J. Gordon Taylor, letter to Kate, 6 August 1864, Folder 1, Box 1, Elias Riggs Monfort Letters, Duggan Library, Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana.

On board Str. "Laura"
Off Mobile Harbor Aug. 6 1864.

Dear Kate

My Journal grows so lengthy that I am compelled to get rid of another installment though so short a time has elapsed since I wrote. And in that short time much has taken place that will live in the history of our country. To give any idea of the scenes through which we have just passed is an impossibility. One may read of a shipwreck and all its horror with almost indifference, which if witnessed might for years haunt you by day and night. Not one but has read time and again of the war of artillery the crash of small arms, the charge, the victory, the retreat, and yet not one in a thousand has even the most remote conception of the reality. If therefore I give but a plain statement of events as they occurred, hard and dry do not suppose that they were witnessed with even seeming indifference. Now when thinking of it my heart pauses in its pulsations and the breath comes thick and short or comes not at all for minutes, minutes in which are compressed the experiences of years, age, of a life time. And yet the work is not finished. of So much of it as is done I send you the history. August 3d 1864. Scarcely had I sealed my letters home this afternoon, before the order was given

[p.2] for our boats to get under way. One after another they took up "the line of march" the "Laura" in the lead. Four gun boats had preceded us and in the distance we could see them already anchored in position to cover the landing of our tropps should the rebels offer opposition. By five o'clock we came to a halt and soon the beach was lined with "boys in blue." We have a negro regiment with us and to them belongs the credit of being first ashore and ready for marching orders. The landing was made upon Dauphin island, upon the extreme eastern end of which is Ft. Gaines, the possession of which we very much covet. Just as the sun went down the last of the troops were landed and set out for the woods which cover the island about two miles from us. As they advanced the Gun boats shelled the woods to drive out any rebels that might be lurking there. The evening ended as have they all since our arrival with a heavy storm of wind and rain. I stood upon the wheel house enjoying the breeze which covered me with salt spray and watched the waves roll past their tops a mass of foam now lit up by the flashes of lightning now lost in the blackness of darkness which followed, until the descending rain drove me below. Aug. 4 1864. Was awakened before daylight by the thumping and grinding of our boat and found her aground almost under the guns of Ft. Gaines where the General's venturesome spirit had brought us. However we got off without damage and when I again awoke we were safely tied up to the monitor "Chickasaw." About three miles to our right and front was Fort

[p.3] Morgan, two miles away towards our left Ft. Gaines, and cruising in the harbor carrying troops from Ft. Powell to Forts Morgan and Gaines were five or six rebel craft. About Eleven o'clock as two boats lay at the pier at Ft. Gaines, the Monitor Winnebago steamed out to get a shot at them, but they did not wait for a salute. Not to be entirely disappointed, she fired a few shot at the fort and received a few in return but "without damage to either side". During this performance, we sailed over to the island and landed the General who wished to examine the position of our troops. He was gone until late this evening and we took him on board from the north side of the island whither we had gone during his absence. He tells us the fleet makes their attack in the morning so while our boat is steaming back to a position where we can witness the affair I go to bed for a good sleep. Friday Aug 5/64. Rose at half past five and roused Maj. Beaham who joined us last night, having arrived from New Orleans by Steamer "Alliance." As soon as dressed we were on the Wheel house glasses in hand watching with many misgivings the fleet which was slowly steaming in towards Ft. Morgan. The design was to run past the Ft. capture the rebels vessels inside the harbor where the Forts would be cut off there from all hope of relief and we could wait patiently until empty stomachs compelled their surrender. It was a beautiful sight to see the vessels coming in decked as if for a holiday [strike out: decked] with flags innumerable. The order of battle

[p.4] was first the monitors, the double turreted "Winnebago" in the lead followed by the single turreted "Tecumseh" and "Manhattan" and then the double turreted "Chickasaw." After these came twelve steamer frigates locked two and two, the Admiral's flagship the "Hartford" with her consort taking the lead the others following, leaving between each pair a distance of about three hundred yards. The fleet in going in passed between us and the fort we laying about two miles off Ft. Morgan and about one from Ft. Gaines. The sun was hidden under clouds, the air was damp and heavy though very clear, the wind setting in directly towards Fort M. a circumstance which was vastly in our favor, as we afterwards saw. From our position we could see everything with the perfect distinctness even to the men moving about in the fort. At seven o'clock precisely Ft. Morgan opened with her heavy rifled guns and the fleet gave back as good as she got. Just within the harbor were drawn up the rebel ram Tennessee, the Gunboats Morgan, Gaines, and one other name unknown. The Tennessee is built after the "Merrimac" pattern and is by far the most formidable of the four though the Morgan proved to be no mean antagonist. Until the Monitors came abreast of the fort no attention was paid them all the rebel shots being directed upon the wooden vessels, but as soon as they came abreast, the storm burst. The "Tecumseh" was in the lead having passed by the "Winnebago". It was

[p.5] like the battle of the gods. The monitors fired slowly as they came up and the ring of their armor could be heard as the rebel shot struck and were shaken off harmlessly into the sea. It was a vast forge and the monitors were the anvils, And now the "Tecumseh" was inside the harbor heading for the "Tennessee", the "Winnebago" was breasting the storm, the "Manhattan" thundered with her fifteen inch guns, the "Chicasaw" received her baptism by fire, and the "Hartford" with her consort were delivering broadside after broadside into the fort at five hundred yards range. And the fort was wide awake. Shell after shell we saw plunge through the wooden vessels and vessel after vessel came up and added her roaring to the din already infernal. Clouds of smoke now hid the fort from view, but the shell still issued shrieking from out the fog and dropping shot beat the sea to foam. Now we turned again to the gallant little monitor "Tecumseh." The "Tennessee" was waiting grimly, her chimneys smoking like the bottomless pit. We were breathlessly awaiting the shock of the meeting of the representatives of rebel and loyal "iron clad genius" when under the bow of the "Tecumseh" the sea heaved up lifting her almost bodily out of the water and in less than five seconds she was bottom side up and had gone with her crew to her ocean grave. A torpedo had done what naught else could accomplish. And we, our hearts stopped still and a groan of agony arose from all, cheeks paled

[p.6] that fear had never blanched, and eyes were turned away as if to shut out the terrible vision. But the work had only commenced and we looked again. A little boat appeared bearing three or four men those who had by some means escaped, and they made their way to one of the tugs outside which were following the fleet to pick up those who might be thus cast adrift. I looked at my watch. It was eight o'clock. One hour was gone. With almost an agony of fear we turned to the fleet again. Blinded by the smoke which the wind drove directly into the gunmen's eyes the rebel fire was somewhat slackened aided too by the canister thrown from twelve pound howitzers which were stationed in the main top half way up the main mast of each vessel. Up above the smoke our boys could look down into the fort and deliver their fire from their gun in the air with murderous aim. In fifteen minutes from the sinking of the "Tecumseh" all the fleet was past the fort and within the harbor, apparently not seriously damaged. Now all the rebel boats save the "Tennessee" ran away and she was left alone to measure strength with fifteen vessels. Steaming down towards the "Hartford" which as soon as she entered the harbor had cast loose from her consort, she seemed determined to run her down but two broadsides checked her and put her on the retreat. Sending one monitor in pursuit the rest of

[p.7] the fleet put in towards fort Powell, but after exchanging a few shots hauled off to take breath. But they were not yet to rest in peace. At nine, with a spirit worthy of a better cause, the ram returned the monitor following, and without hesitation she dashed into the midst of the fleet and struck out right and left. It was conquer or die and for an hour she maintained the unequal contest. Three monitors, twelve vessels of war, with 100, 200 Pound Parrots, 8, 11 & 15 inch guns all concentrating their fire upon one vessel. With vigor she replied, coolly deliberately, exciting even our sympathy by the bravery with which she encountered such fearful odds. But the end came. At five minutes past ten she surrendered and was taken in tow by our boats. The gunboat Morgan steamed off under the guns of Ft. Morgan where for the present she is safe. The surrender of the ram virtually ended the days work. Though throughout the fight we had lain within range of the forts but we were not molested. Not a shot was fired at us. After the surrender of the ram a little two masted Steamer lying near us either having orders to make the attempt or anxious to equal the performance of her predecessors, undertook to run past the fort to the fleet inside. But in passing the fort

[p.8] she got aground and the rebels soon riddled her with shell. Eight or ten shots passed through her bursting her boilers, breaking her wheels & engine and damaging her generally. Her crew put off in boats to one of our tugs leaving her to her fate. Soon it was plain that the "Morgan" was coming out to try to tow her under the guns of the fort and as that would bring us if we kept our position too near our "erring bretheren" for safety we retreated. The rebel boat could not reach her however but sent out a yawl with a few men who set her on fire and she was totally destroyed. And this sums up our list of disasters. Of seventeen vessels, fifteen are now quietly at anchor inside the harbor and a dispatch from Adm. Admiral Farragut just recieved states his loss to be but 17 killed. God was with the right. The commander of the rebel fleet Adm. Buchanan had his leg shot off during the action and is a prisoner in our hands. Another dispatch says the rebels sent out and rescued two boat loads of men from the "Tecumseh" who were taken into fort Morgan thus reducing our loss there. We spent the afternoon in unloading heavy guns, ammunition, &c with which to operate on Ft. Gaines to take which is the General's share of the work. Maj. B and I were sent ashore [letter incomplete]