s from the fleet, and the crash of the
Southern water batteries replying.

CHAPTER XI. THE SOUTHERN ATTACK

The excitement in the Union army was intense and joyous. The cheers
rolled like volleys among these farmer lads of the West. Dick, Warner
and Pennington stood up and shouted with the rest.

"I should judge that our chances of success have increased at least
fifty, yes sixty, per cent," said Warner. "As we have remarked before,
this control of the water is a mighty thing. We fight the Johnnie Rebs
for the land, but we have the water already. Look at those gunboats,
will you? Aren't they the sauciest little things you ever saw?"

Once more the navy was showing, as it has always shown throughout
its career, its daring and brilliant qualities. Foote, the commodore,
although he had had no time to repair his four small fighting boats
after the encounter with Fort Henry, steamed straight up the river
and engaged the concentric fire from the great guns of the Southern
batteries, which opened upon him with a tremendous crash. The boys
watched the duel with amazement. They did not believe that small vessels
could live under such fire, but live they did. Great columns of smoke
floated over them and hid them at times from the watchers, but when the
smoke lifted a little or was split apart by the shattering fire of the
guns the black hulls of the gunboats always reappeared, and now they
were not more than three or four hundred yards from Donelson.

"I take it that this is a coverin' fire," said Sergeant Whitley,
who stood by. "Four little vessels could not expect to reduce such a
powerful fortress as Donelson. It's not Fort Henry that they're fightin'
now."

"The chances are at least ninety-five per cent in favor of your
supposition," said Warner.

The sergeant's theory, in fact, was absolutely correct. Further down
the river the transports were unloading regiment after regiment of
fresh troops, and vast supplies of ammunition and provisions. Soon five
thousand men were formed in line and marched to Grant's relief, while
long lines of wagons brought up the stores so badly needed. Now the
stern and silent general was able to make the investment complete, but
the fiery little fleet did not cease to push the attack.

There was a time when it seemed that the gunboats would be able to pass
the fortress and rake it from a point up the river. Many of the guns in
the water batteries had been silenced, but the final ac