eral valuable officers
lost their lives; but not being able to pursue, the mere frustration of
a particular attack did not help to break up a system of very great
annoyance. Only a force able to follow--in other words, troops--could
suppress the evil. "You will no doubt hear more," the admiral writes on
the 1st of February, 1863, "of 'Why don't Farragut's fleet move up the
river?' Tell them, Because the army is not ready. Farragut waits upon
Banks as to when or where he will go."

Still, even while thus dancing attendance upon a somewhat dilatory
general, his plans were maturing; so that when occasion arose he was, as
always, ready for immediate action--had no unforeseen decision to make.
"The evening of the day (about January 20th) that I reported to him at
New Orleans," writes Admiral Jenkins, "he sent everybody out of the
cabin, and said: 'I wish to have some confidential talk with you upon a
subject which I have had in mind for a long time.... I have never hinted
it to any one, nor does the department know anything of my thoughts. The
first object to be accomplished, which led me to think seriously about
it, is to cripple the Southern armies by cutting off their supplies
from Texas. Texas at this time is, and must continue to the end of the
war to be, their main dependence for beef cattle, sheep, and Indian
corn. If we can get a few vessels above Port Hudson the thing will not
be an entire failure, and I am pretty confident it can be done.'"
Jenkins naturally suggested that the co-operation of the army by an
active advance at the same time would materially assist the attempt. To
this, of course, the admiral assented, it being in entire conformity
with his own opinion; and several interviews were held, without,
however, their leading to any definite promise on the part of General
Banks.

Meantime Admiral Porter, who after leaving the mortar flotilla had been
appointed to the command of the Mississippi squadron, with the rank of
acting rear-admiral, realized as forcibly as Farragut the importance of
placing vessels in the waters between Vicksburg and Port Hudson. In the
middle of December he was before Vicksburg, and had since then been
actively supporting the various undertakings of the land forces. Three
days after Grant joined the army, on the 2d of February, the ram Queen
of the West ran the Vicksburg batteries from above, and successfully
reached the river below. Ten days later, Porter sent on one of his
newest