Extract from Harper's Weekly, Journal of Civilization, dated August 20, 1864:

 

          The most cheering news of the week is that which comes to us from the Gulf. On Friday, August 5, Admiral Farragut with his fleet attacked the defenses of Mobile and the rebel fleet in Mobile Bay. The report is from the rebel General Maury. He states that on the 5th Admiral Farragut with seventeen vessels—fourteen gun-boats and three Monitors—passed Fort Morgan. The Monitor Tecumseh was sunk by the guns of the fort. The rebel ram Tennessee surrendered after a desperate engagement, in which Admiral Buchanan lost his leg and was taken prisoner. Another rebel steamer, the Selma, was captured. Still another, the Gaines, was beached. The Federal fleet had approached the city. We give herewith a MAP showing Mobile Bay, the City, and its defenses. The numbers on the map indicate the depth of water in various parts of the channel.

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Extract from Harper's Weekly, Journal of Civilization, dated August 27, 1864

 

The following dispatch to Secretary Welles from Admiral Farragut, dated August 5, tells its own story in regard to the Admiral's late success in Mobile Bay:

 

" SIR,—I have the honor to report to the Department that this morning I entered Mobile Bay, passing between Forts Morgan and Gaines, and encountering the rebel ram Tennessee and gun-boats of the enemy, viz., Selma, Morgan, and Gaines. The attacking fleet was under way by 5.45 A.M., in the following order: The Brooklyn, with the Octoroon on her port side; Hartford, with the Metacomet; Richmond, with the Port Royal; Lackawanna, with the Seminole; Monongahela, with the Tecumseh; Ossipee, with the Itasco; and the Oneida, with the Galena. On the starboard of the fleet was the proper position of the Monitors or iron-clads. The wind was light from the southwest, and the sky cloudy, with very little sun. Fort Morgan opened upon no at ten minutes past 7 o'clock, and soon after this the action became lively. As we steamed up the main ship channel there was some difficulty ahead, and the Hartford passed on ahead of the Brooklyn. At 7:40 the Tecumseh was struck by a torpedo and sunk, going down very rapidly, and carrying down with her all the officers and crew, with the exception of the pilot and eight or ten men, who were saved by a boat that I sent from the Metacomet, which was alongside of me. The Hartford had passed the forts before 8 o'clock, and finding myself raked by the rebel gun-boats, I ordered the Metacomet to cast off and go in pursuit of them, one of which, the Selma, she succeeded in capturing. All the vessels had passed the forts by half past 8, but the rebel ram Tennessee was still apparently uninjured, in our rear. A signal was at once made to all the fleet to turn again and attack the ram, not only with guns, but with orders to run her down at full speed. The Monongahela was the first that struck her, and though she may have injured her badly, yet she did not succeed in disabling her. The Lackawanna also struck her, but ineffectually. The flag ship gave her a severe shock with her bow, and as she passed poured into her a whole port broadside of solid 9-inch shot and thirteen pounds of powder, at a distance of not more than twelve feet. The iron-clads were closing upon her, and the Hartford and the rest of the fleet were bearing down upon her, when, at 10 A.M., she surrendered. The rest of the rebel fleet, namely, the Morgan and Gaines, succeeded in getting back under the protection of Fort Morgan. This terminated the action of the day. Admiral Buchanan sent me his sword, being himself badly wounded with a compound fracture of the leg, which it is supposed will have to be amputated. Having had many of my own men wounded, and the surgeon of the Tennessee being very desirous to have Admiral Buchanan removed to the hospital, I sent a flag of truce to the commanding officer of Fort Morgan, Brigadier-General Richard L. Page, to say that if he would allow the wounded of the fleet, as well as their own, to be taken to Pensacola, where they could be better cared for than here, I would send out one of our vessels, provided she would be permitted to return, bringing back nothing she did not take out. General Page consented, and the Metacomet was dispatched."

          The casualties on board the Federal fleet amounted to 129 killed and wounded. Twenty officers and one hundred and seventy men were captured on the rebel ram Tennessee. On the Selma were taken ninety officers and men.

          On the morning of the 8th Fort Gaines surrendered unconditionally, with 56 commissioned officers, 818 enlisted men, its entire armament of 26 guns, and a year's provisions. Fort Powell was deserted by its garrison, leaving 18 guns behind them. General Granger, in connection with the fleet, then proceeded to the reduction of Fort Morgan.

          This success gives us command of Mobile Bay. It is expected that the capture of Fort Morgan must speedily follow. The rebels have by this defeat lost another vain. able port of entry, and have also lost their most valuable fleet.

          There are two entrances to the bay; one by the eastern projection of Dauphin Island, called the Swash Channel, which is employed by all ships of heavy tonnage; the other by the north of Dauphin Island, between it and Cedar Point, the southern most extension of the main land. The Swath Channel has about eighteen feet of water, and is between two and three miles broad. The island which divides these channels is narrow, and about ten miles long. The passage between the island and the main lend is not practicable for vessels of heavy draught. The approach of an attacking fleet must therefore he made by the Swash Channel. Mobile Point, a low and sandy continuation of the eastern main land, makes out for nearly twenty miles to the west of the main land, and has its termination fortified by Fort Morgan. Fort Mogan mounts one hundred and thirty-six guns. Fort Gaines, upon the other side of the channel, was commenced but not finished before the rebellion. It was designed to co-operate with Fort Morgan, and by a crows-fire render entrance impossible. It is said to mount fifty guns, which is the number for which it was intended. Between these two forts, a line of spile obstructions stretched under the guns of the forts, with a single narrow opening near Fort Morgan for the ingress and egress of blockade-runners. This opening was commanded by a number of heavy guns, trained upon it from the fort, and was constantly patrolled by picket boats.

          The other opening, known as Grant's Pass, which was employed by the line of steamers plying between Mobile and New Orleans, is dominated by Fort Powell on the southern most point of the western coast of the main land, which mounts twelve gnus; by a water battery of nine long range guns, and a series of earth-works, whose armament is not known. Sand Island, which lies a little beyond Fort Gaines, has been prepared with earth-works and armed with heavy guns. After the hay has been entered there is a long line of intrenchments on the seaward side of the city, and another line on its land front.

The whole southeastern front of the city, from the Alabama River to a little stream called Dog River, is strongly intrenched, with twelve independent earth-works of considerable size in their rear. These intrenchments, and one of the channels to the city, are, in their turn, strengthened by a battery of nine guns on Point Pintos, which rakes them. A battery of live guns at Garrow's Bend lends aid to that on Point Pintos, and sweeps the channel and its obstructions for three miles. Other earth works near the city are built to repulse an attack from Spring Hill, supposing our forces to march from Portersville, on the Mississippi Sound. These are said to be eighteen miles in length, and are mounted with ordnance of an inferior quality. A casemated battery has also been constructed in the marsh, which was built up with dirt and spiles for that purpose, and is armed with three 100-pound rifles, four 9-inch Dahlgren guns, and three ordinary 32"s. Near the Alabama River there is a redoubt to aid the marsh battery, which conmands a portion of the bay. Another redoubt mounting four guns is north of this or the railway. The railroad bridge at Three-mile Run is guarded by a redoubt. The great earth work, several miles in extent, which stretches from the shell road entirely around the city to the Alabama River, is several miles long, defended by breast-works and rifle-pits. A battery of six guns is erected between the shell road and Alabama River. The army which holds these various fortifications is under the command of Major-General Dabney S. Maury. The total number of guns mounted in the various defenses is 217. Just below the city a bar outside of shelling distance permits the passage only of vessels which draw but 8 or 10 feet of water.

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Extract from Harper's Weekly, Journal of Civilization, dated October 22, 1864.

 

FORT MORGAN.

 

          WE give on page 685 two illustrations relating to the late operations against Mobile. One of these represents General GRANGER'S army in the rear of Fort Morgan. We have already, in a previous number, illustrated the attack on Fort Morgan from the fleet. The attack from the land side was not less important in the reduction of that work. Besides cutting off the garrison from retreat, the investment by land had this advantage, viz., that a Bombardment from stationary batteries is always more successful than one from ships. This was proved in the bombardment of Fort Macon, North Carolina, in 1862. There, indeed, the fleet was compelled to retire, leaving the battle to those attacking from the shore batteries. Fort Morgan is on the extremity of Mobile Point, and was the strongest of the defensive works in the bay.

The other cut represents the attack on the ram Tennessee made by the Lackawanna. The Monongahela had already butted the ram for the second time when the Lackawanna, the pride of the fleet, came up. She struck the Tennessee a fair blow amidships, causing her to careen over so that the rebels feared she would take in water through her ports. " At this moment," says our correspondent, "a lee gun was fired from the ram (whether by accident or otherwise I do not know), and the steam rushed in volumes from her smoke stack. The cry went up that the traitors were sinking and had surrendered, but the words had hardly been spoken when her guns belched forth their fierce broadside, raking the Lackawanna most unmercifully, causing all who saw it to wince. In a few seconds the noble vessel swings broadside to broadside with the traitors. Captain MARCHAND, full of hope, delivers every gun into his antagonist ; their effect is scarcely perceptible against the iron sides. BUCHANAN can not reply gun for gun. The Lackawanna's men are too eager in this hoped for moment, and load and fire with superhuman energy. A minute more, and they are separated, the Lackawanna as buoyant and determined as before, though dead and dying lay upon her decks. The rebel still comes boldly on her way, making direct for the Admiral or one of the larger ships. The Admiral, as we all know, meets him only too gladly. Where was CRAVEN then ? Could he have had the Tecumseh alongside this craft she would have hauled down her colors in less than ten minutes. By this time young Captain PERKINS has worked his way close to the ram, steering by his propellers alone, as his steering gear had become disabled in the beginning of the fight. He fought his vessel nobly ; but the Tennessee's heavy plating made strong resistance against his 11-inch shot. He disabled the rebel's steering apparatus, and by continuous pounding made the splinters fly among the rebels to their confusion. One of his shots, striking the after port, killed one man, utterly demolishing him, and wounded BUCHANAN. Within a square of 10 feet he planted a dozen solid shot. The Manhattan fired six shots at the ram, one of which seems to have struck. The Lackawanna delivered the fairest ramming blow at the Tennessee. The affair was like a tournament, the fleet being spectators. The Monongahela rushed upon the Tennessee twice ; after her came the Lackawanna, Hartford, and Ossipee; and no doubt every vessel in the fleet would have punched her had not the noble PERKINS made them cry enough."