8 canister. R. B. LOWRY, Lieatenant and Executive Ofticer. Report of a board of officers regarding injuries sustained by the U. S. S. Brooklyn. U. S. S. BROOKLYN, Off New Orleans, La., April 28, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order,~we, the undersigned, have examined the ship as to the extent of injuries we received in our engagements with the forts and vessels in the river on the 24th instant, and with the batteries below the city on the 25th instant, and make the follow- ing report: 1st. A shot on starboard bow, cutting through the plank timber and ceiling, passing through the store room, shattering the fore-and-aft piece and the deck beam, and striking the lodger knee and breaking it badly, destroying in its progress three coils of large rope and the interior work to considerable extent, and shattered the waterway below the berth deck and lodged there. 2d. A shot on starboard bow, coming through the plank timber and iron bracing, passing through the marines store room, destroying a quantity of clothing and other stores, and lodged on the port side between the knees and deck, breaking one of the main beams amidships. 3d. A shell struck the starboard bow near the wood ends and ex- ploded, making a large hole and shattering the plank to a considerable extent. We can not ascertain the extent of the injury it has done, as it is impossible to get at it at present. 4th. A shot on starboard side j ast abaft forechannels, came through, destroying two lodger knees, crossed the deck, striking and shattering one of the hunging knees, and struck the side and fell on deck. 5th. A shot just forward of the mainmast came through, cutting off the iron brace, which is 6 inches wide and 1 inch thick, and lodged in some bags of sand placed to protect the steam drum. This shot was fired from the ram. 6th. A shot on the quart.er came through the plank timber, iron brace and ceiling, crossed the wardroom diagonally, striking the miz- zen topsail sheet bitt, cutting it in two and scattering the splinters all around, destroying the woodwork to a very great extent. It then struck the ceiling on port side, and a hanging knee, and fell on deck Page 187 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 187 7th. On spar deck: A shot struck in the head on starboard side, going through the bowsprit and passing out of the head on port side, shattering the woodwork all around. 8th. A shot on port side, abreast the foremast, cutting the rail in two, and passed off without further damage. 9th. A shot on starboard side, just abaft forechannels, came through and disabled gun on port side. Striking the breech of the gun, it glanced and struck the axletree and went through the spar deck and lodged there. 10th. A shot on port side, abreast the mizzenmast, and carried away the boat davits, tiinberheads, rail planks, outside and inside, shattering the wood to a great extent and damaging the gun on the outside. 11th. A shot came through the bows of port quarter boats and went through the hammock netting on starboard side, carrying away the rail and bulwarks. 12th. A shot on the starboard quarter came through and crossed through the deck diagonally and went through the rail on port side, tearing away the bulwarks considerably, demolishing the starboard water-closet and doing other injury. 18th. A shot on port quarter, cutting through the plank-sheer of the poop, cutting off 143 planks of the deck, and passed underneath and out of the starboard side, through the port shutter. 14th. A shot struck the kedge anchor, hanging to the port main brace bumkin, and broke it off just below the stock, scarifying the side. The mizzen topsail sheet bitt on starboard side was struck by a piece of shell and the brass cover broken. 15th. Outside: We were struck by an ironclad ram just forward of the mainmast, crushing in three planks, and driving in the links of the chain (which we had hung over the side for the protection of our engine) into the side. The extent of this injury we could not ascer- tain, but think it is serious. 16th. A shot under the transom, starboard side, cut off three planks and started a fourth out about 4 or 5 feet, and the shot remains there. This is a very serious injury, as much so as any that we have received. Au these shots were received in the attack upon the lower forts. In the engagement with the batteries below the city we received the following injuries: 1st. A shot on the starboard bow came through and lodged in a quantity of rigging stowed in the sick bay. The extent of injuries we could not ascertain. 2d. A shot struck the starboard cathead, shattering it and injuring the rail forward of it. Our fore-topsail yard is badly injured. We are, very respectfully, your obedient servants, GEO. DEWHURST, Aetinq ]lfaster, U. 8. Navy. THO. PICKERING, Acting 1k/aster. WILLIAM D. Toy, Captain THOMAS T. CRAVEN, Carpenter. (binmanding U 8. 8. Brooklyn, off New Orleans, La Page 188 188 WEST GULF I3LOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Acting Boatswain Selmer, U. S. Navy, regarding injuries sustained in his departntent. U. S. STEAM Si~oo~ BROOKLYN, Off New Orleafl8, La., April 26, 1862. SIR: The following is a report of the losses in the boatswains depart- ment in the actions of April 24 and 25: Both mainstays shot away; one shroud ujain rigging shot away; one shroud fore rigging shot away; bowsprit shrouds shot away; jib and flying jibstays shot away; cat fall and shank painter on starboard side shot away; starboard foretopsail sheet shot away, three coils of cord- age destroyed in storeroom. A shot is now lodged in the rigging barricaded in the sick bay. No doubt a great deal of the gear is cut, but how much can not be ascertained until it is broken out. Main brace shot away; kedge anchor on each quarter shot away, with 60 fathoms; 5-inch hemp hawser shot away; main brace block shot away; three lanyards mizzen rigging shot away; one shroud mizzen rigging shot away. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN A. SELMER, Acting Boatswain, U. S. Navy. Captain Tilos. T. CRAVEN, Commanding C7 S. S. Brooklyn. Report of Commander Bell, U. S. Navy, regarding injuries received by the U. S. S. Brooklyn. U. S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, 2W3s8i88ipp~ River, July , 1862. SIR: I beg respectfully to call your attention to the present condi- tion of the Brooklyn in hull andi spars, which was ascertained by sur- veys dated April 28 and May 10, and reported to you, I believe, by my predecessor, Captain Craven. The injury sustained by her amidships from the ram illianassas makes a bad leak, and appears to be too extensive for the carpenters force of this ship to repair temporarily even, without great delay, extending down under the water about five feet. To get at this she should go into slackwater, where she may be safely heeled and worked upon. The following is a copy of the special report which was made upon this particular injury: U. S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, Mississippi River, May 10, 1862. SIR: At the request of Mr. Toy, we repaired below to the starboard coal bunker to examine the extent of the injury we received in the collision we had with the ram on the morning of the 24th ultimo, and we find that it is of a very serious nature, much more so than we bad apprehended. We find eight strakes of the ceiling are crushed in and broken very badly; one of the lodger knees is very badly shattered, and one of the hanging knees is started off nearly its whole length. We think that several of the timbers are also broken, but that we could not ascertain with certainty. In our former report we stated that the amount of this injury could not be ascer- tained, as the bunkers were full of coal. They are now partially clear, and we were able to examine it and make this additional report. (lEo. DEWHUEST, Acting Master. THos. PICKERING, Acting Master. WM. D. Toy, Carpenter Page 189 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 189 In addition to the foregoing there are others of a serious character which are required to be repaired before the ship proceeds to sea, viz, one shot under starboard transom; one shell exploded in starboard bow near wood ends and water line, making a large hole and shattering the planks; one shot hole through bowsprit near the gammoning; fore- topsail yard cut in two. Besides the above enumerated, the top rail is cut in two in three different places, and there are sixteen other ugly shot holes. In conclusion, I have to request you will allow me to employ home ship carpenters from the city to do such temporary repairs as will make the ship safe at sea. She can be thoroughly repaired only by going into dock. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [II. H. BELL], Commander. Flag-Officer DAVID G. FARRAGUT, Comdq. Western Gulf Blockdg. AS~quadron, U. S. S. Hartford. Supplemental report of Captain Craven, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Brooklyn. U. S. STEKNL SLOOP BROOKLYN, Below Vickshurg, 21/ice., Jane 30, 186f2. SIR: In my official report to you of the 26th of April, 1862, of the part taken by this ship in the actions of the 24th and 25th of that month, after writing perhaps a somewhat too lengthy account of the action of the 24th, I merely alluded to the action of the 25th in the words following, to wit: Of the part taken in the attack on the two batteries on the morning of the 25th by this ship, you can bear witness, and it is unnecessary for me to write. Circumstances have since transpired which constrain me to make the following supplemental report, which I respectfully request may be forwarded at your earliest convenience to the honorable Secretary of the Navy, with a request that it may be considered as a part and parcel of my original report, and appended thereto: On the morning of the 25th of April, as the fleet was proceeding up. the river, at about a quarter past 11 oclock, two batteries were dis- covered, one on our starboard bow and the other almost directly ahead. Signal was made from your ship to prepare for action; at this time the flagship was the leading vessel, the Brooklyn was the second in the line, and the Iroquois third; the others were astern and somewhat scattered. A few minutes after your signal the Cayuqa passed the Brooklyn, and so close as to compel me to hail and request her commander not to force me out of my station. She pushed on, and even passed the flag- ship. At about noon, being then 1* miles distant from them, the bat- teries opened a raking fire upon us. The fire of the starboard battery was immediately responded to by the ship, then about half a cables length astern of the Hartford, and twenty-one shots from our 80- pounder rifled gun were rapidly, and with remarkable precision, thrown into it, only two of those shots failing to take effect. A few minutes afterwards, then steaming at the rate of 10 knots, the Brooklyn, by the sudden sheering off and slowing down of the Hartford for the purpose of engaging the enemy, necessarily sheered inshore, which brough Page 190 190 WI~ST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. her up within 150 or 200 yards of the port-hand battery, and so as to obstruct the fire of the Hartford. The Brooklyn then opened fire with grape and canister, stopped her engines, and was lying within less than 100 yards of the river bank, delivered two other broadsides, which completely drove the enemy pellmell from their guns and from the field. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, THos. T. CRAVEN, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT Captain. Uomdg. We8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Lieutenant Forney, U. S. Marine Corps, of the U. S. S. Brooklyn. U. S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, Off New Orlean8, Aprd 26, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order, 1 submit the following: There not being any use for my marines with their muskets, 1 vol- unteered to Mr. Lowry, the executive officer of the ship, to allow me two guns during the action. I had abundance of time to drill them, so that when the engagement came off on the morning of the 24th they behaved themselves like men. I have to recommend my orderly sergeant, David Barry, the two captains of the guns, Sergeants Brad- ley and Miller. I have to report the following casualties resulting from the engage- ruent: Gun No. 11. Killed.William Lenahan. Wounded.George Mayer, John R. Saunders, slightly. Gun No. 5. Killed.-llenry II. Roff. Wounded.Loriu Heath, pretty badly; A. G. Davis, slightly. During the attack on the batteries on the 25th instant my men sus- tained no damage at all. JAMES FORNEY, Fir8t Lieutenant, Uommanding iJfarine8. Captain Tilos. T. CRAVEN, (oinmanding U. S. Steam Sloop Brooklyn. Report of Carpenter Toy, U. S. Navy, of the U. S. S. Brooklyn. U. S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, Off New Orleans, April 26, 1862. SIR: I have the honor, most respectfully, to report the damages done to the hull of this ship during The engagement of the 24th and 25th instant as the following, viz: At the engagement of Forts Jackson and St. Philip we received the following, viz: A shot entered our starboard l)OW near the water line, tearing off the planking and entering the timber Page 191 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 191 Another on the, starboard bow, forward of the fore rigging, passing through, fracturing berth-deck beam and deck planking to port side, breaking lodger knee and waterway. Another at water line, under fore chains, passing through and shat- tering a berth-deck beam. Another entered on a line with the spar deck on starboard side abaft fore chains, passing to port side, striking a gun carriage and entering the~spar deck. Another passed through the cutwater and head. Another entered on starboard buttock on a line with berth deck, passing through, cut off mizzen topsail sheet bitt. Another on the edge of propeller well, burying itself in the timbers. Another on starboard side amidships, passing through and landing among sand bags around the steam drum on berth deck. Another from the ram, struck amidships on starboard side, carry- ing away two lodger knees and passing to port side, struck a hanging knee. The ram struck us on the starboard side abreast the boilers, break- ing three strakes of plank at water line. A shot struck the fore-topsail yard. Another on port quarter, cutting away plank sheer, lodger knee, and fifteen strakes of plank on poop deck. Another struck the shank of an anchor hanging to port main-brace bumkin, doing but little damage to the hull. Another on port side, carrying away boat davit, main rail, timber heads, passed out through hammock netting on starboard side. Another passed through port quarter boat. Another on starboard quarter, cutting away port sill strake, passing to port side, breaking main rail. We were struck several times below water during the engagement; extent of damage not known. During the action of the 25th a shot entered our starboard bow, going into the sick bay. Another struck our starboard cathead, shattering it badly. Another entered abaft starboard fore chains, not coming through. We were struck four times under water during this engagement; damage unknown. Your most obedient servant, WILLIAM D. Toy, Captain THOS. T. CRAVEN, Carpenter. Uommandinq CL S. S. Brooklyn, off New Orleans, La. Report of Surgeon 3ackson, U. S. Navy, of the U. S. S. Brooklyn. U. S. S. BROOKLYN, ilfiss& sstppi River, New Orleans, April 26, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report the following casualties, which occurred on board this ship during the brilliant engagement with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, on the Lower Mississippi, and the Confederate batteries, a few miles below the city of New Orleans, on the morn- ings of the 24th and 25th instant, viz: Killed, 9.Mr. John Anderson, midshipman, knocked overboard by a cannon shot; William Lenahan, marine; Daniel MclEmory, boy Page 192 192 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Barney Sands, quartermaster; Thomas White, captain main top, head shot off; fl~nry IRoff, marine, head shot off; Andrew Rourke, seaman; Dennis Leary, ordinary seaman, drowned by being knocked or falling overboard; John Wade, seaman, compound fracture of both bones of forearm, fracture of several ribs, together with internal injuries of chest; died a few hours after the reception of his injuries. Wounded, 26.Mr. James OKane, master, gunshot wound of left thigh, doing well, not dangerous; Mr. James Stafford, acting master, contused wound of head, slight; Mr. E. S. Lowe, masters mate, con- tusion, slight; William McBride, ordinary seaman, leg, slight; Lorin Heath, marine, shoulder and neck, not severe; Thomas Griffin, lands- man, contusions, arm and hip; John Willoughby, ordinary seaman, left hand shot off, amputation performed above wrist, doing well; John Chase, seaman, leg, slight; Edward [S.] Blanchard, ordinary seaman, shoulder, severe, doing well; J. R. Saunders, marine, contusion of back, slight; William Wells, seaman, eye and leg, severe, doing well; Robert Harrison, ordinary seaman, dislocation of right shoulder and wounds of face; John Hassett, landsman, compound fracture of both bones of left leg; George Coventry, quarter gunner, hand, not severe; Leonard Killion, marine, head, slight; Cornelius Martin, ordinary seaman, wounds of face and lower jaw fractured, very severe, probably mor- tal; James H. Powell, ordinary seaman, wounds of face, not danger- ous; H. P. Bucklin, ordinary seaman, testicles and face, very severe; John Widdis, ordinary seaman, shoulder, slight; John Daverin, lands- man, eye and cheek, slight; James Webby, captain mizzen top, gun- shot wound of lower jaw, the central portion carried away, and extensive laceration, lips, mouth, etc., very severe, probably mortal; Alex. Anderson, landsman, gunshot wound of foot, doing well; James Buck, quartermaster, contusion of thigh and leg; Joseph Dixon, sea- man, flesh wound of arm, slight; John Griffith, captain after guard, knee, slight; James Williams, captain maintop, contusion of knee, slight. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. JACKSON, Captain THos. T. CRAVEN, Surgeon. Commanding ii. S. S. Brooklyn. Report of Chief Engineer Brooks, U. S. Navy, of the U. S. S. Brooklyn. U.S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, Off ATew Orleans, April 28, 1862. Siu: It gives me great pleasure to state that during the engagements with the rebel forts, St. Philip and Jackson, on the 24th instant, and with the batteries below this city on the 25th instant, the officers and men of my department behaved with great coolness and courage, and performed with pleasure all the duties required of them, and are again ready, if necessity compels us, to act further in the defense and maintenance of the National Government and in the suppression of this mighty rebellion. I particularly call your attention to the brave conductof Third Assistant Engineer Joseph Morgan, who was ondeck at the bells, promptly passing your orders from the time we com- menced to get underway, 2:15 a. m. on the 24th, until we came t Page 193 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 193 anchor off Quarantine Station, and also during the engagement of the 25th. Hugh Jones, second-class fireman, was wounded slightly while at the berth-deck hose, by a splinter, which for the time disabled him. I am glad to say his wound was not of such a character as to require the aid of a surgeon, and has again returned to his duty. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. B. BROOKS Chief Engineer, U. S. Navy. Captain THos. T. CRAVEN, U. S. Navy, Commanding U S. Steam Sloop Brooklyn. Extract from letter of Midshipman Bartlett, U. S. Navy, enclosing sketches. U. S. S. BROOKLYN. I have drawn a plan of the quarter-deck and where a few of the shot struck aft. I had guns Nos. 10 and 11, but my No. 11 crew took their gun under the poop. This No. 11 also had to fight the Parrott. Shot No. 1 came in on starboard side and went out the port, taking off a marines head. No. 2 came in on port side and tore up the deck of the poop. Shot No. 1the splinters from it killed 1 man and wounded 3. No. 3, a solid shot, came in on port side and struck against some spikes and broke, taking 2 mens heads off at No. 9 gun and wounding 7 others. The splinters from it knocked all but 2 of No. 10. I was covered with splinters, one wounding one of my fingers slightly, and a piece of the shot tore a hole in my coat sleeve. Shot No. 7 cut the signal quartermaster in two and knocked Mid- shipman Anderson overboard. The others aft did not wound anyone. A great many shot struck the ship forward. We were struck 39 times, had 10 killed and 26 wounded. As soon as the ram struck us she drifted past. I tried to get a shot at her with my Parrott, but could not depress the gun enough. After the ram struck us we met a few iuore steamboats, but they were run into the bushes and deserted. After running about 2 miles above the forts we came to the Quarantine grounds, where we came to anchor. * * * * * * * Your loving brother, JOHNNY. N w xvoi~ 1S1 Page 194 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. [Endosures.] V ~dJT o 0 0 o o 0 0 O 0 0 0 0 o 0 o o o 0 o 0 0 o 0 0 0 O 0 0 0 o o 0 o o o o 0 o o o 0 View in starboard coal bunker, showing where the ram struck us. 194 Port Side. \@ Starboard Side Page 195 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 195 Extract from letter of Captain Craven, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Brooklyn, to Mrs. Craven. U. S. STEAM SLOOP BROOKLYN, OjfNatckez, ilfay 16, 1869~?. I sent a letter down the river the day before yesterday to run its chance of a conveyance to you on its arrival at New Orleans. 1 hope some opportunity will soon offer. I have been busy since my arrival here filling up coal in those gun- boats requiring it, and getting them ready to go up the river. Started four of them off yesterday afternoon, one this morning, and the sixth will move in a few minutes. Yesterday about 1,500 of General Butlers troops arrived in two of the river steamboats, and started up early this morning. They will cooperate with Lee in the demonstration upon Vicksburg. Yesterday I got hold of a Memphis paper of the 13th, and was glad to find in it that the news of our capture of New Orleans had reached Wash- ington as early as the 28th, only four days after our fleet had passed what the rebels thought were their most impassable forts. I hope the many false reports which these scoundrels published in connection with the accounts of their defeat did not reach you. To us who are here it is amusing to read the rebel accounts of the battle, and particularly to see how coolly they will lie, and tell things that never happened. But when we take into account that their first dispatches always reach our friends long before they can possibly hear from us, our hearts sicken at the thought of the anxiety and dreadful misery which must prevail. One of the first things that met my eyes when reading one of the New Orleans papers was that the Brooklyn and two or three of the gunboats had been sunk and three others disabled. The Brookl~yn was in two or three pretty tight places, to be sure, but I believe she did as much damage to the enemy as could well be expected of us. In the quotations from the New York Herald, I see that the city of New Orleans surrendered to General Butler and to Porters mortar boats. This is all as Isuspected it would be, and as I ventured to say more than six weeks ago to Captain Farragut, that it would be. Porters mortar boats and Butlers expedition have been all the talk ever since last November, and one of my remarks when in consultation one nigh~t upon the proper mode of attack was, Should we be so fortunate as Ram ilfanassas Page 196 196 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. to succeed, it will appear in all of our journals as Commander Porters victory; but should we unfortunately fail, it will be published as the defeat of the Gulf Squadron, under Flag-Officer Farragut. We had been a long time preparing for this work. I crossed the bar and entered the South West Pass with the Brooklyn on the 12th of March. The Hartford followed on the next day, and it was nearly three weeks afterwards before the Richmond, Pen8acola, and 1Jifii~ss~s- sippi succeeded in joining us up at the scene of operations. The mor- tar boats commenced arriving on the 16th of March, but were not placed in position before the 17th of April. On the 18th the mortars from twenty-one boats commenced shelling Fort Jackson, and three of our gunboats were engaged in diverting the enemys fire, and this was kept up night and day without interruption until after we passed the forts on the morning of the 24th of April. In the meantime we had frequent alarms from the immense fire ships which the rebels sent down during the nights with the hope of destroying our fleet, but they were poor concerns and poorly managed, and we had no difficulty in getting rid of them by sending our boats to tow them clear of the ships. Sometimes of a dark night, when any of these fire rafts grounded on the opposite bank of the river or drifted down, the overhanging trees and bushes would catch on fire, and the effect of the bright flashes of light, in detached groups for sometimes a mile down the river, was beautiful, surpassing anything I had ever before witnessed in the shape of an illumination or bonfires. Saturday, l7th.Last night I was driven from my letter by mos- quitoes after candlelight. They are terrible. So, to resume in a thunderstorm: The mortar boats having pelted away for six days without having produced any material effect, it was, upon consultation, concluded that an attempt should be made to pass the forts with our own fleet, and having a few nights previously broken the chain barriers which were stretched across the river to prevent our passing up, on the morning of the 24th, at 2 oclock, the signal Underway, to get was made, and in four divisions we were soon under the fire of the forts. The Hartford, Brooklyn, and Richmond were to pass by and attack Fort Jackson, which, with its outworks, mounted over 90 guns. The Pensacola, 3fiss?s8~ppi~, and Portsmouth were to pass by and attack Fort St. Philip, which, with its outworks, mounted 00 guns. Then there were two divisions of gunboats, the first consisting of the tJayuqa, Oneida, I~aruna, Katahdin, Kineo, and TVissahickon, and the second Sciota, Iroquois, Kennehec, Pinola, Itasca, and IVinona. The first division of the gunboats was, to follow the second division of ships, and the second division of gunboats was to follow the first division of ships, and as we approached the forts the gunboats were to take the middle of the river and under cover of our fire push up above the forts. The morning was quite dark, and it was difficult to see the low banks of the river, which here are only about 800 or 900 yards apart; but as the moon rose soon after we got fairly underway, as we passed her disk our vessels were plainly seen by the enemy, who immediately com- menced hailing shell and shot upon us in the most lively manner, and that, too, long before we were able to return the compliment, for we were steaming head on to the fort, and every shot from them was a raking one to us Page 197 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 197 After being under fire for about thirty minutes, the Hartford com- menced the fight, and at her first broadside she was so completely obscured from our vessel that I could not see where we were. After watching a few minutes I thought I had discovered her, and following in the line of what I supposed to be her fire, I suddenly found the Brooklyn running directly over a large hulk, one of those moored in the river to sustain the chains which had been stretched across as a barrier. We steamed on, completely crushing the hulk, but as we left her wreck behind we encountered another obstacle in the shape of a large raft, made of immense trees chained together. We ground over them, and as I thought myself clear of all further impediments, was congratulating myself upon having nothing further to do but push ahead and return some of the shots which were now falling upon us thick and furiously; but just at this moment the Brooklyn wouldnt move, and looking round to see what was the matter 1 discovered that one of my anchors, which was hanging at the starboard quarter, had caught into the wreck of the crushed-up hulk, and being torn from its fastenings, was way out astern, and the hawser, or small cable, which was fast to it, was as taut as a bar. Just then the current, which here runs at the rate of 4 miles an hour, and against us, had caught us on our port bow, and was sweep- ing us directly on the right-hand shore of the river (going up). A moment sufficed to cut away the cable and to free us, and as our head touched the shore our good ship swung in the right direction and we went on, steaming up the river from the hottest position of the fight. Still keeping in view what I supposed to be the Hartfords fire, I hurried on, and in a few minutes found myself close to Fort St. Philip, in 13 feet water (our ship drawing l5~ feet). We passed, helped by the eddy current, these batteries at what might be called double-quick time, but not before we had poured in our three broadsides, which completely drove the rebels from their guns, silencing their fire. In my report I think I said we were not more than 150 yards from the forts as we passed them. I have been told since by those who saw us, and know the position of that fort, that we passed inside of 430 yards. Pretty close work to fight our eleven guns against sixty, and that, too, entirely unsupported, for at this critical time I could discover none of our own vessels, and was engaging, besides the fort, two of the rebels strongest vessels (both fitted for ramming)one an iron- clad battery, the Louisiana, the other a large iron-prowed steamer, the IV~jtrrior. The Warrior received our broadside of shells, and was soon in flames, but the Louisiana was impregnable to our grape and canister, and the only damage she sustained from us was the killing and wounding of a few of her exposed crew. Amongst those wounded was poor Charlie McIntosh. As we squeezed between the Louisiana and the upper battery 1 thought our part of the fight was ended, and as I could not bring any more of our guns to bear upon the enemy, I had nothing else to do but to push on, according to orders, and get above the forts, and supposing from the direction of the noise and flashes of light that I was steering in the right direction, we went on at full speed. But in a few minutes I found the Brooklyn was not so eager to get out of the fight, for the tide had set us over to the other shore, and all at once I discovered we were almost directly under the fire of Fort Jackson, receiving a raking and terribly scorching fire, without the possibility of bringing any o Page 198 198 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. our guns to bear, and at the same time as we grazed the shore, the ]Jfanas8a8, or more properly speaking the Mannapes, made her appearance on our starboard beam, steering directly toward our smokestack. I was too near the shore to get out of her way, and could only hope to lessen the blow by giving the order to port the helm hard. But she was too close, and the next moment, as she was within 10 feet of us, a flash from an up-and-down pair of port shut- ters, the report of her gun, and then her butt in our side, jarred the Brooklyn fore and aft. At first I thought, as a matter of course, that we must sink, but on sending the carpenter down to ascertain what damage we had sustained from the shock, he soon after returned, say- ing All right, sir; no harm done. Meanwhile the black, whale-like looking beast, dropped alongside and fell astern of us, and as she was doing so the leadsman in the chains threw his lead at a couple of per- sons who were standing in a scuttle just forward of her smokestack and knocked one of them overboard. Clear of the Mannapes, and clear of the shore, day began to dawn, the firing and smoke ahead began to subside, and, as I pushed ahead, to my great astonishment found that the Brooklyn was above the forts, and ahead of us two or three of our gunboats, firing into some half dozen rebel gunboats, which had been disabled, run on shore, set fire to, and abandoned. The TTaruna (Boggs) was sinking, firing and running on shore, where she soon grounded, head high up in the reeds, and her glorious crew were saved by some of our boats which happened to be near at hand. The river banks on either side were strewed with burning wrecks of the shattered and flying rebel gunboats, and then as I looked astern the Hartford, Pen8acola, Richmond, and a few straggling gunboats were making their way up, having successfully passed the forts. A more desperate, a more magnificent dash was never made, the rush of our little fleet over the barriers, through a fleet of rams, ironclad gunboats, batteries, and fire ships, and under the concentrated fire of two powerful forts, where the passage between them is just 1,000 yards wide, is, beyond all peradventure, the most brilliant thing in the way of a naval fight ever performed. As for myself, I must confess that I never expected to get through. I had always looked upon it as a most desperate undertaking, and thought that but few of our num- ber would be left to witness our most terrible disaster. But the Lord of Hosts was with us, and though no one can tell how it was done, by His Divine Providence we passed through this fiery ordeal. On we went, and as we reached a point about 3~ miles above, we discovered a rebel camp, which was, with its occupants, some 700 troops, already in possession of our leading gunboats. Here we anchored to bury our dead, and on looking around found that some of our gunboats were missing, only one of which, the Varuna, could be accounted for. The other three had either been unable to pass the forts or sunk. No one knew which, but all hoped that they were yet safe. Far up the river we could see the smokestacks of three rebel steamers, which were running like mad to get out of our clutches. They were too fast for us, and we were compelled to abandon all hopes of catching them. After resting awhile, washing our decks of the blood and mangled remains of our killed and wounded, temporarily stopping leaks and repairing other damages, we, at about 11 oclock, again started on a rush for New Orleans. We had been led to believe that the river was lined with batteries, but, as the great barrier had been passed, as eac Page 199 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 199 vessel got underway and fell into line, such cheers for the Union, such cheers for the flag, such cheers for our victory, were never before heard in the valley of the * * * [The remainder of this letter can not be found.] [T. T. CRAVEN.] Report of Commander Alden, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Richmond. U. S. S. RICHMOND, Off New Orlean8, April ~7, 1869?. Sin: In accordance with your instructions I herewith enclose copies of the boatswains and carpenters reports of the damage done to this vessel by the enemys shot during the engagement of Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the morning of the 24th instant. The list of casual- ties I have already forwarded to you. It is very small, there being but 2 killed and 4 wounded. Much injury to the men, I am sure, was saved by a carefully prepared splinter netting. At one point between the guns the netting was forced out to its utmost tension; indeed, large pieces of plank were thus saved from sweeping the deck and per- haps destroying the men at the guns, and I would therefore recom- mend that in our future operations these simple pain-savers, or life- preservers, be adopted in the other ships of the fleet. I must beg leave to call your attention to another simple and very effective expedient which was resorted to on board this vessel to obtain light, an element so essential in a night attack on board ship. The deck and gun carriages were whitewashed fore and aft, and it was truly wonderful to note the difference; when before all was darkness, now side tackle falls, handspikes, ammunition, and, indeed, every- thing of the kind about the decks, were plainly visible by the contrast. This idea being so novel, and at the same time effective, I trust it will receive through you the notice it deserves, so that when others are driven to the dire necessity of a night attack they may have all the advantages the discovery ensures. We had much difficulty in groping our way through that fiery chan- nel, our ship being so slow, and the enemy was met in the worst form for our profession, but the hand of a kind Providence gave us the victory. No men could behave better throughout that terrible ordeal than the crew of this vessel did. My thanks for support are due to them and the officers generally. I am especially indebted to Mr. Terry, our second lieutenant, for his ready and intelligent aid in the manage- ment of the ship during the action; but to Mr. Cummings, our first lieutenant, are mainly due, as far as this ship is concerned, the hand- some results of that morning. By his cool and intrepid conduct the batteries were made to do their whole duty; not a gun was pointed or a shot sent without its mark. My thanks are due to Mr. Bogart, my clerk, who took the place of Mr. John B. Bradley, masters mate, who was shot down at my side while gallantly performing his duty as my aid. 1 am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, JAMES ALDEN, Commander. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding TYe8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron Page 200 200 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. [Enclosures.] U. S. S. RICHMOND Off New Orleans, April 27, [1862]. SIR: I have the honor to report the following injuries to our rigging in the action of the 24th instant: Two shrouds, port main rigging, cut through by shot. One shroud, starboard main rigging, cut through by shot. One shroud, port fore rigging, cut through by shot. One maintopmast backstay cut through by shot. One main stay (slightly) stranded by shot. One connecting link of screw, maintopmast backstay, shot away. One catfall and block shattered by a shot. One ring stopper (chain) shot away. One fore pendant tackle, upper block, shot away. One main trysail halliard shot away. Respectfully, ISAAC T. CHOATE Boatswatn. Lieutenant A. B. CUMMINGS, Executive Oficer, Richmond. U. S. S. RICHMOND New Orleans, April 27, [18621. SIR: I beg leave to state the damage sustained by this vessel in the action of the 24th instant: One shot, carrying away billet-head with 6 feet of headrail, on star- board side. One shot, shattering stem badly from water line 4 feet up, cutting three planks entirely off, and starting five planks on port side. One shot on starboard bow, 1 foot above water line, tearing off 3 feet of planking, breaking timber and ceiling, and lodging in ships side. One shot under No. 1 gun port, passing through between decks, tear- ing off 4 feet of ceiling and shattering carline in upper deck. One shot, passing through between decks under iNo. 4 gun port, split- ting stanchion and shattering pump case. One shot, shattering main rail over No. 1 gun port. One shot at main chains, breakIng main rail entirely off, shattering hammock rail and netting, and striking mainmast. One shot, cutting main rail entirely off over No. 9 gun port. One shot on starboard side under No. 8 gun port against chain cable, bursting two links and lodging in ships side. One shot forward side of gun port No. 10, shattering stan(hion and ceiling. One shot 2 feet above water line under star- board quarter, passing through timber and exploding, tearing off ceiling, tearing up water-closet and berth deck, and starting off eight plank from timbers at water line. Fragments of shell passing through bulwarks on starboard quarter and breaking sash and blind in cabin door. One shot in port quarter, striking and shattering timber of propeller well. One shot in foreyard, cutting it halfway off in starboard quarter. Four shots not doing any material damage. Since writing the above I find that the smaller chain was broken by a fragment of a shell. The shot that burst the large chain was a 32-poun Page 201 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 201 shot, which was broken by the concussion. There are also several musket balls found in the boats and ships side. Respectfully, etc., II. L. DIXON, Carpenter. Lieutenant CUMMINGS, Executive OjJZcer, Richmond. Report of Captain Morris, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Pensacola. U. S. S. PENSACOLA, At Anchor off New Orleans, April 28, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report the following incidents and occur- rences of the conflict of the 24th and 25th of April, in passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip and their adjacent batteries; also the engage- ment with the rebel gunboats and the ram which were stationed above those forts; also the action with the batteries located a few miles below this city, and which latter took place on the 25th instant. Your order to me was that this ship should, after passing the barn- dade below the forts, proceed to the attack of Fort St. Philip, in order to divert its fire from your division, so that you should not be exposed to the fire of both of these forts at the same time. On our arrival at the opening of the barricade, the enemy opened his fire on us. We proceeded slowly through it, firing only our bow guns until we reached a position where our broadside guns could be used. We then proceeded on slowly, frequently stopping and return- ing his fire, sustaining that of the rebel gunboats at the same time until we had reached a point above that fort where its fire could no longer reach us. The ram, after having struck the Varuna gunboat and forced her to run on shore to prevent sinking, advanced to attack this ship, coming down on us right ahead. She was perceived by Lieu- tenant F. A. Roe just in time to avoid her by sheeriug the ship, and she passed close on our starboard side, receiving, as she went by, a broadside from us. The gunboats of the enemy now fled up the river, and some of them were run on shore and set fire to by their own crews. We were under the fire of the enemy about two hours. We then steamed up the river to render assistance to the T~aruna. We sent our boats to her to assist in taking off her officers and crew, and have 7 of the former and about 60 of the latter now on board. The conduct of the officers and crew of this ship was in every respect praiseworthy, evincing coolness and courage of the highest order. The fire of the guns was kept up with all the rapidity which the circum- stances of the action demanded to insure injury to the enemy without the wasting of ammunition. The amount of damage inflicted by us on him can not be ascertained, but I believe that it must have been very considerable. It is impossible in a night attack to do justice to each officers merits by specifying his particul~ r conduct in the battle, but the result of the conflict is the best evidence of the great good behavior of them all. I must speak of the coolness and ability displayed by Lieutenant F. A. Roe, the executive oflicer of this ship. His station being on the bridge next to me, enabled me to witness it. My eyesight is quit Page 202 202 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. defective, especially at night, and I am compelled to rely on that of others. I was, therefore, obliged to give to Lieutenant Roe the duty of directing the ships course through the opening of the barricade, as well as the ascending of the river, during the whole action. The judgment and skill shown by him in the performance of this duty can not be surpassed. We had no pilot on board, and he performed that duty with the most remarkable ability and success. I recommend and most strongly urge upon the Navy Department the propriety and justice of promoting him to the rank of commander, as a reward for the highly important services which he has rendered in this battle. In my opinion he has fairly earned it, and ought to receive it. In the action of the 25th instant with the batteries just below this city the ship received but little injury in her hull and rigging and none of the officers or crew were killed or wounded. I enclose herewith a report of the surgeon of the killed and wounded; also one of the injury sustained by the ship in her hull and rigging. I am, very respectfully, HENRY W. MoRRIS, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGIJT, U. S. Navy, Captain. Commanding Western Division Gulf Blockading Squadron. [Enclosures.] U. S. S. PENSACOLA, Off New Orleans, April 928, 18692. SIR: The following is a list of the rigging of this ship which was shot away and wounded in the actions of the 24th and 25th of April, 1862: One screw of starboard main rigging. One screw of port mizzen rigging. Plate of topsail halliard block in the starboard forechains shot away. One topmast backstay wounded. One shroud of port main rigging shot away. One leg of mizzen stay shot away. Mizzen stay wounded. Three shrouds of main rigging on the port side wounded slightly. One shroud on starboard side of main rigging wounded slightly. Some running rigging shot away. Very respectfully, C. E. MCKAY, Captain HENRY W. MORRIS. Acting Jilaster. U. S. STEAM SLOOP PENSACOLA, Off New Orleans, April 929, 18692. SIR: I would respectfully report the damages this steamer sustained in carpenters department, as follows, viz: One shot entering starboard bow (raking), just beneath spar-deck lodging knees, cutting its way through the side and tearing in splin- ters a hanging knee, cutting through deck beam, thence striking bitt, badly splintering this, and lodging in another beam amidships. Second Page 202A UNITED STATES STEAMER PENSACOLA Page 202B Page 203 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 203 through main rigging (starboard), ploughing through bridge, going out at main rail (port), which it cut entirely off. Third, struck sheet chain outside, badly cutting two strakes wales at No. 6 gun port. Fourth, came through side at No. 3 gun port, cutting two strakes spirketing, crossing deck and demolishing one side of a gun carriage. Fifth, came through No. 7 gun port, tearing away two fife-rail stanchions, cutting through mainmast, crippling mast hoop, passing out of side of gun port, tearing away framing stanchion and plank. Sixth, struck iron knee under the bridge, cutting it off. Seventh, through hammock nettings, mizze n rigging, badly cutting main rail, passed out through port netting, cutting off hammock rails. Eighth, came through side near poop deck, cutting away framing timber and plank. Ninth, starboard quarter, about 5 feet above water, not through plank. The above are, sir, all I have been able to ascertain. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOSEPH E. Cox, Captain H. W. MORRIS, Act~na Carpenter. Commander U. S. S. Pensacola. P. 5. To the above should be included two boats, one very badly stove; also masts and gratings badly cut up by shell. Report of Lieutenant Roe, U. S. Navy, executive officer of the U. S. S. Pensacola. U. S. S. PENSACOLA, New Orleans, April 30, 186~3. SIR: I respectfully beg leave to report the following facts and inci- dents connected with our engagement of the 24th instant with Forts Jackson and St. Philip and their adjacent batteries, and also with the fleet of rebel gunboats and rams: I have reason to congratulate myself that 1 ordered the men to lie down flat on the deck to receive the Ilrst fire of the forts until our guns were in range. By this means I have no doubt many valuable lives were saved and no ammunition was thrown away by firing at random. Soon as the battery opened upon the enemy it did great execution by its rapidity of fire and the certainty of its aim. The conduct of our people was gallant in the highest degree. Too great praise can not be awarded to Lieutenant James Stiliwell for his coolness and activity. He moved constantly from one division to another, encouraging the guns crews, instructing them how to act and how to fire, and when some of them were disabled by their num- bers falling, and the wounded lying helpless in the darkness encum- bered the decks, Lieutenant Stillwell, by his presence and coolness, restored order and maintained an unremitting fire from every gun. Although himself knocked down by a cannon shot, he recovered his presence of mind, which never forsook him, and was always found where he was most needed. The forward division, consisting of the XJ-inch pivot and 80-pound rifle gun, was admirably served under the orders of Acting Master E. C. Weeks. Masters Mate Alfred H. Reynolds came aft on th Page 204 204 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. hammock nettings to report to me the loss of the rammer of his 80- pounder. While aft, by the bridge, near No. 5 gun, he had his sword belt cut from his waist in three pieces. But this officer never for a moment faltered in his duty at the forward division. Mr. Cox, the carpenter, was quite severely wounded in the beginning of the engage- ment and was compelled to go below. Mr. Goodrich, the boatswain, was also wounded by a fragment of shell lodging in his arm, and, though suffering great pain and loss of blood, remained at his station to the end of the conflict. His conduct is worthy of the highest praise. The crew of No. S gun was most severely dealt with. In the very beginning of the action, John Ryan, the gun captain, was mortally wounded, and several others fell. Patrick Hughes (seaman), who was first sponger, showed himself particularly active, and his conduct has, in my opinion, redeemed his previous bad character. William Grey, 1st, the first loader of No. 3 gun, very deliberately picked up a 32-pound shot which landed on deck and threw it over- board, supposing it to be a shell. I call special attention to the gun captain of the rifled howitzer aft, which, though much exposed, was served with great ability and activ- ity, although iio officer whatever superintended it. James MeCloud (captain foretop), a volunteer from the Colorado, was the gun captain of this piece. I earnestly commend him to your favorable notice. I have also to notice the fine conduct of Louis Richards, the quarter- master at the wheel, during this terrific fire. All through the din and roar of battle this man never once erred in steering the ship through the narrow opening of the barricade, and his watchful devotion to my orders contributed in a great degree to the successful passage of the ship, without once fouling the shore or the obstacles of the barricade. The coolness of this man, at a station of no ordinary danger, was per- fectly heroic. Assistant Engineer Huntly, stationed at the bell abreast of No. 5 gun, was wounded at the same time that guns crew was disabled. He was urged to go below, but refused to leave his station, and remained there all through the action. I must make very special mention of Thomas Flood (boy), who acted as my aid on the bridge. He was swept from my side along with the signal quartermaster, Murray, who had his leg shot away by a shell which burst near to them. Flood, finding himself unhurt on the deck below the bridge, assisted the signal quartermaster to get below. After getting him into the hands of the surgeon, Flood promptly returned to my side and assisted me very materially by taking the duties of signal quarter- master upon himself. This duty he performed with the coolness, exactitude, and fidelity of a veteran seaman. I can not speak too warmly of Flood, and I would be glad to see him appointed a midship- man in the Navy. His intelligence and gentle character are of a high order. The powder division was perfectly served under the command of Paymaster George L. Davis. Its good order and efficiency are worthy of special notice. There are but two instances of conduct which I record with pain: John McDonald (seaman), from the (hlorado, was the second captain of No. 6 gun; when the first captain was wounded by a bursting shell, this man gave up his gun. One of the guns crew was heard by Lieutenant Stiliwell calling for some one to take charge of the gun, and no one coming, he took charge of it himself Page 205 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 205 The other instance is still more humiliating: William Cooper (ordi- nary seaman), shellman of No. 2 gun, deserted his station and was twice hauled out from behind the forward bitts by the men of our ship. The scorn and contempt of our crew for this man appears to be condemnation enough. Other examples of courage and coolness, however, are so marked and striking that it is a source of pride and congratulation to me that I have been able to go into battle with such men. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, F. A. ROE, Executive Officer. Captain HENRY W. MORRIS, Commanding U. S. S. Pen8acola. Report of Rear-Admiral Farragut transmitting reports of Commander Smith, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Mississippi. No. 260.] FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, New Orlean8, Novemlwr 19, 18693. SIR: By some inadvertence the reports of Commander M. Smith, of the ilfie8is8ippi, failed to appear in the reports of the naval engagements on the Mississippi River. I have, therefore, requested him to furnish me with copies of the same, which I herewith forward, to be inserted should a revised edition be published. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Rear-Admiral. Hon. GIDEON WELLES Secretary of the Navy. [Enclosure.] U. S. S. MISSISSIPPI, Off New Orlean8, November 17, 1862. SIR: My official report of the 26th of April having, by some inad- vertency, been omitted in the publication of the capture of Forts Jack- son and St. Philip and the city of New Orleans, I enclose a revised copy, to be embodied in a new edition, if one should be issued. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, MELANCTON SMITH, Rear-Admiral D. G. FARRAGUT, Captain, U. S. iVavy. Commanding Western Division Gulf Blockading Squadron. [Subenclosures.] U. S. S. MISSISSIPPI, 2Ibssiss~ppi River, April26, 1862. SIR: I have to report that the injuries sustained by this ship in the engagements of the 24th and 25th instant with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the rebel gunboats, the ram Jifanassas, and the batteries below the city of New Orleans, are not of a very serious nature. Ten shots were received, eight of which passed entirely through the ship. The ram Auianassas likewise inflicted an extensive wound on the port quar- ter below the water line. All these injuries can be temporaril Page 206 206 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. remedied, with the exception of the latter and the severe damage done to the outer shaft-bearing and mizzenmast. I regret exceedingly that my disabled machinery and a burning steamer that was drifting down upon us did not allow me to take the iJfanassa8 in tow after her surrender, thereby preserving her intact for our own use, as the engines were still in operation when my boats, with an engineer and crew, boarded her. At this time it became necessary to recall my boats, when I directed her to be set on fire, and then so riddled her with shot that she was dislodged from the bank and drifted below the forts, when she blew up and sank. I respectfully refer you to the accompanying report of Surgeon R. T. Maccoun for the casualties that occurred among the crew, and to the enclosed statements of the carpenter and gunner of the damages of the vessel and the expenditure of ammunition. I have much pleasure in mentioning the efficient service rendered by Executive Officer George Dewey, who kept the vessel in her station during the engagement, a task exceedingly difficult from the darkness and thick smoke that enveloped us from the fire of our vessel and the burning gunboats. I would also refer in terms of praise to the conduct of all the officers and men under my command. As I consider that all the vessels under fire did their utmost to sub- due the enemy and destroy his defenses, I deem it unnecessary to enter into any further detail of the exploits performed by the llfisSi8sippi, as we all must share alike in the honor of your victory. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, MELANCTON SMITH, (ommander, CL S. Nary. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding Western Division Gulf Blockading Squadron. U. S. S. Mississir~i 1L1i~ssi~ssu~ppi River, April 26, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order I have to report the following injuries received by this ship in the engagements with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, gunboats, ram, etc., on the 24th and 25th instant, viz: A shot on starboard side through quarter ports, carrying away after frame and a portion of berthing, going up through the ship and carrying away mizzen channels on port side; a shot on starboard quar- ter alongside the after air port, passing through the ship between two after air ports on port side. A shot through starboard hammock nettings; starboard guard injured by a shot in forward part. A shot under guard beam, carrying away a large portion of same. A shot through upper part of starboard wheelhouse, carrying away the A brace. A shot under center of fore channels, one foot above the copper on port side, and landed in the engine room floor. A shot in hammock nettings in wake of mainmast. Two shots through first cut- ter on port side in wake of mainmast. A shot through mizzenmast, 12 feet above the deck. Injuries received by the ram on port quarter, cutting four strakes of plank, 7 feet long and in some places 4 inche Page 207 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 207 deep, and the heads of 50 copper bolts. On the 26th, by collision, lost jib boom and whiskers. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN GREEN, Commander MELANCTON SMITH, Carpenter. Commanding ifiS8isslppi. Report of Commander Lee, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Oneida. U. S. S. ONEIDA, New Orleans, April 26, 1862. I report the part borne by the Oneida during the actions on the morning of the 24th, between 3 and 6 a in., with Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip and the rebel gunboats, and in the battle of New Orleans, at noon on the 26th. Action with Forts Jackson and St. Philip. The Oneida was under your order, the fourth in line ahead in the leading division, which was instructed by you to pass on the Fort St. Philip side and not to fire the port battery. Hence the port 32-pound- ers were shifted to, and our pivot guns trained on the starboard side. The enemys fire was very heavy, and began from both forts as soon as we got within long range of their guns, which was on opening the point a mile and a half below Fort Jackson. I found it necessary, until past the forts, to pilot and to direct all operations from the forecastle after nearing the opening in the barrier, where the 2Jbss%sslpp ~ (our next head) seemed at a stand, as if aground, on the Fort St. Philip side, when she commenced firing her port battery. This obstruction to our passage was removed as, caught by the cur- rent on the starboard bow, the iJfississippi shot over to and rather down on the Fort Jackson side. Then the Varuna (our next astern) appeared on our port side and showed black smoke. The Oneida was steered in for the Fort St. Philip side, passed up quickly in the strong eddy, and close under the guns of that fort (so that the sparks from its immense battery seemed to reach us), fired rapidly bolts from two rifled guns. (we had no shell for them), grape and canister from the forward 32-pounders, and shrapnel from the two XI-inch pivot guns, whilst passing this long line of works. (It was, perhaps, the burning of the sulphur in our XI-inch shrapnel which occasioned the officers in Fort St. Philip to enquire, after the surrender, if our shells were not filled with Greek fire.) The terrific fire from the heavy batteries of Fort St. Philip passed over us, their guns seeming to be too much elevated for our close position. Action with the gunboats. When just above the forts we encountered the gunboats and trans- ports of the enemy. The former, it seems from the subsequent reports of our prisoners, were tied to trees along the steep bank above Fort St. Philip; thence passing over to the Fort Jackson side, thes Page 208 208 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. gunboats came down to meet us. It was very thick from darkness and smoke. We had now got on the Fort Jackson side. A flash revealed the rani iJifiana88a8 gliding down our port side below our guns, and passing too close and swiftly, aided by steam and the current, to enable us to bring our heavy guns to bear on her. Next came a gun- boat, quite near, and passing from the Fort Jackson to Fort St Philip side across our bow. Ran into it with a full head of steam and cut it down with a loud crash on its starboard quarter. Clear of our guns in a moment, it drifted downstream in the darkness. We now slowed down, and afterwards used the steam as necessary to get or keep posi- tion in fighting the gunboats, firing right and left into them as we could ascertain (from other indications than black smoke, on account of the J7faruna) that we were not firing into one of our steamers; for- bore to fire into those steamers that appeared to be river transports, and ceased firing into others when they made no return. In this manner we fired into and passed several rebel boats on the right bank, leaving it for those who came after to pick up the prizes. A black gunboat with two masts, a converted sea steamer, ran ahead after a brief contest. At or near daybreak we found the Cayuga on our port side. After consultation with Captain Bailey, we concluded to wait for the fleet to come up and form in order. Captain Bailey afterwards hailed that the Tfaruna might be ahead. Looked for her, but could not make her out, and received reports from the first lieu- tenant and the officer on the forecastle that she was not in sight. When we had steamed a mile or more ahead of the Cayuqa, saw her general signal No. 80, but as there was nothing in sight of us needing assistance, supposed the signal to refer to some vessel astern of Cay~tga. Moving ahead, reconnoitering, came up with what in the gray of the morning appeared to be a fort, but what on nearer approach proved to be a rebel camp on the right bank, with a large rebel flag flying over it. Fired into it, but no reply was made, no one was seen mov- ing, and the camp seemed deserted. Passed on, leaving the trophy flag flying, and soon received a report that the Varuna was ahead and that the enemy was trying to board her. Went ahead with all speed to her assistance. Approaching rapidly, saw the Varuna ashore on the left bank of the river, where she had been driven by two rebel gunboats. At 5.30 a. m. fired on one of them, the black gunboat, our previous acquaintance, with the forecastle rifle gun. He had hoisted his jib (his wheel ropes being gone) and was trying to escape up river, but both rebel gunboats, finding they could not get away, ran on shore, the black one, which proved to be the Governor liifioore, Com- mander Kennon, on the left bank, above the Varuna, and the (name yet unkown) on the right bank, opposite the Varana, with her head upstream. After we had driven them ashore their crews deserted, but not before setting fire to their vessels. With our boats, captured Commander Kennon (formerly of our Navy), one first lieutenant of artillery, one chief engineer, and 14 of the crew of the Governor Moore; also a rebel signal book and some official papers showing that the rebel gunboats were ordered to ram our vessels and to distinguish themselves by showing lights, which they must soon have found prudent to haul down. Seeing that the Varuna. was sinking, sent our boats and went to her asssistance. Brought on board Oneida the first lieutenant, 2 acting masters, Page 208A UNITED STATES STEAMER ONEIDA Page 208B Page 209 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 209 mates, and 40 petty officers and seaman of the Varuna, and sent 10 others. 7 of whom were wounded, to the Pensacola. The Varana had been rammed and badly stove by both of these rebel gunboats, which had kept with or after her up river, and she was filling, with her magazine flooded, when the Oneida drove off her assailants, preventing her officers and crew from being captured, and was received by them with loud and hearty cheers. The Chyuga (Captain Baileys flag) also cheered the Oneida heartily for opportunely coming to his support that morning. Battle of New Orleans. In the action of the 25th, the Oneida being next to the Pensacola, shared in the actual engagement with Fort Chalmette, on the famous old battle ground. The entire action lasted but ten minutes. The enclosed report of the surgeon shows the extent of our loss to be but 3 persons slightly wounded in these three actions. Fort Jackson sent a heavy shell through our port side and coal bunker (which was full of coal), the shell falling, and fortunately without exploding, on our berth deck. The gunboats gave us one glancing shot on the starboard bow and a quantity of grape, mostly on the starboard side. The officers and men of my command displayed courage, coolness, and skill. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, yours, S. PHILLIPS LEE, Cornmandinq. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, U. S. Navy, cornmandivg Western Blockading Squadron. Report of Surgeon Taylor, of the U. S. S. Oneida. U.S. S. ONEIDA, lllississippi River, April 24, 1862. SIR: I beg leave to report the casualties which occurred to-day on board the Oneida, while passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and during an engagement with the gunboats of the enemy: Sliqhtly woanded.John Dyer, seaman, fingers cut with a piece of shell; Thomas Grey, seaman, head cut with a piece of shell; Robert Watson, seaman, leg cut with a piece of shell. Very respectfully, etc., JOHN Y. TAYLOR, Commander S. PHILLIPS LEE, U. S. Navy, Surgeon. Commanding U S. S. Oneida. [Endorsement.] No casualties in the battle of New Orleans, April 25, 1862. S. PHILLIPS LEE, Commander. N W KVOL 15 1 Page 210 210 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Captain Bailey, U. S. Navy, transmitting report of Commander Boggs, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Varuna. U. S. STEAM GUNBOAT CAYUGA, At Sea, JJliay 8, 186~2. SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith a duplicate of the report of Commander Boggs, late of the Varuna, and attached to my division of the attacking force. This gallant officer came up with his vessel to my support when I had more enemys steamers attacking me than I could well attend to. I afterwards saw him in conflict with three of the enemys steamers, and directed Commander Lee, of the Oneida, to go to his support, which he did in the most dashing manner. Commander Boggss description of the loss of his vessel I believe to be accurate. I saw him bravely fighting his guns level with the water as his vessel gradually sunk underneath, leaving her bow resting on the shore and above water. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, T. BAILEY, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Captain. Secretary of the Navy, Wa8hinqton. Report of Commander Boggs, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Varuna. U.S. S. BROOKLYN, Off New Orleane, April ~9, 186t?. SIR: I have the honor to report that after passing the batteries with the steamer Varana, under my command, on the morning of the 24th, finding my vessel amid a nest of rebel steamers, I started ahead, deliv- ering her fire both starboard and port at everyone that she passed. The first on her starboard beam that received her fire appeared to be crowded with troops. Her boiler was exploded and she drifted to the shore. In like manner three other vessels, one of them a gunboat, were driven on shore in flames, and afterwards blew up. At 6 a. in. the Varun~ct was attacked by the liforgan, ironclad about the bow, commanded by Beverly Kennon, an ex-naval Qificer. This vessel raked us along the port gangway, killing 4 and wounding 9 of the crew, butting the Varuna on the quarter and again on the starboard side. I managed to get three VIII-inch shells into her abaft her armor, as also several shot from the after rifled gun, when she dropped out of action, partially disabled. While still engaged with her, another rebel steamer, ironclad, with a prow under water, struck us in the port gangway, doing considerable damage. Our shot glancing from her bow, she backed off for another blow and struck again in the same place, crashing in the side, but by going ahead fast the concussion drew her bow around, and I was able with the port guns to give her, while close alongside, five VIJI-inch shells abaft her armor. This settled her and drove her ashore in flames. Finding the T~aruna sink- ing, I ran her into the bank, let go the anchors, and tied up to the trees. During all this time the guns were actively at work crippling the iliforgan, making feeble efforts to get upstream. This 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. The Oneida, Captain Lee, seeing the condition of the Varuna, had rushed to her assistance, b~ut I waived her on, and the Aforgan surrendered t Page 211 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 211 her, the vessel in flames. I have since learned that over ~iO of his crew were killed and wounded, and she was set on fire by her com- mander, who burned his wounded with his vessel. I can not award too much praise to the officers and crew of the Varuna for the noble manner in which they supported me and their coolness under such exciting circumstances, particularly when extin- guishing fire, having been set on fire twice during the action by shells. In fifteen minutes from the time the Varuna was struck she was on the bottom, with only her topgallant forecastle out of water. The officers and crew lost everything they possessed, no one thinking of leaving his station until driven thence by the water. I trust the atten- tion of the Departwent will be called to this loss, and compensation made to those who have lost their all. The crew were taken off by the different vessels of the fleet as fast as they arrived, and are now distributed through the sqnadron. The wounded were sent to the Pen8acola. I would particularly commend to the notice of the Department Oscar Peck, second-class boy and powder boy of the after rifle, whose coolness and intrepidity attracted the attention of all hands. A fit reward for such services would be an appointment at the naval school. The marines, although new recruits, more than maintained the repu- tation of that Corps. Their galling fire cleared the lllorgan8 rifled gun and prevented a repetition of her niurderous fire. Four of the marines were wounded, one, I fear, mortally. So soon as the crew were saved I reported to you in person, and within an hour left in the only remaining boat belonging to the T~aruna with your dispatches for General Butler, returning with him yesterday afternoon. Very respectfully, CIJAS. S. BOGOS, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, commander, U S. Navy. commanding JT~e8tern Gu~f Blockading Squadron. Report of Commander Boggs, U. S. Navy, transmitting report of the executive officer of the U. S. S. Varuna. PHILADELPHIA, Jitne 6, 1869?. Sw: I have the honor to forward the report of Lieutenant C. H. Swasey, late executive officer of the U. S. S. Varuna. His report was forwarded me by mail from New Orleans, and should properly have been forwarded to the Department through Flag-Officer Farragut, but the inexperience of Lieutenant Swasey will, I trust, be considered a sufficient apology for this. I would call the special atten- tion of the Department to the names of the crew mentioned in his report, and would request that, in accordance with the spirit of the act for the better government of the Navy (section 3), approved April 23, 1800, that those of the crew rated as petty officers be by special order from the Department alloyed to retain their pay and emoluments until discharged. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS. S. BoGGs, Hon. GIDEON WELLES, commander, U. S. Navy. Secretary of the Navy Page 212 212 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Lieutenant Swasey, U. S. Navy, executive officer of the U. S. S. Varuna. U. S. S. BROOKLYN, Off New Orleans, April 29, 1862. SIR: in accordance with your request, I beg leave to submit the fol- lowing report: On the night of the 24th, after all hands had been called to quarters, I visited the different divisions to see that all the men were at their stations and ready for action. From the time of lifting our anchor until we arrived at the forts the men were quiet and orderly at their stations. When abreast of the forts we fired the starboard battery in broadside, then loaded with 5-second shell. After the first discharge we loaded and fired with grape and canister as rapidly as possible, according to orders received from you. On arriving above the forts, and clear of their fire, we found our- selves among a number of the enemys gunboats that commenced at once to open fire upon us. The order was then given to work both sides and to load with grape. Our guns were trained for extreme lateral train forward, and as we brought them to bear successively on the enemys vessels, ranged in succession on either side of the river, we fired, the guns having been first pointed with the greatest care. As far as my own observation showed me, in no case did we miss the object aimed at, and the effect of our firing seemed to keep the enemy aloof. During all this time the forward and after pivots were doing all in their power to injure the enemy. Finding that we were getting too far from the enemy for the use of grape, we loaded with 5-second shell and fired. One of these shells struck a steamer and, bursting, carried away his port wheelhouse and exploded his boiler. Three other steamers were set on fire and driven ashore by our shell. We had passed nearly through the fleet of the enemys gunboats when we discovered one of them, then engaging the Oneida, heading for us, apparently with the intention of running us down. Owing to the small amount of steam we then had, 17 pounds, he soon began to come up with us and finally struck us twice, once abreast the main- mast and again abreast the smokestack. He did not escape the second time without receiving the contents of the starboard broadside, which, as the captain afterwards told me, swept his decks of nearly every living object. Before striking us he fired his forward gun, a rifled 32-pounder, which raked our decks, killing 3 men and wounding several. Up to this time we had passed the forts and gunboats without having a single man injured, although the ship had been struck several times. The steamer that first struck us I have since learned was the Governor Moore, ironclad on the bow, and commanded by Beverly Kennon, for- merly a lieutenant in the United States service. Hardly had we recovered from the shock of these two blows before we were struck on the port quarter by a vessel, the Stonewall Jackson, constructed for this purpose. We received so much injury from this blow that we made such a quantity of water that it was impossible to keep her afloat, and she was run ashore and every effort made to save the wounded and crew, which I am happy to say was accomplished with the friendly aid of the boats of the vessels then up with us Page 213 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 213 Here let me pause for a moment while we reflect upon the inadapt- edness of a merchant-built vessel for war purposes, particularly such as the Thruna was called upon to take part in. Had we been built with that strength which all the other vessels possessed, and the need of which becomes more apparent to the mind of the naval officer each day, we would yet be afloat off the city of New Orleans. Such vessels may perhaps do for the ordinary duties of blockade duty, and I think it is yet a question whether they will or not, but certainly they are not fit to trust lives and property on to engage works of the strongest magnitude. The Governor Afoore was subsequently run ashore and burned by her commander, now a prisoner. There is no doubt that the effect of our shot and that of the Oneida forced him to this extremity. Nor did the other vessel get off without feeling the effect of our battery, as we fired into her twice. Of the extent of her injuries I have not been able to learn; at any rate she ran ashore and was burned. Our ship kept up a continual fire on these two vessels until the water drove the men from their guns. I desire to call your attention to a few of the officers and men whose conduct fell under my own personal observation. Acting Masters Childs and Leonard fought their guns with coolness and precision and were never absent when required. I recommend them to your con- sideration, as well as Masters Mates Bevins and Foster, who fought with great bravery, being an example of coolness and determination to the men. Messrs. Blauvelt and Fitch deserve the greatest praise for the handsome manner in which they served their division. Mr. Henry, and in fact the whole engineer department, should come also for a full share of praise, as there was no possible delay, but each vied with the other to do his best. I would particularly recommend that Mr. Thomas H. Fortune be appointed in the regular service for the prompt manner in which he delivered powder during the action. On the part of the men, I would call your attention to Bourne, McKnight, Martin, and Greene, captains of guns, who did their duty through the thickest of the fight with great coolness and danger to the enemy. INor would I forget the two brave men, McGowan and Bradley, who stood at the wheel the whole of the time, although guns were raking the decks from behind them. Their position was one of the most responsible on the ship, and they did their duty to the uttermost. George Hollah and Oscar E. Peck I desire also to mention as deserv- ing great praise. If any names have been omitted that should have been mentioned, it is not because they do not deserve such mention, but because their conduct did not fall under my immediate attention. In conclusion, sir, permit me to congratulate you upon surviving this battle, of which, in my opinion, there is none more glorious in history, and on the handsome manner in which you handled your ship while passing the forts and while chased by the enemy. Your example, too, did much to help and encourage the crew during the action. Although you have lost your ship by an unavoidable acci- dent, you have the consciousness of having done your duty to your country as far as lay in your power, and I hope she will reward you for it. Permit me to thank you for the many kindnesses received at your hands while under your command, and I desire to express the regret Page 214 214 WEST OULE BLOCKALING SQUADRON. of the crew in losing a commander under whom they enjoyed many pleasant hours. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. II. SWASEY, Capt. CIJAs. ~. BOGG~, lieutenant and Executive Officer. Commanding U. S. S. Varuna. Report of Acting Assistant Paymaster Fitch, U. S. Navy, of the U. S. S. Varuna. ON BOARD U. S. S. HARTFORD, iL/lay 6, 1862. SIR: I respectfully submit to you the following statement of the whereabouts of officers and crew of the Varuna, the condition of their accounts, and my own operations. We went into the action of the 24th ultimo with 15~ officers and men. Three are known to have been killed, leaving 154 to be other- wise accounted for. I have returns of men taken on board ships Hartford, Richmond, Pensacola, Oneida, Iroquois, and Kinco, making a total of 119; add 2 (Captain Boggs and steward, who have gone home) and we have 121. This leaves 33 to be yet accounted for. These I suppose are on the different gunboats. 1 have transferred, with your approval, the accounts of 10 marines and the master-at-arms of the Varuna. The name of the latter Pay- master Plunkett objects to receiving on his books until he receives a written order from you, as he is transferred as a petty officer. The paymaster of the Iroquois objects also to receiving the accounts of persons transferred as petty officers. In this connection I desire to ask whether you will not give an order, in case any more petty officers are transferred to vessels whose complement of such officers is already full, stating in what capacity they shall be received on board? There is another difficulty attending the transfer of the majority of our crew which can not be obviated until I am ordered to Washington to settle my accounts, or hear from there. I have lost my register of allotments by the sinking of the Varuna. Payment on most of the allotments did not commence until after the end of [the] first quarter; therefore there is no mention of the allotments in quarterly pay roll, which. is the only basis of settlement I have here with me. Payment on some of them commences in April, some in May, and some in June. Paymasters will not dare to let these men have much money or clothing until they know whether they have an allotment and how much it is per month. The allotments, however, are regis- tered in Washington, and when I can have access to the Fourth Auditors Office I can speedily complete their transfer accounts. 1 can then prepare their accounts and send them to you to be approved and forwarded to the respective ships to which the men may be transferred. It is proper to state here that I have no blank books or books of any kind wherewith to keep the accounts of the persons who may depend on me for pay and rations in case 1 should be transferred to any of the vessels with prize crews on board. If I should be only assigned to them for a few days, and only had to deal out provisions, it would be easy enough; but when I come to issuing small stores an Page 214A UNITED STATES STEAMER VARUNA Page 214B Page 215 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 215 paying out cash, the affair becomes quite different and much more complicated. In making this communication my only object is to put the accounts of the officers and crew of the late steamer Varuna in train for a speedy adjustment. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHARLES T. FITCH, Acting Assistant Paymaster, U. S. S. Varuna. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding Western Division Gulf Blockading Squadron, off New Orleans, La. Report of Lieutenant Preble, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Katahdin. U. S. GUNBOAT KATAHDIN, At anchor off New Orleans, April 30, 1869~?. SIR: It gives me pleasure to report that in the passage of the forts on the morning of the 24th and the engagement with the defenses of New Orleans on the 25th, as well as on previous occasions when on advanced guard duty, exposed to the deliberate fire of the rifled cannon of the enemy, the officers and crew of this vessel have shown a bravery and cool determination worthy of all praise. While exposed to the iron hail rained over us from both forts, and the simultaneous fire of the enemys gunboats on the 24th, not a man flinched from his gun or hesi- tated in the cool performance of his duty. Where all performed so well, it is perhaps invidious to particularize. I may mention, however, as coming under my immediate notice, the deliberate way with which the first lieutenant, Mr. Green, gave his general superintendence to the serving and supplying the guns, and the other duties assigned him; and the cool, collected manner with which Acting Master W. H. Polleys conned the ship between the forts, and throughout giving his orders to the helm as promptly, decidedly, and coolly as when piloting the vessel to a usual anchorage. Acting Master George Harris, in charge of the pivot gun, and Acting Masters Mate J. H. Hartshorn, in charge of the Parrott rifle gun, did their best to annoy the enemy. At the most critical moment of the passage, and when exposed to the fire of both forts, the fire of our pivot gun was embarrassed and delayed by the shells jamming in the gun, their sabots being too large to fit the bore. As many as five shells were passed up before one could be found to fit the gun. Two became so jamnied that the shells were torn from the sabots before they could be extracted, and the sabot of one had to be blown out and the gun reloaded. Mr. Harris, the master in charge of the pivot gun, attributes this serious fault, first, to the swelling of the light wood of the too nicely fitted sabot in the damp climate of this Gulf; and, second, to the shells being packed in bags instead of boxes, which allows of the sabots get- ting bruised, even with the most careful handling. The station assigned this vessel close under the stern of the Varuna, I maintained until the dense canopy of smoke from the cannonade, aided by the night, hid everything from our view. I ordered, however, full speed to maintain my station, and seeing by the flash from her broad- side that we were passing the lWiississippi, I gave orders to cease firin Page 216 216 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. for a time until we had passed her, when I became engaged with the enemys gunboats. Above the forts, at anchor, we passed along the broadside and within 50 yards of the iron-plated battery Louisiana. To our surprise she did not fire at us, though she could have blown us out of water. After passing her I directed to keep the vessel off and give her a shot from the X1-inch pivot and Parrott, which was done, and I have since learned from one on board of her, with good effect, tearing a hole the size of the shell through and through the iron plating of her bow. Until beyond the fire of the forts, Acting Assistant Paymaster Ladd attended in the wardroom to give his assistance to the surgeon, but later volunteered his services in boats and brought off to the ships refugees from the burning gunboats and shore, and assisted in disarm- ing that portion of the Chalmette Regiment which surrendered and was encamped opposite the Quarantine. 1 am happy to have no casualties to report, and that the surgeon, though ready, had no opportunity to testify his skill on board. Sev- eral of the men had their clothing torn by shot or fragments of shell, but not a man was even scratched. At the request of Captain Bailey, Doctor Robinson went on board the Cayuga after the action, where he rendered efficient service to her wounded. The vessel also escaped without serious injury. One shell passed through the smokestack and steam-escape pipe and burst, making a dozen small holes from inside outward, and another has cut about 4 to 6 inches into the foremast, and the same or another cut the foresail and some of the running rigging about the foremast, which is all the damage sustained. I attrib- ute our escaping with so little injury to our being near the head of the line, to the rapid manner in which we passed the forts, and to our passing so close under the forts that all their shot went over our heads. 1 believe also, for a time, the fire of Fort St. Philip was silenced. The two shot we received were, however, from that fort. On the arrival of the fleet at New Orleans, seeing the schooner John Gilpin, of New Orleans, lying at the levee on the Algiers side, loaded with cotton and surrounded by burning vessels and sunken docks, and fearing she might be fired, I boarded her and hoisted the American flag at her masthead and brought her captain, Archibald Forsaith, on board (and whom you afterwards released on parole) as a hostage for her safety and future delivery, not deeming it prudent or safe to put a small prize crew in possession. Captain Forsaith claimed that his vessel was British property, and that his papers were in the English consulate, but acknowledged she was intended to run the blockade. In passing down the river since I have noticed that a por- tion, if not all, of her deck load of cotton, and perhaps her remaining cargo, has been removed. Captain F. stated to me she had 265 bales of cotton on board. In conclusion, flag-officer, allow me to congratulate you upon the success attendant upon this running of the forts, beyond a doubt the most brilliant and daring naval achievement of the war. Very respectively, your obedient servant, GEO. HENRY PREBLE, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Lieutenant, Commanding. Commanding Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron Page 217 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 217 Report of Lieutenant Green, U. S. Navy, executive officer of the U. S. S. Katahdin. U. S. GUNBOAT KATAHDIN 2ih88i~SS12ypi2 River, elitne 24, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order in regard to the expenditure of ammunition in engaging and passing Forts St. Philip and Jackson and defenses of New Orleans, I report expended by this ship: XJ-inch shells 11 XI-inch grape 4 20-pounder rifle percussion shells 13 24-pounder howitzer shells 13 24-pounder howitzer shrapnel 3 24-pounder howitzer canister 5 XJ-inch 15-pound cartridges 14 20-pounder 2-pound cartridges 13 Very respectfully, NATHANIEL GREEN, Lieutenant and Ececutive Officer. Lieutenant Commanding GEORGE H. PREBLE. Report of Carpenter Green, U. S. Navy, of injuries sustained by the U. S. S. Katahdin. U. S. S. Mississippi, New Orleans, La., iWiay 12, 1862. Injuries received to U. S. gunboat Eatahdin by collision and in the engagement of the 24th ultimo, together with the number of days required to repair the same. Main stem started and shaken some distance under water- cutwater stove and requires to be rebuilt; hawse pipe on starboard side started and requires to be taken out and refitted; compressor started from deck, some of the cogs broken, and deck bolts drawn; covering board split 10 feet; two stanchions broken; butts started in spirketing; three strakes of wales outboard broken in; top rail broken for 12 feet abreast of pivot gun amidships; broken in on starboard quarter, three strakes of outboard plank under port sill; main rail and chock stove on port quarter; foremast injured by a shot half the distance up from the deck, 6 inches deep. To repair the ship she will require to go into dock for twenty days. Very respectfully, JOHN GREEN, MELANCTON SMITH, Esq., Carpenter. Commanding U S. S. Jfississippi. Report of Lieutenant Ransom, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Kineo. U. S. GUNBOAT KINEo, 2Jitiss~ss? ppi River, above the Forts, April 25, 1862. SIR: I have-the honor to report that on arriving close under the guns of Fort St. Philip, on the morning of the 24th instant, the firing was commenced fron this vessel and kept up briskly and effectivel Page 218 218 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. until we had passed entirely beyond the range of the enemys guns from either forts or gunboats. Soon after the signal by the flagship to discontinue action, I was hailed by Commander Smith of the JIiifiis~is~ippi, inviting me to accom- pany him in pursuit of the ram. It turned immediately upon the shore and was abandoned, its people escaping under a brisk fire of musketry from both vessels. I made preparations for taking it in tow by a hawser, when the iWiississippi, coming between the ~neo and ram, Commander Smith hailed, informing me that two vessels under a point below, had struck, requesting me to take possession of them. I was met there by the rebel gunboat iWicRae, which opened a sharp fire, backed by two other gunboats, all within range of the guns of either fort. The ]i~neo returned the fire of the 2JfcRae, but was obliged to put her head upstream. Having had the slide of the pivot gun carriage shattered by a shot from Fort St. Philip, the gun was temporarily disabled, and not being able, with head upstream, to bring anything to bear effect- ually, I was obliged, very reluctantly, to withdraw. I have the pleasure to state, sir, that the conduct of officers and men of this vessel throughout the action was specially admirable for its steadiness, without an exception. I enclose herewith a report of Assistant Surgeon A. S. Oberly of killed and wounded. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ~iEO. M. RANSOM Flag-Officer D. G. FAERAGUT, Lieutenant, Commanling. Commanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadro~s. Report of Lieutenant Ransom, U. S. l~avy, commanding U. S. S. Kineo, regarding injuries sustained by that vessel from collision and shot. U. S. GUNBOAT KINEo, llftsstssipjn ]?tver, above the Forts, April 28, 1862. Sin: In obedience to an order of the honorable Secretary of the Navy, dated August 16, 1852, I have to report that, on the 21st instant, in getting underway to render assistance to the U. S. S. Richmond (then supposed to be imminently in danger by the approach of a fire raft), this vessel shaving a boat swamped and towing astern in a strong current, dropped afoul of the Pensacolas chain, causing her to swing around suddenly upon U. S. gunboat Sciota, by which unavoidable accident the spirketing on the starboard side, just forward of the pivot gun port, was cut through, four knees were broken, the rail with stanchions carried away, and the starboard waist boat badly stove. And I have to report further, sir, that on the morning of the 24th instant, when standing in column up the river, and just when nearly abreast of one of several hulks forming a barrier below the forts, the U. S. S. Brooklyn, sheering suddenly to deliver her broadside at Fort Jackson, was thrown in collision with this vessel, striking us with great force upon the port bow, starting her deck beams, carrying away the bowsprit and head, giving the topgallant forecastle a slant to starboard, destroying the port waist boat and wrenching the frame of the vessel generally, apparently much out of line Page 219 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 219 And, further, the damages sustained from the ene~mys shots are as follows, viz: One through the forward coal bunker, entering the star- board side, and out, tearing away the planks considerably on the port side; one through the after coal bunker, cutting steam and exhaust pipe in the engine room; one heavy shot into the pivot gun port, shattering the slide and partially disabling the gun; one into the star- board quarter; one just above starboard fore channel, cutting the spirketing and stanchions; two through the port bulwarks; one on deck, smashing a division tube, tearing away eyebolts, and bounding out through the galley funnel; one struck the remains of the billet- head, and a hot shot was received in the port bow, which was not discovered till at anchor, but was extinguished ere it had done much injury. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. M. RANSOM, Mr. JOHN LENTHALL, Lieutenant, Commanding. Chief of Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and Repairs, Washington, D. C. Report of Assistant Surgeon Oberly, U. S. Navy, of the U. S. S. Kineo. U. S. GUNBOAT K~NEo Afississippi River, April 24, /862. Sin: The following is a list of killed and wounded Forts Jackson and [St.] Philip this morning, viz: while passing Eilled.Charles II. Kelley, captain afterguard. Wbunded.S. Wilkins Cragg, second assistant or senior engineer- John Lewis, coxswain; Samuel Walker, Henry H. Chase, Albert F. Smith, seamen; Zelotes Eldridge, ordinary seaman; John P. Tibbett& John Quinn, landsmen. Total killed, 1; wounded, 8. Respectfully, etc., A. S. OBERLY, Assistant Surqeon, U. S. Navy. Lieutenant Commanding GEORGE M. RANSOM, Commanding U. S. Gunboat Kineo. Report of Lieutenant Mackenzie, U. S. Navy, executive officer of the U. S. S. Kinec, regarding expenditure of ammunition and projectiles. U. S. GUNBOAT KINBO, Off Baton Rouge, La., June 21, 1862. Report of ammunition and projectiles expended during the attach on Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and the passage of them, ending April 24, 1862. At three rebel steamers which passed the barrier. April 17.XI-inch gun: 12 shell, 12 cartridges (180 pounds powder). 20-pounder Parrott gun: 18 time-fuze shell, 6 percussion shell, 23 cartridges (46 pounds powder) Page 220 220 WEST GUt]? BLOCKADING SQUADEON. At Fort Jackson. April 19. XI-inch gun: 42 shell, 42 cartridges (630 pounds powder). 20-pounder Parrott gun: 19 time-fuze shell, 19 cartridges (38 pounds powder). At Fort St. Philij and rebel gunboats. April s~.XI-inch gun: 9 shell, 2 grape, 1 canister, 12 cartridges (180 pounds powder). 20-pounder Parrott gun: 1 time-fuze shell, 20 percussion shell, 21 cartridges (42 pounds powder). 24-pounder howitzers: 23 shell, 23 cartridges (46 pounds powder). Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. S. MACKENZIE, Approved: Lieutenant and Executive 01/leer. GEG. M. RANSOM, Lieutenant, Commanding. Report of Lieutenant Smith, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Wissahickon. U. S. GUNBOAT WIssAHICKoN, Off Quarantine Station, iVfie8i88sppi River, April ~6, 186$?. Sw: I have to report that at 2 a in., on the 24th instant, in obedi- ence to general signal, got underway and proceeded up the river, keep- ing our position in the prescribed order of sailing till a detention by running on shore and the dense smoke of the battle, already some time commenced, rendered it impossible to keep it longer. Using our bat- tery vigorously, and to the best advantage possible, we succeeded in passing the forts and water batteries under a storm of shot and shell and volleys of musketry without loss of life or serious damage to the gunboat, which can only be attributed to the lowness of the vessel on the water. At daylight, above the forts, we were unavoidably crowded on the west bank of the river, the ram Jllianas8as being a short distance astern and heading for us, but unable to make much progress against the cur- rent. Before it reached us we had fortunately gotten off, and wit- nessed, with great satisfaction, shortly after, its destruction by the U. S. S. 21fi8~i88?~ppi. I have to report but 2 of the crew slightly wounded; four round shot through the hull of the vessel, and one through the mainmast. Officers and men performed their duty nobly and with admirable cool- ness. In this feeble tribute to their worth and services I desire to include Third Assistant Engineer G. II. White, a volunteer from the U. S. S. Colorado. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. N. SMITH, Lieutenant, Commanding. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding lYe8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron Page 221 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 221 Additional report of Lieutenant Smith, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Wissahickon. U. S. S. WIssAHICKoN, Otf New Orleans, Jiii/iay 2, 1862. SIR: In the passage by the forts on the morning of the 24th ultimo [have to report that Samuel Welch, landsman, and Michael Corcoran, fireman, were slightly wounded. This vessel received four shot in the hull and one in the mainmast. Very respectfully, your obedient servant. A. N. SMITH, Lieutenant, Gommanding. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, (ommanding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Commander De Camp, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Iroquois. U. S. S. IROQUOIS, Off New Orleans, Ailay 3, 1862. SIR: I beg to submit the Lollowing report respecting our engage- ment with Forts Jackson and St. Philip and a fleet of rebel steamers and rams in this river, April 24 and 25: The Iroquois being on picket duty during the night of the 24th and being about one mile in advance of the squadron, we observed the signal for action made on board the flagship at about 3 a. m. Soon after, the ships of the first division having passed ahead, we fell into our place astern of the Sciota, and stood toward the forts. At 4 a. m. we were hotly engaged with the forts, and shortly after a ram and the rebel gunboat AfeRac came upon our quarter and astern of us and poured into the Iroquois a most destructive fire of grapeshot and langrage, part of which was copper slugs; a great many of them were found on our decks after the action. We succeeded in getting one XI-inch shell into the ililidllae, and one stand of canister, which drove her from us. We suffered severely froni the raking cross fire of Fort St. Philip, but Fort Jackson inflicted no injury, although we passed within 50 yards of its guns. Passing the forts we were beset by five or six rebel steamers. We gave each a broadside of shell as we passed, and the most of them were entirely destroyed. Four miles above the forts we captured the enemys gunboat No. 3, armed with one 24-pounder brass howitzer and well supplied with small arms, fixed ammunition, sails, etc. At this point we also captured about forty soldiers, including Lieutenant Henderson, of the rebel Army. These men were paroled and landed at New Orleans. Some of them were so badly wounded that I sent them to the hospital without parole. They will not trouble us again very soon, I think. Anchoring by order at 9 p. in., we were again underway at daylight on the 25th, and in company with the squadron stood up the river. At Chalmette we encountered two rebel batteries, but their attempt to annoy us scarcely deserves the name of a battle. Some people on shore fired a few musket shots at us, but our marines soon dispersed them and thus ended the battle of New Orleans. The greatest praise I can bestow upon the officers of the Iroquois is to say that they all did their duty, and each one of them alway Page 222 222 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. expressed his determination to conquer. The crew and marines behaved with spirit and gallantry, which we may always expect in well-drilled Americans. Our loss in killed and wounded, I am sorry to say, is large. One masters mate, ~ seamen, and 2 marines are killed, and 24 wounded. Mr. George W. Cole, masters mate, was killed by a cannon shot, and he died bravely, shouting to the men not to mind him but to go on with their guns. The Iroquoi8 is badly injured in her hull, but her masts and spars are sound except the bowsprit and jib boom; these are hit with large shot. All our boats are smashed, and most of them are not worth repairs. I am, sir, most respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN DE CAMP, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Gommander, U S. Navy. Gomdq. We8tern Gulf Bloekdq. Squadron, New Orlean8, La. Report of Lieutenant Crosby, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Pinola. U. S. STEAM GUNBOAT PINOLA, Off New Orlean8, April 936, 18693. Sin: I have the honor to report that in obedience to your signal on the morning of the 24th instant, after having passed your orders to the Pen8aeoia and other vessels of the squadron, I took my position at 3:30 a. m. in line of battle next after the Iroquoi8, thinking the vessel which was to have preceded me had taken hers in advance, which I could not ascertain at that time, and followed on in line, passing so close to one of the enemys hulks which had been used to hold the chain rafts that one starboard quarter boat was crushed against her side. Continued on our course, and as soon as Fort Jackson bore abeam of us, about 400 yards distant, commenced firing with the XJ-inch Dahigren pivot and Parrott rifles at the flashes of the enemys guns, that being the only guide by which to distinguish their position, which the fort answered promptly and rapidly, but, owing to our proximity, their shot passed over, with the exception of two, Qne of which killed Thomas Kelly, captain of the forecastle, slightly wounding Acting Master J. G. Lloyd; the other cutting away the launchs after davit. I then ran over within 150 yards of Fort St. Philip, from which we received a terrific volley of shot, canister, grape, and musketry, nearly all of which passed over us. The fire rafts, which were burning very brightly, exposed us to the full view of the enemy and enabled them to fire at us with great precision, while we were only able to answer their forty guns with the 20-pounder rifles, the XI-inch pivot being engaged with Fort Jackson. Of those shot that struck us from Fort St. Philip one entered our starboard quarter, cut away part of the wheel, and severely wounded William Ackworth, quartermaster, who returned to his station as soon as his wounds were dressed. Acting Masters Mate William H. Thompson promptly took the wheel at the time of the disaster. The second entered the hull at the water line on the starboard side, 8 inches forward of the boilers, passed through the coal bunker, and lodged in the pump well, and cut th Page 223 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 223 sounding well in two. The third cut away the top of the steam escape pipe. The fourth cut away the starboard chain cable from the anchor, passed through the bow and yeomans storeroom, and lodged in the port side, starting off the outside planking. The fifth struck the top- gallant forecastle and carried away part of the rail. The sixth passed through the plank-sheer, abreast of the XI-inch pivot gun. The seventh struck a barricade of hammocks forward of the forehatch. The eighth cut away one of the dead-eyes of the starboard fore-rigging. The ninth cut a bucket from the hands of Acting Master William P. Gibbs, in charge of the pivot gun. The tenth knocked the rammer from the hands of H enry Harrington, loader, who soon, with the assistance of the guns crew, made a temporary one, the spare rammer having been lost overboard at the commencement of the action. The eleventh passed entirely through the hull, immediately over the magazine, demolishing completely in its course the dispensary and its contents. The twelfth passed through the starboard and lodged in the port side of the berth deck. These two last-mentioned shots killed John Nolta and Robert H. Johnson, landsmen, and dangerously wounded Thomas Jones, wardroom steward; Thomas Ford, landsman, Henry Stokely, wardroom cook, and Thomas L. Smith, coal heaver, slightly; also Thomas Foster, captain of the hold, who received dangerous and painful wounds from splinters while zealously performing his duty, completely disabling the powder division, there being but one man left to pass ammunition, with the exception of Acting Masters Mate C. V. Rummell, in charge of his division, who immediately gave his personal assistance, although he had been knocked down a few moments previous by splinters, and James A. Bashford was slightly wounded by splinters. A number of other missiles grazed our sides, doing, however, but slight damage. Immediately following the dis- aster on the berth deck, it was reported to be on fire, whereupon the gunners mate, J. B. Frisbee, instantly closed the magazine, he remaining inside. All traces of fire having been quickly extinguished by the firemen, reinforcements to the powder division were quickly supplied, and the guns continued their fire. After passing the forts and out of range of their heavy cross fire we came suddenly in view of our squadron, which had been hidden from us by the dense smoke, and noticed at the same time a steamer on the starboard hand, which at first sight I supposed to be the Iro- quois, but as day dawned and we approached nearer, I soon discovered my mistake and gave her a shot from the XI-inch and Parrott rifle, both of which took effect in her hull near the water line. At this moment the iron ram Jifanassas was seen following close astern of us, and being in range of our howitzers we opened fire on her with them, aiming at her smokestack. The Mississippi being near, we turned upon her and soon succeeded in driving her ashore and destroying her. In obedience to signal, I then ran up and anchored with the squadron off Quarantine Landing, and sent ashore to destroy the tele- graph wire, which I afterwards learned was on the opposite bank. At 9 a. rn. got underway and steamed up the river, in obedience to order, in company with the & iota. At 3 p. m. sent the dead on shore and buried them; then continued on our course in company with the squadron and anchored at - . At 3:30 we got underway and steamed up the river in company with the squadron. At 3 p. m. we opened fire with the squadron on the batteries below New Orleans, and a Page 224 224 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. soon as the batteries were silenced we proceeded with the squadron up to the city, and in obedience to orders ran up the river to look after the iron floating battery, which I discovered off the upper part of the city in flames, floating down with the current. Returned to the flag- ship and received orders todestroy the batteries below the city; ran down in company with the Oneida, Captain S. P. Lee commanding, and by his directions I destroyed the battery on the port hand while he took charge of that on the opposite side. Found a large supply of ammunition, together with twelve 32 and 24-pound guns, also a X-inph mortar, all of which we spiked, burned the carriages, threw the shot into the river, and destroyed everything belonging to the fort. After accomplishing this work set fire to and burned a schooner loaded with combustible material lying alongside the battery, and then returned to the anchorage off New Orleans at 9:30, thus ending our operations of the 24th and 25th of April. Our total loss was 3 killed and 8 wounded. It gives me great pleasure and gratification to be able to bear testimony to the zeal and intrepid conduct of the officers and crew of this vessel during the des- perate conflict and terrific fire through which they passed on the morning of the 24th instant. Amid that storm of iron hail perfect order reigned; officers and men did their duty faithfully and nobly sustained the well-earned reputation of the Navy and our glorious old flag, for which they fought so manfully. The conduct of Thomas Gehegan, boatswain~ s mate and captain of the XI-inch gun, is worthy of mention, as well for the brave example he set his crew and by the faithful manner with which he served his gun, bringing up his own ammunition as soon as the men composing the powder division had been nearly all killed or wounded. Acting Paymaster C. Stewart Warren acted as signal officer. Wil- liam II. Byrn, captains clerk attended to passing my orders. Dr. L. M. Lyon, assistant surgeon, displayed great zeal and prompt- ness in his attentions to the wounded during the heat of the battle. Senior Assistant Engineer John Johnson, with his junior assistants~ managed their department with skill and ability. To A. P. Cooke, first lieutenant and executive officer, I was greatly indebted for his able assistance. Throughout the entire action he was ready and prompt in the performance of his duties, displaying a cool- ness and gallantry which won the admiration of all. With my earnest congratulations upon the brilliant success which has crowned your efforts and attended the forces under your command, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, PEIRCE CROSBY, Lieutenant, Gommanding. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, U. S. Navy, (~ommanding U. S. Western Gulf Squadron, Gulf of iYfe~rico. Report of Lieutenant Russell, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Kennebec. U. S. GUNBOAT KENNEBEC, ifississ?ppi River, April ~9, 18G9?. SIR: On the morning of the 24th instant, during the engagement, this vessel became entangled with the rafts and struck one of the schooners Page 225 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 225 which afterwards sunk, at the same time parting the chain. 1 then made several attempts in the midst of a heavy tire to pass the bat- teries, but it being daylight and the squadron having passed above the forts, I deemed it prudent to withdraw and reported to the senior officer, Commander Porter, who attached me temporarily to his fleet and placed me on picket duty. Yesterday morning, by order of Commander Porter, I proceeded up the river in company with the U. S. steamers Ifarriet Lane, TUes~/Zeld, and gunboat Winona to witness the surrender of the forts, after which, by order of Commander Porter, I received on board this vessel the prisoners from Fort Jackson, 29 officers and 90 men. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JNO. H. RUSSELL, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, heutenant, Commanding. CL S. S. Hartford, We8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Lieutenant Oaldwell, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Itasca. U. S. STEAM GUNBOAT ITASCA, Pilot Town, J1ib8S%88~pp~ River, April 24, 1862. SIR: Agreeably to your instructions, I proceeded up the river in the boat furnished from the Hartford to make a final reconnoissance of the schooners on the west bank of the river and a careful examination as to the chains that were originally stretched from them to the schooners on the starboard side; one of which we ran on shore on the night of the 20th. 1 succeeded in reaching them after a long, fatiguing pull against the current without opposition or discovery, although we were directly in opposite shore to range between the forts and a fire lighted on the illuminate the reach across the river, and I could distinctly hear the voices of the rebels at Fort Jackson, as they were busily engaged in some outside work. I found two of the three schooners on shore, and the outside one riding head to the current with a number of chains hanging from her bow. I passed ahead, leaving her 60 yards on the port hand and dropped over a deep-sea lead, veering to 12 fathoms of line. We then laid on our oars and drifted down the stream without feeling any obstructions. We found all the booms attached to the inshore schooners, and a number of rafts inshore of them aground. The outside schooner was entirely clear. Return- ing, I stopped alongside of the outside schooner on the east bank and dropped the lead over with 15 fathoms of line, floating by within 20 yards of her. Having satisfied myself fully by these and other observations that no obstructions whatever existed, and that the chains we slipped on the night of the 20th had disarranged and almost destroyed the whole apparatus for preventing our passage up the river, and that the condition of things was precisely as 1 had previously reported, and that the whole fleet could safely pass, 1 made with con- fidence and inexpressible satisfaction on my return our preconcerted signal that the channel was clear and everything propitious for the advancement of the fleet. I regret to be obliged to state that my progress afterward with the fleet was attended with serious misfortune and disappointment. On arriving abreast of Fort Jackson, a storm N W RVOL 1S1 Page 226 226 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. of iron hail fell over and around us from both forts, which was con- tinued without intermission while we were under their guns. A num- ber of shot took effect, several passing through us; one, a 42-pound shot, passed through the port side coal bunker full of coal, iron plate bulkhead, and entered the boiler, making a large hole, and breaking the dry pipe therein. From this hole steam rushed in a dense cloud, filling the fire and engine room, and driving every one up from below, and almost suffocating those on the quarter-deck. The loss of our motive power having destroyed our efficiency and left us almost help- less, I ordered every man to throw himself flat upon the deck, the helm put hard astarboard, and, turning, floated down the river. When out of range of the forts, I ordered the pumps manned fore and aft, and our deck was soon several inches deep with water and pouring out of every scupper. Supposing the ship to be in a sinking condition, I run her on shore below the mortar fleet, where I remained until I satisfied myself that the leak was not as bad as 1 had at first supposed, and I then hauled off and anchored. I am happy to state that but three men were injured during the engagement: Two firemen scalded by the steam, and the captain of the hold wounded in the head by a splinter. I have received fourteen hits, as follows: Three shot holes through the vessel below the deck, the plank-sheer badly shattered, and four slight hits on the port side; one through the vessel below decks, and one through the bulwarks on the starboard side; one through the cut- water, grazing the bowsprit; one cutting away a davy span and shiv- ering the jury mainmast (the main gaff); and one 8-inch shell exploded over the quarter-deck driving a large piece through the port signal locker and bulwarks. One shot took out of the port side a piece of plank 3 feet long, shivered 6 feet of the next plank, crushed all of the timbers in its passage, and split one knee. Another shot hole in the starboard side is nearly as bad. Allow me, flag-officer, respectfully and sincerely to congratulate you upon the glorious passage of the fleet and to express to you the heartfelt sorrow and disappointment I felt that my disabled condition prevented my being a participator in its complete success, and assure you it was caused by circumstances that none but Providence could control. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. H. B. CALDwELL, Lieutenant, Commanding. Flag-Officer D. G. FARHAGUT, (Jommander in Chief of Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Report of Lieutenant Nichols, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Winona. U. S. GUNBOAT WINONA, New Orleans, April 30, 18694?. Siu: I beg leave, respectfully, to present the following report of the operations of this vessel in the engagement with Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the morning of the 24th instant: After getting underway, I took my station as soon as possible in the line, astern of the Itasca, and followed her red light, but suddenly found myself involved in a mass of logs and drift stuff held by the chai Page 227 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 227 and moorings of the hulks. While trying to back clear, the Jta8ca backed and fouled me on the starboard bow. After a delay of from twenty minutes to half an hour, I proceeded on my way, though I felt pretty sure that the bulk of the fleet had passed. Day was breaking fast, and ~y vessel was brought out in bold relief against the bright sky, presenting a fair mark for the gunners of the fort. Fort Jackson fired at me as I approached, and the first gun killed one man and wounded another. The third or fourth gun killed and wounded every man at the rifle gun except one. Judging that the burning raft was on the Fort Jackson side, I steered to pass it on the port hand, and did not discover my error until the whole lower battery of Fort St. Philip opened on me at less than point-blank range. Sheering off with star- board helm, I shot across to the Fort Jackson side, but owing to the obscurity caused by the smoke, got so close to the shore that I had no room to turn head upstream, and was forced to head down. At this time both forts were firing nearly their entire batteries at me. It would have been madness to attempt turning again in such a fire. Three of my men were killed, four severely and one slightly wounded, the vessel hulled several times, the decks wet fore and aft from the spray of falling shot. It was with reluctance I gave the order to head downstream and run out of the fire, first ordering the officers and crew to lay down on deck. I can not, sir, speak too highly of the conduct of all on board. My orders were obeyed with alacrity, and (considering the suddenness of the fire opened on us from Fort St. Philip, and the naturally depress- ing effect produced by the fatality of the first few shots) with but little confusion. Mr. Walker, the first lieutenant, was very active and vigi- lant, and gave his personal attention in every part of the vessel. He was slightly wounded in the ear. Permit me, sir, to call your attention to the conduct of Acting Masters Mate William F. Hunt, in charge of rifle gun. It was admirable; he assisted in working his gun as his crew was weakened, and remained at it after none were left, and did not leave it until ordered from the forecastle by me. Four of my wounded men are in the hospital at Pilot Town. The dead I buried on the left bank of the river, a short distance below our late anchorage. Since the 24th I have been acting under the orders of Commander Porter, and on the 28th instant I had the satisfaction of receiving the surrender of Fort St. Philip, and hoisting in its proper place once more the flag of our country. I was unfortunate, sir, in not passing the forts, but, I trust, not censurable. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ED. T. NICHOLS, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, lieutenant, Commanding. Commanding West Cu~/ Blockading Squadron, New Orleans. Report of Commander Swartwout, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. ship Portsmouth. U. S. SLOOP OF WAR PORTSMOUTH, Off Pilot Twv, Jfissi~ssippi River, April ~8, 18G~2. SIR: In compliance with your orders, I got underway at 3: 30 a. m. on the 24th instant and proceeded toward Fort Jackson, in tow of th Page 228 228 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. steamer Jackson, for the purpose of enillading that fort, to draw their fire from your squadron whilst passing by. Upon arriving at the position designated by you in your directions to Lieutenant [P. C.1 Johnson, I ordered this ship to be anchored and had a spring run out to breast her broadside to. I had scarcely accomplished this when a very brisk and galling fire, with shell and solid shot, was opened upon this ship from a niasked water battery, only a few hundred yards dis- tant, and so completely concealed from our view that we could only judge of its location by the flashes from the rebel guns. We returned their fire with as much precision as we could under the circumstances, but with what effect I have been unable to ascertain. After firing one round from my port battery and four rounds from the Parrott gun, the spring was shot away and the ship swung around, so that I was unable to bring any of my guns to bear upon Fort Jackson or the water battery. By this time the rebels had got their range and were dropping their shell and shot with great rapidity all around and close to the ship, many of them cutting away the rigging just above our heads. A G8-pounder solid shot was thrown on board, falling upon the spar deck just under the topgallant forecastle, tearing away the plank about 10 feet, splitting one of the beams, and in its passage striking John Hancock, seaman, in the left leg, shattering it so much as to render amputation necessary. He has since died of his wound. Find- ing that this ship was a target for the enemys batteries, without being able to bring my guns to bear, and as the squadron having passed the forts, the object of my visit was accomplished, I reluctantly gave the order to slip the cable, and was soon drifted out of range of the rebel guns by the wind and tide. I can not speak in too high praise of the bravery, coolness, and subordination of the officers and crew upon this trying occasion. Commander Porter called to see me on the afternoon of the 24th instant, and upon consultation we decided that the most judicious course would be for all the vessels, with the exception of a few of his most powerful steamers, to drop down to this anchorage under my protection, so that in case any of the rams. and fire rafts should escape his steamers this ship could arrest their progress here. Having received the glorious tidings to-day that Forts Jackson and [St.] Philip had surrendered to Commander Porter, I have concluded to proceed up the river again, in order to recover, if possible, the cable and anchor which I slipped on the 24th instant and also to ren- der till the assistance in my power. I have just received intelligence from Ship Island that Lieutenant Commanding ~Abner Read, of the steamer New London, is in a critical situation, as there are five rebel steamers preparing to attack him. I will therefore order one of our gunboats to proceed with all dispatch to his assistance. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. SwARTwOUT, Comma~der. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Coininandin~ U. S. Naval Forces, Western Gulf of lilexico Page 229 WEST GULF BLOCRADfl~G SQ1JAD~O~. 22~ Letter from the mayor of New Orleans to the common council of that city advising nonresistance. CITY HALL, April ~6, 186~& . GENTLEMEN: At half-past 1 oclock p. ui. to-day I was waited on by Captain Bailey, second in command of the Federal fleet now lying in front of the city, bearing a demand from Flag-Officer Farragut for the unconditional surrender of the city of New Orleans and the hoist- ing of the United States flag on the custom-house, post-office, and mint. He also demanded that the Louisiana flag be hauled down from the city hall. I replied that General Lovell was in command here, and that I was without authority to act in military matters. General Lovell was then sent for, and to him, after stating that his mission was to the mayor and council, Captain Bailey addressed his demands. General Lovell refused to surrender the city, or his forces, or any portion of them, but accompanied his refusal with the statement that he should evacuate the city, withdraw his troops, and then leave the civil authorities to act as they might deem proper. It is proper here to state that, in reply to the demand to haul down the flag from the city hall, I returned an unqualified refusal. I am now in momentary expectation of receiving a second peremptory demand for the surrender of the city. I solicit your advice in this emergency. My own opinion is that, as a civil magistrate, possessed of no military power, I am incompetent to perform a military act such as the surrender of the city to a hostile force; that it would be proper to say, in reply to a demand of that character, that we are without military protection; that the troops have withdrawn from the city; that we are consequently incapable of making any resistance; and that, therefore, we can offer no obstruction to the occupation of the place by the enemy; that the custom-house, post-office, and mint are the property of the Confederate Government, and that we have no control over them; and that all acts involving a transfer of authority be performed by the invading forces themselves; that we yield to physical force alone, and that we maintain our allegiance to the Gov- ernment of the Confederate States. Beyond this a due respect for our dignity, our rights, and the flag of ~nr country does not, I think, permit us to go. Respectfully, JOHN T. MONROE, ilifagor. Honorable COMMON COUNCIL. The above message, which want of time prevented me from having copied, I enclose for Lvourl information. Respectfully, JOHN T. MONROE, iklayor. Per MARION A. BAKER, Secretary Page 230 ~23O WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Resolution of the common council of New Orleans, agreeing to the proposition of the mayor regarding nonresistance. MAYORALTY OF NEW ORLEANS, City Hall, 936th day of Aprd, 1862. [Common council of the city of New Orleans, No. 6002.] The common council of the city of New Orleans having been advised by the military authorities that the city is indefensible, declare that no resistance will be made to the forces of the United States. Re8olved, That the sentiments expressed in the message of his honor the mayor to the common council are in perfect accordance with the sentiments entertained by these councils and by the entire population of this metropolis, and that the mayor be respectfully requested to act in the spirit manifested by the message. S. P. DE LABARRE, Pre8ident pro tern of the Board (f Aldermen. J. M~oio~i, Preside~n t of the Board of A& ~i8tant Aldermen. Approved April 2~, 18432. JOHN T. MONROE, lJifayor. A true copy: MARION A. BAKER, Secretary to 2hiliayor. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the mayor of New Orleans, demanding the surrender of that city. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Afts8~s81pp9~ River, off New Orlean8, April 26, 1862. SIR: Upon my arrival before your city I had the honor to send to your honor Captain Bailey, of the United States Navy, the second in command of this expedition, to demand of you the surrender of New Orleans to me, as the representative of the Government of the United States. Captain Bailey reported to me the result of his interview with yourself and the military authorities. It must occur to your honor that it is not within the province of a naval officer to assume the duties of a military commandant. I came here to reduce New Orleans to obedience to the laws of and to vindicate the offended majesty of the Government of the United States. The rights of person and property shall be secure. I therefore demand of you, as its representative, the unqualified sur- render of the city, and that the emblem of the sovereignty of the United States shall be hoisted over the city hall, mint, and custom-house by meridian this day, and that all flags or other emblems of sovereig~nty other than those of the United States shall be removed from all the public buildings by that hour. I particularly request that you shall exercise your authority to quell disturbances, restore order, and to call upon all the good people of New Orleans to returR at once to their vocations, and I particularly demand that no person shall be molested in person or property for the profession of sentiments of loyalty to their government Page 231 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 231 I shall speedily and severely punish any person or persons who shall commit such ontrages as were witnessed yesterdayarmed men firing upon helpless men, women, and children for giving expression to their pleasure at witnessing the old flag. I am, very respectfully, yonr obedient servant, - D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. His honor the MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the mayor of New Orleans, ordering that no flag be displayed but that of the United States. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the tillity of New Orleans, Apr11 26, 1862. Your honor will please give directions that no flag but that of the United States will be permitted to fly in the presence of this fleet so long as it has the power to prevent it; and as all displays of that kind may be the cause of bloodshed, I have to reqnest that you will give this communication as general a circulation as possible. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. His honor the MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.. Letter from the mayor of New Orleans to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, stating the impossibility of making resistance to the occupation of that city by the Union forces. MAYORALTY OF NEW ORLEANS, City Hall, 26th day of April, 1862. SIR: In pursuance of the resolution which he thought proper to take, out of regard for the lives of the women and children who still crowd this great metropolis, General Lovell has evacuated it with his troops and restored back to me the administration of its government and the custody of its honor. I have, in concert with the city fathers, considered the demand you made of me on yesterday of an unconditional surrender of the city, coupled with a requisition to hoist up the flag of the United States on the public edifices, and to haul down that which still floats to the breeze from the dome of this hall, and it becomes my duty to transmit to you the answer which the universal sentiment of my constituency, no less than the promptings of my own heart, dictate to me on this sad and solemn occasion. The city is without means of defense and utterly destitute of the force and material that might enable it to resist the overpowering armanent displayed in sight of it. I am no military man and possess no authority beyond that of executing the municipal laws of the city of New Orleans. It would be presumptuous in me to attempt to lead an army to the field if I had one at my command, and I know still less how to surren- der an undefended place, held as this is at the mercy of your gunners and mouths of your mortars Page 232 232 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. To surrender such a place were an idle and unmeaning ceremony. The city is yours by the power of brutal force and noI by any choice or consent of its inhabitants. It is for yon to determine what shall be the fate that awaits her. As to the hoisting of any flag than the flag of our own adoption and allegiance, let me say to yon, sir, that the man lives not in our midst whose hand and heart would not be palsied at the mere thonght of such an act; nor could I find in my entire constituency so wretched and des- perate a renegade as would dare to profane with his hand the sacred emblem of our aspirations. Sir, you have manifested sentiments which would become one engaged in a better cause than that to which you have devoted your sword. I doubt not but that they spring from a noble though deluded nature, and I know how to appreciate the emotions which inspired them. You will have a gallant people to administer during your occupation of this city; a people sensitive of all that can in the least affect its dignity and self-respect. Pray, sir, do not allow them to be insulted by the interference of such as have rendered themselves odious and contemptible by their dastardly desertion of the mighty struggle in which we are engaged, nor of such as might remind them too painfully that they are the conquered and you the conquerors. Peace and order may be preserved without a resort to measures which could not fail to wound their susceptibilities and fire up their passions. The obligations which I shall assume in their name shall be religiously complied with. You may trust their honor, though you might not count on their submission to unmerited wrong. In conclusion, I beg you to understand that the people of New Orleans, while unable at this moment to prevent you from occupying this city, do not transfer their allegiance from the government of their choice to one which they have deliberately repudiated, and that they yield simply that obedience which the conqueror is enabled to extort from the conquered. Since writing the above, which is an answer to your verbal commu- nication of yesterday, I have received a written communication, to which I shall reply before 12 oclock in., if possible to prepare an answer in that time. Respectfully, JOHN T. MONROE, Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, U. S. Plag8/vip Hartford. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the mayor of New Orleans, announcing his intention to bombard the city unless orders regarding the Union flag be respected. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the Uity of New Orlean8, April 928, 1863. SIR: Your communication of the 26th instant has been received, ~together with that of the city council. I deeply regret to see both by their contents and the continued dis- play of -the dag of Louisiana on the court-house a determination on the part of the city authorities not to haul it down. Moreover, when my officers and men were sent on shore to communicate with th Page 233 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 233 authorities, and to hoist the United States flag on the custoiu-house, with the strictest orders not to use their arms unless assailed, they were insulted in the grossest manner, and the flag which had been hoisted by my orders on the mint was pulled down and dragged through the streets. All of which go to show that the fire of this fleet may be drawn upon the city at any moment, and in such an event the levee would, in all probability, be cut by the shells, and an amount of dis- tress ensue to the innocent population which I have heretofore endeavored to assure you that I desired by all means to avoid. The election is therefore with you, but it becomes my duty to notify you to remove the women and children from the city within forty-eight hours if I have rightly understood your determination. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer IYe8tern Gulf Blockading Squadron. His honor the MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. Letter from the mayor of New Orleans to the common council of that city, transmitting letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. MAYORALTY OF NEW ORLEANS Citq Hall, f28th day of April, 1869?. .GENTLEMEN: I herewith transmit to you a communication from Flag- Officer Farragut, commanding the United States fleet now lying in front of the city. I have informed the officer bearing the communi- cation that I would lay it before you and i~eturn such answer as the city authorities might deem proper to be made. In the meantime permit me to suggest that Flag-Officer Farragut appears to have misunderstood the position of the city of New Orleans. He has been distinctly informed that at this moment the city ~has no power to impede the exercise of such acts of forcible authority as the commander of the United States naval forces may choose to exercise; and that, therefore, no resistance would be offered to the occupation of the city by the United States forces. If it is deemed necessary to remove the flag now floating from this building, or to raise United States flags on others, the power which threatens the destruction of our city is certainly capable of perform- ing those acts. New Orleans is not now a military post; there is no niilitary commander within its limits; it is like an unoccupied fortress of which an assailant may at any moment take possession. But I do not believe that the constituency represented by you, or by me, em- braces one loyal citizen who would be willing to incur the odium of tearing down the symbol representing the State authority to which New Orleans owes her municipal existence. I am deeply sensible of the distress which would be brought upon our community by a con- summation of the inhuman threat of the United States conimander; but I can not conceive that those who so recently declared themselves to be animated by a Christian spirit and by a regard for the rights of private property would venture to incur for themselves and the Gov- ernment they represent the universal execration of the civilized world by attempting to achieve, through a wanton destruction of life an Page 234 234 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. property, that which they can accomplish without bloodshed and with- out a resort to those hostile measures which the law of nations con- demns and execrates when employed upon the defenseless women and children of an unresisting city. Respectfully, JOHN T. MONROE, 2lfayor. To the COMMON COUNCIL. Letter from the mayor of New Orleans to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the impossibility of removing women and children from the city. MAYORALTY OF NEW ORLEANS, Oily flail, 28th day of April, 186f2. SIR: Your communication of this morning is the first intimation I ever had that it was by your strict orders that the United States flag was attempted to be hoisted upon certain of our public edifices by officers sent on shore to communicate with the authorities. The offi- cers who approached me in your name disclosed no such orders and intimated no such designs on your part; nor could II have for a moment entertained the remotest suspicion that they could have been invested with powers to enter on such an errand while the negotiations for a surrender between you and the city authorities were still pending. The interference of any force under your command as long as these negotiations were not brought to a close could not be viewed by me otherwise than as a flagrant violation of those courtesies, if not of the absolute rights which prevail between belligerents under such circum- stances. My views and my sentiments with reference to such conduct remain unchanged. You now renew the demands made in your former communications, and you insist on their being complied with unconditionally under a threat of bombardment within forty-eight hours, and you notify me to remove the women and children from the city that they may be protected from your shells. Sir, you can not but know that there is no possible exit from this city for a population which still exceeds in number 140,000, and you must therefore be aware of the utter inanity of such a notification. Our women and children can not escape from your shells if it be your pleasure to murder them on a question of mere etiquette; but if they could, there are but few among them who would consent to desert their families and their homes and the graves of their relations in so awful a moment. They would bravely stand the sight of your shells rolling over the bones of those who were once dear to them, and would deem that they died not ingloriously by the side of the tombs erected by their piety to the memory of departed relatives. You are n9t satisfied with the peaceable possession of an undefended city, opposing no resistance to your guns, because of its bearing its doom with something of manliness and dignity; and you wish to humble and disgrace us by the performance of an act against which our nature rebels. This satisfaction you can not expect to obtain at our hands. We will stand your bombardment, unarmed and undefended as we are. The civilized world will consign to indelible infamy the hear Page 235 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 235 that will conceive the deed aiid the hand that will dare to consum- mate it. Respectfully, JoHN T. MONROE, ]ilayor. Mr. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer ~f the T. S. Fleet, Tm front of the t9~ty (f A7~m~ Orleans. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the mayor of New Orleans egarding means of communication, U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the tJity of New Orleans, April ~8, 1869~?. SIR: Hereafter when I desire to communicate with the authorities I will hoist a square flag with a diagonal red cross, when, if your honor will send your secretary or any other person to receive my communi- cation to the shore opposite to the ship bearing that flag, a boat will be sent with an officer to deliver the document. When the city authorities desire to communicate with me, by the messenger holding his handkerchief by two corners, opposite the ship, a boat will be sent for him or his communication. As my duties may call me away from before the city for a short time, I request that you will send your reply to any other vessel that may be present. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. His honor the MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the mayor of New Orleans, announcing his intention to raise the Union flag on the custom-house. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the City ~f New Orleans, April ~9, 18G2. SIR: The forts, St. Philip and Jackson, having surrendered, and all the military defenses of the city being captured or abandoned, you are required as the sole representative of any supposed authority in the city to haul down and suppress every ensign and symbol of gov- ernment, whether State or Confederate, except that of the United States. I am now about to raise the flag of the United States upon the custom-house, and you will see that it is respected with all the civil power of the city. 1 have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. 41 FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. His honor the MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS Page 236 2~3~3 WEST c4tItF BtOCKADING SQUADT~ON. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S Navy, to the mayor of New Orleans, declining further intercourse till the arrival of Major-General Butler, U. S. Army. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the City of New Orleans, April 30, 1862. GENTLEMEN: I informed you in my communication of 28th of April that your determination, as I understood it, was not to haul down the flag of Louisiana on the city hall, and that my officers and men were treated with insult and rudeness when they landed even with a flag of truce to communicate with the authorities, etc., and if such was to be the determined course of the people, the fire of the vessels might at any moment be drawn upon the city. This you have thought proper to construe into a determination on my part to murder your women and children, and made your letter so offensive that it will terminate our intercourse, and so soon as General Butler arrives with his forces I shall turn over the charge of the city to him and assume my naval duties. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. His honor the MAYOR, AND CITY COUNcIL OF NEW ORLEANs. Report of Captain Broome, U. S. Marine Corps, of occupation of New Orleans, La. UNITED STATES FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off New Orleans, Noveml)er 17, 1862. SIR: Under the impression that a report had been made of the part taken by the United States marines of the fleet under the command of Admiral Farragut in the military operations on shore, in the approaches to and at iNew Orleans, in April last, I made no report to the Colonel Commandant of the Marine Corps at that time. I take occasion to correct the omission and report the following: On the morning of the 24th of April last, and immediately after the action with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and the destruction of the rebel fleet, the marines under my command, by order of Admiral Farragut, landed and took possession of the Quarantine, at the same time taking prisoners the rebel troops, with their officers quartered in the Quarantine buildings, and hoisting the flag of the United States on the same. Admiral Farragut having determined to take military possession of the city of New Orleans until the arrival of the troops of the United States Army under General Butlers command, a battalion of United States marines under my command, about 250 strong, were disem- barked from the fleet on the 29th of April last, and marched to the custom-house, where I detailed Captain Alan IRamsay, with a detach- ment of marines, to occupy the custom-house and guard the United States flag, then about to be hoisted on the building. At this juncture the marines were joined by two howitzers, manned by seamen, in charge of Midshipman J. J. Read and E. C. Hazeltine, from the flagship Har~ford. After occupying the custom-house I received orders from Commodore H. H. Bell, senior officer present, to march the marines to the city hall, a distance of about half a mile fro Page 237 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 237 the vessels of our fleet, and near the center of the city. On arriving at the city hail I directed Lieutenant John C. Harris, with a guard of marines, to occupy the building and enforce order there while the rebel flag was being hauled down from the flagstaff on the city hall. After performing this duty, the marines were marched to the place of embarkation and returned to the fleet, except the marines quartered in the custom-house, who were retained there for the purpose of guarding the United States flag. When the troops of General Butlers command landed at New Orleans on the 1st of May last, the force of marines on duty in the city returned to the fleet. Respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN L. BROOME, Captain, commanding ]Jliarines, Gulf Squadron. Colonel JOHN HAIUUs, commandant U. S. iJliarine co~s, Headquarters, Washington, D. 0. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Morris, U. S. Navy, to restore ferryboat. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, SIR: I did not OJf the city of New Orleans, April 26, 1862. intend that the ferryboat should be captured. You can therefore return her to the captain. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofilcer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain HENRY W. MORRIS, commanding U. S. S. Pensacola. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, requesting the services of surveying steamer for transportation of wounded. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, llfississmppi River, April 26, 1862. SIR: If you have no immediate service for the surveying steamer belonging to your flotilla, will you permit her to take some of our wounded and sick down to the hospital at Pilot Town? Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander D. D. PORTER, commanding iliortar Flotilla, lifississippi River. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Morris, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Pensacola, to send marines to seize the United States mint. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the City of New Orleans, April 26, 1862. DEAR CAPTAIN: The United States mint, now in possession of the rebels, lies under the cover of your guns. You will therefore sen Page 238 238 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. your marine officer with a strong guard on shore and seize it, with all the treasure, and also the dies for coining money, and hoist the flag of the United States upon the building. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- O]ficer T~Testern Gulf Blockading Sguadron. Captain HENRY AT. MORRIS, Commanding L7 S. S. Pensacola. P. S.-Take the coin and bullion on board your ship. D.G.F. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD Off the City of New Orleans, April 26, 1862. This is to certify that we have no disposition to interfere with the foreign police guard of the city of New Orleans for the preservation of the lives, order, and property of the citizens against incendiaries and other disorganized bodies of men. D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the British consul at New Orleans, notifying foreign consuls of the possibility of bombardment. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the City of New Orleans, April 28, 1862. SIR: In consequence of the determination of the city authorities not to strike their flag now flying on the city hall, and their inability to prevent the disorderly people from offering insult to the officers and men of this fleet, we may be compelled to land for the purpose of communicating with them, or of hoisting the flag of the United States on the custom-house and mint. I am unable to say how soon I may be compelled to fire upon the city, and it therefore becomes my duty to notify you and the foreign consuls generally of the fact, in order that you may remove your families into a place of greater security. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Ofticer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. HER BRITANNIC MAJESTYS CONSUL, For the city of New Orleans. Letter from foreign consuls at New Orleans to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, request- ing an interview previous to bombardment. Translation.] NEW ORLEANS, April 28, 1862. COMMODORE: We have received the letter that you did us the honor to addre~s to us on the 28th instant, in which you intimate that con- sidering that the authorities of the town had not decided to haul down the flag which floats above the city hall and had not means sufficien Page 239 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 239 to protect the officers who should be called upon to hoist the United States flag on the exchange and customs-house you would doubtless be forced to open fire on the town. In notifying us of this resolution, you ask us to place our families in a place of safety without mention- ing any stipulated time for doing so. The numberless foreign interests which we represent in a city inhabited by more than thirty thousand of our nationalities, impose upon us the duty of having a verbal com- munication with you before you proceed from the threat of a bom- bardment to the realization of such an unheard of act against a town of open commerce without military defenses of any kind and virtually surrendered by the municipal authorities. However, believing th~it the negotiations between you and these authorities are still pending, we shall await, before coming into direct communication with you, the results of the last communication addressed to you by the mayor of New Orleans. CHAs. MAYAN, FRANK CALLYOU, Consul de France. Consul de Espaiia. D. H. ElMER, Jos11. DEYNOODT, Consul dAutriche, Consul de Belgiqac. pour les Etats Allernands. II. FRELL5ER, T. W. BRENPNEL, Consul de Danemark. Consul de Russie. A. J. DU SILVA, A. F. VALLS, Consul du Portugal. V C. Brazil. Letter from Captain Clou6, commanding H. I. N. S. Nilan, to Flag-Officer Farragut, demanding delay in the evacuation of New Orleans. [Richmond Dispatch, May 12, 1862.] The Delta publishes the following, purporting to be a protest from the commandant of the French steamer Jililan, now in the port of New Orleans: SIR: Sent by my Government to protect the persons and property of its citizens, who are here to the number of 30,000, I regret to learn at this moment that you have accorded a delay of forty-eight hours for the evacuation of the city by the women and children. I venture to observe to you that this short delay is ridiculous, and, in the name of my Government, I oppose it. If it is your resolution to bombard the city, do it; but I wish to state that you will have to account for this barbarous act to the Power which I represent. In any event, I demand sixty days for the evacuation. [GEORGES CHARLES] CLOU]~, Commandant of the Steamer lIfilan, Opposite the City of New Orleans. COMMANDER OF THE U. S. SQUADRON, Now in the Port of New Orleans. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the British consul, expressing the hope that his family had not been inconvenienced. U. S. FLAGsHIP HARTFORD Off the City of New Orlans, April 29, /862. SIR: By some unaccountable accident the letter II had the honor to address you yesterday was mislaid, and I was ignorant of the fact until informed of it by the kindness of Captain Clou6, of H. I. M. S. Jiliilan, but as the time has now passed I am happy to say that there i Page 240 240 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. no further occasion for any such notification. It is gratifying to me to be able to say that I regret the accident, but hope that it prevented your family from being put to any inconvenience. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [D. G. FARRAGUTI, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. HER BRITANNIC MAJESTYS CONSUL, At New Orleans. Letter from the acting British consul to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, acknowledging communications. BRITISH CONSULATE, New Orleans, April 29, 1862. SIR: To-day I had the honor to receive your communication of date the 28th instant, informing me that you may be compelled to fire upon this city, and notifying me, in common with other foreign consuls, to remove my family into a place of greater safety. I have also the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communi- cation of this date, informing me of the cause of the nonreceipt of your dispatch of yesterdays date. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient humble servant, GEORGE COPPELL, H B. ilL Acting consul. Commodore D. G. FARRAGUT, U. S. Navy, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, etc. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to the foreign consuls at New Orleans. U.S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the City of New Orleans, April 30, 1862. GENTLEMEN: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your communica- tion in reply to my letter of April 28, 1862, giving notice that the course of the authorities and the people might at any moment cause me to fire on the city. In your reply you are pleased to consider it my intention to fire on the city without cause. No such idea was expressed by me. I simply meant to convey to you that I would protect the officers and men of my fleet, and that I would not permit any flag opposed to my Govern- ment to fly in the city while I had the power to prevent it, and gave you and the city authorities due notice that such a result might be pro- duced at any moment by their course, and my first duty was to inform the foreign consuls, not that I either expected or desired such a result, but that I apprehended it. It is with great pleasure, however, that I assure you that I anticipate no further difficulty or inconvenience to your families from my acts. As to negotiations, I had none to make, except for the unconditional surrender of the city, which was made. My subsequent course of procedure was simply to have the flag of Louisiana removed, and tha Page 241 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 241 in the manner most agreeable to themselves. The authorities confessed their inability to do it, and I did it for them. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gu~f Blockading Squadron. [CONSULS AT NEW ORLEANS.] Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to French consul at New Orleans, offering to forward mail for the foreign consuls in that city. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor of the (pity f New Orleans, .Jfay 1, 1862. SIR: I have to inform you of the arrival of our supply steamer, by which an opportunity will be afforded yourself and the other foreign consuls to communicate with your Governments. It will give me pleasure to forward your communications. You will have two days. Will you be pleased to have the other gentlemen informed of the fact? I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. CH. MAYAN, Consul de France, New Orleans. Order of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Captain Craven, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Brooklyn, regarding the marine guard of the U. S. S. Varuna. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off the Gity qf New Orleans, April 29, 18692. SIR: You will transfer to the U. S. flagship ifar~ford the marines named in the foregoing request of Captain John L. Broome, they being the marine guard of the U. S. S. Varuna, lately lost. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Captain THOMAS T. CRAvEN, Commanding U S. Steam Sloop Brooklyn. Order of Flag-Officer Farr~gut, U. S. Navy, to Commander Smith, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Mississippi, to assist in the landing of troops. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off tke City of New Orleans, April 30, 1862. SIR: You will please afford all the assistance in your power to Gen- eral Butler in landing his troops and expediting them up to the city. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander M. SMITH, tiommanding U S. S. iJIississ~ppi. N W RVOL 181 Page 242 242 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding the crews of captured Confederate gunboats. No. 70.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off the City of New Orleans, iWdy 1, 1862. SIR: I have to inform the Department that in consequence of my not having any suitable place to put the crews of the rebel gunboats captured by this fleet, 1 have released them on parole. Bnt having been informed by Commander Porter and others that the conduct of the officers had been such as to deprive them of any claim for indul- gence [on] our part they having sunk two of the vessels while under a flag of truceI have determined to send them to the North as pris- oners of war, to be dealt with as the Department may think proper. They will be sent in the Rhode Island. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Og/Icer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. U. Order of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding Confederate prisoners of war. NAVY DEPARTMENT, 9VIiay 14, 1862. SIR: Commander Porter, in his report to you of the 29th ultimo, mentions an attempt to destroy the Harriet Lane and other vessels while under a flag of truce, by setting fire to a floating battery with powder on board and drifting it on the vessels mentioned. The rebel officers who were engaged in the diabolical act were subsequently captured, as he states, and placed in close confinement. The Department desires that they be continued in confinement and sent North when an opportunity offers. You will not release any of the officers of the rebel Navy that may be captured, but send them North as prisoners of war for the further action of the Department. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, G. V. Fox, Assistant Secretary Navy. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, - Commanding West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Order of the Secretary of the Navy to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding Confederate prisoners of war. NAVY DEPARTMENT, iWiay 22, 1862. SIR: Your Nos. 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, and 89 have been received. You have but antici- pated the wishes and instructions of the Department in sending North the officers of the rebel Navy, and especially those who were engaged in the infamous act of blowing up the Louisiana whilst the articles of capitulation were being drawn up. All of them will for the presen Page 243 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 2 43 be confined in Fort Warren, bnt the latter will not have the usual privileges accorded to them. With regard to your request for a supply vessel especially for your squadron, you are informed that the Rhode Island and Gonnecticut will hereafter supply the Gulf squadrons only. This arrangement will in a great measure remedy the difficul- ties of which you complain. I am, respectfully, etc., GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding, etc. Order of Flag Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to commanding officer at Fort 3ackson, to parole Confederate sailors. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Pensacola Bay, Novernler 5, 1862. SIR: You will please release upon parole the sailors now confined at Fort Jackson, subject to my order, under oath not to bear arms, aid, or give comfort to the rebels during the war, until regularly exchanged. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Rear-Admiral, Cm nmandinq West Gulf Squadron. COMMANDING OFFICER, Fort Jackson. Letter from Major-General Butler, U. S. Army, to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, regarding cooperative measures. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Steamer iJi1ississ~ppi, April 24, 1862. SIR: Allow me to congratulate you and your command upon the bold, daring, brilliant, and successful passage of the forts by your fleet this morning. A more gallant exploit it has never fallen to the lot of man to witness. Captain Porter, with whom I have had a conference, agrees that it was best we should at once proceed to carry out the plan agreed upon by yourself and me, to wit, that I should imin~diately land troops to cooperate with you at the Quarantine Station, and so hem in the forts. When 1 left the mortar fleet at about 8 oclock this morning the rebel flag was still flying upon the forts; the ram had floated down on fire and was consumed; another rebel steamer was burning. A. signal had been made to cease firing by Captain Porter; the Portsmouth had returned to her anchorage unhurt; the Winona had been badly crip~ pled, a shot through her boilers and several in her hull, making water fast; the Itasca had been badly used, but had lost no men, and was in an effective condition; all other men unhurt save trifling casualties; the harriet Lane had but one killed and wounded, beside, in all, so far as I could learn. Captain Porter will forward you ~immunition and supplies through the Quarantine Station should you desire. 1 will be able to aid you from the same point immediately. Please send directions as to your wishes by the bearer or otherwise Page 244 244 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. III send this by Captain Conant, of the Thirty-first Massachusetts Regiment, who goes to communicate with you. He is the gentleman of whom I spoke to you as having made a reconnoissance in the rear of St. Philip night before last. He knows the contents of this dispatch, for fear of accident, and may be most implicitly relied upon and trusted. I hope he may be able to report to me off Point Salle, when I will immediately communicate with Captain Porter. If in danger, Captain Conant has been ordered to destroy this and remem ber its contents, and will do the same with any dispatches you may give him. If you design proceeding up the river, will you leave, say, two gun- boats at the Quarantine Station to protect our landing? Respectfully, yours, BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major- General, Commanding. Flag-Officer FARRAGUT, Co9nlnanding 1?stern Gulf Squadron. Letter from Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, to Major-Genera] Butler, acknowledging congratulations. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anchor off New Orleans, ikfag 1, 1869?. DEAR GENERAL: I have received your communication sent by Cap- tain Conant, of the Thirty-first Massachusetts Regiment, for which please to accept my sincere thanks. It affords me no little gratification that our friends, who were anxiously looking on, should consider that we had not only per- formed our duty, but did it brilliantly and to the admiration of our associates in arms, who watched our movements with the feelings of military men who knew that on the result depended their own success in gaining a foothold on the enemys soil. The intrepidity with which you so soon followed up our success by landing your forces at the Quarantine, through Inud and mire and water for miles, and which enabled us to tighten the cords around them, has also added to my obligations, and I trust that you will now occupy and hold the city without further difficulty other than those incident to a conquered city, disordered by anarchy and the reign of terror which this unfortunate city has passed through. I am, very respectfully and truly, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Oficer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. General B. F. BUTLER, Gommanding Department of the Gulf. Commendatory letter from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Allay 19?, 1869?. M~ DEAR SIR: Your unparalleled achievements are before the country and gratefully acknowledged throughout the breadth of the whole land Page 245 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 245 I am sure I have never read anything equal to it. Having studied up the localities and defenses in conceiving this attack, I can fully appreciate the magnificent execution which has rendered your name immortal. The rebellion seems caving in all around, and I fancy you will have very little difficulty in taking the whole coast. The only anxiety we feel is to know if you have followed your instructions and pushed a strong force up the river to meet the Western Flotilla. We only hear of you at Baton Rouge. The opening of the Mississippi is of more importance than Mobile, and if your ships reach Memphis in the next few days Beauregards army is cut off from escape. We listen most anxiously for word that your forces are near there. What could have kept that Ken8ington so long from you? I hear the chief engineer drinks. Somebody on board must be in fault. I will write you again in a few days. In the meantime, believe how happy I am at having relied entirely upon the Navy to capture New Orleans. I maintained it, and the country is satisfied with the result. Sincerely, yours, G. V. Fox. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, TV~8tern Gu{f Blockading Squadron. Order of the Acting Secretary of the Navy to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, request- ing full information regarding the defenses of New Orleans and reports of command- ing officers regarding their reduction. NAVY DEPARTMENT, ililay 15, 1869?. Sin: The whole country, as well as the Government, are deeply interested in the recent brilliant operations of your squadron below New Orleans, and all reliable information that can be obtained as to the strength of the enemy, both ashore and afloat, and as to the part which each of our vessels and their gallant commanders took on the occasion, is particularly desirable. You will, therefore, please forward to the Department as early as practicable a report (as far as the information can be obtained) of the number, character, and armament of the forts and river defenses. You will also require a written report from each commanding officer who participated in the achievements of their respective proceedings, and forward the same to the Department. The Department would call your attention to the confidential instruc- tions with regard to ascending the Mississippi after the fall of New Orleans. I am, respectfully, etc., G. V. Fox, Acting Secretary. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, etc., New Orlean8. Congratulatory letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. NAVY DEPARTMENT, ilfay 10, 1869?. SIR: Captain Bailey, your second in command, has brought to the Department the official dispatches of your squadron, with the trophie Page 246 246 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. forwarded to the national capital. Our Navy, fruitful with victories, presents no more signal achievement than this, nor is there an exploit surpassing it recorded in the annals of naval warfare. In passing and eventually overcoming Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the batteries above and below New Orleans, destroying the barriers of chains, steam rams, fire rafts, ironclad vessels, and other obstructions, captur- ing from the rebel forces the great Southern metropolis and obtaining possession and control of the lower Mississippi, yourself, your officers, and our brave sailors and marines, whose courage and daring bear historic renown, have now a nations gratitude and applause. I con- gratulate you and your command on your great success in having contributed so largely toward destroying the unity of the rebellion, and in restoring again to the protection of the National Government and the national flag the import ant city of the Mississippi Valley and so large a portion of its immediate dependencies. Your example and its successful results, though attended with some sacrifice of life and loss of ships, inculcate the fact that the first duty of a commander in war is to take great risks for the accomplishment of great ends. One and all, officers and men, composing your command, deserve well of their country. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT Commanding JYe8t Gulf Blockading Squadron, New Orlean8. Letter from the President of the United States to Congress, recommending a vote of thanks for Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy. WASHINGTON, D. C., Jfay 14, 1869~?. The third section of the Act further to promote the efficiency of the Navy, approved the 21st December, 1861, provides- That the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall have the authority to detail from the retired list of the Navy, for the command of squadrons and single ships, such officers as he may believe that the good of the service requires to be thus placed in command; and such officers may, if upon the recommendation of the President of the United States they shall receive a vote of thanks of Congress for their services and gallantry in action against an enemy, be restored to the active list, and not otherwise. In conformity with this law, Captain David G. Farragut was nom- inated to the Senate for continuance as the flag-officer in command of the squadron which recently rendered such important service to the Union by his successful operation on the lower Mississippi and capture of New Orleans. Believing that no occasion could arise which more fully correspond with the intention of the law, or be more pregnant with happy influ- ence as an example, 1 cordially recommend that Captain D. G. Farragut receive a vote of thanks of Congress for his services and gallantry dis- played in the capture, since the 21st December, 1861, of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, city of New Orleans, and the destruction of various rebel gunboats, rams, etc. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Page 247 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 247 Letter from Acting Secretary of the Navy to the President of the United States, transmit- ting list of officers participating in the attack upon the forts. NAVY DEPARTMENT, ilIiay 14, 1862. Sin: In the preparation of the enclosed list of naval officers who com- manded vessels in the recent successful operations under Flag-Officer Farragut on the Lower Mississippi, I have the honor to state that this list, so far as it is completed, is believed to be accurate; but it does not embrace all who participated on the occasion of those engagements. There were acting masters on temporary service who commanded ves- sels in that portion of the squadron known as the Mortar Flotilla, but the Department has not at present a correct list of them. Flag-Officer Farragut, however, has been instructed to supply this deficiency, and when he does, their names will be communicated to you. 1 am, with great respect, your obedient servant, G. V. Fox, The PRESIDENT. Acting Secretary of the Navy. Letter of the President of the United States to Congress, recommending a vote of thanks to certain officers. WASHINGTON, D. C., Jlfay 14, 1862. I submit herewith a list of naval officers who commanded vessels engaged in the recent brilliant operations of the squadron commanded by Flag-Officer Farragnt, which led to the captnre of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, city of New Orleans, and the destruction of rebel gunboats, rams, etc., in April, 1862. For their services and gallantry on those occasions I cordially recommend that they should, by name, receive a vote of thanks of Congress. List. Captain Theodorus Bailey, Captain Henry W. Morris, Captain Thos. T. Craven, Commander Henry H. Bell, Commander S. P. Lee, Commander S. Swartwout, Commander M. Smith, Commander Chas. S. Boggs, Commander J. DeCamp, Commander James Alden, Commander D. D. Porter, Commander W. B. Renshaw, Lieutenant (Commanding) A. D. Harrell, Lieutenant (Commanding) E. Donaldson, Lieutenant (Commanding) G. H. Preble, Lieutenant (Commanding) K T. Nichols, Lieutenant (Commanding) J. M. Wainwright, Lieutenant (Command- ing) John Guest, Lieutenant (Commanding) C. H. B. Caldwell, Lieu- tenant (Commanding) N. B. Harrison, Lieutenant (Commanding) A. N. Smith, Lieutenant (Commanding) Peirce Crosby, Lieutenant (Com- manding) G. M. Ransom, Lieutenant (Commanding) Watson Smith, Lieutenant (Commanding) J. H. Russell, Lieutenant (Commanding) W. W. Queen, Lieutenant (Commanding) K. R. Breese, Acting Lieu- tenant (Commanding) S. IE. Woodworth, Acting Lieutenant (Command- ing) C. H. Baldwin. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. To the SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Flag-Officer Farragut, U. S. Navy, transmitting resolution of thanks of Congress. NAVY DEPARTMENT, July 31, 1862. SIR: 1 have the pleasure to enclose herewith a certified copy of a joint resolution of Congress, approved 11th July, 1862, tendering it Page 248 248 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. thanks to yourself, officers, and men under your command for their successful operations on the Lower Mississippi River, and for their gallantry displayed in the capture of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and the city of New Orleans, and in the destruction of the enemys gunboats and armed flotilla. 1 am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. Rear-Admiral D. G. FARRAGUT Commandinq 1U~81 Gu~f Blockading Squadron, Slup I8land. [Enclosure.] A resolution of thanks to Captain David G. Farragut of the United States Navy, and to the officers and men under his command. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States Qf Amer%ca in Congress assembled, That the thanks of the peo- ple and of the Congress of the United States are due, and are hereby, tendered to Captain David G. Farragut, of the United States Navy, and to the officers and men under his command, composing his squadron in the Gulf of Mexico, for their successful operations on the Mississippi River, and for their gallantry displayed in the capture of Forts Jack- son and St. Philip, and the city of New Orleans, and in the destruction of the enemys gunboats and armed flotilla. Sec. 2. And be it further resoked, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to communicate this resolution to Captain Farragut, and through him to the officers and men under his command. Approved, July 11, 1862. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, IVctshington, Jitiy 31, 1862. I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the original resolution on file in this Department. W. HUNTER, Chief Clerk. Report of Flag-Officer Farragut, U. 8. Navy, acknowledging receipt of resolution of thanks of Congress and commission as rear-admiral. No. 171.] U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, New Orleans, August 12, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of my commission as rear-admiral, accompanied by a resolution of thanks by Congress, upon parchment, acknowledging the services of myself and of the officers and men of the Gulf Squadron, and expressing their apprecia- tion of our gallantry in the capture of New Orleans and the destruction of the enemys gunboats and ironclad flotilla, etc. For both of these documents, I beg to tender my thanks and most grateful acknowledg- ments. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Rear-Admiral, Oomman ding Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. c~ Page 249 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 249 Extract from argument of counsel in the matter of Farragut prize cases before arbi- trators, May 1, 1872. The libel (of Farragut) claims the destruction, either by our fleet in passing or by the rebels in coiisequence of our fleet having passed, of the following vessels, viz: Vessel. Steamer Jackson Ram Manassas Steam launch No. 3 Steam launch No. 6 Steam ram Governor Moore Steam ram General Quitman Gunboat Warrior Gunboat Stonewall Jackson Gunboat Resolute Gunboat General Lovell Gunboat Breckinridge Gunboat Defiance Gunboat Anglo-Norman Gunboat Star Tender Phcenix Tender Mosher Tender Landis W. Burton Tug Belle Algerine Tug Music Ironclad Louisiana Steamer McRae Number commanded by of guns. Francis B. Renshaw 2 Alex.F.Warley 1 R. H. Tilford 1 c. B. Fairbanks 1 Beverly Kennon 3 Alexander Grant 2 John A. Stevenson 2 George M. Phillips 1 Isaac looper 2 Burdett Paris 1 James B. Smith 1 Joseph D. Mccoy 2 2 Laplace 1 James Brown Sherman. Davis .... Hammond Jackson.. Mcclellan charles F. McIntosh 16 Thomas B. Huger Making a total of 22 vessels, carrying 38 guns, and manned by 1,648 men, together with 18 fire rafts. Commander J. K. Mitchell states the number of vessels, their arma- ment,condition, etc., constituting his coulmand, which was the defenses afloat at or near Forts St. Philip and Jackson at the time of the pas- sage of the forts by our fleet, in April, 1862. He mentions all the above-named vessels, with the exception of the Anglo-Norman, though, in some instances, giving slightly different names, as Launch No. 3, instead of Steam lamiwA No. 3. From this mention by him, and other statements in the same document, and the testimony and papers before me, I prepare the following statement of the rebel vessels resisting the passage of the forts by our fleet or forming the defenses afloat at or near Forts St. Philip and Jackson, viz: The Louisiana, ironclad9 intended to mount 16 guns, but having at the time of the action from 7 guns to 8 or 10 guns in use. Porter estimates her force at 300 men and 2 companies of marine artillery. Mr. Harris, of the Coast Survey, estimates it at 200, on hearsay. The rebel General Duncan, in his report, says there were 150 men taken from the artillery to serve her guns. Wilson Youngblood, who had charge of her machinery at the action, says she had about 200 men. The ilfeRac had, according to Captain Phillips, 4 or 5 guns and 140 nien; according to Samuel Brock, who was her chief engineer, 8 guns and from 100 to 119 men and officers. The .2Wamassas mounted 1 32-pounder, and had, according to R. C. 1., 79, a crew of 35 or about 30. The Jackson had 2 32-pounders and 35 or 40 men. The Launch No. 3 had 1 howitzer and 20 men; according to Captain Phillips, 8 or 10 men. The Launch No. 6 had 1 howitzer and 20 men; according to Captain Phillips, 8 or 10 men. The GoverDor JIfoore had 2 32-pounders and 93 men; about 100 men. Number of men. 75 35 20 20 93 90 75 72 70 75 53 75 80 40 75 40 75 75 40 40 300 13 Page 250 250 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. The General Quitman had the same armament, and probably the same number of men; according to Captain Phillips, 2 24-pounders and about 50 men, all told. Captain Phillips says she was formerly the Orizairn; Lieutenant-Colonel Lovell says she was foi~merly the Galve8ton. The Piwenix was a tender to the ~3fanaesas. No statement is made of the size of her crew. The Landis and the 1K Burton were tenders to the Lou?~smna. Neither of them, nor the J~/nxnix, was armed, nor is the size of their crew stated. The iJiosher is called a very small tugboat; said to be of 49 tons burden, unarmed, and no statement made of crew. Lieutenant War- ley, C. S. Navy, states that she carried down a fire raft, and Captain Phillips that she had no steam on at the action. The Belle Algerine, a small tug, not armed; size of crew not stated. The Star, used as a telegraph station, unarmed, and of 250 tons burden; size of crew not stated. The ]Jfitsie, used as tender to the forts, not armed, and having 25 or 30 men. The Anglo-Norman had 1 32-pounder and carried a crew of about 35 men. The ]ihfanee had 1 gun and 35 or 40 men. The Stonewall JaeA~son, 1 gun and not over 30 men. The Ge~oeral Lovell, 1 gun and 50 men; not over 40 men. The Resolute, 2 guns and 40 men. The Breckinridge, variously known as the I?. JJ Breckinridge, the General Breckinridge, and the Breckinridge, 1 gun and 35 men.. The Warrior, 1 gun and 40 men. Having thus enumerated the vessels which formed the defenses afloat to oppose the passage of the forts by our fleet, it is next to be ascertained what vessels of the enemy were destroyed or sunk either during the action or because of its result. In the preceding list there are 22 vessels, of all sorts, named. Of these 4 are shown to have survived the action. The Louisiana was blown up near the forts while they were capitu- lating on the 28th day of April, 1862, four days after the passage. See Admiral Porters report, etc. The 2JileRae went up to New Orleans with the wounded on board, starting from the vicinity of the forts on the evening of the third day after the fight, as Samuel Brock thinks, and sunk while at anchor opposite New Orleans. The Landis and Burton are described by the same intelligent wit- ness, Brock, as surviving the action. There is other testimony cor- roborative of his. If a letter, which purports to be a copy of one from Admiral Farragut to the Secretary of the Navy, and is dated New York, December 11, 1869 (which letter I found with the papers after they were returned to me by the special counsel of the United States), be considered as in evidence, Farragut would be authority for the fact that the JifcRae, the Burton, and the Landis were captured by his forces. All the other vessels above named were destroyed or sunk either during the action or because of its result. The evidence to this is conclusive. Passing by the statements to be found in E. D. * and * Refer to documents in evidence Page 251 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 251 R. C. I. ,~ and coining to the New Orleans testimony, we find Samuel Brock saying, The only Confederate vessels that were then left were the ilfdkac and the towboats Landis and Burtom And even Captain Phillips, who seems to have been specially called by the United States to contradict the allegations of the libel, testifies to the destruction of all these eighteen vessels but the Jacleson (and he does not know what became of her) and the Tfarr%or. These vessels were destroyed, according to Phillips, by their crews, without surrender, and most of them taking no part in the fight, though he admits that several of them were severely injured by our fleet. Farragut, however, claims the destruction of 11 of the enemys gunboats: We took them in hand, and in the course of a short time destroyed ii of them. Bailey says, About this time Boggs and Lee came dashing in and made a finish of the rebel boatsil in all. Although no rebel boat, so far as shown, was sent direct to the bottom by the fire, etc., of our fleet, yet Farragut and Bailey seemed to regard the fires that destroyed them as directly their work. I think they did so correctly. A vessel that, like the Governor ilifoore, loses in an engagement 74 men out of 93, and is then run ashore and burned by her crew to prevent those who had disabled her capturing, should, I think, be held to be destroyed by the vessel or force that had driven her to destruction. I do not understand that there is any question of the destruction of the fire rafts by our force or by their own flames. Admiral Porter says, iwhis deposition before me, that among the vessels destroyed by him was the Fox, a vessel of some 700 tons, with two guns and a crew of . She is not mentioned in any of the other papers before me. In considering the branches of this third interrogatory, the circum- stances and character of the action are to be borne in mind. Far- ragut signaled to get under\ ay at 1.55 a. m. on the 24th of April, 1862, and the action lasted for several hours and extended over several miles. And, of course, until the daylight came, it was diffi- cult, if not impossible, to distinguish the different vessels encoun- tered, it is consequently impracticable to say by which United States vessel particular rebel vessels were disabled. Another branch of this interrogatory is whether the action in which such destruction occurred was a part of a general engagement of the squadron. Clearly it was, so far as the United States forces were con- cerned. And the destruction of the rebel vessels was so general that it shows a general engagement of their squadron, though Captain Phillips and others in the testimony assert (and the same is asserted in the R. C. I.) that there was want of concert and of general signals on the part of the enemy. Grant this, and it would leave the case thus: By design on our part, and voluntarily, we had a general engage- ment of our squadron, while without design on their part, and against their will, the enemy had a general engagement and general destruction of their squadron. I submit the following table of men and guns on board the enemys vessels destroyed, prepared by using the direct testimony given as to * Refer to documents in evidence Page 252 252 wi~s~ GULF BLOC~AttNG SQtYADRoN. numbers, when it was to be had, and where not, by taking the numbers from the libel: Vessels. Guns. Men. Louisiana 8 250 McRae 8 119 1 35 S. Jackson 2 40 Launch No.3 1 20 1 20 Governor Moore 2 93 General Quitman 2 90 Phcenix 75 Landis 75 Mosher 40 Belle Algerine 40 Music 30 Star 40 1 35 Defiance Jackson 1 40 1 30 General Lovell 1 50 Resolute 2 40 1 35 Warrior 1 40 Making a total of 22 vessels with 33 guns, 1,312 men. If the Fox, which Porter says he destroyed, be added to the list there will be 23 vessels, with 35 guns and, say, 1,400 men. The fire rafts, according to Porters testimony, were Mississippi flatboats, a proper crew for whom, in their ordinary use, would be from fifteen to twenty men each. If these be allowed in enumeration of the enemys forces, it would swell the number of the enemy afloat to about 1,700 men. Fourthly. And whether the forces of the enemy engaged and used in said action opposed to the United States squadron were less equal or superior to the forces of the United States. It is evident that the United States forces had more vessels and more guns than the rebels, about 43 vessels in all, carrying 276 guns (see statement of guns on fleet furnished me by the ~avy Department). From the Fourth Auditors Office 1 procured a list of Farraguts fleet and Porters fleet, 80 far as they could give it to me, showing the number of men on each vessel. The list is not full. I made diligent effort to get a correct statement of all the men on the attacking squad- ron, but failed. The incomplete list furnished me, however, shows at least 3,773 officers and men on the attacking squadron. Captain George [M.] Phillips says the Federal fleet was stronger in comparison to the Confederate fleet, in men and guns, about 9 to 2 or in that proportion. If the enemys force were entirely men and guns afloat, the answer to this fourth interrogatory would be that the enemys forces were much inferior to our own. But it is claimed by the counsel for claimants that the 110 guns in the forts (see Admiral Porters testimony), the obstructions in the river described by Farragut and others, and the fire rafts, and the character of the rebel boats (some five or six of which were the most powerful boats on the Mississippi River and fitted up as rams), and in a word; the position should be taken into consideration. Whether they should be is a question for the court. It is, however, plain tha Page 253 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 253 the principal force opposed to our fleet was not in the enemys vessels. The fire rafts, the chain, and the forts were far more dangerous and far more effective. Had Farragut, with as many men as the enemy had, been in command of the defenses of New Orleans, I do not think Mitchell, with all of the vessels Farragut had, could have got by. The position was clearly in favor of the enemy, notwithstanding the supe- riority in numbers of our vessels and the men on them. That advan- tage, however, was met by decision, method, and courage, and it is to foster those qualities in our Navy that the act exists under which the proceedings in this case are had. Respectfully submitted. R. D. MUSSEY, U. S. Commissioner, District of Columbia and Special Commtsstoner. [NOTE. A statement of the strength and character of the opposing forces at the passage of the forts, prepared from authentic sources, has been published in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, pp. 73 15. COMPILER.] Report of Major-General Lovell, C. S. Army, commanding defenses of New Orleans, transmitting reports. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT No. 1 T7ielcsburg, 3ifay 2~, 18G2. SIR: Herewith I have the honor to transmit the reports of Brigadier- Generals Duncan and Smith, with the accompanying documents, of the operations preceding and attendant upon the fall of New Orleans. The Department is fully aware, from my official correspondence and telegraphic dispatches, of the exact nature of the defenses erected for the protection of that city, consisting, in general terms, of an exterior line of forts and earthworks, intended to prevent the entrance of the armed vessels of the enemy, and an interior line in the immediate vicinity of the city, which was constructed almost entirely with refer- ence to repelling any attack made by land with infantry. Where this line crossed the river below the city it was intended to have a battery of twelve 32 and ten 42 pounders, which, it was considered, would enable us to drive back any small number of ships that might succeed in passing the obstructions at the forts under the fire of their guns; but, whether sufficient or not, no more were to be had, and subse- quently, at the earnest request of the naval authorities, I transferred the 42-pounders to the steamers Carondelet and Bienville for service on Lake Pontchartrain, in connection with Forts Pike and Macomb. Immediately after I assumed command of the department, finding that there were no guns of the heaviest caliber, I applied to Richmond, Pensacola, and other points for some X-inch columbiads and seacoast mortars, which I considered necessary to the defense of the lower river, but none could be spared, the general impression being that New Orleans would not be attacked by the river, and I was therefore compelled to make the best possible defense with the guns at my disposal. Twelve 42-pounders were sent to Forts Jackson and St. Philip, together with a large additional quantity of powder, and being convinced that with the guns of inferior caliber mounted there we could not hinder steamers from passing, unless they could be detained for some time under th Page 254 254 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. fire of the works, I pushed forward rapidly the construction of a raft, which offered a complete obstruction to the passage of vessels up the river, except through a small opening, and then only one at a time. The forts had seventy-five or eighty guns that could be brought suc- cessively to bear upon the river; were manned by garrisons of well- trained artillerists, affording a double relief to each gun, and com- manded by officers who had no superiors in any service. Under these circumstances, although I feared that the high water in the spring, with the accompanying drift, would carry away the raft, yet every confidence was felt that the river would remain closed until such time as the ironclad steamers Jlfi88i88ippi and Loui8iana could be finished, which, I was confidently informed, would not be later than the 1st of February. The arst raft constructed was not carried away by the high water and drift until the latter part of February. But with funds placed at my disposal by the citizens of New Orleans, another was placed in position in March by the energetic labors of Colonel Higgins and others, and the position was again temporarily secure. No heavy guns had yet been received, although strenuous applications were made by me to get some from Pensacola when that place was aban- doned. The general impression of all those to whom I applied was that the largest guns should be placed above New Orleans, not below, although I had notified the Department on the 22d of March that, in my judgment, the fleet only awaited the arrival of the mortar vessels to attempt to pass up the river from below. By means, however, of an energetic and persevering officer, Major W. P. Duncan, commissary subsistence, three X-inch .columbiads and five mortars were finally procured and brought over just in time to be put up as the firing commenced. Thinking that the enemys troops at Isle Breton were intended to land at Quarantine and act in rear of Fort St. Philip, I ordered Colonel Szymanskis regiment of ninety-day men, armed with shotguns, to that point as a protection. I had likewise organized two companies of sharpshooters and swamp hunters, under Captains Mullen and Lartigue, which were sent down for operation upon the enemys vessels from the banks of the river, but the high water, keeping the men day and night nearly waist deep in water, soon compelled them to abandon their positions. I xvill here state that every Confederate soldier in New Orleans, with the exception of one company, had been ordered to Corinth to join General Beauregard in March, and the city wasonly garrisoned by about 3,000 ninety-day troops, called out by the governor at my request, of whom about 1,200 had muskets and the remainder shotguns of an indifferent description. The river rose rapidly in April and soon drove out Szymanskis regiment, which was removed to the west bank, about 6 miles above Fort Jackson. The whole country became one vast sheet of water, which rose in the forts and covered places heretofore safe from its encroachments. Under the tremendous pressure of this current and a storm of wind and rain, the second raft was broken away in the night of Friday, the 11th of April, two days before the enemy first opened fire. The fourteen vessels of Montgomery River defense expe- dition had been ordered by the Department, when completed, to be sent up to Memphis and Fort Pillow, bnt, believing the danger of attack to be greater from below, I detained six of them at New Orleans, of which change the Department was fully advised. At my suggestio Page 255 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 255 Governor Moore had also fitted up two steamers, which were sent to the forts below the city. A large number of fire rafts were also constructed and steered down, and two small steamers were employed for the special purpose of towing these rafts into position where they could be most effective, so as to leave the armed vessels free to ojperate against the enemy. I telegraphed General Beauregard to send down the ironclad ram ]iliana& sas, and when the Secretary of the Navy ordered the steamer Ioui~iana to be sent also up the river, I protested, through the War Department, being satisfied that we required more heavy guns below. She was eventually permitted to go down the river on Sunday, the 20th of April, but not in a condition to use her motive power with effect. It was hoped that, notwithstand- ing this, she would be able to assume a position below Fort St. Philip, discovering the location of the mortar boats, and, being herself proof against direct fire, dislodge the enemy with her guns, which were of very heavy caliber. Knowing, also, that the incessant bombardment kept General Duncan closely confined to Fort Jackson, so that he could give no orders to the river defense steamers, 1 placed the whole under the control of Captain Mitchell, the armed steamers,~ as well as the tugs intended to tow down the fire rafts. 1 will here state that the river defense fleet proved a failure, for the very reasons set forth in my letter to the Departmyment of the 15th of April. Unable to govern themselves, and unwilling to be governed by others, their total want of system, vigilance, and discipline rendered them useless and helpless when the enemy finally dashed upon them suddenly in a dark night. I regret very much that the Department did not think it advisable to grant my request to place some competent head in charge of these steamers. Learning subsequently that the Louisrnna was anchored above tbe forts, and that the fire rafts were not sent down, I tele- graphed Captain Mitchell, requesting him to attend to it, and after- wards called upon Commodore Whittle and entreated him to order the steamer to take the desired position below the forts. This he declined to do, but telegraphed Captain Mitchell, telling him to strain a point to place the vessel there, if, in his judgment, it was advisable. No change, however, was made, and in the night of the 23d April 1 wTent down myself in a steamboat to urge Captain Mitchell to have the LOuz8rnfla anchored in the position indicated; also to ascertain why the fire rafts were not sent down. A few moments after the attack com- menced, and the enemy succeeded in passing with fourteen ships, as described, in General Duncans report, and the battle of New Orleans, as against ships of war, was over. I returned at once to the city, narrowly escaping capture, and giving orders to General Smith, in commmand of the interior lines, to prepare to make all possible resist- ance to the enemys fleet at the earthwork batteries below the town, instructed Colonel Lovell to have several steamers ready to remove as far as possible the commissary and ordnance stores, being satisfied that the low developments at Chalmette could oiler no protracted resistance to a powerful fleet, whose guns, owing to the high water, looked down upon the surface of the country and could sweep away any number of infantry by an enfilading fire. These lines, as before remarked, were intended mainly to repel a land attack, but in a high stage of water were utterly untenable by infantry against guns afloat. It having been reported to me that a sufficient number of desperately bold men could easily be got together to board th Page 256 256 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. enemys vessels and carry them by assault, I authorized Major James to seize such steamers as might be necessary for his purpose and to attempt it. He called for 1,000 men by public advertisement, but, being able to find but about a hundred who would undertake it, he abandoned the project. On the morning of the 25th the enemys fleet advanced upon the batteries and opened fire, which was returned with spirit by the troops as long as their powder lasted, but with little apparent effect upon the enemy. The powder intended for this battery of 32-pounders had been transferred by me to the steamer Louisiana a few days before under the supposition that it would render much better service from her heavy rifles and shell guns than with a battery of light 32s. For the operations at these works you are respectfully referred to General Smiths report. The greater portion of the ord- nance stores, provisions, and quarantine property were sent from the city by rail or steamer, and a portion of the volunteers also took the cars for Camp Moore, 78 miles distant, on the Jackson railroad. The greater part of the ninety-day troops disbanded and returned to their homes. There were two or three regiments and smaller bodies of men raised for Confederate service in the city at the time, but, being entirely without arms of any kind, they could be of no service, and were also ordered to Camp Moore. I adopted this course, recognizing the perfect absurdity of confronting more than a hundred guns afloat, of the largest caliber, well manned and served, and looking down upon the city, with less than 3,000 militia, mostly armed with indifferent shotguns. It would, in my judgment, have been a wanton and criminal waste of the blood of women and children, without the possibility of any good result, for the enemy had only to anchor one of his ships at Kenner to command the Jackson railroad, and he could have reduced the city to ashes at his leisure without our being able to make any resistance whatever. Why he did not occupy Kenner and cut off all exit from the city immediately I do not understand. Presuming that he would do so as a matter of course, I had requested Captains Poindexter and Gwathmey, of the Navy, to have all the steamers ready in Lake Pontchartrain to carry the troops over to Madisonville, whence they could march to Camp Moore. A portion of them were taken over by this route. Knowing that the enemy would at once seize the Opelousas Railroad, and thus cut off the troops occupying the works on the coast of west Louisiana, I sent orders to the different commanding officers at Forts Livingston, Guiorr, Quitman, Berwick, and Ch~ne to destroy their guns, and, taking their small arms, provisions, and ammunition, to rejoin me at Camp Moore. Major Ivy brought away the troops at the two latter forts in a very creditable manner, but those at the other works became demoralized, disbanded, and returned to New Orleans. I gave verbal instructions to Colonel Fuller to have the garrison of Forts Pike and Macomb, Battery Bienvenu, and Tower Dupr6 ready to move at a moments notice, as their posts were dependent on the city for provisions, and frequently for water. It was understood that the naval steamers, in connection with other vessels in the lake, should bring away these garrisons when called upon to do so, and, aftermy arrival at Camp Moore, orders were given on the 26th to go for them, as I had been informed that Forts Jackson and St. Philip had been sur- rendered. Finding that this report was untrue, I immediately counter- manded the orders, giving instructions that they should be held unti Page 257 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 257 further notice, but before either order could reach Madisonville, it was reported that the whole command was already at Covington. I advised Captain Poindexter to make his way to Mobile with his armed steamers, but he concluded to destroy them. We, however, procured from them some of the guns and ordnance stores, which I ordered immediately to Vicksburg, to be put in position there. On the 25th, Captain Bailey, of the Federal Navy, demanded the surrender of the city, and that the flags should be taken down, and the United States flag put up on the mint, custom-house, and other public buildings. To this demand I returned an unqualified refusal, declaring that I would not surrender the city or any portion of my command, but added that, feeling unwilling to sub- ject the city to bombardment, and recognizing the utter impossibility of removing the women and children, I should withdraw my troops and turn it over to the civil authorities. This 1 did in compliance with the openly expressed opinion of all the prominent citizens around me that it would be a useless waste of blood, without being productive of any beneficial results to the cause, for the troops to remain. Captain Bailey then returned to his ship, under escort through the city, at his own request, of two officers of my staff, Colonel Lovell and Major James, and I then advised the mayor not to surrender the city, nor [to] allow the flags to be taken down by any of our people, but to leave it to the enemy to take them down himself. This advice was followed by the city authorities but the idea being held out in their subsequent correspondence with the Federal officers that they were placed in a defenseless condition by the withdrawal of the troops, but for which a different course might have been pursued, I promptly telegraped to Major James, of my staff, then in th~ city, offering to return at once with my whole command, if the citizens felt disposed to reshit to the last extremity, and remain with them to the end. 1 had deliberately made up my mind that, although such a step would J~e entirely inde- fensible in a military point of view, yet, if the people of New Orleans were desirous of signalizing their patriotism and devotion to the cause by the bombardment and burning of their city, I would return with my troops and not leave as long as one brick remained upon another. The only palliation for such an act would be that it would give unmis- takable evidence to the world that our people were in deadly earnest. This determination, plainly expressed in my dispatches to Major James (herewith transmitted, marked A), was read by him to the mayor and also to the city council in presence of one or more prominent citizens. The opinion was generally and freely expressed by the mayor and others, that the troops ought not to return. (See report of Major James, herewith appended, marked B.) I went to the city myself, how- ever, on the night of the 28th of April, and in order that there might be no mistake, made the same proposition in person to the mayor. He said he did not think it advisable for the troops to return, that such a step would only be followed by a useless sacrifice of life without any cor- responding benefit, and urged decidedly that it be not done. I, how- ever, addressed him a letter (herewith appended, marked C), declaring my willingness to return and share a bombardment with them, and waited until the night of the 29th for an answer, but receiving none in writing, returned ~o Camp Moore. The same proposition was made by me in the course of the day to several prominent citizens, but was invariably dis~ountenanced by them. NWRV0L18 1 Page 258 258 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. For a week after the withdrawal of the troops, I had a number of officers in the city, and kept trains running regularly, which brought out a large amount of Government property and stores, as well as those of the State of Louisiana. iNearly everything was brought away except the heavy guns and some property which persons in their fright had destroyed, and everything might have been saved had not persons refused to work for my officers, fearing that they niight be subjected to punishment by the enemy. Many, also, refused to work for Con- federate money, which occasioned some delay and difficulty in the removal of stores. I feel gratified, however, in being able to state that we brought away all the troops that would leave, and including the property of the Statea greater amount in value than belonged to the Government. What we failed to bring was from inability to get transportation. In this duty I was mainly assisted by Colonel Lovell, Major James, Major Bell, Captain Venable, and Lieutenant McDonald, to whom the Government is greatly indebted for the safety of much valuable property. It was a source of great distress to me to see the result of months of toil and labor swept away in a fewiours, but it was, in my opinion, mainly attributable to the following causes, which I could not by any possibility control: 1st. The want of a sufficient number of guns of heavy caliber, which every exertion was made to procure, without success. 2d. The failure, through inefficiency and want of energy of those who had charge of the construction of the ironclad steamers Louisiana and iJfi~sissippi, to have them completed in the time specified, so as to supply the place of obstructions; and, tinally, the declension of the officers in charge of the Iom~s~ana to allow her (though not entirely ready) to be placed as a battery in the position indicated by General Duncan and myself. On these last points I could only advise and sug- gest, as they appertained to a separate and independent department, over which I had no control whatever. (See letter of Major James, hereunto appended, marked D.) Opened fire on the 13th of April, which was kept up at intervals for five days, when the mortars opened, and, from that time, with but a single interruption of a few hours, a bombardment was kept up for seven days and nights, which, for great rapidity and accuracy of range, has no parallel. More than twenty-five thousand shells were thrown, of which not less than one-third fell within the limits of Fort Jackson, yet the garrison held out, although wet, without change of clothing, and exhausted for want of rest and regular food, with a heroic endurance which is beyond all praise. That the enemy suc- ceeded in passing a large portion of his fleet by the forts on a dark night, under a heavy fire, is due to no fault of the garrison of the forts. They did their whole duty, nobly and heroically, and had they been seconded, as they should have been, by the defenses afloat, we should not have to record the fall of New Orleans. To the officers of my staff, who underwent months of severe and arduous labor, collecting supplies, creating resources with the most limited means, and preparing all sorts of materials and munitions of war by ingenious makeshifts, I return my thanks. Left in the city with a smalJ force of badly armed militia, all opportunity for distinction or glory was cut off, yet they never flagged in their zeal and devotion to the cause. When the country knows all that was done, and under wha Page 259 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 259 disadvantages it was accomplished, I feel confident that their verdict will do ample justice to those who shared equally in the labors of prepara- tion, while they were denied the glory of taking part in the defense. The battle for the defense of New Orleans was fought and lost at Forts Jackson and St. Philip. The extraordinary and remarkable conduct of the garrisons of these forts in breaking out in open mutiny after covering themselves with glory by their heroic defense, is one of those strange anomalies for which I do not pretend to account. The facts are recorded and speak for themselves. The causes will, probably, never be known in full. For the detailed accounts of the bombardment of the forts, and the engagements at the time of the passage of the fleets by them and the batteries at Chalmette, you are respectfully referred to the accom- panying reports of Generals Duncan and Smith. There were no bat- teries except at these two points, for the reason that no guns could be procured to place in them. I had frequent occasion to regret that it was fonnd impossible to give me control of the defenses afloat as well as here. A single controlling head might have made all the resources more available and efficient in working out the desired result. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, M. LOVELL, - General S. COOPER, Major- General, Gommanding. Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va. [Enclosure A.] CAMP MOORE, April 28, 1862. If the people are willing to stand the result I will bring 4,500 men down as soon as I can give them arms and powder, and stay as long as a brick remains. It is their interest I am endeavoring to consult, not the safety of my men. I have nothing but infantry and two bat- teries of field artillery, which would be of no use against ships. I will come down myself if they wish it, and bring the men along as fast as ready. They are newly raised regiments, and are being now armed and equipped as you know. Can begin to bring them down to-morrow, if that is the desire of the citizens. Shall I come down myself to-night? Will do so if I can be of any assistance, and leave General Smith to complete the organization and bring down -the five regiments when ready. The citizens must decide as to the consequences. I will come, if it is wished, cheerfully. M. LOvELL, Major JAMES, Jfi0or- General, Gommanding. New Orleans. CAMP MOORE. April 28, 1862. I shall start down myself with an aid now, and am perfectly ready, if it is the desire of the city, to hold it to the end. It is for them to say, not me. M. LOVELL, Major JAMES Major- General, Cornmandinq. New Orleans Page 260 260 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. [Enclosure B.] Sin: I have the honor to report that while I was in the city of New Orleans on the 27th of April, executing your orders to assist in removing the Government and State property, and while the negotia- tions were going on between the city authorities and the Federal officers for the surrender, I was informed that the nature of the replies to the naval commander was such as to throw some censure upon yourself for leaving them, as the mayor styled it, without military protection. I deemed it my duty to advise you of this immediately, the result of which was the enclosed dispatches from you, offering to return with your troops and afford them all the protection in your power, but that the responsibility of any results that might ensue must rest upon the citizens themselves. I read your dispatches to the city council, which was then in session, in the presence of Mr. Pierre Soul6, who happened to be there at the time. That gentleman, who seemed to speak for the mayor and council, most emphatically declared that you ought not to return with your troops, as did also the mayor and members of the council. Several of them, however, declared that they would be glad to have you return alone and see matters for yourself, to which effect I telegraphed you. You came to the city that evening with a single aid-de--camp, and went with me to the mayors house, where you, in my presence, told him that the citizens should have no cause to say that they were obliged to submit for want of military protection; that you were ready and willing to bring your whole command into the city within twenty-four hours and undergo a bombardment with them, if that was their desire; that you had withdrawn to enable the citizens to decide the matter for themselves, as it was they and not you who had their families and property at stake. In reply, the mayor ear- nestly declined your offer, stating that you had done all in your power, and that it would be a useless waste of life to bring the troops into the city. He also urged you by all means to retire from the city for your own safety, and subsequently asked me to persuade you to leave as soon as possible, as he would be hung if the United States authori- ties found you were at his house. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, L. L. JAMES, Volunteer Aid-de- Camp. General M. LOVELL. [Enclosure C.] HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT No. 1, New Orleans, , 1862. Sin: When the enemy, having succeeded in passing our defenses on the river with his fleet, anchored abreast the city it was apparent that the infantry troops under my command could offer no effectual resist- ance, and their presence would only serve as a pretext and justification for them to open their guns upon a city crowded with women and children, whom it was impossible to remove. Under these circum- stances I determined at once to withdraw my troops and leave it to the citizens themselves to agree upon the course of action to be pur- sued in-relation to the welfare of their families and property. I now beg leave to say that if it is the determination of the people of the city to hold it at any and all hazards, I will return with my troops an Page 261 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 261 share the danger with them. That my return will be followed by bombardment is, in my opinion, certain, but if that is the conclusion come to I will afford all the protection in my power. Very respectfully, M. LOVELL, iiity or- General, commanding. Hon. JOHN T. MONROE, iJfayor of New Orlean8. [Enclosure I).] GENERAL: At your request, upon my return from Forts Jackson and ~t. Philip, I accompanied you to call upon Commodore Whittle, of the Navy, at his headquarters in New Orleans, for the purpose of getting that officer, if possible, to place the ironclad gunboat Loui8iana in a position below Forts Jackson and St. Philip from which she could enfilade the position of the enemys mortar fleet and drive them from it, thereby relieving the forts, for a time at least, from the heavy bombardment then going on, which would allow Brigadier-General Duncan to make such repairs as were necessary and, what was equally necessary, give the garrisons some rest. The position designated for the vessel to be placed in was in an eddy upon the Fort St. Philip side of the river and under the protection of the guns of both forts, and entirely out of line of the bombardment; and it would require a change of position of the mortar fleet to enable them to strike the vessel with shell, if she could have been struck at all. All these facts were fully explained by yourself to Commodore Whittle, and he was requested by you by all means to place the vessel in said position, even if she was lost, as the maintaining the position then held by your troops in the forts without this assistance was merely a question of time. To this earnest appeal upon your part Commodore Whittle telegraphed to Commander Mitchell of the fleet stationed just above the forts to strain a point if, in his judgment, it was necessary, to comply with your request and place the Loui8iana in the position before spoken of. As the result shows, the request of Commodore Whittle to Commander Mitchell was not complied with. I make this statement voluntarily, in order that if ever the question of the defenses of New Orleans should arise you can have every evi- dence to show that it was not, certainly, the want of proper exertions on the part of the land forces which caused the fall of New Orleans. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, L. L. JAMES, Volunteer Aid-de- Gamy. General M. LOvELL, Gommanding Department No. 1. Report* of Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army, commanding coast defenses. NEw ORLEANS, LA., April 30, 1862. I have the honor to submit the following report of the bombard- ment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, La., from the 16th to the 24th of April, 1862. * For enclosures mentioned herein see Army War Records, Series I, volume 6 pp. 535546 Page 262 262 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. About the 27th of March 1 was informed by Lieutenant-Colonel E. Higgins, commanding Forts Jackson and St. Philip, composing a part of the coast defenses under my command, that the enemys fleet was crossing the bars and entering the Mississippi River in force. In consequence, I repaired at once to that post to assume the general command of the threatened attack upon New Orleans, which I had alw~iys anticipated would be made from that quarter. Upon my arrival I found that Fort Jackson was suffering severely froni transpi- ratiou and backwater, occasioned by the excessive rise in the river and the continual prevalence of strong easterly winds. Notwithstand- ing every effort which could be made, the water kept daily increasing upou us, partly owing to the sinking of the entire site and to the natural lowness of the, country around it, until the parade-plain and casemates were very generally submerged to the depth of from 3 to 18 inches. It was with the utmost difficulty, and only then by isolating the magazines and by pumping day and night, that the water could be kept out of them. As the officers and men were all obliged to live in these open and submerged casemates, they were greatly exposed to discomfort and sickness, as their clothing and feet were always wet. The most of their clothing, and blankets besides, were lost by the tire hereinafter mentioned. Fort St. Philip, from the same causes, *as in a similar condition, but to a lesser extent. No.attention having been previously paid to the repeated requisi- tions for guns of heavy caliber for these forts, it became necessary in their present condition to bring in and mount, and to build the platforms for the X-inch and three Vhf-inch columbiads, the rifled 42-pounder, and the five X-inch seacoast mortars, recently obtained froni Pensacola on the evacuation of that place, together with the two rifled 7-inch guns temporarily borrowed from the naval authorities in New Orlcans. It was also found necessary to prepare the old water battery to the rear of and below Fort Jackson, which had never been completed, for the reception of a portion of these guns, as well as to construct mortarproof magazines and shell rooms within the same. In consequence, also~ of the character of the expected attack by heavy mortars, it was deemed advisable to cover all the main magazines at both forts with sand bags to a considerable depth to protect them against a vertical fire. After great exertions, cheerfully made by both officers and men, and by working the garrisons by reliefs night and day, this work was all accomplished by 13th of April. No sooner had the two rifled 7-inch navy guns been placed in position, however, than orders arrivcd to dismount one of them immediately, and to send the same to the city at once, to be placed on board of the ironclad steamer Louisiana. I strongly remonstrated by telegraph against this removal, but was informed in reply that the orders were imperative and that the gun must be sent without fail. It was accordingly sent, but with great difficulty, owing to the overflow and the other causes stated. The gal- risons of both forts were greatly fatigued and worn out by these labors, performed as they were under pressure and within sight of the enemy and owing to the many discomforts and disadvantages we were labor- ing under in consequence of high water. In the meantime I had called upon the general commanding the department for two regiments to be stationed at the Quarantine buildings, 6 miles above the forts, to act a Page 263 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 263 a reserve force and cooperate with the forts in case of a combined land and water attack. I also asked for Captain W. G. Mullens company of scouts and sharpshooters to be stationed in the woods below Fort Jackson on the right bank of the river for the purpose of picking off the officers and men from the enemys vessels when assuming their several positions of attack. Captain Mullens company of about 125 men was sent down as requested and stationed in part in the point of woods below Fort Jackson and the remainder on the Fort St. Philip side, opposite the raft obstructing the river. The Chalinette regiment, consisting of about 500 men, Colonel Szymanski commanding, was sent to the Quarantine. A part of it was stationed there, and company detachments were placed at the heads of the several canals leading from the river into the bays back of the same to guard against a land force being thrown in launches above us. Four steamers of the river fleet, protected, and to a certain extent made shot-proof with cotton bulkheads and prepared with iron prows to act as rams, viz, the IYarrior, Stonewall Jackson, Defiance, and Reso- lute, commanded by Captains Stevenson, Phillips, McCoy, and Ilooper, respectively, were sent down to report to and cooperate with me. The steamers Governor Moore and General Qaitm an, prepared as those before mentioned and commanded by Captains B. Kennon and A. Grant, were sent down in like manner to cooperate with the forts and ram such vesseb of the enemy as might succeed in passing. The naval authorities also sent down the C. S. steam ram ]Ifanassas, Cap- tain Warley, C. S. Navy, commanding. She was stationed a short dis- tance above Fort Jackson, with her steam up constantly, to act against the enemy as the occasion might offer. Subsequently, also, Captain F. B. Renshaw, C. S. Navy, arrived in command of the C. S. S. Jackson.. The raft of logs and chains which had formerly been placed across the river having proven a failure upon the rise in the stream and constant velocity of the drift-bearing current, a new obstruction had been placed across the river opposite Fort Jackson by Lieutenant-Colonel E. Higgins prior to his assump- tion of the command of the forts. This consisted of a line of schoon- ers anchored at intervals with bows upstream and thoroughly chained together amidships as well as stern and stem. The rigging, ratlines, and cable were left to trail astern of these schooners as an additional impediment to tangle in the propeller wheels of the enemy. This schooner raft was seriously damaged by the windstorm on the 10th and 11th of April, which parted the chains, scattered the schooners, and materially affected its character and effectiveness as an obstruction. In addition to the wind, the raft was also much damaged by allow- ing some of the fire barges to get loose and drift against it, through the carelessness of those having them in charge. A large number of these fire barges were tied to the banks above both forts, ready at all times to be towed into the current and against the eneniy, for the double purpose of firing his ships and to light up the river by night to insure the accuracy of our fire. My instructions to the river fleet, under Captain Stevenson (see attached document A), were to be in the stream above the raft, with such boats as had stern guns, in order to assist the forts with their fire, in case the enemy should attempt the passage, as well as to turn in and ram, at all hazards, all such ves- sels as might succeed in getting above the raft. He was also required to take entire control of the fire barges (see attached document B), t Page 264 264 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. reconnoiter the enemy above the Head of the Passes, and to keep a watch boat below every night near the point of woods to signal the approach of the enemy. The accompanying diagram * will illustrate all the points referred to in this report. The same instructions were given to Captains Kennon and Grant and upon his arrival Captain Renshaw was daly informed of th~ arrangements made, in which he promised heartily to cooperate. While the enemy remained at the Head of the Passes, 22~ miles below the forts, and subsequently when he caine up to the Jump, or Wilders Bayou, the boats of the river fleet took turns in running down and watching his movements. Foi a few nights also, at this time, one of them was kept below as a guard boat. We had telegraphic communi- cation besides down to within half a mile of the Jump, 9 miles below the forts, which, together with scouts operating in the bays to the east and west of the river, in skiffs and pirogues, kept us duly posted meanwhile of the enemys movements below as far as the South West Pass. The enemy was not idle in the interim. His larger vessels were worked over the South West bar, after failing to make an entrance at Pass ~ lOutre, and the mortar fleet was brought up as far as the South West Pilot Station, where the mortars were scaled and afterwards tested. From seven to thirteen steam sloops of war and gunboats were constantly kept at the Head of the Passes or at the Jump to cover his operations below and to prevent o~r observing his movements by way of the river. By gradual and regular approaches he carefully closed upon the forts day by day and opened the attack, as hereinafter detailed. April9.One of our reconnoitering steamers was chased and followed up by two of the enemys gunboats as far as the point of woods below Fort Jackson, but were soon forced to retire by a few shots from our batteries. This was his first reconnoissance, and our fire was not returned. April 13.Several of the hostile gunboats again came up to make observations. They would occasionally show themselves singly or in pairs above the point of woods and exchange a few shots with the forts and then retire again behind the point. Our sharpshooters obtained a few shots on this occasion, but with very partial result, owing to the lowness of the surrounding country and the extreme rise in the river. Many of the men were up to their waists in water, and in consequence sickness prevailed among them and unfitted them for duty. The enemy spent the principal part of the day in firing grape and canister and in shelling the woods to drive them out. This was repeated the following day, the enemy not coming within range or sight of the forts, but confining himself to shelling the woods below. The sharpshooters were all driven out by this second days firing. Our telegraphic communication below was also broken up, as the wires were removed and many of the posts cut and torn down by the enemy. There being no other point above or below where the sharpshooters could profitably act in that capacity, and as many of them were unfit for duty from exposure, I deemed it advisable to dispense with their services and send them to the city, which was accordingly done. It being of the highest importance, however, to keep up the tele- graphic communication below, Lieutenant T. J. Roysters company, sappers and miners, Twenty-second Regiment Louisiana Volunteers, *Seep 27 Page 265 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 265 volunteered his services, with fifteen men of his company, to act as sharpshooters in pirogues, and cover the operator in repairing the line and reestablishing the connection with the forts above, as well as to annoy the enemy. This also failed from the great difficulty of manag- ing the pirognes effectively in the dense nndergrowth of the swampy woods below, and the telegraph and the sharpshooters had to be aban- doned in consequence. April 15.The enemy brought up his whole fleet, extending the same from the Head of the Passes to the point of woods below the forts. Orders were repeatedly given to Captain Stevenson, of the river fleet, to cause the fire barges to be sent down nightly upon the enemy; but every attempt seemed to prove a perfect abortion, the barges being cut adrift too soon, so that they drifted against the banks directly under the forts, firing our wharves and lighting us np, but obscuring the position of the enemy. In consequence, 1 turned the control of them, as well as the boats employed to tow them into the stream, over to Captain Renshaw, the senior naval officer present. I also directed Captains Kennon and Grant to report to hhn for orders, as I found great difficulty in communicating with or controlling the vessels afloat, and directed Captain Stevenson, with his four boats, to cooperate with Captain Renshaw in every possible way. These boats of the river fleet, it seemed, could not be turned over directly to the imme- diate command of naval officers, owing to certain conditions imposed by the Navy Department. April 16.From half-past 7 oclock a. m. the enemys gunboats came around the point repeatedly for observation, but were invaria- bly forced to retire by our fire. In the meantime he was locating the position of the Mortar Flotilla, composed of twenty-one schooners, each mounting one XIII-inch mortar and other guns, close against the bank on the Fort Jackson side and behind the point of woods. At half-past 4 oclock p. m. the enemy ran out a gunboat and fired upon the fort, under cover of which two mortar boats were brought out into the stream. These boats opened fire upon Fort Jackson at 5 p. in., which was continued for an hour and a half, the enemy, under our fire, retiring behind the point of woods. One fire barge sent down successfully against the enemy at 4 oclock a. in., which drifted in among his vessels and was fired upon by them, creating considerable movement and perturbation. During the day Captains Renshaw, Kennon, Grant, Stevenson, and looper passed in their turns with their boats below the raft, now very much disconnected and scattered, and exchanged a few shots with the hostile gunboats and mortar boats. Two more abortive attempts were made to send down fire barges against the enemy during the night. April 18.At 9 oclock a. m. the enemy opened upon Fort Jackson with his entire mortar fleet of twenty-one vessels and with rifled guns from his gunboats. Fifteen of them were concealed behind the point of woods and the other six hauled out in the stream at an angle with them (see diagram), just at the extreme range of our heaviest guns. Our fire disabled one gunboat and one mortar boat, causing those in the stream to retire behind the cover of the woods. Generally our shots fell shoft for lack of elevation and in consequence of the inferi- ority of our powder compared to that of the enemy. Even our near- est guna X-inch seacoast mortarwould not reach his boats wit Page 266 266 WEST GULF flLOCRADLNG SQUADRON. the heaviest charges. The enemy ceased firing at 7 oclock p. in., having fired this day 2,997 niortar shells. The quarters in the bastions were fired and burned down early in the day, as well as the quarters immediately without the fort. The citadel was set on fire and extinguished several times during the first part ot the day, bnt later it became impossible to put out the flames, so. that when the enemy ceased firing it was one burning mass [from this point to end this report is taken from the Army War Records, Vol. VI, page 525], greatly endangering the magazines, which at one time were reported to be on fire. Many of the men and most of the officers lost their bedding and clothing by these fires, which greatly added to the discomforts of the overflow. The mortar fire was accu- rate and terrible, many of the shells falling everywhere within the fort and disabling some of our best guns. I endeavored to get the naval forces to carry down fire barges against the enemy so as to disperse them, but they were all let go above the raft and with such a lack of judgment that they only lodged under the forts and did not reach the enemy. (See attached docu- ment C.) None of the boats acted as a guard boat below the raft at night, so that in consequence the enemy sent up two launches to examine the character of the raft obstructing the river. April 19. The mortar fleet again opi~ned at 6 a. in., and the fire was constantly kept up throughout the day. Gunboats constantly came above the point during the day to engage the forts, but were as con- stantly driven back by our fire. One of them we crippled, which was towed behind the point of woods. The enemys fire was excel- lent, a large proportion of his shells falling within Port Jackson. The terre-plein, parade plain, parapets, and platforms were very much cut up, as well as much damage done to the casemates. The maga- zines were considerably threatened, and one shell passed through into the casemate containing fixed ammunition. One X-inch and one VIJI-inch columbiad, one 32 and one 24 pounder, and one X-inch Siege mortar were disabled in the main work, also two rifled 32-pounders in the water battery. Bombardment continued very regularly and accurately all night. Failures again were made in sending down fire barges. April ~O.Some rain in the morning. Bombardment constant throughout the day, with occasional shots from the gunboats around the point. Wind very high. No fire barges sent down to light up the river or distract the attention of the enemy at night. In conse- quence, between 11 and 12 p. in., under cover of the heaviest shelling during the bombardment thus far, one of the enemys gunboats came up in the darkness and attempted to cut the chains of the raft and drag off the schooners. A heavy fire was opened upon her, which caused her to retire, but not until she had partially accomplished her purpose. The raft, after this, could not be regarded as an obstruc- tion. The fire continued uninterruptedly all night. April 21.Firing continued all day and night without interruption. Several guns were disabled. Disabled guns were repaired as far as practicable as often as accidents happened to them or their platforms. Fort Jackson by this time was in need of extensive repairs almost everywhere, and it was with extreme pleasure that we learned of the arrival during the night of the ironclad steamer Loui8iana, under the cover of whose heavy guns we expected to make the necessary repairs Page 267 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. April ~.By the direction of the major-general commanding the department everything afloat, including the towboats and the entire control of the fire barges, was turned over to Captain John K. Mitchell, C. S. Navy, commanding the Confederate States naval forces, Lower Mississippi River. I also gave Captain Mitchell 150 of our best men troni Forts Jackson and St. Philip, nnder Lieutenants Dixon and (4andy and Captain Ryan, to serve a portion of the guns of the Loai8iana and to act as sharpshooters on the same vessel. in an interview with Captain Mitchell on the morning of this date, I learned that the motive power of the ]oui8iana was not likely to be completed within any reasonable time, and that in consequence it was not within range of probabilities that she could be regarded as an aggressive steamer or that she could be brought into the pending action in that character. As an ironclad invulnerable floating battery, with sixteen guns of the heaviest caliber, however, she was then as complete as she would ever be. Fort Jackson had already undergone and was still subjected to a ter- rible fire of XI1I-inch mortar shells which it was necessary to relieve at once to prevent the disabling of all the best gnns at that fort, and, although Fort St. Philip partially opened out the point of woods con- cealing the enemy and gallantly attempted to dislodge him or draw his fire, he nevertheless doggedly persisted in his one main object of bat- tering I~ ort Jackson. Under these circumstances I considered that the Loui8iana could only be regarded as a battery and that her best pos- sible position would be below the raft, close in on the Fort St. Philip shore, where her fire could dislodge the mortar boats from behind the point of woods and give sufficient respite to Fort Jackson to repair in extenso. This position (X on the accompanying diagram) would give us three direct cross-fires npon the enemys approaches and at the same time insure the Louisiana from a direct assault, as she would be imme- diately nnder the guns of both forts. Accordingly, I earnestly and strongly urged these views upon Captain Mitchell in a letter oi~ this date (copy lost), but without avail, as will be seen by his reply, attached as Document D. Being so deeply impressed myself with the importance of this posi- tion for the Louisiana and of the necessity of prompt action in order to insure the success of the impending struggle, I again urged this sub- ject upon Captain Mitchell during the latter part of the same day as absolutely indispensable and imperative to the safety of New Orleans and to the control of the Lower Mississippi. My efforts were inifectual to get him to move the boat from her original position above the forts. His reply is attached as Document E, in which he is sustained by all the naval officers present having the command of vessels. I also addressed him two other notes through the day, one in regard to sending fire barges against the enemy, and the other relative to keeping a vigilant lookout from all his vessels and asking for coopera- tion should the enemy attempt to pass during the night. (See attached Document F.) Bombardment continued throughout the day and night, being at times very heavy. During the day our fire was principally confined to shelling the point of woods from both forts, and apparently with good results, as the mortar fire was slackened toward evening. The casemates were very much cut up by the enemys fire, which was increased at night Page 268 268 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. There was little or no success in sending down fire barges, as usual, owing in part to the condition of the towboats ]JiJio8her, ]JIu8ic, and Belle Algerine, in charge of the same, explained by attached Document G. This does not excuse the neglect, however, as there were six boats of the river fleet availabld for this service, independent of those alluded to, and fire barges were plentiful. April ~3. The day broke warm, clear, and cloudless. No imme- diate relief being looked for froni our fleet, the entire command was turned out to repair damages under a very heavy fire of the enemy. The bombardment continued without intermission throughout the day, but slackened off about 12 in., at which hour there was every indication of an exhaustion on the part of the Mortar Flotilla; hence it became evident that the tactics of the enemy would necessarily be changed into an attack with broadsides by his larger vessels. In con- sequence these views were laid before Captain Mitchell and he was again urged to place the Louisiana at the point before mentioned, below the raft and near the Fort St. Philip bank of the river, to meet the emergency. (See attached Document H.) Captain Mitchells reply is attached, in Documents E, I, J, and K, wherein he positively declines again to assume the only position which offered us every pos- sible chance of success, and Captains [Charles F.] Mcintosh, [Thomas B.] Huger, and Warley sustain Captain Mitchell in his view of the case. Just before sundown, under a very heavy mortar fire, the enemy sent up a small boat, and a series of white flags were planted on the Fort St. Philip bank of the river, commencing about 350 yards above the lone tree upon that shore. (See diagram.) This confirmed my previous views of an early and different attack from the usual mortar bombardment, especially as I presumed that these flags indicated the positions to be taken up by the several vessels in their new line of operations. As nothing was to be expected from the Louisiana after the corre- spondence during the day, I could only inform Captain Mitchell of this new movement of the enemy (see attached Document L) and par- ticularly impress upon him the necessity of keeping the river well lit up with fire barges to act as an impediment to the enemy and assist the accuracy of our fire in a night attack. Lieutenant [George S.] Shryock, C. S. Navy (Captain Mitchells aid), came on shore about 9 p. m. to inform me that the Louisiana would be ready for service by the next evening, the evening of the 24th. I informed him that time was everything to us and that to-mor- row would in all probability prove too late. Lieutenant-Colonel Higgins warmly seconded my opinion and warned Lieutenant Shryock that the final battle was imminent within a few hours. In regard to lighting the river Lieutenant Shryock stated that fire barges would be regularly sent down throughout the night every two hours, and as none had been sent up to that hour (9:30 p. in.), he left, informing me that this matter would be attended to as soon as he arrived on board. To my utter surprise not one single fire barge was sent down the river, notwithstanding, at any hour of this night. It was impossible for us to send them down, as everything afloat had been turned over to Captain Mitchell, by order of the major-general commanding, and the fire barges and the boats to tow them into the stream were exclusively under his control. In consequence of this criminal neglect the river remained in complete darkness throughou Page 269 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 269 the entire night. The bombardment continued all night and grew furious toward morning. April p4.At 3:30 a. in. the larger vessels of the enemy were observed in motion, and, as we presumed, to take up the positions indicated by the small flags planted by them on the previous evening. I then made my last and final appeal to Captain Mitchell, a copy of which is attached as Document M. The Louisiana was still in her old position above Fort St. Philip, sur- rounded by her tenders, on board of which was the majority of her cannoneers and crew, and the other boats of the fleet were generally at anchor above her, excepting the Jackson, Captain Henshaw, C. S. Navy, commanding, which had been sent the day before, at my sug- gestion, to prevent the landing of forces through the canals above. The liibflae lay near and above the Louisiana, and the steam ram i3ilanassas, with her tender, remained in her constant position above Fort Jackson, both with steam up, ready for immediate action. The enemy evidently anticipated a strong demonstration to be made against him with fire barges. Finding, upon his approach, however, that no such demonstration was made, and that the only resistance offered to his passage was the expected fire of the forts (the broken and scattered raft being then no obstacle), I am satisfied that he was suddenly inspired for the first time to run the gantlet at all hazards, although not a part of his original design. Be this as it may, a rapid rush was made by him in column of twos, en gcAelon, so as not to inter- fere with each others broadsides. The mortar fire upon Fort Jackson was furiously increased, and in dashing by each vessel delivered broadside after broadside of shot, shell, grape, canister, and spherical case to drive the men from our guns. Both the officers and men stood up manfully under this galling and fearful hail, and the batteries of both forts were promptly opened at their longest range with shot, shell, hot shot, and a little grape, and most gallantly and rapidly fought until the enemy succeeding in getting above and beyond our range. The absence of light on the river, together with the smoke of the gnus, made the obscurity so intense that scarcely a vessel was visible, and in consequence the gunners were obliged to govern their firing entirely by the flashes of the enemys guns. I am fully satisfied that the enemys dash was successful mainly owing to the cover of darkness, as a frigate and several gunboats were forced to retire as day was breaking. Similar results had attended every previous attempt made by the enemy to pass or to reconnoiter when we had sufficient light to fire with accuracy and effect. The passage by was of short duration, having been accomplished between 3:30 a. m. and daylight, under a very rapid and heavy pres- sure of steam. Of the part taken in this action by the Louisiana, Afanassas, and other vessels comprising the cooperative naval forces, I can not speak with any degree of certainty, excepting that the Louisiana is reported to have fired but twelve shots during the engagement; but to the heroic and gallant manner in which Captain Huger handled and fought the JifcRae we can all bear evidence. The Defiance, Captain McCoy commanding, was the only vessel saved out of the river fleet. Shortly after daylight the ifanassas was observed drifting down b Page 270 27O WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the forts. She had been abandoned and fired, and was evidently in a sinking condition. The 2J/Uii?ae was considerably cnt np in this action by shot and grape The Resolute was run on shore about a mile above the forts, where she hoisted a white flag, but by the prompt action of the liildRae she was prevented from falling into the hands of the enemy. She wa8 subsequently wrecked and burned. The Warrior was run ashore and fired on the point just above Fort St. Philip. Nothing was known by us of the movements of the Stonewall Jack- son, the Governor 1JIioore, or the General Quitman. The steamers 3ifosher, Alusic, and Belie Algerine, in charge of the fire barges,, were all destroyed. So also was the Star. The heroic courage displayed by the officers and men at both forts was deserving of a better success, especially after the fortitude which they constantly exhibited through the long tedinm of a protracted bombardment unsurpassed for its terrible accuracy, constancy, and fury. Thirteen of the enemys vessels out of twenty-three succeeded in getting by, viz, the hartford, Pensacola, Richmond, Brooklyn, Mis- sissippi, Oneida, Iroquois, Gaguga, Wissaliickon, Sciota, Kineo, Katak- din, and Pinola. In addition to the foregoing and to the Varuna and such other vessels as were sunk, there were six gunboats and one frigate engaged in this action besides the Mortar Flotilla. Heavy chains were faked along the sides of the most of these vessels as an iron-proof protection. The extent of the damage which was done to the enemy we had no means of ascertaining. The vessels which passed all came to an anchor at or below the Quarantine, 6 miles above the forts, where they remained until about 10 a. in., when they all passed slowly up the river, with the exception of two gunboats, left at the Quarantine as a guard. Shortly after the fleet above got underway a gunboat from below made her appearance with a flag of truce, and verbally demanded the surrender of the forts in the name of Commander D. D. Porter, U. S. Navy, commanding the Mortar Flotilla, under the penalty of reopening the bombardment (which had ceased shortly after the passage) in case of refusal. The demand was rejected, and the bombardment was reopened about 12 rn. It continued until near sundown, when it ceased altogether. The entire Mortar Fleet and all the other vessels except six gunboats then got underway and passed down the river and out of sight under full steam and sail. A vigilant lookout was kept up above and below during the night, but all remained quiet. So long as the Mortar Fleet remained below, the position wherein the Louisiana could render the greatest assistance to the forts was the one below Fort St. Philip, hereinbefore mentioned, where the fire of her batteries could dislodge the enemy from behind the point of woods. After the Mortar Fleet had left, however, and when the enemy had got in force above the forts, the question was materially changed, in consequence of the fact that all of our heavy guns at both forts had been mounted to bear upon the lower approaches and not on those above. The most effective position which the Loui8iana could then take as a battery was in the light above Fort Jackson, where her gun Page 271 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 271 could protect our rear and sweep the long reach of river above toward the Quarantine. This would still insure her safety, as she would be under the guns of both forts. This is evident by a reference to the point (XX) on the diagram. * In several personal interviews and by a correspondence with Captain Mitchell on this date (see attached Documents N, 0, P, Q, and Ii), I requested him, during the morning of the 24th, while the Mortar Fleet was below, to place the Louisiana below the raft and dislodge it; and, later in the day, when the mortar fire was nearly exhausted, to place her in the position (XX) above Fort Jackson to assist in repelling an attack from the vessels above. During the day she was in an unfit condition to assume either posi- tion for the reasons given by Captain Mitchell in his letters to me. The intoxicated volunteers referred to were none of my men, nor did they get their liquor at the forts, as there was none on hand there during the bombardment excepting the small supplies of hospital stores in the medical department. April p5.No attack attempted during the day by the enemy either from above or below. The gunboats from the Quarantine above and from the point of woods below occasionally showed themselves for observation, but without firing. During the day all the principal guns that would admit of it at both forts were prepared at once so as to traverse in a full circle and bear above or below, as necessity might require. Some of the 24-pounder barbette guns at Fort Jackson were also replaced by guns of heavier caliber to bear on the river above. Permission was granted by the enemy to the C. S. S. ifdllae to pro- reed to New Orleans, under a flag of truce, with the wounded. Avail- ing ourselves of the offer of Captain Mitchell, the seriously wounded of both forts were sent on board of her. As it was late when the wounded were all gotten on board, the AfdRae did not get off until the next morning. Still failed during the day in getting Captain Mitchell to place the Louisiana in the bight above Fort Jackson, where she could act against the enemy from above. One of the raft schooners was burned during the night to light the river, and all remained quiet. April 26. A gunboat, with a white flag, dropped down from the Quarantine to escort the ikidilac on her mission. The iJEdilac did not return again to the forts. Four of the enemys steamers were in sight at the Quarantine at dawn. A gunboat occasionally showed herself below to reconnoiter. In the direction of Bird Island, and back of the salt works, a large steam frigate and an ordinary river steamer appeared in sight, the latter working her way up the bay behind Fort St. Philip, apparently toward the Quarantine. During the day Captain Mitchell communicated with the enemy above under a flag of truce, and learned that the city had surrendered, and that the C. S. steam ram iJfi& sissippi had been burned by our authorities. The wreck of the floating dock or battery drifted by the forts about 4 p. m. The Loui8iana was not placed in the position required of her during the day, Captain Mitchell promising to put her there the next day, *See p. 277 Page 272 272 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the 27th. Another raft schooner burned for light, and all quiet dur- ing the night. No shots exchanged during the day. April 27.At daylight the steamer which had been observed the day before working her way up in the back bays was in view, imme- diately in the rear of Fort St. Philip, and near the mouth of Fort Bayou. A frigate and five other vessels were also in sight toward Bird Island, one of which was seen working her way up the bay. From ten to thirteen launches wer& visible near the boat back of Fort St. Philip, by means of which troops were being landed at the Quar- antine above us. About 12 m. one of the enemys gunboats from below made her appearance under a flag of truce bearing a written demand for the surrender of the forts, signed by Commander David D. Porter, U. S. Navy, commanding Mortar Flotilla. (See attached Document S.) The forts refused to surrender. (See attached Document T.) About 4 p. m. the French man-of-war iF/dan, Captain Clou6 com- manding, passed up to the city, after asking and obtaining permission of the forts to do so. The position of the Loui8iana still remained unchanged. So far, throughout the entire bombardment and final action, the spirit of the troops was cheerful, confident, and courageous. They were mostly foreign enlistments, without any great interests at stake in the ultimate success of the revolution. A reaction set in among them during the lull of the 25th, 26th, and 27th, when there was no other excitement to arouse them than the fatigue duty of repairing our damages and when the rumor was current that the city had sur- rendered and was then in the hands of the enemy. No reply had been received from the city to my dispatches sent by couriers on the 24th and 25th, by means of which I could reassure them. They were still obedient, but not buoyant and cheerful. In consequence, I endeavored to revive their courage and patriotism by publishing an order to both garrisons, attached hereto as Document U. I regret to state that it did not produce the desired effect. Every- thing remained quiet, however, until midnight, when the garrison of Fort Jackson revolted in mass; seized upon the guard and posterns; reversed the fleldpieces commanding the gates, and commenced to spike the guns, while many of the men were leaving the fort in the mean- time under arms. All this occurred as suddenly as it was unexpected. The men were mostly drawn up under arms and positively refused to fightany longer, besides endeavoring by force to bring over the St. Marys Cannoneers and such other few men as remained true to their cause and country. The mutineers stated that the officers intended to hold out as long as possible, or while the provisions lasted, and then blow up the forts and everything in them; that the city had surrendered, and that there was no further use in fighting; that the enemy were about to attack by land and water on three sides at once, and that a longer defense would only prove a butchery. Every endeavor was made by the officers to repress the revolt and to bring the men to reason and order, but without avail. Officers upon the ramparts were fired upon by the mutineers in attempting to put a stop to the spiking of the guns. I am greatly indebted to the Rev. Father Nachon for his effort to quell the mutineers, through some of whom he learned that the revol Page 273 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 273 had been discussed among them for two days, and yet there was no one man among them true enough to communicate the fact to his officers. Signals also were said to have been passed between the forts during the night and while the mutiny was at its height. Being so general among the men, the officers were helpless and powerless to act. Under these circumstances there was but one course left, viz, to let those men go who wished to leave the fort, in order to see the number left and to ascertain what reliance could be placed upon them. About one-half of the garrison left immediately, including men from every company excepting the St. Marys Cannoneers, volunteers and regu- lars, noncommissioned officers and privates, and among them many of the very men who had stood last and best to their guns throughout the protracted bombardment and the final action when the enemy passed. It was soon evident that there was no further fio~ht in the men remaining behind; that they were completely demor~lized, and that no faith or reliance could be placed in the broken detachments of companies left in the forts. In the meantime we were totally ignorant of the condition of affairs at Fort St. Philip, and as all our small boats had been carried away by the mutineers, we could not communicate with that fort until the next morning. As the next attack upon the forts was likely to be a combined operation by land and water, and as Fort St. Philip was the point most threatened, from the nature of the country around it and from the character of the work itself, with narrow and shallow ditches, and but little relief to the main work, it was self-evident that no reduction could be made in its garrison to strengthen that of Fort Jackson, even if all the men there remained true. In fact, two addi- tional regiments had been asked for at the Quarantine in anticipation of such an attack, to act as a reserve to strengthen the garrisons of both forts. With the enemy above and below us, it will be apparent at once to anyone at all familiar with the surrounding country that there was no chance of destroying the public property, blowing up the forts, and escaping with the remaining troops. Under all these humiliating cir- cumstances there seemed to be but one course open to us, viz: To await the approach of daylight, communicate then with the gunboats of the Mortar Flotilla below under a flag of truce, and negotiate for a sur- render under the terms offered us by Commander Porter on the 26th instant, and which had previously been declined. April ~8.A small boat was secured and Lieutenant Morse, post adjutant, sent over to convey the condition of affairs at Fort St. Philip, as well as to Captain Mitchell, on the Loui8iana. Captain Mitchell and Lieutenant Shryock, C. S. Navy, came on shore and discussed the xvhole question, after which they left, remarking that they would go on board and endeavor to attack the enemy above at the Quarantine, notwithstanding that reasons had been given from time to time for not moving this vessel into her proper position, only a few hundred yards distant. ~Captains Squires and Bond, Louisiana Artillery, and Lieutenant Dixon, commanding the company of Confederate State~ regular recruits, came on shore shortly from Fort St. Philip, and concurred with us that under the circumstances we could do nothing else than N W RVOL 15 1 Page 274 274 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. surrender, as they were not at all confident of the garrison there after the unlooked-for revolt at Fort Jackson, although none of their men had left or openly revolted. For these reasons a flag of truce was sent down to communicate with the enemy below and to carry a writ- ten offer of surrender under the terms offered on the 26th instant. (See attached Document V.) This communication brought up the harriet Lane and three other gunboats opposite the forts, with white flags at the fore, white flags being displayed from the yards of the flag~masts at both forts, while the Confederate flags waived at the mastheads. While negotiations were pending on the Harriet Lane, it was reported that the steamer Louisiana, with her guns protruding and on fire, was drifting down the river toward the fleet. As the wreck in descending kept close in to the Fort St. Philip shore, the chances were taken by the enemy without changing the position of his boats. The guns of the Loaisiana were discharged at random as she floated down, and the boat finally blew up near Fort St. Philip, scattering its fragments everywhere within and around the fort, killing one of our men and wounding three or four others. Captain Mcintosh, C. S. Navy, who had been severely wounded in the discharge of his duty on the night of the enemys passage, and who was then lying in a tent at that fort, was nearly killed also. As far as I could learn, however, the Louisiana was fired prior to the time that the enemys boats with white flags came to an anchor abreast of the forts to negotiate. She was fired in her first and orig- inal postion, without a change of any kind since her arrival at the forts. The terms of the capitulation are attached hereto as Document W, in addition to which Commander Porter verbally agreed not to haul down the Confederate flag or hoist the Federal until the officers should get away from the forts. The officers of Fort Jackson and the St. Marys Cannoneers left about 4 p. m. for the city, on board the United States gunboat Kenne- bee, and arrived on the niorning of the 29th in New Orleans. The officers of Fort St. Philip were sent up the next day, and all the men subsequently, within a few days, as transportation could be furnished, excepting the men who revolted on the night of the 27th, many of whom enlisted with the enemy. Upon my arrival in the city I found tha~ the enemys vessels were lying off the town and that no flag, excepting that of the State of Louisiana, on the city hail, was visible upon the shore. I also learned that Flag-Officer Farragut had directed it to be hauled down and the United States flag hoisted in its stead, upon the penalty of shelling the city within forty-eight hours if the demand was not complied with, and that he had warned the city authorities to remove the women and children within the time specified. I therefore deemed it my duty to call at once upon the mayor at the city hall .and inform him of the fate of the forts below, which I did accordingly. Learning there from one of his aides that the major-general com- manding the department was still in the city, I called upon him in person and verbally reported the main incidents of the bombardment, the passage of the enemy, and the capitulation of the forts. I hav~e The honor to enclose herewith the report of Lieutenant-Colonel E. Higgins, Twenty-second Regiment Louisiana Volunteers, com- manding Forts Jackson and St. Philip, as well as the several reports o Page 275 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 275 Captain M. T. Squires, Louisiana Artillery, senior officer in charge of Fort St. Philip, and those of the different company and battery commanders, together with the surgeons reports of the killed and wounded. The report of Colonel Szymanski, commanding the Chalmette Regi- ment at the Quarantine, has not been received by me, so that I am unable to report upon his operations. I fully endorse the just praise bestowed in the enclosed reports upon all the officers at both forts, and warmly return them my thanks. They all distinguished themselves by cool courage, skill, and patriot- ism throughout the entire bombardment, and by the patient fortitude with which they bore the several trying ordeals of water, tire, and the energetic fury of the enemys protracted and continuous fire. I must also bear testimony to the cheerful courage and prompt and willing obedience with which the men performed their duties through- out the bombardment and up to the sad night when they took the rash and disgraceful step of rising against their officers, breaking through all discipline, and leading to such disastrous and fatal consequences. I can charitably account for it only on the grounds of great reaction after the intense physical strain of weary days and nights of terrible tire, through which they were necessarily subjected to every privation from circumstances beyond our control, but they had not the moral courage to share and sustain with their officers all of whom were sub- jected to the same hardships in every particular. To Lieutenant-Colonel E. Higgins, commanding the forts, my thanks are especially due for his indefatigable labors in preparing his hea~vy batteries preparatory to the attack, almost in the face of the enemy, and for the quiet, skillful, and judicious manner in which he caused theni to be fought. He was present everywhere, and did his whole duty well and thoroughly. (ffaptaiu M. T. Squires, Louisiana Regiment of Artillery, as senior officer in charge of Fort St. Philip, under the orders of Lieutenant- Colonel Higgins, commanding, fully sustained every anticipation entertained of his gallantry, skill, and efficiency. During the first days bombardment, when Captain Anderson was wounded, my aid-de-camp (Lieutenant William M. Bridges, Louisiana Artillery) volunteered to command the two X-inch columbiads on the main work, and I returned him my thanks for the gallant and efficient manner in which he fought them during the rest of the action. I take great pleasure in making personal mention of my volunteer aids Captains William J. Seymour and J. R. Smith. for the valuable assistance which they rendered me at all times. My thanks are also due to Drs. Bradbury and Foster, who volun- teered their services to assist Assistant Surgeons S. Burke and C. D. Lewis at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, respectively, and most effi- ciently did they aid in this department. Dr. Bradbury remained at Fort Jackson until its fall, and was paroled. Dr. Foster, at my request, accompanied the wounded soldiers to the city on the C. S. S. iJfdRae. Messrs. Fulda and Stickney and Sergeant J. R. Poindexter, Fourth Mississippi Volunteers, telegraph operators, rendered the most valu- able services in keeping open our communication above and below under the most dangerous and difficult circumstances Page 276 276 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Although we have failed in our mission of keeping the enemys fleet from passing the forts, and have been subjected to the deep humilia- tion of surrendering the charge intrusted to our keeping to the enemies of our country, I must nevertheless state, in common justice to myself and those under my command, that to the very best of our ability, with the means at our disposal, our whole duty was performed faith~ fully, honestly, and fearlessly. If all had to be gone through with again, under similar events and circumstances, I know that we should be forced to the same results and consequences. Great as the disaster is, it is but the sheer result of that lack of cheerful and hearty cooperation from the defenses afloat, which we had every right to expect, and to the criminal negligence of not lighting up the river at night when the danger was imminent and the move- ments of the enemy absolutely known almost to the hour of the final attack. Except for the cover afforded by the obscurity of the dark- ness, I shall always remain satisfied that the enemy would never have succeeded in passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip. 1 am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. K. DUNCAN, Br~qadier- General, late Commanding coast Defenses. Major J. G. PICKETT, Asst. Adjt. Gem., Department JYo. 1, camp llfoore, La Page 277 9, (5 9, 3 0 t~,, -~. ~ 4~~ Levee. ~ ~ -5A.~ ~4(0 ~SS 1~ _,~ ~ ~ ~ s ~ H -~ ~ --~-- 9, ~s~cR e. S~0 ~ ~9. bO~ ~ ,~ ~--- ~ -~ ~ . 0 ~ -~~~-- ~ ~-. ~ ~ 5-55... -.45*.- 4551S5. -- 9, - 0 N ,~ Al ~ (5 45*55.. 2M55.. Quarantine.. 0 ( Page 278 278 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Higgins, C. S. Army, commanding Forts Jackson and St. Philip. HEADQUARTERS FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP. April 27, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report that on Friday, the 18th instant, the naval force of the United States, which has been for some weeks in the river making preparation for an attack on these forts, com- menced the bombardment of Fort Jackson. Fire from their mortal- fleet was opened at 9 oclock a. m. The force employed by the enemy against us consisted of 21 mortar vessels and a fleet of about 21 steam vessels of war, carrying more than 200 guns of the heaviest caliber. The mortar vessels, when they opened lire, were all concealed from our view save six, which took position in sight of the forts and within our longest range. These we soon forced to retire. They joined the rest of their fleet behind the point of woods and, concealed from view, renewed their fire. Orders had been issued to the officers and men of my command to retire to the casemates of the forts the moment the bombardment commenced. The order being obeyed, nothing was left for us to do but receive the fnrious storm of shell which was hailed upon us. Our citadel was soon destroyed by fire. All the buildings around and in connection with the fort shared the same fate. From Friday morning until the following Thursday we sustained this terrible battering. Several times during the bombardment the enemys gunboats attempted to pass up the river under cover of their mortar fire, and on each occasion our batteries were promptly manned and the enemys advance gallantly repelle~d. At 3:30 a. m. on Thursday it was observed that the mortar fire was increased to an intensity of fury which had not been previously reached. At the same time a movement was observed in the steam fleet below. Our batteries were instantly in readiness, and were at once engaged in a most terrific conflict with the enemys fleet of four- teen steamships, which, dashing by the fort in the darkness of the night, pouring in their broadsides of shot, shell, grape, canister, and shrapnel, succeeded in getting beyond our range and in our rear. During the forenoon a demand was made by Commodore Porter, com- manding the mortar fleet, for a surrender of the forts. This propo- sition was promptly refused, and the bombardment was again commenced and continued until 4 p. in., when all firing ceased. I enclose you the reports of company and battery commanders; also the .surgeons report of killed and wounded. I fully endorse the encomiums of the company commanders upon the officers under their command, and feel myself bound to record my high admiration of the coolness, courage, and fortitude of all the officers of both forts. Captain J. B. Anderson, Company E, Louisiana Artillery, was wounded early in the conflict while heroically fighting his guns. Not- withstanding his severe wound, he rendered the most gallant and efficient service to the last. Captain W. B. Robeitson, who commanded a detached work called the water battery, remained with his command during the whole of the protracted ordeal, without cover of any kind, although suffering from severe physical disease, and scarcely able at times to walk around his battery. He was most ably and gallantly assisted by Captain R. J. Bruce, Louisiana Artillery Page 279 WEST G ULE BLOCKADING SQUAD1~O~. 2~79 First Lieutenant Eugene W. Baylor, who was in command of the 42-pounder barbette battery, and First Lieutenant Richard Agar, of the same battery, did all that gallant officers and men could do. The officers stationed at the heaviest batteries on the river front were, the greater part of the time, fatigued as they were, obliged to be constantly with their detachments at their guns to prevent surprise. Lieutenants A. N. Ogden, Beverly C. Kennedy, and William T. Mum- ford, of the Louisiana Artillery, particularly distinguished themselves in this service. Although not under my immediate command, I can not omit to men- tion the devoted conduct of your aid-de-camp, Lieutenant William M. Bridges, who, upon the disability of Captain Anderson, immediately volunteered his services and took charge of the two X-inch columbiads and fought them night and day with ceaseless energy. Lieutenant J. W. Gaines, in command of the 32-pounder battery on the river front, assisted by Lieutenant E. D. Woodlief, Captain S. Jones, Company I, Louisiana Volunteers; Captain F. Peter, Company I, Twenty-second Regiment Louisiana Volunteers, fought their bat- teries gallantly and well. Lieutenant Thomas K. Pearson, Twenty- third Louisiana Volunteers, was killed in the thickest of the fight while gallantly fighting his guns. The St. Marys Cannoneers, Captain F. 0. Cornay, have my xvarmest gratitude and admiration for their whole conduct both in face of the enemy and in the severe and arduous fatigue duties which they dis- charged always and at all times with alacrity and energy. They are an honor to the country, and well may their friends and relations be proud of them. The report of Captain M. T. Squires, who was the senior officer at Fort [St.J Philip, is enclosed with the reports of the other officers. Cap- tain Squires fought the batteries of Fort St. Philip most gallantly. He was in charge of that fort during the whole bombardment. The severe work at Fort Jackson required my constant presence there. I had every confidence in the coolness, courage, and skill of Captain Squires and his officers, and most satisfactorily did they discharge their duties. I refer you to his report for the mention of the indi- vidual conduct of his officers. The floating battery Louisiana, the steam ram illanassas, and the Confederate steamer iJifcJ?ae, together with a number of vessels which had been fitted up by the Confederate and State governments, were in the river above the forts at the time the enemy dashed by. I am unable to state what assistance, if any, was rendered by the greater portion of these. At daylight I observed the JL/iekae gallantly fighting at terrible odds, contending at close quarters with two of the enemys powerful ships. Her gallant commander, Lieutenant Thomas B. Huger, fell during the conflict severely, but I trust not mortally, wounded. The ilfanassas I observed underway, apparently in pursuit of one of the vessels of the enemy, but I soon lost sight of her. I would here observe that I think an investigation should be demanded into the conduct of the authorities afloat, whose neglect of our urgent entreaties to light up the river during this sad night contributed so much to the success of our enemies. My adjutant, Lieutenant C. N. Morse, was indefatigable in the dis- charge of his important duties, which required his constant presence near my person, and has my sincere thanks Page 280 280 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Surgeon Somerville Burke, C. S. Army, and Doctor Bradbury (who kindly volunteered his services when he became aware of the attack on the forts), were unremitting in their attention to the wounded, fear- lessly exposing themselves at all times in the discharge of their duties. Lieutenant Charles Wermes, ordnance officer, distinguished himself by the self-sacrificing attention to arduous and important duties. Day and night he was at his post, and by his great exertions our magazine was saved from being flooded, the water having risen considerably above the floor. Lieutenants Mann and Royster, of Captain Ryans company, rendered fearless and efficient service. Captain Ryan was with a detachment of his company on board the Louisiana during a portion of the bombardment and in the fight of Thursday morning. At all times his services were most promptly rendered. Mr. James Ward rendered me the most important services during the bombardment. In charge of the firemen he made almost super- human exertions during the burning of the citadel. He has my warmest gratitude. I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ED. HIGGINS, ]ieut. (hi., G. S. A., Commanding Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Lieutenant WM. M. BRIDGES, A. A. A. General, Second Brigade, Department ATo. 1, New Orleans. Supplemental report of Lieutenant-Colonel Higgins, C. S. Army. NEW ORLEANS, April 30, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 27th April, 1862, a formal demand for a surrender of Forts Jackson and St. Philip was made by Conimodore David D. Porter, commanding United States mortar fleet. The terms which were offered were of the most liberal nature; but so strong was I in the belief that we could resist successfully any attack which could be made upon us, either by land or water, that the terms were at once refused. Our fort was still strong. Our damage had been to some extent repaired. Our men had behaved well, and all was hope and confidence with the officers when suddenly, at mid- night, I was aroused by the report that the garrison had revolted, had seized the guard and were Spiking the guns. Word was sent us through the sergeants of companies that the men would fight no longer. The company officers were immediately dispatched to their commands, but were driven back. Officers were fired upon when they appeared in sight upon the parapet. Signals were exchanged by the runtineers with Fort St. Philip. The mutiny was complete and a general massacre of the officers and a disgraceful surrender of the fort appeared inevitable. By great exertion we succeeded; with your influence, in preventing this disgraceful blot upon our country, and were fortunate in keeping the passion of the men in check until we could effect an honorable surrender of the forts, which was done by us, jointly, on the morning of the 28th instant Page 281 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 281 As the facts and documents relating to this matter are in your pos- session, it is unnecessary for me to dwell longer on this humiliating and unhappy affair. I wish to place on record here the noble conduct of Captain Cornays company, the St. Marys Cannoneers, who alone stood true as steel when every other company in Fort Jackson basely dishonored their country. 1 have the honor to remain, Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ED. HIGGINS, Lieut. (ol., C. S. A., late Commander Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Lieutenant WM. M. BRIDGES, Aid-dc- (amp and A. A. A. General, Second Brigade. Report of Captain Squires, C. S. Army. FORT ST. PHILIP, April 27, 1862. SIR: I have the honor respectfully to submit the following report: Early on the morning of Friday, the 18th instant, perceiving by the movements of the enemy that they were about taking up their position, the heavy guns were ordered to open upon them to annoy them in the execution of their purpose as much as possible, but, the distance being great and the range extreme, with but very little success, the enemy taking little or no notice of our fire, only answering by a few rifle shells at long intervals. The XIII-inch mortar after the thirteenth round became useless, the bed giving way under it, breaking in two, and the mortar coming upon the ground. The enemy retired from our sight at 8 oclock p. in., and nothing more was heard of him that night. At an early hour of the morning of the 19th instant, the enemy again took up a position identical with that of the day previous, excepting that no mortar boats were on this shore, all keeping close behind the point of woods, and opened fire upon Fort Jackson, which was allowed to continue without interruption from this side. Fearing the effect and having ascertained the exact range and distances, I deter- mined to open upon them and draw off some of the fire to this side if possible. It was immediately done, and with partial success, three of the mortar boats opening upon us with but little effect. On the 20th, 21st, and 22d, the tire of the enemy still continued from their mortar boats, with an occasional shot from the gunboats. The only damage done during these days was the damaging the plat- form of the 24-pouxider gun in salient near the main magazine, the shell passing under and throwing it up, but not rendering it useless. Our fire was slow and deliberate, with no visible results more than the driving back of two of the mortar boats which were partially exposed around the wooded point. The fire of the enemy, although warm, well directed, and sustained, was, for the most part, either short or very much over. Up to this time the only guns used were the columbiad battery in the main work and the XIIJ-inch mortar, disabled on the first day. In the lower water battery one Viii- inch columbiad and one 7-inch rifle gun, worked by Captain R. C. Bonds company; four X-inch seacoast mortars, by Captain J. H. Lamons company. On the 23d the enemy still kept up a regula Page 282 282 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. fire, to which we did not reply all day. At 3.30 oclock of the morn- ing of the 24th the men were ready and standing at their guns, having received information that there was a niovement by the enemy. N6 vessels were to be seen, and the first notice of an enemy nearing us was the reply to the shots from Fort Jackson, and the gunners were ordered to fire by the flashes of the enemys guns, which was done, bnt the fire was entirely too high and passed over them. Immediately after this a vessel came in sight, and they followed each other in rapid succession, seemingly in pairs, one of the two keeping back far enough to enable her to deliver her fire from her broadsides. The fire from our guns was rapid, and, from the little that could be seen and heard, was accurate, but after the first discharge the smoke almost hid them from sight and we were again compelled to judge by the flashes of their guns. As to the effect of the fire, it is impossible to state what it was, as the darkness, aided by the smoke, rendered seeing out of the ques- tion. A three-mast propeller ran ashore during the engagement above the upper water battery and remained there several minutes with a fire barge alongside; her rigging had caught fire, but was immediately extinguished. We were not able to open upon her, as one of the colum- biads had been previously dismounted, and the other could not be brought to bear; besides their hands were full with other vessels com- ing up, and the 24-pounder in the salient of the upper water battery bearing directly upon her, had been broken in two near the trunnions. The vessels passed close under our guns, taking advantage of the eddy which runs up with considerable force, and it was found impossible to get more than one or two shots at any one vessel, they passed with such rapidity. All our guns were worked with courage, energy, and skill, excepting the upper water battery, where some confusion arose, caused by the men not being so thoroughly drilled as they should have been. Com- pany C, of the Confederate recruits, Lieutenant J. K. Dixon, were fully prepared to work the guns of this battery and would have done so with effect, but were two days before ordered on board the floating battery Louisiana, and their place was supplied by Captain Assenheimer s Company B, Twenty-fourth Regiment Louisiana Volunteers, who had only been drilled a few times, and Captain Massicots Company D, Chalmette Regiment, who were raw, undrilled, perfectly ignorant even of the use of the shotguns with which they were armed, and had never been drilled at artillery. As soon as it was seen that the guns did not open, Lieutenant A. J. Quigley, with such men as could be gathered, was sent to attend to them, which was done, so far as they were con- cerned, to the satisfaction of that officer. The company of Confeder- ate recruits under Lieutenants Dixon and Blow, were detailed to report to Captain Mitchell, C. S. Navy, for duty on board the Louisiana, as per instructions dated headquarters Fort Jackson and St. Philip, April 21, 1862, where they remained until the evening of the 24th instant. Captain Lartigues company did good service as scouts and sharpsfioot- ers, many of them being out at all times. On the night of the 23d, seven of theni were sent to ascertain the movements of the enemy, and all returned without accomplishing anything. Two other scouts, one from Company K, and the other of Company F, were out on the same mission, and had it not been froni the failure of the rockets, which, by an accident, became wet, would have signaled their approach much sooner. As it was, the only intimation I received was the firing of one of their muskets Page 283 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 283 The following is the number of projectiles used, etc.: 675 VIlI-inch solid shot, 171 VIII-inch shells, 13 XJII-inch from columbiad battery, etc., in main work; 142 X-inch mortar shells from lower mortar bat- tery; 470 shot, shell, and grape, lower water battery; 120 shot, grape, and canister from upper water battery. Captain R. C. Bond, assisted by First Lieutenants Carleton Hunt and William C. Ellis, and his Company K, Captain J. H. Lamon with the assistance of First Lieu- tenant H. W. Fowler, with his Conpany C in the lower battery, man- ning the 42 and 32 pounders, respectively; Lieutenants Lewis B. Taylor and W. B. Jones, with Company F at the columbiad battery, and Lieutenant A. J. Quigley, with supernumeraries of Company F, taken from main work to man guns of upper water battery, behaved with gallantry, energy, coolness, and bravery, worthy of imitation, and all, both officers and men, deserve the highest praise that could be given to anyone, for the honorable part they performed during the whole time since the commencement of this trying conflict. Captain Charles Assenheimers Company B did their best, both his officers and men. Individual acts of heroism are numerous, but where all did so well, it would appear invidious to mention names. Suffice it to say that were everything to be done again, or anything else required to be performed, one could ask no other privilege than to have the same men to do it, feeling satisfied it would be as well carried out as possi- ble. The injury to the fort was slight. Of the guns, one banded 7-inch rifle was burst by the explosion of a shell in its bore near the muzzle, and one 24-pounder gun was broken in two about 14 inches in front of the trunnions, by being struck by a solid shot. An VIJI-inch colum- biad was dismounted, but only temporarily useless, the gun being uninjured and soon remounted. The platform of one 24-pounder gun was undermined by a shell, but not rendered entirely useless. One of the uprights of a 42-pounder gun carriage was partially shot away, but can still be of service. With many thanks to all officers and men for their assistance and efficient aid, and humbly bowing before the will of Almighty God, I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, M. T. SQUIRES, captain, Loui.~iana Artillery. Lieutenant CHARLES N. MORSE, P081 Adjutant, Fort JaeA~on, La. List of killed and wounded in Fort St. Philip. FORT ST. PHILIP, April 26, 1862. SIR: I have to report 2 killed and 4 wounded at Fort St. Philip, viz: Company D, Chalmette Regiment, 1 killed, 2 wounded. Company F, First Artillery, 1 killed. Company K., First Artillery, 2 wounded. Very respectfully, CHAS. D. LEwIS, A8sistartt Surgeon, C S. Army. Lieutenant CHARLES N. MORSE, Post Adjutant, Fort Jackson Page 284 284 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. List of killed and wounded during the eight days bombardment of Fort Jackson. Name. Private Charles Heizel Private John Fogarty Captain J. B. Anderson Private Frank Tynan Private Louis Freidman Private Win. Shiell Private OBrien Private Peter Clark Private Thomas McCarty Private Henry F. Reins Private Fredk F. Heyl Corporal Charles Morris Private Alexander Ashton Private Charles Sunkel Private Win. H. Reed Private Ludwig Lowdenstein.. Private Kelley Private Kergan Private Thomas Collier Private Stephen Welsh Private Michael Burke Private John Williams Private Alban Gooch Sergeant Gao. M. Williams Sergeant Thomas Lynch Private Win. Johnston Sergeant Jackson Corporal Smith. Private M. Sullivan Sergeant John C. Gnsman Lieutenant Thos. K. Pearson ... Private Geo. Schnltz Private James Benson Private T. Kroupe Private Wagner Private Alberts Private Z. iDrozer Private Furcey Boudreaux Private Adrian Haydel Private A. Whaley Private E. Haydel Lieutenant Minos T. Gordy .... Private Thomas IDuffy Private F. Kronpe Corporal Herman Weigand .... Private J. Shin Private James ONcil Corporal J. Harmoii Organizatioii. Co. ID, 1st Artillery do Co. E, 1st Artillery do do do St. Marys,22dLonisiana Co. B, 1st Artillery Co. E, 1st Artillery St. Marys Caniioneers.. do Co. B, 1st Artillery Co. ID, 1st Artillery Co. E, 1st Artillery Co. H, 1st Artillery Yagers, 22d Louisiana Vols. St. Marys Cannoneers, Louisiana Vols. Co. A, 22d Louisiana Vols. Co. ID, 1st Artillery Co. B, 1st Artillery do Co. ID, lit Artillery ....do Co. E, 1st Artillery do do Co. H, 1st Artillery do do Allen Guards, 22d Loui. siana Vols. do do do St. Marys Cannoneers 23d Louisiana Vols. do do Yagers, 22d Lousiana Vols. St. Marys Cannoneers.. do do do do Co. ID, 1st Artillery St. Marys, 23d Loui- siana Vols. Yagers, 22d Louisiana Vols. Allen Guards, 22d Loui- siana Vols. Co. H, 1st Artillery St. Marys, 23d Loui- siana Vols. Nature of casualty. Contusioii, leg. IDo. Wounded in hand. Wounded in back. Wounded in hand. Killed. Wounded in ankle, slightly. Killed. Wonuded in arm. - Wounded in hand and arm. Killed. IDo. Wounded in breast and arm. Wounded on toe. Wounded on foot. Wounded on shoulder. Wounded on foot. Wounded in back. Wounded in face. Killed. IDo. Wounded in knee. Killed. Wounded in eye. Wounded in stomach. Wounded in arm. IDo. Killed. Wounded in arm and leg. IDo. Killed. Wounded in hip; ~dead. Killed. Thigh amputated. Wounded in arm. Wounded in hand. Wouiided in band and face. Wounded on nose. Wounded in both legs. Arm amputated; dead. Killed. Wounded in hand. Fractured upper maxillary. Wounded on head. IDo. Bruised. Wounded in hand. Wounded in breast. Total wounded, 33; total killed ,9. SOMERVILLE BURKE, Assistant Surgeon., C S. Army. Lieutenant-Colonel ED. hIGGINS, Commanding Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Report of Brigadier-General Smith C. S. Army. CAMP MOORE, Tangipakoa, La., .2Ifay 6, 1862. MAJOR: I herewith submit a report of the operations of the troops under my command at the Chalnilette and McGehee lines on the IDate. Apr. 15 Apr. 19 Apr. Apr. Apr. 20 21 22 Apr. 23 Apr. 2 Page 285 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 285 approach of the enemys vessels from Forts Jackson and St. Philip to the city of New Orleans. These interior lines of defense are con- structed with special reference to an attack by land, but terminating them on the river banks were two batteries calculated for twelve and twenty guns, respectively, and at the time of the action containing five and nine. Ten 42-pounders, intended for this battery, were turned over to the navy for the defense of New Orleans by water. This has been considered as depending upon the forts mentioned, which are well constructed, permanent works, rather well armed, and far stronger than any other that could be hastily erected. With this view all the available material, both of guns and ammunition, had been concentrated there prior to the bombardment, and during its continuance was being ridded to in such quantities daily as the means of the department admitted of, it being evident that the decisive struggle was there to be made. As soon, therefore, as it became cer- tain that the large vessels of the enemy had succeeded in passing, there no longer existed a chance of preventing them from reaching New Orleans, and the short resistance made by the few guns mounted in the two batteries of the interior lines was made through a sense of duty, but without any expectation of success, the enemy numbering as many vessels, less one, as we had guns. On the side of the river where I was in person during the action, were stationed three compani~s of Lieutenant-Colonel Pinkneys bat- talion of sharpshooters. With the five guns on the other side, were Captain Pattons company of the Twenty-second Louisiana Yolunteers, one company from Fort Pike, under Lieutenant Butler, one company Beauregard Battery, besides two battalions of infantry collected in camp for instruction as well as to guard the line in case of the enemy~s landing and attacking by land, all under immediate command of Gen- eral Buisson. The enemys vessels had approached to within about the fourth of a mile before we opened on them, the first gun being from Pinkneys battery, and immediately followed by several from the battery on the opposite side, and as promptly replied to from the enemys vessels. The engagement lasted until every round of ammunition on hand was fired, both officers and men displaying a coolness and intrepidity that was gratifying, especially as regards the men who, then for the first time in their lives, discharged a heavy gun. The firing on our side was spirited, perhaps a little uncertain; on the enemys, heavy and rather well directed. During the engagement their vessels gradually lessened the distance until nejir enough to open with grape and canister. The ammunition being expended, and every sense of duty satisfied, permission was given to Colonel Pinkney . to withdraw his command along the line of fieldworks, affording shelter, which was done deliber- ately, officers and men retiring together. The causualties were one killed and one wounded. The battery on the Chalmette side seemed well served, and no doubt was so, judging from the character of the officers present. The enemy, steaming up between us and the city, prevented the retreat of the troops to that point. They were accordingly directed to gain the Opelousas Railroad and reach Camp Moore via LaFourche, or such route as might be found best. Lieutenant-Colonel Pinkney has already reported with his command, but somewhat reduced in numbers Page 286 286 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. In concluding this report I wish particularly to call attention to the admirable assistance rendered by Lieutenants MacDonald and B. M. Harrod, on engineer duty, both before and after the action. Their conduct could not have been better. Lieutenant Frost, on special duty, was also of material assistance, but in carrying out some instructions, was accidentally absent during the engagement. Having received no report from General Buisson concerning the operations on his side of the river, I am unable to refer to th~m more particularly. Respectfully subinitte~. M. L. SMITH, Brigadier- General, (Jom~manding ]ildrd Brigade. Major J. G. PICKETT, Assistant Adjutant- General. Letter from the Secretary of State to Major-General Lovell, C. S. Army. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Richmond, January 19, 1863. SIR: I state at your request that while I was Secretary of War, on giving you orders to take charge of thedefense of the Department of Louisiana, you requested authority to control the operations of the officers of the Navy within the department, and to order such disposi- tion of naval forces as you might deem best to aid in defense. I answered you that your request could not be granted, that the Depart- ment of War could assume no control over naval operations which were confided by law to a distinct department, and that you must rely (for securing the aid of naval forces) on endeavoring to establish concert of action through mutual understanding between yourself and the naval officer highest in rank in your department. Your obedient servant, J. P. BENJAMIN, Major-General MANSFIELD LOVELL, Secretary of Stale. Present. Extract from report of the Secretary of the Navy of the Confederate States, dated August 16, 1862. C. S. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Richmond. August 16, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report to you the operations of this Depart- ment since the 27th of February last, the date of my last report. * * * * * In the defense of the Mississippi River against the combined attack of the enemy on the 24th of April, 1862, the naval force, at the com- mand of the senior officer, participated, and though the results were disastrous to our arms, the conduct of the officers and men of our squadron in the river against overwhelming forces, exhibited th Page 287 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 287 highest evidence of patriotic devotion and professional ability and daring. The conduct of the officers and crew of the MicJi?ae, in these respects, has rarely been surpassed in the annals of naval warfare. Exposed to the terrific fire of many heavy ships, all greatly superior to her in force, torn to pieces by their broadsides, her commanding officer, Huger, mortally wounded, and a large portion of her crew killed and wounded, they refused to surrender as long as they could keep her afloat, and she went down without having passed into the enemys hands. The Loni8iana contended also with the enemys heaviest vessels at close quarters and in actual contact. Her commanding officer, McIn- tosh, was mortally wounded, and when she could no longer be defended ~he was destroyed by her crew. The Jlifana8sas, under Lieutenant Commanding Warley, was handled with remarkable coolness and skill, and inflicted much injury upon the enemy before she went down. The reports of Commander Mitchell, of the LouUana, of Lieutenant Warley, of the iVfana8sas, and of Lieutenant Read, of the JJifdRae, marked A, B, and C, are appended. A naval force of five gunboats, a floating battery, under Captain Hollins, participated in the defense of Island No. 10, and did good service. Upon the fall of New Orleans, the three gunboats, Bienville, Pam- iwo, and (Jarondelel, on Lake Pontchartrain, were destroyed by their officers. A court of enquiry has reported upon this transaction and expressed an opinion which justifies their destruction. The senior officer has, however, been sent before a court-martial for trial. * * * * * * * The PRESIDENT. Confederate States steamer Louisiana. From Mitchell papers Page 288 288 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Gun Dec/i of LOUISIANA (Con feder~te.) April ?4, j86~?. Sow down stream. Port Seam, next to the Left (or Easb bank of AAer S. Guns used in action. 32 0 3?pdr. pdr. 80 3?pdr. pdr 32 pdr. ____________ 3s?pdr. 32 The W/,ee/s, vertica4 one pdr. forward of the other. .9/n. smooth bore. Port blocked up. 8 Inch smooth bore. Pod; blocked up. ~ 8 inch smooth bore. Prope P ellen Rudder. Rudder A - Bulkhead around the wheels. 0 0 0 S S S o o 0 A A0 0 0 ilililD 0 0 0 0 Page 289 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 289 Report of Rear-Admiral Porter, U. S. Navy, transmitting Confederate reports. WASHINGTON, D. C., April 920, 1865. Sw: I beg leave to enclose you a report of Commander Mitchell, commanding the Confederate naval forces at Forts Jackson and St. Philip; also an extract of a report of General Duncan, giving an account of the operations of the U. S. Mortar Flotilla and the squad- ron under the command of Admiral Farragut. These reports were found in Richmond, and are interesting from the fact that they contain information not hitherto known, and a list of the enemys vessels destroyed by our squadron at that time. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, DAYID D. PORTER, Rear-Admiral. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Nary, Washington, D. U. [Enclosure.1 GREENSBORO, N. C., August 19, 18692. SIR: I avail myself of the first opportunity to make to the Depart- ment a report of the engagement on the 24th April last, at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, on the Mississippi River, between the Con- federate States naval forces under my command and those of the United States under Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, in which the latter, being in overwhelming forces, succeeded in forcing the passage of the forts; and also, to report the subsequent events, resulting in the destruction of the C. S. S. Louisiana, by my order, on the unanimous recommendation of all the commissioned line officers present on the 28th of April last, and the surrender of the remaining forces under my command to the enemy on the same day. On Sunday, April 20, I embarked on board the Louisiana, by order of Captain W. C. Whittle, commanding naval station at New Orleans, to assume the immediate command of the Confederate States naval forces operating near Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and proceeded at once down the river, arriving there the following morning and taking up a position below all the gunboats and just above the water battery of Fort St. Philip, securing the Louisiana to the bank of the river, with her bow downstream, within effective range of the remnants of the raft or chain obstructions, so that her three bow guns, one rifled 7-inch and two IX-inch shell, could be trained so as to command both banks of the river. I waited at once on General J. K. Duncan, commanding the land defenses, informing him of my orders and plans and my desire to cooperate with him. The position taken by the Louisiana seemed to meet his approbation, and was the best, I conceive, that could, under the circumstances, have been taken, being just clear of the line of fire from the enemys mortar boats, then playing night and day upon Fort Jackson and occasionally upon Fort St. Philip, and especially in view of the important fact of her being not only unprepared for an offen- sive movement against the enemy, but even for defense, in consequence of deficient motive power and some of her guns being mounted so as to render them unfit for service till shifted. I deem it proper to state here particularly the condition of the. Louisiana at this time. It was notorious that she was not ready for N W J~VOL 15 1 Page 290 290 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. service when ordered to leave New Orleans; yet, in view of the bom- bardment then going on of Fort Jackson, and the apprehension that the enemy might, at any moment, run by the forts below, it was deemed advisable, under all the circumstances, for her to be sent down in her incomplete condition, to render what aid she could in the defense of the passage, in the conviction that her presence there might prevent the enemys vessels coming up the river, while, if she remained at New Orleans, and the eneniy should pass the forts, the Lou~8lana would be unable to save the city and must herself have inevitably fallen into his hands or been destroyed to prevent it. The propellers, designed more to facilitate the steering of the Louisi- ana than to add materially to her direct motive power, were not ready; the railroad iron plating on the forecastle and on the forward hatch combings, as also the boiler plating on upper deck, was not all laid. Mechanics were, however, taken on board and carried down the river so that the work of finishing the vessel could be in progress while she was in position to render some aid against the approach or apprehended attack of the enemy. On leaving New Orleans a trial of the motive power with wheelsonly was made, which proved lamentably deficient, though a dangerous pressure of steam was used; and even after her two tenders were called alongside and used as tugs with all their power it was difficult to steer the vessel, and when pointed with her head upstream, she barely stemmed the current off the city. Her own rud- ders seemed to be utterly powerless to control her. On the trial of the wheels it was found that the bulkheads around them leaked so badly that the deck was flooded aft, and for want of combings to the hatchways the water ran into the after magazine and shell room, making it necessary to stop the wheels. Calkers and car- penters were obtained from the city as soon as possible and set to work to repair these defects. It was impossible to weigh her bower anchqrs after letting them go, owing to the short nip of the hawse pipes and having no capstan or other sufficient purchase, only a deck tackle being provided. It was still more difficult to purchase, seure, or use a stern anchor, as it seri- ously endangered the propellers, the two rudders, and the whole steer- ing apparatus; which was complicated and much exposed to accident from being fouled by lines, contact with boats, vessels, etc., and to being disabled by grape or canister shot of an enemy. One of the two bowers (the lighter one) and the only stern anchor had to be slipped, and were lost in her operations near Fort St. Philip, owing to there being no adequate purchase to weigh them. It may not be out of place to state here that the iron protection of the Louisiana only came down to the water line, her sides at and below it being without any iron protection. The two tenders were not only indispensable as tugs, but also as quarters for officers and crew; the former were partly accommodated with a tent awning on the flat roof or upper deck. The gun or berth deck was sufficient for only about half the crew, and the want of ventilation would have rendered it almost uninhabitable with steam kept steadily up, especially over the boilers, where it would have been difficult, if not impossible, from the excessive heat, for the men to have remained any time at their guns. The following vessels of the C. S. navy I found at Fort St. Philip, viz: Steamer ]lifcRae, Lieutenant Commanding Thomas B. Huger, with 6 light 32-pounder smoothbore broadside guns and QIIQ IX-inch shell gun, pivoted amidships, total ~ Page 291 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 2~1 The steamer facltson, Lieutenant Commmding F. B. Renshaw, 2 pivoted smoothbore 32-pounder, one forward and one aft. The iron-plated ram liffanassas, Lieutenant Commanding A. F. War- ley, 1 32-pounder carronade in bow. Launch No. 3, Acting Master Tilford, I howitzer, 20 men. Launch No. 6, Acting Master Fairbanks, 1 howitzer, 20 men. Also the following converted sea steamers into Louisiana State gunboats, with pine and cotton barricades to protect machinery and boilers, viz: The Governor illoore, Commander Beverly Kennon, 2 32-pounder rifle guns. The General Quitman, Captain Grant, 2 32-pounder guns. All of the above steamers being converted vessels, were too slightly built for war purposes. The following unarmed steamers belonged to my command, viz: The Pha3nix, Captain [Brdwn], tender to ]Jffanassas. The IV. Burton, Captain Hammond, tender to Louisiana. The Landis, Captain Davis, tender to Loaisiana. The following unarmed steamers chartered by the Army were niaced under my orders, viz: The iWiosker, Captain Sherman, a very small tug. The Belle Algerine, Captain [Jackson], small tug. The Star, Captain La Place, used as telegraph station. The iWiusic, Captain McClellan, tender to forts. The two former were in bad condition, and were undergoing such repairs as could be made below, previous to the 24th. On arriving below I delivered to Captain Stevenson written orders from Major-General M. Lovell, requiring him to place all the river- defense gunboats under his command under my orders, which con- sisted of the following converted towboats, viz: 1. The Warrior, under the immediate command of Captain Ste- venson. 2. The Stonewall Jackson, Captain Phillips. 3. The Resolute, Captain Hooper. 4. The Defiance, Captain McCoy. 5. The General Lovell, Captain [Paris]. 6. The P. J. Brecleinridge, Captain [Smith], joined the evening before the action. All of the above vessels mounted from one to two pivot 32-pounders each, some of them rifled; their boilers and machinery were all more or less protected by thick, double, pine barricades, filled in with com- pressed cotton, which, though not regarded as proof against heavy, solid shot, shell, and incendiary projectiles, would be a protection from grape and canister, and ought to have inspired those on board with sufficient confidence to use their boats boldly as rams, for which they were, in a good measure, prepared with flat bar-iron casing around their bows; in thus using them their own safety would be best consulted, as well as the best way of damaging the vessels of the enemy. Captain Stevenson, on receiving General Lovells orders, addressed me a communication to the effect that all the officers and crews of the vessels under his command had entered that service with the distinct understanding or condition that they were not to be placed under the orders of naval officers, and that, therefore, while willing to cooperat Page 292 292 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. with my forces, he could~receive no orders from me himself, nor allow any vessels of his command to do so; that he reserved to himself the right of obeying, or not, any orders 1 might issue. His attitude with respect to my authority was one of absolute independence of action and command, and very embarrassing in the face of the enemy. A copy of his communication was sent by me to General Duncan, and one through Captain W. C. Whittle to General Lovell, informing them, at the same time, that the position assumed by Captain Steven- son relieved me from all responsibility for the conduct of the vessels under his command. Not knowing what moment an attack might be made by the enemy, I endeavored to agree upon a plan of cooperation with his forces by the arrangement of signals and concert of action, and the particular service to be performed by him, an endeavor which he himself seemed disposed zealously to second in many respects. The night of the 20th April, on my way down in the Louisiana, the enemys boats are said to have visited the raft obstructions and cut the chain. To prevent further injury to it, to break the night reconnois- sauces of the enemy, and to watch and report all his movements, I was unsuccessful in my efforts to get Captain Stevenson to employ one or two of his gunboats below the obstructions at night. Although favoring the idea, he seemed to have no confidence in the fitness of his comnianders for the service, and 1 could not induce him to give the necessary orders to them. I had no suitable vessel for this duty nuder my command; the only one that would have answered, the Jackson, having been sent with launch No. 3 five miles above to the Quarantine Station, at the request of General Duncan, to watch the enemy~ in that neighborhood and prevent his approach through any of the adjacent bayous and canals. The interval between the arrival of the Louisiana at the forts on the 21st April, and the morning of the 24th, when the engagement commenced, was occupied in the organization of the force under my command and endeavors to arrange some concert of action with the river-defense gunboats, but as our chief hopes rested upon the com- pletion of the Louisiana, our principal efforts were directed to getting her propellers ready, on which we worked night and day. All the other mechanical work was pushed with all our means, many of the guns having been mounted so as to be entirely unserviceable, being either too high or too low, had to be dismounted and shifted, a most tedious and laborious work, on account of the confined and cramped general arrangement of the gun deck, and its lumbered condition from the mechanical work in progress on board. To assist in the rear- ran gement of the guns, alt the men that could be spared from the iJi/idllae were borrowed. The constant occupatiQn of the crew and the condition of the gun deck prevented any systematic exercise at quar- ters. Every night, however, the crews of those guns that could be used in the event of an attack by the enemy were required to sleep at their quarters, and every possible preparation made for immediate action, under the painfully adverse circumstances which rendered it expedient, if not necessary, that the Louisiana should be placed in position for battle, though so lamentably unprepared. The deficiency in her complement was supplied by Captain T. H. Huttons company of Crescent Artillery as volunteer artillerists, who joined the Louisiana at New Orleans, and a supernumerary force, consisting of a detachment of Lieutenant Dixons artillery and one o Page 293 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 293 Captain Ryans sharpshooters, were received on board for temporary service from Fort St. Philip. General Duncan proposed and urged upon me, the second or third day after my arrival below, to take up a new position with the Louis- iana at the river bank j ust below Fort Jackson and nnder cover of its guns, from whence her fire could be opened with effect on the mortar fleet of the enemy, when at the same time the mechanics could go on with their work. This proposition I declined (and my action was sus- tained in a consultation with all the commanding officers of the naval vessels present) on the ground that: 1st. The battery of the Louisiana was not in a condition for serv- ice and that all her own crew proper, together with all the men that could be spared from the iJfdflae, were constantly at work in rear- ranging it. 2d. That the completion of the propellers and other mechanical work in progress was indispensable to the efficiency of the vessel, and that it would be interrupted if she were placed under fire. 3d. And that placing the Louisiana in a position to receive the fire of the enemy, before her own battery could be served with effect, would be improperly hazarding not only her own safety, but the security of the passage between the forts, on which rested the posses- sion of New Orleans. On the afternoon of the 23d, the arrangement of the Louisianas battery, the work on her propellers and in other mechanical depart- ments, had so far progressed as to encourage the hope and belief that the next day she might be moved to the position proposed by General Duncan. I accordingly made a reconnoissance of it and the enemys mortar fleet, in consequence of which, I decided to move the Louisiana to it the next day or night as might be deemed proper, a plan for which was arranged with Captain Stevenson, who would assist with two of his gunboats which were particularly well adapted to this service from their batteries, as well as their being originally towboats, and the reported skill of their commanders in towing operations. The correspondence between General Duncan and myself on this particular subject, as well as others, with my omcial papers generally, were burned during the engagement, or lost in the subsequent destruc- tion of the vessel; copies of the former are probably in his possession and may be obtained from him if desired by the Department, which will tend to show, I think, that however much I appreciated and am willing to admit the importance of the proposed change of position for the Louisiana~ her condition as to the state of her battery alone, independent of other weighty reasons, were sufficient to prevent its being made previous to the engagement of the 24th. Late in the evenihg of the 23d a consultation was held by me with Commander McIntosh, Lieutenants Commanding Huger and Warley, and Captain Stevenson, in relation to the general aspect of affairs, and especially in relation to information received from General Duncan that the enemy, late in the afternoon, had placed small white flags on the river bank below Fort St. Philip, which he regarded as indicating an intention to take up a position with his fleet for cannonading Fort Jackson. At this consultation with the commanding officers, verbal orders were given and arrangements made that, in the event of an attack at night, each commander would act at his discretion and make every effort t Page 294 294 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. oppose the passage of the enemy; steam was to be kept up as usual, and all the vessels, whether armed or not, held in readiness for imme- diate action and movement. The river defense gunboats had each a fire boat secured to her, which were to be towed into the stream, fired, and turned adrift upon the enemy. Captain Stevenson would also set adrift at stated hours of the night three or Thur fire rafts to keep the passage lighted, as requested by General Duncan. I also arranged with Captain Stephenson to aid the next day in connecting with chains a string of fire boats long enough, if possible, to extend entirely across the river, to be kept in constant readiness, to be towed into position and fired in the event of any serious attempt of the enemy to pass the forts, an arrangement which was originally designed in the preparation of the fire boats at New Orleans. The evening of the 23d, the day before the action, the armed ves- sels under my command and those under Captain Stephenson were arranged in about the following close order on the eastern bank of the river above the Iouis~ana near Fort St. Philip, viz: 1. The Louisiana with two tenders, unarmed. 2. The TYarrior, Captain Stevenson. 34. River defense gunboats. 5. The iYfeRae. 6. Governor ilfoore, Louisiana State gunboat. 7. The ]lfanassas, with unarmed tender Pktzenix. 8910. River defense gunboats. 11. The General Quitman, Captain Grant, lay on the opposite side of the river above Fort Jackson. Launch No. 6, Acting Master Fairbanks, was employed during the nights of the 22d and 23d to keep up a fire on the river bank below Fort St. Philip for the purpose of lighting up the river, as desired by General Duncan. My instructions to him on the 23d were very par- ticular to keep lip a good fire, to keep a vigilant lookout, and give the alarm by firing his howitzer and discharging rockets on discovering any suspicious movements of the enemy, not to leave his station before daylight, and to repel any attack of boats that might be made on him. I learned after the action that on discovering the movement of the enemys vessels Mr. Fairbanks left his station, giving no alarm what- ever, brought his launch up near the Louisiana, making no report of his movements, and, on the commencement of the action, he escaped with, his crew to the swamp. After the action three of the crew returned to the Louisiana, making the foregoing statement of the cowardly, if not treacherous, conduct of Acting Master Fairbanks, of whom noth- ing has since been heard. The engagement April 24. The first alarni or knowledge of the approach of the enemy was the sudden, heavy, and general cannonade about 3:30 oclock a. m. on the 24th April between the two forts and the enemys mortar fleet, sloops, and gunboats. All hands at once repaired to quarters with alacrity on board of the Louisiana. About ten or fifteen minutes after I had gained her deck the first vessel of the enemy was discovered coming up abreast of Fort St. Philip, on which she opened at once with her bow guns; other vessels of the enemy followed in rapid succession, all of which received as they came within range the fire of the Louisiana Page 295 WEST GULF I3LOCKADING SQUADRON. 295 three bow guns (one rifled 7-inch and two IX-inch shell) and three starboard broadside guns (one rifled 6-inch and two VIJI-inch shell) which were all that could be brought to bear during the engagement, for, being moored to the river bank, all her stern and port beam guns were useless for the want of power to move her. The enemy moved up in two divisions, one on each shore, delivering their fire as they passed all our vessels, whether armed or only transports and tenders. One of his heavy sloops was set on fire by one of the fire boats. It was, however, soon extinguished without doing her serious harm. The small unarmed tug iWo8her, Captain Sherman, it is said, while gallantly towing a fire boat against a heavy sloop of war, was instantly sunk by her broadside, with what loss of life I have been unable to learn. The night was calm and pleasant, but so dark, though starlight, that it was impossible to observe or direct the movements of our own vessels. In such a night conflict it must necessarily be somewhat of a m~l6e. The JWcJi?ae and the ]Jfanassa8 were in the stream in time to run the gantlet of the enemys fleet and were no doubt skillfully and gallantly handled. The iliLcli?ae burst her IX-inch pivot shell gun during the action and was badly and seriously cut up, though not act- ually disabled; her escape from utter annihilation was miraculous, con- sidering her slight construction. The iYfanas8as dealt two or more blows against heavy ships of the enemy; but, it is feared, with little effect, as she was comparatively light and deficient in motive power. Having followed the enemy around the first point above, and being hard pressed by two of his heaviest ships, she was run ashore, her supply pipes cut, and abandoned by her offlcers and crew, who were fired upon by the pursuing enemy with grape and canister shot while escaping to the swamp. She subsequently floated off, and, drifting down the river, sank below the two forts. The JYJicRae, after following the enemy above the point, returned to her position near the Louisiana soon after daylight. Only a hurried verbal report was received from Lieutenant C. W. Read, who suc- ceeded to the command after the fall of her able and heroic commander, Lieutenant Thomas B. Huger, mortally wounded, in the unequal con- test in which he was engaged. The early separation of the JULdRae after the action, in sending her with a flag of truce to carry our wounded to New Orleans, and her inability to return, prevented a written report being made to me by Lieutenant Read, which, I pre- sume, must have been made subsequently to the Department. I feel confident that that galtant officer has vindicated himself from the charge of having violated his flag of truce, made by a scandalous enemy, in consequence of the sinking of the iYfcRae off New Orleans. The enemy returned the fire of the Louisiana in passing with grape, canister, and shell, but without serious damage to her hull. No one was injured under deck, no projectiles having entered through ports or otherwise, the only casualtie~ being on deck caused by splinters from the light barricade for sharpshooters, which was somewhat cut up. One of the enemys heaviest sloops, supposed to be the fliartford, delivered her fire while almost, if not in actual contact with the Lou- isiana. Two of his XI-inch shells struck the forward part of the roof, crushing the railroad iron plating about two-thirds their diame- ter, and then broke into fine fragments; solid shot or heavy rifle pro- jectiles, under similar circumstances, would, in all probability, hav Page 296 296 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. easily pierced the roof. While in actual contact with the Loui8ianas stern, the Hartford received the fire of her three bow guns, the pro- ujectiles from which must have passed through her. The Louisiana State gunboat Governor illoore, Commander Beverly Kennon, appears, from his report, herewith enclosed, to have been well and bravely handled, and to whom the credit is chiefly, if not entirely, due for sinking the enemys heavily armed gunboat TTaruna, though his own boat was afterwards run on shore in a disabled condi- tion and destroyed to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy pressing upon him in superior force. I respectfully refer the Department for details as to the part taken by this vessel to the full report of her commander, Commander B. Kennon, of the Louisiana Navy. Also to the report of Lieutenant Commanding A. F. Warley respecting the part taken by the ram ililanassas, under his command; and to the report of Lieutenant Com- manding John Wilkinson, executive officer of the Louisiana, upon whom her command devolved after the fall (toward the close of the action, mortally wounded) of her lamented commander, Charles F. Mcintosh, for his testimony as to the good conduct of the officers and men. The favorable reports made of the officers and crews of these two vessels by their respective commanders have my cordial approba- tion, and I can, from my own personal observation, bear testimony to the activity and good c?nduct of Commander McIntosh while gallantly discharging his duties in the most exposed part of the vessel on deck, as well as to his zeal and industry in the preparation of the Louisiana for service previous to the action. What part the Louisiana State gunboat General Quitman took in the action I have been unable to learn, except the fact that she was destroyed. The Warrior, the Stonewall Jackson, the General Lovell, and B. eL Brecleinridge, all river defense gunboats, under the command of Captain Stevenson, were all destroyed by the enemys fire or by their own crews to prevent their falling into his hands. Captain S., whom I saw after the battle, appeared to be greatly mortified at what he seemed to regard as a serious mismanagment of his vessels. None of them appear to have made a real attempt to ram the enemys vessels, for which they were designed and supposed to have been pre- pared, nor were they more successful in handling the fire boats, as not more than one or two appear to have been fired and turned adrift in accordance with the plan of action, nor did I learn that any attempt was made to tow them against the enemys vessels. The Resolute was discovered aground after the action, on the west bank of the river, a mile above Fort Jackson, abandoned by her crew. She was taken possession of by a party from the iti/eRac, under the command of Lieutenant Arnold, who, while making efforts to get her afloat, she being very little injured, was attacked by one of the enemys gunboats from above at long range, who succeeded in putting several rifle shot through the iron plating on the Resolutes bow below the water line, passing through or out of the opposite side, which it was impossible to repair. The enemys fire was gallantly returned from the Resolute, with what effect is unknown, as he soon after hauled off. To prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy, being exposed to an attack from his land as well as naval forces, the Resolute was burned, after remo Page 296A CONFEDERATE STATES STEAMER STONEWALL JACKSON Page 296B Page 297 WEST GULl? BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 297 ing as much of the property on board as practicable, the enemys vessels then approaching for another attack. The Defiance (river-defense gunboat), Captain McCoy, escaped with- out any material injury; what useful part, if any, she performed in the action, I did not learn. Her commander appeared to be drunk all day of the 24th, and would not render any satisfactory assistance to me, as requested, idling away his time in running about the river in our vicinity, apparently without useful purpose. On the 26th of April Captain Stevenson turned her over to my command without any of her officers and crew, who refused to remain in her and went ashore. The Deftance had a smoothbore 32-pounder, pivoted aft, and being mounted on an army carriage, was probably almost useless, and I believe had not been fired during the action. Having no men to spare to man her she was kept ready for any exi- gency that might arise, and was finally destroyed on the 28th by cutting her supply pipes and sinking her, to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy after the surrender of the forts and the burning of the Louisiana. The Jackson, Lieutenant Commanding F. B. Renshaw, as she could offer no check to the enemys progress, retired up the river on his approach to the Quarantine Station, where she was stationed with launch No. 3 previous to the 24th. The latter fell into the bands of the enemy. The steam tenders WJ Burton and Landis, being badly damaged, were received into the service from their respective commanders, who left with their crews. This seemed the proper course for me to pur- sue, as, by the contracts, the Government took the war risks. The tender Pkenix was destroyed in the action; also the steamers Star and Belie Algerine. Pilot L. F. Huggins, of the Louisiana, was missing after the action, and his absence since has not been satisfactorily accounted for. The only vessels that escaped to the city, I believe, were the gun- boat Jackson and the transport Diana. All the others, except those heretofore named, were either destroyed by the enemy during the engagement or by their own crews to prevent their capture. Not more than thirty or forty minutes appeared to be the duration of the conflict below the first point of the river, about a mile above Fort St. Philip, around which the enemys vessels, to the number of twelve, at least, had all passed out of sight and beyond reach of our fire before it was fairly daylight. The following is believed to be a correct list of the enemys vessels that passed up by Forts Jackson and St. Philip during the engagement of the 24th April, mounting in the aggregate 184 guns, viz: Name of steamer. Number Class. of guns. Hartford 28 First-class sloop. Richmond 28 Do. Brooklyn 28 Do. Pensacola 28 Do. Mississippi 21 Do. iroquois iO Second-class sloop. Oneida DII Do. Cayuga ii Do. 5 Do. Pinola ~ Do. wissahickon ~ Do. Winona 5 Do Page 298 298 WEST 0 ULI BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Many, if not all of the above vessels, were protected in the wake of their boilers and machinery by chain cables bighted up and down against their sides, Their passage of the forts was covered by the tire of many other vessels that remained below, as well as by their mortar fleet of twenty-one or more vessels mounting one mortar and two 32-pounders each. Any one of the above fine first-class steam sloops was more than a match for the entire force afloat opposed to them, not even leaving out the Ioni8iana, which, for the want of motive power, was no better than a floating battery, and having only six guns which could be brought to bear upon the enemy, and only then as his vessels passed their line of fire. After the action the detachments from the forts of sharpshooters, under Captain Ryan, and of artillery, under Lieutenant Dixon, were returned, it gives me great pleasure to bear testimony to their good conduct and coolness under the tire of the enemy. The mechanics employed on board of the Loaisiana made their escape and did not return after the action. Some of them are supposed to have suffered from casualties, as they were much exposed on board of the tender Th Burton, where they were quartered. Efforts were, however, made with our own resources, and great credit is due to Second Assistant Engineer Youngblood, in charge, for his untiring exertions night and day to get the propellers ready for service, though little confidence was felt in their being of sufficient power with the wheels to enable the Loui8iana to stem the current and to be handled with effect in the Mississippi. During the night of Sunday, the 27th, we had so far succeeded in operating the propellers That we expected early the next day to make a fair trial of them in connection with the paddle wheels, when, at daylight, an officer, sent by General Duncan, came on board to inform me that many of the garrison of Fort Jack- son had deserted during the night, that serious disturbances had occurred, and that the disaffection of the men was believed to be gen- eral, on account of what appeared to them to have become the desper- ate character of the defense of the forts, and in consequence of this condition of affairs he, General Duncan, had dispatched a flag of truce to Commander Porter, commanding United States naval forces below, offering to surrender the two forts to him on the terms tendered by him the day before, but rejected by General Duncan. I at once waited on General Duncan in Fort Jackson to learn from himself the particulars of his course. He informed me that in his offer to surrender the forts he had disclaimed all control over the forces afloat. This unexpected surrender of these important land defenses, seriously compromising the position and very safety of my own command, 1 expressed to General Duncan my deep regret that a previous knowledge of his intention to surrender had not been com- municated to me, particularly as I expected early in the day to test the full power of the Ioui8iana under her propellers and wheels, and that if successful I might be able to achieve something against the enemy. It was, however, too late; the flag of truce had been dis- patched and could not be recalled; but I informed General Duncan that in no event would the enemy be allowed to obtain possession of the Loui8~ama. I at once returned on board and called a council, composed of Lieu- tenants John Wilkinson (commanding), W. II. Ward, A. F. Warley, W. C. Whittle, jr., R. J. Bowen, [Thomas] Arnold, F. M. Harris Page 299 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 299 and George S. Shryock the latter also acting as recorder, by whom, in consequence of the enemy having the entire command of the river above and below us with an overwhelming naval force, and who was in the act of obtaining the quiet and undisturbed possession of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, with all their material defenses intact, with ordnance, military stores, and provisions, thus cutting the loui8iana off from all succor or support, and her having on board not more than ten days provisions, her surrender would be rendered certain in a brief period by the simple process of a blockade, and that, in the con- dition of her motive power and defective steering apparatus and the imminent danger of an attack, she was very liable to capture, it was unanimously recommended that the Louisiana be destroyed forthwith to .prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy while it remained in our power to do so, first retiring to our tenders. It was with the most painful regret that I yielded to what seemed an unavoidable necessity, and at once gave orders to Lieutenant Com- manding Wilkinson to carry out the recommendation of the council and fire the Louisiana. He was aided by Lieutenants Ward, Whittle, Lee, and Shryock and Acting Chief Engineer Youngblood in this service, which was executed to my entire satisfaction, and these offi- cers, with myself, were the last to leave the vessel, at which moment the flames were ascending the forward hatchway. The vessel, after being fired and abandoned, broke adrift from the shore, and being caught in an eddy, blew up at about 10:45 a m near the water battery of Fort St. Philip, in which one man was killed and one wounded by falling fragments. The destruction of the vessel was complete, not less than 10,000 pounds of powder having exploded; the water being deep, the recovery of any ordnance or materials is regarded as impossible. Launch No. 6 was burned with the Louisiana. The enemy was in sight when this work was comnienced and soon after anchored near Fort Jackson with several gunboats, from which, and the two forts, flags of truce were flying. Having had no communication with the enemy, and not being in any manner whatever a party to the negotiation pending for the surrender of the forts, 1, of course, had no flag of truce flying. After abandoning the Louisiana I retired in her two tendersthe IlK Burton and Landisto the opposite or western shore to await events, throwing overboard all the small arms, knowing our surrender to be inevitable. As the enemy was in force above at the Quarantine, and had his pickets extended across the country, all chance for escape by the levee or swamp was cut off, except for a few individuals in small parties. Several officers, however, availed themselves of my permission for all to land who chose to make an attempt to escape capture. Among them were Lieutenants R. J. Bowen, [Thomas] Arnold, George S. Shryock, and [Daniel] Pflster; Acting Masters G.W. Gift, S. S. Lee, James McBaker, H. D. Breinond, Albert Hulse, and John Glass; Assistant Engineers N. P. Wilcox, James Durning, James Nolan, and James Riley; Midshipmen Chew and McDermett, and Masters Mate Beck. What portion of these officers succeeded in eluding the enemy and finally escaping I am not informed. I can not omit here to make my acknowledgments of the cool, active, and zealous conduct of that intelligent officer, George S. Shryock, who served as my aid to my entire satisfaction Page 300 300 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. About 4 oclock p. m. Commander Porter, having taken possession of the two forts, moved up with three of his gunboats, fired a shot over our tenders, which being unarmed, their flags were struck by my order. Possession was immediately taken of them, and all the officers except those of the Crescent Artilleryabout 26were transferred to the U. S. gunboat Clifton, Commander Baldwin; thence, on the 5th May, to the sailing transport Fearnot at Pilot Town; thence, on the 7th, to the frigate Colorado at anchor off southwest bar, where I found Captain Hutton and the other officers of the Crescent Artillery and Commander B. Kennon and Lieutenant Haynes, late of the Louisiana State gunboat Governor ]Jilioore. From the Colorado the entire party was transferred, on the 9th, to the steam transport Rhode I8land, from which all were landed and imprisoned in Fort Warren, Boston, on the 23d May last. The following officers of my late command took the oath of alle- giance to the United States after their surrender, thereby deserting to the enemy, viz: Samuel Jones, acting boatswain, who was left on board the Clifton; James Wilson, gunner; Virginius Cherry, carpenter; James Waters, third assistant engineer; and Theodore Hart, third assistant engineer, who were left at Fort Warren. With the above exceptions, all of the officers were returned~ to the Confederacy at Aikens Landing on the 5th instant, except Captain Hutton and Lieu- tenant Dart, who obtained temporary paroles from the enemy to visit their families. Their arrival may therefore be looked for at an early day. The crew of the loui8iana and the rank and file of the volunteer artillery serving on board were paroled at New Orleans. I would here invite the attention of the Department to the corre- spondence (herewith enclosed) between Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, the U. S. Secretary of the Navy, the Hon. Gideon Welles, and myself respecting the treatment of the officers of my command after sur- render, from which it will be perceived that Commander Porter, by the suppression of some facts, the perversion and misrepresentation of others, in his report of the destruction of the Louisiana to Flag- Officer Farragut, sought to make it appear that I had violated by that act a flag of truce and the laws of war, and that Flag-Officer Farragut, in his answer to my communication, willfully assumes false views of circumstances and events to justify and sustain the course of Commander Porter, through whose joint misstatements to their Navy Department the lieutenants of my command and myself became the victims of its injustice. The course of Flag-Officer Farragut and that of Commander D. D. Porter in this matter shows them to be servile and degraded tools, well fitted for carrying out the infamous policy of an unprincipled and despotic Government. The correspondence in this connection, respecting the unjustifiable treatment of Commander B. Kennon, of the Louisiana State Navy, is also enclosed and commended to your notice. The following is a list of the papers forwarded to the Department with this report, viz: No. 1. General order issued by me after the engagement of the 24th, dated April 25, 1862. No. 2. Report of Surgeon Joseph D. Grafton of casualties on board of Louisiana, dated April 24, 1862 Page 301 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 301 No. 3. Report of Lieutenant A. F. Warley, commanding iklianassas, dated Fort Warren, June 8, 1862. No. 4. Report of Lieutenant John Wilkinson, late commanding the Louisiana after the fall of Commander McIntosh, dated Richmond, August 11, 1862. No. 6. Report of Commander Beverly Kennon, late commanding the State of Louisiana gunboat Governor ]Jfoore, dated May 4, 1862. No. 6. Letter from Commander J. K. Mitchell to Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, dated U. S. S. Glifton, New Orleans, May 1, 1862. No. 7. Letter froni Flag-Officer Farragut to Commander J. K. Mitchell, dated U. S. S. Hartford, New Orleans, May 7, 1862. No. 8. Letter from Commander J. K. Mitchell to Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary U. S. Navy, dated Key West, May 14, 1862. No. 9. Letter from Commander J. K. Mitchell to Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the U. S. Navy, dated Fort Warren, May 95, 1862. No. 10. Memorandum of Lieutenant XV. C. Whittle, jr., accom- papying same, dated May 24, 1862. No. 11. Substance of letter from lion. Gideon Welles, Secretary U. S. Navy, to Colonel Justin Dimick, dated Washington, May 29, 1862. No. 12. Letter from Commander J. K. Mitchell to Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary U. S. Navy, respecting Commander Kennon, dated Fort Warren, June 20, 1862. No. 13. Letter from Gideon Welles to Beverly Kennon in reply, dated June 25, 1862. No. 14. Letter from Commander Beverly Kennon, Louisiana State Navy, to Hon. Gideon Welles, dated Fort XVarren, June 28, 1862. No. 15. Letter from Hon. Gideon Welles to Colonel Dimick, in rela- tion to Commander Kennon, dated Navy Department, July 3, 1862. The success of the enemy in forcing the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip below New Orleans, and the great disasters to the nation generally that followed that event, as well as to the naval forces late under my command, must very naturally suggest enquiries as to the conduct of those concerned and to whom the defenses were intrusted. I would, therefore, in forwarding this, my report, respect- fully submit to the Department the propriety of ordering a court of enquiry in relation to the part performed by the Navy, so far as its operations were under my control. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JNO. K. MITCHELL, Commander, C S. Navy. Hon. S. R. MALLORY, Secretary of the Navy, Richmond, Va. [Subenclosures.] No.1. General Order.] C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Near Fort St. Philip, April ~5, 1869?. From my own observations, as well as from the reports received from the commanding officers of the naval forces under my command, composed of this ship, Commander C. F. McIntosh, the JiilcRae, Lieu- tenant Commanding Huger, and the ifanassas, Lieutenant Command Page 302 302 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. ing Warley, in the engagement with the immensely overpowering forces of the enemy yesterday morning, in which he succeeded in forcing the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, I am satisfied that in the gallantry and skill displayed on the occasion that every officer and man acted fully up to the expectations of their country, though unable to defeat him. The condition of all the vessels after the conflict shows that each was fully under the fire of the enemy. That of the iIifcRae and her movements shows that she fully sustained her part in the conflict, and the sinking of the ilifanassas, a few minutes after she was abandoned, is evidence that she also sustained a conspicuous part in the action. To Captain T. H. Hutton, of the Crescent Artillery, Lieutenant Dixon, C. S. Army, and Captain Ryan, sharpshooters, and their respective detach rnents of volunteer soldiery, who assisted in the working of the batteries of this ship and acting as sharpshooters, my thanks are sincerely accorded for their activity, zeal, and gallantry, so eminently exhibited on the occasion. The relatives and friends of the gallant dead who fell in the action will have the consolation of knowing that their fall was in a glorious cause and in a noble effort to sustain the honor and rights of their country. Commanding officers will please have this general order read to their respective officers and crew. JOHN K. MITCHELL, Commander and commanding C S. Naval Forces Present. No. 2. C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Off Fort Jackson, April 934, 18693. SIR: I have the honor to report the following casualties resulting from the affair of this morning: Commander C. F. McIntosh, both arms broken and patella of right knee fractured. The fracture of the right arm involving the elbow joint made amputation necessary. Private Adrian Heydell, St. Marys Cannoneers, fracture of right leg. Private ileydell, St. Marys Cannoneers, killed. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Jos. D. GRAFTON, Assistant Surgeon, C S. Navy. Commander JOHN K. MITCHELL, C. S. Navy, Commanding C S. S. Louisiana. No.3. FORT WARREN, Boston, A/ass., June 8, 18693. SIR: I herewith transmit to you as near a copy of the report I made you at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, on the 25th April, as I can remember. I respectfully report that on the morning of the 24th April, at about 3a.m., I was informed that there was firing from the forts, but no signal had been made. I instantly cast off from the bank and, aide Page 303 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 303 by the Pkc~nix (the steamboat I had alongside), turned head down the river. I discovered a vessel coming rapidly up, gave orders to run into her, and had just got pointed fair when the river gunboat Reso- lute cast off from the bank and ran into the Jijianassas. As I backed to clear, the vessel coming up ran by, pouring a broadside into the Resolute. Getting clear, I again stood down, pointing for a heavy ship standing across. She having greater way than I, passed too quickly for me, firing her broadside as 1 passed under her quarter. I then made for a large side-wheel steamer and struck her on the quar- ter, bringing her up alongside of me. She fired her whole broad- side immediately over me, cleared me, and stood up the river. I was then nearly down to the chains, where both forts opened a heavy fire on me, striking the vessel frequently. I then turned and stood up the river, disc a ship-rigged vessel lying across the stream, put on all steam and struck her fairly amidships with very great force, firing the gun forward when in a few feet of her side, the colli- sion disabling the gun and kno6king everyone, except the man at the wheel, from his feet. Backing clear, I passed her and stood on for a heavy gunboat. On nearing her, she put on steam and left me as if I had been at anchor. Two other gunboats passed me, firing into me as they passed. Day had then broken, when I discovered the ZJfeRae making a gallant fight against four gunboats at short range. I stood to her assistance. Her fire bell was ringing as I passed her. On my approach the gunboats stood up the river and joined six large vessels just below Quarantine. I followed to give the JJiLcRae time to haul off. Two of the heaviest of the enemy stood down to me, one on each side of the river. I was too near them to effect a retreat; my gun was disabled; my vessel was shot through, as well in the bows as amidships. I considered that I had done all that I possibly could to resist the enemys passage of the forts, and that it then became my duty to try and save the people under my command; so had the delivery pipes cut, ran the vessel bows on to a steep part of the bank, and ordered the crew and officers into the swamp from the bow port. Accompanied by the executive officer, Master Harris, I followed, the enemy firing grape into us as we landed, and for a long time after- wards continuing to pour grape into the swamp. The ilifanassas filled up, slid off the bank, as I expected, and went down, as you are aware. After being several hours in the swamp I returned to the river bank, procured a boat, landed my officers and men on the Fort Jackson side, and learning that your flag was still flying on board of the Louisiana, joined you with those of my officers who had not stayed in the swamp; they all came in next day I can not speak in too high terms of the behavior of the officers and men of the J.Jlianassas through the whole affair, encountering the fire of vessel after vessel at the shortest possible ranges. No one was seen to flinch, no word was whispered of despondency, and in the swamp, as on board, all were orderly and obedient, and prompt to join you where they thought another blow would be struck. Where all acted so well, it is difficult to particularize, but I must particularly mention the conduct of Master F. M. Harris; the pilot, Captain Levin, to whose coolness and skill I was indebted for the working of the vessel; Master Glass, who took the wheel and was ready to fill the place of the pilot should he fall, and the chief engineer, James Durning. To those gentlemen I owe much, and particularly recommend them wher- ever brave and skillful men are wanted Page 304 304 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. I destroyed the vessel under my command, but not until I considered it my duty so to do, and as the only means I had of keeping her from falling into the hands of the enemy. God was good to me in allowing me to save all the people under my command. Cut up as the vessel was, there were no casualties on board beyond a few slight scratches. I saw no show of light on the part of any of the gunboats that were with us for the defense of the river except the iJfdRae. My own belief is that had the vessels intended as rams been used as rams, most of the enemys vessels would have been crippled and obliged to fall back under the guns of the fort. The ililkmassas was the first vessel in the stream after the alarm; she was the only vessel that made any attempt to force the enemy back under the forts, and she would have been taken down below the chain to the mortar fleet had it not been for the heavy and continued fire on her from the forts. She was my first command, and I hope the day may come when an enquiry will be instituted into the manner of her loss and everything else pertaining to the passing of the forts by the enemy on the 24th April. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. F. WARLEY, Lieutenant, U. S. Navy, Late Uommandinq Steamer ilianassas. Captain J. K. MITCHELL, Commanding C. 8. 8: Louisiana. No. 4. RICHMOND, August 11, 1862. SIR: As you were on deck and in command of the Louisiana (both before and after the fall of our gallant Commander McIntosh) during the action of April 23,* when the enemys fleet forced the passage between Forts Jackson and St. Philip, I have not submitted a detailed report; as, however, the gun deck was under my supervision, it is proper that I should testify to the gallantry and good conduct of the officers and crew. The Crescent Artillery and the detachments sent on board from the forts also performed their duties gallantly and well. There were no opportunities of individual distinction. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. WILKINSON, Lieutenant, C. S. Navy, Late commanding C. S. S. Louismna. Commander JOHN K. MITCHELL, C. S. Navy, Late Commanding 27aval Forces on the Lower 11I9ssisslpJY& . No. 5. U. S. STEAM FRIGATE COLORADO, Southwest Pass, iliLouth of the ililississippi, lilfiay 4, 1862. SIR: It is with feelings of the deepest regret that I report the total destruction of the C. S. S. Governor lifoore (late (~har1es i3lliorgan), *Error. It ought to be the 24th.J. K. M Page 305 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 305 lately under my command. At about 3:05 on the morning of the 24th ultimo I was informed that The enemy are coming up the river and close aboard of ns. Within five minutes I was on deck, went to gen- eral quarters, slipped our cable, and waited only for the many vessels that were closely packed ahead of us to get out of the way, to get in the stream. Soon after reaching the deck the forts opened fire on the enemy. At 3:15 the ]Jilc[nassa8 shot out from under our bows and stood for the enemy. 1 tried to do the same, but no less than five river and other steamers were afoul of us, and I had to delay to get clear of them. In the interim many of the enemys vessels had arrived abreast of us and fired a good allowance of grape and canister at us. They were too close for me to ram them, as I could not possibly get enough headway on. I made the attempt on the caynqa, but for the reasons given I did not carry out my intentions~. In order to rid myself of the annoying presence of the Belle Algerine, I ran into her and believe sunk her, as she was not seen by us afterwards. She had been afoul of us twice before. It was now about 3:45. The whole of our squadron, as far as I could judge, were underway, and lay between the head of the reach and the forts, where were also about a dozen of the enemys vessels. The smoke from the guns of the forts and so many vessels in this crowded space made it almost impossible to distinguish friend from foe, and yet no mistake was made by either party. When the smoke lifted so that I could see a little, I found myself about 400 yards above the Louisiana, with two State gunboats on the starboard beam IVarrior and Stonewall Jackson. The (2. 5. gunboat Jackson was about one mile on our starboard bow, firing at some vessel on her port quarter, which vessel was ahead of us. She afterwards proved to be the U. S. steam sloop Varui~a. Nearly ahead on our port bow were two State gunboats, Breckinridge and Reliance, and on our port beam, distant about 200 yards, lay the U. S. steamers clayuga and Oneida, with the Pensacola, Brooklyn, and iWississippi on our port quarter, distant about from 200 to 400 yards. The Pinola the same distance astern. As soon as we recognized each other, we simultane- ously opened fire. I used shell, the enemy grape and canister. Of course, our two guns could not damage the enemy much, whilst his batteries (double stands of grape) cut us up horribly. In addition to the broadsides from the enemy, a few stray shot from the forts struck us. This was the second heavy fire we had received. The first was delivered by the Pensacola, Caynga, and Oneida at about 3:40, and at the distance of from 75 to 200 yards. We now rounded a point at the head of the reach. I discovered an enemys ship ahead of us, and running very rapidly upstream. I noticed that she received shots, but did not return them. She was burning black smoke and wore at her mastheads red and white lights, whilst our squadron wore blue. This, with the smoke, worried me for a while. I, however, soon saw her schooner rig, white smokestack, and long white hull. I was glad that our blue light had been shot away, as it would enable me to close on him before he could make us out. I therefore did not replace it. I was now almost surrounded by the enemy, but the swift heels of the Governor ilifoore soon brought a thick veil of darkness between us and them. Both of us held our fire for some minutes, when both opened together. I fired at the other vessels astern of us at the same time. At daybreak we were about 100 yards astern of the Varana, about 600 N W NVOL 15 2 Page 306 306 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. yards ahead of the rest of the enemy, and quite near the Quarantine Station. We fired very seldom, as I did not wish to risk the lives of our men. The Kiruna kept up a lively fire with her stern-chaser, loaded with grape, shrapnel, case, or canister, and was continually sheering so as to rake us with her broadside guns, but by closely fol- lowing the motions of her helm we disappointed her. When abreast of the Quarantine we were about 40 yards apart, and gaining on the chase, both ships raking each other. The enemys fire killed and wounded a great number of men forward on the spar and main decks; the powder and shell passers having been shot down, I had to assist in their duties. Out of 23 persons stationed on the forecastle, two-thirds had been killed and wounded. Finding it impossible to depress our bow gun enough to rake the chase, as we were so close to her and the vessel so high out of the water, besides the gun carriage was off its slide, with its rear transom resting against the heel of the fore- mast, and I had not the men nor the time to mount it properly, I now pointed the gun through our own deck, at a point 6 feet inside the knightheads and a little to the left of the heel of our bowsprit, and fired through our own deck and raked the enemy fore and aft; a second shell was fired in like manner with same result. The smoke was now very thick and the ships about 10 feet apart. As a dernier res8ort she took advantage of it; she raked us with her after pivot, sheered so as to give us her starboard broadside, but I was now on top of the hurricane deck and could see her mastheads above the smoke. As quick as lightning our helm was hard aport, and in the twinkling of an eye the crashing noise made by her breaking ribs told how amply we were repaid for all we had lost and suffered. 1 had intended boarding as soon as I struck her, but now I had not the men nor the small-arms ammunition. I had lost one-third of the crew. As soon as I could do so, I backed clear of her and ran into her again, striking about the same place (just abaft the mainmast starboard side). The two vessels were nearly in opposite directions; the Varuna was sinking rapidly; her head was turned for the shore, which she reached just as she sank. In the meantime a State gunboat, Breckinridge, ran into her, striking her on the port beam; she then hauled off, was run on shore on the opposite side of the river, was fired and deserted. Until we separated after striking her she (T7iruna) used her Mini6 rifles very freely upon us. We had not it in our power to return the fire, so I ordered the men to screen themselves and prepare to receive her boarders. As we struck her I received a very severe blow on the head by a large splinter, and afterwards a spent Mini6 ball struck me on the left arm, bruising it considerably, but hardly breaking the skin. I now started downstream to run into the cayuga, as I saw the Varuna had sunk, but on approaching her I came suddenly upon the Oneida, (ayuga, Pinola, Jro~uois, Pensacola, 2YflSS~SS~pjYt, and Brooklyn, all of which were in supporting distance and very near each other. When abreast of Camp Chalmette 1 determined to round to as it would be mad- ness to attack such a large force; besides, our bow gun was useless and our bows perfectly riddled with balls. I rounded to and brought our stern chaser to bear upon the enemy. No sooner had I done so than the whole of the above-named ships opened on us with grape, canister, shell, and shot. Our wheel ropes were shot away, and as soon as the relieving tackles were brought in play, they too were cut away by an XI-inch solid shot, which took some of the wounded and other me Page 307 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADR& N. 307 with it. Our walking beam was soon greatly damaged, the slide shot away, and the engine disabled and rendered useless. The vessel now in the eddy, soon grounded. Finding that no human being could possibly do anything with the vessel, I ordered the men to look out for the wounded and set fire to the ship and blow her up. I also ordered the safety valve to be lashed down. Just about the time the engine was shot to pieces a very destructive broadside was poured into us by the enemys ships. I had but one gun to return this with, and could fire it but once, as only five out of thirteen men belonging to it were left. Lieutenant Henderson, C. S. Army, who had charge of it, was among the wounded. I do not know how the men stationed below conducted themselves, although I visited all parts of the ship once or twice dur- ing the fight, but the soldiers stationed on the spar deck at the guns and on the deck behaved themselves like brave and gallant fellows. The perfect storm of grape, canister, shrapnel, case, solid shot, and shell (IX-inch, X-inch, and XI-inch) which had been pouring in upon us off and on for three hours had cut the vessel and crew up horribly. Nearly all the rigging, the boats, and vessels hull and upper works were shot to pieces, hundreds of shot holes (assorted sizes) showing themselves all over her. About forty or fifty shot and shell went through both sides of the vessel, the shells exploding afterwards. Many struck us below the copper after we grounded, so the vessel soon sank aft. Our crew numbered 93, all. told, when the fight com- menced. 1 should think about one dozen escaped in the marshes, 24 were made prisoners; of this number I know 7 were wounded, leaving a loss of 64 killed and wounded. I know that many wounded men were killed afterwards, and even after death were again struck by shot or shell. I should think that 57 men were killed. As soon as our men heard the order to set fire to the ship, with the exception of Mr. Smith (pilot) and John Purtell (seaman), they jumped overboard, and with the aid of life preservers soon reached shoal water. Mr. Smith set fire to one room and then jumped overboard. John Purtell did the same. He was with me when 1 commanded the liuscarora. Had the officers of the vessels remained by me as long as he did, I would not have been a prisoner. Everyone performed his duty faith- fully until the ship was ordered to be fired, when all hands who could do so left the vessel, not however, until each one provided himself with a life-preserver. I called to the officers and nien who were standing waist deep in the water near the shore, yet nearer the ship, to come and assist me with the wounded, yet but one came. Lieutenant Henderson, C. S. Army, jumped into our boat and came alongside for the wounded; by assisting them he was made prisoner. His useful- ness, coolness, and bravery in battle was only equaled by his noble generosity when the fight was over. When the officers and men left me I collected the wounded in the gangway to go on shore. I visited the other decks, but found no more of them. As the enemys boats were very near us, I set the ship on fire to prevent her from falling into their hands. I used the lamps from the engine room. After setting the mosquito bars on lire I poured the oil on the bedding. In a few minutes the ship was in flames. The V~runa, after grounding, fired at us with her bow gun, but ceased after three discharges, as she could not get any more ammunition. All the enemys vessels ceased firing when they saw our men in the water. At about 6.30 a. m. I surren- dered myself and 5 wounded men to the boats of the Oneida; all othe Page 308 308 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. prisoners were taken from the water by the boats of the other vessels. No one was drowned. The pennant and remains of the ensign were never hauled down. The flames that lit our decks stood faithful senti- nels over their halyards until they, like the ship, were entirely con- sumed. I burned the bodies of the slain. Our colors were shot away three times. I hoisted them myself twice; finally every stripe was taken out of the flag, leaving a small constellation of four little stars only, which showed to our enemy how bravely we had defended them. The wounds by the grape and shot were terrible, the men in all cases being horribly mangled. Many poor fellows bled to death before assistance could be rendered them; others were killed when being taken below, and in some cases the men who took them. One man, Oberhartz, lost both legs, and after this, the upper part of his breast, both arms and his head. I recognized what was left of him by his dress. At the close of the fight a large splinter or piece of sabot struck me on the left shoulder, staggering me, but did no material damage. After going to the Oneida, I told Captain Lee that our magazines were on fire. All boats were then recalled, and the whole squadron delayed until our after magazine sank under water, which happened at about S a. m. This delay assisted our men to escape being made prisoners. I said this, hoping it would result as it did. Our forward magazine and boiler blew up afterwards. I defy any man to say I gave the enemy a single advantage, although I was alone in a crowd of them. The night was dark, the smoke from the many guns very thick, the small space in which we were packed was crowded with vessels, and yet I got out with a small loss, gave chase to a vessel vastly my superior in every respect, ran her 5 or 6 miles, and destroyed her; saved my own vessel from falling into their hands, although they were within musket shot of me; saved our colors and pen- nant, threw overboard niy side arms, and surrendered nothing but myself and 5 wounded men. I swore that I would never present the hilt of my sword to any man, nor haul down my colors. My sword was demanded, but I threw it overboard. I made the best use of my time and everything at my disposal. The gun carriages with their gear were useless, the engine and rudder the same, the vessel almost a perfect wreck, and over two-thirds of the crew killed or wounded. Indeed, we had a hard fight, but we had to surrender. The pilot and chief engineer, Mr. Smith and Mr. Vetter, carried out my instructions to the letter. Messrs. Frame, Bayless, McComb, Neil., Duke, ilaynes, and Henderson acted well their parts until they left the vessel. Dr. Cleary tried to relieve the sufferings of the wounded, but he had more to attend to than half a dozen doctors could do. The crew behaved well. Corporal Stockman and Private Ker- shaw, Louisiana Artillery, are the only men uninjured at the bow gun, a greater number of men than its full crew were killed and wounded during the fight, as vacancies were supplied from other parts of the ship. The protection afforded the engine by the cotton bales was very fine. There were fourteen engineers, firemen, and coal heavers, the first lieutenant, pilot, and two quartermasters inside this cotton bulwark, and therefore could not be struck. There were four persons in the two magazines far under water, making 22. Deduct from 93, 71. Out of 71, 7 escaped only. We had but one man sick when the fight commenced; he was taken prisoner -John I~urtell (seaman). The Governor ililoore mounted 2 32-pounder rifle gnus; crew, 93 men Page 308A CONFEDERATE STATES STEAMER GOVERNOR MOORE Page 308B Page 309 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 309 Tonnage, about 1,200; loss in killed and wounded, 64. The Faruna mounted 2 30-pounder Parrott guns, 8 VIJI-inch guns in broadside; crew, 160 men; tonnage, 1,300. Loss, 3 killed, 12 wounded. The Varuna did not tire at any other vessel than the Governor Ailioore until she was about sinking; she then fired once at the gunboat that struck her after we did. She used every effort to disguise herself to escape from the fire of our boats, so that on reaching our camps she would have lesser troubles to contend against. The gunboat Jackson, Lieu- tenant Commanding F. B. Renshaw, C. S. Navy, when last seen was going with all haste toward the source of the Mississippi. I am, sir, very respectfully, etc., BEVERLY KENNON, Gommander, Provisional Navy Iou~smna, late Gommander, 0. 8. 8. Governor 3foore. Commander J. K. MITCHELL, Gomdg. 0. 8. Naval Forces off Forts Jackson and St. Philip. No.6. U. S. S. CLIFTON, New Orleans, iYfay 1, 1862. SIR: In behalf of myself and brother officers, lately attached to the Confederate States naval forces under my command, operating in the vicinity of Forts Jackson an(l St. Philip, I deem it proper to make the following statements of facts connected with our surrender on the 28th ultimo to the United States naval forces under the command of Commodore David Porter, and respectfully to ask you to enquire into the reason why we are closely confined on board of this vessel and denied the comforts and consideration due to our position as prisoners of war, as well as to the rights of humanity. On the morning of the 28th ultimo, I was informed by General J. K. Duncan, commanding the Confederate States coast defenses, that he had dispatched a flag of truce to accept the terms of capitulation offered him the day before by Commodore Porter, but that he had in so doing informed the latter that he, General Duncan, had no control over the forces afloat. This step was taken by General Duncan without advice or consultation with me, and entirely without my knowledge, although we had been cooperating together. No communications of any kind had passed between CQmmodore Porter and myself. Although con- templating an active movement against the enemy that very day, 1 saw that it could not be undertaken with propriety while negotiations were pending and flags of truce were hoisted between the forts and the United States naval forces, and that, after the actual surrender of the forts, my condition and motives for offensive movements would be seriously changed and compromised, I determined, however, that as an important trust had been confided to me, it was my duty to dis- charge it without regard to the consequences to individual discomfort and danger. The destruction of the Louisiana and the Defance was at once resolved upon, and while we were abandoning the former and transferring the crew to her unarmed tenders, the 1K Burton and Landis, the United States naval forces appeared off Fort Jackson, flags of truce were flying between them, while the forces under my comman Page 310 310 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. continued to fly their ensigns, but no flag of truce. The Lozdsiana we fired and the Defiance was sunk, and I moved with our tenders to a convenient point above to await events. Lieutenant Whittle was sent in a boat with a flag of truce to inform Commodore Porter that in firing the Louisiana her magazine had not been effectually drowned, and that though efforts were made to drown the charges in the guns, they may not have succeeded. This informa- tion was given in consideration of the negotiations then pending under flags of truce between him and Fort Jackson, in order that he might keep his vessels out of danger; but while the message was on its way the explosion took place about 11 oclock a. in., a fact that does not affect the honorable purpose intended by it. About 4 oclock p. in., Commodore Porter moved up with his forces toward o,ur tenders and fired a shot over us, upon which, as we were totally unarmed, our colors were struck by my order. Soon after Lieutenant Commanding Wainwright came on board and demanded our surrender with our side arms as prisoners of war without terms. We were immediately transferred to the after berth deck of this vessel, and a list of all the officers furnished Lieutenant Commanding Wain- wright, who was particular in ascertaining who were ex-officers of the U. S. Navy, informing us that they would be kept in close confinement. Since when the whole of us have been closely confined, being allowed to make only indispensable visits to the deck,, and for half an hour for the purpose (morning and evening) of cleaning up our overcrowded quarters on the berth deck. Of the personal deportment of all on board this vessel toward us, I believe there has been no cause for complaint. Why it is that the unnecessary and harsh order was given to keep us in close confinement, I can not divine, nor why discrimination should be threatened between ex-oflicers of the U. S. Navy and the others, unless it be that I chose to destroy all public property under my con- trol that might, if given up, be used hereafter against us, instead of surrendering it and accepting terms which had been offered to an officer belonging to a branch of the public service having no control over us. I adopted the course that a magnanimous and gallant enemy must in his secret heart, I believe, approve, though balked in his desire to~ obtain a valuable prize. I, too, might have secured for ex-U. S. Navy officers, as well as the others, in consideration of the surrender of pub- lic property, the empty honor of retaining our side arms, with the privilege of being paroled. But no; 1 preferred, with my gallant companions, the destruction of all property we could hope to defend no longer successfully and leave our personal treatment to our enemy, who, we have a right to expect will be governed by the usages of civ- ilized warfare, the rights of humanity, and the dictates of common justice. I appeal to you, therefore, confidently, in behalf of myself and my brother officers, to direct that we be treated as becomes the prisoners of war of civilized nations; this we claim on the score of justice and humanity; more we can not ask for. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN K. MITCHELL, Corn. and lately Corndg. the C. S. Naval forcee near Fort Jackson. Flag-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, Commanding CT. S.Naval forces, iVew Orleans, La Page 311 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 311 No.7. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, At Anekor off the Cdy cf New Orleans, ]J fay 7, 18692. SIR: Your communication of May 1 was feceived by the vessel which came up on the ~th. I was not aware that you had been on board the clifton at all, but knew that you were on board the (~olorado at the time of its receipt, where I presume you are more comfortable. The circumstances of your surrender are duly reported by Commo- dore Porter; bnt as a matter of course he knew nothing of your having sent a boat which did not reach him before your vessel blew up. The rules of war, of which you speak, even of the most barbarous nations, recognize a flag of truce; and while it is flying it is the uni- versal cn~tom that all hostile operations cease. Such does not appear to have been the idea of the so-called Confederate officers. You de- stroyed yonr vessels while the negotiations were going on, and sent a flag of truce requesting permission to land the wounded at New Or- leans, which the humane feelings of Commander Smith permitted to pass up to me to stipulate the terms upon which the wounded were to be landed. I did so. The written agreement, upon the solemn promise of the commander, was signed, by which pledge the vessel was to return in the condition in which she left by 10 oclock the next morning, instead of which,at 8a.m. she was discovered without the flag of truce flying, abandoned and scuttled. All of which goes to show a regardlessness of the usages of civilized warfare to which you so emphatically allude, and for which you are made close prisoners and sent to the North to be dealt with by the Government as it may deem proper. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Officer, Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. Commander JNo. K. MITCHELL~ Co?nmander, C. S. Navy. No. 8. U. S. S. RHODE ISLAND Key TY~st, ]Jlay 14, 1869?. SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith a copy of a communica- tion from me to Flag-Officer D. G. Farragut, dated at New Orleans, May 1, 1862, and his reply thereto, dated on the 7thand received by me on the 9th, as we were being transferred from the Colorado to this vessel off the Balize. The reply reCerred to above shows that Flag-Officer Farragut labors under a misapprehension of the events connected with and immediately preceding the surrender of the Confederate States naval forces under my command on the 28th ultimo, as reported to him by Commander Porter, to correct which I submit the following statement in addition to that in my letter enclosed: The passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip was forced by the nava Page 312 312 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. forces on the 24th of April, and on the 25th the C. S. S. ]JLdRae, Lieutenant Commanding Read, left Fort Jackson under a flag of truce for New Orleans, with our own wounded and those from the two forts, with orders to return as soon as they were landed. Her subsequent scuttling and destruction I had nothing to do with, and it was a matter of surprise to me. I have no doubt, however, that Lieutenant Commanding Read will be able to account satisfacto- rily for not returning to Fort Jackson and to show that he has not vio- lated the terms of the flag of truce obtained for the 1k/lilac under his command. From Flag-Officer Farraguts reply it appears that he is erroneously impressed with the idea that this flag of truce was obtained by me at the time negotiations were pending on the 28th between Commander Porter and General Duncan for his surrender, while the fact was, it had been obtained three days before froni Captain Smith, and at that time (the 28th), the return of the il/lilac was momentarily looked for by me. While the negotiations were pending, under a flag of truce, between the forts and Commander Porter, with which I had nothing whatever to do, my own colors flying, but no flag of truce, the United States naval forces came within gunshot of mine, but I refrained from acts of hostility out of respect for the flag of truce under which General Duncan was surrendering Forts Jackson and St. Philip. The destruction of the Louisiana under the circumstances can not be justly regarded as an act of hostility or violation of a flag of truce to which I was not a party and with which I had nothing whatever to do. My message by Lieutenant Whittle, who had to pass under the broadside of the Louisiana while on fire, to Commander Porter, and delivered to him, though not till a few moments after the explosion, shows conclusively that the destruction of the Louisiana was not designed as a hostile act; her very destruction deprived me of my only means of offense or defense. The forced construction of the consideration due to a flag of truce, which did not embrace the forces under my command, by which the Louisiana is regarded as a violation of it and as an act of hostility, I protest against, especially as it was made the pretext for degrading, harsh, and cruel treatment of myself and the officers who. surrendered with me, unauthorized by the usages of civilized warfare, while on board the U. S. S. Clifton. In this connection I am free to admit that since we left that vessel our personal treatment has improved, and in this vessel no cause for complaint of ill-treatment has been afforded us, an acknowledgment I am pleased to ipake after the threat of being seriously dealt with, communicated to us by Lieutenant Commanding Wain wright. I deem it but just to the United States, as well as to my self and brother officers, that a correct statement of all the material facts con- nected with the subject in question should be placed on file in the U. S. Navy Department, especially in view of the misapprehensions entertained by Flag-Officer Farragut and others, and which have been the occasion of our receiving treatment of unusual severity, against a repetition of which I most solemnly protest, while at the same tim Page 313 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 313 we ask for no exceptions in our favor from the treatment usually accorded to prisoners of war. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JNO. K. MITCHELL Gommander, C. S. Navy, and late commanding (~. S. Naval ]lorce8 near Fort Jack8on, La. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of tke Navy, W~sIdngton, D. C P. S.The foregoing remarks on the treatment on board this vessel of the officers who surrendered with me on the 28th of April, and of myself, do not include Commander B. Kennon, of the late State of Louisiana gunboat Governor ilifoore, and Lieutenant L. B. Haynes, Company G, Louisiana Artillery, who, as I was officially informed on board of the U. S. S. Colorado, have been ordered to be kept in close confinement on very grave charges, the nature of which, however, is unknown to those officers as well as to myself. Very respectfully, etc., JNO. K. MITCHELL Commanding C. S. Naval F~rces, etc. No. 9. FORT WARREN, Boston harbor, ]Jlay 25, 1862. SIR: I was much surprised last evening on being informed by Col- onel Dimick that Lieutenants Wilkinson, Warley, Wai~~, Whittle, and Harris; together with myself, have been, by your order, denied the privileges and courtesies that are extended to other prisoners, on the ground that the act of burning the C. S. battery Louisiana, late under my command, was held by the U. S. Navy Department as infamous. In my letter to the Department, dated on board of the U. S. S. ]?kode island, Key West, May 14,1862, and forwarded through Com- mander Trenchard on the arrival of that vessel in Hampton Roads, together with a copy of my letter to Flag-Officer Farragut, and his reply thereto, I felt assured that all the facts connected with the destruction of the Louisiana were placed in such a light as not to be mistaken nor my motives misconstrued. To render the affair still more clear I enclose herewith a memorandum of Lieutenant W. C. Whittle, jr., C. S. Navy, who was the bearer of my message to Com- mander Porter respecting my fears that the magazine of the Louisiana had not been effectually drowned. With all these statements for- warded by me to the U. S. Navy Department, I am perfectly willing to rest the case with impartial and unprejudiced minds, as well as with my own Government, satisfied that [nothingj has been done by the foregoing officers nor myself militating at all against the strictest rules of military honor and usage. Though I will not affect an indifference to the personal annoyance to us by the action of the U. S. INavy Department in our case as pris- oners of war, yet my chief solicitude is to have placed on file i& that office such a statement of facts as will, on a fair investigation, vindi- cate all the officers of the C. S. Navy concerned from the odium o Page 314 314 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. infamous conduct, unjustly attempted to be fixed upon them by those of the U. S. Navy, against which, and the infliction of punishment as directed by the Navy Department, I enter my solemn protest. I most emphatically assert that the Louisiana, when abandoned and fired by my orders, was not only not turned adrift or intended to injure the United States forces, as charged by Commander Porter, but that she was actually left secured to the opposite bank of the river, and distant quite three-fourths of a mile from said forces, for the very reason that they were flying flags of truce, and for that reason I dispatched the warning message to Commander Porter respecting the magazine. That it is not only the right, but the duty, of an officer to destroy public property to prevent its falling into the hands of an enemy does not admit of a question, and in addition to all which it must not be overlooked that the forces under my com- mand flew no flags of truce, and that I was not in any way a party to the surrender of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JNO. K. MITCHELL Uommander, C. S. Navy, and late Commanding C. S. Naval Forces near Fort Jackson. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of t,4e Navy, Washington (ity, D. C No. 10. FORT WARREN, iWay 24, 1862. In connection with the burning of the C. S. battery Louisiana I have to make the following statement: During the forenoon of the 28th ultimo I was sent by Commander John K. Mitchell, C. S. Navy, commanding the Confederate States naval forces near Forts Jackson and St. Philip, from our tenders in a boat with a flag of truce (as soon as a boat could be obtained) to inform Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, commanding United States naval forces and receiving the surrender of the forts, that before firing or leaving our ship we made every possible attempt to drown the magazine and charges in the guns, but as we had little time and no magazine cocks, we feared that we might not have done either effectually, and that this information was given him to guard against any accident to the vessels of his fleet. While on my way down, and nearly to the flagship Harriet lane, the Louisiana blew up about one ships length from where she had been left secured with hawsers, and about three-quarters of a mile from any of the Federal fleet, doing them of course no damage. I went alongside of the flagship, and asked to see Commander Porter. He sent me word that he was engaged, but would soon see me on deck. After waiting about fifteen minutes he came up. I went to him and delivered the message. He replied as nearly as I can remember in the following words: Say to Captain Mitchell I am much obliged to him, and added that some of the officers from the forts were in his cabin arranging terms of capitulation, and if any of them had been injured by the explosion he would have regretted it exceedingly. He was not apprehensive about the safety of hi Page 315 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 315 ships, but as it was it made rio difference. Hethen asked, Where is Captain Mitchell ? I replied that he was a little way up the river. I then returned to our vessel. Very respectfully, etc., WM. C. WHITTLE, Jr., Lieutenant, C. S. Navy. No. 11. Copy in substance.] NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, iJtiay 29, 1862. SIR: The explanations of Commander J. K. Mitchell are satisfac- tory, and the restrictions imposed on him and his associates by the Departments order of the 22d instant will be removed and they will be treated as prisoners of war. This does not relieve Beverly Kennon from the restrictions imposed on him. GIDEON WELLES. Colonel JUSTIN DIMIcK, Gommanding Fort Warren, Boston. No. 12. FORT WARREN, Boston, J~tne 20, 186g. SIR: I have the honor to address you in relation to Commander Beverly Kennon, now a prisoner of war in this fort, and late in corn- mand of the State of Louisiana gunboat Governor iiloore, destroyed in the action of the 24th April last, near Fort Jackson, La., between the naval forces of the United States and those of the Confederate States, under my command. Commander Kennon was closely confined on hoard of the U. S. ships Colorado and the Rhode Island, and has been denied at this post the privileges allowed to other prisoners of war, the reasons for which remain unknown to him as well as to myself. On board the Golorado I was officially informed that his close con- finement was ordered on very grave charges. I am not myself aware of any misconduct on the part of Commander Kennon, and therefore as the late commanding officer of the Confeder- ate States naval forces in the action of the 24th referred to, I respect- fully request, as an act of justice to the accused, as well as to both Governments, to be furnished with a copy of the charges against him and to be informed by what testimony it is proposed to sustain them. 1 have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JNO. K. MITCHELL, iJommander, C S. Navy, and Prisoner of War. Hon. GIDEON WELLES Secretary of the Navy, Washington City Page 316 316 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. No. 13. NAVY DEPARTMENT, June 25, 1862. SIR: The letter of John K. Mitchell, of the 20th instant, concerning the restrictions imposed on you by order of this Department, at Fort Warren, has been received. Will you please furnish the Department with the particulars of the destruction of the gunboat of which you had command in the engage- ment below New Orleans with Wounded men on board? I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, GIDEON WELLES. BEVERLY KENNON, Fort lYarren, Boston. [Endorsement.] I certify the above to be a true copy of the original. BEVERLY KENNON, commander, P. NJ a. S. No. 14. FORT WARREN, Boston, Ju9~e 28, 1862. SIR: Colonel Dimick, the commander of this post, delivered to me yesterday a letter signed by you, under date of June 2~, directed to me as Beverly Kennon, and referring to a communication addressed to you on the 20th instant by my superior officer, Commander John K. Mitchell, of the Confederate States Navy, whom you are pleased to designate as John K. Mitchell. The purport of your letter is a request that I will furnish your Department of the U. S. Government with the particulars of the destruction of the gunboat of which I had command in the engagement below iNew Orleans with wounded men on board. When I destroyed and left the vessel which I had commanded on the occasion referred to all the wounded men had been removed, the most of them landed into boats by my own hands. I was myself the last person to leave the vessel. Any statements which you may have received to the contrary are wholly without foundation. It would not be proper under any circumstances that I should report to you the particulars of her destruction, that being a matter which concerns my own Government exclusively and with which yours can have noth- ing to do. Should any charges be made against me, however, of which you have a right to take cognizance under the laws of wai, I will, with pleasure, respond to any respectful communication which you may address me on the subject. Indeed, 1 shall be glad of the opportunity to vindicate my character as an officer from the unjust and unfounded imputations which have been cast upon it in the con- nection to which you allude, and upon the faith of which I have already been disparaged by unusual restrictions and confinements here and elsewhere since I have been a prisoner of war, without having been furnished an opportunity for such vindication. But your letter of the 25th instant so studiously denies to both Commander Mitchell an Page 317 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 317 myself not oniy our official designations, but those of common cour- tesy, that, while I am unwilling to believe you would intentionally offer an indignity to prisoners of war in your power, I can not now make further reply without failing in respect to myself as well as to my superior officer and Government. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servan~t, BEVERLY KENNON, ~nmander in the Provisional Navy of the State of louisiana in the Confederate Service. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the U. S. Navy. No. 15. NAVY DEPARTMENT, July 3, 186$2. SIR: The restrictions imposed upon Mr. Beverly Keunon by order of this Department are hereby removed. GIDEON WELLES. Colonel DIMWK, U. S. Army, Fort TYarren, Boston. Statement of Confederate prisoners confined at Fort Warren. HEADQUARTERS, FORT WARREN, Boston Harbor, May 23, 1862. We, the undersigned, having been granted the limits of this post (excepting the wharves, the barracks, and the beach beyond the sea wall, as far as that extends, and beyond the limits of the grass on the other parts of the island), do solemnly bind ourselves, upon our honor, that we will not take any advantage of the privilege thus granted; that we will not converse nor have any communications whatever with the sentinels or other soldiers of the post, except as required by their duties in connection with us, or with citizens; that we will not attempt to communicate with the shore, nor connive at any such attempt, nor utter any language militating against the Government of the United States in public, or in a position to be heard by any of the soldiers of the command, or citizens; and that between retreat and reveille we will not leave the sets of quarters assigned to us. John K. Mitchell, commander, C. S. Navy; J. Wilkinson, lieutenant commanding, C. S. Navy; A. F. Warley, lieutenant commanding, C. S. Navy; W. C. Whittle, jr., lieutenant, C. S. Navy; J. D. Graf- ton, surgeon, C. S. Navy; T. H. Hutton, captain, C. S. Army; B. Dart, first lieutenant, C. S. Army; J. W. Boyle, second lieutenant, C. S. Army; T. H. Handy, lieutenant, C. S. Army; F. M. Harris, lieutenant, C. S. Navy; L. E. Brooks, assistant paymaster, C. S. Navy; L. B. Haynes, first lieutenant, C. S. Army; William Hervey, first lieu- tenant, C.S. Army; Wilson Youngblood, chief engineer, C. S. ~avy; 0. W. Edwards, lieutenant, C. S. Army; W. B. Clark, commodores clerk; B. Kennon, commander, P. N. C. S.; George Taylor, captain Page 318 318 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. clerk; W. H. Ward, lieutenant, C. S. Navy; T. A. Menzies,* engineer, C. S. Navy; OrrinCulver,* engineer, C. S. Navy; George J. Weaver, * engineer, C. S. Navy; William Newman,* engineer, C. S. Navy; James Harris, second assistant engineer, C. S. Navy; M. Parsons, second assistant engineer, C. S. Navy; Joseph Elliott, third assistant engineer, C. S. Navy; Jienry Fagan, second assistant engineer, C. S. ~4avy; John H. Dent, third assistant engineer, C. S. Navy; James H. Tomb, third assistant engineer, C. S. iNavy.. Report of Chief Engineer Youngblood, C. S. Navy, regarding condition of the C. S. S. Louisiana. U. S. TRANSPORT OCEAN QUEEN, At Sea, August 1, 18G2. SIR: I respectfully report the machinery of C. S. S. Louisiana all in good working order on the morning of April 28, 1862, just before it became necessary to destroy the vessel. But 1 do not think it would have been able to handle the vessel the wheels being put in the middle of the vessel, one right abaft the other, so that the after wheel could do no good whatever. And again, when the wheels were working, they would force the water out under the stern so that it would form an eddy around the rudder so that she would not steer, and if we tried [to] steer her with the propellers, she could not stein the durrent. Consequently she was unmanageable in the Mississippi River. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILSON YOUNGBLOOD, Senior Engineer, (~. S. S. Louis%ana. Commander JOHN K. MITCHELL, Comrhanding C. S. Naval Forces, New Orleans, La. General order of the Secretary of the Navy, announcing the finding of the court of enquiry regarding the official conduct of Commander Mitchell, U. S. Navy, while in command of vessels below New Orleans. C. S. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Richmond, December 5, 1863. Finding and opinion of a naval court of enquiry, convened in the city of Richmond, Va., January 5, 1863, by virtue of the following precept: C. S. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Office of Orders and Detail, Richmond, December 24, 1862. SIR: By order of the Secretary of the Navy, you are hereby appointed president of a court of enquiry to be convened in this city on the 5th day of January next. Captain S. S. Lee and Commander Robert G. Robb have been ordered to report to you, and with yourself will compose the court. Mr. George Lee Brent will report to you as recorder. You will enquire into the whole official conduct of Commander John K. Mitchell, C. S. Navy, while in command of the steamer Louisiana, and in charge of the vessels of the Confederate States Navy at and below New Orleans, and report the same to this Department, with your opinion whether the said officer did, or did not, do all *C. S. ram ilfanassas, A. F. Warley, lieutenant commanding, C. S. Navy Page 319 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 319 ~n his power to sustain the honor of the flag, and prevent the enemy from ascending the Mississippi River, and if he did not, to what extent did he fail to do so. Respectfully, your ohedient servant, F. FORREST, Flag Officer SAME. BARRON, C. S. Navy, Chief of Bureau. Commanding, etc., Jamev River, Va. Find& g.That Commander Mitchell assumed command of the Louisiana at New Orleans on the 20th April, 1869, and from that time until the destruction of the vessel only a period of eight days was embraced. That the whole force under his command consisted of the Louisiana, the iJThRae, the ]ifanassas, the Jackson, and one launch. That on the day after he took command, Captain Mitchell descended the river Mississippi in the Louisiana, and took up a position on the left bank of the river, about half a mile above Fort St. Philip. That on leaving INew Orleans the machinery of the Loui~ssana was incomplete, her motive p mounted. ower imperfect, and her battery improperly That she could not, on a fair trial, stem the current of the Mississippi with her own motive power, aided by two steam tugs. That every exertion was made by Commander Mitchell, the officers, and mechanics to get the Louisiana in a proper state of efficiency for the defense of the passage of the river, and that the defects in the mounting of the battery had been remedied, and the battery served with efficiency, with the exception of two guns out of place. It appears that a request, or order, was sent by General Duncan, commanding Fort Jackson, to Commander Mitchell to change the position of the Louisiana to a point lower downstream, which, by a council of officers, was unanimously deemed impracticable, and to a certain extent impossible, on account of the great depth of water and that such change of position would endanger the safety of the Loui- srnna. That in the position General Duncan desired the Louisiana to assume she would have been in range of the mortar boats of the enemy, and perfectly helpless, inasmuch as she could not give her guns more than five degrees elevationnot enough to reach the enemy. That the best disposition possible was made of the vessels under the command of Commander Mitchell to resist the passage of the enemy. That on the 24th April the enemy appeared, and his passage was hotly contested by the Louisiana, the JJiLdRae, and the JIfanassas. That the Jackson was previously sent up the river to guard certain passes, and the launch down the river to signal the approach of the enemy, and that they took no part in the fight. That every possible resistance was offered by the vessels mentioned to the passage of the enemy up the river. That at no time was the Louisiana able to leave her nioorings and pursue the enemy, from want of sufficient motive power. That the interval between the passage of the enemy and the destruc- tion of the Louiswna (four days) was employed in completing the machinery, to render her more able to cope with the enemy, and that it was Commander Mitchells intention to make an attack when the Louisiana was capable of doing so. That Commander Mitchell, when he heard that General Duncan, in command of Fort Jackson, had accepted the terms of surrender offere Page 320 320 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the day before by Captain Porter, U. S. Navy, remonstrated with General Duncan against such a Course, but was told it was too late, as the flag-of-truce boat had already been sent. That the enemy appeared in overwhelming force, and at the time it was determined in council to destroy the Louisiana the position of affairs was as follows: There were from ten to fourteen large vessels of Flag-Officer Farraguts fleet above the Iou~siana, and the mortar fleet and gunboats of Captain Porter were below. Two vessels of the enemy, with white flags flying, were coming up the river, in sight, to accept the surrender of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, which had white flags flying in answer to them. That the Louisiana could not move from where she was moored to the bank; nor could she fire on the boats with flags of truce flying; and in a short time the forts would be in the hands of the enemy and the Louisiana would be between them. It was then unanimously determined, in a council of officers, to destroy the Louisiana, as it was the only course left to prevent her from falling into the hands of the enemy. This destruction was accordingly effected under the direction and supervision of Commander Mitchell in an orderly and deliberate manner, and every precaution was taken to ensure the safety of his men. Opinion.And the court is of opinion, from all the evidence adduced, that Commander Mitchell did all in his power to sustain the honor of the flag and to prevent the enemy from ascending the Mississippi River; and that his conduct and bearing throughout the period of his service, while in command of the vessels of the Navy for the defense of the Mississippi River, under the trying and embarrassing circum- stances under which he was placed, was all that could be expected by the country and the naval service of a capable and gallant officer. S. BARRON, flag- ()jjjicer, President of the court. GEO. LEE BRENT, Recorder. [Endorsement.] NAVY DEPARTMENT, Miarch 17, 1863. Proceedings and finding approved. Office of Orders and Detail will dissolve the court. S. R. MALLORY, Secretary of the Navy. C. S. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Oftice qf Orders and Detail, Richmond, Jiiifarch 18, 1863. SIR: The naval court of enquiry on Commander Mitchell, of which you are the presiding officer, is hereby dissolved. This court convened in this city on the 5th day of January, and has been continued thus long iu session awaiting the attendance of Gen- eral Mansfield Lovell and Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Higgins, who were summoned to appear before it as witnesses by orders from the War Department. Learning that one of these gentlemen, Lieutenant-Colonel Higgins, can not be spared from his present command, and that General Lovell has made no answer to the summons from the War Department Page 321 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 321 although they have been more than two months since summoned again and again, there is no course left but to dissolve the court, which is done accordingly, and you will so inform the members and the judge- advocate. You will be pleased to have this letter, or a certified copy, spread upon the records of the court. Respectfully, your obedient servant, F. FORREST, Flag-Officer S. BARRON, (idef of Bureau. tJomm and~tng, etc. [Endorsement.] The foregoing is ordered to be published for the information of all whom it may concern. S. R. MALLORY, Secretary of the Navy. Finding of the court of enquiry regarding the destruction of the C. S. S. Mississippi, copied from the Richmond Dispatch of June 21, 1862. * * * * * * The court, hav.ing carefully considered the evidence in the case of the C. S. S 2Wt88i88~& pp9~, is of opinion that her destruction was neces- sary to prevent her from falling into the hands of the enemy. Finding of the court of enquiry regarding the destruction of the C. S. S. Mississippi, copied from papers of the Louisiana Historical Society. [Without date.] The finding of the court of enquiry in the case of the destruction of the steamer iJflJs8issippi: The court, having carefully considered the evidence in the case of the destruction of the Confederate States steamer Jlilii88i88ippi, is of the opinion that the destruction was necessary to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. Respectfully submitted. F. FORREST, Pre8ident. R. T. DANIEL, Judge-Advocate. Opinion of military court of enquiry regarding the circumstances attending the capture of New Orleans. GENERAL ORDERS, ADJT. AND INSP. GENERALS OFFICE, No. 152. Richmond, Novein6er ~4, 18G3. I. A court of enquiry having been convened at Jackson, Miss., by Special Orders, No. 41, from this office, dated February 18, 1863, amended by Special Orders, No. 43, of February 20, 1863, to examine and report the facts and circumstances attending the capture of the city of INew Orleans by the enemy in April, 1862, and the defense of the city by the Confederate troops under command of Major-General N W RYOL 15 2 Page 322 322 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Mansfield Lovell, together with their opinion thereon; and the court having discharged the duty assigned them, their opinion is published for the benefit of all whom it may concern. II. OPINION OF THE COURT. The court having maturely considered the evidence adduced, submit the following opinion: 1. As against a land attack by any force the enemy could probably bring, the interior line of fortifications, as adopted and completed by Major-General Lovell, was a sufficient defense of the city of New Orleans; but his ability to hold that line against such an attack was greatly impaired by the withdrawal from him, by superior authority, of nearly all his effective troops. 2. The exterior line, as adopted and improved by him, was well devised and rendered as strong as the means at his command allowed. 3. Until the ironclad gunboats LoUsiana and Mississippi should be ready forservice, it was indispensably necessary to obstruct the navigation of the Mississippi River between Forts Jackson and St. Philip. The raft completed under General Loveils direction was adequate for the purpose while in position, but it was swept away, and left the river unimpeded, either by reason of some error in its construction or neglect in preventing the accumulation of drift, or because of insuperable mechanical diffi- culties, as to which this court feels unprepared to give an opinion. General Lovell communicated to the Government no opinion as to the insecurity of the raft, nor any apprehension that it might be swept away, nor did he immediately make known that fact when it occurred. In this it is considered that he was remiss in his duty. 4. When the raft was swept away, General Lovell, with great energy, immediately endeavored to replace it, and partially succeeded, but, without fault on his part, this last obstruction was broken by the carelessness of vessels of the ~ river defense fieet* colliding with it, and by fire rafts drifting against it, and by the failure of the guard- boats to protect it against night expeditions of the enemy. 5. The noncompletion of the ironclad gunboats Louisiana and Mississippi made it impossible for the Navy to cooperate efficiently with General Lovell. 6. The so-called river defense fleet was wholly useless as a means of resistance to the enemy, for which General Lovell was in nowise responsible. 7. Under the existing circumstances the passage of the forts by the enemys fleet could not have been prevented by General Lovell with any means under his control; and the forts being passed, the fall of New Orleans was inevitable and its evacuation a military necessity. S. When the first raft was broken and the danger of New Orleans thus became imminent, all necessary preparation should have been made for removing the public and private property available for military uses; and when the second obstruction was swept away, the removal of such property should have been commenced imme- diately. The failure to take these timely steps caused the losses of property that occurred, but there was comparatively little property lost for which General Lovell was responsible. 9. The failure of General Lovell to give proper orders to Brigadier-General M. L. Smith for the retirement of his command from Chalmette is not sufficiently explained, and is tberefore regarded as a serious error. 10. The proposition of General Lovell to return to New Orleans with his command was not demanded by his duty as a soldier, involving as it did the useless sacrifice of himself and his troops, though it explains itself upon the ground of sympathy for the population and a natural sensitiveness to their reproaches. 11. General Lovell displayed great energy and an untiring industry in performing his duties. His conduct was marked by all the coolness and self-possession due to the circumstances and his position; and he evinced a high capacity for command and the clearest foresight in many of his measures for the defense of New Orleans. The court respectfully report that its assembly was delayed by the failure of its president to receive his orders in due time, and that its session was protracted by the taking of testimony, under the order of the War Department, as to the conduct of naval officers on duty in Department No. 1. This order was rescinded, thus render- ing useless and irrelevant much of the labor of the court. The testimony referred to, although appearing on record, was not considered by the court in determining its findings and opinion. * [NOTE ]River defense fleet fitted out under the orders of the War Depart- ment, and under the control of General Lovell. The Navy had nothing to do with them Page 323 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 323 IJJ. The court of enquiry in the foregoing case is hereby dissolved. By order: S. COOPER, Adjutavt and Jnspector General. [Telegram.] NEW ORLEANS, April 17, 1862. Forts bombarded an hour and a half yesterday. General Duncan telegraphs none of our guns will reach them. Commodore Whittle has orders from Secretary Navy to send the Louisiana to Tennessee. Duncan and Higgins both telegraph she is absolutely a necessity at the forts for the safety of New Orleans, and that it is suicidal to send her elsewhere. With the enemys plan of attack, our safety may depend upon her timely arrival there. I earnestly beg her destination may be changed, and protest against her being sent up the river. Excite- ment among the people great on the subject. THOMAs 0. MOORE, Governor of Louisiana. President DAVIS. [Telegram.] - RICmVEoND, April 17, 1862. A dispatch was sent yesterday to General Lovell on the subject of the attack on the forts below. His answer was required in connection with the question proposed by you. The wooden vessels are below; the iron gunboats are above. The forts should destroy the former if they attempt to ascend. The Louisiana may be indispensable to check the descent of the iron boats. The purpose is to defend the city and valley; the only ques- tion is as to the best mode of effecting the object. Military men must decide, and to-day their discretionary power has been enlarged. JEFFERSON DAVIS. Governor T. 0. MOORE. Letter from Lieutenant Renshaw, C. S. Navy, to Lientenant.Colonel Higgins, C. S. Army. C. S. S. JACKSON, April 18. DEAR SIR: Yours just received. The fire barge was sent down as I supposed by your order. Captain Grant accompanied me to select a proper place to let her go. She was fired by my order, but was not aware that she was too close to the fort, but the eddy current, after firing, probably brought her into too close proximity to the fort. I regret the affair was an abortion. Respectfully, F. B. RENSHAw, C. S. Navy. Colonel HIGGINS. Order of commandant naval station, New Orleans, to Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, to assume command of naval operations below New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS, April 19, 1862. SIR: The attention of the commander of each individual vessel being necessarily engrossed by his own command, you will at once assum Page 324 324 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the direction of all naval operations in the neighborhood of Fort Jack- son and keep me constantly advised of all that may be transpiring there. You will hasten the departure of the Louisiana (on board of which are expected to be) vessel you by all means in your power, and pre- pare her in the shortest possible time to meet the enemy. You will hold yourself in readiness, should occasion require it, to shift, at a moments notice, the scene of your operations. Impress upon the oflicers and men of the Navy, and the volunteers under your command, that the eyes of the country are upon them. They are expected to emulate the glorious deeds recently enacted in Hampton Roads. They will not disappoint the expectation of their country. This arrangement is intended to be temporary. Wishing you glory and happiness. I am, respectfully, etc., Wi~i. C. WHITTLE, Commandant Naval Station, Mw Orleans. Commander J. K. MITCHELL, C. S. Navy, Present. Letters from Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, to Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army, relative to the position of the C. S. S. Louisiana. C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Off Fort Jackson, April 22, 1862. GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yours of this date, asking me to place the Louisiana in position below the raft this evening, if possible. This vessel was hurried away from Ne~ Orleans before the steam power and batteries were ready for service, without a crew, and in many respects very incomplete, and this condition of things is but partially remedied now. She is not yet prepared to offer battle to the enemy; but should he attempt to pass the forts, we will do all we can to prevent it, and it was for this purpose only that she was placed in position where necessity might force her into action, inadequately prepared as she is at this moment. We have now at work on board about fifty mechanics, as well as her own crew and those from other vessels, doing work essential to the preparation of the vessel for battle. Under these circumstances, it would, in my estimation, be hazarding too much to place her under the lire of the enemy. Every effort is being made to prepare her for the relief of Fort Jackson, the condition of which is fully felt by me, and the very moment I can venture to face our enemy with any reasonable chamle of success, be assured, general, I will do it, and trust that the result will show you that I am now pursuing the right course. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant JOHN K. MITCHELL, Commanding C. S. Naval Forces, Lower ilfississippi. General J. K. DUNCAN, commandinq Coast D~fenscs, Fort Jackson Page 325 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 325 P. S.The Jackson, with Launch 1V~. 3, will go up to the Quaran- tine this afternoon to watch the enemy, as suggested in your note this morning. Respectfully, etc., J. K. M. C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Near Fort Jackson, April 23, 1862. GENERAL: On the receipt last night or your second communication of yesterdays date, asking me to place this vessel under the fire of the enemy, I consulted the commanding officers of the Confederate States naval vessels present, on the subject, and herewith annex a copy of their opinion, sustaining my own views on the subject. I feel the importance of affording relief to your command as soon as possible, but, general, at the same time I feel and I know the impor- tance to the safety of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the city of New Orleans, of having this vessel in proper condition before seeking an encounter with the enemy. If he seeks one, or atteiupts the passage of the forts before this vessel is ready, I shall meet him, however unprepared I may be. We have an additional force of mechanics from the city this morning, and I hope that by to-morrow night the motive power of the Louisiana will be ready, and in the meantime her battery will be in place and other preparations will be completed so as to enable her to act against the enemy. When ready you will be immediately advised. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JNO. K. MITCHELL, Commanding C. S. Naval Forces, Lower iJilississippi. General J. K. DUNCAN, Commanding coast Defenses, Fort Jackson. [Enclosure.] C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Near Fort Jackson, April 22, 1862. Two communications having this day been received from Brigadier- General Duncan (herewith attached, marked Nos. 1 and 3, and also the answer of Commander J. K. Mitchell, No.1, marked No. 2), request- ing that the Louisiana be placed in position below the raft in the river near Fort Jackson, a consultation was held by Commander J. K. Mitch- ell with Commander McIntosh and Lieutenants Commanding Huger and Warley, who fully sustained the views of Commander Mitchell as expressed in his reply (marked No. 2) declining to comply with the vequest of Brigadier. General Duncan. C. F. MCINTOSH, Commander, C. S. Navy. T. B. HUGER, Lieutenant, Commanding. A. F. WARLEY, Lieutenant, ~iQmm~nding. GRO. S. SHRYOCK, Lieutenant, U S. Navy, Aid to Commanding Qfl7cer Page 326 326 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Letter from Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, to Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army. C. S. S. LOUIsIANA, Fort Jackson, April 22, 1862. GENERAL: Your two notes of this date have been received. A fire has been ordered to be built below St. Philip, as you requested, except that it will be on the beach, and a raft will be kept ready to fire and turn adrift, as you requested, near Fort Jackson, in the event of the apprehended attack being made by the enemy to-night. I shall also direct a vigilant lookout to be kept by all the vessels, and to cooper- ate with you to prevent the passage of the forts at every hazard. Your request respecting the report of the bad condition of the engines of the lifosher will claim my attention as soon as possible. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN K. MITCHELL, Commanding C. S. Naval Forces, lower Afississ~ppi. General J. K. DUNCAN, Commanding Coast Defenses at Fort Jackson. Order of Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, to board of officers to examine C. S. steamers Mosher and Belle Algerine. C. S. S. LoUIsIANA, Off Fort Jackson, April 22, 1862. GENTLEMEN: The steamers Jifosher and Belle Algerine having been represented as being unfit for service, you will please to examine them carefully, without delay, and report to me in duplicate their condition. In the performance of this duty, please state the canse of any damage you may discover, with such recommendations as in your judgment you may deem proper. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN K. MITCHELL, (~ommanding C S. Naval Forces, Lower Jfississippi River. Lieutenant Commanding HUGER, Assistant Engineer Assistant Engineer C S. S. liLdilac; off Fort Jackson. Captain Huger will fill up the blanks with the names of the two ~gineers he thinks most suitable for the service, belonging to the Report of board of officers regarding the condition of C. S. steamers Mosher and Belle Algerine. C. S. S. LOUISIANA, April 22, 1862. SIR: In obedience to your order, we have held a survey upon the steamer Belle Algerine and the tng lliilosher. The latter has, we think, loosened the after bearing of her shaft. This we can, I think, obviate in a few hours. The Belle Algerine leaks badly in the bows from two holes knocked in her, the captain rcports, while working in the raft Page 327 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 327 and also while landing guns at Fort St. Philip. This we can also remedy and are now doing so. I trust by to-night both vessels will be serviceable. Very respectfully, yonr obedient servant, T. B. HUGER, Commanding iJifdRae. SAMUEL BROCK, Senior Engineer, ilflJ?ae. Commander J. K. MITCHELL. [Endorsement.] GUNERAL: Above you will see the report on the vessels reported to you as unfit for service. I send it for your information. Respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN K. MITCHELL, (ommanding U. S. Naval Forces. JOHN K. DUNCAN, Commanding Coast Defenses. Letter from Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army, to Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy. FORT JACKSON, LA., April 23, 1862. CAPTAIN: I ani of the opinion that the mortar practice of the enemy against Fort Jackson must be nearly exhausted, and that there is every indication that the enemy, as the next plan of attack, is about to move his large vessels to the point of woods and open upon us with his broad- sides. One of the large vessels has already been brought up and placed in position. Should the above prove to be the case, it is imperatively and absolutely necessary that the batteries of the Louisiana should be brought into action, as well as those of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. A proper position for the Louisiana would be on the Fort St. Philip side a short distance below the raft and close to the shore, which will give us three direct and cross fires upon the point of attack. Earnestly calling your attention to this subject, and ai you can see from your position the movements of the enemy, and can consequently know when to act, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. K. DUNCAN, Brigadier- General, Commanding Coast Defenses. Captain J. K. MITCHELL, Commanding Naval Forces, Lower ]Jfississi~ppi River. Letter from Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, to Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army, regarding the position of the C. S. S. Louisiana. C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Near Fort Jackson, April 23, 1862. GENERAL: I am in receipt of your letter of this date, in which you express your belief that the enemy is about to change his place of attack and open the broadside of his larger ships on the forts, and i Page 328 328 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. which you make certain suggestions as to the position to be taken by this ship. By reference to a letter of mine to you of yesterdays date, and of (No. 1) this date, you will be apprised of the condition of this ship. Should an attack be made as anticipated, I shall be governed by circum- stances and do all I can against the enemy. 1 have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN K. MITCHELL, Commanding C. S. Naval Forces, Lower illiississ2p]n. Brigadier-General J. K. DUNCAN, Commanding Coast Defenses, Fort Jackson. Letter from Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, to Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army regarding cooperation. C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Off Fort Jackson, April 923, 1862. SIR: I enclose herewith a copy of a communication received on the 21st instant from Captain Stevenson, from which you will perceive that, notwithstanding General Lovells order to him, this letter so qualifies my authority as to relieve me from all responsibility as to the movements of the vessels of the river fleet under his command. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN K. MITCHELL, Commanding C. S. Naval Forces, Lower Alississippi. General J. K. DUNCAN, Commanding Coast Defenses, Fort Jackson. [Enclosure.] RIVER DEFENSE C. S. GUNBOAT WARRIOR, Fort Jackson, April 921, 1862. SIR: I am in receipt of an order from Major-General M. Lovell, dated 20th instant, in which I am directed to place myself and my whole command at this point under your orders. Every officer and man on the river-defense expedition joined it with the condition that it was to be independent of the Navy, and that it would not be gov- erned by the regulations of the Navy, or be commanded by naval officers. In the face of the enemy I will not say more. I will cooperate with you and do nothing without your approbation, and will endeavor to carry out your wishes to the best of my ability, but in my own way as to the details and the handling of my boats. Bnt I expect the ves- sels under my charge to remain as a separate command. All orders for their movements addressed to me will be promptly executed, if practicable, and I undertake to be responsible for their efliciency when required. I suppose this is all that is intended by the order of Major- General Lovell, or that will be expected from me by you. Respectfully, yours, etc., JOHN A. STEVENSON, Senior Captain, Commanding River Fleet at Fort Jackson. Commahder J. K. MITCHELL, C. S. Navy. Our signals should be made to assimilate at once. Captain Renshaw and myself could arrange this if you wish, as no doubt but you ar Page 329 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 329 greatly fatigued, and still much to do and arrange. Anything I can do, rely on it being done promptly and cheerfully. Yours, etc. J. A. S. Letter from Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army, to Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, regarding reconnoissance by the enemy. FORT JACKSON, LA., April 23, 1862. CAPTAIN: The enemy has just sent up a small boat and planted a series of white flags on the Fort St. Philip side, commencing about 350 yards above the lone tree. it is the probable position of his ships in the new line of attack, which, in my opinion, be contemplates for attacking Fort Jackson with his large vessels. As you may not have seen this operation, I furnish you with the information. Please keep the river well lit up with fire rafts to-night, as the attack may be made at any time. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. K. DUNCAN, Briqadier- General, Commanding Coast Defenses. Captain J. K. MITCHELL, Commanding Naval Forces, lower 7lihssiss~ppi. River. [Telegram.] COMMANDANTS OFFICE, NAVAL STATION, New Orleans, April 23, 1862. SIR: Can you not occupy a position below Fort St. Philip, so as to enfilade the mortar boats of the enemy and give time to the garrison to repair damages at Fort Jackson? See General Duncan on the subject. Higgins will go and point out the position. As I understand it, it is covered by the fire of the two forts, and would require that the bomb vessels should be readjusi~ed to get your range. Strain a point to effect this. I am, respectfully, etc., Wivi. C. WHITTLE, Commander J. K. MITCHELL, Commandant. Senior Naval Officer, Fort Jackson, La. [Telegram.] FORT JACKSON, April 23, l8G2lO:SOp. m. Your telegram received. I have since reconnoitered the enemys position myself, and will take up a position to-morrow night to act against the mortar boats by daylight. I am about to communicate now with General Duncan, and if he thinks that he can not hold out till then, I will move to his support as soon as possible. My present position as good as any to prevent the passage of the forts by the enemy Page 330 330 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Freeman says our propellers will be ready to-morrow evening. He goes up on the Diana at once. J. K. MITCHI~LL, Commanding Naval Forces. Captain WM. C. WHITTLE, Commanding Naval Station. Letter from Brigadier-General Duncan, C. S. Army, to Commander Mitchell, C. S. Navy, regarding the movements of the enemy. FORT JACKSON, LA., April 24, 18623:30 a. m. CAPTAIN: As I anticipated and informed you yesterday, the enemy are taking up their position at the present moment with their large ships on the Fort St. Philip shore, to operate against Fort Jackson. They are placing themselves boldly, with their lights at their mast- heads. You are assuming a fearful responsibility if you do not come at once to our assistance with the Louisiana and the fleet. I can say no more. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. K. DUNCAN, Brigadier- General. Captain J. K. MITCHELL, (6mmanding Naval Forces, Lower illississippi River. [Telegram.] NEW ORLEANS, April 24, 1862. The enemy has passed our forts. It is too late to send any guns here; they had better go to Vicksburg. M. LOVELL. General SAMUEL JONES. [Telegram.] NEW ORLEANS, April 24, 1862. Enemys ships passed the forts this morning, after several days bombardment. THOMAS 0. MOORE. JEFFERSON DAVIS, President. [Telegram.] RICHMOND, VA., April 24, 1862. I sent dispatch to General Lovell on receipt of yours in relation to the banks. From his reply find that orders were revoked. Your dispatch in relation to enemys ships this day received. I am hopeful that whilst the forts divide the fleet the Louisiana will not lose the opportunity. In painful anxiety, wait further intelligence. JEFFERSON DAVIS. Governor THOMAS 0. MOORE, New Orleans, La Page 331 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 331 [Telegram.] CAMP MOORE, LA., [April] 27, 1862. I evacuated New Orleans, the fleet having anchored opposite the city. Send all heavy guns you can to Vicksburg with great dispatch. General SAMUEL JONES. M. LOVELL. Report of Chief Engineer Youngblood, C. S. Navy, regarding the engines of the C. S. S Louisiana. C. S. S. LOUISIANA, Off Fort St. Pldlip, April 27, 1862. SIR: I respectfully report that during the engagement with the Federal fleet on the 24th instant, the propeller machinery of this vessel being unfinished, and the paddle wheels unable to manage her, steam was of no use, and she could not have been moved except with a tow. I was at the time busy, and had been ever since leaving New Orleans, with all available workmen, trying to get the unfinished machinery in working order. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILSON YOUNGBLOOD, Senior Fng~neer. Captain JNO. K. MITCHELL, C. S. Navy, Commanding C. S. S. Lou~nana. Memorandum of agreement regarding the movements of the C. S. S. McRae under flag of truce. U. S. FLAGSHIP HARTFORD, Off tAe Gity of New Orleans, April 27, 1862. The Confederate steamer llfcJi?ae having come up from the forts under a flag of truce to the flag-officer with wounded from the Confed- erate fleet there, the flag-officer consents to the wounded and the surgeon being landed at the city of New Orleans, provided the said Confederate steamer ]Jifdllae will land the same with all diligence and return whence sh~ came in the same condition in every respect in which she came up, except landing her surgeon and wounded and such other persons as her commander may desire, provided they are not military or naval men; and furthermore that she will depart hence on her return to Forts Jackson and St. Philip by 10 oclock in the fore- noon of the 28th day of this present month. To the fidelity of which the commander of the said Confederate steamer pledges his word of honor. C. W. READ, Approved. ]2ieutenant, C. S. Navy. D. G. FARRAGUT, Flag- Oft/ocr, Comdq. Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. [Telegram.] RICHMOND, VA., April 28, 1862. I deeply sympathize with your situation, and recognize with pride the patriotism of the citizens of New Orleans. Your answer to Commander Farragut leaves to you all the chances and rights of war. General Duncan may prevent reinforcements t Page 332 332 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. the enemy, and General Beauregard has been informed of your con- dition, and will aid you as he may. * * * * * * * JEFFERSON DAVIS. Mayor MONROE, Of Hew Orleans, La. Reports of Lieutenant Read, C. S. Navy, commanding C. S. S. McRae. JACKSON, Miss., lJiLay 1, 1869?. SIR: In the absence of the commanding officer, it becomes my duty to inform you of the part the C. S. S. JJIcRae took in the recent action at Forts Jackson and St. Philip. The ]JfcRae was at anchor in the stream, near the shore, and about 300 yards above Fort St. Philip. At 3 a. m. of the 24th of April, a large steamer was discovered between the forts, coming up. The ship being already cleared for action, the cable was slipped and we main- tained our position in the stream until our port guns bore upon the advancing vessels of the enemy, when we opened fire. At the tenth round our pivot gun exploded, wonnding one man slightly. At 3.50 we stood over to the opposite side of the river and engaged one of the enemys gunboats, but owing to his greater speed he soon passed ahead of us; our helm was put aport to enable our guns to bear on him, but just as our vessel had begun to answer her helm, two large, full-rigged ships were discovered a short distance astern, one on each quarter, coming rapidly up. Had the ilfcRae continued to turn, a collision with the ship on our starboard quarter would have been inevitable; our helm was therefore righted and all hands called to repel boarders on both quarters. But, contrary to our expectations, both vessels passed us without firing a shot, evidently mistaking us for one of their own gunboats. As soon as they had cleared us, we sheered to port, and delivered our starboard broadside into one of the ships, and sheering quickly the other way, gave him our port broadside. We now stood across the river, and the enemy discovering us, engaged us with their starboard guns. One of their shells, striking us forward and exploding in the sail room, set the ship on fire. The engine and deck pumps were immediately started, but owing to the combustible nature of the articles in the sail room, the fire burned fiercely. The sail room was separated from the shell lockers by a thin bulkhead. The commander directed the ship to be run close in to the bank, and ordered me to inform him when the fire should reach the shell locker bulkhead. I repaired to the scene of fire and succeeded in smothering and extinguishing it. Two large ships and three gunboats were now engaging us at a distance of about 300 yards. We backed off the bank with the intention of dropping down nearer the forts, when the 1JIanassas came up to our relief. She steered for the enemys vessels, and as soon as they discovered her they started up the river. Just as we were backing off the bank, Lieutenant Commanding T. B. Huger fell, severely wounded. I now directed the course of the vessel across and up the river, firing the starboard guns as rapidly as possible, and, I think, with much accuracy. We soon reached a position which furnished a view around the first bend above the forts, where 1 dis- covered eleven of the enemy, and not deeming it prudent to engage Page 333 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON, 333 force so vastly superior to my own, I determined to retire under the guns of the forts. Having dropped a short distance and getting into an eddy, I thought to turn and steam down. As the ship was turning the tiller ropes parted. The ship was instantly stopped and the engines reversed, but too late to avoid striking the bank. I endeavored to back her off the shore, but could not succeed. One of the river fleet, called the J?e8olute, had been run ashore early in the morning, lust above where we were now lying, and had a white flag flying. I sent Lieutenant Arnold with ten men on board of her with orders to haul down the white flag and fight her guns as long as possible. At 6:30 the enemy stood up the river, and as soon as our guns would no longer bear we ceased firing. At 7 a towboat came up from the forts and hauled us off. The ilficRac received three shots through her hull, all near the water line. Most of the enemys shell passed over us. Every stay was car- ried away and three-fourths of the shrouds. One shell passed through the smokestack, also a number of grape. The sides of the ship received a large number of grape and canister, which did not pass through. The enemys firing, upon the whole, was very bad. I enclose the surgeons report, showing the number of killed and wounded. I can not speak too highly of the gallant bearing of all on board and where all performed their duty so well it is almost impossible to particularize, but I can not refrain from mentioning the conduct of Acting Midshipman S. P. Blanc, in charge of the powder division, by whose coolness and promptness the ship was saved from beingburned; also Lieutenant T. D. Pflster, of the Revenue Service, who was a vol- unteer aboard, and behaved with much bravery. Lieutenant Thomas Arnold, though wounded and bleeding freely, remained at his quar- ters, encouraging his division to fight courageously. Much credit is due to Passed Assistant Surgeon Christian for his promptness in attending to the wounded. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHARLES W. READ, Lieutenant. Captain W. C. WHITTLE, ZWaval Station. JACKSON, Miss., iWay 1, 1862. SIR: On the 26th of April I received orders from Commander J. K. Mitchell, C. S. Navy, to transfer all officers and men belonging to the C. S. S. ]lfdkae, except such as were absolutely necessary for the navi- gation of the vessel, to the steamer Loui8iana, and to get on board the iYIcJ?ae all of the sick and wounded and proceed up the river under a flag of truce to New Orleans, where, after having landed the wounded and sick, to return to the fort. In obedience to these instructions, I left Forts Jackson and St. Philip early on the morning of the 27th and proceeded up the river. At the Quarantine Station I found five of the enemys vessels. I went on board the U. S. frigate iYli88issippi, and having informed her commander of the object of my flag of truce, he agreed to my pro- ceeding up the river till I found the other portion of the Federal fleet Page 334 334 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. where I would find Flag-Officer Farragut, with whom I could arrange the conditions of landing my sick and wounded and for my returning to the forts. Owing to the injuries our smokestack had received in the action, the ship steamed poorly, and I was frequently obliged to make fast to the bank till steam could accumulate. I reached New Orleans at 11:20 a. m. of the 28th instant. I went on board the enemys flagship and made arrangements with Flag- Officer Farragut for delivering the sick and wounded and for the return of the ]Jifdllae to the forts. I enclose my written agreement with Flag-Officer Farragut. I anchored the Jilicflcte off Julia street, as near inshore as possible, and landed the sick and wounded without delay. At 8:30 p. m. the ship commenced to drag; the cable was veered its entire length, 50 fathoms. I had no other anchor to let go, and it was found impossible to bring her up. 1 accordingly started the engines and sheered over to the point near the second district ferry landing, where the water was shoaler. In going across the river the ship rested on something under the water, and swung entirely around several times, when she drifted off and brought up a short distance below. I soon ascertained that the ship was leaking badly. The donkey and bilge pumps were immediately started and kept going. At 11:20 the water had gained such a height as to put the fires out in the furnaces, thus stopping the donkey pump. I sent a boat on shore to ask assistance of the police or citizens. A lieutenant of the police with ten men came on board and assisted us in working the pumps. At 6 a. m. the water was 6 feet in the hold and gaining on us, the vessel was settling rapidly, and the water on the outside was only 2 inches below the shot holes in the ships sides. The leak was not confined to any particular place, but the water appeared to come through all her seams. My men were exhausted, and I felt confident that further exertions were useless. I directed her injection pipes to be cut, so that she might sink as soon as possible, and got all hands ashore without delay. At 7 the ship went down. 1 deeply regretted to see the Jifeflac sink, as her armament and munitions were needed at the forts below. The ship herself was unfit to go in another action. I repaired on board the Federal flagship to explain why I had not carried out the condition of returning to the forts. I found the flag- officer absent, but the next in command, Captain T. T. Craven, informed me that there was no way of getting down to the forts except by a small boat, and that he supposed I could use my own option of returning or not, but that I had better come on board next morning and see Flag-Officer Farragut. Before I could get on board the following day I learned that Forts Jackson and St. Philip had surrendered, and that the Loui8iana had been blown up. I now considered myself and men at liberty to go where I pleased, and accordingly proceeded to this place. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS. W. READ, Lieutenant. Commandant W. C. WHITTLE, C. S. Navy, Naval Station, J~01e80n, ]Jfiss Page 334A CONFEDERATE STATES STEAMER McRAE Page 334B Page 335 NO~IVrIVllD UOJOflJThUOO JOpUll ThIPII1W ~ ~TOOfl 111 .~UEJTSTA JO~It~ 1981 U~ OUT Xq Opi3uii sP~9SPU29ff[ UT~J ~3p-UOJ~ ~~uO~UOAO~ ~O .~UIM1~J(I SJOL~1Y t ~LL~ U2 H 0 ~/O uoq s,; Page 336 336 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Report of Lieutenant Warley, C. S. Navy, commanding C. S. ram Nanassas. PENDLETOK, S. C., Amgwst 13, 1862. SIR: I made two official reports of the share taken by the steam ram iJfana8sa8 in the fight of the 24th April, to Captain J. K. Mitchell. I presume from your dispatch that neither of these reached your hands, and I now respectfully report to you. On the morning of April 24, about 3 a. in., I was informed that something was going on below, but no signal had been made. By the time I got on deck, several quick flashes about the chains indicated a movement by the enemy. I instantly cast off, turned short on my heel, dropped the tug I had alongside, and stood down. By the time I had got fairly underway I discovered a vessel with masts coming rapidly up and gave orders to run into her, when the army ram J?e8olUte dashed out, heading up, and ran directly into me I backed in time to save running her down, and, while clearing her, the enemys vessels ranged alongside of her, pouring in a heavy broadside. By the time I was clear and again underway, I made a large ship standing across the river, and attempted to run into her, but she proving too fast, I passed with full way grazingly under her counter. Saw a large side-wheel steamer and tried to strike her on the wheel, but struck her on the quarter, doing, I think, but little damage and bringing her alongside of me, when she poured a broadside over me and bore away, standing on up the river. I was then nearly down to the chains, and so many of the vessels of the enemy had passed up that I determined to run down and destroy the mortar fleet, and gave orders to stand on down, when both forts opened a heavy fire on me, Fort Jackson strik- ing me repeatedly. I knew if the i-inch rifles and X-inch columbiad in barbette were brought to bear on me, I would be sunk, so turned and stood up the river after the enemy. About four or six hundred yards above I discovered a ship lying across the stream. Ordered resin thrown in the furnaces to make steam rapidly, drew the valves all open, and ran into her, firing my gun loaded with a 5-second shell when within a few feet. I struck her fairly abreast of the mainmast with a tremendous crash, and a force that threw every one from their feet on board of the lYfanassas. I then stopped and reversed the engines, sounded, and found the vessel making no water to speak of, and thinking the vessel sufficiently disabled to have to fall back under the guns of the forts, made for the Iroquois, which vessel I could recognize in the day beginning to break. When within about 20 yards of her stern, 1 ordered a fire to be commenced on her, and was informed the collision and recoil had drawn the bolts of the gun slide and unfitted it for use for the time. As I drew nearer, the Iroquois put on steam and ran away from me as though I had been at anchor. Two other and smaller gunboats passed rapidly by, pouring in a broadside and leaving me behind. Standing farther up, I discovered the ]Jfdflae engaged with the Iroquois and three other gunboats, muak- ing a most gallant fight against terrible odds. Doing all in my power to get on more steam, I stood to her assistance, passing close along- side. I saw she was badly cut up and heard her fire bell ringing. On my approach the enemy left her and stood on up, and I, to give her time to drop back under the forts, followed them until, rounding the bend below Quarantine, I found ten or twelve, as counted by the pilot, of the enemy all together. On seeing me, the side-wheel steamer an Page 337 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 337 a sloop of war stood down, one on each side of the river. I was too near to turn down with any hope of safety. My vessel was shot through as though she had been of thin plank, both in the bow and broadside, her smokestack literally riddled, and I knew the vessels coming down on her would have no difficulty in ranging alongside and sinking her. I ordered the delivery pipes cut and headed her inshore. The vessel inshore on that side sheered out and ran into the other one, and before they drew clear of each other I had safely landed all hands through the trap forward, saw the vessel was rapidly filling, and with my executive officer followed into the swamp. (The vessel, as I antici- pated, filling astern, slid off into deep water and went down the river with the roof showing.) After getting into the swamp, the enemy continned to fire grape and canister at our whereabouts for an hour and a half. When the firing ceased I returned with my officers and men to the bank, found a boat and a crowd of some sixty men from the army rams. I put one of my officers into the boat with a crew from my vessel and landed the whole party on the other side of the river, where there was a levee to New Orleans; followed on myself, and finding the flag still waving from the Loni8iana, retnrned down the river, recrossed, and offered the services of my officers and those of my men who had not got scattered as volunteers to Captain Mitchell, with whom, after the destruction of the LouisiaNa, I was taken prisoner. The lllianassas was the first Confederate vessel in the stream on the night of the 24th April, and, except the iWcRae, I did not see one yes- ~el of ours from the forts to the Quarantim~e, ami J I feel myself justified in saying that the 3ifanassas was the only one of our vessels that attempted to prevent the passing of the forts by the enemy. Had she been backed, had the army rams joined her, and each one struck one vessel, it is my belief that the enemys fleet would have been detained long enough under the guns of the forts to have enabled the forts to disable them. Had the fire rafts moored alongside the bank above us been cut adrift and towed out into the stream, even unfired, the obsta- des offered to the enemy would have been tenfold. I can not speak in too high terms of the behavior of the officers and crew under my command. On board, and after the vessel was destroyed, their conduct was all a commanding officer could desire, and as well worthy of the admiration of the country as if they had won a great victory. Particularly, I must mention the executive officer, F; M. Harris, and the pilot, Captain Levin, of New Orleans, to whose coolness, energy, and prompt obedience I was more indebted than anyone can understand until he fights such a craft under such circumstances. I have lost the first vessel intrusted to my command by the Gov- eminent (thank God, I lost none of my officers or crew). There are many things connected with that loss that I can ndt touch on in this report that I would gladly see investigated, so that~ the public may fully understand how New Orleans did fall, and whether or not the trifling naval force present defended the property committed to their care properly and did all in their power to repel the enemy in their passage up the river. Particularly would I like the public to know whether or not the Government is satisfied that the lllianassas was fought as long and. as N W RVOL 182 Page 338 338 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. effectively as the circumstances of the hour demanded she should be, for I have already seen in a book purporting to be a history of the war, a sneer at her part in the engagement. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. F. WARLEY, Lieutenant, C S.Navy, Late Commanding Steam Rain lJIanas8a8. Hon. S. R. MALLORY, Secretary of the Navy, Richmond, Va. Extract from papers ofLientonant Warley, C. S. Navy, commanding C. S. ram Manassas. NEW ORLEANS, LA., July , 1865. I was in command of the Confederate steamer JJlfana8sas when the Yankee fleet passed the forts near the mouth of the Mississippi in April, 1862, and I have more than once been requested to write what I know of the affair, as several versions had been given to the public. I have little reason to care for those bygones, but I have no ob~ection to writing what I know and remember of those days. If 1 ma e any mistakes, I do not make them willfully or with any purpose. If I seem to bear hardly on individuals, it is not from personal feeling. What I tell, I either know or have good reason to believe to be the truth, and nothing more or less. When I went down to the, forts I found both Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip fully manned and well armed, General Higgins commanding the first, Captain Squires the last, all under command of General Dun- can. At that time the enemys fleet was slowly making its way into the river, and additional guns were being mounted on the forts, a water battery was being built below Fort Jackson, the river was obstructed below the forts, but under their fire, by a triple row of chains passing from one to another of several schooners anchored at intervals from one side to the other. The woods had been cleared for a distance below, satisfactory, at least, to the commanding general, who laughed at the belief I expressed to him that the mortar boats would shell the forts while securely hidden by the woods. Several flatboats filled with combustible material had arrived from the city, to be used as fire rafts. General Lovell was occasionally coming down to take a look, and everything was going on unmolested on both sides. The only vessels then present were the ililanassas and Jackson, the one a tugboat, arched over with heavy timbers, which was covered with one coat of flat rail- road iron, armed with one 24-pound carronade, four muskets a double-barreled guns; officers and crew, all told, 36; , nd four leaking badly from previous straining, and able to steam about 2~ miles an hour against the stream. The other was a rickety old steamer, with a couple of VIII-inch guns on board. As time wore on additions were being made to the fire rafts and number of vessels. Two steamers belonging to the State of Louisiana arrived; five steamers, well manned and armed with two rifle guns, each 6-inch, one commanded by Kennon, one by Grant; and a portion of the Montgomery fleet, four steamers, well armed and manned, commanded by Stevenson, looper, Phillips, and [McCoy]. To annoy the enemy, General Higgins had sent down at different times two fire rafts, with what success I cant say. Captain Renshaw Page 339 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 339 in the Jacksan, was ordered to take down another, but he set it on fire above the obstructions, let it go, and it grounded and burned up abreast of Fort St. Philip. One morning, a fresh breeze blowing across the stream, General Higgins sent an order to Captain Steven- son, commanding the Resolute (I think), to take two rafts below the obstructions, set them on fire, and turn them adrift. Hearing of the order, I took the liberty of remonstrating, on account of the weather, and received a tart note from General Higgins. Therefore, the ]i?eso- lute got the rafts in the stream, could not manage them, let them go adrift, and they floated down, fouled the middle schooner to which the chains were fast, dragged her and her two nearest neighbors out of position, parted the chains, and left all the middle of the river unobstructed. There were no more attempts made to send down fire rafts. Soon after this the C. S. S. JlilcRae, Captain Huger, came down, and the ironclad Louisiana was towed down unfinished, with guns and crew hurried on board, the one to be put in position, the other to be drilled while the experts were finishing the machinery. She was under the command of Captain McIntosh, having on board Captain Mitchell, who came as senior naval officer to take conimand afloat. As the Montgomery fleet captains and the Louisiana State captains refused to recognize his authority over them, his command consisted of the iVlieRae, Louisiana, Jackson, and illdnassas. When the enemy below had made all their preparations, they com- menced shelling the forts from mortar boats hidden behind the woods. Then our vessels were ranged along the river bank above the forts, all except the Louisiana, which lay abreast of Fort St. Philip, trying to get things in working order. There were a number of fire rafts on the St. Philip side of the river, a mile or so above the forts. I had no idea under whose command they were, no one was kept on board, and no preparation made for bring them or turning them adrift. After the passage of the forts, Captain Mitchell told me that he was not aware of there being any such rafts. At night the garrison of Fort Jackson kept a picket at the end of the obstructions, where a passage had been left, and Captain Mitchell sent down a picket launch with signal rockets, etc., on board. Before the passage of the forts. General Duncan took violent offense at Captain Mitchell. because he would not move the unprepared Louisiana down to a point, nearer to the enemy, and so completely under the, fire of the mortar boats that, in my opinion, she would have been destroyed within an hour. The fire from the mortar boats commenced and continued with great regularity and admirable precision. They were annoyed to the amount of the loss of one of them by a fire from a rifle gun and mortar at Fort St. Philip. They could not be seen from Fort Jackson. Their fire tore up the torts, burned all the woodwork of Fort Jackson, but did comparatively little harm to the strength of either fort. Most of my description of ~the night of April 24 must necessarily be personal. The iWianassas had alongside her a steam tug, to enable her to turn downstream at once. About 3 a. m. on the morning of April 24, Lieutenant F.M. Harris called me and informed me that, although no signal had been made, he was sure something was goino on below. 1 gave orders to cast off fasts and turn downstream. N~hi1e doing thi Page 340 340 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. several flashes from below confirmed Mr. Harriss report. 1 ordered Mr. Harris to hail Captain Kennon, inform him I was going down to meet the enemy, and beg him to follow me, which Harris did. By the time the iJilianassas was turned down and the tug cast oil I saw the spars of a vessel coming up. I gave orders to meet her with all steam on, and was fairly pointed, when one of the Montgomery fleet ran out from the bank directly for me. Seeing a collision inevitable, I stopped the ilifanassas; when the Montgomery steamer ran her side wheelhouse foul of the bow of the ]Jflanassa8. While so fouled, the vessel I had intended to meet ranged alongside of the Montgomery steamer, poured in a broadside, and stood on up the river. (The broadside was enough, the steamer drifted helplessly away from me, grounded on the other side of the river, and next day was burned by order of Captain Mitchell.) Disengaged from this steamer, I tried to run down a large steamer I took to be the ]Jffiissis8ippi. I struck her on her quarter instead of her wheel (as I wante dto do); the two vessels were brought side and side; the ilfissi88ippi fired a broadside over us, tore away, and steamed on up the river. I then steered for a large ship I took to be the Brook- lyn, but as we came down on her she shifted her helm. I heard her captain sing out Sink him. The stern pivot gun was fired into my face, the shell cutting the flagstaff off above my head, and the J.Jifanas- sa~ passed under her counter, missing her clear. Finding I could not run into faster vessels than my own, while underway, unless they were willing, or badly handled; having received the fire at close range of all the fleet as they passed; my smokestack being riddled and my power of driving the vessel through the water getting less and less, I determined to do some good by going down below the forts and destroying the mortar boats, which could not get out of my way. Starting down, I no sooner neared the forts than both opened fire on me. Fort Philip did not strike me. Captain Squires informed me he fired 75 times at me, but Fort Jackson struck me frequently with her 42-pounder. I had no means of making a signal. I knew if 1 was struck with a X-inch shot or 7-inch rifle bolt the vessel would go down, so I concluded to go back to the fleet. Steaming up the river I made out a large ship lying across stream. I gave orders to pile the resin into the furnaces, fired the carronade when within a few feet of the side of the ship, and ran into her with all the force I could, struck her amidships on a parcel of chain cable she had plaited along, and dont believe 1 did her any harm. That vessel (the Iliartford, I think) did not fire at me, although I must have been seen approaching, and Messrs. Harris and Hulse, get- ting out of the bow port, fired their pistols and rifles on her quarter deck. Backing from the collision, 1 steamed on up and saw the ]JiLcRae lying in the middle of the river, receiving the fire of four gunboats, to which she was . making no return; she was on fire forward, and evi- dently badly crippled. To enable her to turn and get between the forts I steamed toward her four adversaries, when, much to my satis- faction, they did not wait for me, but stood on up the river, I follow- ing. My gun by this time was disabled, and I could not drive the steamer ahead more than a mile an hour. Rounding a point I found I was in presence of the enemys fleet twelve or thirteen, I was not sure which. I saw quick signals passin Page 341 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 341 (sun was just rising); then the steamer IliJi?~88%8Sipp~ hauled out on one side and a large gunboat on the other, and started down for me. See- ing it was all over with the iJifanassas, I gave orders to cut the delivery pipes, ordered Mr. Harris to send the crew overboard through the bow port as I sheered in, stood in as if I was going to run into the 1Jibs8?8s1~ppi. She sheered out to avoid me, fouled with her consort, who was sheering in, during which time the men were got overboard, and after seeing the delivery pipes were fairly cut, the vessel reported filling, and the furnace doors closed, Mr. Harris and myself followed the men. We landed on the Fort St. Philip side; the river was very high, and nowhere did we find the water less than waist deep. After being graped for two hours, I took the men down to the bank, found a boat, and crossed over. Visited Fort Jackson, communicated with Gen- erals Duncan and Higgins, and reported myself and command to Captain Mitchell on board of the Lomi8iana. On joining the LOu%8iana I found out what had taken place outside of my immediate command. The Montgomery fleet had all had business up the river and had left without firing a shot, except one, whose captain woke in the morning to find his crew all gone, his boat with several great holes through her, and the enemy up the river. The astonished man! The Louisiana State boats had followed the example so set them. One did come down to reconnoiter in the morning after the firing was over, met the U. S. gunboat 17u9ma, engaged her, got badly cut up, ran into her, and was then assisted by one of the Montgomery fleet, commanded by Captain Phillips, who ran into the Varuna on the other side, cut her down and sunk her, then set fire to his boat and left her. The Loui8iana, unable to move, had received the fire of the enemy in passing, and returned, as well as could be expected under the circum- stances. Captain McIntosh had been mortally wounded, and how many of her crew no one knew, as crew, mechanics, etc., were in a number unknown to anyone on board. The iJfdRae, unable to take room to turn, had laid out in the river and exchanged broadsides with the fleet as they passed. Her gallant Captain Huger was mortally wounded, many of the crew killed and wounded, her one heavy gun burst, and the vessel badly cut up. The forts were all right, having suffered comparatively little. With the approval of Captain Mitchell, I took a boat and, with a flag of truce, communicated with the enemy and arranged to send the lJificJi?ae as a cartel with the wounded up to the city. This was done. The Jiilcllae, under Lieutenant Read, carried the wounded (except Captain McIntosh, who refused to be moved) up to New Orleans, and there was run into afterwards by a Yankee gunboat and sunk. In the meantime the engineer of the Louisiana, Youngblood. was hard at work with his mechanics on the machinery; reported he would be ready for work by meridian of the 28th, and a council of war had determined, first, to move down and destroy the mortar fleet, and then follow the fleet up the river. The enemys fleet were above, and the army transport steamers, taking advantage of the very high water, had got in the rear of Fort St. Philip and embarked troops and sent them up a canal to the Quarantine Station, where the steamer Jackson had been stationed, but where she had not remained after the fighting below was heard. She made good time up the river, together with Page 342 342 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADI~ON. steanier on which General Lovell was coming down the river to visit the forts. He did not visit them. On the 2Tth quite a number of women, the wives of the men in Fort Jackson, came down from the Quarantine Station and were allowed to visit their husbands. Just before day, on the morning of the 28th, a communication was received by Captain Mitchell from General Duncan, to the effect that, owing to the mutiny in Fort Jackson, he had opened communication with the enemy below and arranged terms of surrender, in which he had not included the LomisUtna, she not being under his command. A council of war, of which I was the senior member, was immediately called; we had just assembled when the report was made that two gunboats were coming up under white flags. I then proposed that we should at once destroy the vessel before a summons to surrender could be made, as being between the guns of the forts we would then have no option. My suggestion was adopted. Arms were thrown overboard, the magazine partially drowned (its construction admitted, of no more), the vessel was set on fire, and officers and men were put on board of two transport steamers, in which they crossed the river and awaited the action of the enemy. A lieutenant (Whittle) was sent to inform Captain Porter that the maga- zine was only partially drowned, and that the explosion would be heavy. His answer was, If we could stand it, he could. A gun- boat under command of Captain Wainwright soon came alongside of the transport and received the surrender of Captain Mitchell, etc., Captain Wainwright informing Mitchell, in my hearing, that if he had not supposed the transport to contain wounded men he would not have come alongside, but have lain off and poured broadsides into her until she sank. We were principally naval men surrendered by Captain Mitchell, and had no reason to felicitate ourselves on falling into the hands of our former brother officers, from no one of whom did one of us ever receive a kind act, word, or look. I have but few additional remarks to make. I ascertained while in the swamp, and by visiting both sides of the river, that the enemy graped the houses on each side as they ascended. I know of one little girl they killed, whom a part of my people helped to bury. In the darkness the enemy undoubtedly fired into one another, for in no other manner could their heavy loss be accounted for. I know at one time two of their gunboats were firing into each other over the ]Jlianassas, and am satisfied each thought the ilfanassas was firing back at her. I may mention the end of the ]iifianassas, the greatest humbug that ever was used as a bugbear. After I had abandoned her, and while, with my crew, I was crouching in the water close by, the 91iLisss& s~pp& ranged up and engaged her, pouring in several broadsides. She slid off the bank as the water gained on her, and floated down until the fire, communicated from the closed furnaces, reached the little store of powder she had, which was stowed under my bed. The explosion blew off her roof and she went down. Captain, or Commander, Porter reported to the Federal Navy Department that Mitchell and his officers had attempted to destroy him, while he had a white flag flying, by exploding the magazine of the Louisiana, and owing to his report, the officers who were sur- rendered by Captain Mitchell were treated for some time with much severity. They were not put on the same footing with other prisoner Page 343 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 343 until the facts of the case, properly attested, were submitted to the Federal Navy Department and the falsehood of Porters accusation established. A. F. WARLEY, First Lieutenant, Commanding. NOTE.A navy launch9 commanded by a man named Fairbanks (an appointment made by Commodore bums), was the picket boat on the night of the 24th. Fairbanks proved traitor, drowned his rockets9 and made no signal; so the forts were taken by surprise, and it was only the vessels which passed latest that suffered from them. I under- stood that Fairbanks met his deserts subsequently at the hands of some of the men he had betrayed. 1 cant vouch for the truth of it. [Newspaper clipping.] Statement of Lieutenant Warley, C. S. Navy. PENDLETON, S. C., August ff3, 1869?. EDITORS COURIER: Since my recent return from a Northern prison, I have had put into my hands a book entitled The first year of the War, in which my attention has been called to the account of the fall of New Orleans. Amid a large number of statements, equally false in that connection, I find the following statement: The Manassas was not injured by the enemys fire. She was run on shore and then sunk. As the officer who commanded the ihilanassas, I feel it my duty to my brother officers, my crew, and myself, publicly to contradict an imputation cast upon the part borne in the engagement by that vessel, which, considering the facilities the author must have had of obtaining intelligence, he undertaking to write history, I am compelled to regard as a misrepresentation. To do this, I will simply give an account of the share borne in the action by the iJilanassas. The JYlianassas lay at the river bank with a tugboat inshore of her to enable her to turn on her keel. The attack on the morning of the 24th of April was a complete surprise, but, at the sound of the first gun, the liifanassas was turned head down the river, and cast loose from the tug. I had just got good way on the vessel when I saw one of the enemy standing up the river and made directly for him, when one of the war rams (Resolute), running up the river ran into me, and, as I backed to get clear of her, she received the broadside of the vessel 1 bad intended to strike. Disengaging, I again stood down, and attempted to strike a large ship, but, she going much faster than my vessel, I passed grazingly under her counter, and, seeing the side-wheel steamer lifississippi coming up, I made at her, struck her on the quarter, bringing her up alongside of me. She, firing her broadside over me into the water, and tearing away from me, stood up the river. By this time six of the enemy had passed up, each delivering a broadside at me at the shortest possible range, very many of the shot passing over me, but the five striking going through my vessel as though she had no arming. I gave orders to stand down below the chain and attack the mortar fleet, finding I could not drive back the enemy. On approach- ing the chain to where the river was lighted, I encountered a heavy fire from both of our own forts Page 344 344 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. I was struck repeatedly by a shot from the casemate guns of Fort Jackson, and I knew if the 7-inch rifle and X-inch columbiad on the barbette were brought to bear on me, I must be sunk. So 1 gave orders to turn back and follow the enemy. Just above the forts I discovered, in the dawn just breaking, a large sloop-of-war lying broadside to me. Ordered resin thrown into the furnaces to make more steam, ordered the valves all open, and, as I approached, fired my 32-pounder carronade, loaded with a five-second shell, at the distance of a few yards, striking the vessel with my bow immediately after- wards, striking her fair, with plenty of steam on and good way, just abreast of her mainmast. Stopping and reversing after striking, I backed from the enemy and passed by and stood for the gunboat Iroquois, which vessel I recognized ahead. On nearing her, I gave orders to commence firing with the gun, and the officer in charge of the gun reported it disabled, the bolts having been drawn by the recoil, and he then busily engaged trying to repair the damage. I was in a few yards of the Iroquois when she put on steam and left me as if 1 had been at anchor. Following her up, I saw the ilJieRae engaged with four gunboats at close range. As I passed her, I heard her fire bell ringing and saw she was terribly cut up; and I followed the enemy, who stood on up the river on my approach, to give the iJificRae a chance to get under the forts. In rounding the bend below Quarantine I found twelve of the enemy together. The Jfissi& ~ippi and a large sloop-of-war came down to me, one on each side, and I saw at once I could do no more. My vessel, always slow, was slower than ever, from her smokestacks having been literally riddled; the shot of the enemy had penetrated the bow of my vessel (where she was considered shot proof), as well as along the broadside. It was no time to pause. My people had stood gallantly by me, and 1 owed to them a duty as well as to the country. I cut the delivery pipes, and headed the vessel inshore. As I did so, the inshore vessel headed out and collided with the other vessel and 1 had the opportunity of throwing my men into the swamp and getting them under the cover of the rise in the bank before the enemy commenced to grape us, which they did for an hour and a half. I! subsequently got my crew over to the Fort Jackson side of the river and joined the Louisiana with them as volunteers, and was taken a prisoner along with the captain of that vessel after her destruction. I have confined myself strictly to the part borne by the 3ifanassas in the action of the 24th, and in this connection I must say that she was the only vessel that did turn to meet the enemy, and, with the exception of the iJilcRae (which vessel, not having a chance to turn, fought the enemy gallantly, heading up the river), was the only vessel that made the slightest attempt to encounter the enemy where the fight was to have been, so that disabled vessels must fall back under the guns of the fort. The army rams, except one, that, with the Governor Jifoore, Captain Kennon, ran into and sunk a Federal gunboat up at the Quar- antine, never struck a blow, to my knowledge. Had those vessels, together with the two Louisiana gunboats, backed the ]Jfana8sas, and as rams met the enemy just above the chains, the fleet had never passed the forts. Of course that is only my opinion, and must go for what it is worth. I hope that the editors of the Courier will publish this, the first statement that I have been able to make. As for the othe Page 344A CONFEDERATE STATES RAM MANASSAS Page 344B Page 345 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 345 events of the battle, the gallantry of the lamented Huger, the singular surrender of the forts, the conduct of the army rams, the captains of which denied being responsible to any man short of the Secretary of Warall will come out when a court of enquiry shall investigate how New Orleans came to fall. I conclude by stating the force and armament of the liilianassas dur- ing the night she received the broadsides of ten vessels of war and ran into the two largest and heaviest armed of the enemys fleet: Officers and men, 36; 1 32-pounder carronade; 4 double-barrel guns; & mus- kets; some pistols (I do not remember how illany); 12 cane knives; 20 charges of powder (the rest having been given to the Jackson, which vessel was very nearly without any, and the loose powder having been sent to Fort Jackson, from which place it had been borrowed in a previous expedition). A. F. WARLEY, Lieutenant, C S. Navy, Late Commanding Steam Pam Jfanassas. Extract from notes of Assistant Engineer Tomb, C. S. Navy. Mississi~~i RIVER, FORTS JACKSON AND ST. PHILIP, CONFEDERATE STEAMER MCRAE Friday, April 24,1862. At 3: 35 a. m. the quartermaster reported the enemys ship coming up below the bend. Gave orders to spread fire and call the first assistant engineer, Fagan. 3:40 all hands at quarters and 15 pounds of steam. As the fleet came up we did not change our position near the bank until just before the hartford and Jilississippi came along, but before that time we had fired from our port broadside 32-pounders and 12-pounder howitzer on the poop. The pivot gun amidship, a IX-inch Dahlgren, burst forward of the trunnion just after the third round. As we were working the engines ahead, and close to the llartford, they became hot and had to be stopped; this, no doubt, saving us from l)eing boarded by the Hartford and the ]Ji1~ssi& sippi, as we dropped away from them before the iJfcRae got headway. The firing was very hot and our ships were badly cut up, one XI-inch shell passing through forward of the engine, one between the engine, and one near amidships, seriously wounding Captain Huger and taking part of the head of First-Class Fireman Kendricks off. This was about 3 feet from where I was standing. Captain Huger was taken below and Lieutenant Read took command, following the enemys ship up to the bend of the river. Here our steering gear was shot away and the iJicRae ran aground. At 8: 30 a. in., after we repaired damages, we anchored abreast of the fort. Casualties on the iJiEcRae, 4 men killed, II wounded; Captain McIntosh, in command of the Louisiana, was also seriously wounded. The lifanassas, under Lieutenant Warley, did fine execution with his ship, but was unable to ram them. The JJi[anassas was neither powerful nor easily managed, and was on that account, not much of a ram. After the engagement we saw her pass- ing down in a sinking condition and no one apparently aboard of her. The Governor JJfoore, a large side-wheel steamer in the State navy, did splendid work, Captain Kennon, her commander, ramming th Page 346 346 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. T~aruna and firing through her bow into the T~aruna at the same time, and succeeded in sinking her, but lost his own ship. Captain Kennon was an officer in the Confederate States Navy, but had resigned from the service a short time previous to this engagement. The State fleet, with the exception of two stuck fast in the banks of the river above the fort, had disappeared. We went on board and found them well supplied with everything, and replenished our mess from their stores. F. remarked had they rammed Farragut with half the force they did the bank, some of his ships would have been sunk. It requires something besides a steamboat to make a navy; good guns and men to work them are requisites. At 10:45 a. m. we reported our ship ready for action, but in very bad condition. The results of this engagement rest with the Army and the Navy, and when we take into consideration the generous spirit and desire of the people of New Orleans to do all in their power to keep Farraguts fleet from reaching the city, neither the Army nor the Navy has anything to be proud of in the results. April25.The JJiilcflae was ordered to New Orleans with the wounded, and most of the officers were detached and sent to the ironclad Ioui8i- ana. What design this ship was laid down upon no one could fathom, as her engines were supposed to work two wheels in the centerone forward of the otheras well as two propellersone on each quarter. The results, if there were any, were not shown in any motion to the ship, and the second wheel would no doubt have been of more service on the river banks. The guns could not be elevated or depressed to any degree from the ports, neither had they any angle of fire. She was a nondescript, and in her destruction by blowing up it was as much to the credit of the Confederate States Navy as for any loss she uiight be to the enemy. On the morning of the 28th the forts surrendered without notice to the commanding officer of the Navy, Commander Mitchell, and before noon the Loui8iana was blown up to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. The opinion of most of the officers was that that was the only way she could be propelled. Not one ship of the Confederate States Navy was surrendered. The army officers were all paroled, white those of the Navy went North as prisoners. Had there been the least chance to do anything with the Louis~iana, it was the intention of Commander Mitchell to drop down below the bend and drive Porters mortar fleet away, but she was per- fectly helpless. It was a great oversight on the part of the command- ing officer here in permitting the large raft that was anchored between the forts to be carried away by drift from up the river, as the old hulks that took the place of the raft and held the chain were most all sunk from Porters shells before Farragut passed up. When Commodore Hollins drove Commodore Pope froni the Head of the Passes, Colonel Duncan expressed a wish that the Navy keep away and let us have a chance at the Yanks. Well, we all got a chance at Farragut, and if we got anything else but a chance, we dont know it. The ]JfcRae, after landing the wounded at New Orleans and returning down the river, sunk from the effects of the injury during the engagement of the 24th. J.H.T Page 347 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 347 Extract from report of evidence taken before a joint special committee of both Houses of the Confederate Congress to investigate the affairs of the Navy Department. THURSDAY, September 9, 18G9L On motion of Mr. SEMMES, it was agreed that Captain WILLIAM C. WHITTLE be first called and examined. Captain W. C. WHITTLE was accordingly called and duly sworn. Mr. SEMMES. When were you assigned to the command at New Orleans? Captain WHITTLE. I cant tell exactly. It can be ascertained by reference to the office near by. The files were accordingly examined, when it appeared that the date of the captains assumption of the command was March 29, 1862. Mr. SEMMES. What were the duties assigned to you? Captain WHITTLE. I commanded the naval station at New Orleans. I will here explain to the committee what, perhaps, not being acquainted with professional matters appertaining to the Navy Depart- ment, they may not understand without explanation. As we of the Navy understand it, the command of a station does not involve the command of anything afloat that does not appertain to repairs. Where an officer is in command of a station, he commands nothing more. Mr. SEMMES. What officer did you find in command of the station when you went there? Captain WHITTLE. Commander J. K. Mitchell was temporarily in charge, and was ordered to transfer the command to me. Mr. SEMMES. To what duty was he assigned after you took corn- mnand? Captain WHITTLE.. He was assigned to the office of executive officer to me until other duties were assigned to him by me. Mr. SEMMES. Will you state what was the condition of things in regard to the naval affairs at New Orleans when you took command of the naval station at that place? Captain WHITTLE. It would be hard to tell that. Everything was progressing as well as might be expected. We labored under great embarrassment, owing to the difficulty of procuring labor and other necessary requirements which, in the practice of our profession, we had no difficulty in procuring heretofore. The progress of things there, however, was as favorable as could, under the circumstances, be expected. Mr. SEMMES. Had you any charge or control over the iWii8Si88ippi or Loui8iana? Captain WHITTLE. In regard to .the ]Jili8sissippi, it was distinctly understood by me that I had no control except so far as to assist in any way I could in the progress of the work on her. But I exercised no control over the building of her. I would say here that a question arose in New Orleans between a committee called the committee of safety and the builders of that vesselthe Messrs. Tiftas to the propriety of launching her, thd committee requiring that she should be launched and the Messrs. Tift being opposed to it. The matter was referred to me by the committee, but under an impression which I then entertained, and now entertain, that 11 had no jurisdiction in the matter, I declined to interfere. Mr. SEMMES. And the Messrs. Tift refused to launch her? Captain WHITTLE. Yes, sir Page 348 348 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. Mr. SEMMES. And you declined to interfere? Captain WHITTLE. Yes, sir; for the reason I have just stated. Mr. SEMMES. Can you state the time when the committee called upon you to interfere? Captain WH1TTLE. Not exactly. Perhaps if 1 had my papers here I could. Mr. SEMMES. Perhaps I could assist you in determining the date. Were the enemy at that time attacking Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip? Captain WHITTLE. I dont believe they were. Mr. SEMMES. Have you your papers with you? Captain WHITTLE. No, sir; they are now in the country, and [I] can not well conveniently get them. I will hereafter furnish the commit- tee with a copy of the letter of the committee of safety to me and of my reply. Mr. BAImKSDALE had previously suggested the following question, and it was again put by Mr. Semmes: Was it proper to launch the vessel when the committee of safety called upon the Messrs. Tift to do so? Captain WHITTLE. A good deal of local knowledge, such as I must say 1 do not possess, would be necessary in order to enable one to form an opinion. I would say in regard to forwarding the work of the ves- sel that it is decidedly my opinion that the work upon her would not be forwarded by launching her. This opinion would be based on the presumption that she was safe where she was and that the ground under her was good. In declining to interfere, however, I was governed by no other consideration than that the whole matter was left with the builders and not with me. I felt that I was acting properly in declin- ing to interfere, having seen the contract between the Navy Depart- ment and the Messrs. Tift. Mr. SEMMES. Then, I understand you to say that your personal opinion would be based upon a knowledge of local circumstances appertaining to the character of the ground and the condition of the water? Captain WHITTLE. Exactly; and that I think was the ground taken by the committee. They took two groundsfirst, the probability of the sinking of the earth, and secondly, that her completion would be forwarded by her being launched. Mr. SEMMES. What was the condition of the river at that time? Captain WHITTLE. It was rather high. Mr. SEMMES. How long do you think it was after the committee insisted upon her being launched that she was actually launched? Captain WHITTLE. I can not tell that distinctly. It was not very long. I will state that the time when, in my judgment, it was proper the vessel should be in the water was dictated more by the operations of the enemy below than any local considerations. When I subse- quently addressed a note to the Messrs. Tift, stating that in my opinion that vessel should be put in the water, they proceeded at once to launch her. Mr. SEMMES. Did not Captain Mitchell concur with you in that opinion? Captain WHITTLE. I dont know that. Mr. SEMMES. I will state that the Messrs. Tift wrote a letter to the Department, stating that after a conference with you and Captain Mitchell they decided to launch the vessel Page 349 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 349 Captain WHITTLE. I do not know what might be regarded as a con- ference, but I do know that I addressed a letter to the Messrs. Tift on the subject, and that immediately upon its receipt they proceeded to launch the vessel. Captain Mitchell and myself might have had a con- ference upon the subject some time afterwards. I was of opinion, however, that the Messrs. Tift were influenced in the course they took by the letter which I addressed to them. Mr. SEMMEs. When she was actually launched were not the enemy attacking the forts below? Captain WHITTLE. 1 am not positive of that. They were either attacking them or the attack was momentarily expected. Mr. SEMMES. It was that motive that induced you to write the letter to the Messrs. Tift which you did write. Captain WHITTLE. Entirely. Mr. SEMMES. What was your object in ordering the vessel to be launched? Captain WHITTLE. My object was, in case of misfortune below, to get her up the river, or destroy her on the water, so as to avoid dam- age on land from the tire. Mr. SEMMES. Did you take any control of the illi88iss.ipyi from the time she was launched up to the time of her destruction? Captain WHITTLE. I took no control of her from the time she was launched until the enemy got as far as the Quarantine. I received a telegraphic dispatch from the operator at the Quarantine Station, at about forty minutes past 5 on the morning of the 24th of April, informing me that some of the enemys vessels had passed up there, and then, and not before, I assumed control of the iJIissis8ippi. Mr. SEMMES. Had you received any order from the Navy Depart- ment, prior to the 24th of April, as to what you should do with the vessel in case the enemy passed the forts? Captain WHITTLE. None; decidedly not. Mr. SEMMEs. Did you receive any on that day? Captain WHITTLE. None whatever, that I am aware of. 1 am cer- tain I received none. Mr. SEMMEs. Did you telegraph to the Department on that day the news of the passage of Quarantine Station by the enemys vessels? Captain WHITTLE. I dont know that I did; but I think it extremely probable that I did so. Mr. SEMMEs. To refresh your memory, I would state that there is a dispatch on tile here, addressed by the Navy Department to you, on the 24th of April, instructing you to take the vessel up the river. I would like to know when you received that dispatch. Captain WHITTLE. I will remark that I have preserved copies of the several papers addressed by the Navy Department to me. They are boxed up carefully, and some of them are now here. More of them are on the way here. Mr. SEMMEs here read a copy of the dispatch just referred to, instructing Captain Whittle to send the iWi88isSippi up the rivcr to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. Captain WHITTLE. 1 never received that dispatch. I would say that were you in my position common sense would have dictated to you what was necessary to be done under the circumstances. Indeed, I could not have received that dispatch in sufficient time on that day to have acted upon it, and it therefore could not have controlled my action Page 350 350 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. The Chairman (Mr. CLAY). What time does it take to receive a tel- egraphic dispatch from here? Captain WHITTLE. I do not know that. it was impossible for me to have received that dispatch as early as forty minutes past 5 in the morning. Mr. SEMME5. When you heard of the enemys passing the Quaran- tine ground you took charge of the vessel, you say? Captain WHITTLE. Yes, sir. Mr. SEMMEs. What did you do then? Captain WHITTLE. I sent for Captain Sinclair, who was ordered to take command of the vessel by the Navy Department, and ordered him to use every exertion in his power to get her up the river, and failing to do so to destroy her, so as to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. This I did on my own account altogether, and without regard to telegraphs from here or anywhere else. I will say that I took no immediate interest in the matter, having intrusted the man- agement of the whole affair to a reliable officer. Mr. SEMMES. When you gave the order what was the condition of things in iNew Orleans? Captain WHITTLE. There was great excitement prevailing. I had an interview with the governor of Louisiana, who was occupying a room in the same hotel with me. The moment I received the dispatch froni the operator at Quarantine Station I sent a messenger with it to the governors room with a request that it be returned after it was read. After reading it he sent me word that he would see me as soon as possible. I must say that I did not fail to anticipate the possibility of the enemys passing the forts, and I therefore took the precaution of preparing a steamer to take away everything in my own depart- ment, should that contingency occur. I stated to the subtreasurer that I intended, in the contingency of the enemys passing the forts, to provide for removing the treasure. Mr. SEMMES. When did you commence making engagements for the vessel for this purpose? Captain WHITTLE. It was no engagement. The vessel belonged to the Confederacy. Mr. SEMMES. The vessel was the St. Philip, formerly the Star of the West, was she not? Captain WHITTLE. Yes, sir; I had a conversation with the sub- treasurer, who called upon me some time before the passage of the forts by the enemy, and I stated to him my intention to provide for the removal of the public property under my charge, in the contin- gency to which I have just referred, and offered to remove the treasure. * * * * * * * MONDAY, September 15, 1862. Captain ARTHUR SD~CLAIR was next sworn. The CHAIR. You had control of the ililississippi at New Orleans? Captain SINCLAIR. I had the command of her. The ChAIR. When did you reach New Orleans? Captain SINCLAIR. On the 3d of last April. The CHAIR. What was the progress of the work on her after you reached There? Captain SINCLAIR. They were getting on with her very rapidly. My stay there was to the 25th of April Page 351 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 351 The CHAIR. Did they employ all the hands that could be procured upon her? Captain SINCLAIR. Yes, sir; quite as many as could be engaged upon her to advantage. The CHAIR. There is a limit beyond which laborers would be in each others way? Captain SINCLAIR. Yes, sir. The CHAIR. Were the required materials of wood and iron on hand? Captain SINCLAIR. There was a great deal on hand; but some of the iron had not arrived when I left there. The CHAIR. Were all necessary and proper efforts made to procure the materials for that vessel? Captain SINCLAIR. As far as my observations went while I was there everything went on very rapidly. Indeed, I thought the greatest desire was evinced by everybody employed upon her to get her ready with all possible dispatch. The CHAIR. Was any desire expressed by the vigilance committee or any citizen of New Orleans to have her launched sooner than she was? Captain SINCLAIR. There was. The CHAIR. Was this wish complied with? Captain SINCLAIR. No, sir. It was deemed advisable to leave her on the stocks until she got her propellers and shafts on board. To have gotten her in the water before that would, in my opinion, have very much retarded her completion. When, however, it was expected the enemy would pass the forts, we then advised her to be launched. The CHAIR. Why did you then advise it? Captain SINCLAIR. Because 1 thought the only chance of keeping her out of the hands of the enemy was to have her in the water, so that she might be carried up the river, if possible, or destroyed in case of a failure to take her up. The CHAIR. Were efforts made to get her up? Captain SINCLAIR. Yes, sir. The CHAIR. What effort? Captain SINCLAIR. On the morning of the 24th, I employed, through the Messrs. Tift, the only two steamers then availablethe St. Charles and the Peytonato come immediately to the ship and endeavor to get her up the river. They did not come, however, until a late hour. During that day I was employed getting everything I could on board the ship, with a view to finishing her up the river, if possible. The steamers came about 8 oclock at night, and made as an excuse for their failure to come earlier the want of engineers and hands. There was a great deal of confusion in the city at the time. I furnished the steamers with hands and an engineer, and after some difficulty we started. But we found it impossible to do anything with the vessel on account of the strong current. There was a freshet at the time, and this rendered the current much stronger than usual. We tugged at her the whole of that night unsuccessfully, for, instead of making any headway, we lost ground considerably. Before 4 oclock the fol- lowing morning Colonel Beggs, one of the vigilance committee, came on board and offered me assistance in the shape of additional steam power, which he said would be ready at 4 oclock, and which I willingly accepted; but they never came. I then made fast the vessel and went up to the city myself in the Peytona for the purpose of getting addi- tional steam power. I left an officer on board, Lieutenant Waddell Page 352 352 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. and the naval constructor, Pierce, with orders if the enemy hove in sight during my absence, not to wait for me but to fire the ship. I went to the city and endeavored to get additional steam power. I found on getting there that the crews of the vessels had left them. The captains of some of them informed me that they went to look after their own private concerns. While there I saw the enemy com- ing up, and then 1 regarded the case as hopeless. I started back to the Peytona for the purpose of returning to the ship and setting her on fire. As I got round the point I saw the flame issuing from her and was satisfied that all was right. This is the state of things as they transpired that morning. I saw it was impossible to get the ship up, and I fired her according to my orders from Captain Whittle, to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. The CHAIR. Had you any orders in regard to the disposition to be made of that vessel? Captain SINCLAIR. No, sir. Captain Whittle sent for me on the morning of the 24th, and stated to me that the enemy was coming. He asked me what was to be done? I said, try and get her up the river, and in case it was found impossible to do so, to burn her. I am of the opinion that if we had gone up the river we would have been captured. We could not possibly get her up fast enough to take her out of the enemys way. They knew all about her. They came up to the ship before that and saw that she was in a fair way of being destroyed, and then returned. They would, I am satisfied, have fob lowed her up the river had we gone there; and before we could have cast the hawsers they would have captured her; nor would it be [have] been possible for us to have fired her in time. The CHAIR. Why did you delay removing the vessel until the 24th? Captain SINCLAIR. There was no special cause to remove her before then. We were going on rapidly with the work, and to have taken the ship away would have retarded the work a great deal. We were not aware that the enemy were coming as soon as they did come, and we deemed it best to keep her as she was and try, if possible, and finish her before the enemy would advance upon us. The CHAIR. Could the work have been prosecuted as rapidly any- where else? Captain SINCLAIR. No, sir; there was no place of safety within 800 miles of New Orleans. I allude to Memphis. The CHAIR. What was the draft of the vessel? Captain SINCLAIR. She would have drawn about 14 feet. I think her draft when I left her was about 12 or 12~ feet. She had no guns and no ammunition of any sort. Her guns had arrived there, but they had been taken for the Loui8iana, and another battery was ordered for her and was on its way. 1 met it at Jackson, after the ship was burned, when on my way to Richmond. The Messrs. Tift were under the impression that they would have finished the ship in the course of two or three weeks; but my opinion was, and is now, that she could not have been completed sooner than the 1st of July, if then. She had the main propeller in, and the other two were lying on the wharf. I endeavored to get them on board, but I found it impossible to do so. The enemy was so close up that I had to leave them behind. I did transfer a great deal of the materials to the steamer that remained by her and took it up to Yicksburg. The ship had no iron upQn he Page 353 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUABBOIN. 353 shield, as it is called. Some of the iron had been laid upon the shield, but not bolted down. Her rudder was not on; her ports were not completed, and I am satisfied she could not have been completed sooner than the 1st of July. She was a formidable ship, the finest of the sort I ever saw in my life; she would, in my opinion, not only have cleared the river of the enemys vessels, but have raised the blockade of every port in the South. Mr. DUPRE. When did you take control over the ihli88is8iypi? Captain SINCLAIR. On the 3d day of April. Mr. DUPRE. Did I understand you to say that you had no control of the ship from that time otherwise than being appointed to com- mand her? Captain SINCLAIR. I was superintending her, but not fully in com- mand. Mr. DUPRE. I want to know when you took upon yourself to give your orders for her removal or destruction. Captain SINCLAIR. I merely reported for command; she was entirely under the control of the contractors. I received orders from the com- mander of the station, Captain Whittle, to save her if possible, and in case of a failure to do so to destroy her, so as to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. Mr. DUPRE. When she was fastened to the St. Charie8 and Peytona, did you succeed in bringing her upstream? Captain SINCLAIR. No, sir; on the contrary, I lost ground. Mr. DUPRE. Did you not, after she drifted down, bring her upstream to the first position she occupied? Captain SINCLAIR. We shoved her out of the current, and in that way succeeded in bringing her up to near where she was first placed. Mr. DUPRE. On the night of the 24th, when she drifted down and you succeeded in bringing her up, did you not receive an order from Captain Whittle to burn her up? Captain SINCLAIR. Captain Whittle came on board, and I explained to him why I could not bring her up. I stated to him all the difficul- ties in the way, and he remarked: Save her if you can, but do not let her fall intp the hands of the enemy. Mr. DUPRE. I want to ask you whether, when you were going up with the boat after you drifted down, you were not induced to desist from the effort to take her up by reason of a rumor which reached you that the gunboats of the enemy were within a few miles of the city? Captain SINCLAIR. No, sir; there was such a rumor, but I took her there because I saw it was utterly impossible to take her up with the force at my command. * * * * * * * Extract from proceedings of an Army court of enquiry relative to the fall of New Orleans.* RICHMOND, VA., June 4, 186311 a. m. Lieutenant W. UWATHMEY, Confederate States Navy, was next sworn and examined as a witness. xv xvo~ iS 2~ *The substance of the proceedings of this army court is published in Army War Records, Series I, volume 6, pp. 555655.CoMPILER Page 354 354 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. By Major-General M. LOVELL: Question. Where and on what duty were you immediately before the fall of New Orleans? Answer. I was the lieutenant commanding the Confederate States gunboat Carort- delet, in Lake Pontchartrain at that time. Question. What, if any, assistance did you receive from General Lovell in fitting out the Carondelet for service? Answer. Her armament was furnished chiefly by the Army; five out of seven guns came from that source; also thirty men, as a part of her crew were supplied from Fort Pike. Cross-examination by the JUDGE-ADVOCATE: Question. Did you see General Lovell after the passage of the forts and during the evacuation of New Orleans? If so, did he seem cool and collected, and competent for the duties devolved upon him by the disaster to the city? Answer. I saw him the evening after the enemys fleet had passed the forts; he seemed to me very cool and collected; decidedly competent for the work on hand. Reports of Messrs. Tift regarding the C. S. S. Mississippi, under construction. NEW ORLEANS, October 9, 1861. DEAR SIR: After a full investigation of the subject, in consultation with engineers and builders, we find that we can not get either the grate surface or the fire surface necessary to make sufficient steam for our engines from one set of boilers ranged side by side across the vessel. The largest size boiler we can get is 42 inches in diameter, with two flues. We find it necessary to put in two sets of eight boilers each 42 inches in diameter, 30 feet long, and to lengthen the middle sectiou of the vessel 20 feet. This change will give the necessary steam to work the engines to their full capacity by hard firing; which will be about 1,500 horsepower. To effect this result, the expense will be increased by the addition of boilers, and furnaces, and uiaterials, and work for the lengthening the vessel. But the efficiency of the vessel will be greatly increased by her greater steaming power, and she can carry two more heavy guns. The above arrangement of the boilers will allow a line of narrow coal bunkers (say 5 feet wide) on each side of the boilers. The annexed diagram will give you an idea of the arrangement. Coal & tq/(ers. 66~feet 85 feet C. iS. S. Mississippi. We have been much disappointed for want of a first-rate designer, engineer, and practical machinist, after proving the incapacity of /0 30 5 30 /0 35 feet. 66 feet 25? fee Page 355 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 355 two, who we believe would have rendered the machinery useless and the whole scheme abortive, and doing our best to get others who were competent and reliable, we finally employed Mr. E. M. Ivens, the agent here for the Tredegar Works, and carrying on here, to take charge of the whole matter of machinery, design, draw, super- intend the building and putting up complete in the vessel, all the machinery and its appurtenances and connections. He is also to aid in the designing, drawing, and superintendence of all ironwork, rud- der, gratings, ports, etc., for which service we agree to give him $2,000, and allow him to employ such assistant draftsmen as may be necessary to facilitate the work. He is now at work on the drawings with two assistants, and we have th~ relief and satisfaction of knowing that what he does will be done right. We hope you will approve of what we have done. The foun- dations for the vessel are nearly completed. We are receiving some timber. We have enough engaged, and it will come in rapidly next week. The sawmill is nearly ready for operation. Workshops and the blacksmiths shop going up. The shipyard is fenced in, and allis going forward as well as could be expected. W~ have purchased most of the bolt iron that will be necessary at 44- for large and 5 to 54- for small English refined. Some common 34- cents. These articles raised in price half a cent the day after we bought them. We will make a report of financial transactions to Saturday night of this week, and send by next Mondays mail. Commodore Hollins left with the gunboats for the lower part of the river yesterday. The ram lJiIiana8sas left to join him to-day. Something will be done to-night, we think, in the way of an attack on the enemys fleet. Very respectfully, your obedient servants, N. & A. F. TIFT. Hon. S. R. MALLORY, Richmond, W. We sent you the following dispatch to-day: We must build the ship 20 feet longer to get space for the two lengths of boilers which are necessary to give sufficient fire surface. Pierce agrees with us that the change is indispensable. Please approve. N. & A. F. TIFT. NEW ORLEANS, November 4, 1861. SIR: We submit a rough diagram, showing the cover face of the vessel we are building, at an angle of 30~ with the horizon, and request you to advise us by telegraph if we may build it on that angle, or at 36~, as contemplated by you before we left Richmond. We have a section of it built of boards at the yard by Mr. Pierce, at 30~, with a IX-inch gun in position through the port, which shows the m& zzle of the gun 19 inches beyond the port sill, 21 inches on a vertical line from the iron cover, and the distance from this point to the lower edge or angle of the cover face is 3 feet, 5 inches. General Lovell and Commodore Hollins, whom we invited to cx- amine it, expressed their decided opinion in favor of the 3Q0 angle, and that the projection of the muzzle of the gun beyond the port sill ~ras sufficient, and that the angular projection to the lower edge of the cover face, 3 feet 5 inches from the point marked (on the diagram) on the cover, in a vertical line with the muzzle, is not objectionable Page 356 356 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. We, however, submit the question to you for your decision, and beg that you will answer as early as possible by telegraph, as we desire to get out the timber for that part of the structure at once. We have just received your telegram, stating that we shall have to use railroad iron; secure it at once. This we will do immediately, but we had just received a letter from Engineer Williamson, stating that the Tredegar Works was preparing to roll 3-inch plates and that he thought we would be able to get our casing from them. Such would be infinitely preferable to railroad iron, and if it is possible to get it within any reasonable time, it would be for your advantage to wait for it. Everything is going on as well as we could expect, and we hope soon to make an agreeable report. We will send the drawing for the center shaft to-morrow by mail. Could not get it ready before. Your obedient servants, N. & A. F. TIFT. Hon. S. R. MALLORY, Secretar~j of the Navy. Operations of the ililortar Illotilla, under Commander Porter, U S. Navy, April 18 to 30, 1862, including liomhardment of Forts Jack- son and St. Philip, April 18 to 24, and their surrender, April 28, 1862. Report of Commander Porter, U. S. Navy, regarding the bombardment. U. S. S. HARRIET LANE, ililississippi River, April 25, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that Flag-Officer Farragut, with the fleet, passed Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the morning of the 24th, and should be by this time in New Orleans, as he can meet with no obstacles such as he has already passed, the way being com- paratively open before him. C. S. S. Mississippi Page 357 WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. 357 We commenced the bombardment of Fort Jackson on the 18th, and continued it without intermission until the squadron made prepara- tions to move. The squadron was formed in three lines to pass the forts, Captain Baileys division, composed of the following vessels, leading to the attack of Fort St. Philip: cayaga, Pensacola, JJt~ssis ~ Onesda, lfarnna, Katakdin, Ii7ineo, Wissakickon; Flag-Officer Farragut, leading the following vessels, second line: Hanford, Brook- lyn, Richmond; and Commander Bell, leading third division, com- posed [of the] following vessels: Sciota, Iroquois, Pinola, Winona, Itasca, ]i(ennebec. The steamers belonging to the Mortar Flotilla, one of them towing the Portsmouth, were to enfilade the water battery commanding the approaches. Mortar steamers: Harriet lane, Westfield, Owasco, C~l~fton, iJfiami; the Jackson towing the Portsmouth. The vessels were rather lat~ in getting under way and into line, and did not get fairly started until 3:30 a. in., and the unusual bustle apprised the garrison that something was going on. In one hour and ten minutes after the vessels weighed anchor they had passed the forts under a most terrific fire, which they returned with interest. The mortar fleet rained down shells on Fort Jackson to try and keep the men from the guns while the steamers of the mortar fleet poured in shrapnel upon the water battery commanding the approach, at a short distance, keeping them comparatively quiet. When the last vessel of ours could be seen amidst the fire and smoke to pass the battery, signal was made to the mortars to cease firing, and the flotilla steamers were directed to retire from a contest that would soon become very unequal. It was now daylight, and the fleet having passed along, the ~forts began to devote their attention to our little squadron of steamers, the Portsmouth, which was being towed up, and three of the gunboats which failed to pass through. These latter became entangled in some wrecks and chains placed in the river to obstruct, and which were only partially removed. One of these vessels, the IYinona, got through as far as Fort St. Philip, but having all the guns of the fort bearing on her, she sensibly retired. The Itasca was fairly riddled, and had a shot through her boiler. The Kennebec escaped unhurt. I am disposed to think that our squadron received but little damage, considering the unequal contest, 142 guns on board ship opposed to 100 on shore, placed in a most commanding position. For twenty minutes after the ships passed, the forts fired very feebly on the vessels that remained outside, so much so that the Portsmouth was enabled to drop with the current out of gunshot, though the shot fell pretty freely about her at last. I think the fire from the ships must have been very destructive to life. The last we saw of our vessels they were standing up the river. Some explosions took place which niade us feel rather uneasy, but which may have been the rebel gunboats. We could see that our squadron had not destroyed all the enemys vessels at the fort, for three or four of them were moving about in all directions, evident