she was attached swung round and grounded her in
the mud in shallow water. But the _Pinola_ rescued her.

"Two hours later an immense fire-raft came roaring down the stream, but,
like those sent before, it was caught by our men and rendered harmless.
They would catch such things with grappling-irons, tow them to the
shore, and leave them there to burn out harmlessly.

"Day after day the bombardment went on, fire-rafts coming down the river
every night, but Fort Jackson still held out, though its citadel had
been set on fire by the shells from the mortar boats, and all the
commissary stores and the clothing of the men destroyed; also the levee
had been broken in scores of places by the exploding shells, so that the
waters of the river flooded the parade ground and casemates.

"By sunset on the 23d, Farragut was ready for his forward movement, but
Porter, with his mortar boats, was to stay and cover the advance with
his fire. Farragut, on board his flag-ship, the _Hartford_, was to lead
the way with it, the _Brooklyn_, and the _Richmond_.

"These vessels formed the first division, and were to keep near the
right bank of the river, fighting Fort Jackson, while Captain Theodorus
Bailey was to keep close to the western bank with his (the second)
division, to fight Fort St. Philip. His vessels were the _Mississippi_,
_Pensacola_, _Varuna_, _Oneida_, _Katahdin_, _Kineo_, _Wissahickon_,
_Portsmouth_.

"Captain Bell still commanded the same vessels which I just mentioned as
his, and his appointed duty was to attack the Confederate fleet above
the forts, to keep the channel of the river, and push right on, paying
no attention to the forts themselves.

"In obedience to these orders, the _Itasca_ ran up to the boom, and at
eleven o'clock showed a night signal that the channel was clear of
obstruction excepting the hulks, which, with care, might be passed
safely.

"A heavy fog, and the settling of the smoke from the steamers upon the
waters, made the night a very dark one. No sound came from the forts,
yet active preparations were going on in them for the approaching
struggle, and their fleet was stationed near them in readiness to assist
in the effort to prevent the Union vessels from ascending the river.

"At one o'clock every one on the Union ships was called to action, but
the fleet remained stationary until two, and at half past three
Farragut's and Bailey's divisions were moving up the river, each on its
appointed si