THE CIVIL WAR DIARY OF JOHN G. MORRISON 1861-1865

Wednesday, June 4th. Good news from McClellan and Banks this
[112]morning. I hope they will keep on us. Rumours are afloat to
the effect that the fort is evacuated. One of our tugs was
sent to ascertain the truth of the matter. She did not
return until evening when she confirmed it. As it became
dark, heavy clouds of smoke were seen to rise from the fort,
followed by a bright glare in the sky, as if a heavy fire was
raging beneath. After a while a sullen boom came floating
through the calm evening air, telling of a magazine blown up.
All were impatient for the next day's sun that they might
see had detained us for fifty-two days doing nothing on Plum
Point bend.
Thursday, June 5th. All hands were called at 4 A.M. The
anchor was then hove up, and we waited for the signal to
sail. It was not long before it came. All hands went to
quarters and we dropped slowly down, preceeded by a couple of
rams and followed by our transports laden with troops. We
soon came abreast of it and found it to consist of several
works and mounting, I should think, about forty guns. As I
imagined, they had destroyed everything which they could not
carry
away, burning the carriags from under the few guns which they
left (seven in all). They also left some powder behind them,
as I could see by the frequent explosions which took place as
it caught fire. It was a splendid point of defense and
would have cost us a vast amount of trouble and perhaps loss
oflife to capture it. Our troops were landed and we lay there
until noon, when we again got under weigh. Passed Randolph.
There was never much of a fortification there. Saw piles of
burning
[113]cotton just below it. From that dawn, piles of it could be
seen on both banks afire. The surface of the river was also
strewed with it. We passed splendid-looking farms and of
course their usual concomitants of grinning niggers, which
waved white cloths at us as we passed about 4 P.M. We ran
foul of a steamer which had been destroying everything along
the bank. As soon as we have in sight, she started to run
and we opened fire on her. Two of our shots were seen to
strike her, but she did not hold up, and as she steamed
faster than we did, she was likely to get away, but the
commodore sent the armed tug "Spitfire" after her. We soon
lost sight of both of them in the crooks of the river but
every few minutes the report of the tug's gun came to our
ears, telling us that she was closing in with her chase. At
last, after about twenty minutes, we came in sight of them
and found that the tug had captured her. There was a cheer
went up from every boat in the fleet at the sight. The crew
of the prize had run her ashore as a last resort to save
themselves from capture and made good excape through the
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