's approach. There was not time to
raise steam--only to cast loose the guns for action. When the Arkansas
reached the fleet her smoke-stack had been so often perforated by the
Carondelet's shot that her boilers could scarcely supply any steam. Her
speed was thereby reduced to one knot, powerless to ram and scarcely
sufficient to steer. At that rate, with the favor also of the current,
she passed through the United States vessels, suffering from their
successive fires much injury, though not of a vital kind, and took
refuge under the guns of Vicksburg. It was a most gallant exploit,
fairly comparable in daring to the passage of the Mississippi forts, but
resulting in no decisive effect upon the issues of the war.

It became immediately advisable for Farragut to rejoin the three ships
which lay below the town, and were consequently in a condition favoring
an attack by the ram, whose apparent immunity under the fire of the two
squadrons showed her an enemy not to be despised. He determined to
follow her down at once, again passing the batteries, and endeavoring to
destroy her with the guns of his squadron as it went by. The execution
of the plan was set for the late afternoon, and the Mississippi flotilla
took up a position to support the movement by engaging the upper
batteries. Unfortunately, time was lost in forming the order of battle,
and the passage was effected in the dark. The uncertainty of aim thus
caused was increased by the precaution of the enemy, who shifted his
position after nightfall. Two shots only found her, injuring several of
her people and setting fire to the cotton bulwarks. Beyond this she
received no injury at this time, but she had been severely shaken by the
hammering of the morning. A week later, on the 22d of July, Davis sent
down the Essex, one of his heavy ironclads, accompanied by one of
Ellet's rams, to attack the Arkansas at her moorings. The effort was
unsuccessful, although the enemy's vessel received some further injury.
The ram rejoined the upper squadron; but the Essex, from her indifferent
speed, was unable to return against the current, exposed unsupported to
the fire of all the batteries. She therefore became thenceforth a member
of the lower squadron, together with a ram called the Sumter, which had
run down with Farragut on the 15th.

On the 20th of the month Farragut had received orders from the Navy
Department, dated July 14th, directing him to get the part of his fleet
above