File:The hero of Manila; Dewey on the Mississippi and the Pacific (1899) (14576197137).jpg

Identifier: heroofmaniladewe00john (find matches)
Title: The hero of Manila; Dewey on the Mississippi and the Pacific
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Johnson, Rossiter, 1840-1931
Subjects: Dewey, George, 1837-1917 Manila Bay, Battle of, Philippines, 1898 United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Naval operations
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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rship is a good thing; militarygenius is sometimes a better thing. When it was re-solved by the authorities to attempt the capture of NewOrleans it was assumed that the two forts on theriver below the city must be first destroyed or com-pelled to surrender. The chief engineer of the Armyof the Potomac, whose ability was unquestioned, madea long report to the Navy Department, in which,after describing the forts and their situation, he said: To pass these works merely with a fleet and appearbefore New Orleans is merely a raid, no capture.And in describing the exact method of attack he said: Those (vessels) on the Fort Jackson side wouldprobably have to make fast to the shore; those onthe Saint Philip side might anchor. Substantially thesame view was afterward taken by Captain David D.Porter, who was to have an important part in the en-terprise. It was also assumed that the forts could bereduced by bombardment, if this was only heavy and persistent enough. In accordance with this idea,68
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Farragut and Dewey. THE FIGHT FOR NEW ORLEANS. 69 twenty-one large mortars were cast for the work.They threw shells that were thirteen inches in diam-eter and weighed two hundred and eighty-five pounds.For each of these mortars a schooner was built; andso great was the concussion of the atmosphere whenone was fired, that no man could stand near it with-out being literally deafened. Therefore platformsprojecting beyond the decks were provided, to whichthe gunners could retreat just before each shot. Theremainder of the fleet, when finally it was mustered,was made up of six sloops of war, sixteen gunboats,five other vessels, and transports carrying fifteen thou-sand soldiers to co-operate in the attack or hold theforts and the city after it should be captured. Thenumber of guns in the fleet was more than twohundred. After this expedition (the most powerful that everhad sailed under the American flag) was planned andpartly organized, and the mortar schooners nearlycompleted, the Navy Dep

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