hip had passed the torpedo line the enemy's three
gunboats began retreating slowly up the bay, keeping ahead and on her
starboard bow, where her guns could not bear while their own raked her.
The conditions of the channel did not yet allow her to deviate from her
course in order to return their fire. At no period of the battle did the
Hartford suffer so much as during the fifteen minutes she had to endure
this galling punishment. The Tennessee, being inferior in speed to her
consorts as well as to the Hartford, could not accompany this movement;
and, moreover, Buchanan, the Confederate admiral, had set his heart upon
ramming the vessel that bore the flag of his old friend Farragut. The
Tennessee therefore stood toward the Hartford, but failed in her thrust,
the Union vessel avoiding it easily with a movement of her helm. The ram
then fired two shots at very short range, but singularly enough both
missed. "I took no further notice of her," wrote Farragut, "than to
return her fire." The Tennessee followed some little distance up the
bay, and then, changing her mind, turned toward the column of wooden
vessels that was now approaching, with the three monitors covering their
right flank and somewhat in the rear; these having delayed to engage the
fire of the fort while their more vulnerable companions went by. The
Confederate ironclad passed along the column from van to rear,
exchanging shots with most of the vessels in it. The Monongahela
attempted to ram her, but, being embarrassed by the gunboat lashed
alongside, succeeded only in giving a glancing blow; while the Oneida,
the ship on the fighting side of the rear couple, already completely
disabled in her motive power by a shot through the boiler, received a
raking broadside, by which her captain, Mullany, lost an arm.

At the time the Tennessee went about to encounter the remaining vessels
of the fleet, which was about eight o'clock, the course of the channel
enabled the Hartford to turn sufficiently to bring her broadside to bear
on her puny assailants. By the fire she then opened, one, the Gaines,
was so much injured as to be with difficulty kept afloat until she could
take refuge under Fort Morgan, where she was that night burned by her
commander. All three retreated rapidly toward the shoal water on the
east side of the bay. Farragut then signaled for the gunboats of his
fleet to chase those of the enemy. Jouett, being alongside, received the
order by word of mouth, a