upporting distance of the two last.
Liddell's seven hundred newly-organized horse, with four guns, was of
little service beyond making feints to distract the enemy.

Major reached his position on the 30th, and on the following day, the
1st of May, captured and sunk the transport Emma. On the 3d he captured
the transport City Belle, on her way up to Alexandria, with the 120th
Ohio regiment on board. All the officers and two hundred and seventy-six
men were taken, with many killed and wounded. On the evening of the 4th
the gunboats Covington and Signal, each mounting eight heavy guns, with
the transport Warner, attempted to pass. The Covington was blown up by
her crew to escape capture, but the Signal and Warner surrendered. Four
guns, two three-inch rifled and two howitzers, were engaged in this
action with the Covington and Signal. They were run up to the river's
bank by hand, the howitzers above, the three-inch rifles below the
gunboats, which, overpowered by the rapid fire, moved back and forth
until one surrendered and the other was destroyed, affording a complete
illustration of the superiority of field guns to gunboats in narrow
streams. There was no further attempt to pass Major's position, and
Federal communication with the Mississippi was closed for fifteen days.

During these operations the enemy was engaged night and day in the
construction of a dam across the Red River, to enable him to pass his
fleet over the falls; and the following extracts from the report of
Admiral Porter to the Secretary of the Navy well exhibit the condition
of affairs in and around Alexandria ("Report on the Conduct of the War,"
vol. ii., page 250):

"FLAG-SHIP CRICKET, ALEXANDRIA, _April 28, 1864_.

"SIR: I have written you an account of the operations of the fleet in
these waters, but take the liberty of writing to you confidentially the
true state of affairs. I find myself blockaded by a fall of three feet
of water, three feet four inches being the amount now on the falls.
Seven feet being required to get over, no amount of lightening will
accomplish the object. I have already written to you how the whole state
of things has been changed by a too blind carelessness on the part of
our military leader, and our retreat back to Alexandria from place to
place has so demoralized General Banks's army that the troops have no
confidence in anybody or anything. Our army is now all here, with the
best general (Franklin) wounded and unfit f