Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/68

58 was sent down from New Orleans. . . . Her guns were not mounted, and the machinery of her two propellers was not put together. . . . The port-holes for the guns were so miserably constructed as simply to admit of the guns being run out, and were so small as not to admit of training laterally or in elevation. " The Louisiana was commanded by Commander Charles F. McIntosh. Her executive officer was John Wilkinson, and among the other lieutenants were William H. Ward, William C. Whittle, Jr., G. E. Shryock and R. Bowen, with Surgeon J. V. Graf ton and Engineer Wilson Youngblood. The Manassas was commanded by Lieut. A. F. Warley, with Lieut. Frank Harris as executive; the McRae by Lieut. Thomas B. Huger, with C. W. Read as executive; the Jackson by Lieut. Frank Renshaw, and the Governor Moore by Capt. Beverly Kennon, once of the old navy, but now in the Louisiana State navy.

The bombardment of Fort Jackson by Porter's mortar fleet commenced April 18th and was continued till the 24th. On the 226., General Duncan, in command of the forts, requested Commodore Mitchell to move the Louisiana farther down the river so that she might drive the mortar schooners off. The commodore declined, for the reasons that the Louisiana's machinery was not yet in working order, that the engineers hoped to have it ready in a day or two ; that the top of the Louisiana was unprotected, and if a shell dropped on it, it would pass through the bottom and inevitably sink the ship; and finally, on account of the small size of the ports, the guns could not be sufficiently elevated to reach the mortar fleet from the position General Duncan wished the Louisiana to take. The last reason was a sufficient one, if true; but there was some difference of opinion as to it, even among the navy officers. Be that as it may, Commodore Mitchell was supported by his officers in his determination not to move the ship; and from this time all cordiality between the forts and vessels ceased to exist.