ng in the bottom and causing her to sink so suddenly
that nearly a hundred men went down with her. The pilot and Craven were
in the pilot house, and, feeling the boat dropping beneath them, both
sprang to the narrow ladder leading out. They reached the foot together,
when the commander bowed and, pausing, said to the pilot: "You first,
sir." He had barely time to scramble out, when Captain Craven and the
rest went down.

The Union vessels pressed forward with such vigor that, with the
exception of the loss of the _Tecumseh_, the forts were passed without
the ships receiving serious injury. When, however, the battle seemed
won, the _Tennessee_ came out from under the guns of Fort Powell and
headed for the Union vessels. She believed herself invulnerable in her
massive iron hide, and selected the flagship as her special target. The
_Hartford_ partly dodged her blow and rammed her in return. The ram was
accompanied by three gunboats, which were soon driven out of action, but
the _Tennessee_ plunged here and there like some enraged monster driven
at bay, but which the guns and attacks of her assailants could not
conquer.

Tons of metal were hurled with inconceivable force against her mailed
sides, only to drop harmlessly into the water. She was butted and
rammed, and in each case it was like the rat gnawing a file: the injury
fell upon the assailant. She was so surrounded by her enemies that they
got in one another's way and caused mutual hurt.

But as continual dropping wears away stones, this incessant hammering
finally showed effect. Admiral Buchanan received a painful wound, and a
number of his men were killed; the steering-chains were broken, the
smoke-stack was carried away, the port shutters jammed, and finally the
wallowing "sea-hog" became unmanageable. Then the white flag was
displayed and the battle was over. Farragut had won his most memorable
battle, and the last important seaport of the Confederacy was gone.

Two days later Fort Gaines was captured, and Fort Morgan surrendered on
the 23d of the same month. The land force rendered valuable assistance,
and the blockade became more rigid. The coast line, however, was so
extensive that it was impossible to seal every port, and the Confederacy
obtained a good deal of sorely needed medical supplies through the
daring blockade-runners, which often managed to elude the watchful
fleets.

[Illustration: MONUMENT TO ADMIRAL FARRAGUT AT WASHINGTON.]

The Confederat