Knocking Fort Powell into Pie: In Mobile Bay with the U.S.S. John P. Jackson

While Admiral David Farragut steamed into legend in Mobile Bay, Surgeon Thomas S. Yard of the humble steamer U.S.S. John P. Jackson recorded his vessel’s contribution to reducing nearby Fort Powell which guarded the Mississippi Sound entrance to Mobile Bay.

“The Jackson, Conemaugh, Estella, Stockdale, and the tug Narcissus have all day been shelling Fort Powell,” he said. “They replied very briskly. We cannot get near enough to drive them from their guns but no doubt the admiral will send one of the monitors from inside to knock Fort Powell into pie and thus the communication between New Orleans and Mobile will be established without going by Fort Morgan. The monitor with double turrets came down to Fort Powell and, going very close to the fort, opened on it with their 11-inch guns. The fort returned the fire but only occasionally as their guns are all outside of the bombproof where they run for protection and it is only when they can catch the monitor turning around that they run out of their holes and fire, then run in again. Thus, it was kept up for an hour when the monitor steamed off, towing away with it a barge that the Rebs had tied up to the fort.”

Shortly after Dr. Yard penned those words, the Confederates blew up the magazine in Fort Powell and abandoned the fort. Dr. Yard’s multi-day description of one of the lesser-known aspects of the campaign in Mobile Bay first saw publication in subsequent issues of the Monmouth Democrat published in Freehold, New Jersey.

   

The ferryboat John P. Jackson was built in Brooklyn, New York in 1860 as a 750-ton sidewheel steamer intended for service in New York harbor. The U.S. Navy purchased her in November 1861 and converted her into a blockade vessel by arming the ferry with six guns including a 9-inch Dahlgren and a 6-inch Sawyer rifle. The John P. Jackson served under Admiral David Farragut's command for most of the war and took part in the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip near New Orleans in April 1862 and in the actions at Mobile Bay described by Surgeon Thomas S. Yard in the following letters. After the war, she was sold back into the civilian market and went into the freight service.  
 

U.S. Steamer Jackson, off Fort Powell, Alabama

August 3, 1864

          At last, the real attack upon the defenses of Mobile is about to be made. This morning, the gunboats Conemaugh, Jackson, Estella, and Stockdale conveyed the army that is to attack Fort Gaines up the Sound to their place of landing, which is to be upon Dauphin Island, about four miles west of Fort Gaines. General [Gordon] Granger is in command of this portion of the troops. They were conveyed here from New Orleans in the steamers Brown, Clyde, Battle, St. Charles, and Tamaulipas. They have plenty of heavy artillery and if they succeed in making a good landing tonight, their heavy siege guns will soon tell upon Fort Gaines. The general is quartered upon a very pretty little steamer called the Laura and appears to be very busy. The Laura is to be seen everywhere and as the army and navy are to work together in this affair there is no doubt about our success.

August 4, 1864

          About dark last night, the last of the troops were landed without any trouble from the enemy and commenced their march towards the fort at once. Between the troops and the fort there is a clump of trees and close underbrush. So, the Jackson was sent to shell the woods before the troops went in. We steamed up to within 800 yards of the woods and one with our 9-inch and long 32s. We kept up a continual firing until the troops reached the woods when we returned to our station.

The army was now two miles from Fort Gaines where they at once put themselves in position and are now awaiting a general attack which will be made tonight. No doubt Forts Morgan and Gaines will be carried by assault while the fleet at the same time goes into Mobile Bay. This afternoon, a Rebel steamer commenced shelling our troops from the inside of the bay. Then one of the monitors from Farragut’s fleet steamed up and drove her off. The admiral has with his wooden fleet the monitors Manhattan, Tecumseh, and two double-turreted monitors from Cairo. The ram Tennessee is lying under Fort Morgan intending, no doubt, to give us some hard knocks but our brave old admiral will serve them as he did Hollins at New Orleans. Long live Farragut, and we all pray he may not be hurt in this fight. The vessels in the Sound will not have any active part in the fight and we are waiting anxiously for tomorrow to see our old flag flying inside the bay and on the forts.

While Admiral Farragut led his fleet between Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan on the morning of August 5, 1864, the John P. Jackson and several other steamers bombarded Fort Powell at the northern tip of Dauphin Island. Fort Powell commanded Grant's Pass, an alternate route into Mobile Bay. Within days, both Forts Gaines and Morgan would be captured. 

August 5, 1864

          Victory! Victory! This morning at 6:30 the fleet commenced to move. First, the monitors Manhattan and Tecumseh, then the Hartford, Brooklyn, and the other two monitors and all the others following. At about 8 a.m., they opened upon them from the forts and batteries. The ships replied with their heavy broadsides and steamed steadily in, Admiral Farragut’s blue pennant proudly flying from the Hartford. The fight was very hard and severe judging from the great number of shells that exploded about our ships and the terrific noise of the bombardment.

          About 9 o’clock, the fleet was inside the bay and at once commenced a terrible but short fight with the formidable ironclad ram Tennessee. The ram fought valiantly and stubbornly for about half an hour, but the monitors were too much for her and she now lies under the stern of the Hartford with the stars and stripes flying over her. It is supposed that Admiral Frank Buchanan commanded the Tennessee. If so, Farragut will feel very happy at making the capture of so important a person.

The ram C.S.S. Tennessee went into the U.S. Navy's service after her dramatic capture in Mobile Bay and is photographed here late in the war. 

Our fleet is now lying at anchor inside the bay and all the light draught vessels have gone up to the city. The forts still hold out and fly the Rebel flag but they are completely hemmed in and can get no supplies and will have to surrender or starve. So, we may say that Mobile is captured; for the best part of the work is over and we have now only a few batteries between us and the city. The loss of life in the fleet is very small. The army as yet has not done anything, but they may tonight.

Hurrah for Farragut! Another victory! He always wins when he strikes. The Rebel gunboat Selma is just now coming to the fleet with the stars and stripes at her peek, captured no doubt by the light draughts up the bay. The Jackson, Conemaugh, Estella, Stockdale, and the tug Narcissus have all day been shelling Fort Powell. They replied very briskly. We cannot get near enough to drive them from their guns but no doubt the admiral will send one of the monitors from inside to knock Fort Powell into pie and thus the communication between New Orleans and Mobile will be established without going by Fort Morgan. I am sending you this in great haste and will write more by next mail.

Off Fort Powell, Alabama

August 5, 1864

          The monitor with double turrets came down to Fort Powell and, going very close to the fort, opened on it with their 11-inch guns. The fort returned the fire but only occasionally as their guns are all outside of the bombproof where they run for protection and it is only when they can catch the monitor turning around that they run out of their holes and fire, then run in again. Thus, it was kept up for an hour when the monitor steamed off, towing away with it a barge that the Rebs had tied up to the fort.

Admiral Frank Buchanan, C.S.N.

August 6, 1864

          Last night about 11 o’clock, the Rebs exploded the magazine in Fort Powell and left it in disgust, swimming to the mainland. Communication being open between us and the admiral, we learn that one of our best monitors was sunk by a torpedo and that the ram Tennessee was captured by our brave sailors boarding and taking her with cutlass and pistol. All the shots from our fleet did her very little damage and she is now ready to be turned against her builders as equal to any ironclad that we have got. [The garrison of Fort Powell consisted of about 140 men under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James M. Williams; they included two companies from the 21st Alabama and Culpepper’s South Carolina battery.]

The fight between the ram and her captors was no doubt one of the greatest naval engagements on record, but we have not heard all the particulars yet. The Hartford lost some 60 men and the Oneida around 40. We have not heard of the others, but the loss is greater than was at first supposed. The hospitals and buildings at Fort Gaines have all been fired this morning and we think the enemy is making preparations to blow up the place as they cannot hold it long. There is no doubt that the city of Mobile will surrender to Farragut in a few days. I hope now that the old Jackson will be ordered north for the admiral promised that he would send her when Mobile fell. Won’t it look odd to see this old ferryboat coming up the bay at New York and accidentally run into her old slip at Jersey City?

August 7, 1864

          Yesterday afternoon we all took a boat and visited the remains of Fort Powell. It is completely blown to pieces. Nearly all the guns are dismounted and the whole place is a complete wreck. Strange to say, the enemy did not spike a single gun and some very fine Brooke rifles fell into our hands. I heard today that Lieutenant Pierre Giraud was the first one to jump on the Tennessee’s deck and that Admiral Buchanan surrendered his sword to him. Farragut has given Giraud command of the ram.

               To read another account of the action at Mobile Bay, please check out "Damning the Torpedoes in Mobile Bay" which features a letter from Lieutenant Charles V. Gridley of the U.S.S. Oneida. Gridley later went on to fame as the hero of Manila Bay.

Sources:

Letters from Assistant Surgeon Thomas Stryker Yard, U.S.S. John P. Jackson, Monmouth Democrat (New Jersey), August 25, 1864, pg. 2; also, September 1, 1864, pg. 2

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