anded by Admiral Buchanan, formerly captain of the
Merrimac. Farragut determined to force a passage. Before six o'clock in
the morning his fleet of four monitors and fourteen wooden ships, the
latter lashed together two and two, got under way, Farragut taking his
station in the main rigging of the Hartford. The action opened about
seven. One of the monitors struck a torpedo and sunk. The Brooklyn,
which was leading, turned back to go around what seemed to be a nest of
torpedoes. The whole line was in danger of being huddled together under
the fire of the forts. Farragut boldly took the lead, and the fleet
followed. The torpedo cases could be heard rapping against the ships'
bottoms, but none exploded.

The forts being safely passed, the Confederate gunboats advanced to the
attack. One of these was captured, the other two escaped. The powerful
iron-clad Tennessee now moved down upon the Union fleet. It was 209 feet
long, with armor from five to six inches thick. Farragut ordered his
wooden vessels to run her down. Three succeeded in ramming her squarely.
She reeled under the tremendous blows, and her gunners could not keep
their feet. A monitor sent a fifteen-inch ball through her stern. Her
smoke-stack and steering-chains were shot away, and several port
shutters jammed. About ten A.M., after an action of an hour and a
quarter, the ram hoisted the white flag. The forts surrendered in a few
days.

January 15, 1865, Fort Fisher, a strong work near Wilmington, N. C,
mounting seventy-five guns, was captured by a joint land and naval
expedition under General Terry and Admiral Porter. This was the last
great engagement along the coast.

The story of the war upon the high seas is quickly told. Swift and
powerful cruisers were built in English ship-yards, with the connivance
of the British Government, whence they sailed to prey upon our commerce.
The Florida, Georgia, Shenandoah, Chameleon, and Tallahassee, were some
of the most famous in the list of Confederate cruisers. During 1861,
fifty-eight prizes were taken by them. American merchant vessels were
driven from the sea. The Shenandoah alone destroyed over $6,000,000
worth in vessels and cargoes.

[1862]

The two most celebrated of these sea-rovers were the Sumter and the
Alabama, both commanded by Captain Semmes, formerly of the United States
Navy. The Sumter was a screw steamer of 600 tons, a good sailer and
sea-boat. She was bought by the Confederate Government and