Directing fire at Port Hudson.

[ThehosGendar]

Gents,
I present one of my favorite excerpts from the O.R.s… a great, almost candid peek into an exchange of rather witty field commands and observations during the siege of Port Hudson. They even call one of the guns they’re directing the “bully boy”!

Report of Lieut. John W. Dana, Twelfth Maine Infantry, Acting Signal
Officer, of operations June 29—July 3.

NEW ORLEANS, LA.,
July 27, 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 29th of June, 1863, I was ordered to open communication with the mortar battery on the left of our line at Port Hudson with Lieutenant Eaton. whose station was in
a barn on the opposite side of the river, from which he could see the
enemy’s river [batteries], with the aim of directing fire of our guns and mortars upon enemy’s batteries.
The following is a correct transcript of messages sent and received by me while there:

OPPOSITE PORT HUDSON,
July 1 — 11 a.m.

Received. “Can you see that gun that is firing now?”
Sent. “Rebel guns opposite me are firing.”
Received. “Are they together?”
Sent. “No. One is 600, the next 1,000, and the next 1,100 yards from your battery.”
Received. “On the river bank?”
Sent. “Yes, within 50 yards of it.”
Received. “How was that shell from her?”
Sent. “Don’t know. I can direct one of your guns, if you are ready.”
Received. “Ready now. Firing at second gun. Watch.”
Sent. “Your last gun made a good shot. Little too far to the right.”
Received. “Watch our mortar. How was that?“
Sent. “Fire little to left and 100 yards short.”
Received. “Have rebel shells done any damage to our battery on right bank of the river?”
Sent. “Can’t say.”
Received. “Send a man to find out, if not too dangerous. Watch fire of these mortars particularly.”
Received. “How was that?”
Sent. “Did not explode; fire again.”
Received. “How far is that gun next to citadel?“
Sent. “Six hundred yards.”
Received. “Chart says 85 yards from church. Will fire at it.”
Sent. “Good range. Fell 200 yards short.”
Received. “0. K. Who are the navy chaps with you?”
Sent. Dr. King and three others. Fifth gun in our battery hit the lower rebel gun last shot. Tell them to F. L. L. and a hair lower. Have just hit it again.”
Received. “See last shot?”
Sent. “‘Twas 10 feet to the left.”
Received. “I mean the mortar shell.”
Sent. “Struck in the citadel 200 yards short.”
Received. “How is this?”
Sent. “One hundred and fifty yards short.”
Sent. “One Parrott on this bank is disabled.”
Received. “How?”
Sent. “Hit by rebel shells.”
Received. “Yes, but how badly disabled, and hit in what point?”
Sent. “The carriage was hit underneath. No great damage. Last shot 1,000 yards short.”
Received. “General Stone wants to know if any damage has been done to the rebel guns.”
Sent. Our fifth gun has hit the breastwork of the big rifle four times. Its fire is splendid. Can dismount it soon. No other damage.”
Received. “You say our fifth gun?”
Sent. “Yes, from the left.”
Sent. “Our sixth gun just made a glorious shot.”
Received. “Is the carriage of our Parrott too much disabled to be immediately repaired’?”
Sent. “Think not. Believe they are at work on it. Let the sixth gun fire 10 feet more to the left.”
Received. “How now about the fifth and sixth guns’?”
Sent. “The sixth gun is the bully boy.”
Received. “Can you give it any directions to make it more bully’?”
Sent. “Last shot was little to the right.”
Received. “Fearfully hot here. Several men sunstruck. Bullets whiz like fun. Have ceased firing for awhile, the guns are so hot. Will profit by your directions afterward.”
Sent. “The rebels are firing that rifle. No. 6 can stop them.”
Received. “Tell Charles to be more careful about his motions. Report immediately any damage to our guns. How is No. 6 now? Have just ceased firing until rebels open again. Did fifth and sixth have good aims?”
Sent. “Yes; they have knocked half the earthworks over before that big rifle.”
Received. “Can they now hit it with same aim?”
Sent. “Yes.”
Received. “Will fire at rifle now; report any shot.”
Sent. “I must know which guns are to fire.”
Received. “Only one in this battery.”
Sent. “Is it fifth or sixth?”
Received. “Neither; it is a navy Dahlgren which I want you to direct the fire of.”
Received. “Be there again to-morrow morning at 6 a. m. Cannot see. C. S.”

For you arty chaps… what’s F.L.L.?

[DougCooper]

Re: Directing fire at Port Hudson.

What you have here boys is indirect fire, another innovation of the war. This is a truly cool exhange. Was it via telegraph or signal flag?

Good work again Jason!

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Directing fire at Port Hudson.

Doug,

Thanks!

It was a telegraph exchange, the transcript of which was included in a giant report compiled by William B. Roe, Chief of Signal Corps, Department of the Gulf:

"...On the day of the second assault, signal communication was held between the headquarters of Major-General Banks in the center, and General Dwight on the left of our line, by which the commanding general could be informed at any time of the progress of General Dwight. (For a copy of messages, see reports of Lieutenants Hall and Rundlett.) The line from the general’s headquarters to the ships was kept in working order until Port Hudson surrendered.

On the 29th of June, Lieutenant Dana was ordered to the left, to communicate with Lieutenant Eaton (whose station was in a barn, from which could be seen most of the enemy’s guns on the river front), for the purpose of directing the shots from our guns on the left upon those of the enemy. (Please see report of Lieutenant Dana on directing shots.)

The signal telegraph train proved of great service, and from May 28 the time that I was ordered to deliver the wire to Captain Bulkley, June 5, two hundred and fifty-five official messages were sent, many of which were sent from Springfield Landing to the fleet by Lieutenant Jencks, signal officer at that point. The country being so level and thickly wooded, it was almost impossible to establish stations; still, in our main line there were ten stations, eight of which were in tree-tops or on masts of vessels. Three stations of observation, which were also in tree-tops, and three stations which are not described, were likewise built in trees, and were abandoned for the reason of their being in range of the enemy’s sharpshooters. In fact, all the main stations were within range of the enemy’s guns. Some officers were driven from their stations, but in every case returned again as soon as the firing was over.

All the officers and men in the detachment have shown a willingness to comply in every particular with the orders given them, and, in many instances, have shown a determination to do all in their power to promote the efficiency of the corps."


I really like how breezy the language is. It sounds as if they're communicating over a field radio!

[James Brenner]

Re: Directing fire at Port Hudson.

If the acronym was FFE, it'd be Fire for Effect. But, unfortunately, it's not. I wonder if it's a reference to cutting the fuze a little longer?

[DougCooper]

Re: Directing fire at Port Hudson.

Actually, for them it was a field radio! Real soldiers communicating in earnest without the formality of written comms and such - great stuff! Those telegraph operators should have received a bonus or a furlough - and talk about carpal tunnel syndrome!