ter bearing a creditable part in the battle of Fort
Henry, she became separated by the batteries of Vicksburg from the
upper squadron, and is less identified with its history. Her armament
was three IX-inch, one X-inch, and one 32-pounder.

On the 6th of September Commander Rodgers was relieved by Captain A.H.
Foote, whose name is most prominently associated with the equipment
and early operations of the Mississippi flotilla. At that time he
reported to the Secretary that there were three wooden gunboats in
commission, nine ironclads and thirty-eight mortar-boats building. The
mortar-boats were rafts or blocks of solid timber, carrying one
XIII-inch mortar.

The construction and equipment of the fleet was seriously delayed by
the lack of money, and the general confusion incident to the vast
extent of military and naval preparations suddenly undertaken by a
nation having a very small body of trained officers, and accustomed to
raise and expend comparatively insignificant amounts of money.
Constant complaints were made by the officers and contractors that
lack of money prevented them from carrying on their work. The first of
the seven ironclads was launched October 12th and the seven are
returned by the Quartermaster's Department as received December 5,
1861. On the 12th of January, 1862, Flag-Officer Foote reported that
he expected to have all the gunboats in commission by the 20th, but
had only one-third crews for them. The crews were of a heterogeneous
description. In November a draft of five hundred were sent from the
seaboard, which, though containing a proportion of men-of-war's men,
had a yet larger number of coasting and merchant seamen, and of
landsmen. In the West two or three hundred steamboat men, with a few
sailors from the Lakes, were shipped. In case of need, deficiencies
were made up by drafts from regiments in the army. On the 23d of
December, 1861, eleven hundred men were ordered from Washington to be
thus detailed for the fleet. Many difficulties, however, arose in
making the transfer. General Halleck insisted that the officers of the
regiments must accompany their men on board, the whole body to be
regarded as marines and to owe obedience to no naval officer except
the commander of the gunboat. Foote refused this, saying it would be
ruinous to discipline; that the second in command, or executive
officer, by well-established naval usage, controlled all officers,
even though senior in rank to himself;