nton,
Cincinnati, and Louisville covering them by an attack upon the upper
batteries. As the Essex neared the Arkansas the bow fasts of the
latter were slacked and the starboard screw turned, so that her head
swung off, presenting her sharp stem and beak to the broad square bow
of the assailant. The latter could not afford to take such an offer,
and, being very clumsy, could not recover herself after being foiled
in her first aim. She accordingly ran by, grazing the enemy's side,
and was carried ashore astern of him, in which critical position she
remained for ten minutes under a heavy fire; then, backing and
swinging clear, she ran down the river under fire of all the
batteries, but was not struck. When Porter saw that he would be unable
to ram, he fired into the Arkansas' bows, at fifty yards distance,
three solid IX-inch shot, one of which penetrated and raked her decks,
killing 7 and wounding 6 of her small crew, which then numbered only
41; the rest having been taken away as she was not fit for immediate
service. The Queen of the West rammed, doing some injury, but not of a
vital kind. She then turned her head up stream and rejoined the upper
fleet, receiving much damage from the batteries as she went back.

Two days later, Farragut's fleet and the troops on the point opposite
Vicksburg, under the command of General Williams, went down the river;
Farragut going to New Orleans and Williams to Baton Rouge. This move
was made necessary by the falling of the river and the increasing
sickliness of the climate. Porter, on his passage down a fortnight
before, had expressed the opinion, from his experience, that if the
heavy ships did not come down soon they would have to remain till next
season. But the health of the men, who had now been three months up
the river, was the most powerful cause for the change. On the 25th of
July forty per cent. of the crews of the upper flotilla were on the
sick list. The troops, who being ashore were more exposed, had but 800
fit for duty out of a total of 3,200. Two weeks before the Brooklyn
had 68 down out of 300. These were almost all sick with climatic
diseases, and the cases were increasing in number and intensity. The
Confederates now having possession of the point opposite Vicksburg,
Davis moved his fleet to the mouth of the Yazoo, and finally to
Helena. The growing boldness of the enemy along the banks of the
Mississippi made the river very unsafe, and supply and transport
vessel