hero tales from american history-第31节

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hem　at　each　discharge。　The　monitor　Tecumseh　alone　was　silent。　After　firing　the　first　two　shots；　her　commander；　Captain　Craven；　had　loaded　his　two　big　guns　with　steel　shot；　and；　thus　prepared；　reserved　himself　for　the　Confederate　ironclad；　which　he　had　set　his　heart　upon　taking　or　destroying　single…handed。　The　two　columns　of　monitors　and　the　wooden　ships　lashed　in　pairs　were　now　approaching　the　narrowest　part　of　the　channel；　where　the　torpedoes　lay　thickest；　and　the　guns　of　the　vessels　fairly　overbore　and　quelled　the　fire　from　the　fort。　All　was　well；　provided　only　the　two　columns　could　push　straight　on　without　hesitation；　but　just　at　this　moment　a　terrible　calamity　befell　the　leader　of　the　monitors。　The　Tecumseh；　standing　straight　for　the　Tennessee；　was　within　two　hundred　yards　of　her　foe；　when　a　torpedo　suddenly　exploded　beneath　her。　The　monitor　was　about　five　hundred　yards　from　the　Hartford；　and　from　the　maintop　Farragut；　looking　at　her；　saw　her　reel　violently　from　side　to　side；　lurch　heavily　over；　and　go　down　headforemost；　her　screw　revolving　wildly　in　the　air　as　she　disappeared。　Captain　Craven；　one　of　the　gentlest　and　bravest　of　men；　was　in　the　pilot…house　with　the　pilot　at　the　time。　As　she　sank；　both　rushed　to　the　narrow　door；　but　there　was　time　for　only　one　to　get　out。　Craven　was　ahead；　but　drew　to　one　side；　saying；　〃After　you；　pilot。〃　As　the　pilot　leaped　through；　the　water　rushed　in；　and　Craven　and　all　his　crew；　save　two　men；　settled　to　the　bottom　in　their　iron　coffin。

None　of　the　monitors　were　awed　or　daunted　by　the　fate　of　their　consort；　but　drew　steadily　onward。　In　the　bigger　monitors　the　captains；　like　the　crews；　had　remained　within　the　iron　walls；　but　on　the　two　light　crafts　the　commanders　had　found　themselves　so　harassed　by　their　cramped　quarters；　that　they　both　stayed　outside　on　the　deck。　As　these　two　steamed　steadily　ahead；　the　men　on　the　flagship　saw　Captain　Stevens；　of　the　Winnebago；　pacing　calmly；　from　turret　to　turret；　on　his　unwieldy　iron　craft；　under　the　full　fire　of　the　fort。　The　captain　of　the　Chickasaw；　Perkins；　was　the　youngest　commander　in　the　fleet；　and　as　he　passed　the　Hartford；　he　stood　on　top　of　the　turret；　waving　his　hat　and　dancing　about　in　wildest　excitement　and　delight。

But；　for　a　moment；　the　nerve　of　the　commander　of　the　Brooklyn　failed　him。　The　awful　fate　of　the　Tecumseh　and　the　sight　of　a　number　of　objects　in　the　channel　ahead；　which　seemed　to　be　torpedoes；　caused　him　to　hesitate。　He　stopped　his　ship；　and　then　backed　water；　making　sternway　to　the　Hartford；　so　as　to　stop　her　also。　It　was　the　crisis　of　the　fight　and　the　crisis　of　Farragut's　career。　The　column　was　halted　in　a　narrow　channel；　right　under　the　fire　of　the　forts。　A　few　moments'　delay　and　confusion；　and　the　golden　chance　would　have　been　past；　and　the　only　question　remaining　would　have　been　as　to　the　magnitude　of　the　disaster。　Ahead　lay　terrible　danger；　but　ahead　lay　also　triumph。　It　might　be　that　the　first　ship　to　go　through　would　be　sacrificed　to　the　torpedoes；　it　might　be　that　others　would　be　sacrificed；　but　go　through　the　fleet　must。　Farragut　signaled　to　the　Brooklyn　to　go　ahead；　but　she　still　hesitated。　Immediately；　the　admiral　himself　resolved　to　take　the　lead。　Backing　hard　he　got　clear　of　the　Brooklyn；　twisted　his　ship's　prow　short　round；　and　then；　going　ahead　fast；　he　dashed　close　under　the　Brooklyn's　stern；　straight　at　the　line　of　buoys　in　the　channel。　As　he　thus　went　by　the　Brooklyn；　a　warning　cry　came　from　her　that　there　were　torpedoes　ahead。　〃Damn　the　torpedoes！〃　shouted　the　admiral；　〃go　ahead；　full　speed；　and　the　Hartford　and　her　consort　steamed　forward。　As　they　passed　between　the　buoys；　the　cases　of　the　torpedoes　were　heard　knocking　against　the　bottom　of　the　ship；　but　for　some　reason　they　failed　to　explode；　and　the　Hartford　went　safely　through　the　gates　of　Mobile　Bay；　passing　the　forts。　Farragut's　last　and　hardest　battle　was　virtually　won。　After　a　delay　which　allowed　the　flagship　to　lead　nearly　a　mile；　the　Brooklyn　got　her　head　round；　and　came　in；　closely　followed　by　all　the　other　ships。　The　Tennessee　strove　to　interfere　with　the　wooden　craft　as　they　went　in；　but　they　passed；　exchanging　shots；　and　one　of　them　striving　to　ram　her；　but　inflicting　only　a　glancing　blow。　The　ship　on　the　fighting　side　of　the　rear　couple　had　been　completely　disabled　by　a　shot　through　her　boiler。

As　Farragut　got　into　the　bay　he　gave　orders　to　slip　the　gunboats；　which　were　lashed　to　each　of　the　Union　ships　of　war；　against　the　Confederate　gunboats；　one　of　which　he　had　already　disabled　by　his　fire；　so　that　she　was　run　ashore　and　burnt。　Jouett；　the　captain　of　the　Metacomet；　had　been　eagerly　waiting　this　order；　and　had　his　men　already　standing　at　the　hawsers；　hatchet　in　hand。　When　the　signal　for　the　gunboats　to　chase　was　hoisted；　the　order　to　Jouett　was　given　by　word　of　mouth；　and　as　his　hearty　〃Aye；　aye；　sir；〃　came　in　answer；　the　hatchets　fell；　the　hawsers　parted；　and　the　Metacomet　leaped　forward　in　pursuit。　A　thick　rainsquall　came　up；　and　rendered　it　impossible　for　the　rear　gunboats　to　know　whither　the　Confederate　flotilla　had　fled。　When　it　cleared　away；　the　watchers　on　the　fleet　saw　that　one　of　the　two　which　were　uninjured　had　slipped　off　to　Fort　Morgan；　while　the　other；　the　Selma；　was　under　the　guns　of　the　Metacomet；　and　was　promptly　carried　by　the　latter。

Meanwhile　the　ships　anchored　in　the　bay；　about　four　miles　from　Fort　Morgan；　and　the　crews　were　piped　to　breakfast；　but　almost　as　soon　as　it　was　begun；　the　lookouts　reported　that　the　great　Confederate　ironclad　was　steaming　down；　to　do　battle；　single…handed；　with　the　Union　fleet。　She　was　commanded　by　Buchanan；　a　very　gallant　and　able　officer；　who　had　been　on　the　Merrimac；　and　who　trusted　implicitly　in　his　invulnerable　sides；　his　heavy　rifle　guns；　and　his　formidable　iron　beak。　As　the　ram　came　on；　with　splendid　courage；　the　ships　got　under　way；　while　Farragut　sent　word　to　the　monitors　to　attack　the　Tennessee　at　once。　The　fleet　surgeon；　Palmer；　delivered　these　orders。　In　his　diary　he　writes：

〃I　came　to　the　Chickasaw；　happy　as　my　friend　Perkins　habitually　is；　I　thought　he　would　turn　a　somerset　with　joy；　when　I　told　him；　'The　admiral　wants　you　to　go　at　once　and　fight　the　Tennessee。'〃

At　the　same　time；　the　admiral　directed　the　wooden　vessels　to　charge　the　ram；　bow　on；　at　full　speed；　as　well　as　to　attack　her　with　their　guns。　The　monitors　were　very　slow；　and　the　wooden　vessels　began　the　attack。　The　first　to　reach　the　hostile　ironclad　was　the　Monongahela；　which　struck　her　square　amidships；　and　five　minutes　later　the　Lackawanna；　going　at　full　speed；　delivered　another　heavy　blow。　Both　the　Union　vessels　fired　such　guns　as　would　bear　as　they　swung　round；　but　the　shots　glanced　harmlessly　from　the　armor；　and　the　blows　of　the　ship　produced　no　serious　injury　to　the　ram；　although　their　own　stems　were　crushed　in　several　feet　above　and　below　the　water　line。　The　Hartford　then　struck　the　Tennessee；　which　met　her　bows　on。　The　two　antagonists　scraped　by；　their　port　sides　touching。　As　they　rasped　past；　the　Hartford's　guns　were　discharged　against　the　ram；　their　muzzles　only　half　a　dozen　feet　distant　from　her　iron…clad　sides；　but　the　shot　made　no　impression。　While　the　three　ships　were　circling　to　repeat　the　charge；　the　Lackawanna　ran　square　into　the　flagship；　cutting　the　vessel　down　to　within　two　feet　of　the　water。　For　a　moment　the　ship's　company　thought　the　vessel　sinking；　and　almost　as　one　man　they　cried：　〃Save　the　admiral！　get　the　admiral　on　board　the　Lackawanna。〃　But　Farragut；　leaping　actively　into　the　chains；　saw　that　the　ship　was　in　no　present　danger；　and　ordered　her　again　to　be　headed　for　the　Tennessee。　Meanwhile；　the　monitors　had　come　up；　and　the　battle　raged　between　them　and　the　great　ram；　Like　the　rest　of　the　Union　fleet；　they　carried　smooth…bores；　and　their　shot　could　not　break　through　her　iron　plates；　but　by　sustained　and　continuous　hammering；　her　frame　could　be　jarred　and　her　timbers　displaced。　Two　of　the　monitors　had　been　more　or　less　disabled　already；　but　the　third；　the　Chickasaw；　was　in　fine　trim；　and　Perkins　got　her　into　position　under　the　stern　of　the　Tennessee；　just　after　the　latter　was　struck　by　the　Hartford；　and　there　he　stuck　to　the　end；　never　over　fifty　yards　distant；　and　keeping　up　a　steady　rapping　of　11…inch　shot　upon　the　iron　walls；　which　they　could　not　penetrate；　but　which　they　racked　and　shattered。　The　Chickasaw　fired　fifty…two　times　at　her　antagonist；　shooting　away　the　exposed　rudder…chains　and　the　smokestack；　while　the　commander　of　the　ram；　Buchanan；　was　wounded　by　an　iron　splinter　which　broke　his　leg。　Under　the　hammering；　the　Tennessee　became　helpless。　She　could　not　be　steered；　and　was　unable　to　bring　a　gun　to　bear；　while　many　of　the　shutters　of　the　ports　were　jammed。　For　twenty　minutes　she　had　not　fired　a　shot。　The　wooden　vessels　were　again　bearing　down　to　ram　her；　and　she　hoisted　the　white　flag。

Thus　ended　the　battle　of　Mobile　Bay；　Farragut's　crowning　victory。　Less　than　three　hours　elapsed　from　the　time　that　Fort　Morgan　fired　its　first　gun　to　the　moment　when　the　Tennessee　hauled　down　her　flag。　Three　hundred　and　thirty…five　men　had　been　killed　or　wounded　in　the　fleet；　and　one　vessel；　the　Tecumseh；　had　gone　down；　but　the　Confederate　flotilla　was　destroyed；　the　bay　had　been　entered；