finding she lost too much ground by this discontinued it,
though the enemy were still keeping up a harassing fire. The chase led
her into shoal water, the leadsman in the chains reporting a foot less
than the ship drew. The executive officer, having verified the
sounding, reported it to the captain, who, intent simply upon carrying
out his orders, and seeing that the bottom was a soft ooze, replied:
"Call the man in; he is only intimidating me with his soundings." Soon
after this a heavy squall accompanied by rain and dense mist came up,
and during it the Morgan, which was on the starboard bow of the
Metacomet, first got aground, and then getting off ran down to the
southeastward toward Fort Morgan. The Selma kept straight on, as did
the Metacomet; and when the squall lifted the latter found herself
ahead and on the starboard bow of her chase. One shot was fired,
killing the executive officer and some of the crew of the Selma, and
then the latter hauled down her flag, having lost five killed and ten
wounded. The other Union gunboats being far in the rear and
embarrassed by the mist did not succeed in cutting off the
others--both of which escaped under Fort Morgan. The Gaines being
wholly disabled was burnt; the Morgan made good her escape to Mobile
the same night.

After passing down the Union line, Buchanan said to his flag-captain,
it being then about half-past eight: "Follow them up, Johnston, we
can't let them off that way." Five minutes later the Hartford anchored
four miles from Morgan, and the crew were sent to breakfast. Captain
Drayton went up on the poop and said to the admiral: "What we have
done has been well done, sir; but it all counts for nothing so long as
the Tennessee is there under the guns of Morgan." "I know it," said
the admiral, "and as soon as the people have had their breakfasts I am
going for her."[35] Buchanan by his move thus played directly into
Farragut's hands. From some difficulty in the ground it was found
necessary to bring the head of the Tennessee round toward Morgan, and
this, with the length of time occupied in the manoeuvre and the
improbability of her attacking the whole fleet by daylight, caused the
admiral to think that she had retired under the guns of the fort. He
was soon undeceived. At ten minutes before nine, when the crew had
hardly got seated at their breakfast, the Tennessee was reported
approaching. The mess-gear was hustled aside, and the flag-ship at
once got under w