all thought that she would be borne
beneath the water by the pressure of the ram. All the time the
spiteful bow-gun of the iron monster was hurling its bolts into her
hull. But the blow of the ram had done no damage, for she had struck
one of the coils of chain that had been hung down the "Brooklyn's"
side. The two vessels slowly swung apart; and, after a final broadside
from the "Brooklyn," the "Manassas" drifted away in the pitchy
darkness to seek for new adversaries. She was not long in finding one;
for as the gray dawn was breaking she suddenly found herself under the
very bows of the "Mississippi," which was bearing down upon her and
seemed sure to run her down. The captain of the "Manassas" was an able
steersman, and neatly dodged the blow; but in this quick movement he
ran his vessel ashore, and she lay there under the guns of the
"Mississippi," and unable to bring any of her own guns to bear. The
captain of the frigate was not slow in taking advantage of this chance
to be revenged for all the trouble she had given the Union fleet; and
he took up a good position, and pounded away with his heavy guns at
the iron monster. The heavy shots crashed through the iron plating and
came plunging in the portholes, seeking every nook and cranny about
the vessel. It was too much for men to stand, and the crew of the
"Manassas" fled to the woods; while their vessel was soon set on fire
with red-hot shots, and blew up with a tremendous report soon after.

[Illustration: Ram "Tennessee" at Mobile Bay.]

In the mean time, the ships of the Union fleet were doing daring work,
and meeting a determined resistance. The flagship "Hartford" was met
by a tug which pushed a huge burning fire-raft against her sides.
There the flaming thing lay right up against the portholes, the flames
catching the tarred rigging, and running up the masts. Farragut walked
his quarter-deck as coolly as though the ship was on parade. "Don't
flinch from that fire, boys," he sang out, as the flames rushed in the
portholes, and drove the men from their guns. "There's a hotter fire
than that for those who don't do their duty. Give that rascally
little tug a shot, and don't let her go off with a whole coat." But
the tug did get away, after all; and no one can feel sorry that men
plucky enough to take an unarmed tug into a terrible fight of frigates
and iron-clads should escape with their lives. The men on the
"Hartford" fought the flames with hose and buckets,