t vulnerable part, the
bow, to his fire. The vessels kept their line by the flag-ship
Cincinnati. The other orders were matters of detail, the most
important being to fire accurately rather than with undue rapidity.
The wooden gunboats formed a second line astern, and to the right of
the main division.

Two days previous to the action there were heavy rains which impeded
the movements of the troops, caused the rivers to rise, and brought
down a quantity of drift-wood and trees. The same flood swept from
their moorings a number of torpedoes, planted by the Confederates,
which were grappled with and towed ashore by the wooden gunboats.

Half an hour after noon on the 6th, the fleet, having waited in vain
for the army, which was detained by the condition of the roads,
advanced to the attack. The armored vessels opened fire, the flag-ship
beginning, at seventeen hundred yards distance, and continued steaming
steadily ahead to within six hundred yards of the fort. As the
distance decreased, the fire on both sides increased in rapidity and
accuracy. An hour after the action began the 60-pound rifle in the
fort burst, and soon after the priming wire of the 10-inch columbiad
jammed and broke in the vent, thus spiking the gun, which could not be
relieved. The balance of force was, however, at once more than
restored, for a shot from the fort pierced the casemate of the Essex
over the port bow gun, ranged aft, and killing a master's mate in its
flight, passed through the middle boiler. The rush of high-pressure
steam scalded almost all in the forward part of the casemate,
including her commander and her two pilots in the pilot-house. Many of
the victims threw themselves into the water, and the vessel, disabled,
drifted down with the current out of action. The contest was
vigorously continued by the three remaining boats, and at 1.45 P.M.
the Confederate flag was lowered. The commanding officer, General
Tilghman, came on board and surrendered the fort and garrison to the
fleet; but the greater part of the Confederate forces had been
previously withdrawn to Fort Donelson, twelve miles distant, on the
Cumberland. Upon the arrival of the army the fort and material
captured were turned over to the general commanding.

In this sharp and decisive action the gunboats showed themselves well
fitted to contend with most of the guns at that time to be found upon
the rivers, provided they could fight bows on. Though repeatedly
struck, the