"We commenced backing down the river, keeping up a fire with the guns that could be brought to bear. Finding that she was gaining on us rapidly, we rounded down stream and stood for the Carondelet, which vessel was standing down stream, and took a position on her port bow, about one hundred yards distant, keeping up a continuous fire on the ram from our stern gun, and an occasional fire from our broadside battery, the Carondelet having already opened on the ram with her stern guns.

"About half-past seven the rebel ram closed with and struck the Carondelet, and forced her against the left bank of the river, receiving a discharge from her stern guns. Standing past her, she received the fire of her broadside guns, and stood directly for us, at that time distant about two hundred yards.

"We then stood down the river at all speed, and managed to keep the ram from two hundred to three hundred yards distant from us, keeping up a rapid fire from our stern gun and an occasional discharge from our broadside batteries as we could bring them to bear, receiving the fire of her two bow guns, and occasional discharges from her broadside batteries.

"At half-past eight came within sight of the fleet; forty-five minutes past eight rounded to under the stern of the Essex, delivering a broadside at the rebel ram as she was standing down past the fleet.

"At this time the ram was receiving the fire of most all the vessels of our flotilla."

The Tyler was a great deal cut up in the engagement, fourteen shot having struck her, eleven of which penetrated the vessel. During the last half hour of the engagement the after part of the gunboat was full of steam, caused by the escape pipe being cut. She had on board during the engagement a detachment of the Fourth Wisconsin regiment, detailed as sharpshooters. Her commander reported a loss of eight killed and sixteen wounded.

The Tyler succeeded in reaching the Federal fleet nearly half an hour in advance of the Arkansas, thus giving sufficient time to prepare for the reception of the unwelcome visitor. None of the vessels had much steam up, though all had fires in their furnaces. Instantly the utmost efforts were made to get the gunboats ready to manoeuvre in case the Arkansas should really make an attack.

In this minor conflict with Commander Walke and his consorts several casualties occurred among the officers and crew of the Arkansas. Chief Pilot John Hodges, a man of much worth, was mortally wounded at the wheel, and the wheel partly shot away, and the Yazoo River pilot, J. H. Shacklett, disabled and carried below. Lieut. Commander Brown, at his station on the upper or shield deck, received a severe contusion on the top of his head, and soon after was struck by a Minie ball which grazed his left temple, causing him to fall insensible through the hatchway to the gun-deck within the shield. While being carried to the cockpit he regained consciousness, sent his bearers to their guns, and resumed his place on the shield. He escaped further wounds save slight ones in the shoulder and right hand. Lieut. George W. Gift, a brave son of Tennessee, received a wound in the arm from a splinter. One of the crew, whose curiosity overcame his

discretion, putting his head out of the port, while his gun was run in for loading, had it cut cleanly off by a cannon ball. Several others were slightly wounded."

The now alarming fact was reported by the executive officer to the commander, that the temperature of the fire-room had risen to 130 degrees, and that the firemen had to be relieved every ten minutes, the steam which at the beginning of the chase was at 120 pounds, had gone down more than one half. Under this state of things, leaving out the original calculation of slow speed, under full pressure, the use of the Arkansas, as a ram, became hopeless, and the alternative of a fight through the Federal fleet, with guns alone, had to be accepted.

Lieut. Gift, in his interesting "story of the Arkansas," says that:

"It is quite probable that they [Carondelet, Queen of the West, and A. O. Tyler] imagined we would take to our heels when we saw the odds which were against us. They were mistaken. Owing to the fact that our bow-ports were quite small, we could train our guns laterally very little; and as our head was looking to the right of the enemy's line, we were compelled to allow them to begin the action, which was quite agreeable, as we had levelled all our guns with a spirit-level the day before, marked the trunnions, and agreed that we would not fire until we were sure of hitting an enemy direct, without elevation. The gunnery of the enemy was excellent, and his rifle-bolts soon began to ring on our iron front, digging into and warping up the bars, but not penetrating. Twice he struck near my port, and still we could not "see" him. The first blood was drawn from my division. An Irishman, with more curiosity than prudence, stuck his head out the broadside port, and was killed by a heavy rifle-bolt which had missed the ship. Stevens was with me at the time; and fearing that the sight of the mangled corpse and blood might demoralize the gun's crew, sprang forward to throw the body out of the port, and called upon the man nearest him to assist. “Õh ! I can't đo it, sir!" the poor fellow replied, "it's my brother." The body was thrown overboard. This incident of the brother was related to me by Stevens afterwards, for by that time I had enough to do ahead. As soon as we could point straight for the enemy, with safety from grounding, the pilot steered direct for the Tyler, and I got the first shot, with an eight-inch shell, with five-second fuse. It struck him fair and square, killing a pilot in its flight and bursting in the engine-room. She reported seventeen killed and fourteen wounded, and I think this shell did the better part of the day's work on her. Unfortunately, the gun recoiled off its chassis. and I was out of the action for five or ten minutes. However, Grimball made up for it. He had the best gun captain-Robert McCalla-in the ship. and a superb crew, and his gun seemed to be continually going out and recoiling in again. The broadside guns thus far were not engaged; but they were not to remain entirely idle. The 'mustang,' summoning courage, shot up as though he would poke us gently in our starboard ribs. Capt. Brown divined his intent, and gave notice in time. The starboard battery was trained sharp forward, and as the Queen ranged up, Scales gave her the first shell, followed quick by Warton and Bacot. This settled the account on that side. The Lieut. Col. had business down the river, and straightway went to attend to it-that is to say, to quote Gwin [Lieut. Commander of the Tyler], he fled ingloriously. This left us with the Tyler, now getting pretty sick, and the Carondelet, to deal with.

"It was, I think, somewhere about this stage of the fight that a bolt entered the pilot-house and mortally wounded John Hodges, Mississippi

pilot, and disabled Mr. Shacklett, Yazoo River pilot, and broke the forward rim of the wheel. James Brady, the remaining Mississippi pilot, took charge, however, and by his admirable judgment and coolness kept the vessel in deep water until she got into the Mississippi, where he knew what he was about. The fight had been an advance on our part; we had never slowed the engines, but stood forward as though we held such small fry in contempt. Gwin handled and fought the Tyler with skill as long as there was any hope; but he finally took to his heels, badly crippled, and went after the mustang.' What Walke did in the Carondelet, in the first part of the engagement, I am not competent to say, as I was mounting my gun, but I think he was 'hacked' quite early, and did but little. At any rate, when I came on the scene again (not more than ten minutes had elapsed from the first gun), and ran out my gun, the Carondelet was right ahead of us, distant about one hundred yards, and paddling down stream for dear life. Her armor had been pierced four times by Grimball, and we were running after her to use our ram, having the advantage of speed. Opposite to me a man was standing outside on the port-sill loading the stern chaser. He was so near that I could readily have recognized him had he been an acquaintance. I pointed the Columbiad for that port and pulled the lock-string. I have seen nothing of the man or gun since. We were now using fifteen pound charges of powder and solid shot, which latter were hastily made in Canton, and had very little windage; so that I think we bored the fellow through and through from end to end. It was an exceedingly good thing we had. If his stern guns were not dismounted, the crews had deserted them, for they were not used after my gun came into action the second time. I think I had hit four times, and our beak was nearly up to him, when Brady discovered that he was taking to shoal water with the hope of our grounding-we drew four [eight] feet more water than she. Therefore, we sheered off, and passed so close that it would have been easy to have jumped on board. Stevens passed rapidly along the port broadside, and saw the guns depressed to their utmost, and bid us wait for a good chance and fire down through his bottom. As we lapped up alongside, and almost touching, we poured in our broadside, which went crashing and plunging through his timbers and bottom. Although his four broadside guns-one more than we had-were run out and ready, he did not fire them. We were running near the left or Vicksburg side of the river (we are now in what is called Old River), and, as soon as passed, we headed for the middle of the stream, which gave Read his first opportunity-and right well did he use it. His rifles spoke' to the purpose, for the enemy hauled down his colors. In an instant, Capt. Brown announced the fact from the deck, and ordered the firing to cease; but the ship still swinging, gave Wharton and the others a chance at her with the starboard guns before it was known that he had surrendered. White flags now appeared at her ports, and the news of our victory was known all over the ship in a moment.

"Talk about yelling and cheering; you should have heard it at the moment on the deck of the Arkansas to have appreciated it. In fifteen minutes, without being checked in our progress, we had thrashed three of the enemy's vessels-one carrying arms as good as ours, and two more guns than we, and one of the others was a famous ram, whilst the third, though of but little account, gave moral support to the others. It was glorious. For it was the first and only square, fair, equal stand-up and knock-down fight between the two navies in which the Confederates came out first best. From the beginning our ship was handled with more pluck, decision, and judgment than theirs (the Tyler excepted); our guns were better fought and better served. Not an officer or man doubted the result from the beginning. We went in to win, and we won. We now had no time to stop to secure our prize, as the enemy would be apprised of our coming and swarm in the river like bees if we did not hurry. These fellows we had beaten were but skirmishers of a main army. Consequently we pushed down the river."