Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/99

Rh wanna, Monongahela and Ossipee in succession, delivering his broadsides and receiving a heavy fire from each of the enemy's vessels. The Monongahela at this time rammed the Tennessee with slight effect. The Tennessee then passed under the stern of the Oneida, the last ship in the line, and delivered a raking fire. At this moment, 8:20 a. m., the ironclads which, by order, had delayed before the fort, opened fire on the Tennessee.

All of Farragut's vessels having passed the fort, the flagship and many others anchored five miles above Fort Morgan, and the men went to breakfast. Farragut's impression was that the Tennessee had gone under the guns of Fort Morgan, and that the fight was over for the time. But it was far otherwise. The indomitable Buchanan determined to attack the entire Federal fleet single-handed, and at 8:15 a. m. the fight was renewed. The Tennessee was beset, and for more than one hour she held out against their combined efforts. The Monongahela rammed her on the starboard side, and the Lackawanna on the port quarter. The Hartford attempted to do likewise, but partially failed, and all the ramming was without effect. In the meanwhile the other vessels were pouring their broadsides into her, and, the monitors coming into play, one of them, the Manhattan, fired a 15-inch shot, which broke through the port side of her shield. The Chickasaw took up a position at short range astern of her and held it with pertinacity. She fired no less than fifty-two 11-inch solid shot into her stern, cut away her steering gear, and seriously wounded Admiral Buchanan. Lieutenant Commanding Johnston, succeeding to the command, bravely defended the ship. In the mêlée the Lackawanna ran into the Hartford.

At 10 a. m. the Tennessee, surrounded by her enemies, with her steering gear gone, three port shutters jammed, her smokestack shot away, and steam run down so that she had barely steerage-way, surrendered. The loss in the Federal fleet in the whole engagement was 52 killed