ime
hugged the eastern shore, crossing to the western just above the
island, and the Indianola seems to have been in this place when the
enemy coming up describes her as "with her head quartering across and
down river," presenting the port bow to their approach. The order of
advance was with the Queen leading, the Webb five hundred yards
astern, and the two other boats lashed together some distance in the
rear. The Queen dashed up, firing her light pieces to no purpose when
one hundred and fifty yards off, and endeavored to ram the Indianola
abaft the port wheel; but the latter, backing, received the blow on
the barge, through which the enemy's sharp bow passed but without
injuring her opponent. The barge went adrift and sunk. The Webb
followed, and, the Indianola standing for her at full speed, the two
came together bows on with a crash that knocked down most of their
crews. The Webb's bow was cut in for a distance of eight feet,
extending from two feet above the water-line to the keelson, but as
she was filled in solid for more than eight feet she did not sink. The
Indianola received no damage.

A third blow was delivered on the starboard side by the Webb, in what
manner does not appear precisely, with the effect of crushing the
other barge, leaving it hanging by the lashings, which were then cut
adrift. The Webb passed up following the Queen. The latter, having
gained sufficient distance, turned and charged down, but as the
Indianola was turning up at the same moment the blow on the starboard
bow glanced, the vessels rasping by each other; and as the Queen
cleared the stern of her enemy, the latter planted two IX-inch shot
successfully, killing 2 and wounding 4 of her crew and disabling two
guns. During all this time the Indianola kept firing her guns whenever
they could be made to bear, but, as the enemy had calculated, the
darkness of the night prevented them from doing as much execution as
they otherwise would. The rams also kept up a constant firing with
their musketry and light guns. In the uncertain light it was very
difficult to watch the two assailants through the peep-holes in the
pilot-house of the gunboat, but yet a fifth blow was received forward
of the wheels without injury. At last, however, the Queen was able to
strike just abaft the starboard wheel-house, crushing the wheel,
disabling the starboard rudder, and starting a number of leaks abaft
the shaft. The starboard engine was thus useless and the I