ision was moved across
the river and took position with the others.

Until five o'clock the firing was sustained and rapid from both forts.
At that time the citadel and out-houses of Jackson were in flames, and
the magazine in great danger; so the enemy's fire ceased.

All the mortars opened again on the morning of the 19th and continued
until noon, after which the firing was maintained by divisions, two
resting while the third worked. Thus, about 168 shell were fired every
four hours, or nearly one a minute. At 10 A.M. of the 19th one
schooner was struck by a shot, which passed out through her bottom,
sinking her. This was the only vessel of the flotilla thus destroyed.

Although Jackson was invisible from the decks of the mortar-boats and
the direction given by sights fixed to the mastheads, the firing was
so accurate and annoying as to attract a constant angry return from
the fort. To draw off and divide this one of the corvettes and two or
three of the gunboats took daily guard duty at the head of the line,
from 9 A.M. one day to the same hour the next. The small vessels
advancing under cover of the trees on the west bank would emerge
suddenly, fire one or two shots drifting in the stream, and then
retire; the constant motion rendering the aim of the fort uncertain.
Nevertheless some ugly hits were received by different ships.

Every night the enemy sent down fire-rafts, but these, though
occasioning annoyance to the fleet, were productive of no serious
damage beyond collisions arising from them. They were generally
awkwardly started, and the special mistake was made of sending only
one at a time, instead of a number, to increase the confusion and
embarrassment of the ships. The crews in their boats towed them
ashore, or the light steamers ran alongside and put them out with
their hose.

Mortar-firing, however good, would not reduce the forts, nor lay New
Orleans at the mercy of the fleet. It was necessary to pass above.
Neither the flag-officer on the one hand, nor the leaders of the enemy
on the other had any serious doubt that the ships could go by if there
were no obstructions; but the obstructions were there. As originally
laid these had been most formidable. Cypress trees, forty feet long
and four to five feet in diameter, were laid longitudinally in the
river, about three feet apart to allow a water-way. Suspended from the
lower side of these logs by heavy iron staples were two 21/2-inch iron
cables, st