ndianola
helpless to avoid the onset of the Webb, which struck her fair in the
stern, starting the timbers and starboard rudder-box so that the water
poured in in large volumes. This settled the fight, and Brent reported
to Colonel Brand that the enemy was disabled. The Batey then dashed up
to board, but the Indianola, after delaying a few moments in mid
river, till the water had risen nearly to the grate-bars, to assure
her sinking, had run her bows into the west bank, and surrendered as
soon as the cottonclads came alongside. The enemy, finding that she
must sink and not willing that this should happen on the side where
the Union army was, made fast at once two steamers and towed her down
and over to the east bank, where she sank in ten feet of water near
the plantation of the President of the Confederacy. The loss of the
Indianola was 1 killed, 1 wounded, and 7 missing. The latter probably
got ashore on the west bank, for 3 were captured there the following
day and more than one got through to Porter's squadron. The loss of
the enemy was officially stated at 3 killed and 5 wounded, but a
Confederate officer admitted to the commander of the Indianola that it
was much greater.

This ended Porter's sanguine hopes of blockading the river by detached
vessels while he kept the body of the fleet above. After being
harassed and stirred up during three weeks, the Confederates again
found themselves masters of the line from Vicksburg to Port Hudson for
a few days longer, and with two Union vessels in their hands, one of
which was serviceable, while the other, badly damaged and partly sunk,
it is true, had still her armament intact and was possibly not beyond
repair. Their possession of the Indianola, however, was of short
duration. The second day after the capture, a detail of 100 men with a
lieutenant was sent to try and save her, by the army officer
commanding near by, while the Queen of the West went up to Warrenton,
to act as picket for the fleet, and with despatches to General
Stevenson, commanding at Vicksburg, asking for pumps and other help.
In a short time, the Queen returned in great haste and reported a
gunboat approaching. All the vessels that had behaved so gallantly two
nights before got under way in a panic and went hurriedly down,
leaving the working party and the lieutenant. The gunboat did not come
nearer than two miles and a half, and seemed very apprehensive of an
attack herself, sticking close to the bank