convinced that you all know of and appreciate that bitter wrong.

"To resume. The Americans were highly gratified with the result of the
conflict at Fort Bowyer, and their zeal was greatly quickened for
volunteering for the defence of New Orleans, whose citizens testified
their appreciation of Major Lawrence's achievement by resolving to
present him with an elegant sword in the name of their city."

"Was there not a second attack by the British upon Fort Bowyer,
Captain?" asked Evelyn.

"Yes; after their defeat at New Orleans. That, you will remember, was on
the 8th of January, 1815. They reached their fleet, lying in the deep
water between Ship and Cat Islands, on the 29th of that month, Fort
Bowyer on the 9th of February, and besieged it for nearly two days, when
Major Lawrence found himself compelled to surrender to a superior force.
That left Mobile at the mercy of the foe, but just then came the news
of peace, concluded at Ghent nearly two months before."

"But wasn't there some fighting done there or at Mobile in the Civil
War, sir?" asked Walter.

"Yes; on August 5, 1864, the government forces under Farragut attacked
the Confederate defences there, consisting principally of the two forts,
Morgan on the eastern side of the bay, and Gaines on the western, about
three miles apart.

"A line of piles and a double one of torpedoes stretched nearly across
from Fort Gaines to Fort Morgan, leaving only a narrow channel between
that fort and the point of termination. It was through that channel,
indicated by a red buoy, that blockade runners passed in and out, and
inside of these defences lay the Confederate ironclad _Tennessee_, and
three wooden gun-boats. It was early in the morning of that August day
that Farragut's signal was given, for the advance of his seven sloops of
war. The firing was heavy and destructive on both sides. But I will not
go into particulars at this time, only saying that the result was in
favor of the Federals; but the victory cost many lives--of Federals 335
men, of whom 113 were drowned in the _Tecumseh_--the leading monitor,
which had struck a torpedo and gone down--and 52 killed by shot, while
the Confederate loss was 10 killed, 16 wounded, and 280 prisoners,
besides the loss in the forts, which is unknown."

Just at this point a passing vessel attracted the attention of the
captain and his listeners, and the conversation was not renewed until
after dinner.

CHAPTER XV.

IT