some boats to help him." The boats, however, were
saved by the skill and energy of Colonel Joseph Bailey, the
chief-of-engineers in Franklin's corps of Banks's army; by whom was
thrown across the river a dam, which raised the water on the shoals
sufficiently for the boats to cross.

A more pleasant incident occurred to vary the sameness of the blockade
days, in the presentation to the admiral, by the Union League Club of
New York, of a very handsome sword, with scabbard of massive gold and
silver, the hilt set in brilliants. The gift was accompanied by a letter
expressive of the givers' appreciation of the brilliant services
rendered to the nation, and was a grateful reminder to Farragut, then
watching before Mobile for his last grapple with the enemy in his front,
that his fellow-countrymen in their homes were not wanting in
recognition of the dangers he had incurred, nor of those he was still
facing on their behalf.

The time was now close at hand when the weary and anxious waiting, which
the admiral afterward so feelingly described, was to be exchanged for
the more vigorous action he had so long desired. The co-operation of a
division from Canby's army was assured toward the end of July; and at
the same time the long-promised, long-delayed monitor ironclads began to
arrive. As the want of these and the presence of the enemy's ironclads
had been the reasons which, in Farragut's opinion, had made necessary
the postponement of the purely naval part of the combined operation, a
short description of the vessels which formed so potent an element in
his calculations will not be out of place.

The idea of the monitor type of ironclads, which was then the prevalent
one in the United States Navy, was brought by John Ericsson from his
home in Sweden, where it had been suggested to him by the sight of the
rafts with a house upon them crossing the waters with which he was
familiar. In its conception, the monitor was simply a round fort,
heavily plated with iron, resting upon a raft nearly flush with the
water, and provided with the motive power of steam. The forts, or
turrets, as they are commonly called, might be one or more in number;
and each carried usually two heavy guns, standing side by side and
pointing in exactly the same direction, so that if discharged together
the projectiles would follow parallel courses. Within the turret the
guns could be turned neither to the right nor to the left; if such a
change of aim were