Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/146

 134 Southern Historical Society Papers.

were a corps and two divisions of Canby's army, stated at 33,000 men. But for the torpedoes Farragut's fleet would have greatly embarrassed the defense. But they could only use their guns of greatest range, because all of them who ventured close in were sunk. Six or seven armed vessels, besides several transports, were sunk during these operations. Our torpedoes were of rude construction. The best were beer casks charged with gunpowder and anchored two to three feet below the surface of the water by an iron chain to a mushroom anchor. Many fuses with sensi- tive primers were set around the kegs and as they rolled under a passing ship one or another primers would be discharged. They usually blew out a section of the bottom eight feet by ten. The ships sunk immediately. As the water was shoal, few of the people were killed on these ships. But all the other ships were profoundly impressed and kept well away from where these torpedoes were supposed to be awaiting them. Our losses throughout the operations were fifteen to thirty daily.

the attack at blakley.

Blakley, five miles above Spanish Fort, was under attack at the same time. It had a better line and was garrisoned by 2,600 men. After Spanish Fort was evacuated the enemy, greatly disheartened, attacked Blakley Sunday evening, April 9th, with his whole army, now 50,000 strong, and carried it about 5 P. M., just as Lee's army had surrendered at Appo- mattox. I could not have brought away the garrison of Blakley till after dark on the 9th, and the enemy had been so very cau- tious I was not anxious about waiting one day longer. Colonel Lockett was right in fixing the date for evacuation at Tuesday night, the nth of April. The reports of the enemy show that its earlier execution was the result of an accident. One of the general officers, while rectifying his line during the fierce bom- bardment on the evening of the 8th, occupied the extreme left of our parapet. This iDeing unintended, and the enemy not knowing the importance of the point gained, failed to press his advantage, while Gibson was enabled by the promptness of his