itring Farragut, who
was well informed as to the condition of the defences, determined
upon repeating before Vicksburg his exploit below New Orleans.
Accordingly, on the 28th of July, in the darkness of the early
morning, under cover of the fire of Porter's mortar flotilla,
Farragut got under way with his fleet to pass the batteries of
Vicksburg. The fleet was formed in two columns, with wide intervals,
the starboard column led by the _Hartford_, the port column by the
_Iroquois_. The battle was opened by the mortars at four o'clock,
the enemy replying instantly. By six o'clock the _Hartford_ and
six of her consorts had successfully run the gauntlet, and lay safely
anchored above the bend, while the rest of the fleet, through some
confusion of events or misapprehension of orders, had resumed its
former position below the bend. The losses of the navy in this
engagement were fifteen killed and thirty wounded, including many
scalded by the effect of a single shot that pierced the boiler of
the _Clifton_. The eight rifled guns of Nims's and Everett's
batteries having been landed, were placed in position behind the
levee at Barney's Point, and replied effectively to the fire of
the heavy guns on the high bluff, at a range of about fourteen
hundred yards. This slight service was the only form of active
co-operation by the army that the circumstances admitted; yet all the
troops stood to arms, ready to do any thing that might be required.

On the 1st of July Davis joined Farragut with four gunboats and
six mortar-boats of the Mississippi fleet. On the 9th Farragut
received orders from the Navy Department, dated on the 5th, and
forwarded by way of Cairo, to send Porter with the _Octorara_ and
twelve mortar-boats at once to Hampton Roads. Porter steamed down
the river on the 10th. This was obviously one of the first-fruits
of the campaign of the Peninsula just ended by the withdrawal of
the Army of the Potomac to the James. Indeed, at this crisis, all
occasions seemed to be informing against the Union plan of campaign,
and the same events that drew the Confederate armies together served
to draw the Union armies apart. Just as we have seen Pope called
away from Fort Pillow on the eve of an attack that must have resulted
in its capture, and taken in haste to swell the slow march of
Halleck's army before Corinth, so now, when for a full month Corinth
had been abandoned by the Confederates, Halleck's forces were being
b