On April 24, 1862, during the furious Union bombardment of Forts Jackson and Saint Philip, the U.S.S. Owasco, a Unadilla class gunboat, was one of seven steamers assigned to Captain David D. Porter’s flotilla of twenty mortar-boats. (The flotilla was part of the navy’s West Gulf Blockading Squadron.) The steamers supplemented the high arcing mortar fire with flat trajectory fire against the Confederate fortifications. After two days of concentrated fire, to little effect, Flag-Officer David G. Farragut decided to run past the forts as the mortar flotilla kept up a heavy fire to distract the enemy gunners.
Medal of Honor Edition (April 24, 1862)
Medal of Honor Edition (April 24, 1862)
Medal of Honor Edition (April 24, 1862)
On April 24, 1862, during the furious Union bombardment of Forts Jackson and Saint Philip, the U.S.S. Owasco, a Unadilla class gunboat, was one of seven steamers assigned to Captain David D. Porter’s flotilla of twenty mortar-boats. (The flotilla was part of the navy’s West Gulf Blockading Squadron.) The steamers supplemented the high arcing mortar fire with flat trajectory fire against the Confederate fortifications. After two days of concentrated fire, to little effect, Flag-Officer David G. Farragut decided to run past the forts as the mortar flotilla kept up a heavy fire to distract the enemy gunners.