"Now was our turn. The Monarch struck the General Price a glancing blow, not sinking her, but shaving off her starboard wheel; and she was out of the fight.
"Before the Queen could be disentangled from the wreck of the General Lovell, the Beauregard and Van Dorn both attacked her. Colonel Ellet fell with a ball through the knee; but as he lay on the deck, he continued to direct the fight.[9]
"The Monarch saw the danger which threatened the Queen of the West, and straight for the Beauregard she went, crashing into that vessel's side, and putting her out of the conflict.
"The Confederate fleet thought only of escape now. The battle drifted down the river, past the city. The gunboats joined in the chase, and but one Confederate vessel escaped. Those that had not been sunk or disabled were run on the shore on the Arkansas side and set on fire by their crews, before escaping into the swamp."
"Carl," cried Lawrence, "I would have given ten years of my life to have seen that battle, and, like you, to have been a part of it."
"Very little part I had," replied Carl, modestly, "except to fire a few shots when we were at close quarters. But after the fight—ach! Lawrence, that is something worth telling."
"What was it, Carl?"
"Toward the close of the fight, a white flag was run up in the city of Memphis. Colonel Ellet sent his son, a medical cadet, no older than yourself, Lawrence, to demand the surrender of the city. He chose three men, of whom I was one, to accompany him.
"We rowed ashore in a small boat, and landed in the midst of a howling, excited mob of thousands.
"Young Ellet handed the message which his father had written to the Mayor, and then we started for the postoffice. The mob closed in around us—four men in the midst of thousands. They cursed, they howled; they heaped upon us the most violent names; they threatened to tear us to pieces.