May 10, 1862
Off Fort Jackson, Mississippi River
Onhoard: Ship "City of New York" May 10th, 1862
My Dear Wife,
This afternoon I commence to write you a few more lines to let you know of my whereabouts and what I am doing & seeing, etc. As near as I can discover, today has been a qreat day with me as I have seen more in the act of war than probably I ever shall again. The Act of War, I said. It is the effect, I should have said.
We came up the River yesterday after I wrote you at Pilot Town, about 27 miles, and anchored as it qrew dark, within about 3 miles of Fort Jackson. This morning (Saturday) we got underway about 7 O'clock a.m. and run up to the Fort and anchored about 10 o'clock to let our steamer tug coal up for New Orleans. I was very glad for it afforded a fine opportunity for a visit at Fort Jackson which I improved to the full extent. I went on shore about 11 o'clock with a party of Officers. I do not know the number (I was lookinq to see what I could write, Lizzie). I will tell you all about it by the by. Be patient until you read the rest, etc. (you will please excuse me if in any place I make mistakes. Bell says be careful and not make them) as I have seen so much. I don't know where to commence or to tear off, I am afraid.
We left the Ship and rowed about 20 rods and came to a sort of a dock, they call it here. It was made of sand hogs and then there were iron shells not filled (shells such as they use in guns). They would not make very good picture frames unless you could get a Jeff Davis Original and put one of those shells in the center, right through the picture, and then I think it might sell well North (it would not here). The shells were partly covered with dirt & clay. We landed and made our course for the Fort straightfirst. I will describe the situation of the Fort and the River.
The River runs here North-West (as we go up) and is just about as wide as the River across from your dock to the Elm tree on the opposite side of the River. The bank is very blad and large vessels can go close in to the shore. The Fort is situated on the West side of the River (Fort Jackson) and the front is in line with the River, although there is a bend about a mile and a half below which makes the South end the front. Also, there are two fronts, East & South, which gives the whole River a sweep. The Fort it self I will attempt to describe, but will tell you more when I come home as the particulars is hard to describe. It is set on very low ground at this season of the year, it is below the level of the River. As the river is very high, abut one foot below. Now it is surrounded by a Lever, or dyke bank, about. 4 miles in circumfrence and about 4 or 5 feet high and 8 feet wide. That is to keep the water out. There is a ditch dug around the Fort about 2 rods wide and 16 feet deep filled all the time with water in case of a charge. There is a boat which takes all across that are allowed to go into the Fort.
The Fort is nearly square. The main body has a wing some 15 or 20 rods long running off to the South on the back of the Fort. It mounts 70 guns, 30 casement guns & 40 Barbett Guns. All are good size. There is but one Rifle Gun and that is a large one, 12d' Pounder Columbiade the largest gun I ever saw. The Fort is situated in a low swamp, soft sort of meadow, and yet trees & reeds & brushes grow where the water is not too deep. Descrip tion of the inside of the Fort after the Battle. I went from the dock, as I said before, and made straightway for the entrance of the Fort which is on the North side, or up the River side. The 26 Regiment, Massachusetts Vo. now have charge of the Fort. The Colonel is Col. Nones of Massachusetts, the former Col. of the 6th Reg't. Mass. Vol., the Regiment that was fired into at Baltimore (the same Col.) When the Rebellion started, the first Regiment that shed blood in the War of 1861 & 62. They were very glad to see us at the Fort and showed us all around, and the amosities which I will describe as near as possible.
As we went through the deep arch, or vale, underground, we passed in side the walls of the once Rebel stronghold as they fought at the mouth of the entrance. We met a 6-pounder brass cannon loaded, looking us right in the face. It looked like war as we went inside the wallsW There we beheld a solid mass of ruins in the center of the inside of the Fort - or more pro per, the Citidel, an enclosure inside the Fort made for Officers and men in case of an attempt to scale the walls. The port holes in the Citidel were only for muskets, not cannon. There was that inside, maintained once with a supposed Bomb Proof roof, all torn & bust to pieces. The inside was fin ished with wood. After the shells burst the roof off, they set fire to the woodwork and everything was burnt to ashes that would burn. We went among the ashes and could see plates and everything most used by Officers, all in one mess together. The walls were partly standing to the Citidel, but badly cracked. They looked so they were dangerous to be among. Next, we looked at the general view of the Fort inside,then went on the West side of the Citidel. A row of large, nice shade trees with the tops all cut off and lots of stumps of orange trees. They were cut off by the Rebels to clear up the Fort so as to get the range of their guns on the North side of the embankment. There was on one stump a large Pigeon Box with about a dozen pigeons in it (I guess they will stand fire). Next, we went up on the top, or where the Barbett Guns were mounted. There we saw fighting material on a large scale. There were 40 guns mounted (except one) and to each gun was a large guantity of cannon balls, cannister shot, grape shot and shell. Each gun was arranged (the ammunition by itself, packed up in nice order just as the Rebels left it. There has not been a gun fired since they left the Fort. The guns are just as they left them, all loaded, but 2 or 3 and sighted for our fleet. (I will give you a description of the surrender be-fore I get through - Irishman Style of description) I There was ammunition enough in sight beside the Magazine & Store Rooms to last them, I should say, six months and keep to work firing all the time. The most of it was the old Government stock which they had on hand at the time of the Seceeding of the Rebels. There was one gun dismounted by a shot from our fleet and one more injured a little by a piece of a shell.
Next, we went to examine where the shell from our fleet struck. The Major in command tells us that there were eight thousand shells thrown from our fleet and fifteen hundred of them struck inside the Fort, and three thousand struck inside the Lever, and you would thought so if you had only seen it. There was not a place 20 foot square hardly but what had been pierced by a shell (on the ground) as they came so far from 1 to 2 1/2 miles. They came near directly down and some were 3 & 4 in the same place. There were holes in the ground that as many could get in and they looked so they were turned out they were so smooth. Pieces of shell and iron brick and mortar, all kinds of rubbish, laying in all directions. There was one of the Rebel soldiers burned in one of the places where our shell made the first day and he was thrown out of the qround three times before they sur rended by our shell strikinq in the same place. The walls of the outside of the Fort were not injured to any amount, only a few dents (the Fort is made entirely of brick, no stone). After examining the guns, etc., we went to look at the quarters of the soldiers. There was everything just as they left it; bedding & clothing, etc., all lay on a platform with no roof. That was where they slept. After looking over the quarters, we then went into the Store Room and casement of the Fort. The Rebes left 360 barrels flour, 200 barrels salt beef, 100 barrels salt port and a large quantity of nice meat, and 5 brls New Orleans molasses, 6 brls nice sugar and about 100 bris of hard bread which was spoiled by lying so long. They have a nice bakery in the Fort and have fresh bread. They have a-pleanty of bread and molasses.
We went from the Company's department to the Ordiance or Ammunition De partment. There were 3 large rooms filled with shell and powder, together with one magazine which has not yet been opened. The shells were all loaded and ready to use. From the Ordiance Dept. we went to the Quartermasters Department where we found 2 boxes of clothing and a lot of cartridge boxes. The clothing was a regular nigger cloth (what we call it. North, thi8 cloth ing is the uniform of the C.S.T.). Their shirts were all made of very coarse shallis wool, the cloth of the uniform is made one thread white, one brown, colour pepper and salt. The buttons were the same material as ours with a Pelican instead of an Eagle in the center. (I dated my letter Mississippi. It should be Lousiana). The clothing was made and cut in Citizens style. I would brought home a suit if I could only have brought it. I had no way to brinq it in our trunks - was full. (They had no objections to our bring ing anything away we wanted). I have a number of things to bring to you from the Fort; pieces of shot and Rebel shot, etc., all I could bring as I want to bring you something from every place I stop at.
Next, we examined the guns on the wing of the Fort. They were not much troubled by our shot. After leaving the wing, we had one farewell look at the Ruins. Everything was strewn around the inside of the works such as board pieces of the fortification, old & new napsacks, shoes and all kinds of old clothing & some tinware and a little of everything that is used in a Fort. It had not been cleaned up at all. From there, we passed out at the entrance and went up the river to a large 2-story house. Much was corn pletely torn to pieces by our shell. It had been repaired so that 2 or 3 families lived in it (wives & children formerly belonging to the Rebel Army). It was formerly a MS hospital for the use of the Fort. From there we went up the River and clear around it through the swamp and woods (4 miles). There we found any quantity of ripe blackberries, larger & better than we get at the North. I think, oh, that you could only have been here to eat them with me. I had all I could eat and there was lots left (I thought if Bell was only here, wouldn't they go into the basket). In going around the lever, we found everything most that looked good. Everything looked so fresh and good. We saw aplenty of figs & oranges on the trees, but they were not ripe. I only wished they had been and you were here. We saw also a splendid variety of choice flowers which when I saw it reminded me of olden times when I use to come to B's Ferry and get a fine boeuque (I think you will remember Only wanted you here to arrange them - I could pick them. We also saw a large variety of snake, and large ones. You could hear a constant rattle of the Rattlesnake on the inner part of the Lever.
As we returned to the dock, I was about worn out with fatigue from the walk as I am not very strong. I had a hard pain in my head, but it left when I took a nap onboard. After I arrived, I took a good sleep and woke up fresh. Every afternoon I have a hard pain in my head which makes me feel rather down. I am in hopes today to get rid of it. Thus ended our trip at Fort Jackson.
Fort Phillip is directly on the oppoite side of the River mounting the same number of quns. Fort Phillip is not a brick or stone fort, but formed by an embankment thrown up and the guns mounted on the top of the embankment. They are all Barbett Guns, only one gun was injured there by our fleet. It was a Rifle Cannon, the only one they had in the fort. It was struck by a ball from our fleet, struck it about 2 feet from the mouth and broke it off. The description of the bombardment I will try and give you as near as pos sible. Probably you will get it all in the New York papers long before this. Our Fleet commenced Thursday morning at 3 o'clock (the date I cannot give you as I did not learn it), the Mortar Boats and the Gun Boats all at once,, that is the time they threw the large quantity of shell which I have men tioned before. It seems that our Fleet continued to throw shells all day and Thursday night. The Gun Boats started to go by the Fort (the Steam Gun Boats, 16 in number). They loaded every gun with grape & cannister shot and (by the way, there was a large chain across the River just about 30 rods below the Fort. Before the Fleet run up by the Fort, 2 Gun Boats went ahead and cut or broke the chain, then our boats started to go by) as they got opposite the Fort, they commenced a constant fire from the fleet on the Fort with Grape & Cannister which made a perfect shower and the Rebels got behind the walls as they could not work their guns on account of our fine shot. It was very dark and when the sun rose they saw 16 of our Gun Boats lying just above the Fort ready for New Orleans. The Gun Boats had no more difficulty except. with one Mortar Boat of the Rebels which they captured in a short time with the sinking of one of our boats. No lives lost,however, in the sinking of the Gun Boat as it was done by a shot.
Fort Jackson did not surrender until they had fought 7 days & 6 nights, more or less, but they finally surrendered on Sunday, the 26th, in the morn ing. They commenced fighting on Thursday and the fight lasted until one week from that day. They did not surrender until Sunday morning. However, our Fleet kept on and went to New Orleans and made a demand for the city which was surrendered according to the request. One of the men which was in Fort Jackson, a Rebel soldier, was living in the house, once a hospital which I described, told me all about it. I will tell you all I can remember of the acct. He first gave an account of himself as being a Northener He was an Irishman and formerly lived in New Haven. I questioned him some about New Haven and found he was posted all about the city. Told me the names of the streets, etc. He was a sailor when he came to New Orleans one year ago last fall in the Presidential Campaign of Lincoln. He left the vessel for em ployment, but could find none until the following March one year ago. Last March he said New Orleans was put under martial law. Every man was examined in the city. During the examination, he was asked if he had any business. If not, have you any money? If not, you must give bonds for keeping the peace of the Southern Confederacy and a Northener could not give bond. In case they could not, they must be lodged in jail or enlist. They offered good enducements to enlist and told them they would have only to stay 2 months. So, he enlisted one year ago last March, the 6th Louisiana Reg't., the 1st Louisiana Regiment for 3 years or during the war. He was sick of the Southern Confederacy.
There are 50 or 60 Rebel prisoners around the fort. The Government have hired them to work. They are mostly Northeners. He is hired by our govenment to oversee some work. He told me that the Rebel Officers of the fort were very hard on them. They would make them work 20 hours out of 24 and about one-half enough to eat. There were 600 in the fort after there had been fighting 7 days. He said the men (or soldiers) held a secret meet ing and made up their minds not to stay (this was 3 days before they surren dered). The General in command, General Duncan, told them that the Federals could not take that fort for he would set fire to the magazine first and blow it up. Thursday night, one week from the first firing, the 22nd of April, they held a secret meeting and decided to o or leave the fort. They spiked the guns in the rear of the fort so the Officers could not fire at them and then they started. The guard did not try to stop them. There was about 400 started. They got outside the entrance and 200 returned rather than to run the risk of getting across the ditch. The others got boards and made a walk and off they went on foot for New Orleans. About 80 miles they had only got when one of our Gun Boats stopped them and took them prisoners. They were willing to surrender. The rest stayed until the fort surrendered. Others that I saw told me the same story. The above is the acc't. the many gave me of the proceedings.
February 16, 2001
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