Capt. Fry, with his own crew, sank the Maurepas, remaining on deck till the gun-deck was submerged. The blockading of the river was necessarily so hastily done that no ballast or weight could be placed in the transports. About daybreak the last vessel was sunk, and the river blockaded temporarily. Supposing the enemy would make the attack at early daylight, one rifled Parrott gun and ammunition, in command of Midshipman [F. M.] Roby, was moved some 400 yards below the rifled battery and placed in position. The sailors who manned the different batteries were ordered to sleep within a few feet of their guns. Shortly after daylight two rifled Parrott eight-pounder guns, that had been sent to the rear for want of ammunition, were brought up and placed in position near the guns commanded by Midshipman Roby. These three guns were manned by the crew from the Maurepas, and Captain Fry in person superintended the fighting of them. One twelve-pounder howitzer from the Maurepas, manned also by the crew, was sent down the river to assist Capt. Williams in checking the enemy's advance by land.

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'At 7 A. M. on the morning of the 17th, the pickets reported the enemy getting up steam. At 8:30 they had advanced up the river to our lines, and two gunboats commenced throwing shell, grape and canister among our troops on the right bank of the river. They advanced very slowly, attempting to find our heavy guns. When they arrived abreast of Capt. Fry's rifled guns, they opened on his battery very rapidly for three-quarters of an hour, endeavoring to silence his guns. Failing to do so, they slowly moved up the river until they came within point-blank range of one of the rifled thirty-two-pounders. The leading gunboat stopped to fight that gun; but, finding the gun still farther up was firing at her, she moved up the river to get its position, and, in doing so, placed herself between the two guns and in point-blank range. The other gunboat, in obedience to signal, I suppose, came abreast of the lower battery, and opened a brisk fire upon us. About this stage of the action, 10 A. M., Capt. Fry sent me word the enemy were landing a large force below. All the available men that could be found were immediately sent to Capt. Williams' assistance. At 10:30, a shot from the rifled thirty-two pounder farthest up the river penetrated the leading gunboat, and either passed through the boilers, steam-chest, or pipe, filling the entire vessel with steam, and causing all that were not killed or scalded with steam to jump into the river. The vessel was completely deserted, and drifted across the stream into the bank, near Capt. Fry's battery. He immediately hailed, and directed their flag hauled down. They failing to do so, although the order was given by some of their own officers in hearing of our own people, our own men were directed to shoot those in the water attempting to , escape. The two rifled guns were immediately directed to fire upon the lower gunboat, which was still engaging us. She was struck several times, and soon ceased firing, slowly dropping down the river, I think, materially damaged, as she made no effort to assist the boat we had blown up, or save their friends in the river. Near 11:30, Capts. Fry and Williams came to my battery and told me the enemy had completely surrounded us; the battery of small rifled guns had been spiked, and our people were in retreat. I trained one of the rifled guns to take a last shot at the enemy, and, as we fired, their infantry appeared over the brow of the hill, about fifty yards distant, and opened on us with musketry. Capt. Fry then proposed to make a stand with the sailors, and attempted to hold the guns, but they were only armed with single-barreled pistols, which they had fired at the enemy in the water. Nothing was now left but to save all the men we could, and, as the enemy had us under a cross-fire the men were ordered to retreat, the officers bringing up the rear, until scattered in the woods. I had confined in single irons, at my battery, six prisoners, captured by Capt. Fry at Little Red River. Deeming it inexpedient to bring them away, and as Capt. Fry told me he had no positive proof against them, I left them for the enemy. The gallantry of Capts. Fry and Williams was so conspicuous as to cause general notice and remark. To

my own officers and several of Capt. Fry's who served with me, I am particularly indebted. Mr. William Smith (acting master, Mr. William Barclay (engineer), Midshipman Roby, who commanded one of the guns, Mr. W. L. Campbell, and Dr. Addison, of the Maurepas, acted with great gallantry, and displayed a coolness and courage unsurpassed by any one in the engagement. To Col. Belknap, one of the citizens of St. Charles, we are all indebted for the untiring energy and zeal with which he assisted before and during the action. He was always where he was needed, encouraging the men and assisting the officers. I am unable to furnish a list of killed and wounded, but do not think the numbers exceed three up to the time of the retreat. For the operations of the infantry, I respectfully refer you to Capt. Williams. I herewith inclose a rough sketch of St. Charles and the surrounding country, including the position of our batteries and that of the enemy's gunboats. "I am, sir, with great respect,

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"Maj. General HINDMAN,

"J. W. DUNNINGTON, "Commanding Gunboat Pontchartrain.'

"Commanding Trans-Mississippi District."

Capt. A. M. Williams, C. S. Engineers, made the following report of the same engagement:

"HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DISTRICT,

LITTLE ROCK, ARK., June 21st, 1862. "SIR: I have to report that on the evening of the 16th information was brought me that the enemy's gunboats were advancing on Saint Charles, which was soon substantiated by advance of our pickets, posted down the river. We immediately made preparations to receive them, the artillerymen keeping their positions at the guns during the night, and my command being thrown out to prevent a surprise. We also, to prevent the enemy's gunboats passing our position, under orders from Major Gen. Hindman, scuttled the steamboats Eliza G. and Mary Patterson. Capt. Fry, of the C. S. navy, who was in command at Saint Charles, scuttled the gunboat Maurepas, thus forming an obstruction across the river that could not be moved until our batteries were silenced. The enemy, however, made no demonstrations during the night. On the morning of the 17th, about 8:30 o'clock, two gunboats, two transports and one tug appeared in sight and prepared to engage us. The men under my command, consisting of detachments from Capts. Jones', Hearin's, Smith's and Johnson's companies, Col. Pleasants' regiment, numbering about thirty-five men, were, by order of Capt. Fry, deployed as sharpshooters, and posted along the river below the battery. At 9 A. M we engaged the enemy's pickets and drove them in. The firing disclosed our position to the gunboats, from which the enemy commenced a furious fire of grape and shell, before which my men fell back to a more secure position. At this time the enemy opened fire upon our light battery of four guns, manned by the crew of the Maurepas, to which they replied gallantly. At 10 A. M., the heavy battery under command of Capt. Dunnington, C. S. N., opened fire on them, and soon blew up one of their boats and silenced the other. When the explosion took place, the boat's crew jumped into the water and into boats, to escape the scalding steam that was pouring out of every hole and crevice. I immediately ordered all the sharp-shooters that remained on the field, about twenty in number, to the river bank to shoot them. Numbers of them were killed in the water. At this time, about 11 o'clock, I discovered the enemy landing below, and immediately ordered men to take possession of Col. Belknap's house, for the purpose of holding them in check. When we reached the top of the hill near the house, the enemy poured into us a furious fire of musketry at a short distance. I at once made a reconnoissance of their position in person, and ascertained that we were almost surrounded by a

force of several hundred men. I informed Capt. Fry of our situation and was ordered by him to fall back to the battery, which I did with the few men who remained with me. When we reached the battery the enemy were on our front and right flank, and poured into us a galling cross-fire of musketry. Capt. Fry gave the orders to retreat, and immediately the men scattered and ran the gauntlet of a heavy cross-fire for nearly half a mile, the officers bringing up the rear. I cannot make an accurate report of our loss, not knowing who have made their escape. It is, however, very slight. The enemy's loss must have been very heavy. They admit a loss of 140 killed, drowned and scalded. All our stores and artillery fell into the hands of the enemy. I respectfully call your attention to the coolness and intrepid bearing exhibited by Capt. Fry, our commander, who, from disease, could not make his escape, and was, I understand, severely wounded and taken prisoner. Capt. Dunnington in this engagement has proved to the world that the Federal gunboats are not invulnerable. You are respectfully referred to his report for more minute information. I would also call your attention to the gallantry of a portion of my command, some twenty in number, whose names I cannot give, and particularly to the intrepid manner in which Privates [J. H.] Bruce and (G. W.] Everett, of Capt. Hearin's company, behaved themselves. I take great pleasure in acknowledging the services of Cols. Belknap and Finch, and Messrs. Herman and Margins. The thanks of the country are due them for assistance rendered in encouraging and cheering the men, and bringing them up. * *

*

"I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

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A. M. WILLIAMS, Captain of Engineers. "Colonel [R. C.] NEWTON, Assistant Adjutant General."

Several days after this battle, the enemy having been reinforced by an additional gunboat and six transports, and with a land force of about 4,000 men, made a demonstration against Devall's Bluff. Intrenchments were thrown up and three heavy guns from the Ponchartrain, manned by a portion of her crew, were put in position. Obstructions were also put in the channel to detain the enemy's vessels under fire. A regiment and battalion of Arkansas infantry just organized and armed, partly with shot-guns, sporting rifles, and partly with pikes and lances, were sent to the bluff, together with three batteries of artillery, and with the Texas regiment already there, were formed into a brigade, under Brig. Gen. Allison Nelson.

Evidently alarmed by the resistance met at St. Charles, Col. G. N. Fitch, the Federal commander, moved very slowly up stream, fired upon from both banks by Major Gen. T. Č. Hindman's cavalry, dismounted, and by citizens. At Clarendon, twenty-five miles below Devall's Bluff, Col. Fitch landed a regiment of infantry and moved it forward on the west side to reconnoitre, escorted by the tug Tiger. After advancing five miles it was compelled to retire with a loss of fifty-five in killed and wounded.

On the 4th of January, 1863, Gen. McClernand determined to make an attack on Fort Hindman, or Arkansas Post (as the Federals called it), on the Arkansas River, and requested the co-operation of the navy. Acting Rear Admiral Porter detailed three iron-clads, the Louisville, Baron De Kalb and Cincinnati,

with all the light draft gunboats in his Mississippi squadron. Among the latter were the Rattler, Black Hawk, Romeo, Juliet, Marmora, Signal, Forest Rose, Glide and the ram Monarch, Col. Charles Ellet. The Federal naval forces were under the command of Acting Rear Admiral David D. Porter in person, and the troops were commanded by Gens. McClernand and Sherman.

Fort Hindman, or Arkansas Post, as the Federals called it, was a regular bastioned work, one hundred yards exterior side, with a deep ditch some fifteen feet wide, and a parapet eighteen feet high. It mounted eleven guns of various sizes. The accompanying diagram gives an accurate plan of the work.

The fort was commanded by John W. Dunnington, colonel commanding third brigade, and first lieutenant C. S. navy. In the defence of the place he displayed the most conspicuous gallantry, and before he surrendered, all his heavy guns were broken by the Federal shot, and were lying about in fragments on the ground. A large number of his killed and wounded were lying in the ditches, and many of his brave garrison who also belonged to the C. S. navy were sick in the hospital. After the capture of Fort Hindman, and the officers and crew of the C. S. gunboat Ponchartrain, the gunboat was sent to Little Rock, where she was afterwards destroyed to prevent her from falling into the hands of the enemy.

On the 9th of January, the Federal gunboats ascended the Arkansas River, as high as Fort Hindman, when the