ch was soon silenced by shrapnel and grape from the Kineo. A few
moments later a chance shot lodged between the stern-post and
rudder-post of the gunboat, wedging the rudder and making it
completely useless. The density of the smoke, complained of by all the
officers of the fleet that night, caused the pilots to miss their way;
and the larger ship took the ground on the spit opposite the town. The
Kineo, not touching, with the way she had tore clear of her fasts,
and, ranging a short distance ahead, grounded also. Both vessels
received considerable though not serious damage from the violence of
the separation. The Kineo was soon able to back clear and, though
disabled, managed to get a hawser from the Monongahela and pull that
ship off after she had been twenty-five minutes aground. The latter
then went ahead again, while the Kineo, unable to steer properly,
drifted down stream out of range. While aground a shot came in,
cutting away the bridge under Captain McKinstry's feet, and throwing
him to the deck below; the fall incapacitated him from remaining at
his station, and Lieutenant-Commander N.W. Thomas took command of the
Monongahela. Meanwhile the Mississippi had passed, unseen and
unseeing, in the smoke, and had herself grounded a little farther up
near the head of the spit. She was observed to be on fire as the
Monongahela again drew near the bend, and at the same moment the
latter vessel's engines ceased to move, a crank-pin being heated. Thus
unmanageable she drifted down within thirty yards of the batteries,
and had to anchor below. Her loss was 6 killed and 21 wounded; the
Kineo, though repeatedly struck, had no one hurt.

The Mississippi had passed the lower batteries and had reached the
bend, going fast, when she struck, heeling at once three streaks to
port. The engines were reversed and backed to the full extent of their
power, and the port battery run in to bring the ship on an even keel.
After working for thirty-five minutes it was found impossible to get
her off. The port battery and pivot gun were then ordered to be thrown
overboard, but before that was done Captain Smith decided that the
ship would have to be abandoned, as three batteries had her range and
were hulling her constantly.

The sick and wounded were brought up, and three small boats, all that
were left, were employed in landing the crew. The fire of the
starboard battery had been kept up until this time, but now ceased.
The ship was then