THE “PENSACOLA” DISABLING THE “GOVERNOR MOORE.”
Captain H. W. Morris of the Pensacola says, in his report: “ The ram [Governor Moore], after having struck the Varuna gun-boat, and forced her to run on shore to prevent sinking, advanced to attack this ship, coming down on us right ahead. She was perceived by Lieutenant F. A. Roe just in time to avoid her by sheering the ship, and she passed close on our starboard side, receiving, as she went by, a broadside from us.” Until I read this, I thought the vessel that did us most damage was the Oneida, the other vessels being astern of her. Captain Lee of the Oneida in his report speaks of firing into the Governor Moore. — B. K.
ing five men, in our bunkers. This combined attack killed and wounded a large number of men, and cut the vessel up terribly. Suddenly two, then one Confederate ram darted through the thick smoke from the right to the left bank of the river, passing close to all of us. They missed the channel for New Orleans, grounded on
CAPTAIN BEVERLEY KENNON, au,j aTOUnd the point
״	, LA״,S'״a,_™ next above and close
Commander of the “Governor	,y, .,.
Moore.” (From a tintype.) to Tort bt. ihi lip ;
one was fired and deserted, and blew up soon after as we passed her; the others were disabled and were soon abandoned by their crews. One (the Resolute) was after taken possession of later by men from the Confederate steamer McRae. I do not know what became of the other, the smoke was so dense. All this passed in a few moments. Suddenly I saw between my vessel and the burning Quitman, close to us on the west bank, a large, two-masted steamer rushing up-stream like a racer, belching “black smoke,” firing on each burning vessel as she passed, and flying her distinguishing white light at the masthead andred light at the peak. I thought of General Lovell, not far ahead of her on board the passenger steamer Doubloon, and quickly made a movement to follow this stranger in the hope of being able to delay or destroy her. Besides, the four or even more large ships so close to us, but obscured from view, needed but a little more room, and one good chance and a fair view of us, quickly to annihilate my old “ tinder-box” of a ship. I therefore slipped out in the smoke and darkness around us after the advancing stranger, which proved to be the Varuna, Captain Charles S. Boggs, mounting 8 8-incli guns
THE “ GOVERNOR MOORE ” IN FLAMES.
Tlie Union ships in their order, beginning with the left, are the “Oneida,” the “ Pinola,” the sunken “Varuna,” the “ Iroquois,” and, in the foreground, the “ Pensacola.”
and 2 30-pounder rifles, with a complement of about 200 persons. My whereabouts remained unknown to my former adversaries until all of them came to the Varuna’s assistance at 6:20 A. M., nine miles above, where she sank, and where parts of her wreck are yet to be seen (1885).
When I started after the Varuna, I shot away our blue distinguishing light at the mast-head with a musket, as to have hauled it down would have attracted notice. We could see her, as she was in a clear space, and her lights showed her position. But she soon lost sight of us, for, besides being somewhat in the smoke, there were back of us at this location moderately high trees thickly placed, the spaces filled with a luxuriant undergrowth, making a high dark wall or background on both sides of the river. Until we got clear of this, there was nothing to attract attention toward us, the Varuna being half a mile ahead, as shown by her lights. Her engines were working finely and driv-
sequel proves. Since our existence depended upon closing with her before she made us out, I urged the men to resist the temptation to fire, and to be quiet and patient, otherwise we would soon be put under water from the effects of her broadsides. We were now one and a half miles from the forts, and one mile from where we gave chase. On our port bow and the Varuna’s port beam, close under the land, I saw the runaway ram Stonewall Jackson making slow progress for want of steam, but working hard to get out of danger. She did not notice us. The Varuna could not have seen her or would have fired at her. We soon left the Stonewall Jack-son astern. Four miles more and we were nearly abreast of Szymanski’s regiment at Chalmette camp. Still the Varuna had not recognized us. I wanted assistance from that regiment, for I could now see that I had a far superior vessel to mine on my hands. I hoped also for assistance from the ram Stonewall Jackson, now a mile or two on our quarter, and from the Confederate States gun-boat Jackson, over one mile above us, serving as guard-boat at the quarantine station. To secure all this assistance I had but to show our colors and make ourselves known. The day was just dawning, and there was no smoke about us; so as a bid for help from the sources named, we hauleddown the enemy’s distinguishing lights and opened fire for the first time upon the Varuna, distant about one hundred yards, and with a surprise to hei people plainly to be seen. This shot missed her! She replied quickly with one or more guns, when a running fight commenced, she raking us with such guns as she could bring to bear, but not daring the risk of a sheer to deliver her broadside, as we were too close upon her. Her former great superiority was now reduced
ing her rapidly on her “spurt.” *We too, by using oil on our coal, had all the steam we needed. My old ship, shaking all over and fairly dancing through the water, was rapidly lessening the distance between us.
As soon as we reached an open space we hoisted a white light at our mast-head and a red light at the peak. This ruse worked successfully, as the
4 Lieutenant C. H. Swasey, of the Varuna, remarks in his report upon the slowness of the Varuna at this point: “ Owing to the small amount of steam we then hacl (17 pounds), he [Kennon] soon began to come up with us.”
THE “GOVERNOR MOORE,” AT THE END OF THE FIGHT.
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