r next plan seemed for a time successful. It was at four o'clock
one October morning that the watch on the sloop-of-war "Richmond"
suddenly saw a huge dark mass so close to the ship that it seemed
fairly to have sprung from the water, and sweeping down rapidly. The
alarm was quickly given, and the crew beat to quarters. Over the water
from the other ships, now fully alarmed, came the roll of the drums
beating the men to their guns. The dark object came on swiftly, and
the word was passed from man to man, "It's a Confederate ram." And
indeed it was the ram "Manassas," which the Confederates had been hard
at work building in the New Orleans shipyards, and on which they
relied to drive the blockading squadron from the river. As she came
rushing towards the "Richmond," two great lights higher up the river
told of fire-rafts bearing down upon the fleet, and by the fitful
glare three smaller gunboats were seen coming to the assistance of the
"Manassas." Clearly the Confederates were attacking in force.

The first volley from the fleet rattled harmlessly from the iron-clad
sides of the "Manassas;" and, not heeding it, she swept on and plunged
into the side of the "Richmond." The great iron prow cut deep into the
wooden sides of the Union vessel. Heavy oaken timbers were splintered
like laths, and the men were violently hurled to the deck. As the ram
drew away, the blue-jackets sprang to their guns and gave her a
volley. Some of the shots must have penetrated her armor, for she
became unmanageable. But the darkness prevented the officers of the
"Richmond" from seeing how much damage they had done, and they did not
follow up their advantage. The strange panic that the sight of a ram
so often brought upon sailors of the old school fell on the officers
of this squadron, and they began hastily getting their ships out of
the river. By this time four more Confederate steamers had come to the
aid of the ram, and were cannonading the Northern fleet at long range.
In their hurried attempt to escape, the "Richmond" and the "Vincennes"
had run aground. The captain of the latter vessel, fearing capture,
determined to fire his vessel and escape with his crew to the
"Richmond." Accordingly he laid a slow-match to the magazine, lighted
it, and then, wrapping his ship's colors about his waist in the most
theatrical manner, abandoned his ship. But the plan was not altogether
a success. As he left the ship, he was followed by a grizzled old
sail