While the flagship remained at Memphis until June 29th, the river was practically opened as far as Vicksburg by this fight. An expedition to coöperate with the army was sent up the White River in Arkansas, where, at Charles City, a combined attack was made by the gunboats and an Indiana regiment under Colonel Fitch, on the Confederate works. The Mound City was leading the gunboats, and had arrived within 600 yards of the Confederate fort, when a shell entered her casemate, killing three men and bursting her boiler. Of 175 officers and men on board, but three officers and twenty-two men escaped unhurt from the frightful blast. Eighty-two died of wounds and the scalding, and forty-three were drowned or shot in the water when they jumped overboard to escape the steam, for the Confederates continued firing at her crew when they were swimming away from her.

The other gunboats continued battle until Fitch was ready to make an assault from the rear, when they ceased firing, and Fitch carried the works by storm. The Confederate commander was Capt. Joseph Fry, who was captured and executed by the Spaniards in the Virginius expedition, of which he was the leader.

On June 29th Flag Officer Davis steamed down the river from Memphis, and early on the morning of July 1, 1862, came upon a government fleet lying just above Vicksburg, under the command of Admiral Farragut.

The story of Farragut’s journey from the Gulf of Mexico to this point will be told in the next chapter.

Battle of Memphis—The Confederates Retreating.

From a painting by Admiral Walke.

CHAPTER XII
FARRAGUT AT NEW ORLEANS

IT WAS HARD WORK GETTING THE SQUADRON INTO THE MISSISSIPPI—PREPARING THE SHIPS TO RUN BY THE FORTS GUARDING THE RIVER—MORTAR SCHOONERS HIDDEN BY TREE BRANCHES—THE FORTS WERE WELL PLANNED, BUT POORLY ARMED—A BARRIER CHAIN THAT WAS NO BARRIER AT THE LAST—THE HETEROGENEOUS CONFEDERATE SQUADRON—THE FIRE-RAFTS—WORK OF THE COAST SURVEY—BRAVERY OF CALDWELL—FOREIGNERS WHO INTERFERED—WORK OF THE MORTAR FLEET—WHEN THE SQUADRON DROVE PAST THE FORTS—SCATTERING THE CONFEDERATE SQUADRON—NEVERTHELESS, AT LEAST THREE GOOD CAPTAINS WERE FOUND AMONG THEM—SINKING THE VARUNA—FATE OF THE RAM MANASSAS—SURRENDER OF THE FORTS—END OF THE IRONCLAD LOUISIANA—THE WORK OF THE MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON.