the edge of the bayou, and,
forming a line along the levee, began chaffing the sailors on the
ludicrous failure of their attempt to perform naval evolutions in a
swamp.

"What's gone with your boats, Jack?" sung out one tall fellow in
cavalry garb. "Been in dry-dock for repairs?"

"How do you like playing mud-turtle?" said another. "Better stick to
salt water after this."

"Don't go bush-whacking again, unless you have the soldiers with you.
You look as if your mothers didn't know you were out." And at this a
yell of approval went up all along the line, while the badgered
sailors growled and tried to make sharp retorts to the stinging
ridicule of the landsmen.

So ended this memorable gunboat expedition. It is unparalleled in the
history of warfare. The feats performed by the unwieldy iron-clads in
the narrow bayous gained for them, from Lincoln, the title of
"web-footed" gunboats. They had traversed shallow and tortuous
channels; they had cleared their path of trees, snags, and even
bridges; they had run the gantlet of flaming cotton-bales and
Confederate bullets. After meeting and overcoming so many obstacles,
their final stoppage by a thicket of pitiful willow-shoots irritated
the blue-jackets and their commander extremely. Porter had penetrated
so far into the Yazoo country, that he could see how great damage
could be inflicted upon the Confederates, if the expedition could but
be carried out successfully. He had definite information to the
effect, that, at Yazoo City, the Confederates had a thriving shipyard,
at which they were pressing forward the construction of steam-rams
with which to sweep the Mississippi. To reach that point and destroy
the vessels, would have been a service thoroughly in accord with his
tastes; but the willows held him back. However, he was able to console
himself with the thought that the rams were not likely to do the
Confederates any immediate service; for a truthful contraband, brought
in by the Union scouts, informed the admiral that "dey has no bottom
in, no sides to 'em, an' no top on to 'em, sah; an' dere injines is in
Richmon'."

When the dangers encountered by the gunboats during this expedition
are considered, the damage sustained seems surprisingly small. Had the
Confederates acted promptly and vigorously, the intruders would never
have escaped from the swamps into which their temerity had led them. A
few torpedoes, judiciously planted in the muddy bed of the bayou,
would