es his loss at fifty-seven killed
and thirteen wounded out of a crew of ninety-three. He ran his vessel
ashore when she was in a sinking condition, and set fire to her with
his own hand. The "River Defence" gunboats, with the exception of the
"Resolute," were either destroyed by fire of the enemy's fleet, or by
their own crews. The "Resolute" was discovered ashore, after the action,
about a mile above Fort Jackson and abandoned by her crew. Lieut. Alden,
with a party from the "McRae," took possession of her, and endeavored to
get her afloat as she was very little injured, but being attacked by one
of the gunboats from above, which succeeded in putting several shots
through her hull at the water line, Alden was compelled to abandon her
after setting her on fire. Among the mortally wounded on board the
"McRae" was her commander T. B. Huger. The "Defiance," one of the "River
Defence" gunboats, escaped without material injury. She was turned over
to the command of Commodore Mitchell by Captain Stevenson on the 26th,
without any of her officers and crew, who refused to remain in her, and
went ashore.[4]

After landing the wounded, we continued the work upon the machinery of
the Louisiana, buoyed up by the hope of soon being able to retrieve our
disasters. Our number was increased by officers and men who had escaped
from some of the abandoned vessels. Many of them, to obtain shelter
from the shells and canister shot of the Federal fleet, had taken refuge
in the "bayous" which lie not far from the river in many places; and
they looked like half drowned rats as they came on board the Louisiana.
One of the officers gave a ludicrous account of a poor girl, who had
fled from her home on the river bank as the fleet was passing, with no
clothing except her night dress, and no earthly possession but a lap-dog
which she held in her clasped arms. She had sought the same place of
refuge and as the shells and shot would whistle over her head she would
dive like a duck under the water; and every time she rose above the
surface, the lap-dog would sneeze and whimper a protest against the
frequent submersions. The officer at last persuaded her to let him take
charge of her draggled pet; and finally had the pleasure of seeing her
safe back to her home before leaving her.

During the night of the 27th after unremitting labor, our machinery was
at last completed, and we prepared to make the attempt to go up the
river in pursuit of the fleet. C