e
current round the bend was throwing her bow off and setting her over
on the east bank, the order "starboard" was given to the wheel. As too
often happens, this was understood as "stop her," and the engines were
stopped while the wheel was not moved. In consequence of this mistake
the Iroquois, then a very fast ship, shot over to the east (at this
point more precisely the north) bank, past the guns of St. Philip, and
brought up against the ironclad steamer Louisiana that was lying
against the levee a short distance above the fort. This powerful,
though immovable, vessel at once opened her ports and gave the
Iroquois every gun that would bear, and at the same time a number of
her people ran on deck as though to repel what seemed to be an attempt
to board. This gave the Iroquois an opportunity of returning the
murderous fire she had received, which she did with effect. Some of
the guns of the Louisiana had been double-shotted, the second shot
being in two cases found sticking in the hole made by the first. This
unfortunate collision made the loss of the Iroquois amount to 8 killed
and 24 wounded, in proportion to her complement the heaviest of the
whole fleet. It was as she slowly drew away that Commander Porter
noted her as "lingering," standing out in full relief against the
light of the burning rafts; then she went her way, the last to pass,
and the fight was won.

The three gunboats at the rear of the second column failed to get by.
The Itasca, on coming abreast of Fort Jackson, was pierced by several
shot, one of them entering the boiler. The steam issuing in a dense
cloud drove every one up from below, and the vessel deprived of her
motive power, drifted helplessly down the stream. The Winona following
her, fouled the obstructions, and before she could get clear the
Itasca backed on board of her. After a half hour's delay she proceeded
under a heavy fire, at first from Jackson. Thinking the burning raft,
in whose light the Pinola suffered, to be on that side of the river,
she tried to pass on the St. Philip side, receiving the fire of the
latter fort at less than point-blank range. Shooting over to the other
side again, so thick was the smoke that the ship got close to shore,
and her head had to be turned down stream to avoid running on it. By
this time day had broken, and the Winona, standing out against the
morning sky, under the fire of both forts, and with no other vessel to
distract their attention, was force